RIYADH: Promising young Saudi national team golfers Faisal Salhab and Abdurahman Almansour lived up to their billing as the team to beat when they emerged champion in the

2016 Xerox Corporate Golf Challenge Qualifying Round 10 that was held Saturday at Dirab Golf & Country Club.

Both in their early 20s who had represented the Kingdom together in the international arena, Salhab and the US-based Almansour won on countback from two other teams after they all tied on 48 points in the two ball betterball Stableford format with 3/4 handicap competition.

In 2014, Salhab teamed with Abdurahman’s older brother Fahad to win the same event. This time Salhab will be traveling with Abdurahman to Ajman, UAE for the grand final of the Xerox Corporate Golf Challenge in December at the Al Zorah Golf Club.

Richard Davis and Jonathan Wood, finished runner-up to also qualify for the grand final along with the Saudi duo. The third team on 48, Koreans Dongsoon Kang and Chanhwi Lee, settled for third place.

Two further teams tied on 44 points with the father-daughter team of Clark Windross and Amy Windross claiming fourth place from the Filipino pair of Resty Sibug.

The newest on-course competition in the Challenge this year is King of Pars, for teams performing the best on Pars 3, 4, and 5, with prizes sponsored by deVere Acuma. The winners are Dong Kang-Ch Lee 16 points (par 3s), Clark and Amy Windross 43 points (par 4s) and Julian Bennett-Arshad Mahmood 23 points (par 5s).

For the hole prizes, the winners are: Resty Sibug nearest to the pin, 4th hole; Eddie O-Reilly O’Reilly, 7th hole, and Faisal Salhab, 11th hole. Prizes were sponsored by Chrusler, Devere Acuma and Select Property respectively.

Salhab and Abdurahman never dropped a shot, carding nines of 23-25 points.

Ihab Wahba, general manager Operations, Xerox Saudi Arabia, presented prizes to the winners during the awards ceremony.

“The 10th qualifying round was successfully executed and we thank Dirab Golf & Country Club for their support and assistance to the Saudi Xerox Team. Our team was in full zeal, engaging with the players during the event, who found it very encouraging and supportive” said Wahba.

Other attendees from Saudi Xerox management include, Ahmed Kasaby, Zamil A. Kasim , Al AL Qahtani and Tahir Qamar. . Sponsors of the tournament include Ajman Tourism, Al Zohra Golf Club, deVere Acuma, Chrysler, and Select Property.