Faisal Salhab and Fahad Almansour had the Saudi winning run going ahead of an important mission for the national golf team when they won the 12th qualifying round Friday of the Xerox Corporate Golf Challenge 2014 at the Dirab Golf & Country Club.

For the second straight week, Saudi golfers claimed the top places in the big events at Dirab that bodes well for the national team’s participation in the Pan Arab Championship which the Kingdom will be hosting Dec. 7 to 10 at Riyadh Golf Courses.

After Abdurahman Almansour won the Overall Best Gross title in the SABB Annual Open Golf Tournament the previous week, Salhab and Fahad showed all and sundry they are also both in good form for the Pan Arab tourney, combining for the winning score of 63 in the 18-hole best ball medal format with ¾ handicap competition.

Salhab and Fahad join the rest of the qualifying round winners in the grand final Dec. 11 and 12 hosted on two iconic golf courses, Tower Links Golf Club and Al Hamra Golf Club. Also, the winners will enjoy an overnight stay in the Waldorf Astoria, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE.

Omar Hariri and Chris Maslak, playing in the same group with Salhab-Almansour, were runners-up on 64. Third place went to Graham Gunn and David Treadgold, who have had a slew of victories in Texas Scramble format events. They won on countback from the Korean pair of Il Joong Kim and Mi Ra Jung after the two sides tied on 65.

The 21-year old Abdurahman, who plans to pursue his college studies in the United States, and the grand old man of Saudi golf, Ali Balhareth, took the fifth position on 66.

The 18-year old Salhab who divides his time between the Kingdom and Dubai where he is enrolled in a university as a first-year engineering student, told Arab News in a telephone interview from Dubai their victory was the result of a total team effort.

“Fahad kept me very relaxed as he was trying to make par all the time,” he said.

Salhab rattled in eight birdies including three in a row from No. 11. He had five birdies on the back nine the last one coming on 17th while also hitting birdies on the first, second and eighth holes.

The long-hitting Salhab, who jetted back to Dubai after Friday’s tournament, said he hopes to fly in Dec. 1 in time for the Pan Arab Championship where the Saudis will be looking to win on home soil.

“They will to beat us in order for them to win. We’re not gonna lose on our home course,” Salhab said, noting strong opposition is likely to come from Morocco.

When told he still has a lot of years for national team duties because of his young age Salhab said: “Anytime I am able to represent my country, I’d be happy.”

Salhab captured the men’s longest drive award with Australian Liz Kennedy taking home the same award for the ladies. Mark Davies was the closest to the pin award winner.

The top raffle draw prize of Xerox copying machine was won by Bernard Nolan. Noel Pearce got a Callaway X1 Hot driver and Kamal Fareed a Callaway wedge.

Ihab Wahba, GDO director, Saudi Xerox Agencies Company, attended the prize-giving ceremony.

“The 12th qualifying round was successfully executed and we thank Dirab Golf & Country Club for their continuous support and on ground assistance to the Saudi Xerox Team,” said Reem Al Bakry, director of marketing.