Prince Khalid wins SABB Open Golf Tournament

RIYADH: Every once in a while a golfer reaches a high when he couldn’t seem to do anything wrong.
On Friday Prince Khalid bin Saud Al Faisal reached his as he crafted a 1-under 73 in benign conditions to win the Best Gross honors in the 2012 Annual SABB Open Golf Tournament at the Dirab Golf & Country Club.
With an 8 handicap Prince Khalid could have also won Best Net on 65 if not for a ruling that awards only one major prize per player. Instead the Best Net crown went to Filipino veteran golfer Jun Saporsantos who posted 66 from a gross score of 83 and handicap of 17.
“I got my tempo and feel of the game,” Prince Khalid was quoted to have said of his sublime round.
Despite his superb score Prince Khalid, a golfer with a natural swing, complained about his putting as he missed birdie opportunities that could have given him net score of 9-under.
Still Prince Khalid enjoyed his first best score in three years at Dirab, according to DGCC Golf Manager Bouchaib El Jadiani.
Prince Khalid had one birdie, on the par-3 16, and two bogeys in his nines of 37-36.
Saudi national team player Omar Hariri won the First Division (0-9 handicap) after shooting a 69 (76-7) with New Zealander Julian Bennett second on 70 (78-8) and Jose Vigil third on 71 (78-7).
The Second Division (10-18) title went to Steve Hunter who won on countback from Nadeem Mirza after both players tied on 70. Declan White took third place on 71 (86-15).
The Third Division (19-28) winner also was decided via the countback with David Hunt beating Khalid Raja, after both finished on 70. Abbi Oloyadi placed third on 71.
Korean Jal Han Kim, Filipinos Christer Rem Sibug and David Lloyd Bantug were the first three winners in the Junior Division on 72, 75 and 77 in that order.
The Ladies Division podium winners were Mi Jung Yoo, Susan Tressier and Liz Kennedy on 71, 75 and 76.
The men’s and ladies longest drive awards went to Faisal Salhab and Ruby Klawikoski and the closest to the pin plum to Richard Dunn.
Rodney Simonetti won the raffle draw grand prize of set of Adams Idea irons. Felimon Geronimo and Noel Pearce each took home a Xerox photocopy machine, Tariq Javed nabbed a Srixon staff bag, Edgar Otalora Odyssey putter and Richard Dunn Optari bag.
Khaled Abunayyan, president of Saudi Golf Federation and owner of Dirab golf course, attended the awarding ceremony along with the sponsor representatives namely SABB Managing Director David Dew and COO Irshad Akhtar. Fahad Abunayyan, deputy general manager of Abunayyan Group, was also present.
During the awarding El Jadiani announced the 2012 Saudi Oger Amateur Open Golf Tournament will be held Dec. 5-7. He said there will be a bigger field of participants at next month’s major tournament as he sought to assure those that had not been accommodated for the SABB tourney.