Salhab scores second straight victory at Zahid Tractor Open

Faisal Salhab managed to shoot a winning round of 1-over 73 despite not playing well by his own admission during the 7th Zahid Tractor Open golf tournament at the Dirab Golf & Country Club on Friday.
The victory gave Salhab a second straight Best Gross title in two weeks at the flat but challenging par-72 6,90 yards layout.
“I played very bad. I am not happy with my putting,” said Salhab who was left to rue missed birdie opportunities on at least seven holes.
“I had accurate approach shots but I could not convert birdie putts,” added Salhab who birdied the par-five holes 9 and 13 but stumbled with bogeys on three of the last four holes in nines of 35-38.
Salhab parred the first eight holes and made his first birdie of the round on the next hole when his putt found the cup after an up-and-down from the bunker at the back of the green following a crisp 4-iron and a drive.
On the dog-leg right 13th hole Salhab had another monster drive and he attacked the pin with a 7-iron, the ball going over the flag, before picking up another shot with a chip and putt.
The tournament was the final tuneup for the Saudi national team seeing action in the GCC GCC championship to be held Feb. 23-26 at the Almouj Golf at The Wave in Muscat, Oman.
The team leaves for the Omani capital tomorrow. Salhab, a 16-year old Grade 11 student at the American International School of Riyadh, is the lone junior player on the team with a pair of siblings — Fahad and Abdulrahman Almansour and Turki and Abdullah Hussain — making up the regular men’s team.
Veteran golfer and coach Ali Balharith sounded upbeat about the team’s chances after another win by Salhab and a Saudi sweep of the top three places in First Division (0-9) last Friday.
“We’ll try our best and give them a run for their money,” said Balharith in an interview from Dammam on Sunday.
Balharith turned back the clock as he finished second, after a countback, to Omar Hariri on 70 from respective gross scores of 76 and 77 and handicaps of 6 and 7. Fahad Almansour came third on 73.
The Best Net crown went to Alistair McIlroy who returned a sparkling 64 from a gross 81 and 18 handicap.
Winning the Second Division (10-18) was Edgar Otalora 68 with Nadim Mirza and Steve Hunter second and third via the countback on 69.
Phil Pannel was the Third Division (19-28) winner on 69 (90-21). Eddie Driwer and Ray Martin, both on 70, finished second and third after the tiebreak was applied.
The Ladies Division winners were Liz Kennedy 64, Jun Hee Kim 79 and Susan Tessier 82. M. S. Kim’s son, Jal Han Kim, was the Junior Division winner on 63 (81-18).
The awards for nearest to the pin and men’s and ladies longest drive went to Ali Al Sahli and Robin Williamson and Kennedy.
Zahid Tractor’s Faraj Al Tarhini, regional manager Construction Machinery Division Central Region, attended the awarding ceremony along with Khaled I. Abunayyan, president of Saudi Golf Federation and owner of Dirab golf course.