RIYADH: Weeks before the start of the new season at Dirab Golf & Country Club an 18-hole tournament, August Monthly Medal 2017, took place on Saturday with Mattias Ardfelt and Dan McLaughlin winning the Overall Best Net and Overall Best Gross titles respectively.
It was the fourth off-season event prior to the start of the 2017-2018 season on Sept. 23 with the staging of the Almarai-Saudi National Day Open Golf Tournament.
Ardfelt, a single-digit handicap golfer, was so brilliant he could have swept the major honors up for grabs on the day.
Ardfelt’s net score of 63 was simply out of reach of anyone. A 9-handicap, Ardfelt also contended for Overall Best Gross crown as his even par 72 was only two strokes short of the winning 2-under 70 that McLaughlin, a 2-handicap golfer, shot in improving weather at Dirab.
The field in the 18-hole stroke play competition included players from the Saudi and Bahrain national team talent pool.
Starting at No. 6, Ardfelt of Sweden shot nines of 35-37 in a round that was a mixed bag of four birdies and four bogeys plus 10 pars.
The equally brilliant McLaughlin hit the turn at level par, as he dropped a shot with a bogey on No. 9 after a birdie on the par-4 third hole. Canadian McLaughlin was 2-under coming home thanks to back-to-back birdies from No. 13 and another on 11th that followed his only bogey on the back nine.
Indian Sandy Gupta was the champion in the men’s First Division at 0-14 handicap on 68 from a gross score of 82 and handicap of 14. New Zealander Julian Bennett was runner-up and Fahad Almansour, a many-time member of the Saudi national team, in third place after a countback as both players tied on 70. Bennett carded a gross score of 75 and Mansour 74 with handicaps of 5 and 4.
Winning the men’s Second Division (14-28 handicap) was Bernie Jacques who returned 66 from 91 gross and 25 handicap. Mark Trzepaez and David McGlashan were runner-up and third placer via the countback on 67. Trzepaez compiled a gross score of 86 with 19 handicap while McGlashan, with 22 handicap, tallied 89.
Danish Pia Enborg and Korean Chan Hawi Lee were champion and runner-up in the Ladies Division on 67 and 68.
The skill prizes for men’s and ladies’ longest drive went to McLaughlin and Lee while Jacques nabbed the closest to the pin plum.
The winners received golf merchandise and trophies during the awards ceremony.
Ardfelt, McLaughlin rule Dirab August Monthly Medal
Ardfelt, McLaughlin rule Dirab August Monthly Medal
