Salhab team rules Marriott Riyadh-Dirab Corporate Golf Tournament

Chito P. Manuel
The champion team of Arshad Mahmood, Faisal Salhab, Abdurahman Almansour and Bill Inglis with Riyadh Marriott Hotel’s Muin Serhan, left, and Dirab Golf Committee member Tim Douglas, second right. (AN photos by Noel A. Alipoyo)

RIYADH: Faisal Salhab and Abdurahman Almansour, both twentysomething and standouts of the Saudi national team, have had a number of memorable victories together including the 2016 Xerox Golf Corporate Challenge and the Saudi National Day Golf Championship in 2013.
On Saturday, the pair did it again as they teamed with Bill Inglis and Arshad Mahmood to win the Marriott Riyadh-Dirab Corporate Golf Tournament.
The winning quartet shot an amazing net score of 15-under 57 in benign conditions at Dirab Golf & Country Club.
Actually, two other teams returned 57s during the fourball Texas Scramble with handicap format competition but Salhab, Almansour, Inglis and Mahmood, with a 4 team handicap, prevailed in the countback over the Pakistani quartet of Moiz Ahmed, Tariq Khan, Khaled Raja and Ahmed Raja and the foursome of Justin Valinte, Michael Bernhardg, Douglas Bayley and Ross Morrison.
Salhab’s team tallied 29, Ahmed’s made 32 and Valinte and Co. had 35 when the back nine scores were compared to break the triple tie. The Pakistanis who played off 7 handicap and carded a gross score of 64 settled for runner-up while Valinte’s group, with a round of 65 and 8 handicap, took third place.
Salhab and Almansour enjoyed a prodigious display out on the flat but challenging layout to inspire teammates Inglis, a Scotsman, and Pakistani Mahmood, as they decorated their sizzling round of 61 (32-29) with nine birdies and one eagle.
After a monster drive that landed to the left facing the green of the par-5 15th hole, Faisal, arguably the most talented among national team players, drilled his approach from 260 yards to within 20 feet of the cup. Inglis then rolled in the eagle putt for the highlight of their round and the tournament.
The Saudi duo said they enjoyed playing fourballs for the first time with non-Saudi golfers that allowed them to use their long irons on their seconds shots off their teammates’ drives.
“It was perfect. Everybody contributed their part to the team,” said Faisal.
The skill prizes for longest drive went to Dave Appleyard (men’s) and Jude Evans (ladies’) and for closest to the pin to Lindsay Robertson.
The awards ceremony took place following the 18-hole event in which Riyadh Marriott Hotel/ Marriott Executive Apartments/Riyadh Makarim General Manager Muin Serhan awarded prizes to the winners.
The tournament is the second after the 87th Saudi National Day Golf Championship to open the 2017-2018 season at Dirab.
Up next is the Xerox Corporate Golf Challenge 8th Qualifying Round on Saturday. The Best Gross and Best Net winners in the twoball betterball stroke play event will qualify for the 36-hole Grand Final at the prestigious Earth Course of the Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai. Interested teams may register online at www.xeroxcgc.com.