Saudi golfers ready to defend Pan-Arab title

Chito P. Manuel
Saudi national golf team to the 37th Pan Arab Golf Championship during the MENA Tour event at Dubai Creek Golf Club. From left, Saud Al-Sharif, Othman Almulla, coach Ali Balharith, Abdurahman Almansour and Ali Alsakha. (AN photo)

JEDDAH: The Saudi national golf team are preparing to defend their Pan-Arab Golf Championship title in Jordan by playing in a number of overseas tournaments.
The young quartet of Othman Almulla, Khaled Attieh, Saud Al-Sharif and Ali Al-Sakha stormed to victory in the 36th staging of the event at Gala Golf Club in Muscat last year, winning the team event by a remarkable 16 strokes. Attieh then completed a Saudi double by winning the individual crown, although his studies may prevent him from defending his title.
Attieh and Al-Sharif will warm up for Arab golf’s blue-riband event by playing in the Asian Amateur Championship at the Royal Wellington Golf Club in New Zealand. Kingdom No. 1 Almulla, who will lead the national team in the prestigious four-team three-to-count annual event, has just completed his eight-leg stint on the MENA Tour where he finished eighth overall in the amateur division.
Al-Sharif, 17, will be in Tunis to represent Saudi Arabia in the Pan Arab Junior (Under-18) Champion-ships Oct. 31 to Nov. 4. Al-Sharif then joins teammates Almulla, Attieh, Ali Alsakha and Abdurahman Almansour in Malaysia for the Nomura Cup Nov. 9 to 12.
Meanwhile, Yasir Othman Al-Rumayyan, CEO of the Public Investment Fund, has been appointed as the new President of Saudi Golf Federation (SGF), Yousuf Eddiweesh is the vice president in a major reshuffle announced by the General Sports Authority that has seen 13 new federation heads appointed and eight sport federations created.
“The best thing that ever happened to golf,” national golf team coach Ali Balharith told Arab News of the appointment of Al-Rumayyan. “We are excited. Al-Rumayyan could do a lot in the promotion of golf in the country. He is passionate about golf being a golfer himself.” Balharith, 64, is widely considered the grand old man of Saudi golf. He was there as a player when Saudi Arabia first competed at Pan Arab in 1979 as well as when the national team pulled of the historic double last year in Oman, ending a 37-year wait for victory, this time as a coach.