Kanamoto, a dedicated student of golf under DGCC Golf Manager Bouchaib El Jadiani, and Uchichasi combined for a winning net score of 54 in the two-ball better-ball Texas Scramble format competition.
By the very nature of the format, where both players drive on every hole and decide which ball is in the best position for their second shot and make a similar selection for the following shots until they holed out and team handicap is 50 percent of the total handicap of the two players' 3/4 handicap, unusually low scores in the 50s are par for the course. The format puts premium on good judgement and nine tee shots from each player are used during the round.
"There is really nothing special in our game. Just good teamwork and coordination. When one is down the other lifts the team up," said Kanamoto who is known to frequent the golf course weekdays and was the first to arrive at 5:30 a.m. for the tournament.
With an edge in handicap (21) and the game to boot, Kanamoto, a coordinator-Japanese expert for Higher Institute for Plastics Fabrication, and Uchihasi, GM of Itochu Corporation Division of Gulf & Middle East Trading Est., shot nines of 36-38 for a 2-over 74. The Japanese pair had a bogey on second but recovered with a birdie on No. 8 and bogeyed the two par-5s on the back nine while parring the rest of the holes.
Bumped off for first place by one stroke despite a brilliant round was the team of Filipino Eric Liquigan and Radisson Blu GM Mohammed Benamar.
Liquigan and Benamar tamed the flat but challenging 6,905 yards  layout on a windless sunny day with an 8-under 64.
 Liquigan and Benamar couldn't have asked for more with a 10 handicap but had to  settle for second place on 54, as they hit five birdies against one bogey in a near-flawless display.
Another pair to go under par on 67 were Abbi Oluyadi and Hirobumi Nakajima who also posted 54 and placed third  after countback.
Fourth place went to Tom Trimble and Casy Blach who had a 57 from a gross 74 and 17 handicap, while Spence Hawthorn and Ed Bulkeley rounded out the first five winners on 60 from 72 and 12.
The longest drive awards went to Pakistani Kamran Khan and Liz Kennedy in the men's and ladies division, while Nakajima nabbed the award for closest to the pin. The lucky raffle draw winners were Bulkeley,who won a Ping G15 hybrid club, Bengt Helgesson, winner of a Nike wedge, and Leif Bergstand and Jean Francois Martin, who took home an Ogio stand bag and Ping Karsten putter, respectively.
Almarai Company Public Relations Manager Talal Al Otaibi handed out prizes to the winners during the prize distribution ceremony.
The 2010 edition of the National Day marks the 15th year of partnership between Dirab and Almarai, which is considered one of the staunchest corporate sponsors of the premier golf club in the Kingdom.