A pair of Saudi Arabian amateurs playing in this week's inaugural Saudi International powered by SBIA, the first European Tour golf event to be held in country, have proven the Kingdom's multi-faceted golf ambitions are on-track. While the world's best players take the spotlight at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) this week, Saud Al Sharif, 19, and Abdulrahman Al Mansour, 24, both members of the Saudi national amateur team, have enjoyed the biggest week of their golfing lives. Although the duo's Saudi International powered by SBIA journeys are now over for this year after they both missed the tournament's 36-hole cut, their mere presence in the 132-man field has served to highlight the work of the Saudi Golf Federation (SGF) in growing the sport in the Kingdom and inspiring the next generation — both key cornerstones of the Saudi Government's Vision 2030. "This has been truly amazing. I couldn't have asked for a better tournament to play in," said a philosophical Al Sharif. "It's unfortunate that I didn't play very well, but this has still been a great experience for me. "I was very nervous because I'm overwhelmed to have been given this opportunity," said Al Sharif, who played his first European Tour rounds in the company of experienced professionals Soren Kjeldsen and Chris Paisley. "The guys were great, they gave me great advice and told me to calm down and take things easy." Al Sharif is hoping his performance this week can inspire more youngsters in the Kingdom to pick up a club and try the game. "Kids have to learn to love the game and they must practice every day to improve," the youngster advised. "The SGF will take care of our talent. That's what happened to me, I was nine when I started. The Federation took me in, coached me and placed me in tournaments — it really helped." Al Mansour couldn't stop smiling after his first European Tour event experience, revealing that golf had given him a route to an active lifestyle. "I wasn't really someone who moved around a lot, I wasn't super athletic. Golf got me out and about doing something," said the beaming 24-year-old, who played in the company of former Masters champion Trevor Immelmann and English pro Lee Slattery. "It's quite special for me to be here. "I've always wanted to prove to myself I could play at a certain level and here I am in a tournament with the world's best players. It's unreal and I have to thank the SGF for its support. I'm so lucky to have been given this opportunity. It's definitely given me new incentive to keep working hard." With golf having given him a purpose, Al Mansour urged other Saudi youngsters to try their hand at the sport. "Come and give it a go," he said. "If you don't try it you are missing out. Once kids start hitting shots they realize how much fun the game is." Majed Sorour, CEO of the Saudi Golf Federation, insisted the duo had done the federation, the game of golf and the country proud this week. "This week was all about giving the guys the opportunity to build their experience in a professional tournament," he said. "Playing in a field with four of the world's top five players and eight major champions was always going to be the sternest test, but Saud and Abdulrahman have shown great character and determination and we could not be more proud of them. This experience will provide a solid base for the future and set in motion our plans for developing and inspiring our homegrown talent." — SG
