Taking time off from Saudi national team commitment to squeeze in local tournament golf, Abdulrahman Al-Mansour won Overall Best Gross honors in the 8th Annual Alawwal Bank Open Golf Tournament at Dirab Golf & Country Club recently. Enjoying another A-game on a course he calls home, the 21-year old Al-Mansour beat out older brother Fahad on countback after they tied on gross score of 2-over 74 on the flat but challenging layout. The younger Al-Mansour tallied the better score of 35 to Fahad's 38 when their back nine scores were compared to break the tie. Abdulrahman birdied No. 5 but double bogeys on 8 and 9 gave him a 3-over 39 going out. He then steadied the ship coming home, getting a par on No. 18 following three birdies on 10, 13 and 14 against bogeys on 12 and 17. Abdulrahman also won the longest drive award in the skills contest of the 18-hole individual stroke play competition. Fahad's effort that saw him hit a pair of birdies on each nine including back-to-back from No. 16, however, did not go unrewarded, as he claimed the First Division (handicap 0-10) title from Graham Gunn who had to settle for runner-up after losing the last six holes countback after the tie persisted when they matched back nine cards of 38. The third place in the division went to Richard Salisbury on 72 from gross score of 81 (38-43) and handicap of 9. Sharing the stage with Abdulrahman as the day's biggest winners was Filipino German Angelo Turno, who was crowned Overall Best Net champion on 66 from a gross of 84 (41-43) and handicap of 18. Starting on the ninth hole which he bogeyed, the young Turno birdied the drivable 8 to finish with a flourish. Angelo's younger brother, Gabriel Alex Turno, made it a championship double for the Turno siblings when he won the Junior Division crown on 67 (83-16) with Korean Joeun Kim runner-up on 71 (78-7). Michael Swenor was the Second Division (11-19) champion on 67 (84-17) while Chris Elbro finished runner-up on 69 after a tiebreak from eventual third placer Dennis Catapang 42-43. In the Third Division (20-28), the champion was Asim Bukhtir 70 (94-24), runner-up Jun Bantug 71 (94-23) and third place was Mike Dyliaco 72 (94-22). Michelle Esch was the Ladies Division champion and Pia Engborg runner-up on 69 and 76 respectively. Abdulaziz Al-Omran (closest to the pin) and Kim (longest drive ladies) were the other skills prize winners. During the awards ceremony Dirab Golf & Country Club CEO Fahad Abunayyan presented Alawwal Bank Managing Director-CEO Soren Nikolajsen with a trophy of appreciation in recognition of Alawwal Bank's contribution in the promotion of golf in Saudi Arabia. — SG
