RIYADH: Weeks before the start of the new season at Dirab Golf & Country Club an 18-hole tournament, August Monthly Medal 2017, took place on Saturday with Mattias Ardfelt and Dan McLaughlin winning the Overall Best Net and Overall Best Gross titles respectively.
It was the fourth off-season event prior to the start of the 2017-2018 season on Sept. 23 with the staging of the Almarai-Saudi National Day Open Golf Tournament.
Ardfelt, a single-digit handicap golfer, was so brilliant he could have swept the major honors up for grabs on the day.
Ardfelt’s net score of 63 was simply out of reach of anyone. A 9-handicap, Ardfelt also contended for Overall Best Gross crown as his even par 72 was only two strokes short of the winning 2-under 70 that McLaughlin, a 2-handicap golfer, shot in improving weather at Dirab.
The field in the 18-hole stroke play competition included players from the Saudi and Bahrain national team talent pool.
Starting at No. 6, Ardfelt of Sweden shot nines of 35-37 in a round that was a mixed bag of four birdies and four bogeys plus 10 pars.
The equally brilliant McLaughlin hit the turn at level par, as he dropped a shot with a bogey on No. 9 after a birdie on the par-4 third hole. Canadian McLaughlin was 2-under coming home thanks to back-to-back birdies from No. 13 and another on 11th that followed his only bogey on the back nine.
Indian Sandy Gupta was the champion in the men’s First Division at 0-14 handicap on 68 from a gross score of 82 and handicap of 14. New Zealander Julian Bennett was runner-up and Fahad Almansour, a many-time member of the Saudi national team, in third place after a countback as both players tied on 70. Bennett carded a gross score of 75 and Mansour 74 with handicaps of 5 and 4.
Winning the men’s Second Division (14-28 handicap) was Bernie Jacques who returned 66 from 91 gross and 25 handicap. Mark Trzepaez and David McGlashan were runner-up and third placer via the countback on 67. Trzepaez compiled a gross score of 86 with 19 handicap while McGlashan, with 22 handicap, tallied 89.
Danish Pia Enborg and Korean Chan Hawi Lee were champion and runner-up in the Ladies Division on 67 and 68.
The skill prizes for men’s and ladies’ longest drive went to McLaughlin and Lee while Jacques nabbed the closest to the pin plum.
The winners received golf merchandise and trophies during the awards ceremony.
Ardfelt, McLaughlin rule Dirab August Monthly Medal
Ardfelt, McLaughlin rule Dirab August Monthly Medal
Liverpool rocked by last-gasp defeat at Wolves
- Liverpool’s first defeat in five games in all competitions will raise fresh questions about Slot’s Anfield future
LONDON: Liverpool suffered an embarrassing 2-1 defeat at Wolves as Andre’s stoppage-time strike sealed a dramatic victory for the Premier League’s bottom club on Tuesday.
Arne Slot’s side fell behind to Rodrigo Gomes’ strike in the closing stages at Molineux.
Mohamed Salah hauled Liverpool level with his first goal in 11 top-flight games dating back to November.
But Andre’s first goal for Wolves inflicted the latest humbling loss in a chastening season for Liverpool.
It was the first time the Premier League’s bottom club had beaten the reigning champions since Crystal Palace defeated Chelsea in 2017.
Liverpool have conceded 14 goals in the last 15 minutes of the second half, with only Newcastle shipping more in the same period in the Premier League.
The Reds remain fifth but their hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League have been hurt by a defeat that means sixth-placed Chelsea will go above them if they beat Aston Villa on Wednesday.
Liverpool’s first defeat in five games in all competitions will raise fresh questions about Slot’s Anfield future.
This was the first of Liverpool’s two trips to Molineux in the space of four days, with an immediate chance for revenge in the FA Cup fifth round on Friday.
Slot this week said he no longer finds Premier League matches a “joy to watch” due to the rise in set-piece goals, and Liverpool supporters took no pleasure from this dismal performance.
Wolves and Liverpool fans joined in a sustained round of applause on 18 minutes in memory of Diogo Jota, who wore that shirt number during his time at Molineux before joining the Reds.
Portugal forward Jota died in a car crash in Spain last year.
Crest-fallen Slot
That emotional tribute seemed to suck the energy from both teams in a scrappy first half.
Liverpool were punished for their lethargy in the 78th minute.
Tolu Arokodare got away with a nudge on Virgil van Dijk to win the ball before playing a superb pass to Rodrigo Gomes, who held off Ibrahima Konate and guided a clinical finish past Alisson Becker.
Liverpool finally awoke from their slumber after that shock, grabbing an equalizer in the 83rd minute with a helping hand from Wolves.
Wolves midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde was guilty of a woeful pass that Salah intercepted, racing into the area for a shot that eluded Jose Sa’s weak attempted save.
Salah has scored just eight goals — five in the league — during a turbulent season.
Liverpool were still creaky at the back and Andre pounced on Alisson’s poor clearance four minutes to steal the points in stoppage-time.
Andre’s powerful strike deflected off Liverpool defender Joe Gomez and looped over the wrong-footed Alisson as Wolves boss Rob Edwards sprinted down the touchline in a wild celebration while Slot looked on crestfallen.
Wolves are 11 points from safety with eight games left and relegation remains almost certain despite this memorable victory.
Everton ended their dismal home form and pushed Burnley closer to relegation with a 2-0 win at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Buoyed by their 3-2 win at Newcastle last weekend, Everton dispatched second-bottom Burnley with their first win in eight home league matches.
Former Burnley defender James Tarkowski put Everton in front with a powerful header from James Garner’s 32nd minute free-kick.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall doubled Everton’s advantage on the hour taking Iliman Ndiaye’s pass and clipping a composed finish past Martin Dubravka from six yards.
Everton remain in contention for a European berth, while Burnley are eight points from safety with just nine games left.
Habib Diarra’s penalty fired Sunderland to a 1-0 victory against Leeds on their first Premier League visit to Elland Road since 2002.
Bournemouth and Brentford shared a goalless draw at the Vitality Stadium that did little to improve either side’s hopes of qualifying for Europe.
