RIYADH: Saudi amateur golfer Faisal Salhab was this weekend crowned Saudi Open champion after winning the sixth edition of the pro-am event.
Salhab collected the trophy after posting an 11 under par 205 for the 54-hole event at the Riyadh Golf Club, organized in cooperation with Golf Saudi and the Saudi Golf Federation.
A total of 88 players from 27 countries took part in the tournament, which is open to both professionals and amateurs from the Middle East and North Africa. The field was cut at the end of day two, with just 60 golfers going through to compete the final round.
On his way to victory, Salhab, who plays for the Saudi national team, broke the course record with a six under par 66 in the second round.
He received his trophy from Saudi Olympic Committee CEO Abdulaziz Al-Anezi and Saudi Golf Federation Executive Director Muhammad Al-Issa. Assistant Minister of Sports Rajaa Allah Al-Selmy was also in attendance.
Salhab was not the only Saudi to shine at the event. He was followed home by fellow amateur Saud Al-Sharif, who took second spot after shooting six under par for the three rounds. Spaniard Gabriel Sanz and Qatari Ali Al-Shahrani filled the minor places.
Salhab’s win qualified him for a place at the Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers event in February, where he will take on some of the best professional players from around the world.
“It is a great honor to win this title, especially in light of the great competition and the high level of competition on show from this weekend’s golfers, which makes this achievement even more special for me,” he said.
On breaking the course record en route to victory, he said: “This is all thanks to the continuous support us national team players receive, whether that’s from the Saudi Golf Federation or Golf Saudi, their backing enhances our chances of performing to the best of our abilities.
“A special thanks must also go to the Golf Saudi agronomy team who have prepared the course here at Riyadh Golf Club incredibly well. Finally, it was fantastic to see so many other players from around the Middle East come to Riyadh to compete, underlining the reputation of the Saudi Open.”
Al-Issa said: “We have seen some remarkable performances over the past three days. The great concentration and focus of the players contributed to an incredibly exciting competition. We are of course delighted by Faisal’s victory, which confirms the great progress the Saudi national team has made in recent years.
“We want to see our players continue to win trophies in 2022, and we will watch Faisal’s progress closely at next year’s Saudi International.”
He added: “We are already excited about hosting the seventh edition of the Saudi Open and welcoming back all of our competitors to the Kingdom once again.”
The Saudi Open is part of a series of annual events organized by Golf Saudi to help raise awareness of the game in the Kingdom and to nurture local talent.
The commercial development arm of the Saudi Golf Federation also works with other sports federations and the Ministry of Sport to promote the benefits of sports participation as part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 program to improve citizens’ quality of life.
