This was the Almarai-Saudi National Day Golf Tournament. Might as well call it English Day after two pairs from Somerset and Northamptonshire, England, finished 1-2 in the annual event to celebrate the 82nd National Day of Saudi Arabia at the Dirab Golf & Country Club yesterday.
Rick Ball and Anthony Forester-Bennett, from Somerset, beat the father-and-son tandem of Mike Woodage and Jack Woodage, from Northamptonshire, by countback to clinch first place.
Ball and Forester-Bennett and the Woodages both posted a net score of 59 but the eventual winners had the better back nine score of 35 to their rivals' 36 when the tiebreak was applied.
Mike and Jack, who had identical team handicap of 12 with the winning pair, settled for second place in the two-ball best-ball Texas Scramble format competition with 1/4 of the total team handicap.
"The most important thing is we are both from Somerset and that is why we clicked as a team," said Forester-Bennett of their first significant victory since playing together as a team in competitions.
Both true-blue sportsmen, Forester-Bennett told Arab News with pride that they are both founding members of the Riyadh branch of the Somerset County Cricket Club Supporters Association. Anthony, 52, is the association's secretary, and Rick, 63, treasurer.
They enjoyed a solid game on a windless sunny day but it was Ball, senior site manager at Hill International with a lower individual handicap of 17, that carried the partnership. Forester-Bennett, sales and marketing director at Advanced Arabian Simulation Company, however, sank the longest birdie putt, a 20-footer, on No. 12. They also birdied the 11th and 4th holes.
Mike and his son Jack might have missed the title but to them belonged the most memorable shot of the tournament — an approach shot from 130 yards by Jack that found the cup for an unbelievable eagle two on the difficult 10th hole.
After they decided to select Mike's drive to even out the number of tee shots that each player on a team takes, Mike sailed his second shot to the right of the green. Jack hit his and they knew it was on the green but could not find it. As they were searching for Jack's ball somebody in the group suggested to look in the cup. It was there and all of them couldn't believe their eyes.
Playing the Dirab course for the first time, the elder Woodage said their game came undone when they dropped shots on the par-5 and par-3 holes coming home.
Adding to the drama was when the young Woodage nearly hit an ace on the par-3 No. 7 the ball resting within inches of the cup and canceling out the effort by Filipino Tony Lizardo for the closest to the pin prize.
Filipino Mario Marimon and his friend Colin Reed took third place on 60 followed by the all-Filipino tandem of Lizardo and Pedy Lualhati on 62 and the husband-wife team of Graham and Theresa Walker on 63 to round out the first five winners.
The longest drive award for men's and ladies went to Saudi national team standout Faisal Salhab and Mi Jung Yoo.
Almarai Company executives, Events Manager Majed Al Doyhi and Hussam Abdulqader, head of Corporate Communications and Public Relations, attended the prize-giving ceremony along with Fahad M. Abunayyan, deputy general manager at Ibrahim Abunayyan Sons Group.
Fahad said in his speech DGCC is not only celebrating the National Day yesterday but the 16-year partnership with Almarai as well.