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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Hobday claims Muscat Open Championship

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MUSCAT: The 2017 Muscat Open Golf Championship was played at Ras Al Hamra Golf Club this weekend. Sixteen overseas players joined 70 of Oman’s best golfers to compete in the 44th edition of Oman’s longest running open golf championship. The golf course was prepared to perfection, with fast greens and very challenging pin positions, making the competition arguably the hardest test ever experienced at the Ras Al Hamra Golf Club.


As it turned out, the gross competition was dominated by two young golfers based at Royal Bahrain Golf Club. After two days of high quality golf, a new champion emerged, in which the British national living in Bahrain, Sam Hobday, clinched the trophy with a second round new championship course record of 70, and an overall gross score of 143. His French golf colleague and last year’s Muscat Open winner, Yaseen Le Falher, finished 4 strokes behind on 147, while the Bahraini national, Nasser Yaqoob, representing Bahrain Golf Club, claimed third position with a score of 153. Five-time Muscat Open winner, Azaan al Rumhy bounced back on day two to finish in fourth place. Sam Hobday said, “It was a great tournament and it was very well run indeed. I’m extremely happy to win the Muscat Open Golf Championship the first time I participate. If I remain an amateur golfer next season, I would love to come back and defend my title next year.”


The Nett Prize category was a tightly contested competition with some very good scores. Tam Burns from Al Mouj Golf Club won overall with a nett score of 138. Salim al Harthy from Ghala Golf Club beat Ras Al Hamra Golf Club’s own Brett Merrel to second place on count-back with a net score of 140. Fahad al Kitani won the Junior Best Gross prize.


At the prize giving ceremony held at the RAH Recreation Club, the Muscat Open President Gary Battersby thanked the players, the organising committee and all the volunteers. He said: “I would like to extend a special thanks to the 2017 Muscat Open sponsors, RSS - Rental Solutions & Services, Knowledge Grid, GAC, Mackenzies, Golf World, Troon, Imagine Technologies and Ras Al Hamra Recreation Club.”


The many prizes were then presented to all the winners by the OGC Chairman, Mundhir al Barwani, as well as by representatives from the sponsors, before the evening was concluded with a buffet dinner and raffle draw.


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