Saudi Open Archives - Golf Digest Middle East

Khongwatmai with nose ahead in Saudi Open

Golf Digest Middle East — Sat, 16 Dec 2023 22:00:55 +0000

Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai shot a four-under-par 67 to take a one-shot lead after three-rounds of the US$1 million Saudi Open presented Public Investment Fund today.

He leads on 12-under from compatriot Denwit Boriboonsub here at Riyadh Golf Club – in the Asian Tour’s season-ender.

Australian Travis Smyth carded a 64 and is a further shot back with Indian Veer Ahlawat, who returned a 66, and Todd Sinnott, also from Australia, who came in with a 69.

Sweden’s Henrik Stenson gave himself a shot at the title tomorrow after shooting a 67 and is tied for sixth with three other players on nine-under.

All eyes will be on Phachara as he attempts to win his second title on the Asian Tour. It was two years ago that he claimed his maiden title, the 2021 Laguna Phuket Championship, before a stream of near misses followed.

He began the day in a share of the lead with Denwit and Sinnott and later took control with three birdies from the 10th for a three-shot advantage. Wayward approach shots on 16, where he made a bogey, and 17, where he saved a par, stopped his momentum.

“Today started very good, until like the end,” he said.

“All driver, all putting, all chipping, perfect until like the end. I struggled with my iron on last couple of holes.

“I missed the par-five 15th, hit it big right, and maybe after that feel like I am not trust myself, but I just tried to keep score, not lose my mind. If my game is like today I still have a chance tomorrow because today I hit perfect, make a lot of birdie.

“Today I played safe instead of try and reach the green with one shot. I can make birdie with two shots to green. Maybe tomorrow will be same plan.”

In-form Denwit missed a 10-foot birdie putt on the last to draw level with Phachara. He is bidding to complete the hat-trick tomorrow having won the Aramco Invitational, also in Saudi Arabia, two weeks ago on the Asian Development Tour (ADT), followed by the Thailand Open last week.

He said: “Today the first nine was quite nervous for me, because it was my first time playing in the final group on the Asian Tour. And then I made double on the 10th, so that double just changed my mentality. Just play it, whatever happens it happens, and after that double it got better and better.

“I’m very happy because before I’ve never played this well. So, to be here, just in like seven eight weeks, it’s a big improvement for me.”

After his 64, the second-best round of the day, Smyth said: “Yeah, it was amazing. You know, for the last three months I feel like the putter has been letting me down, and today yeah, I hit some okay shots, but I was getting lucky, I’ll be honest. I was holing like 20-footers, 40-footers, I think I even holed a 50-footer as well. So it was a little bit of luck, but it felt amazing, especially with the last few months that I’ve had it just felt unreal.”

Thailand’s amateur star Ratchanon “TK” Chantananuwat came in with a 67 and is eight under in a tie for 10th.

Image: Paul Lakatos/ Asian Tour

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In-form Chapchai leads from resurgent ‘TK’at Saudi Open presented by Public Investment Fund

Golf Digest Middle East — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 19:55:54 +0000

Thailand’s Chapchai Nirat rolled back the years today shooting a seven-under-par 64 to take the lead in the US$1 million Saudi Open presented by Public Investment Fund – the season-ending event on the Asian Tour.

His young amateur compatriot Ratchanon ‘TK” Chantananuwat, brimming with confidence having recently been accepted to Stanford University next year, is in second following a 66, along with Mexico’s Luis Carrera, while American Kevin Na, Korean Jung Chanmin and Australia’s Todd Sinnott shot 67s – on an unexpectedly windy here at Riyadh Golf Club.

Forty-year-old Chapchai, who claimed the last of his four Asian Tour titles in 2014, threatened to win the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open two weeks ago, leading at the halfway mark before a final day 75 saw him slip back into a tie for 11th.

“Today so happy,” said the Thai golfer, who started on 10 and made an eagle, seven birdies and two bogeys.

“The wind is so strong. I had to keep the tee shot in the fairway. I was lucky. I started on the back nine. I was three under for the nine, that was good.”

Having been in the golfing wilderness for several seasons, he has bounced back this year and is 31st on the Asian Tour Order of Merit. A third-place finish in The DGC Open presented by Mastercard in March being his best performance in five years.

He added: “I am not thinking about my game too much, I am in a good place.”

TK, aged 16 and the region’s most exciting young golfer, birdied 17 and 18 to complete his best round on the Asian Tour for a considerable period, as following his sensational victory in the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup on the Asian Tour last year, his focus has been on his studies.

“I haven’t shot anything better than a four under in an Asian Tour event for quite some time so it’s really refreshing to see myself play good golf,” he said.

“I had lots of fun out there. I think the wind made it super interesting. It’s been dead for the past three days so for it to have wind I am super happy.”

He didn’t drop a single shot today, making a birdie on the second, before further gains on 10 and 15.

His relief at finally mounting a challenge was palpable.

He added: “It has been very busy for the past two years, actually. Ever since I decided I wanted to go to Stanford it has just been super hectic. Just school and golf. I barely had time to breathe.

“Now that I have been accepted obviously the workload is still there and I have to graduate high school with pretty much three top grades, but the fact that I can let the world know, I can confirm it … I know I am going, I have got that acceptance letter, it relieves a lot of the pressure, mentally mostly.”

Five-time PGA Tour winner Na came into this week feeling his game is in a good place and backed that up today with a strong start. A missed six-footer for birdie on the last costing him outright second place.

“I played really good. The front nine I played winds were low,” said the 40-year-old, now enjoying life on the LIV Golf League, where he is captain of Iron Heads GC.

“I took advantage of that and shot four under. At the turn the wind started pumping. There were some balls moving 20 plus yards in the cross winds. Made it difficult.

“Overall, I played good. Made a couple of mistakes. I was a little disappointed about that six-footer lipping out on the last hole, but we have three more days to go.

“My game felt good coming into this week. Took some time off and thought about my golf game. I made a couple of minor little changes that I felt could be good for next year and I wanted to test it out. First round it felt pretty good out there.”

Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai, Gunn Charoenkul, Panuphol Pittayat and Tirawat Kaewsiribandit plus Korean Seungtaek Lee fired 68s.

Sweden’s Henrik Stenson, one of the event’s marquee players, came in with a 70. UAE national’s Joshua Grenville-Wood and Sam Mullane are in a tie for 49th, while Saudi amateur Khalid Walid Attieh is currently the highest placed Saudi national.

Image: Asian Tour

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Ramadhanputra books spot at Saudi International with victory in Asian Development Tour Saudi Open

Matt Smith — Mon, 12 Dec 2022 05:38:39 +0000

Indonesia’s Naraajie E Ramadhanputra is presented with the PIF Saudi Open trophy by Majed Al Sorour, deputy chairman and CEO of Golf Saudi and the Saudi Golf Federation. Asian Development Tour

By Matt Smith
Indonesia’s Naraajie E Ramadhanputra will tee it up against some of the best players in the world at the Saudi International in February after winning the PIF Saudi Open in style at Riyadh Golf Club.

The Asian Development Tour event saw Ramadhanputra get off to a flying start as he extended his lead over Australian Harrison Gilbert and England’s Joshua Grenville-Wood.

And he never looked back, easing to a three-stroke victory on 19-under, with an impressive week of 65, 66, 66, to take the $35,000 top prize. Harrison finished second on 16-under, with Grenville-Wood in third a further stroke back.

The Saudi International takes place at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club from February 2-5.

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Tight at the top for second round of Saudi Open on Asian Development Tour

Matt Smith — Sat, 10 Dec 2022 10:33:40 +0000

Riyadh Golf Club

By Matt Smith
Naraajie E Ramadhanputra took over at the top of the leaderboard on Day 2 of the Saudi Open at Riyadh Golf Cub.

The Indonesian shot a second-round 66 to go with his opening 65 and the 22-year-old now leads by two from Englishman Joshua Grenville-Wood on 13-under in the Asian Development Tour event.

Australian Harrison Gilbert sits third on 10-under, with Thailand’s Pisitchai Thippong and Ahmad Baig of Pakistan one stroke further back in T4.

Thai Piya Sawangarunporn, Elyes Barhoumi of Tunisia and Zimbabwe’s Benjamin Follett-Smith are T6 on eight-under.

Saudi amateur Saud Al Sharif, who was second after Day 1, shot a disappointing 73 to slip down to a share of 15th on six-under.

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Saudi amateur Saud Al Sharif in the hunt at Saudi Open

Matt Smith — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 06:52:38 +0000

By Matt Smith
Saudi amateur Saud Al Sharif is looking to emulate his friend and defending champion Faisal Salhab at the Saudi Open at Riyadh Golf Cub.

The youngster shot a seven-under 65 on the first day to sit T2, three shots behind leader Joshua Grenville-Wood, who shot a stunning 62 to take a three-stroke lead in the Asian Development Tour event.

Morocco’s Ahmed Marjan and Indonesian Naraajie Ramadhanputra are alongside Saud in joint-second.

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Seventh edition Saudi Open set to get rolling

Golf Digest Middle East — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 09:57:20 +0000

Riyadh Golf Club. Golf Saudi

By GolfDigestME.com
History will be made next week when the Asian Development Tour (ADT) comes to Saudi Arabia for the first time. The Saudi Open, which gets under way on December 8 at Riyadh Golf Club, will see a prize fund of $200,000 up for grabs. Participation in the tournament will be open to ADT players, as well as professional and amateur golf players in the Middle East and North Africa who are registered with a golf club.

As a result of Golf Saudi entering a 10-year partnership with the Asian Tour, the tournament is expected to receive wide interest from golf fans inside and outside the Kingdom. The fact that the Saudi Open is being played on the ADT for the first time is confirmation of the strengthening of ties between the Asian Tour and Golf Saudi. Particularly as the 2023 edition of the US$5 million Saudi International has now officially become the opening event on the Asian Tour’s annual calendar.

The Saudi Open will also see the participation of a raft of up-and-coming players from the GCC and Arab countries, in addition to Saudi Arabia’s growing home talents from the National Team, who have all gone from strength to strength in recent years, as part of Golf Saudi wider Mass Participation programme to grow the game of golf in the Kingdom.

Majed Al Sorour, Deputy Chairman and CEO of the Saudi Golf Federation and Golf Saudi, said: “All of us at both the Saudi Golf Federation and Golf Saudi are incredibly excited about next week’s seventh edition of the PIF Saudi Open. Each and every year we host the tournament, it gets bigger and better. I am especially proud of how each edition provides Saudi and Arab golf players the opportunity to participate in a top tier competition in their home country and be able to not only develop their skill levels but also to test themselves and go head-to-head against players from different countries in the Middle East, North Africa and now the Asian Development Tour in a competitive environment.

“By hosting tournaments such as the PIF Saudi Open, we hope to encourage and facilitate greater uptake in the game and offer our elite golfers the chance to compete against the very best. So, thanks must go to our strategic partners the Asian Tour for helping us to achieve that aim, as their involvement will mean the strongest player field in the PIF Saudi Open’s history.”

The tournament will witness the participation of the most prominent Saudi players, including professional Othman Almulla, along with other National Team players Abdulrahman Al-Mansour, Faisal Salhab and Saud Al Sharif. The Saudi Open also offers qualification for the 2023 Saudi International, which will be held in February.

The ADT has been a springboard to the Asian Tour for dozens of players, including reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit champion Joohyung Kim of Korea and American John Catlin, a four-time winner on the Asian Tour.

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Saudi Open to debut on Asian Development Tour

Matt Smith — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 10:00:48 +0000

Riyadh Golf Club

By Matt Smith
Riyadh Golf Club will host the inaugural Saudi Open from December 8-10 on the Asian Development Tour.

With a purse of $75,000, the Golf Saudi-backed event will highlight the ADT’s rapid expansion this year.

Last year, Golf Saudi entered a 10-year partnership with the Asian Tour and introduced the $5 million Saudi International as the season-opening event.

Majed Al Sorour, Golf Saudi’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “We’re delighted to extend and deepen our ties with the Asian Tour, a key strategic partner for us.

“We’re especially pleased that Riyadh Golf Club will be the venue for the Saudi Open on the Asian Development Tour.”

Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner and CEO, Asian Tour, added: “Providing playing opportunities for our members has always been a prime objective for us. I’m delighted, therefore, that we’re able to further bolster the ADT schedule this year with the addition of the Saudi Open.”

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Flying the flag: Saudi Arabia’s Faisal Salhab and Saud AlSharif ready for next step in their careers

Matt Smith — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 06:49:57 +0000

By Matt Smith
Over the past 18 months, you could say Saudi Arabia has been making something of a name for itself in global golfing circles.

With concerted promotional efforts and considerable backing from Golf Saudi and the Government’s Public Investment Fund, the game has expanded greatly in the Kingdom in recent times, from global events such as the LIV Golf Invitational Series, and the flagship Saudi International on the Asian Tour, to a growth in golf tourism as well as an upturn in Saudis of all ages and abilities — both male and female — taking up the game for the first time.

There are two young men who are enjoying the ride first-hand — amateur golfers Faisal Salhab and Saud AlSharif.

The pair have risen to prominence in the Middle East thanks to some outstanding performances, and their dedication to the cause is reaping dividends.

Salhab, at 24, is the slightly more experienced of the two, and his recent achievements include victory in the 2021 Saudi Open, another title at the 40th Pan Arab Championships in Cairo, second spot at the GCC Golf Championship in Abu Dhabi and a third consecutive invite to the stellar Saudi International at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City.

“The game is coming together nicely,” Faisal told Golf Digest Middle East after competing at the Tillman Trophy in England in late July, where he scored a first-round 65 to top the leaderboard before settling for 15th in a talented field. “It’s still not completely there but things are going in the right direction.”

While still only 22, AlSharif is also showing similar promise, as he builds on his triumph at the Jordan Open late last year.

He has been honing his game in England alongside Salhab this past month — all under the watchful eye of Golf Saudi Senior Professional Grant Smith, who is helping mentor the duo, who are based at the Claude Harmon III Academy at Els Club in Dubai. Smith offers first-hand coaching on the boys’ travels, with three more Asian Tour events on the horizon very soon ahead of the Eisenhower Trophy — the World Men’s Amateur Team Championships — in Paris.

Thanks to their progress and Golf Saudi’s backing, Salhab and AlSharif are getting more and more opportunities to shine, with multiple events on the Asian Tour‚ including the new International Series which took them to Slaley Hall, Newcastle, for the Tour’s first-ever event in England.

Faisal Salhab has been gaining vital experience at the Saudi International and Asian Tour tournaments in Europe

“With the Asian Tour events we have been given the opportunity to play in, those have really sharpened up our game,” said AlSharif, embracing the journey the pair are on together. “Speaking of myself, they have been a very important reason behind my being comfortable out there in any tournament I have been in, or any situation I have faced, because I am now in these bigger fields with more to play for and playing alongside all these professionals.

“It is a massive plus for my game and I am so grateful for that. It is really showing in how we both perform and also how we feel more confident and comfortable in some of the other amateur events — it is such a positive thing. We certainly don’t take it for granted and are very grateful to Golf Saudi and the Asian Tour for these opportunities.”

Salhab is happy to concur.

“What is happening with the Asian tour is great,” he added. “Especially with the International Series as it’s giving an opportunity to both me and Saud to test ourselves with some of the top players. The field was so strong in Newcastle and there was the added incentive of a spot at the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational Series up for grabs, which made the competition even more intense.”

Intense is also a word you could use to describe the elements in the UK for these two, who are much more used to the sunshine and warmth of the Middle East.

“The weather was certainly different,” laughed Salhab, who found the course layouts more of a challenge than the wind and rain.

“It was much colder than we were used to but very enjoyable. It is nice to escape the heat sometimes. The biggest difference were the types of courses over here, whether it would be links or heathland or parkland, it’s very different to the courses back home.”

With Golf Saudi’s links to Greg Norman’s innovative LIV Golf adventure, the series has inevitably caught the attention of the Saudi pair, who would love to play alongside the likes of Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Paul Casey, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia, Patrick Reed and Henrik Stenson at the ground-breaking, 54-hole tournaments in the future.

“I am very hopeful — whenever it happens — to tee it up with those guys,” said AlSharif. “They are some of the best players in the world, and LIV Golf is a very cool format, if you ask me. It would be very cool to be part of that environment.”

Salhab also thinks it is a welcome addition to the golfing calendar. “To be able to be competing in the Asian tour and in the International Series is already a bonus,” he said. “Of course, if I get the opportunity with LIV Golf, it would be incredible, and I would be interested in competing there.”

Saud AlSharif is based at CH3 Academy in Dubai, where he works with Jamie McConnell

NEXT STEPS
Back to the immediate future, and CH3 coach Jamie McConnell has been helping out from afar as Faisal and Saud continue their travels.

“We have done some online lessons with Jamie when being in the UK with the supervision of Golf Saudi’s Grant, and implemented what needs to be worked on,” explained Salhab. “Also with the support of the national team we were able to do a training camp at Centurion in Hertfordshire, England, and keep playing events to not get too rusty.”

Soon the pair will be back in Dubai after their summer trip to the UK, but that doesn’t mean the work stops, even if the heat is unrelenting, as there are the Asian Tour’s remaining 2022 events coming up thick and fast.

“My plans over the next few weeks when I get back to the UAE are training with Jamie at Claude Harmon III Academy at the Els Club in Dubai for the upcoming Asian Tour schedule,” said AlSharif. “We obviously haven’t seen Jamie in a while as we have been on the road, so we are heading back his way now for some prepping in Dubai. It might be in the heat, but we are used to that these days!

“We are looking forward to the fully packed schedule for the rest of the year on the Asian Tour and beyond. I feel like it is going to be a good year for all of us and, hopefully, we get a lot of chances. But we will go out there, enjoy it and give it our best and see what happens.”

Despite the travel and hard work, Salhab is also eager to keep going.

“I’m keen to play all the International Series events on the Asian tour, also I have never competed in the Eisenhower Trophy which I’m very excited about,” he said. “There are also a few Asian Development Tour events and I am hoping to play in the Saudi international again next year. I want to use all the knowledge from the upcoming season to try to compete at that event. It would mean so much to me to do well at an event on home soil.

“I believe I have the game it takes to be competing out there. It still has not come together on the Asian Tour but I see the light at the end of the tunnel and just have to keep at it and something good will happen.”

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Faisal Salhab spearheads promising performance surge by Saudi amateurs

Kent Gray — Mon, 21 Feb 2022 10:03:41 +0000

By Kent Gray
Just as Rome wasn’t built in a day, the rise of Saudi Arabia’s elite golfing stocks is a predictable slow burner. But thanks largely to Faisal Salhab, the embers have burned a little brighter since November.

The 25-year-old has risen to No. 70 in the official World Amateur Golf Rankings on the back of victories at the 6th Saudi Open and 40th Pan Arab Championships in Cairo.

Salhab’s victory in the individual standings at Dreamland Golf Resort in Egypt also spearheaded Saudi Arabia to just its second teams gold medal– by a whopping eight strokes over Qatar.

The victory at the Saudi Open, which included a course record 66 around Riyadh Golf Club, earned Salhab an invite to the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers. Though he missed the cut by six strokes after rounds of 75-75, the experience gained teeing it up in a field including the likes of Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Bubba Watson and eventual champion Harold Varner III cannot be underestimated.

It was Salhab’s third Asian Tour start in as many months and he has been the leading Saudi amateur at each stop: 113th at the Blue Canyon Phuket Championship and T109th at both the Laguna Phuket Championship and the Saudi International.

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A stroke average of 74.83 in his six Asian Tour rounds thus far is a benchmark to work with, just as the eye-catching performances of Ratchanon Chantananuwat are something to aspire to. The Thai 14-year-old amateur has impressively made the cut in all five of his Asian Tour starts thus far, including both Phuket events and the Saudi International where he finished T71.

Salhab is grateful to Golf Saudi for the opportunities to learn at the highest level.

“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.”

Saud Al Sharif is up to 371st in the WAGR chiefly on the back of his Jordan Open victory late last year. Al Sharif went on to finish 141st, 130th and 115th at Blue Canyon, Laguna Phuket and Royal Greens respectively.

Jamie McConnell, the Director of Instruction at the Claude Harmon Performance Academy Dubai, coaches Al Sharif and is pleased with the progress of the entire Saudi national team.

“The team have been working exceptionally hard over the last few months with some fantastic results including three victories from Saud and Faisal which was fantastic to see, and more than earned through their hard work and dedication,” said McConnell.

“I think this year the biggest help has been the schedule that they have been able to play. Mixing a full summer of amateur events with some more recent Asian Tour events allows them to really feel what it is like to play, travel and adapt to different scenarios, climates and courses. This is a huge part of learning to compete at the highest level and I must compliment Golf Saudi on not only backing them to play in these events, but also opening the doors required to do so.”

“The next few months will involve a sit-down review of what we have been through and achieved over the last few months, while also reflecting on what needs to be improved before what will be a hectic period in the late spring and through the summer.”

The Kingdom’s leading amateurs have pushed Saudi’s pioneering professional Othman Almulla all winter long with the world’s 1697th ranked player recording 113th, 126th and T100 finishes at the two Phuket events and the Saudi International respectively.

Like the amateurs, Almulla continues to work tirelessly towards his dream and posted a poignant message during the Saudi International entitled “keep going”.

“It will take time; it will take pain; it will break you down and force you to become stronger. But everything you are going through right now will take you to places you could have never imagined. Have faith in your journey and trust in yourself because one day, you will get there. – Walk the Earth.”

golfsaudi.com

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