Prince Khalid to play Mena Tour event in Saudi

Riyadh: Prince Khalid Bin Saud Al Faisal will spearhead a strong Saudi challenge when the American Express Dirab Golf Championship — the third event on the Mena Golf Tour — gets underway at the country’s premier course on Monday.

Being held under the patronage of HRH Nawaf Bin Faisal Bin Fahad Al Saud, head of Youth Welfare Presidency, and under the auspices of the Saudi Arabian Golf Federation, the 54-hole event will see 98 golfers representing 23 countries battle it out for honours on the par-72, 7,280-yard layout.

The presence of Prince Khalid in the field, which comprises 70 professionals and 28 amateurs, including 13 from Saudi Arabia, will not only provide a massive boost to the tournament, but will also motivate emerging talent from the Arab world to strive for excellence on the fairways.

An avid golfer, Prince Khalid, who tees off at 9.54am along with England’s Zane Scotland and Pakistan’s Matloob Ahmad in Monday’s first round, has already distinguished himself by bringing his handicap down to scratch. He will be competing in the amateur division, where he will be joined by a host of players from the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, England and others.

“We feel proud and privileged to have HRH Prince Khalid in the field. His gesture to sign up for the event is a great advertisement for the strides made by Saudi Arabia in developing golf in the Kingdom,” said Mohammad Juma Bu Amim, chairman of the Mena Golf Tour.

“This is the first time we are visiting Saudi Arabia for a golfing event, but the tournament has already created a global buzz, with a full field going out to experience the golfing facilities at the Dirab Club. I am sure this is just the start of a new tradition, which could encourage other countries in the region to have their own event on the Mena Tour.

“I am really grateful to HRH Nawaf bin Faisal Bin Fahad Al Saud for granting his patronage to the event, which has the potential to become one of the most sought-after events on the tour. At the end of day, all we want is to see Arab golfers playing well on the circuit, and the HRH patronage is a significant step in that direction.”

Located 45km south-west of Riyadh, the Dirab Golf and Country Club is all spruced up and looking good to welcome players in a ground-breaking competition set to write its name into the region’s golfing folklore.

Having hosted the first Saudi Arabian National Amateur Championship in 2001 and the 10th Annual GCC Golf Championship recently, the course promises to provide a fair all-round test.

An initiative of the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation, the Mena Golf Tour is affiliated to R&A and the Arab Golf Federation. The six-stop tour boasts a combined prize fund of $325,000 (Dh1.19 million).