Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Little Aston professional Brian Rimmer won his second Gulf Air International Pro-Captain Challenge, supported by BMW, title in three years with victory in the 2007 Grand Final in Bahrain on Monday.
However, the 41-year-old 2005 champion was put in the shade by his amateur partner Neil Andrews on the final day as he carded five birdies in their second-round 58 on the King's private course in Safriya. That, combined with Sunday's 57, gave them a 13-under-par total and a three-shot cushion over Royal Mid Surrey's Matthew Pagett and Peter Brooks, who had rounds of 58 and 60.
First-day leaders Paul Wardell and Guido Biccochi, of Whitekirk near Edinburgh, saw their one-shot advantage over Little Aston wiped out as they also finished on 10 under with scores of 56 and 62 but were ranked third on a second-round countback.
The victory for Rimmer, who claimed the £2,000 first prize playing in his third successive Grand Final, and Andrews, playing in his second, made up for their disappointment in the 2006 edition when they fell two short of winning.
"It's fantastic. I didn't realise until the end (how well they had done). There are no leaderboards so you don't know how anyone is doing," he said.
Having started the day one behind the Scottish pair, whom they were playing alongside, the Little Aston duo dropped further behind when their rivals birdied the first. However, birdies for Andrews at the fourth and sixth (nett) and Rimmer's first at the eighth took them out in 28 - three better than Whitekirk.
Three birdies (including two nett birdies) for Andrews and one for his professional between 11 and 15 took them clear of their rivals and secured victory.
Final scores (in order of position, score, club, professional, captain):
1, 115 (-13), Little Aston, Brian Rimmer, Neil Andrews; 2=, 118 (-10), Royal Mid Surrey, Matthew Pagett, Peter Brooks (Better score on second-round countback); 2=, 118 (-10), Whitekirk, Paul Wardell, Guido Biccochi; 4, 120 (-8), Naunton Downs, Nick Ellis, Roger Downes; 5, 121 (-7), Athenry, Raymond Ryan, Pat Coen; 6, 122 (-6), Riffa Golf Club, Mike Braidwood, Phil Durnsford; 7, 123 (-5), Hallowes, John Oates, John Nolan; 8, 126 (-2), Arabian Ranches, Elliott Gray, Graham Alban; 9, 127 (-1), Muswell Hill, David Wilton, Vico Battaglia.
