Daly’s team sets the pace

The team of Ed Daly, Jason Smith, Nathan Williams and John     Wilson clinched the first   tournament in Bahrain’s       inaugural Gents Think Pink golf event hosted at the Royal Golf Club at Riffa Views on Sunday evening, writes CHRIS KELBY.

The team’s score of 43 put them just one shot ahead of the second placed team of Bijan Majidi, Yan Lascade, Murtuz Zamanly and Filippo Fantechi while the four-man team of Colin Ferguson, Rob Killick, Allan Baird and Andy Love lie in third place also with 42 points but losing out on countback.

After their round Wilson said: “It was great to see all the men out there in their pink golf shirts playing under the floodlights. We went out there totally relaxed as the main reason for the event is to raise as much money as we can for a brilliant charity. We weren’t too worried about what we would score, we just went out there to enjoy ourselves.”

Due to popular demand, a second gents only Think Pink tournament will take place this evening at the club at the conclusion of which the first Gents Think Pink winning team will be crowned.

Thanks to the huge popularity of the ladies tournaments in previous years, many requests were received from male golfers wishing to participate and one separate men’s only tournament was given the go-ahead. However, the competition was over subscribed within a matter of days and a second gents’ competition was added to the fixture list.

“Last year’s ladies Think Pink tournaments raised nearly BD9,000 in aid of raising breast cancer awareness in Bahrain,” explained Phil Jones, the Royal Golf Club’s director of golf. “With the help of the local community and with two additional men’s events this year, we aim to cross the BD10,000 mark this time for this vitally important cause.

“This first gents competition has raised enough to pay for three nurses to attend the Lymphoedema ‘Khlose Certified’ course in Germany so we are off to a fantastic start.”

Two ladies tournaments aimed at raising funds for the charity are also taking place today. Experienced lady golfers are competing in an 18-hole Texas Scramble competition on the club’s Montgomerie championship course while ladies with higher handicaps will play in a 9-hole scramble on the Wee Monty par 3 academy course.

The two tournaments will be rounded off with a lunch and prize-giving ceremony in the club’s Majlis function room.