Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
If the rest of the events in Awali Golf Club’s Festival of Golf are half as dramatic as the 25th Bahrain Ladies Open, we are in for an unbelievable two weeks! Last weekend’s event had an amazing mix of top golf, guts, determination and sportsmanship.
Awali Golf Club favourite Yvonne Newall emerged as the champion when she made a gutsy par on the second playoff hole to beat Ronelle Du Toit. On the first playoff hole, Newall demonstrated her awesome mental strength by holing a 25-foot par putt after going over the back of the 18th brown with her approach.
Moments later, Du Toit’s birdie effort slipped past the cup and the ladies marched back down the 18th hole to continue their battle. When they returned to the brown after some solid, long hitting, Newall and Du Toit faced par putts of 15 feet and eight feet respectively. In a classic match play situation, Newall holed and Du Toit sadly missed.
Overnight leader Jan McAlpine just missed out on the playoff when her birdie putt on the 18th hole sat agonizingly on the lip without dropping. Sarah Hobday, who bounced back superbly on the final round after a poor start, finished in fourth place. In the nett division, Roberta Trzebinski played some of her best golf to secure the title, four shots ahead of runner-up Jo Pawson.
I am particularly proud of Newall as she had not been in the greatest form leading up to the event. However, her performance demonstrated what one can achieve with belief, positivity and a plan! On another note, I would like to commend Du Toit for demonstrating some of the best sportsmanship I have ever seen on a golf course. On the first playoff hole she looked certain to win before Yvonne holed her huge putt. When the putt dropped, she turned around with a giant smile and applauded. It reminded me of Phil Mickelson’s reaction when Justin Rose holed that monster putt on the 17th hole at last year’s Ryder Cup. It was a true display of sportsmanship and class, and really summed up what golf is all about.
We now look forward to a week of events including Captain’s Day, the mixed open and corporate day, culminating in the Bahrain Men’s Open, which begins on Friday.
Personally, I cannot wait to get out there and compete against some of the best players in the region. However, before I do, I will be booking in a lesson with Yvonne, so she can give me a few putting tips! The very best of luck to everyone who is competing! Good luck and happy golfing!
