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THREE days of glorious golf in the majestic grounds surrounding a royal palace concluded in warm sunshine on Saturday afternoon with some consistent play by the teams vying for glory who tried valiantly to catch up on the early tournament leaders.
The ultimate winner, however, was the not-for-profit American Mission Hospital (AMH), who, thanks to the generosity of sponsors and players, holed an impressive BD70,000 towards continuing its community outreach programmes and service improvements.
Held under the Patronage of His Majesty King Hamad, the final day of the 2017 AMH 20th Island Classic charity golf tournament witnessed the last 10 teams, including GulfWeekly and two representing platinum sponsors Credimax, tackling King Hamad’s private golf course in Saffriya.
But the glory had already been stolen by a car dealership and the men from the ministry who powered to the front during the first two days of competition.
The overall results after three days of play witnessed The Championship Flight being won by E.K. Kanoo 2, featuring race ace and popular rugby coach Lee Stones, Mike Brightmore, Yoshiyuki Koike and Jamie Bowen with a nett score of 51.2.
The team powered to the front on day two and couldn’t be caught, notching the lowest score over the three days for all teams with a handicap average of more than 6.0. In overall second place came Coca Cola and third place overall was taken by Jawad Business Group.
The Premier Flight for teams with a handicap average of 5.9 or less was won by the Ministry of Interior with a nett score of 46.5. The shy foursome, who asked not to be named, kept the lead from day one. In overall second place came Saffriya followed by the Bahrain Golf Association in third.
The overall side contest winners were:
•Closest to the pin - Vidhu Mittal
•Longest putt - Arun Verma
•Most accurate drive - Saleh Juma
GulfWeekly’s steady performance was way off the honours list despite editor Stan Szecowka calling in late ace replacements to join him and former music columnist, Stevie George, after passport issues and illness cost the four-strong team a couple of members.
Event coordinator from the Royal Golf Club, Adam Dutson, and his teaching professional colleague, Zander Potgieter, stepped into the fray and did provide the pathetic pair some useful tips for the future, such as laying up their clubs suggested an observer.
Playing conditions were varied throughout the tournament with wind and rain experienced on day two.
Speaking after the on course action, AMH Chief Medical Officer/CEO, Dr George Cheriyan, said: “It is a matter of great pride for me that we have successfully hosted the 20th AMH Island Classic Charity Golf Tournament.
“It goes without saying that the contribution of a lot of people has resulted in this great achievement. Firstly, we thank our kind patron His Majesty King Hamad, without whose support and generosity this event could not be held. We also thank the Royal Court for their timely guidance and support. Deepest appreciation to the sponsors whose kind support ensures that year after year the golf tournament continues to be an astounding success.”
It’s a real team effort, according to Julia Tovey, AMH’s COO.
She added: “I would like to thank everyone who played a role in the enormous success of the event. Our deepest appreciation to the sponsors whose loyal support ensures that we run the tournament year after year, the golfers who delight us with their skills and showmanship, His Majesty’s golf course staff for their in-valuable co-operation and assistance and not to forget our precious volunteers who give freely of their time to come down and support the event.”
Prizes will be presented to the overall winning teams and thanks offered to the sponsors at an event to be held at the Diplomat Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa tomorrow evening.
