Mario wins by a stretch

Mario Carangan Jr won the distinctive Studio-RCT Golf Challenge trophy with 45 Stableford points in a competition returning to the Awali Golf Club calendar after a hiatus of two years and attracting more than 90 players.

Friday witnessed something not seen at the desert club before - the opportunity for spinal stretching as part of a player’s pre-play warm-up routine.

Studio-RCT’s founder and director, Roberta Trzebinski, had provided a body-flying installation adjacent to the clubhouse, suspended from a branch of the tree that had been planted in 1952 specifically for the purpose.

Three players were game to give it a go. They subsequently tried to cajole others as well, but this was fruitless, the typical retort being along the lines of: ‘I think not, I would not want to break the tree’.

Following play, Roberta providing a demonstration of how body-flying should be done, elegantly stretching and swirling in rhythm to classical music, and followed it up by presenting the prizes with captain Paul Anderson.

One of the side prizes was allocated for ‘nearest-the-pin in two’ on the par-4 376-yard Hole 17, known as ‘The Moat’.

Phil Sadler won the prize by going one better: on the green and in the hole for an eagle two. Those that followed him thus had the strange sight of the cup containing both a short and a tall pole.

Full results: 1st: Mario Carangan Jr (45 points), 2nd: Rashid Al Kaabi (41), 3rd: Clive Bailey (40), 4th: Salem Khalifa (40), 5th: Yong Back Kim (39), Essa Al Qutami losing on countback. Outside of the main prizes: Best ladies: 18 holes: Sarah Hobday (36), front 9: Liz Kaila (21), back 9: Susan Scott (20). Best gents: front 9: Mohammed Salmeen (23), back 9: Nathan Sundaresan (22).

This coming Friday sees a final chance of glory in a medal competition - the Consolation Cup & Cup-Winner’s Cup.