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AIR ARABIA CHAMPIONS HONOURED SHARJAH Golf & Shooting Club honoured its latest Major champions recently as it presented trophies and return flights to the winners of the Air Arabia Matchplay Championships. The season long events started in October and covered three different Matchplay formats – Singles Net, Singles Gross and Pairs Net. Over 200 matches were played across the three formats culminating in the three finals which were played during the month of May. The Singles Net format proved the tightest affair with Imran Akthar getting the better of Asim Arshad after 21 holes. The Gross final saw 2011/12 champion Jon Gould take on Matchplay specialist S. S. Son. Both competed regularly in SGSC’s Scratch League Team last season so were very familiar with each other’s games, making the tie difficult to predict. The veteran Korean came out on top with a 3&2 victory over the Englishman. In the Pairs Net it was Malaysia versus England as Sunny Ramadas and Andrew Say squared up against former Pairs and Gross champion Ian Roberts and Martin Duff. Ramadas’ putter proved to be the difference as the Malaysian converted numerous putts from six to 12 feet to return a 3&1
SGSC Golf Club Captains with Hassna Alaoui of Air Arabia and the champions S. S. Son, Imran Akthar and Sunny Ramadas (Andrew Say not present). victory in a rollercoaster affair. Also picking up trophies and tickets for claiming third place were Westley Burke, who bettered his fourth place from last year; Tim Collins, who had a fantastic second half to the season; and teachers Peter Kavanagh and Keith Smithard. At the presentation Director of
Golf Martin Duff congratulated all the winners in a landmark year for the event which had seen more entrants and more matches than in any of the four previous years. He also acknowledged founder sponsors Air Arabia whose commitment to the event has remained unparalleled.
A.E RAVI ADDS ANOTHER MAJOR TO HIS TROPHY CABINET A.E RAVI added another Major title to his accomplishments at Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club by hoisting the sixth edition of the SGSC Summer Open Golf Championship. This was to further add to his win on Captains Day merely a few weeks prior. In what is always one of Sharjah’s best attended Open events, over 100 golfers tee’d it up in either the morning or afternoon shotguns in pursuit of being crowned champion. Ravi used his local knowledge well to finish in an excellent 3-under 39 points, a slight blip at the 18th hole didn’t matter as he walked away with the title one shot clear of his nearest rival. Finishing one adrift was Simon Mmutle; a baron spell of late was finally put to bed as he returned in 21 points for a 38 total to win the Division B award. Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club supporter Andy Thom, representing the EGF, was a further point behind on 37, a superb round of golf with no double bogeys
recorded allowed him to walk away with the Division A award. SGSC Club Captain Mel Stewart and Vivien Verma ran out runners-up in both divisions, whilst Mel’s wife and Lady Captain Jacqui Stewart proved the best of the 12 ladies with a credible score of 32 points. Excellent junior prospect Julia Alhemoud ran in slightly behind the Lady Captain to claim the runners-up spot. The day’s gross contest proved extremely tight and it was Iranian golfer Hassan Yazdi who walked away with the bragging rights in a field full of low handicapped golfers. Thirty one gross points was just about enough to beat of Mick Conneely who finished on the same score but lost out on a countback. The The Ladies gross prize went to Ri Man Lee, whose long trip over from Abu Dhabi Golf Club wasn’t spoilt as she scooped yet another prize in this annual event. The event was made even more memorable as Dubai Creek visiting member Mohammad Rizal Bin Ibrahim fired home his first ever hole-in-one on the 17th hole, this was also the first ace in the event’s six year history.
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