Cup of joy for Rashid

Mohammed Rashid emerged victorious in the 54th annual Consolation Cup competition, while Jeffrey Barrett topped the bill in the Cup-Winners Cup as the playing season came to a close at Awali Golf Club.

Rashid came home with a nett-64, three shots clear of runner-up Nathan Prince (67). In third place was Atiq Mujali (68), while Richard Hewitt (68) completed the prize-winners in fourth place, with Nathan Sundaresan losing on countback.

The competition was an 18-hole strokeplay format. The Consolation Cup was for all those players who were not outright winners in any weekend or match-play competitions, while the Cup-Winners Cup was held simultaneously for those ineligible to join the main competition.

In the Cup-Winners Cup, with the trophy being the smallest presented during the season so as to remind winners to keep their egos in check, Barrett carded a worthy nett-66, followed by runner-up Hamad Fares (68) and Andy McAlpine (68) third with Susan Scott losing on countback.

The club announced another high note - for the hole-in-one on hole-4 ‘Cardiac’ by Abdul Elah Fakhroo.

Meanwhile, the club hosted its 24th Sponsors’ Trophy competition as a ‘thank you’ to all its sponsors.

In the 18-hole Team-Stableford format with the best three-out-of-four individual scores counting towards each team score, Hisham Team-2 took the honours, with 117 points.

Consisting of Isa Abdulla, Walid Al Manaseer, Yousif Al Murbati and Rashid Yaqoob, the team achieved its first place on countback, edging out Black Knights Team-1 of Vidhu Mittal, Nathan Prince, Nathan Sundaresan and Paul Warman, into runner-up place.

Fourteen teams took part, with 13 managing to return their cards.

For Team Nass, it was an initiation by fire on the Awali golf course for two of their team who are more used to the balmy climate of Wales. They could not take the heat and needed an early return to the clubhouse.