Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Nasser Yacoob won the qualifying round of the Royal Golf Club’s annual Scratch Championships with a fantastic one over par gross score of 73, despite strong winds which made the course even more challenging than usual.
Sultan Al Hakam was runner-up with gross 77 on countback while Sam Hobday came third, also on 77.
Members of the Bahrain National Team appear to dominate this event every year. Last year’s winner was Mohammed Al Noaimi, in 2012 the title went to Abdulla Al Hakam and in 2011 Yacoob was triumphant.
However, golfing sensation Hobday, 20, showed off his golfing prowess and the skills he has picked up from college in the US, by achieving a hole-in-one on the 7th with a pitching wedge from 119 yards.
He said: “It felt great to see it go in! I hit a really good shot to a tough pin; it was a controlled pitching wedge from 122 yards and it took one bounce and went in.
“This is my third hole-in-one. I had my first when I was just seven on the old Riffa Golf Club course and then my second when I was 16 on The Wee Monty.”
Hobday will shortly be starting his third or ‘Junior’ year of college in Tennessee. As reported in GulfWeekly, Hobday was offered the chance of a lifetime to tee off at one of the top colleges in the US after finishing his studies at St Christopher’s School.
The opportunity could put him on the fast-track to a professional career in the sport he loves after his talent on the course was spotted by a scout.
The Saar student is studying at King College located in Bristol, Tennessee, which has been consistently ranked as the best in the nation by US News & World Report.
The institution is a Presbyterian, masters-level comprehensive college structured on a university model offering more than 80 majors, minors, pre-professional degrees and concentrations in fields such as business, digital media, nursing, forensic science, education, and humanities.
Hobday joined the ranks of the men’s golf team as a fellow Tornado, which is the college mascot. He was scouted by the college coach through a UK-based company that sends promising youngsters to the US to play college golf.
He added: “I’ve been home for the summer in Bahrain for over a month and I’m off to the UK in a few weeks for a holiday and also to play in a few golf tournaments, including the English Amateur Championship and Faldo Series.”
Proud dad Barry, a former club captain, said: “I was playing with Sam on the day and he hit a brilliant shot to a very tough pin. One hop and in it went. Amazing really, especially as I had a 7 on the same hole!”
The 12 successful Scratch qualifiers will go on to compete in a final round on July 4, with the ultimate winner being crowned Club Scratch Champion 2014.
Qualifiers: 1 Nasser Yacoob (73), 2 Sultan Al Hakam (77 c/b), 3 Sam Hobday (77), 4 Ronan Armstrong (78), 5 Graeme Newport (83), 6 Fahad Al Hakam (85), 7 Rob Lane (87), 8 Barry Hobday (88 c/b), 9 Phil Sadler (88), 10 Naeem Khan (95 c/b), 11 Tim Billa (95), 12 Bijan Majidi (101). Mystery Hole 16th: Sam Hobday.
