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Following the 28th Bahrain Ladies Open at Awali Golf Club, the Opens’ celebrations continued with a corporate day for tournament sponsors.
Sixteen four-player teams teed-off just after midday but only managed to complete eight holes before thunder and lightning forced an early end to proceedings last Wednesday. By the time players reached the clubhouse, the heavens had opened, everyone was soaked through and the 18th ‘brown’ had become a lake.
However, during that short period of play, Scottish professional David Park, had made a superb ‘hole-in-one’ on the sixth and in time-honoured tradition he bought a round of drinks for everyone in the clubhouse while they dried out.
At the prize-giving ceremony and dinner at the Bapco Club, Captain Bill Scarth, thanked the sponsors for their support of the Open tournaments. Abdul Jabbar Abdul Karim, representing platinum sponsor, Bapco, presented the first prize to Bapco A and the second prize to Alba.
After Wednesday’s rains, the AGC ground staff were out early on Thursday morning preparing the course and the club captain announced at midday that the 53rd Bahrain Open would start on time at 7am on Saturday.
The maximum field of 108 included some of the top golfers from Bahrain and entrants from the region and Europe. Bahrain’s own Nasser Yacoub, a six-times winner and the 2015 Open champion, unsuccessfully returned to defend his title. Also present were eventual winner Andy Marshall, David Park, the Scottish professional, winner in 2004 and AGC’s former club professional, Daniel Owen, the Bahrain- based professional and Matt Chalmers, AGC’s current head professional.
Full 2016 results
Bahrain Open Champion: Andrew Marshall (6 under)
Runner-up: Sultan Al Hakam (-2)
3rd David Park (-1)
4th Daniel Owen (par)
5th Salah Ali Al Kaabi (par)
6th Nasser Yaqoob (+3)
7th Hamad Al Afnan (+6)
8th Abdulla Al Hakam (+6)
9th Mohammed D. Al Noaimi (+6)
10th Fares Khalifa (+7)
Outside the main prizes
Best Gross Day 1: Hamad Al Aathem (71)
Best Gross Day 2: Rashid Al Qutami (69)
Best Net Day 1: Rashid Bu Harib (67)
Best Net Day 2: Ali Al Kowari (66)
Best Net Overall: Ahmed Mohammed (134)
