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Golf fans are preparing to drive and putt their way to glory at the 19th Annual American Mission Hospital (AMH) Island Classic Charity Golf Tournament, which tees off on Thursday.
The much-awaited event, held every year under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad at his private golf course in Saffriya, takes place over three days.
AMH Chief Medical Officer Dr George Cheriyan said: “The event is now in its 19th year and still the popularity and enthusiasm of players is as high as ever. Golf enthusiasts from Bahrain and all over the region are preparing to play 18 holes of premium golf over three exciting days.”
The AMH Island Classic charity golf tournament is the major fundraiser of the hospital to cover equipment costs and outreach work and since its inception in 1996, it has become one of the most coveted in the sporting calendar of Bahrain.
The tournament is designed as a handicapped team event and will follow the Florida format, in which all players play their shot from the position determined to be the best ball.
All players in a foursome team will have an equal opportunity to contribute to the overall outcome and score of the team.
Teams will be divided into two flights, Championship and Premier Flight, and three winners from each category will be awarded trophies.
Several side contests including closest to the pin, longest putt and the most accurate drive will also be conducted, as well as the grand prize of a new car for a hole-in-one, which has never been claimed in previous iterations.
The Royal Golf Club’s team headed by Steve Havrilla, general manager of the Troon Golf-managed facility at Riffa Views, will ensure the competition is once again well organised and professionally staged.
AMH is a not-for-profit organisation aimed at ensuring the most vulnerable in the community have access to high-quality affordable healthcare at all times. Its community outreach programme stems from the original mission of the hospital’s founding fathers and its programmes nowadays range from the identification of chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, special medical care for orphans and the blind, children with special needs and disabilities, as well as screening for breast and colon cancer.
