Filipino Golfers in the Middle East DUBAI win the inaugural GCC Golf Championship
Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club was the venue for the inaugural GCC Golf Championship where Figme were the winners.
Groups of golfers from FGA Kuwait & FGA Riyadh enjoyed the Eid holidays through competitive golf with the tournament’s objective of fostering friendship and camaraderie amongst all golfers in the GCC.
FIGME hosted the maiden GCC golf tournament supported by Century Properties & REGOLF. H.E. Mr. Long Kem, Ambassador of the Royal Embassy of Cambodia to the State of Kuwait led the ceremonial opening tee shot with a 220 yard drive down the middle of the 1st fairway.
A challenging event format was in place with a modified stableford (MOLAVE) system where all golfers play off a scratch handicap. The points system is as normal with one exception; a double bogey on a par-5 hole being awarded a half point.
In the Singles event it was Rey Lapa with 24 points who finished on top of the leaderboard among the 52 golfer, and so he received the prize for Overall Champion. In the Team event it was Captain Ramon Navea who led his 12-man FIGME DUBAI to victory after their top nine scores gave a 173.5 total. Members of the winning team were: Rey Lapa (24 pts.), Larry Mendoza (24 pts./ 1st Runner up Platinum Div.), Rudy Laguna (22 pts / 3rd runner up Plat. Div.), Lorenzo Rivera (21.5 pts./ 4th runner up Platinum), Alex Tivi (20 pts), Dan Alforte (19 pts), Ramon Navea (17 pts.), Chito Albay (12.5), Ibrahim Baggash (12 pts), Noel Enriquez (10.5 pts) & Paul Welling (8.5 pts.)
FIGME UAE team of Wayne Mark Elep (15 points) was judged 1st Runner up garnering 149 points comprising of Vice Captain Nestor Labis (21 pts), Usman Akbar 24 pts (Champ in Platinum Division), Jimmy Camero (19 pts), Arnel Pabitu 17 pts, Chris Burkill (15.5 pts), S.G. Nair & Julius Segers (13 pts), Arnel Valencia (10 pts), John Hemady (8.5 pts.) & Clarence Facun with 5.5.pts.
FGA Kuwait / FGA Riyadh headed by Team Captain Bong Gante (14.5 pts) were not able to match the home course advantage of the hosts and ended with 114.5 SF points. Richard Gaas of Riyadh (22 pts) led the scoring and also won 2nd runner up amongst all 52 golfers. Warly Faner contributed 16.5, Erol Bautista (14.5), Ebrahim Zailon (13 pts), Joey Bartolome (11 pts), Bill Holar (9.5), Allan Baduria (6), Rico Episcope (4), Roger Patriarca (3) & H.E. Ambassador Long Kem with 2.5 judged as Most Golf for the day.
The Gold Division was a competition amongst individual protagonists not included in the team where Simon Teoh won with 15 points followed by Gene Vilbar, 12.5 points, and Rene Sarmiento with 6.5 points.
The Nearest-the-pin competitions on holes 5 and 16 were both won by Warly Faner, hole 8 was won by Chris Burkill, and hole 14 was won by Bong Gante. The Longest Drive competition was won by Julius Segers who managed a massive 330 yard hit that only left him only 120 yards to the pin.
