Riyadh Golf Club in Saudi Arabia was center stage last weekend, as the 2023-2024 Race to Georgia Amateur Golf Series (powered by Reza Hygiene) kicked off its KSA return with an impressive lineup of 85 golfers producing some spectacular winning scores. Despite having a bogey on the front nine, Division A winner Ben Dawson fought back with 3 birdies for a back nine score of 33 for a spectacular gross 69. In the junior division, lady golfer Joeun Kim scored an impressive gross 70, which included an eagle 2 on the 7th hole.
Six qualifier positions were up for grabs to reach the regional final on March 9th in Riyadh, for the ultimate prize of a 1-week trip to the world final in Georgia, USA in April 2024, which includes a bucket list 2-day visit to the iconic Masters golf major at Augusta National Golf Course as patrons.
Category-winning qualifiers were:
Division-A
Ben Dawson 38 points (winning on last 9 countback)
Kookjin Lee 38 points
Division-B
Darren Simpson 36 points
Eunhee Kim 35 points
Junior Division
Joeun Kim 37 points
Alwaleed Al Harbi 18 points
The event marked the return to Saudi on the regional journey with 13 qualifying rounds spread across the golfing hotspots of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE.
Open to amateur players of all categories – men, women, and juniors – the golf series welcomes participants with a maximum handicap of 24 for men and 36 for women. The events are officially sanctioned by the Saudi Arabian Golf Federation, Bahrain Golf Association, and Emirates Golf Federation. The remainder of this year’s Saudi Arabian qualifier swing includes the Royal Greens Golf Club- KAEC on 19th January, and Rolling Hills Dhahran on 3rd February 2024, with regional finals being held at the Montgomerie Golf Club in Dubai for UAE qualifiers on March 3, 2024, and at Riyadh Golf Club on March 9, 2024.
Zahid Group, one of the series' main sponsors, said, “Zahid Group is proud to be a sponsor of the 2023-2024 edition of the exciting ‘Race to Georgia’ Golf Tournament. The tournament showcases Integrity and Excellence in the sport of golf; both being values at the heart of all Zahid Group operations, and aligns with the Group’s commitment to Wellness, support each employee on their journey to thriving.”
Haydar Alireza, CEO of Reza Hygiene, expressed enthusiasm about the tournament’s expansion in Saudi Arabia. “The series' growth and the 'Bucket List' trip to the US World Final has generated tremendous excitement. We can’t be more thrilled to see young amateur Saudis and expats competing for the prize. It’s been amazing to see the growth of golf in Saudi, and we are just happy to play our part in it."
This year's sponsors, including Reza Hygiene, Zahid Group, Papa Johns, Emaar Hospitality, Rezaroma, Golftec UAE, and Dyson, underscore the event's prestige and the sport's expanding footprint in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
