Arabian golfing talent put on a strong show in the opening round of the season-ending US$5 million PIF Saudi International presented by SoftBank Investment Advisers at Riyadh Golf Club.
Saudi Arabia’s Khalid Attieh only recently turned professional, and he celebrated that new status with a sensational four-under 67 made up of five birdies and one bogey to sit just three shots off the lead set by Chinese Taipei’s Chang Wei-lun and Sadom Kaewkanjana of Thailand.
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Compatriot Saud Al Sharif finished a shot further behind after five birdies and two bogeys for his 68.
Attieh was delighted to put in such a good show on home turf. He said: “It was a good round. Hit the ball pretty good, putted good as well. The course is playing great. They have done a great job in setting it up such in a short time with all the events coming up.
“Greens are rolling really nicely. If you hit your lines here, you are definitely going to make some putts. Looking forward to tomorrow (Thursday) and hopefully keep it going. This is my home course, so I know how the greens are a little bit.”
The International Series has a commitment to the development of the game, offering promising players a chance to play with some of the biggest names in the world, and Attieh took full advantage earlier this season, making history by becoming the first Saudi amateur to make the cut in a pro tournament, at International Series Oman.
He followed that up by making the weekend twice more this season, at the Black Mountain Championship in Thailand and the BNI Indonesian Masters.
He was understandably delighted to put in a good first-round display as a pro in front of home fans. He said: “It’s great to have them out here. You don’t get a lot of weeks where you have got home support. It has been a long journey travelling around Asia. With the home support, I think it’s very helpful and acts as a motivation for me.”
Reflecting on the learning curve that the Saudi players are getting this week, he added: “It’s a great opportunity for us. Some great players here, so I am learning a lot. Just watching yesterday a few guys chip, you learn so much. And even playing with all the players today, they have a lot more experience, so it is nice to see how they compose themselves on and off the golf course. I thank Golf Saudi and the Federation for supporting us through this journey.”
Saud Al Sharif – Harry Grimshaw
Saud has not yet made a cut all season, and he was delighted with his first round in Riyadh – an excellent display on a very special day.
He explained: “It was a good day today. I had the pleasure and the privilege to be playing with two awesome players, Brendan Steele and Scott Vincent. So I enjoyed my day. Obviously turning 25 today, it is my birthday too, so that’s icing on the cake.
“It is a bonus to play well. Feels nice obviously to play well on the home course. Looking forward to keeping the form up.”
Saud was delighted with the home support that has turned out to cheer on the five home hopes and some of the best players in world golf. He said: “It’s awesome. Obviously that is our main objective here with the players is to get more people into golf. It is awesome to see – it’s awesome to see those teammates get the chance to play in events like this.”
Promising Moroccan amateur Adam Bresnu, who made the weekend last time out at International Series Qatar, continued his fine form with a five-under round of 66. Bresnu recently won the Pan Arab Golf Championship at Al Zorah Golf & Yacht Club in Ajman.
Korea’s Yubin Jang and Chilean Joaquin Niemann are in a tie for third place after 65s, while American Peter Uihlein, who currently leads The International Series Rankings, is in a group of 11 players who carded 66.
Main Image: Asian Tour
