Pakistan's commitment to this season's Mena Tour paid off yesterday with Shafiq Masih sealing victory in dramatic fashion in the Dirab Golf Championship.
The former Dirab Golf and Country Club golf instructor needed every bit of his local knowledge to overturn a three-shot deficit and defeat the Welshman Craig Smith, in a play-off to take the tour's inaugural Saudi Arabian title.
Masih and Smith matched each other's final round scores to fire six-under-par 66s and share the course record, yet it was the former who kept his nerve after they tied on eight-under 208 in regulation play.
Masih, one of eight Pakistan players contesting this year's tour, birdied the first extra hole - the par-4 18th - while his playing partner could manage only par.
"It feels just great to win an international event of this stature," said Masih on picking up a cheque for US$9,000 (Dh33,000), the biggest payday of his career.
"I have won a couple of tournaments in Pakistan, but this one is special in the sense it has come on a course where I used to give golfing lessons to club members.
"In a way, my reputation was at stake, but I couldn't have asked for more. This victory is a victory for Pakistan golf."
It was a contrasting story for Daniel Owen, though, the overnight joint leader, who carded an embarrassing 10 on the par-five 15th to finish fifth overall.
England's William Harrold, who had shared the overnight lead with Owen, posted a one-under par 71 to come home in fourth place. His compatriot, Ian Keenan, was third on seven-under.
Amine El Malki, the talented Moroccan, lifted the amateur trophy as he tied for seventh.
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
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Leaderboard
63 - Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA)
64 - Rory McIlroy (NIR)
66 - Jon Rahm (ESP)
67 - Tom Lewis (ENG), Tommy Fleetwood (ENG)
68 - Rafael Cabrera-Bello (ESP), Marcus Kinhult (SWE)
69 - Justin Rose (ENG), Thomas Detry (BEL), Francesco Molinari (ITA), Danny Willett (ENG), Li Haotong (CHN), Matthias Schwab (AUT)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
