Tournament starts off with a bang

ABU DHABI // A record entry of more than 200 for today's UAE National Day Championship at Dubai Creek has forced the organisers to split the field into two shotgun line-ups beginning at 8am and 1pm. The tournament is being staged in line with instructions from Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai and chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, exhorting all government bodies to celebrate the 37th anniversary of National Day.

"We are delighted with the overwhelming response to the tournament with both the shotgun starts being oversubscribed," said Saeed Albudoor, the general manager of the Emirates Golf Federation. "This clearly reflects on the growing profile of the event which has now become a permanent fixture on the calendar." Khalid Yousuf, the only Emirati who plays off a scratch handicap, will be a contender for the top prize along with Nick Brewaeys, who will play off a plus one handicap - the lowest in the field.

The tournament will follow individual stableford format. Meanwhile, Angela Scurr, manager of the sand course at Al Ghazal, was a convincing winner of the silver jubilee Abu Dhabi women's championship on home territory Teresa Park, the first round leader, faded away in the second round to open the door for Scurr to win by seven shots with an aggregate of 163 from Henderson, with Anwar (173) finishing third two strokes better than Adele McKelevy, a previous winner of this popular event.

After a gross 84 (net 66) in the first round, the youngest player in the field, 12 year old Sana Tufail, added a creditable 91 (net 73) for a total 175 to claim fifth position. The net prize went to Cheminah McVeigh (151) who edged out the club's lady captain Gill Sibson. [e-mail]