Saturday 14 / December / 2024
Muscat: Otmar Pusterhofer, winner of the second round, retained top spot on the leaderboard after the final day of play at the Oman Golf Trophy to win the title by six points.
Day three was won by Atsushi Kiba, winner of the first round as well, but he had to settle for second place overall as the two showed their class right to the very end of the championship round at Al Mouj Golf.
Shingo Kato of Japan finished third, narrowly ahead of Austrians Gerald Monsberger in fourth and Michael Winner in fifth. The Ladies’ Division was won by Hiroko Ozaki of Japan who held a four point advantage over Gabriela Porstner Banea of Germany, one of the winners of the final day’s Nearest to the Pin Challenge on hole 5, in second.
Kazue Miyamoto ended the tournament in third on 83 points. Porstner Banea shared Nearest to the Pin Challenge honours on the final day with Jonas Lange of Germany on hole 11 and Silvia Valli of Italy on hole 13.
The prizegiving and closing ceremonies were held under the auspices of H.E. Basil bin Ahmed Al Rawas, Undersecretary for Sports and Youth at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, and attended by H.E Khalid Hashil Al Muslahi, Undersecretary for Administrative and Financial Affairs at the Foreign Ministry.
His Excellency Khalid Hashil Al Muslahi said, “Golf provides the perfect platform to strengthen relationships and explore opportunities for collaboration. Beyond showcasing Oman’s stunning courses and landscapes, this tournament highlights our nation’s commitment to building bridges and promoting global cooperation. I extend my sincere thanks to those coordinating with us at the Foreign Ministry, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, and Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, the Oman Golf Association, and all our partners for their support. To the players, congratulations on reaching this stage. May you enjoy the competition, the camaraderie, and Oman’s warm hospitality.”
The Oman Golf Trophy is a unique initiative led by the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Culture, Sports & Youth, and the Ministry of Heritage & Tourism, alongside the Oman Golf Association, Strategic Partners for the event.
The Grand Final brought together more than 80 players - 48 winners from seven qualification events held in Italy, Austria, Germany, India, South Africa, Japan and France, and international business leaders, diplomats and invited guests to leverage the unifying power of sport to strengthen ties, build new bonds, facilitate long-term trade and business relations, and demonstrate Oman’s capabilities as an international host venue and destination.
Throughout the event, players have had the opportunity to interact and network with each other on three of Oman’s most stunning and technically challenging golf courses. As well as a welcome event and networking business dinner at the Kempinski Hotel Muscat, guests were treated to a full day of sightseeing in Muscat, Wadi Shab, Nizwa and Al Hamra, Nakhal and the Diymaniyat Islands.
The Oman Golf Trophy has the potential to accelerate the objectives of Oman Vision 2040 by establishing new trade links, opportunities for investment and to build the foundation for future sporting events to be held across the nation. Oman’s central location within a seven-hour flight of half the world’s population and its visa-free access for citizens of over 100 countries make it an ideal destination for global events, business, and tourism, and sport has proven to be a powerful platform to bring all sectors together.
The Grand Final was also supported by Silver Partners Experience Oman, ominvest, and the Saud Bahwan Group, Bronze Partners the Kempinski Hotel Muscat, Lovera, and the Oman Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and official supporters the Aster Royal Al Raffah Hospital, Qatar Airways, SeaOman, Tanuf and Visit Oman.
