JEDDAH -- Filipino golfer Arnie B. Cha has not touched a club for four weeks. On his return Friday to the Desert Lakes Golf Club imagine his surprise when he won the overall title in the 2nd Attieh Group Golf Tournament here.

“That’s golf. All I did was stick to the basics. Luckily, my game came together. Never missed a fairway. I was consistent today, ” said Cha, general manager at Lubrizol Transarabian Co. Ltd., after the awards ceremony at the clubhouse.

A solid single-digit handicap golfer, Cha emerged the biggest winner on countback over Korean Dae Soo Kim after both players totaled 38 points in the Stableford format competition.

In one of his best displays thus far Cha carded nines of 40-38, highlighting his round in scorching sun with birdies on 5 and 16, both par-4 holes.

Dae Soo settled for the Division One (0-9 handicap) title with fellow Korean Hae Cheon Kim winning the countback on 36 points to take runner-up honors.

It was a big day for the Filipinos as Roderick Ramos won Division Two (10-18) and Rey Ibe ruled Division Three (19-24).

Ramos compiled 34 points, while Ornulf Knive claimed the runner-up prize in the division one point back on 33 points.

Ibe, who also took about three weeks off from golf, managed to put together a decent game to come through with 33 points in a tie with Min Jin Cho, who lost the countback and finished runner-up.

The awards for the longest drive and nearest to pin went to Leif Blomqvist and Jess Daguinoy respectively.

The Kingdom No. 1 junior golfer Khaled Attieh, a scion of the family that owns Attieh Group and whose father Walid is also an avid golfer and board member of the Saudi Golf Federation, presented the prizes to the winners during the awards ceremony.

For his feat, Cha received the champion trophy and a 32-inch Samsung LCD flat screen television set, while the rest of the winners each took home a Kolber men’s wristwatch and glass trophy.

Thanks to the generous sponsorship of Attieh Group the full field of 76 players enjoyed the day’s proceedings.

Casper & Gambini’s catered breakfast and lunch. Everybody went home happy with a gift pack of polo shirt, towel, cap and a sleeve of golf balls. Chito P. Manuel