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Show J SSHORTSM A "Hole" Different Kind Of Golf U. S. golfing pro Ken Green (left) getting congratulations congratu-lations from Andy Magee on winning the 15th Hassan II Golf trophy in Rabat, Morocco. Sometimes there is more to golf than golf. When 14 PGA members, 11 international golf pros and ., 140 American - participants recently landed in Mar-rakech, Mar-rakech, Morocco, to play in the 15th Annual King Hassan II Golf Championship, they knew the course would be one of the toughest they had ever played. It is one of the longest championship courses in the world. And the soft, tangled Kikuyugrass on the fairway made it even longer by stopping stop-ping their drives cold. On the other hand, they did realize the winner would walk away with a spectacular gold dagger, jewelled with emeralds eme-ralds and diamonds. They also knew they would play in a country with one of the world's oldest and most exotic cultures. The 7,400-yard par-73 Dar Es Salam course in the Moroccan Mor-occan capital of Rabat was designed by Robert Trent Jones. Carved into the middle of a cork forest, it's considered one of the world's most beautiful. beau-tiful. The golfers enjoyed' some other beautiful sights, too, shopping and sightseeing in Marrakech's exotic Jamaa El Fna Square. They were also honored at a blacktie dinner offered by His Majesty King Hassan II for whom the annual championship is named. Four rounds were played. The fourth was for profes sionals only. With American Andy Magee holding a three shot lead over Ken Green, also of the U. S., the two were paired to play together and were the last to tee off. One by one the players from France, Britain and the host country fell back and out of the first place race. Only Green and Magee survived the rigors of the course. Both started with bogeys on the 410 yard par-4 first hole. Then Magee slipped. He bogeyed the 239 yard par-3 . second hole. Green made birdie bir-die on the 454 yard par-4 third. Magee bogeyed the 424 yard par-4 fourth hole. Green birdied the 443 yard par-4 sixth hole and assumed the lead. On the 396 yard par-4 15th hole, Green birdied and got the lead for good. He went on to birdie the 225 yard par-3 127th hole to add another stroke to his one stroke lead. Both players bogeyed the par-5 par-5 564 yard final hole but Ken Green had his two stroke 1 lead. He won the Hassan II Golf trophy, a $20,000 winner's win-ner's check and the dagger worth $30,000. "I enjoyed winning this tournament very much,"' Green said. "The Moroccans treat us royally and we have a fabulous time. ..quite a few people look forward to coming back to Morocco, I know I'll be back." |