FRIENDS STYAL IT OUT TO EARN GLORIA TRIP
Saturday 21st July 2018
Matching outfits and a grandstand finish were both key factors as Khalil Musa and Jacob Oakley earned themselves a five-star holiday to Gloria in Turkey at Styal Golf Club.
The Manchester-based duo teamed up at the recent event and turned in a memorable team performance to clock up a nine-under-par score of 45 Stableford points with their best score counting on each hole.
Oakley, a plus-two handicapper, is already looking at the professional ranks within the next 18 months and has already made a big impact on the amateur ranks, featuring in many of the high-profile national and international events.
But this was no one-man show with Musa – an eight-handicapper – draining the winning putt from 40 feet and making some vital contributions throughout the round.
Musa said: “We’ve been friends for a few years. We just met at the golf club but we get on well and it was great to win.
“We knew we needed that putt on the 18th and there were a few people watching us. But Jacob gave me a bit of advice, I hit it and I was walking it in! It was a great moment for us.
“It was my idea to go with the matching team outfits and a few people were probably thinking ‘what’s going on here?’ But it was just a bit of fun – maybe it gave us that extra edge?”
Oakley said: “We just played very well as a pair on the day. We took our opportunities when they came along and didn’t make too many mistakes. I’m really looking forward to going over there.”
Since it opened in 1997, Gloria is now regarded by many as the leading golf and leisure resort in Turkey with three adjacent five-star hotels and a broad range of on-site activities away from the golf, making it an ideal destination for golf groups, couples and families.
But it is nothing new to Musa, who has visited the resort three times previously.
He said: “I love the place so I can’t wait to go back again. Jacob is playing in the Turkish Amateur Championship over there, so it’s a good opportunity to use our prize as a bit of practice for him.”
Gloria Golf Club’s director of Golf David Clare, said: “Congratulations to Jacob and Khalil on their victory at Styal Golf Club. We look forward to welcoming them to Gloria.”