Sports Reporter/Doha

CHAMPIONS ALL: Ian Poulter and amateurs Steve Mullins, Garry Looker and Yoshiba Akihiko pose with Commercialbank Group CEO Andy Stevens and Qatar Golf Association president Hassan al-Nuaimi yesterday. PICTURE: Noushad T
In ideal playing conditions, the Commercialbank Qatar 2 team of professional Ian Poulter and amateurs Steve Mullins, Garry Looker and Yoshiba Akihiko lifted the winners’ trophy in the Qatar Duty Free Pro-Am, curtain raiser for the 2011 Commercialbank Qatar Masters, presented byDolphin Energy.
Despite three teams tying on twenty three under, it was World Number 11Poulter’s team who came through on the count-back thanks to a better back nine. Second went to Nick Dougherty and his amateur partners for the Qatar Al Attiyah 1 team of Brian McDonald, Gary Magraw and David Brannigan.
Runners-up Nick Dougherty, Brian McDonald, Gary Magraw and David Brannigan of Team QAA
Making it a 1-2-3 for English professionals, Danny Willett and his Al Jazeera team of David Foster, Rock O’Connor and Richard Nicholson took third spot on a day when all of the big names took to the course just 24 hours before the start of the $2.5mn Commercialbank Qatar Masters presented by Dolphin Energy. Following the Qatar Duty Free Pro-Am, all 42 competing teams attended the awards dinner at The Four Seasons Hotel Doha. Play in the event itself gets underway at 6.30am today (Thursday) with entrance free of charge to the general public. For those unable to get to Doha Golf Club, a live streaming radio broadcast will be available from 9.45am on http://www.ustream.tv/channel/commercial-bank-qatar-masters-golf-coverage