Subang: Malaysia’s up-and-coming golfers will have to raise their game for the upcoming 100PLUS Malaysian Junior Open with ten Asia Pacific countries confirming their participation in what is expected to be a firecracker of a tournament.
The annual junior meet makes a return to Saujana Golf and Country Club from Sept 12-15 and will see a field of 110 participants staking their claim for the eight individual titles on offer.
Malaysia’s challenge will be led by Jeremiah Kim, who finished second in the Boys’ Overall category last year while in the girls’ division, Isza Fariza Ismail will spearhead the local charge in the absence of top-ranked lady amateur Kelly Tan.
The local youngsters will be aiming to claim a bigger share of the spoils this year especially after they only managed to win three of the eight individual titles at Nexus Golf Resort Karambunai in Sabah last year. The 2010 edition saw the strong Filipino contingent sweep the top prizes on offer with Miguel Tabuena and Sarah Ababa claiming the overall boys’ and girls’ titles respectively.
Ababa will defend her title, setting out to become the first junior golfer – boy or girl – to successfully defend the overall crown while Tabuena has since turned professional and currently plies his trade on the Asian Tour.
Tournament organisers Malaysian Golf Association (MGA) are confident that the local charges will rise to the occasion and match their best finish in 2009, when they picked up seven titles. “We believe that our boys and girls will compete well and Saujana Golf & Country Club has made it possible for our team to have a centralised training stint here to get used to the challenging Cobra course. I think our golfers can pose a strong challenge to their regional rivals,” said MGA vice-president Low Teck San.
“It our earnest hope that more private corporations will emulate 100Plus’ commitment to the game and come onboard alongside the respective state associations to organise more junior events, to give our young golfers a chance to compete and improve themselves,” he added in his welcome address.
Title sponsor 100Plus have reiterated their support for the 11th consecutive year with a sponsorship worth RM150,000 as part of their active commitment to the development of junior golf in the country.
F&N Beverages Marketing Sdn Bhd managing director James Teo explained that 100PLUS began supporting junior golf because the sport lived up to the ideals of 100PLUS. “Players have to consistently out do themselves to achieve better scores if they want to emerge victorious in such a prestigious tournament. This is in the true spirit of ‘100PLUS Outdo Yourself’ campaign which challenges Malaysians to push themselves to the limit in their quest for success.”
Apart from the hosts, the other countries in the fray for the R&A World Amateur Golf Ranking event are Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and England.
