
Kota Bharu: A resurgent Sukree Othman dashed the hopes of local lad Mohd Nazri Md Zain as he claimed a second Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) title at the RM125,000 Kelantan Classic today.
The 35-year-old Sukree closed with a solid five-under 67 to defeat the crowd darling and overnight leader by two strokes with a 13-under 275 aggregate at the Kelantan Golf & Country Club. Sukree nailed three birdies on each nine with his only blemish of the day coming on the short-par 15th when he twice misjudged his approach into the green.
It was a bitter blow however for Nazri, who started off the final round with a six-stroke advantage but saw his lead eaten up as he committed uncharacteristic errors on the back nine including three bogeys in four holes to hand the initiative to a marauding Sukree.
Buoyed by a strong partisan crowd, the 28-year-old could have levelled the contest and forced a nail-biting ending but missed a crucial birdie putt from three feet on the 17th after a crucial par-save on the 16th before nerves got the better of him as he muffed his approach on the finishing hole to settle for second with a poor three-over 75 finish.
Miri-based professional Sofian Kepli took sole possession of third with a personal best finish of 67 for a 281 total while S. Sivachandhran (69) was fourth on 283. Akhmal Tarmizee Mohd Nazari settled for fifth on 284 after a error-strewn effort of 76 while PGM Order of Merit winner R. Nachimuthu was sixth with a three-under 285 total overall.
An attacking approach from the start put Sukree in the right frame of mind to charge ahead, even if it was a surprise victory.
“I had a hot start with three birdies in four holes but I wasn’t really thinking about the possibility of winning until the 12th when I moved ahead of Nazri. At the start of the day, I just wanted to maintain my leaderboard position and not drop too many shots like I did in Kangar [ during the PGM Perlis Classic] but I guess it all fell in place,” shared Sukree, who claimed the winner’s purse of RM21,000.
“I played well overall and my club selection was perfect except for the 15th, when I was a bit undecided with choice off the tees. I got a lucky break on the 17th when I managed to two-putt for a par and Nazri unexpectedly lipped a makeable birdie putt. At that point, it was all about managing my temperament and I guess experience played a part there,” he added, noting that the victory has nonetheless given his confidence a boost after a cold start this year.
A disappointed Nazri took motivation from his best performance to date on the burgeoning domestic tour despite letting a maiden professional victory slip through his hands. “I’m going to work harder on my game with my coach Aziz Zainal and continue trying as there’s still many tournaments left to play. I was undone by nerves at the end and it’s disappointing that I could not give my family and friends a home victory to remember. Missing that clutch putt on the 17th completely demoralised me and I guess it all went down the drain after that,” shared the gloomy Pengkalan Chepa native, who nonetheless received RM14125 for his effort.
The PGM Tour heads next to Impian Golf & Country Club for its first Asian Development Tour co-sanctioned event from March 8-11.
Leading final round scores – Kelantan Classic:
275 – Sukree Othman (69-68-71-67)
277 – Mohd Nazri Mohd Zain (66-70-66-75)
281 – Sofian Kepli (68-72-74-67)
283 – s. Sivachandhran (75-67-72-69)
284 – Akhmal Tarmizee (68-71-69-76)
285 – R. Nachimuthu (73-71-72-69)
286 – Redzuan Kamaruddin (71-76-72-67), Haziq Hamizan (72-72-68-74), S Murthy (70-71-71-74)
287 – Wilson Choo (76-71-67-73)
288 – Zurie Harun (73-70-74-71)