Subang: Gavin Kyle Green strode confidently to the 110th DRB-HICOM Malaysian Amateur Open on Sunday, becoming the first domestic winner of the national amateur championship in 15 years.
The 18-year-old national, who returned last week on summer break after completing his freshman year at the University of New Mexico, closed what had been an outstanding campaign with a round of four-under 68 at Glenmarie Golf & Country Club to ease to a six-stroke victory over Thailand Poom Saksansin.
Starting with a three-stroke advantage, Green traded three birdies with one bogey in each nine, including three consecutive gains from holes 8, to come home with a 14-under-par 274 aggregate. He had earlier on Friday, set a new course record with a round of seven-under 65.
Saksansin, the 201o Putra Cup individual champion, started off aggressively, peppering the pins with his accurate short game but dropped out of contention with a couple of bogeys on the inward stretch, settling for a one-under-par 71 for the round and a tournament total of eight-under 280.
Jordan Surya Irawan of Indonesia improved to sole third after finishing with a solid three-under-par 69 while Malaysia’s other United States-based player, Arie Fauzi was a stroke back, posting his third even-par 72 round of the week for a four-under-par 284. Indonesia’s Rinaldi Adiyandono and first round pacesetter Oliver Goss of Australia carded 71 and 72 respectively to take share of fifth on 286.
Green could not hide his delight after helping to keep the Sir Charles Warren trophy in Malaysian soil for the first time since Nachimuthu Ramasamy was victorious at Kelab Golf Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah in 1997.
“To be honest, I didn’t know that it has been that long since a Malaysian last won the championship but I believe I worked hard and played well over the last couple of days, so definitely feels great to have triumphed here. It’s important for me that my amateur career record will now show that I have won my national amateur championship,” shared Green.
“I didn’t have the best of preparations as I arrived just in time for the tournament, so I didn’t think too much about winning. The conditions were definitely challenging today, it was really hot and humid out there and I could feel a little bit of the jet-lag setting in but I was able to pace myself after making those crucial string of birdies around the turn,” he added.
The stocky amateur, who has claimed every other major amateur championship in the country, paid tribute to the Malaysian Golf Association (MGA) for their support over the years. “I am grateful to the support given by the Malaysian Golf Association to me over the years and it the exposure and assistance has definitely helped in my development to become the players I am today,” added Green, who can now lay claim to having won the holy grail of the Malaysian Amateur Closed, the 100Plus Malaysian Junior Open and the TSM Golf Challenge on top of his victory today.
A former 100Plus Malaysian Junior Open champion himself, Poom was pleased with his performance and congratulated Green on his victory. “I gave it my best shot and tried to better or match Gavin on the day but he was on fire,” said the Chantakburi native. “My bogeys on the back nine didn’t help me too much as it gave him a big advantage to see through the finishing holes,” added Saksansin.
Leading final round scores
274 – Gavin Kyle Green (MAS) 72-65-69-68
280 – Poom Saksansin (THA) 69-71-69-71
283 – Jordan Surya Irawan (INA) 72-71-71-69, Muhd Arie Irawan Ahmad Fauzi (MAS) 72-72-68-72
286 – Oliver Goss (AUS) 68-74-72-72, Rinaldi Adiyandono (INA) 70-73-69-74
288 Khalin H Joshi (IND)71-71-73-73
291 – Natipong Srithong (THA) 72-74-71-74
293 – N Thangaraja (SLK) 74-73-74-72
295 – Jonar Austria (PHI) 74-73-75-73, Chan Tuck Soon (MAS) 70-72-73-80
