Ayer Keroh: Sukree Othman overcame a bumpy final stretch to win a pressure-packed Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) Melaka Classic on Saturday, claiming a slender one-stroke victory over joint overnight leader Nicholas Fung.

The consistent 35-year-old closed with a good scrambling display of one-under 71, totalling three-under-par 285 at Ayer Keroh Country Club to complete the first-ever back-to-back victories on the burgeoning domestic circuit as well as his third title of the season.

Reigning Order of Merit champion Nachimuthu Ramasamy maintained his grip on the current money list, finishing third alongside Airil Rizman Zahari with a level-par 288 total. Posting a final round of even-par 72, Solhairy Sharif took sole possesion of fifth with an overall of 289, one stroke ahead of Ben Leong (75).

Despite only five strokes separating the top seven players, the final round once again turned out to be two-men duel between Sukree and Fung, much to the delight of the local gallery, which braved the balmy conditions to watch a tense final round.

Two early birdies in a flawless front nine gave Sukree some much needed breathing space over the Sabahan sensation but dropped shots on the 14th and 15th as well on the 17th almost derailed his title hopes. Needing a positive response on the finishing hole, Sukree chipped in from the greenside rough after a poor approach, landing within four feet of the pin for a crucial par save.

“I’m just grateful that I managed to do enough to claim this victory – it was definitely hard-fought! I think the pressure was on from the the start as I didn’t have a comfortable lead like I did in Kinrara [Classic] two weeks ago. It gradually got to my head towards the end and I almost made things difficult for myself,” said Sukree, who acknowledged that he wasn’t hitting it clean off the tees on the back nine and was not committed to his putts.

“I was really under pressure coming into the 18th and it showed – I hit a heavy drive, didn’t have the best of second shots and sliced my approach. At first glance, I didn’t like the lie of my ball on the rough but I just punched it out with my 52° wedge and I was lucky that it rolled into place,” added the relieved champion.

The resident professional at Kota Permai Golf & Country Club acknowledged that his third win of the season has definitely put some wind under his wings as he attempts to usurp reigning Order of Merit champion Nachimuthu Ramasamy in the current money list.

“It is hard work because I’ve won in different circumstances these year – in Kelantan, I had to come back from behind; Kinrara was a smooth cruise and now grinding out a result here. I still feel that I have a few more wins in the bag but I have to work on my consistency as I really struggled with putting pace for three rounds after a near-perfect opener here,” shared Sukree, who earned another RM21,000 for his victory.

Fung had little to complain after posting a level-par 72 but rued a couple of birdie misses as well as his sole bogey of the round on the par-five sixth.

” I’m happy with my game overall this week except for the opening two rounds. Today, I was relatively unlucky as I missed some birdie chances which could have turned the tide in my favour but I just have to be patient and hopefully, I will win very soon,” explained the 23-year-old, who has now notched three consecutive runner-up finishes in as many starts.

“It there was one thing I could change about my round it would have been my chip shot on the six, which I misjudged completely,” added the Sabahan.

Leading final round scores

285 – Sukree Othman (67-73-74-71)
286 – Nicholas Fung (74-74-66-72)
288 – R. Nachimuthu (71-74-70-73), Airil Rizman Zahari (72-70-73-73)
289 – Solhairy Sharif (77-70-72-70)
290 – Ben Leong (70-71-74-75)
292 – Khor Kheng Hwai (73-72-71-76)
293 – Danny Chia (77-76-71-69), S. Murthy (74-73-78-68)
294 – Shaaban Hussin (73-74-74-73)