Japan made it a debut to remember at the 4th Selangor International Junior Golf Championship, winning both the boys’ and girls’ team titles in cloudy and humid conditions at Seri Selangor Golf Club.
Represented by players from the Hills Golf Tommy Academy, the Japanese contingent showcased solid and consistent golf to triumph against a strong field comprising 127 golfers from 14 nations.
In the girls’ event, Team Japan powered their way to a runaway wire-to-wire victory at the challenging Seri Selangor course. The quartet of Yuka Nishina (73, 69, 73), Mana Yoshizaki (70, 77, 71), Tsukiha Nakashima (74, 75, 71) and Rui Hatada (74, 77, 73) combined for a final round score of one-under-par 215 (based on the best three out of four daily scores) to post a tournament total of five-over-par 653 (217, 221, 215).
Team Japan winning the Girls' Team title.
Trailing 15 strokes behind in second place was the Thai team of Sarisa Pojanalai, Chutimon Rujiranan, Satonkan Thiengsri and Krittiya Thanintomdamrongdej on 20-over-par 668 (222, 223, 223). Team Singapore, represented by Chen Xingtong, Amelie Ng, Chloe Ng and Anjanette Tanare, finished a distant third on 50-over-par 698 (236, 227, 235).
The boys’ event meanwhile saw the Japanese team of Taisei Nagasaki (73, 76, 67), Sakutoshi Yamazaki (74, 66, 78), Miller Sato (76, 74, 72) and Yutaka Saito (82, 74, 70) pull away from the pack with a final day combined score of seven-under-par 209. Their total of two-under-par 646 (223, 214, 209) placed them 12 shots clear of the Thai team of Thanattasorn Supinraj, Kobsak Phisibuntoon, Pongpanot Jeenakul and Sarunyapong Hongamata on 10-over-par 658.
Team Japan also winning the Boys' Team title.
The Malaysian Golf Association team of Anson Yeo Boon Xiang, Andrew Yap, Nathan Wong Tsen Jack and Ezekiel Riz Hafi Suzearitz surged up into third place on 16-over-par 664 following a final round score of 218, edging first round leaders Philippines (Shinichi Suzuki, Miko Granada, Tristan Padilla and Santino Pineda) by two strokes.
Japan team manger Yuki Hayashi was elated with his players’ fine performances.
“The Japanese team is participating in this event for the first time, and they had a very pleasant experience here. The Seri Selangor course is very tough and has an excellent design, and is very different from the courses we have in Japan, so it was a good experience for them,” said Hayashi.
The Japanese team received US$1,000 for each of their victories for a total of US$2,000. In a magnanimous gesture, they donated US$1,000 to the PKNS Golf Academy.
Hayashi’s son, Daichi, is based in Malaysia and was part of the PKNS Golf Academy team for this year’s championship. He finished 10th on five-over-par 221 (74, 70, 77) in what was his fourth consecutive appearance in the event.
The individual girls’ and boys’ titles meanwhile went to Thailand’s Sarisa Pojanalai and Korea’s Jung Ji Won, respectively.
Pojanalai carded a final round 71 for a three-under-par 213 total (72, 70, 71) , two strokes clear of runner-up Yuka Nishina of Japan (73, 69, 73). Vietnam’s Le Chuc An, the leader for the first two days, fell back with a closing 76 and settled for third place on even-par 216 (67, 73, 76).
Jung meanwhile stood head and shoulders above the rest in the boys’ individual event, powering his way to a seven-shot victory with an impressive total of 10-under-par 206 (67, 69, 70). Thailand's Thanattasorn Supinraj was runner-up on three-under-par 213 (71, 73, 69), two shots ahead of Malaysia's Anson Yeo (71, 73, 71) and Shinichi Suzuki of the Philippines (70, 71, 74).
As the boys’ individual champion and leading Malaysian respectively, Jung and Yeo earned invitations to next week’s PKNS Selangor Masters which is the season-opener for both the Asian Development Tour and domestic Professional Golf of Malaysia Tour. The US$200,000 event will also be played at Seri Selangor.
Organized by UUMISM in collaboration with the MGA, the Selangor International Junior Golf Championship is sponsored by the Selangor State Government with PKNS Golf Management Services acting as event promoter. The championship is a full-hospitality event, and participants are provided with accommodation, transfers and meals.ipei, China, Philippines, Thailand, India, Singapore, Indonesia, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia.
Vietnam’s Nguyen Anh Minh and Korea’s Sieun Lee emerged as champions at the 120th Malaysian Amateur Open at Sabah Golf & Country Club, securing the men’s and ladies’ titles after a tightly contested final round.
Nguyen clinched the men’s title with a final round of 71, finishing 1-under-par (72-70-74-71) on Sunday. Korea’s Minsu Kim placed second on one-over-par for the tournament, while Indonesia’s Randy Arsenate Mohamad Bintang and Malaysia’s Anson Yeo shared third position on four-over-par.
“This victory means so much to me,” said Nguyen. “The course was challenging, but I stayed patient and focused. Winning the Malaysian Amateur Open is an incredible honor.”
Anson Yeo.
Yeo, the top Malaysian finisher in the men’s division, said, “It was an intense competition, and I’m proud to be among the top players. The support from the local crowd was amazing.”
In the ladies’ division, Lee took the title with a total score of 10-over-par (78-75-72-73). Compatriot Hyojin Park finished second on 13-over-par, and Thailand’s Prim Prachnakorn placed third on 16-over-par.
Malaysia’s Wang Xin Yao, who clinched fourth position on 14-over-par, said, “Competing in this championship was a tremendous learning opportunity. I’m thrilled to finish as the top Malaysian player in the ladies’ division and will use this experience to grow.”
Wang Xin Yao.
Dato’ Zulkifli Ismail, Chairman of the Malaysian Golf Association’s Competition Subcommittee, said, “We congratulate all the players for their determination and sportsmanship. The high level of competition reflects the growing talent in the region, and we are proud of the strong performances by our Malaysian players.”
Malaysian teenager Rizq Adam Rohizam showed great skill and character as he claimed a morale-boosting joint eighth finish in the 15th Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Taiheiyo Club Gotemba in Japan.
The 18-year-old talent signed in a closing round of even-par 70 for a 72-hole aggregate of four-under-par 276 (67-68-71-70), eight strokes behind tournament winner Wenyi Ding of China. In pleasant weather conditions minus the fog and rain that had plagued the last two days, Rizq had to complete 13 holes of his third round early on Sunday morning.
Rizq was among the main contenders over the first 36 holes, with rounds of 67 and 68 placing him in joint fourth place just two strokes off the halfway lead. While he was disappointed with his eventual finish, the youngster will take a bunch of positives from his second Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship appearance.
“It could have been gone better the last two days, of course. But for my second time at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, I’ll take it as a learning experience and hopefully get another chance next year. It’s an amazing experience and obviously a huge honour to play in this event. The hospitality is off the charts, and they pick the best venues in the Asia-Pacific region,” said Rizq, who missed the cut in the 2021 edition at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club in the United Arab Emirates.
Currently in his freshman year at Missouri University of Science & Technology, Rizq had to come back to reality quickly before he heads back to the United States.
“First things first – I have homework to do and a test coming up, so I’ve got to study for that! I go back to the States tomorrow and start practising with the team again, before the final fall tournament in the last week of October,” he said.
Rizq narrowly missed matching Malaysia’s best finish in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, which is seventh place achieved by Marcus Lim (Royal Melbourne Golf Club, 2023), Ervin Chang (Sentosa Golf Club, Singapore, 2018) and Mohd Iszaimi Ismail (Mission Hills Golf Club, China, 2009).
The other Malaysian to make the cut, 2024 SUKMA Games individual gold medallist Anson Yeo, shot a final round 75 and settled for T47 place on 11-over-par 291 (72-71-73-75). This was the third successive year that the 18-year-old has progressed to the weekend in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship.
Five Malaysians had started the tournament at Taiheiyo Club Gotemba, but three failed to make the 36-hole cut which came at seven-over-par – Andrew Yap (74, 74), Zia Iqmal Abdul Rashid (72, 78) and Zubair Firdaus (74, 77).
Wenyi Ding of China kisses the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship trophy after winning the 2024 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship
Champion Ding receives an invitation to the 2025 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club and exemptions into The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush and the 129th Amateur Championship at Royal St George’s, provided he remains an amateur.
The Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship was created in 2009 as a joint initiative between the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), the Masters Tournament and The R&A, with the aim of further developing golf in the Asia-Pacific region. Notable past competitors include 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, a two-time winner of the Asia-Pacific Amateur, and Australian Cameron Smith, champion of The 150th Open.
The Toyota Tour eGolf (TTeG) Championship concluded with a thrilling grand finale at MST Golf Arena at The Gardens Mall on Friday. It crowned the first-ever nationwide indoor golf champion who will compete in the Toyota Tour Yaris Cup, alongside Malaysia’s best Tour Professionals in November.
After five months of regional competition at MST Golf Arena locations in The Gardens Mall, Tropicana Gardens Mall, Gurney Paragon Mall, and Toppen Shopping Centre, 16 gross champions emerged from over 300 non-professional golfers, a step closer to earning a spot in Malaysia’s pinnacle professional golf event, Toyota Tour Yaris Cup, also known as the Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) Tour.
Golfers of all ages, both male and female, including juniors, came to compete in this groundbreaking 9-hole eGolf Championship from April to August. With over RM200,000 worth of prizes, the championship also attracted fans of the monthly golf brand sponsors namely TaylorMade, Under Armour, COBRA PUMA, HONMA, and adidas, rewarding participants in the monthly lucky draws. Over RM200,000 worth of TTeG lucky draw prizes were awarded throughout the entire championship, with sponsors of the grand lucky draw Maldives Integrated Tourism Development Corporation, Ikhlas Travel by AirAsia MOVE, and Villea Rompin Resort & Golf which further added excitement among golf enthusiasts.
The grand finals featured 18 holes of notable virtual courses like Doral Blue Monster, Abu Dhabi, Marina Bay, Pebble Beach, and Royal Troon, with tricky weather conditions that challenged even the most skilled players. The competition followed Stroke Play Stableford-modified rules, pushing players to adapt their strategies in the mixed course set up.
Despite the difficulty, 22-year-old Bryan Tan, the June Gross Champion from The Gardens Mall, triumphed with a 3 over par, earning RM2,000 MST Golf cash voucher and a place in the Toyota Tour Yaris Cup. Chan Kai Vernn, June Gross Champion from Gurney Paragon Mall, was 1st runner-up with a 5 over par, earning a RM1,500 MST Golf cash voucher. Ng Kee Siang, April Gross Champion from The Gardens Mall, took 2nd runner-up with a 6 over par, taking home a RM1,000 MST Golf cash voucher. The top 3 finalists also earned their spot to play in the Toyota Tour Championship (ADT) Pro-Am.
Fourth and fifth places went to Lim Jen Jeann and Robert Horridge, who won RM800 and RM500 MST Golf cash vouchers, respectively. Gavin Fung, June Gross Champion from The Gardens Mall, won a TaylorMade Qi10 driver for Nearest to Line. The grand finals also saw the Team Champion title go to Tropicana Gardens Mall, which achieved the lowest team score. As a reward for their outstanding performance, the team will receive sponsored adidas apparel. All finalists were also awarded 30 hours of free play at MST Golf Arena.
The Grand Lucky Draw was one of the most anticipated segments of the grand finals, with all more than 300 participants vying for one of the eight grand lucky draw luxury golf and stay packages. The more rounds they played to increase their ranking in the monthly competitions, the more chances they had to win.
One of the monthly finalists, Kevin Siow, was the top lucky draw prize winner taking home a 6D5N Luxury Golf Escape for two to Meeru Maldives Resort worth RM57,000. Additional prizes were sponsored by Maldives Integrated Tourism Development Corporation, Ikhlas Travel by AirAsia Move, and Villea Rompin Resort & Golf, making the Grand Lucky Draw with over RM100,000 worth of golf and stay packages a thrilling end to the tournament.
The Toyota Tour eGolf Championship is a partnership between UMW Toyota Motor, MST Golf, and PGM. It aims to grow the sport and engage new and amateur players. The inaugural event set a new benchmark for indoor golf, blending advanced technology with large-scale competition to propel the passion for golf and spur confidence among non-professionals in an indoor environment.
Malaysia’s Rizq Adam Rohizam will head into the final day of the 15th Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship just two strokes behind tournament leader Rintaro Nakano of Japan at Taiheiyo Club Gotemba.
Rizq is well-placed in joint second position on six-under-par through five holes of his third round on the par-70 course, tied with China’s Wenyi Ding when play was suspended at 5.05pm due to fading light. The Malaysian had to complete six holes of his second round in the morning due to the preceding day’s weather delays.
The winner will be rewarded with an invitation to the 2025 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club and exemptions into The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush and the 129th Amateur Championship at Royal St George’s.
Players had to contend with unrelenting rain throughout Saturday, a spillover from the wet and foggy conditions of the previous day which delayed the start of play for six and a half hours.
Speaking after the completion of his second round, Rizq noted that he aims to play it smart and not get overly aggressive.
“I usually am the aggressive type, but I know that the more aggressive I get, the more mistakes I can make. So I will stick to the gameplan and play it safe. If the birdies come, they come, if the bogeys come, they come as well – deal with it and just focus on the present, instead of dwelling on the past,” said Rizq, who is in his freshman year at Missouri University of Science & Technology.
Whatever happens, Rizq can take immense pride in his performance, especially since he missed the cut in his maiden Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship appearance at Dubai Creek three years ago.
“You cannot describe the feeling. It’s surreal and exciting to be near the top of the leaderboard in the biggest amateur event in the Asia-Pacific region. I’m honoured to be playing at this beautiful and prestigious golf club, and of course it’s amazing being able to see Mount Fuji,” said the 18-year-old.
Compatriot Anson Yeo meanwhile was elated at making his third consecutive cut at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, following rounds of 72 and 71. The 18-year-old lies in T28 position on three-over-par through 11 holes of his third round.
“I played pretty well these past two days and managed to get to the weekend again. I’m proud to have played three times in the Asia-Pacific Amateur and made the cut each time, as the course set-ups are always tough,” said Yeo, who finished 67th at Royal Melbourne in 2023 and T29 at Amata Spring in 2022.
Malaysia’s top-ranked male amateur, Andrew Yap, carded consecutive 74s and agonisingly missed the halfway cut of seven-over-par by a solitary stroke. The two other Malaysians who started at Taiheiyo Club Gotemba, Zia Iqmal Abdul Rashid (72, 78) and Zubair Firdaus (74, 77), also failed to progress.
Malaysia’s best finish in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship is seventh, achieved by Marcus Lim (Royal Melbourne Golf Club, 2023), Ervin Chang (Sentosa Golf Club, Singapore, 2018) and Mohd Iszaimi Ismail (Mission Hills Golf Club, China, 2009).
The Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship was created in 2009 as a joint initiative between the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), the Masters Tournament and The R&A, with the aim of further developing golf in the Asia-Pacific region. Notable past competitors include 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, a two-time winner of the Asia-Pacific Amateur, and Australian Cameron Smith, champion of The 150th Open.
Collectively, alumni of the Championship have gone on to win 27 tournaments on the PGA Tour to date and more than 130 events across major professional tours. The Championship returns for the second time to Japan, which hosted the second edition of the event in 2010. Taiheiyo Club Gotemba, located at the base of Mount Fuji, is hosting the Championship for the first time.
