World’s craziest golf tourney unveiled
(The Edge)

The world’s first golf tournament with the highest number of novelty events will be held at the Kota Permai Golf and Country Club in Kota Kemuning, Selangor, on July 29.
The Golf Malaysia Crazy 30 Championship is a unique event that promises intense competition with 30 novelty event contests — the most ever held during a single 18-hole round.
The Crazy 30 Championship is to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Golf Malaysia magazine.
Participants can look forward to an exciting round of golf under the Stableford format, an attractive tournament goody bag, free flow of sponsored drinks, novelty event prizes and many rounds of lucky draws.
What makes the tournament unique is that golfers stand to win prizies for hitting a tree, landing in a bunker, cart path or the pin.
Top players in each of the four categories — Men’s A Division (handicap 12 and below), Men’s B Division (handicap 13-19), Men’s C Division (handicap 20-24) and Ladies’ Division (handicap 30 and below) — will each receive a variety of prizes.
And the craziest thing about this championship is that the grand winner of the
event is not the player who amasses the most Stableford points, but the player who is 30th overall.
Kota Permai Golf and Country Club’s general manager Tang Meng Loon says: “It will be a memorable year for both our Kota Permai members and Golf Malaysia readers as this tournament will be showcased extensively around the world. Corporations still continue to strongly support us, with numerous new partners coming on-board.”
Prizes for each of the 18 holes are sponsored by individual companies. The partners are: Emirates (Hole 1), Transview Golf (Holes 2 and 17), Ace Canning (Hole 3), AD Time (Hole 4), Singleton Whisky (Hole 5), Prestige Golf (Hole 6), Heineken (Hole 7), City Golf (Hole 8), Red Bull (Hole 9), Impiana
Hotel Kuala Lumpur (Hole 10), ONLY Golf (Hole 11), MST Golf (Hole 12), Eastin Hotel (Hole 13), Suzuki (Hole 14 for Hole-in-One) and Focus Point (Hole 14), Iskandar Johor Open (Hole 15), Tour Edge (Hole 16) and HSBC Premier (Hole 18).
This unique event, which is expected to be listed in the Guinness Book of Records, is open to all amateur golfers with an established handicap. The entry fee is RM300 per person (subscribers of Golf Malaysia) and RM350 per person (non-subscribers).
To register, call Golf Malaysia at 603-7880 5060/13 or fax to 603-7880 5171. You can also send an e-mail to golfmsia@golfmalaysia.com.my or download the entry form from www.golfmalaysia.com.my.

Brunei Open at Empire Hotel and Country Club

Young gun Chinnarat Phadungsil of Thailand and former champion Wang Ter-chang of Chinese Taipei will be amongst the top contenders at the Brunei Open next week.

The US$300,000 Asian Tour event, which will be staged once again at the stunning Empire Hotel and Country Club from July 29 to August 1, has also attracted Danny Chia, the first Malaysian to play in all four rounds at the British Open last week, Chinese trailblazer Zhang Lian-wei, Filipino standout Juvic Pagunsan and reigning Hero Honda Indian Open champion C. Muniyappa.

Players from Chinese Taipei and Australia have long dominated the Brunei Open since the tournament’s inauguration in 2005 and Chinnarat will be determined to become the first Thai to etch his name onto the winner’s trophy.

As one of Asia’s brightest talents to emerge since his stunning victory at the 2005 Double A International Open on home soil which made him the youngest winner on Tour, Chinnarat is regarded as the future king of golf in Asia.

Chinnarat, already a three-time Asian Tour winner at the age of 21, has so far enjoyed two top-10s on the Asian Tour this season at the Air Bagan Myanmar Open and Queen’s Cup on home soil but it is a victory in Brunei which he is chasing after.

The power-packed Thai, who finished tied ninth in the 2008 Brunei Open, said: “I made many cuts this season and played quite well in the first two rounds but the final two rounds have been a disappointment. My overall game has been good but I need to improve on my long game, especially my driving.”

The sweet-swinging Pagunsan believes that a second Asian Tour title is long overdue and he will be banking on his recent surge in form to better his previous results at the sultanate where he finished tied third and equal fifth in 2006 and 2009 respectively.

“I changed my swing a few months back. I got my swing a little bit flatter on the back swing and it’s straighter now with my driver. It’s given me more accuracy and I’m starting to play more solid,” said Pagunsan, winner of the 2007 Pertamina Indonesia President Invitational.

Many Asian Tour stars are eager to overcome the challenging conditions at the Empire Hotel and Country Club and Australia’s David Glesson is no different. He will be looking to overcome the disappointment of losing in a play-off to Chinese Taipei’s Wang in 2006.

MALAYSIA’S CHIA MAKES BRITISH OPEN HISTORY

St Andrews, July 17: Danny Chia was over the moon after becoming the first Malaysian in British Open history to make the halfway cut on Saturday morning.

The 37-year-old Asian Tour regular endured a sleepless night after thinking he had missed the halfway cut by one stroke at St Andrews following a five-over-par 77 in high winds for a two-day total of two-over-par 146 on Friday.

But with 30 players returning to the Old Course early Saturday to complete the second round in testing conditions, the cut mark eventually settled at 146 which ensured Chia’s place in Open folklore and the weekend rounds.

“It is great to make history for Malaysian golf. It feels really good. I found it hard to sleep last night. I kept looking at the scores on the internet although play was already suspended. I just couldn’t help it and kept looking at the scores to see where I was,” said Chia.

“I woke up at six and checked on the scores again and noticed players were dropping shots. I think I have surpassed myself. As I said yesterday, it was the most satisfying Open campaign for me. I played really well for two days.

“You always dream about playing the weekend rounds in a Major, what more the British Open. It’s a dream come true for me,” added the Malaysian, who was making his third Open appearance.

Apart from being overjoyed, Chia was relieved he will see weekend action in the year’s third Major. When he finished his round yesterday, he was two over the cut line at the time.

“For the first time, I knew I didn’t blow it. I shot five over but I felt that I didn’t leave any shots out there yesterday. After signing my card, I felt I would miss the cut by one which would have been hard to take. I’m so relieved now,” he said.

He hopes his slice of Major history at the world’s oldest Major at the Home of Golf would inspire young Malaysians to emulate and better his feat. Chia added he would fight to move up the leaderboard for a high finish.

“I really hope this will inspire the younger kids. All these while, I’ve always tried so hard to prove myself as part of the reason is I want the younger generation to come out and be better than me. I want them to represent the country in a big event like this,” said Chia, the first Malaysian to win on the Asian Tour with victory in the 2002 Taiwan Open.

“Now, I’ll fight for a better position. The ultimate dream would be to make the top-15 so that I qualify for next year’s Open.”

Chia was happy to silence his critics after receiving text messages from back home with negative connotations. “Last night, I received a few messages saying that I screwed up again. But they are not here and they didn’t watch me play. They don’t know how tough it was yesterday,” said Chia, noting that only 26 players out of 156 broke par for the second round.

“A lot of times, I was in trouble but I hit a lot of great shots to salvage the hole. It doesn’t matter what they say as I feel really good and I know I did good. It was nice to prove them wrong.”

The Malaysian also credited his local caddie Simon Blackmore for providing the guiding hand. “He knows the course in and out and has been a help. I also learned a lot from 2005 when I played here for the first time. Royal Birkdale (in 2008) wasn’t anything like this. This is a true links course where you have to play low shots and run your shots up to the greens. I practiced those shots before coming over and I’m glad I’ve been able to play well.”

GOLF MALAYSIA CRAZY 30 CHAMPIONSHIP 2010.
YOUR LAST CHANCE TO ENTER TODAY!
Hurry, contact Golf Malaysia at 603-78805060 for details.
Enter today! Golf Malaysia Crazy 30 Championship.

World’s craziest golf tourney unveiled
The world’s first golf tournament with the highest number of novelty events will be held at the Kota Permai Golf and Country Club in Kota Kemuning, Selangor, on July 29.

The Golf Malaysia Crazy 30 Championship is a unique event that promises intense competition with 30 novelty event contests — the most ever held during a single 18-hole round.

The Crazy 30 Championship is to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Golf Malaysia magazine.

Participants can look forward to an exciting round of golf under the Stableford format, an attractive tournament goody bag, free flow of sponsored drinks, novelty event prizes and many rounds of lucky draws.

What makes the tournament unique is that golfers stand to win prizies for hitting a tree, landing in a bunker, cart path or the pin.

Top players in each of the four categories — Men’s A Division (handicap 12 and below), Men’s B Division (handicap 13-19), Men’s C Division (handicap 20-24) and Ladies’ Division (handicap 30 and below) — will each receive a variety of prizes.

And the craziest thing about this championship is that the grand winner of the

event is not the player who amasses the most Stableford points, but the player who is 30th overall.

Kota Permai Golf and Country Club’s general manager Tang Meng Loon says: “It will be a memorable year for both our Kota Permai members and Golf Malaysia readers as this tournament will be showcased extensively around the world. Corporations still continue to strongly support us, with numerous new partners coming on-board.”

Prizes for each of the 18 holes are sponsored by individual companies. The partners are: Emirates (Hole 1), Transview Golf (Holes 2 and 17), Ace Canning (Hole 3), AD Time (Hole 4), Singleton Whisky (Hole 5), Prestige Golf (Hole 6), Heineken (Hole 7), City Golf (Hole 8), Red Bull (Hole 9), Impiana Hotel Kuala Lumpur (Hole 10), ONLY Golf (Hole 11), MST Golf (Hole 12), Eastin Hotel (Hole 13), Suzuki (Hole 14 for Hole-in-One) and Focus Point (Hole 14), Iskandar Johor Open (Hole 15), Tour Edge (Hole 16) and HSBC Premier (Hole 18).

This unique event, which is expected to be listed in the Guinness Book of Records, is open to all amateur golfers with an established handicap. The entry fee is RM300 per person (subscribers of Golf Malaysia) and RM350 per person (non-subscribers).

To register, call Golf Malaysia at 603-7880 5060/13 or fax to 603-7880 5171. You can also send an e-mail to golfmsia@golfmalaysia.com.my or download the entry form from www.golfmalaysia.com.my.

Eagles at KGPA

The tenth edition of the Golf Malaysia Eagle’s Championship organized by Golf Malaysia’s magazine is a tournament dedicated to golfers who have achieved an eagle during a round of golf and registered as a member of Golf Malaysia Magazine’s Eagles Club.

On June 28, a full field of competitors proudly donned themselves in a stylist Lyle and Scott shirt that has a large Eagle emblem on their chests, took off on a shot-gun start at the challenging Kelab Golf Perhidmatan Awam’s par-72 6,005 metres course.

When the day was done, Lam Kong Foo, Sharifudin Omar, Yau Wai Heng, Laila Hafidah Mohd Ali and Andrew Lim, emerged the A, B, C, Ladies and Invitational top finishers respectively with each taking home a host of prizes including various sets of Thermoskin therapeutic products. But, there was one more champion….this year’s edition also award a Golf Malaysia 30th Anniversary winner for the one who sits on overall 30th spot.

In no effort, Danavandhan Batumalai (13) was crowned the Grand Champion and was instantly spoilt with a one-night stay at Eastin Hotel’s luxury suite for two persons including a bottle of champagne and Singleton single-malt whisky.

“This is totally unexpected. I am so lucky and so happy,” said Danavandhan, still in shocked after receiving his prize courtesy of Eastin Hotel.

Long hitter Lam Kong Foo (7) amassed 40 points including four birdies prevailed both the Division A title (handicap 12 and below) and the Longest Drive challenge with his outstanding tee shot of 246.25 metres at hole 18. His strong endeavor also won him a Wilson Golf Bag sponsored by MST Golf.

“I played very well. My drives were solid. This is my second time playing in the Eagles championship and obviously I am proud and happy to be the Eagles champion,” said Lam who was trailed by three players with 37 points. After a countback, Ganesan Appavoo (9), Khor Soo Huat (12) and Dato’ Shamsudin Ismail (8), were declared second, third and fourth place winners respectively, while Chew Fook Kiong (12) took the fifth spot award.

In the men’s B Division (handicap 13 to 19), the champion’s trophy was decided on countback between Sharifudin Omar (13) and Nik Rahimi Nik Mohd Nawi (17) when the pair signed for 37 points. After the decisive countback, 42-year old Sharifudin triumphed over runner-up Nik Rahimi for the title.

The small difference in points accumulated between all top placing also shows that the participants provided stiff challenges amongst themselves. Due to the competitiveness of the golfers, the third, fourth and fifth place on this division was also determined through countback between three players who each carded 36 points. When the counting was done, Khoo Nee Cheong (14) finished ahead of Azman Wahab (13) and Eddy Eng (18) took up the final fifth.

Yau Wai Heng (20), the 2009 Division C champion, was again triumphant and managed to defend his title for the second time with 36 points.

Chasing closely with one point behind was Wong Yoon Seong (20) who secured second placing; and Lim Lean Kuan (21) was third after a countback from Amir Jamil (23) at 34 points. KK Seah (24), a regular participant in the Eagles tournament wrapped the fifth spot.

Although there were only six women participating in the Eagles Ladies event, all of them still put up an outstanding performance amidst the challenging KGPA layout.

A tight competition was seen especially between Laila Hafidah Mohd Ali (11) and Kim Jooy Eon (16). Laila, the 2008 Eagles Ladies champion once again emerged the winner amassing 37 points to edge out the Korean’s score of 35 points, revealed: “I have been playing in this tournament a few times and everything was so great. My game was further boosted with a birdie on the 16th hole”.

Kim, who was leading on the first six holes by two points, could not maintained her lead after missing some crucial putts on the home nine. “I couldn’t keep up with the challenging green but I will be back to compete in this tournament again next year,” she cautions.

Chin Pet Ha (19) who was the third place winner in last year’s tournament was happy to retain the same position with 31 points. Jessica Chan Sau Wan (16) took the fourth place winner with 30 points, while Ann Tan (14) the defending champion from last year’s tournament, close in with 29 points.

There was a tight finish among the golfers in the Eagles Invitational category between Andrew Lim (18), Samuel Chong (16) and Azhar Abdul Ghani (18) as each amassing 36 points. On countback, Lim became the champion with the runner-up spot went to Chong and Azhar in third. Philip Tan (22) was not to be outdone in fourth place, he also won the Nearest-to-Pin contest with a distance of 0.82 cm.

In other novelty events, Mat Nawi Ibrahim earned the Nearest-to-Bunker prize of a Wilson golf bag; while Han Chong Chin bagged two prizes winning the Bull’s Eye and the Nearest-to-Pin with a distance of 2.25 metres for a SeeMore Putter.

There was no taker for the hole-in-one prize of a Tiggo car sponsored by Chery Alado but there were plenty of lucky draw prizes, including Singleton Single Malt whisky, watches, and crates of Heineken and buffet dinners at the Eastin Hotel.

Organised by Golf Malaysia, this year’s Eagles championship, is fully supported by Lyle and Scott the official apparel, Thermoskin, MST Golf, Ho Yan Hor (Drinho), Eastin Hotel, TanMan the official sunscreen wipes, official drink Gatorade and Bleu Mineral water, The Singleton Single Malt whisky, Heineken Beer and Chery Alado.

Golf Malaysia’s Eagles Championship 2010 Results

Division A (handicap 12 and below)

Lam Kong Foo (7) 40 points

Ganeson Appavoo (9) 37 points ocb

Khor Soo Huat (12) 37 points ocb

Dato’ Shamsudin Ismail (8) 37 points

Chew Fook Kiong (12) 36 points

Division B (handicap 13 to 19)

Sharifudin Omar (13) 37 points ocb

Nik Rahimi Nik Mohd Nawi (17) 37 points

Khoo Nee Cheong (14) 36 points ocb

Azman Wahab (13) 36 points ocb

Eddy Eng (18) 36 points ocb

Division C (handicap 20 to 24)

Yau Wai Heng (20) 36 points

Wong Yoon Seong (20) 35 points

Lim Lean Kuan (21) 34 points ocb

Amir Jamil (23) 34 points

K. K. Seah (24) 33 points

Ladies Division

Laila Hafidah Mohd Ali (11) 37 points

Kim Jooy Eon (16) 35 points

Chin Pet Ha (19) 31 points

Jessica Chan Sau Wan (16) 30 points

Ann Tan (14) 29 points

Invitational Category

Andrew Lim (18) 36 points

Samuel Chong (16) 36 points

Azhar Abdul Ghani (18) 36 points

Philip Tan (22) 35 points

Dato’ Lee Kee Hock (18) 34 points

Eagle’s Novelty Events

Longest Drive winner (Hole 18): Lam Kong Foo (246.25 metres)

Nearest-to-Line winner (Hole 9): Philip Tan (0.82 cm)

Nearest-to-Bunker (Hole 3): Mat Nawi Ibrahim (4 metres)

Nearest-to-Pin winner (Hole 11): Hou Chong Chin (2.25 metres)

Bull’s Eye winner (Hole 11): Han Chong Chin

Golf Malaysia 30^th Anniversary Champion – Overall 30^th placing

Winner: Danavandhan Batumalai (13) 36 points