KUCHING, Nov 29: Sarawak’s own Malcolm Ting Siong Hung is leading the pack at the end of the first day in the Sarawak Premier Cup standings in the 22nd Sarawak International Junior Golf Championship 2022 held at Eastwood Valley Golf and Country Club in Miri.
According to a press release from Sarawak Golf Association (SGA), Ting, who was a gold medallist in the recent 20th Malaysia Games (Sukma XX), secured a gross score of seven under par 65 in the Boys’ Special Category with Achmad Faini Nazaruddin from Indonesia 10 strokes behind while his teammate, Luke Van Moore, was 16 strokes behind.
Ting is currently ranked 280th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) and is among those vying for top honours in this year’s event which returns after a two-year hiatus.
The 20-year-old Miri golfer carded 33 strokes on the first nine and another 32 on his way to lead the field where over 100 participants from eight countries are competing for the coveted Sarawak Premier Cup.
Apart from having created history at Sukma XX in Kuala Lumpur on Sept 22, Ting also won the Warren Amateur Open golf championship in Singapore on July 13-15 this year.
Meanwhile, in the Girls’ Special Category, Maria Rafaela Singson from the Philippines is leading with a gross score of three under par 69, while Pang Hee Jie from Malaysia Amateur Ladies Golf Association (Malga) is trailing three strokes behind, followed by her teammate, Vanessa Chong, finishing behind with seven strokes.
The Boys’ A category leader is Joaquin Ethan Hernandez from the Philippines, with a gross score of five under par 67, while Daryl Low from Singapore is trailing with one stroke adrift. The Girls’ A category is led by Chulthida Seeman from Thailand with four under par 68 gross score ahead of her teammate, Thitikarn Thapasit, who is three strokes behind.
Shinichi Suzuki from the Philippines is leading the Boys’ B category with a three under par 69, while Athigun Vongpradit of Thailand is trailing with three strokes adrift. Sophia Lin of Chinese Taipei is currently leading the Girls’ B category with 76 strokes, while Gemilau Joanne Kurnia of Indonesia is trailing with three strokes adrift.
The Boys’ C category is led by Bhumipat Changpraditcharoen of Thailand with 76 strokes, while Mohd Danish Danial of Malaysia is trailing with two strokes adrift.
A total of 58 boys and 46 girls from eight countries are competing in this year’s event, organised by SGA and sanctioned by Malaysia Golf Association (MGA) and the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR). It is being held at Eastwood Valley Golf and Country Club from Nov 29-Dec 1.
The participants for this year’s event are from Pakistan, India, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Chinese Taipeh, Singapore, Indonesia, and Brunei, while participants from Sabah and Sarawak represent the host Malaysia. Malga had also nominated four of their juniors to compete in Girls’ Special, A and C categories in the three-day event.
This year’s event is open to local and international junior amateur golfers who are competing in four different categories, namely category A (ages 15 to 17), B (ages 13 to 14), C (ages 12 and under) and Special Category (18 to 21-years-old). — DayakDaily
