golfer prepare for the inaugural Sarawak Junior Amateur Open 2018 which is on at Damai Golf and Country Club (DGCC)
which is on March 20 to 22.
KUCHING: Two of Sarawak top junior golfers, Zulaikah Nurziana Nasser and Mirabel Ting Ern Hui are all set to compete in the inaugural Sarawak Junior Amateur Open 2018 championship which is on at Damai Golf and Country Club (DGCC) which tees off today.
Fifteen-year-old Zulaikah is looking forward to winning her first major title on home soil when she competes in the Girls’ A category while 12-year-old Mirabel is the tournament’s favourite in the Girls’ C category.
Earlier on January 17, Zulaikah capped her first major title of the year after she and another Sarawakian golfer, Ashley Lau helped Team South East Asia (SEA) to capture the Pradera Verde Ladies Challenge 2018 golf tournament held at the Pradera Golf and Country Club in Lubao, Pampanga of the Philippines.
Zulaikah is also the youngest in Team SEA and had played against upcoming women golfers from the Philippines including Sofia Chabon and Kristine Torralba. Mirabel who is turning 13 later this year had recently won her first major title of the year in the 30th Sabah Golf and Country Club (SGCC) Golf Championship 2018 which was held at SGCC in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. She dethroned defending champion, Jacqueline Lau of Sabah to become the youngest winner in the history of the 30-year-old event.
Both Zulaikah and Mirabel are however treating each other as team mates because both are expected to represent Sarawak in the coming 19th Malaysia Games (Sukma) to be held in Perak on September 12 to 22. According to DGCC general manager, Roslan Mohd Salleh the three-day inaugural Sarawak Junior Amateur Open 2018 is sanctioned by Sarawak Golf Association (SGA) and the majority of its Sukma players are taking part in the three-day event as part of their preparation for Perak Sukma.
“We are aiming to offer one of the best competition experience to all of the participants including those who are expected to represent Sarawak in the coming Sukma and our challenging golf course may also uplift their playing standard,” he enthused.
Among the potential state Sukma golfers competing in the boys’ category are namely 19- year-old Aziel Teo who won the 9th Sarawak Amateur Masters Open Golf Championship in 2016, Mohd Amirul Fadhlan, Nazrul Iman Nasaruddin and Steven Hii Tai Leong.
Last year’s 19th Sarawak Chief Minister’s Cup International Junior Golf Championship champion, 15- year-old Malcolm Ting Siong Hung is also competing in the Boys’ A category together Adam Muzaffar Bin Abdul Rahman, Ahmad Adib Ridhwan Bin Alhisham, Giannino Foo Chee Ming and Habi i b Mushthofa Abu Bakar.
With fine weather expected throughout the event, the golfers can look forward to conquering the challenging course at DGCC but there is every possibilities for the juniors to show their raw talents in returning the day with good scores and stamp their marks as the leading contenders for the various titles at stake.
