Locke clinches first major win

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MAIDEN WIN: Locke poses with the champion’s trophy after winning the PGM-MIDF-KLGCC Masters yesterday.

KUCHING: American Brian Locke from Los Angeles fired a five-under 66 yesterday for a three-day total of 12-under 201 to win the RM180,000 PGM-MIDF-KLGCC Masters on the East Course of the KLGCC in Kuala Lumpur, taking home the winner’s cheque of RM31,500.

Locke was the only golfer to produce three sub-70 rounds (67-68-66) and the only one to have a 66 for the whole tournament.

Hsu Mong-nan of Taiwan was second with a six-under total of 207 and in joint third Scottish James Byrne and Taiwanese Chang Tse-peng each getting RM11,340.

Malaysian youngster Mohd Hafiy Afiq Suhaili and veteran Iain Steel were the best Malaysian finishers at three-under 210 and another Taiwanese Kim Gi-whan each collecting RM5,155.71.

The tournament which began last Thursday was reduced to three rounds when the first and second rounds had to be abandoned due to inclement weather and many players had to finish the first two rounds the next day.

“This win is huge for me other than qualifying for the US Open two years ago but I missed the cut there. So this win means a lot to me,” said Locke.

“I don’t have a lot of money; I had sponsors to come out here. Good friends Ben Fox and David Lipsky persuaded me to come out and play in Asia,” added Locke, 25, who took up golf a bit late, at the age of 23.

Englishman Peter Richardson who won the PGM-ADT Melaka Masters started the final round at five-under, just two shots behind Locke, fell out of contention when he double-bogeyed the 8th, bogeyed the 9th and again bogeyed the 15th.

“I played quite solid today but putting could’ve been better, I had five birdies and three bogeys today,” said Mohd Hafiy.

Ian Steel said his front nine was good, back nine was lousy.

“I birdied the 7th, 8th and the 9th but gave two back when I bogeyed the 11th and the 12th, no birdie.”

The best amateur performer was MGA player Low Khai Jei who finished in joint 31st place with scores of six-over 219 (73-70-69).

Final Leaderboard: (Malaysians unless stated)

201 – Brian Locke (USA) 67-68-66

207 – Hsu Mong-Nan (TPE) 68-70-69

208 – James Byrne (SCO) 71-69-68; Chang Tse-Peng (TPE) 68-70-70

210 – Mohd Hafiy Afiq Suhaili 73-68-69; Iain Steel 68-72-70; Lindsay Reynolds (CAN) 70-70-70; Nick Redfern (ENG) 69-69-72; Carl Santos Ocampo (PHI) 70-68-72; Peter Richardson (ENG) 69-68-73

212 – Mhark Fernando (PHI) 71-73-68

213 – Lee Cho-chuan (TPE) 75-70-68

214 – Daniel Ng 72-69-73

215 – James Lam (PHI) 76-70-69; Tommy Mansuwan (THA) 73-70-72; Kenneth De Silva 75-67-73; Chiang Chen-Chih (TPE); Airil Rizman Zahari 72-68-75.