MAKING THE CUT: Eight of the 13 golfers who earned their PGM Tour cards are (from left) Adam Shaw, Ali Reza Khairuddin, Johar Bakar, Shawn Liew, Jonathan Wong, S. Muniandy, Mohd Firdaus and Ong Jay Vie.
KUCHING: Sulaiman Ibrahim of Sarawak was among the 13 players who secured their PGM Tour cards after a three-day trial at Kinrara Golf Club (KGC) in Puchong near Kuala Lumpur recently.
One of the state golfers who had turned professional, Sulaiman was playing on the PGM Tour but couldn’t finish in the top 50 of the 2011 PGM Order of Merit and had to go to pre-qualifying events.
His perseverance paid off when he finished just on the qualifying 15-over score.
However, stealing the limelight was 17-year-old Ali Reza Khairuddin who turned pro two years ago while still at school as he was the only participant who managed to come up with a sub-par round (71) on the first day.
Reza first obtained his tour card two years and since then had been playing some PGM Tour on a few occasions by way of a pre-qualification for every event.
“There are times I am in doubt during play. However when I am in doubt, I will call the referee for clarification,” said Reza who is in the midst of sitting for his SPM examination.
“Thank God I have done all the tough papers like Mathematics, I still have a few papers left,” he added. He earned RM2,000 for finishing top in the qualifying.
Other qualifiers are Khor Kheng Howe and Ong Jay Vie who are also regulars at the pre-Q events and Q-schools, Adam Shaw whose mother is Malaysian and father a Canadian who recently won the AmBank Junior Masters at Royal Selangor.
Two teaching pros Steven Hiew from Johor and Johan Bakar from Sri Damansara also made it through while S Muniandy and Mohd Farif Jalil are course marshal and caddy at the Mines respectively.
To earn a PGM Tour card, participants are required to post not more than 15-over 231 over three days.