Mohammad Fikri
KUCHING: State’s youngest professional golfer, Mohammad Fikri had decided to call it quit after he secured the job as an assistant director with Yayasan Sarawak.
“I have started with my new job last Monday,” he told The Borneo Post on the new job which had forced him to quit as a golf pro.
According to the 25-year-old golfer, the job offer was too good to refuse because he is now the youngest ever to be offered the senior post by his new employer.
Fikri who turned pro only on June last year created local golf history after becoming the youngest to do so at the age of 24.
He was the fourth Sarawakian golfer to turn pro after veteran Sulaiman Ibrahim, Supian Kepli and Kelana Ibrahim.
He was also forced to quit his job as a part time lecturer at UiTM Samarahan campus and to postpone the plan of taking up a master degree study there.
“I have actually come to Yayasan Sarawak to apply for a scholarship but instead they had welcomed me to apply for a job there. I went for the interview and surprisingly I got the job,” Fikri enthused.
“I will have to notify PGM on my decision to quit as a pro and most probably will have to surrender my licence too,” he said on the next course of actions
which include notifying Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM).
Fikri’s father, Mohammad Mokarat who was the first to introduce golf to him, was supportive of his decision to choose a working career instead of playing golf which can ensure a brighter future.
“It’s all up to him to choose…we have to consider what is best for him and the future,” the father said on the son who first took up golf at the age of 12.
Meanwhile, state’s veteran golf pro, Sulaiman Ibrahim yesterday said Fikri can still maintain his status as a pro and play in one of the 14 legs of PGM Tour provided it does not affected his official duties.
“There are many lawyers, doctors and pilots who are also golf pro and they still play in the tour…Fikri can still compete but he must do it during his off days or non working days,” he said on the presence of professionals playing in the PGM Tour.
According to him, if Fikri decided to continue playing in the tour, he will face the challenge of finding time to train and to compete in tournaments.
“He can still take part in tournaments and keep part with some of the prize money which may be won…but like any government officers, he is not allowed to be attached to any golf clubs and become the resident pro,” Sulaiman said.
Another local golf pro, Supian Kepli had wished Fikri all the best of luck in his new job and said that it is tough to be a golf pro especially for a young person like him.
“I fully understand why he decided to quit as a pro and to take up the job offer because it is a challenging profession and it is difficult to secure a good sponsor for us to compete in the tour,” the Miri-based golfer said.
According to him, Fikri is still young and he must compete against other top pro golfers who are at the same age group but his greatest challenge would be on how to convince sponsors to back him up.
On another note, Supian will be taking part in the PGM Tour after the Hari Raya holidays and will travel to Trengganu for his first tournament of the year before heading to Sabah in September and for the Sarawak-leg to be held at Sarawak Golf Club (KGS) after that.