Hoan (seated at third right) Teo (right), Wong (second left) posing for a group photograph with the participants of the 14th SGA Cup golf tournament.
KUCHING: Sarawak opened up a seven-point lead over Sabah in the fi rst day of the 14th SGA Cup Golf Tournament at Kelab Golf Sarawak (KGS) on Wednesday. The home team scored 9½ points against the visitors’ 2½ points. Sarawak needs to collect nine more points to lift the SGA Cup challenge trophy because the fi rst team to collect 18½ points will be crowned the champions. Led by non-playing captain Jimmie Teo, Sarawak golfers who comprised veterans, juniors and local champions were almost unstoppable in the 6-Foursome matches which started as early as 6:45am. The locals collected 4½ points whi le the visitors col lected 1½ points and in Wednesday a f t e r n o o n ’ s 6 – F o u r B a l l matches, another 5 points was collected by Sarawak and they were denied of a whitewash when Sabah’s young golfers Fadzley Ahmad Chua and Alex Lau narrowly beat evergreen local ace John Ling and his partner Wong Tung Ann in Match 6 over KGS’ Santubong course. Meanwhile, during the event’s welcoming dinner, the new challenge trophy was unveiled by Sarawak Golf Association (SGA) president Hoan Kee Hock who in his speech urged the golfers to enjoy the competition. While introducing his golfers, Sabah Golf Association team captain Peter Wong Lieng Kion announc ed that he wi l l be playing too because one of their team members was forced to return home to attend family matters. Sabah has won the SGA Cup eight times ever since the event was introduced in 2 0 01 and had kept the previous challenge t rophy af ter winning three consecutive times in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Sarawak, who last won the event in 2010, is aiming to deny their neighbours from defending the title for a record fourth consecutive time.