Maintenance workers doing restoration work at one of the bunkers at KGS yesterday. — Photos by Teo Chi Wei
Ting Bang Kong
KUCHING: The second round of the Malaysian Amateur Open Golf Championship at Kelab Golf Sarawak (KGS) was suspended yesterday afternoon due to a thunderstorm, followed by menacing lightning.
All the top contenders were playing at their final two holes when the siren was sounded at 4:43pm, summoning all 126 players back to the clubhouse.
They include overnight leader Marc Ong from Singapore and his compatriot Jerome Ng, Malaysians Galven Kendall Green, Muhammad Afifi Muhd Razif, Daeng Abdul Rahman, Low Kha Jei and local ace Lee Ka Tung.
The driving rain stopped at around 5pm.
Tournament director Ting Bang Kong called the competition off as the course conditions were not favourable for play at the par-72 KGS.
“The greens were water-logged and the bunkers flooded. We are unable to restore the course conditions in time because it will take an hour or so to do so.
“By the time the greens are ready, we have to get the players back onto the course and it will be about 6.30pm and leaving us just about half an hour of daylight.”
Ting said at the most the players could only complete playing two holes and not all golfers could finish the final hole.
“So we asked the players to return to the hotel, get a good night’s rest and come back to KGS at 6:30am tomorrow,” he added.
Ting said the second round will continue at 7am tomorrow where the top 60 players with ties will make the cut for the third and final rounds.
‘Hopefully, we will have good weather tomorrow so that we can complete the competition on schedule,” he said.