Sarawak Golf Association president Hoan Kee Hock (second left) posing with (from right) Ong, Harrison and Justin at the end of the third round of the 113th Malaysian Amateur Open Golf Championship at KGS yesterday.
KUCHING: Marc Ong continued his fine form at the 113th Malaysian Amateur Open Golf Championship third round at Kelab Golf Sarawak (KGS) yesterday with a three-under par 69 for a three-day total gross score of nine-under 207 to top the leader board.
The Singapore national team golfer, who played with zero handicap, posted a 68 in round one on Thursday and a 70 in the second round yesterday morning to lead Australian challenger Harrison Endycott by one stroke.
Endycott opened his campaign with a 70, followed by a 68 and another 70 yesterday.
Ong said he did not feel any pressure because the defending champion Cory Crawford of Australia was not taking part in this year’s championship.
“I am not taking lightly of the other contenders here because there some good quality players. But I am trying to enjoy my game here,” said Ong who finished third last year and was the recent winner of the Philippines Amateur Open.
He aims to just play his normal game in the competition that ends today.
In third place with a 213 was another Singaporean Jerome Ong. He was only one stroke ahead of Thailand’s Sangchai Kaewcharoen who was tied for fourth with Singapore’s Gregory Foo.
Justin Warren (216) of Australia ended up in sixth spot and Malaysia’s Low Khai Jei seventh on 217.
The eighth spot was shared by Kevin Caesario Akbar of Indonesia, Chi Huang of Chinese Taipei, Sadom Kaewkanjana of Thailand, Daeng Abdul Rahman of Malaysia and Samrth Dwivedi of India.
Only six Sarawakians were among the 64 golfers who made the cut for the third and final rounds – Lee Ka Tung, his brothers Kah Ming and Kah Ching, Capt Norazlee Idris, Abdul Rahim Abang Abdul Rahman and Ling Soon Kiong.
Ka Tung was the best Sarawak performer with a three-day total gross score of 226, followed by Kah Ming (228) and Abdul Rahim (230).