Two in a row for Fung

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Sabahan cards 17-under 271 to win PGM Sarawak Classic

SWEET SUCCESS: Fung kisses the champion’s trophy after winning the PGM Sarawak Classic at KGS yesterday. — Photo by Davidson Kho

KUCHING: A consistent Nicholas Fung fired another good round of 68 (gross) to win the PGM Sarawak Classic golf tournament at Sarawak Golf Club (KGS) yesterday.

The young golf pro from Sabah shot a 69 in the first round, a 67 in the second and third rounds and a 67 yesterday for a four-day total of 17-under 271 to win his second tournament in a row on the PGM Tour.

With the victory – his second this year – he has improved his rankings in the PGM Tour Order-of-Merit from fifth to second with a total earnings of RM91,876.

“I’m very happy with the win and satisfied with my game. I played very well and my putting also helped a lot,” Fung said after collecting the champion’s trophy, the winner’s cheque of RM42,000 and a diver’s watch from PGM chairman Tun Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid.

Fung said he found the game yesterday most challenging, especially the last four holes, but he still managed to par the last three.

The 21-year-old will be flying to Kuala Lumpur next to play in the qualifying for the CIMB Open.

Fung, who took up golf at 12 and started competing a year later, has won three professional titles since turning pro last year.

They are the Mercedes-Benz Masters Vietnam last October, PGM Sabah Classic at the Sabah Golf and Country Club in July and yesterday’s PGM Sarawak Classic.

He said he might skip the PGM Lanjut Classic in Pahang in October as he will be competing in the Asian PGA Tour in Medan, Indonesia from Oct 14 to 17.

In joint second were PGM Johor Classic champion Md Rashid Ismail and PGM Penang Classic winner R Nachimuthu who shared identical scores of 8-under 280.

They each picked up RM22,750 but it was Rashid who has taken over as the new leader on the Order-of Merit rankings from Danny Chia with a total earnings of RM107,868. Chia has RM91,766.

Fourth in the rankings is M Sasidaran who received RM14,000 for finishing fourth at KGS with a 5-under 283. His total earnings now stand at RM90,539.16.

Meanwhile, PGM Harvard Classic winner Sukree Othman carded a 2-under 286 to collect RM11,000 for four day’s work.

Three strokes behind him in joint sixth spot were S Murthy and Khor Kheng Hwai while the eighth to ninth spots were occupied by Akhmal Tarmizee (290), Kemarol Ibrahim (292) and Mohd Rizal Amin (294).

Sarawak’s golf pro Sofian Kepli finished joint 11th spot with Hanafiah Jamil, taking home RM4,562.50.

Asri Khalid was the champion in the amateur category and collected a RM400 cash voucher while brothers Malcom and Jordan Tay were second and third, receiving RM300 and RM200 respectively.

The PGM Tour now moves to Kuala Lumpur for the PGM-MIDF-KLGCC Classic at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club from Sept 22 to 25, followed by PGM Lanjut Classic at Lanjut Golf Club in Pahang from Oct 17 to 20 and PGM Seremban Classic at the Seremban International Golf Club in Negeri Sembilan from Nov 21 to 24.

The Tour ends with the PGM Masters at Kinrara Golf Club, Selangor from Dec 19 to 22.