It turned out to be an all-Malaysian affair as the dust settled on the greens of TPC Kuala Lumpur after the second and final day of the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia National Qualifying Tournament. Aretha Pan won the tournament in impressive style with a second round score of 4-over par 75 to add to her first round score of 2-under 69.
Local golfers Nur Durriyah and Ashley Lau finished in second and third place respectively, and were awarded the two local qualifying places. Durriyah carded a 2-over par 73 today and scored a total of 147, while Lau shot a 4-over par 75 to finish with a total score of 150.
The result demonstrated Pan’s steady improvement over the past 12 months. The 22-year-old said: “It was a decent round today. I had a good run on the back nine yesterday but I struggled a bit towards the end with my putting. At the end of the day, golf is all about getting the ball into the hole. My putting was still a little bit off today, but it’s definitely something that I will be working hard to improve on now that I have officially qualified!”
Winnie Ng and Natasha Oon posted combined scores of 151 and 154 respectively to secure the two spots available in the new Junior Amateur Category. Finishing in fourth and eighth place amongst the 24 participants, the result is testament to the impact that the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia Development Programme has had in nurturing young talent.
Ng scored a respectable total of 151, just one stroke behind 16-year-old Lau. The 15-year-old Ng said: “It’s a total dream come true for me to be playing at a world-class tournament alongside the world’s best players. I actually just scored my first ever hole-in-one here last week, and to now be able to play in my first LPGA tournament here as well, is just a dream come true!”
The quintet will join compatriots Kelly Tan, Michelle Koh, and Ainil Bakar, who were all awarded sponsor invitations to the tournament in October based on their official world rankings. Together they will make up the largest local contingent in the tournament’s history to date.
For all the latest updates on the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia 2016, visit the tournament website at www.simedarbylpgamalaysia.com. Tournament activities can also be followed on www.facebook.com/SimeDarbyLPGAMalaysia, or via Twitter and Instagram using @SimeDarbyLPGA, #SimeDarbyLPGA, #WomenWithDrive.
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