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Kuala Lumpur, 20 January 2010
Anis Helmi Hassan tops National Qualifying Tournament for the Maybank Malaysian Open 2010
Five local golfers win spots in the prestigious National Open
After two days of gruelling and competitive play, five local players have earned themselves a spot in the upcoming Maybank Malaysian Open 2010, with Anis Helmi Hassan emerging top on the leader board. They will form part of the 156-strong playing field that will tee off when the prestigious National Open commences on 4 March 2010. The tournament is slated to take place on the West Course, at the newly-renovated Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club.
Anis Helmi Hassan shot a 72 on Day One to tie for the lead, and continued with another 72 on Day Two for a total score of 144. Of his stellar performance, he said, “I am very pleased with my performance on the whole and can’t wait to play at the Maybank Malaysian Open and. Hopefully, I can familiarise myself with the course by training here and continue my fitness regime and get more guidance from my coach.
“I would really like a chance to play with someone like Louis Oosthuisen and it would be great if I can finish in the top 20.”
R .Nachimutu won the Qualifying Tournament last year and led after Day One this year but it was not meant to be as he shot a 6-over 78 and crashed out of the top 5.
Instead it was P. Gunasegaran, M. Sasidaran, Akhmal Tarmizie and Shukree Othman that managed to keep their poise and finish inside the top 5 to take their spots at the prestigious Maybank Malaysian Open. All four tied with an overall score of 149.
Malaysian Golf Association’s (MGA) President Datuk Robin Loh, expressed his enthusiasm for the progress of the local players, saying, “The Maybank Malaysian Open is a vital platform for the local players as it grants them a chance to hone their skills through an international playing field, and improve their game. Congratulations to the top five, and well done to the rest for a game well played.”
A star-studded field is expected at the 49th edition of the Maybank Malaysian Open, with the local players competing with some of the world’s best players for the championship title. With a US$2 million prize purse up on offer, spectators can expect an exciting tournament this March.
Meanwhile, the Vice Chairman of Maybank, Dato’ Salleh Harun said, "This year, the players have outdone themselves yet again, turning out a good showing on the course despite the tough competition. We would like to applaud everyone for a well-played competition and we are delighted to witness the passion and enthusiasm shown by each participant. This can only mean that our Malaysian players are ready to compete alongside some of the world’s best at the Maybank Malaysian Open here in March."
Sharing Maybank’s views, M.A Halim Ahmad, Director of GlobalOne said, “It’s an honour to be a part of the sport’s development in Malaysia, and we are pleased that Maybank, a longstanding partner of the Open, has agreed to come onboard in support of our plans to increase interest and the take-up of golf amongst Malaysians. We’re also very excited about the tournament this year as the level of play is very high amongst the locals and I am sure they will do us proud.”
The five selected professionals from the National Qualifiers will be joined by three invited players from the MGA, and four Malaysians who qualified to take part through their Asian Tour Rankings. The four Asian Tour golfers are Danny Chia, Iain Steel, Shaaban Hussein, Ben Leong.
Organisers of the Maybank Malaysian Open 2010 also announced that Prime Minister YAB Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak will be the Patron of the Maybank Malaysian Open. Organisers hope that with YAB’s involvement, we will be able to highlight the sport to the public and encourage more people to take up golf either competitively or socially, especially in view of the sports inclusion in the Olympics. Organisers are also hopeful that YAB will be able to find time off his tight schedule to attend the official functions of the Maybank Malaysian Open 2010.
The four day co-sanctioned event runs from 4 to 7 March 2010. Additional information on the line up will be announced closer to the event.
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