The inaugural Zurich Professional Golf Association of Malaysia (PGAM) Junior Invitational hosted by Danny Chia proved to be a resounding success with both professional and junior golfers thoroughly enjoying the unique experience.
The award-winning Kota Permai Golf & Country Club, with its slick greens, provided the ideal venue for the invitational, which saw 37 PGAM members and one amateur teaming up alongside 38 elite juniors (boys & girls).
The championship provided the perfect platform for the invited juniors, aged between 12 to 18 years of age, to gain valuable playing experience as well as polish their skills in a competitive setting.
As for the professionals, the event was a glorious opportunity to get much-needed game time to hone their game ahead of the US$1 million Bandar Malaysia Open 2020, which will be staged at the same venue next week.
Two days of intense competition came to an end Thursday with Jeremiah Kim Leun-kwang triumphing in the professional division.
The 25-year-old Kim carded rounds of 73 and 69 for a two-shot victory over Ben Leong (73-71). Sukree Othman came in third with a total of 145 (73-72).
The junior division saw Nateeshvar Anatha Ganesh (66-78) and Grace Chin Jun-li (76-73) topping the boys’ and girls’ division, respectively.
The pro-junior team contest saw Ben Leong (71) and Anson Yeo (72) combining for a 143 total to lift the title.
Tournament host and Zurich Golf Ambassador Danny Chia believes the collaboration between PGAM and Zurich will be an eye-opener to other corporate companies in Malaysia to come forward to support and develop the game of golf in Malaysia.
Chia is confident that with more support, Malaysia can produce more players like Gavin Green and Kelly Tan to excel in the global stage.
“I’m pleased with how this event turned up. This is the first time that the country’s top professionals and elite junior golfers are competing on the same field of play. The junior golfers were enthusiastic about playing with the professionals, and they had the opportunity to ask questions and learn directly from the professionals,” said Chia.
Zurich Malaysia believes that the tournament is an encouraging platform for aspiring young golfers in Malaysia to showcase their skills as well as help open doors for them to take their games to the next level.
“We are delighted to be part of this partnership as it aligns with our commitment to promote youth sports development and healthy lifestyle among Malaysians. This was equally backed by the encouraging response we received from the participants.
“We hope that this tournament will spur them on to greater performance and achievement in their athletic career. Congratulations once again to all winners and competitors,” said Zurich General Insurance Malaysia Berhad chief executive officer Junior Cho.
