Farewell pro
Ramayah Marimuthu, Malaysia’s first true touring pro and number one player from 1976 to 1997, passed away today at 10.28 a.m. at the Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz UKM in Cheras. He was 67. M. Ramayah was born on June 5, 1955.
The golfer was diagnosed with stage four spinal cancer last month and was bedridden as his physical body deteriorated rapidly. According to his brother-in-law M Ramasamy, Ramayah suffered breathing difficulties on Saturday. He was taken from the nursing home in Petaling Jaya, where he was receiving free hospice care, to HUKM.
Ramayah is survived by his wife, Pathma and 14-year-old daughter, Bhakialakshmi.
Ramayah was Malaysia’s number one professional golfer for a period of 21 years, from 1976 to 1997. In local tournaments, he became the man to beat. He played in 13 World Cups and three World Cup qualifiers, a record that still stands today. He made his World Cup debut with Nazamuddin Yusof in Athens in 1979, finishing 13th in the team and individual categories. However, Ramayah’s best-ever finish in a World Cup was sixth place in Puerto Rico in 1993. At the 1999 World Cup at the Mines Golf & Country Resort, Ramayah played with Tiger Woods in the first round.
Ramayah started as a caddie at the Royal Selangor Golf Club, and it wasn’t long before his talent in wielding the golf club became his source of bread and butter at 18. It was only a matter of time before Ramayah progressed into not just a home-grown star beating established players like Bobby Lim and Zainal Abidin Yusof but also evolved into a regional force.
He won three Malaysian PGA Championships in 1979, 1981 and 1983, the Singapore PGA in 1986, the Thailand PGA in 1996, the Thai Senior Open in 2006 and three Asian Senior Tour events in 2007. In 1981, he outclassed renowned players like Bernhard Langer, Gary Player and Sandy Lyle to clinch the 1981 Marcos Invitational in the Philippines.
In 1990, Ramayah was selected to play in the Dunhill Cup at St Andrews, representing the Asia-Pacific region. In 1998, he was part of the Johnnie Walker Super Tour, competing with the likes of Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, Jesper Parvenik, and Laura Davies.
Ramayah was also the first Malaysian player to venture onto foreign shores to play the Japan Tour in 1978, 1982,1992, and 1996. He also played in the Japan Senior Tour in 2005. He plied his trade on the Asian Tour from 1976 until 2002. Throughout his golfing career, Ramayah has played and held his own against some of the best golfers of his time, including Major champions like Jack Nicklaus, Fred Couples, Bernhard Langer, Retief Goosen, Tiger Woods and many more. In fact, Nicklaus nicknamed him “Birdie Machine” during a Skins Invitational at Sungei Long Golf Club after the latter won 12 skins at the tournament.
Like many professional golfers, Ramayah, too, experienced numerous ups and downs in his long, prolific career. He accepted victories and defeats with grace and patience. His fellow professional brethren regarded him as a hugely gifted and talented golfer on par with some of the best in the world. He was known for his generosity and warmth, and his enthusiasm of sharing his knowledge with exuberance and a gentle smile. He was like an older brother who took the younger pros under his wing.
In 2015, after years spent as Malaysia’s first globe-trotting professional, Ramayah settled for a coaching position at the MST Golf Academy at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club. However, unlike the other younger teaching professionals, Ramayah preferred his eagle eye and judgement over that of technological gizmos to gauge the swing of his students. The man was so experienced that he could tell what was wrong with your swing by just looking at it once.
I met Ramayah for the first time at a Malaysian Open sometime in the late eighties. I had cornered him after he had submitted his scorecard, his grim countenance indicating that it was not a good outing in the sweltering heat. He gave me a quizzical smile, and when I requested for a chat, he nodded amiably, wiped his sweat-dotted forehead with his towel around his neck and gestured for me to join him at the restaurant. I appreciated his kindness and patience towards a rookie journalist who had asked some inane questions to the number one golfer in the country at that time. I left the interview impressed with this unassuming self-made man who was humble about his many achievements. For the past three decades until just recently, whenever our paths have crossed, Ramayah has greeted me with a warm, gentle smile and a twinkle in his eye.
I shall miss his presence in the golfing scene, as will many who have crossed paths with him, including family, friends, students, and fellow professionals here and abroad.
Today, we mourn the loss of a man who inspired a generation of players. We mourn a golfing legend!
Funeral Details
Nirvana Memorial Center (Sungai Besi), Violet Suite, Parlour 22
March 6: 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. – Visiting Hours
March 7: 12.30 p.m. – Funeral Service
2.45 p.m. – Cortege leaves for cremation at Cheras DBKL Crematorium
Story by Malkeet Kaur
