The Selangor International Junior Golf Championship continues to scale new heights with a record field of 127 leading juniors from 14 countries/territories set for this week’s fourth staging of the prestigious event.
Taking place at Seri Selangor Golf Club from Thursday to Saturday (January 16-18), the high-weighted World Amateur Golf Ranking event is open to players aged between 12 and 18. They will compete over 54 holes in separate boys’ and girls’ divisions, each featuring individual and team events.
This year’s field includes players from Australia, Bangladesh, China, Chinese Taipei, India, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam and, for the first time, Hong Kong China and Japan. They will join their Malaysian counterparts at Seri Selangor in what promises to be an exciting showcase of regional junior talent.
The Malaysian players will be representing championship organisers UUM International School Melaka (UUMISM), the PKNS Golf Academy, Selangor state, the Malaysian Golf Association (MGA) and the MGA’s National Junior Development Program.
The championship will once again offer the boys’ individual champion a coveted spot in the following week’s PKNS Selangor Masters, which is the season-opener for both the 2025 Asian Development Tour and domestic Professional Golf of Malaysia Tour, also to be played at the challenging Seri Selangor course. For the first time, the leading Malaysian in the boys’ individual standings will also earn a start in the PKNS Selangor Masters.
The 2024 championship was played in June and saw the teams from South Korea and China (Hainan) dominating at Seri Selangor. Byun Jiyool won the girls’ individual title by three shots and led the Korean team to a runaway triumph in the girls’ team event, while Shijun Jing of China (Hainan) claimed the boys’ individual title, also by three shots, and led his team to top place in the boys’ team event.
The highest-ranked boy in this year’s edition is China’s Zeng Guolin with a World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) of 300. He was part of the triumphant team in 2024 and finished sixth in the individual boys’ standings. Another member of the winning team, Lyu Ziyao, is also back to compete.
Other leading players in the boys’ event include Singapore’s Troy Storm (WAGR 405), along with the Malaysian duo of Anson Yeo (WAGR 408) and Andrew Yap (WAGR 409). Yeo is making his debut in the championship, while Yap finished T22 in 2024.
Filipino talent Shinichi Suzuki (WAGR 515) will be hoping to continue his progression in the championship, having finished runner-up in 2024 and fourth the previous year.
Among the girls, Japanese debutantes Yuka Nishina and Mana Yoshizaki will start as favourites based on their lofty WAGR rankings of 127 and 152, respectively. They will face strong challenges from the likes of Vietnam’s Nguyen Viet Gia Han (WAGR 305), the 2024 Vietnam Junior Open champion, and Singapore’s Cheng Xingtong (WAGR 372), winner of the 2024 Singapore Open Amateur Championship.
Malaysia-based Korean Bae Eunkyung (WAGR 667), representing PKNS Golf Academy, can also be expected to contend having finished fourth in 2024. She is the reigning Malaysian Junior Open champion
Other players to look out for include Thailand’s Krittiya Thanintomdamrongdej (WAGR 663), Indonesia’s Gemilau Joanne Kurnia (WAGR 681), India’s Saanvi Somu (682) who won the 2024 MAJIIC-MAHA Junior International Invitation Championship at Amverton Cove, and Malaysia-based Chinese talent Wang Enxi (WAGR 691). Thailand’s Chutimon Rujiranan, who was joint second in the 2024 championship, is also in the field.
Organised by UUMISM in collaboration with the MGA, the Selangor International Junior Golf Championship is sponsored by the Selangor State Government with PKNS Golf Management Services acting as event promoter. The championship is a full-hospitality event and participants are provided with accommodation, transfers and meals.
UUMISM founder and director David Jeong was elated at how much the championship has grown in a relatively short time span.
“This is the fourth time our school has organised the Selangor International Junior Championship since January 2023, and it continues to grow significantly. The event has gained a stellar reputation as a platform for junior golfers to showcase their talent, attracting more participants every year. This year, the number of participants has reached a record high, demonstrating the event’s popularity and the enthusiasm of young golfers to compete,” said Jeong.
“Our student, Danial Nazari, has been performing exceptionally well. He made the cut at the 2024 PKNS Selangor Masters, which is a significant milestone since that is a professional event with an international field. His success reflects the effectiveness of our golf training program at UUMISM in Melaka, where we combine academic excellence through IGCSE with sports development.
“Our school has been deeply involved in every aspect of organising this event, from planning to execution. We aim to create a professional and inclusive environment for junior golfers to excel, while fostering a love for the sport. Our efforts to nurture young talents like Danial show how dedicated we are to combining academics with extracurricular achievements,” he added.
