Filipino Samantha Dizon earned a spot in the LPGA Maybank Championship ASEAN Qualifier.
Indonesia’s Bianca Naomi Laksono emerged triumphant at the 48th RSGC Ladies Amateur Open, clinching her maiden international title after a nail-biting playoff against the Philippines’ Samantha Dizon. Held at the Royal Selangor Golf Club from August 5 to 7, the tournament drew a competitive field, but it was Bianca who stood tall in the end, edging Samantha on the second sudden-death hole after both players were tied at two-under 217.
Bianca, who led by two strokes going into the final round, carded a 74 to Samantha’s 72, setting up the playoff. On the replayed 18th hole, the 20-year-old Indonesian sealed her win with a steady par as her opponent stumbled with a bogey.
“I’m very excited and happy with the result,” Bianca said.
“This course is really tough, so this win feels especially sweet. It’s my third time playing here and definitely my best achievement. I’ve had wins back home, but this being my first victory outside Indonesia, it means so much more. I’ll remember it for a long time.”
Malaysia’s Charlayne Chong finished third
Flying the Malaysian flag high was Charlayne Chong, who staged a remarkable final-round comeback to finish just one shot off the playoff at one-under 218. The 23-year-old national amateur, playing in the event for the first time, had opened her campaign with a stellar 68 to lead after day one. A tough second round 80 derailed her momentum, but she bounced back superbly with a closing 70, capped by back-to-back birdies on her final two holes.
“The first day went really well — I came in pretty strong and was happy with my score,” said Charlayne. “But the second day, nothing worked. I felt pressure and just couldn’t find my rhythm. I’m glad I managed to recover today. Finishing birdie-birdie really helped. I was hoping to make the playoff, but I’ll take this result proudly.”
Ranked No. 351 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), Charlayne has been enjoying a strong run, recently winning the Kelantan Amateur Open and finishing runner-up at the Negeri Sembilan Amateur Open.
The highlight of the tournament was the hole-in-one by Nur Diana Syafiqah on the par-three 4th hole of the Old Course. She won a AirAsia ticket to Sydney for her achievement. Samantha, meanwhile, earned a valuable consolation prize – a spot in the LPGA Maybank Championship ASEAN Qualifier.
