Malaysia’s No 1 professional golfer Gavin Green will once again be the main draw as he attempts to win his first Toyota Tour event at the Corolla Cross Cup that tees off at the Palm Garden Golf Club this Tuesday.
Gavin’s maiden appearance in the Toyota Tour was at the Supra Cup at the Mines Resort Golf Club two weeks ago. Despite being hampered by a raging fever and headaches after returning from four consecutive weeks of competition in Europe, Gavin gamely played on, finishing tied for 8th with a three-day aggregate of one-under 212.
The 29-year-old who is ranked 199th in the Official World Golf Rankings, hopes to put up a better performance at Palm Garden, a course he barely remembers. The last time be set foot on that layout was before he turned professional in 2015.
“I’ve been working to get my body back into shape,” said Gavin. “Getting sick like that does take its toll on the body but I’m working to get it back where it should be.” He has also put some work into his swing.
The Corolla Cross Cup is the seventh leg of the Toyota Tour presented by UMW Toyota Motor, managed by the Professional Golf Malaysia and delivered by MST Golf Group Berhad. The men’s purse is RM180,000 with the winner receiving RM31,500. The ladies’ champion will receive RM10,000 from a pool of RM30,000. This will be the first time that the redesigned Palm Garden is hosting a professional tournament.
There are a host of players who will be giving Gavin a run for his money, including Ervin Chang who finished a commendable joint 19th in the Mandiri Indonesian Open at the Pokok Indah course. Nicholas Fung was the only other Malaysian who made the cut and he ended up tied for 54th.
Marcus Lim won the Supra Cup two weeks ago
Amateur Marcus Lim who sensationally won the Supra Cup two weeks ago, Shahriffuddin Ariffin, Ben Leong, Nicholas and Khor Kheng Hwai are the other players who have enough experience to make a mark in the 54-hole tournament.
Another player to look out for could be Malcolm Ting who is our highest-ranked amateur. He recently represented the Asia-Pacific team that defeated their European counterparts 17-15 at the La Manga Club in Spain. The Ryder Cup-styled format saw the Asia-Pacific team retain the Bonallack Trophy that ended on Saturday.
The ladies’ championship is led by Aretha Pan followed by a host of talented players like Geraldine Wong, Dianne Luke and Michelle Koh. Aretha has amassed total earnings of RM51,000 after competing in five events on the Toyota Tour.
The Par 72 Palm Garden layout that plays to 6,027 metres, was totally redesigned and rebuilt by Ted Parslow.
