Asian golf lost one of its most influential figures when Tun Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid passed away this morning at age 82 due to complications arising from Covid-19.
One of the country’s most respected civil administrators having served as chief secretary to the government from 1990 to 1996, Tun Ahmad was the founder and chairman of the Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) Tour, catalyzing the tour’s formation in 2010 and establishing it as one of the region’s leading local professional circuits. He was also instrumental in establishing a partnership between the PGM Tour and the Asian Tour to create Asian Development Tour and PGM Tour joint-sanctioned events in Malaysia, allowing local professionals to earn Official World Golf Ranking points . In 2016, Tun Ahmad was appointed as patron of the Asian Tour.
Among Tun Ahmad’s other major contributions to golf was the establishment of the EurAsia Cup, a Ryder Cup-style match between Asia and Europe which ran biennially at Glenmarie Golf & Country Club in Malaysia from 2014 to 2018. He also served on the board of various corporations and institutions, including as chairman of Permodalan Nasional Berhad and chairman of the Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia.
Tributes to Tun Ahmad flowed in from around the continent, acknowledging his immense contribution to the growth of the game in the region:
Asian Tour: “We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Tun Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid ‒ our popular and beloved Patron. A true advocate of the game of golf in our region, he was an inspirational leader who helped push the boundaries for our sport. He will be sorely missed, and we will continue to work hard to represent his cores values.”
Asian Golf: “Tun Dr. Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid was the key player in the growth of professional golf in Malaysia which he led for a whole decade. The parent company of Asian Golf, the Asia Pacific Golf Group had the special honour of bestowing upon Tun Dr. Ahmad the highest award for golf in the Asia Pacific by inducting him into the Asia Pacific Golf Hall of Fame in 2014.”
PGA of Malaysia: “Through the years Tun has contributed immensely to professional golf in Malaysia. The PGM Tour was Tun’s brainchild and his passion. Tun played a major part in implementing the official world golf rankings through the PGM Tour which led to Malaysia’s participation in the 2016 Olympics. Tun’s legacy will forever be embedded in the lives of professional golf in Malaysia.”
