Ammer Aiman Fauzi, B Category champion
The Johor Golf Association (JGA) with support from the AME Group of Companies recently organised the highly successful Johor Junior Mixed Open Championship at the IOI Palm Villa Golf & Country. The first of its kind, the 54-hole amateur tournament featured juniors from China, Singapore, South Korea, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia. The event was played with the motto – Supporting Gender Equality in Golf.
The idea for this event came from the DP World Tour Scandinavian Mixed, a tournament featuring both men and women on the DP World Tour this year. According to C.C. Boo, JGA’s deputy president and chairman of its Competition and Rules Committee, the tournament director of the DP World Tour Scandinavian Mixed, Micke Eriksson, advised the organising committee on the mechanics of the tournament.
The differentials in the length of play for boys and girls, the pin position, the layout of some holes with regards to where the bunkers and penalty areas were located were all taken into consideration. The boys and girls played off their own sets of tee boxes with different lengths predetermined by the organising committee.
The mixed-gender event featured boys and girls in age groups of 16 to 18 in the A Category and 11 to 15 in the B category. After 36-holes, there was a cut-off, and the players were paired together in a single championship.
The JGA association views this first-ever of its kind as a great platform to showcase the important role strength plays in the performance and to spread the message of gender equality in sports.
Wang Xin Yao, the A Category champion
The A Category was won by 14-year-old Wang Xin Yao from Kuala Lumpur, who carded a 211 total score on the par 73 Palm Villa layout. China’s Yixiang Wang finished second on total 214. Johor Bahru-based Ammer Aiman Fauzi, also aged 14, clinched the B Category after he posted rounds of 77-76-74 for total 227. Second place went to Jeon Kyuri on total 234 while third place went to Toh Yee Chen four shots back.
The JGA plans to host an International Johor Amateur Mixed Open Championship in the first quarter of 2023. Plans are already underway and the JGA intends to have it recognised as an event with points counting towards the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
