Tan Yih Heng took a positive step towards reviving his professional golf career when he carded a one-under 71 to lead the first round of the Toyota Tour Qualifying School II at the Palm Resort Golf & Country Club.
The 23-year-old from Langkawi is confident he will continue his current form and secure playing rights on the Toyota Tour in time to compete in the Camry Cup at Forest City Golf Resort followed by the Alphard Cup at Kota Seriemas GC. Both events will be held next month.
Tan held a PGM Tour card last year but it expired in February and couldn’t play the Toyota Tour. He had competed in the first Qualifying School at KGPA in February but didn’t succeed. Today he was the only player in the field of 93 players who teed it up at the Palm Resort’s Allamanda Course, to break par.
Sheikh Razak
A stroke behind Tan at even par 72 is amateur Sheikh Razak who had a mixed bag of four birdies and four bogeys. A stroke further behind were amateurs Nasrullah Zulkifli, Syed Nor Ismail and 2023 Sea Games gold medallist Ng Jing Xuen.
This qualifying school event has created a record in local professional history by having the most number of players registered in a bid to secure playing rights on the Toyota Tour which is organised by the Professional Golf Malaysia and delivered by MST Golf Group.
Ng Jing Xuen
Malaysia’s leading men’s amateur Malcolm Ting finished the day in joint sixth at two-over 74.
While it seems that he is well placed to gain a Tour card, he wasn’t happy with his performance. “I should have scored better,” said Malcolm who hails from Miri, Sarawak.
The 21-year-old had a successful outing in Spain where he was part of the Asia-Pacific team that defeated their European counterparts in the prestigious Bonallack Trophy, an event created in the style of the popular Ryder Cup.
Malcolm will compete in a few more amateur events in Thailand, Miri and Bintulu before turning professional after competing in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Golf Championship in Melbourne towards the end of next month. He then hopes to gain a wildcard entry to the Toyota Tour Championship in Saujana GCC in November.
Leading scores
71 Tan Yih Heng
72 Sheikh Razak (am)
73 Nasrullah Zulkifli (am), Syed Nor Ismail (am), Ng Jing Xuen (am)
74 Dato’ Halim Muazzam (am), Hafiy Suhaili, Syady Sheikh, Malcolm Ting (am), Fakhrul Aiman (am)
75 Ruhanraj Vinayagam, Hans Jamil, Shahrul Ikhzuan, Hazeem Yusoff (am), Zia Izzuddeen, Anson Yeo (am), Rhaasrikanesh (am), Faisal Sabudin, Maveen Kumar
