Malaysia’s Natasha Andrea Oon, Kelly Tan, Mirabel Ting and Genevieve Ling are hoping to make the most of home support when the Maybank Championship tees off at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (KLGCC) this week.
The four Malaysians will face a strong international field at the West Course, each hoping to deliver a solid performance in front of local fans.
While their preparations and experiences differ, all four recognise the importance of staying mentally strong, trusting their game and managing the course’s challenges.
Natasha Oon
For Oon, returning to KLGCC brings a different outlook after an injury, surgery and a lengthy recovery kept her away from competitive golf. The experience gave her a chance to discover life beyond the sport and to gain a better understanding of herself.
“I got to live without golf in my life, and I think in a sense I’m grateful, cuz I have a big chunk of my life that I never had,” said Oon.
“I got to know myself as a person, and that’s so important. I made so many friends in my area, and I’m so grateful that I get to have a community around me that’s not involved around my job.”
Having returned to competition, Oon is approaching the tournament with less pressure than before, choosing to focus on enjoying the experience rather than worrying about results.
“I feel like last time when I was playing, I was more like, ‘I really have to do well, I really have to perform, I really have to show what I’ve learned.’ But now I’m just like, I’m going to just show up, see what happens, it is what it is, and just have a good time,” she said.
Oon also hopes to use her social media platforms to show young golfers the realities of life as a professional, including the challenges and uncertainties of competing on tour.
“I just want to show girls out there that there’s so much more behind the score. There really is, and it’s so cutthroat out there,” she said.
Kelly Tan
For Tan, who joined the LPGA Tour in 2014, the growing number of Malaysian women pursuing professional golf is an encouraging sign of how far the local game has progressed.
“Malaysian golf has grown a ton, especially on the women’s side,” she said.
Tan recalled being surprised by the number of women professionals competing at The Mines last month, compared with the small group of players when she first started playing.
“When I played The Mines just a month ago, I was actually pretty shocked just seeing so many ladies professional golfers in Malaysia, because back then it was just a handful of us.”
“To finish first on the Order of Merit is not easy. I’ve been out there. I’m proud to see the girls that put in the work and have shown their results, putting Malaysia on the map,” she said.
As she prepares for this week’s challenge, Tan is focused on managing her emotions and settling into competition, having competed less frequently this year.
“I’m very conscious about this. I’ve gone through this noisy piece of Kelly Tan 2.0 in me for a while, so I’ve learned to deal with it,” she said.
“I’ve started to talk more about it, and it just seems normal to me. I think I’m doing fine. It will probably take me a couple of holes to settle in, just because I haven’t been in the environment for a while. But I’m excited for the anxiousness on day one.”
Tan expects the West Course to demand accuracy and strong putting, with players needing more than distance off the tee to score well.
“You can’t just be a bomber. You have to be pretty accurate as well, and obviously you’ve got to putt well,” she said.
Mirabel Ting
Ting, meanwhile, believes her rookie season on the Epson Tour has taught her valuable lessons about managing expectations and about playing for herself rather than trying to meet others’ expectations.
“I grew up not having issues hitting golf balls, but my weakness was always putting and trying to expect too much, trying to play well and prove it to people,” she said.
“After half of the season, I kind of realised that I don’t play golf for people, I play golf for myself. I love the game of golf, and to be able to get out and play and do the things that I love, I’m really grateful for it.”
The Malaysian said she is now placing greater importance on gratitude and faith, and on continuing to work on her game rather than becoming overly concerned about results.
“For me, it’s more about being grateful and knowing that things are going to be okay, having faith and just keeping playing and looking forward,” she said.
At KLGCC, Ting will aim to improve her putting and make better decisions around the course. She will also have her mentor, Michelle Koh, on the bag this week, adding a familiar face to her team.
“I’m just going to go out there and play. I’m not going to think things are different. Things are still going to be the same, and I have Michelle on the bag this year, so I’m super excited to go out there and have fun with her,” she said.
Genevieve Ling
Ling is also looking forward to competing in front of Malaysian fans after experiencing their support at last year’s tournament.
She recalled being surprised by the number of spectators cheering her on as she arrived at the 10th tee, an experience that deepened her appreciation for the encouragement behind her career.
“I was very, very surprised, obviously very grateful. But I also realised I’ve never had that opportunity, and I feel like I actually thrive better in that opportunity, playing in front of people and knowing that people are there to support me,” she said.
“That just makes me want to do better.”
Ling believes she can turn that support into a positive influence by trusting her game and drawing energy from the crowd without allowing expectations to distract her.
“For me, I think it’s just trusting myself, but also riding off the energy of the crowd,” she said.
Course management will also be important, particularly when deciding on the best angles from which to approach the pins.
“Everybody’s played here a couple of times, so you kind of know where the pins are going to be. But knowing where you need to attack the pin and from which angle is going to give you a huge advantage,” she said.
With the West Course prepared for tournament week, Ling expects players to be tested across all aspects of their games.
