The sights and sounds of Malaysia have become all too familiar for Yuta Ikeda now. Indeed, the Japanese star made Kuala Lumpur his home away from home for the last three months.
An early arrival to prepare himself for the Bandar Malaysia Open and acclimatise to the tropical weather turned out to be an extended affair after several unexpected events.
While two of his 21 victories on the Japan Golf Tour coming at Asian Tour co-sanctioned tournaments, Ikeda was then setting his sights on winning the Bandar Malaysia Open in early March and chalk up that elusive first win on foreign soil. Unfortunately, he was struck with dengue fever just days before the event teed off at Kota Permai Golf & Country Club.
“I came to Malaysia 10 days before the start of the Bandar Malaysia Open. Japan was still very cold at that time, so I decided to come early get used to the warm tropical weather. But about a day before the tournament was supposed to start, I broke out in cold sweat and felt feverish. I was vomiting and I could hardly walk. I went to see a doctor quickly and was told I had dengue fever!” recalled the 34-year-old.
Ikeda had to spend two days in a local hospital where he was put on an intravenous drip and asked to rest. The only action he saw that week was on TV.
“I caught up with the highlights of the tournament while recuperating and really wished I could be part of the action. It was a very good tournament and the play-off with Trevor Simsby winning was very exciting,” said Ikeda.
Just as he was preparing to return home, the Covid-19 pandemic hit hard with borders closed, travel restrictions implemented and air travel coming to a grinding halt. Thankfully, Ikeda was offered a place to stay by a close friend during the Movement Control Order (MCO) in Malaysia.
Ikeda has spent his days catching up with the latest developments back home but golf was also never far from his mind.
“I read the news everyday just to know what’s happening around the world. I’m always a positive person and I know that while things might be difficult now, it will always work out in the end.”
Ikeda finally got the chance to return to the golf course in early May when Malaysia eased the restrictions and allowed non-contact sports to resume.
“I went to the practice driving range immediately and it felt so good as I didn’t hold a club for a month since I came down with dengue fever. This period is also the longest layoff since I started playing golf, but I guess it’s also the same for all other professionals,” he said.
Like his fellow tour pros, Ikeda longs to compete again and awaits the restart of the Japan and Asian Tours, albeit with new normals in place.
“While we can continue to keep ourselves physically and mentally prepared when the season resumes, we also have to be mindful of how the future of professional golf tournament environment will change because of the coronavirus,” said Ikeda.
While he finally managed to return to Japan earlier this week, Ikeda missed out on Japan’s famed cherry blossom season which was in full bloom last month. However, he takes solace in the fact that he was in a place he now calls his home away from home.
Ikeda said with a laugh: “I always love coming to Malaysia and this trip has been very unforgettable so far. With so much uncertainty now, the Malaysian government was very generous in allowing me to extend my stay longer by extending my travel visa, I feel at home here. I enjoy the hospitality here and the good food like roti canai and mee mamak!”
Story and photos courtesy of Asian Tour
