Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: David Puig, Wang Jeung-hun and Denwit Boriboonsub have qualified for The 152nd Open through the IRS Prima Malaysian Open at The Mines Resort & Golf Club.
The Malaysian Open was the third event in the 2024 Open Qualifying Series and offered spots to the top three players not otherwise qualified in this year’s Open, which will be played at the iconic Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland from July 18-21.
On a day of low scoring despite scorching conditions at The Mines, Spaniard Puig signed for a second successive nine-under-par 62 for a 23-under-par 261 total (66-71-62-62).
Korean Wang shot a stunning final round of 10-under 61 to finish two shots adrift in sole second place. Rising young Thai Denwit also ended his campaign with a flourish, matching Wang’s 61 to claim joint third place on 20-under with American John Catlin. Denwit was awarded the final Open place due to his higher world ranking of 417 to Catlin’s 513.
Puig’s victory gave him his second title on the Asian Tour in four months, having won last October’s International Series Singapore by five shots at Tanah Merah Country Club. The 22-year-old was in an understandably euphoric mood as he had made the 36-hole cut right on the five-under-par mark.
“It feels great, a weird feeling for sure. We almost missed the cut. We actually finished round two good and the weekend was just insane. I mean 18 birdies, no bogeys, in 36 holes was unbelievable. And getting that Open spot is super cool. I came here for that,” said Puig.
Puig is the first Spaniard to win Malaysia’s national Open since its inception in 1962. His name will be engraved on the historic Seagram Trophy alongside golfing luminaries such as Lee Westwood, Vijay Singh, Louis Oosthuizen and Thongchai Jaidee.
Once ranked as high as 39th on the Official World Golf Ranking, Wang has won three times on the DP World Tour including the 2016 Mauritius Open which was co-sanctioned with the Asian Tour. He regained his Asian Tour card via last month’s Qualifying School in Thailand.
“I have not been playing well lately, so this is a really good result for me. I am working on trying to repeat my old swing and that worked today,” said Wang.
Denwit’s bogey-free back nine of eight-under 28 matched the Asian Tour low nine-hole score, but will not count as an official record as preferred lies were in play. The 20-year-old looks set for another great season following a spectacular finish to 2023 when he won three titles in successive weeks – the Thailand Open on the All Thailand Golf Tour, the Asian Development Tour’s Aramco Invitational and the Asian Tour’s season-ending Saudi Open.
“Today was amazing golf. The first nine was a bit of a struggle but then I told my caddie let’s have some fun on the back nine. I started holing putts from everywhere, chipped in and everything happened,” said Denwit.
While both Puig and Denwit will be making their debuts in The Open, Wang has teed off twice before in the revered Major - in 2016 when it was also staged at Royal Troon and in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, missing the cut on both occasions.
Long-hitting Malaysian rookie Khavish Varadan, joint leader at the half-way mark, closed with a 68 to claim top Malaysian honours in tied 13th place on 15-under 269. The 23-year-old has played in three editions of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC), with his best finish of joint 18th coming in 2021 at Dubai Creek in the United Arab Emirates.
“My game is there. Even when I’m striking the ball badly, I still managed to post a decent score. You’re defined as a golfer by your bad shots and my bad shots were okay. But there’s still a lot of work to do,” said Khavish, who opted to turn professional last month.
The Malaysian talent had spent 10 years in the United States which included collegiate golf with the University of Alabama. He had to take six months off golf last year due to a chronic neck nerve injury, which also forced him to withdraw from the 2022 AAC midway through his second round at Thailand’s Amata Spring Country Club.
Another AAC alumni, Thai teenager Ratchanon ‘TK’ Chantananuwat, took top amateur honours in tied 40th place on 12-under 272. The 16-year-old was the only amateur to make it to the weekend.
The 2018 AAC winner Takumi Kanaya of Japan was among a host of highly-rated players to miss the cut, just failing to make the weekend following rounds of 72 and 66.
This was the 55th staging of Malaysia’s national Open since it was first played at The Royal Selangor Golf Club in 1962 and the first time it was part of The Open Qualifying Series.
The Open Qualifying Series continues with the PGA Tour’s Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard at Bay Hill in Orlando, Florida, from March 7-10.
