Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: The 37th edition of the Malaysian Ladies Amateur Open (MLAO) tees-off this month (July 24-27) with a strong field and a new title sponsor, host venue Templer Park Country Club (TPCC).
The prestigious event will see close to 100 lady amateurs from across the region taking on the scenic and challenging TPCC layout, designed by Japanese legend Masashi ‘Jumbo’ Ozaki and located amidst majestic limestone outcrops on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur city.
Spearheading the local challenge are three of Malaysia’s leading amateurs – Mirabel Ting who at 59 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) will be the highest-ranked player in the field, Liyana Durisic who was the best-placed Malaysian at the 2022 Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific where she finished joint 13th, and 2023 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games individual gold medallist Ng Jing Xuen. Both Ting and Durisic play college golf in the United States but are back home for the summer break.
“The last Malaysian to win the MLAO was Nur Durriyah Damian in 2016 and we are hopeful for a Malaysian champion again for 2023,” said Malaysian Ladies Golf Association (MALGA) President Tunku Puteri Jawahir.
The MLAO was last staged in 2019 when Thailand’s Sarunchana Rattanasin won at Resorts World Genting, following which a three-year break ensued due to the travel restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic.
TPCC Managing Director Datuk Manibalan Kutty said that the players can expect pristine conditions during tournament week. “The golf course is in great condition and the green speed is about 10.5 on the Stimpmeter. To prepare for the tournament, we will be focusing on the bunkers due to the current wet weather.”
Participants will compete for four trophies - the DYMM Tunku Ampuan Negeri Sembilan Trophy (Open Division), the YAM Tunku Maimuinah Trophy (Mid-Amateur Division), the Maria Musa Trophy (Senior Division), and the Mary Williams Trophy (Open Team).
The field includes players from Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines. Overseas players to look out for are Vietnamese number one Le Chuc An, Hong Kong’s Lau Hoi-ki, Chinese Taipei’s Sung You-chuan and the Singaporean duo of Hailey Koh and Inez Ng.
The talented juniors from the Yayasan Sime Darby-MALGA Golf For Girls development programme will also be competing in the Open Division.
Sponsors of the championship include Avante Hotel, MKH Berhad, Red Wheels, Air Asia and MST Golf. Players will be eligible for an array of hole-in-one prizes, consisting of a Tesla car, Air Asia tickets to Busan in South Korea and TPCC term memberships.
