Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: The third time proved to be the right time for Indonesia’s Bianca Naomi Laksono when she edged Filipina Samantha Dizon in a play-off at the 48th RSGC Ladies Amateur Open.
Making her third start in the tournament organised by host venue Royal Selangor Golf Club (RSGC), Laksono carded rounds of 72, 71 and 74 for a three-day total of two-under-par 217 at the par-73 East Course, a combination of the club's Old and New courses. Dizon, meanwhile, signed in rounds of 71, 74 and 72 to match Laksono’s total and force overtime.
On the second extra hole, Laksono prevailed with a par as Dizon failed to get up and down from a greenside bunker.
Malaysian Charlayne Chong, the first-round leader, finished third on one-under 218, one shot shy of making the play-off. Following a superb opening 68, Chong dropped down the leaderboard with an erratic second round 80 but recovered strongly with a closing 70.
Laksono was thrilled with the victory, which was her first on foreign soil. “This is my first time winning a tournament outside Indonesia, so I’m extremely excited and very happy with the result. It’s very sweet for me because this is a tough golf course and it’s my third time here,” she said.
“One of my main goals for this year is to get into the Indonesian team for the Southeast Asian Games,” added the 20-year-old, who represented her nation at the 2022 Queen Sirikit Cup.
Dizon gained ample consolation for the play-off loss when she was given a start in the upcoming Maybank Championship ASEAN Qualifier at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club. The spot was allocated for the champion but Laksono’s handicap index of 3.0 was above the qualifier’s maximum limit of 2.0.
Malaysian Nur Diana Syafiqah lit up the final round with a hole-in-one at the par-three fourth, winning an AirAsia ticket to Sydney.
Located in the bustling Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, RSGC is one of the region’s oldest and most prestigious golf clubs with a history dating back to 1893. The club boasts two parkland layouts, the Old Course and the New Course, set against an impressive urban backdrop of gleaming skyscrapers.