Brunei amateurs hope to show the way to juniors

The five amateur golfers who will represent the host nation in next week’s US$300,000 Brunei Open are hoping to set a legacy that will last well beyond their own careers.

Teeing up with the Asian Tour stars are local amateurs Seruji Hj Setia, Hj Shahminan Hj Damit, Hj Arpian Kadir, Pg Adam Pg Atan and Suhaimi Hj Ibrahim, who were selected for the championship after prevailing in a four-round selection process held by the Brunei Darussalam Golf Association (BDGA).

Their skills will be put to the test at the magnificent Empire Hotel and Country Club when they face the likes of Thai ace Thaworn Wiratchant, last year’s Asian Tour Order of Merit winner, Jyoti Randhawa, former Asian number one, and defending champion Terry Pilkadaris of Australia.

Through their own solid performances, the local amateurs hope they can inspire to Brunei’s budding junior golfers where the goal is to see one of Brunei’s very own compete full time on the burgeoning Asian Tour.

This seemingly lofty goal may have seemed unreachable in the past but through the recent revival and new-found enthusiasm of the BDGA, plus the inauguration of the Brunei Open last year, the five golfers are hopeful that through their play, they can in turn encourage one of the juniors to follow through with this ambition.

“We know that it is near impossible for us now to consider a professional career in golf given our age and the limitations that we face but the Brunei Open is more than just about ourselves," said Suhaimi Hj Ibrahim.

“It’s about Brunei golf and looking to the future. Hopefully, if one of us can do well enough to make a mark on this tournament, it will inspire the kids here to consider pursuing professional golf as a career."

Having recently undergone a change in committee, the BDGA has placed an emphasis on developing junior golf in this nation and they will no doubt love nothing more than to see the Brunei amateurs exceed expectations.

Seruji Hj Setia, who is widely considered as Brunei’s top amateur golfer, missed the cut in last year's historic Championship but is hopeful that his experience will have helped him immensely.

“Last year was a real whirlwind. It was our first time in a professional tournament and we really had no idea what to expect. But it was a great experience and we learned a lot from it.

“Needless to say, we were all more than a little nervous during the tournament. We were all just in awe as to the size and standard of the tournament that it never really sunk in that we were playing in a professional tournament.

“However, it is obvious that the four of us who did take part all became better golfers from the experience of playing in the Brunei Open and we hope to use that experience to do even better this time round,” said Seruji.

Out of the five Bruneians in the field, only Pg Adam Pg Atan did not play last year but he says that his four compatriots have constantly been feeding him advice as to what to expect and how to cope with his nerves.

“They’ve been really helpful in that respect. They have constantly been sharing with me their experiences last year so that I may be better prepared to play than they were last year.

“We all know that it is going to be tough just to make the cut but we will try our best for ourselves, our country and the future of Brunei golf,” added Pg Adam.

The five amateurs will be joined by five resident Brunei professionals in Allan Johnstone, John Estrara, Allen Kelly, Jessie Hernandez and Tan Lam Teck.

August 17, 2006

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