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61 hopefuls bid for eight Selangor Masters berths

A total of 61 players will tee off at Seri Selangor Golf Club in a bid to qualify for the Worldwide Selangor Masters 2008 next month.

Rising amateur Akhmal Tarmizee Mohamad Nazari, the 2005 Selangor Amateur Open winner, is among the leading batch of Malaysian young guns vying for the top eight spots on offer at the Qualifier which is set to tees off on August 3.

The Qualifier will be played over 18 holes where the top eight players will gain automatic entry into the RM 1 million Worldwide Selangor Masters 2008 which will feature some of Asian Tour’s top players that include Thai stars Thongchai Jaidee and Thaworn Wiratchant, Chinese Taipei’s Lin Wen-tang and India’s S.S.P Chowrasia.

The 19-year-old Akhmal has a steady track record and with his most recent result of a runner-up finish at the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final last year, he will be a top favourite to make it through at the Ross Watson-designed course.

The other notable youngsters are Mohamed Ilyia Jamil and Edmund Au who will enter the Qualifier with fond memories of last year having qualified and played in the 2007 Iskandar Johor Open. The duo had previously been given the opportunity to rub shoulders among Asian Tour’s top players when they were invited to compete at the 2006 Pulai Springs Malaysian Masters.

Malaysia’s Khor Kheng Howe will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of his brother Khor Kheng Hwai who is a regular feature on the Asian Tour this season. Kheng Hwai is competing on a country exemption status and has already played in three events this season. Among Kheng Hwai’s highlight last year was making it through the Qualifier at the Iskandar Johor Open where he went on to chalk up a commendable tied 37th place finish.

The fight at the Qualifier will result in the top eight players battling for supremacy at the US$310,000 event which will tee off from August 6-9. The winner of the Worldwide Selangor Masters 2008 will gain a two year exemption on the Asian Tour.

Former Asian Tour number one Thongchai will be among the leading title contenders in the US$310,000 event which is organised by the Selangor State Government of Malaysia with the support of title sponsor WHB and major sponsor CIMB Group.

“I enjoy coming back to Malaysia because I feel really comfortable. I’ve enjoyed success here before so I’m eager for an exciting start to the second half of the season,” said Thongchai.

July 25, 2008