BANKING ON EXPERIENCE, HOME EDGE
Ashley, Hee Ying, Nur Durriyah aim to topple Thailand
JUGJET SINGH jug jet@nst.com.my
THREE of Malaysia’s brightest young stars will be drawing upon their experience gained at the Sime Darby LPGA as well as their Development Programme in a bid to win gold at the Games.
Ashley Lau, 17, Loy Hee Ying, 20, and Nur Durriyah Damian, 22, will also be looking to utilise home advantage, to overcome defending champions Thailand at The Mines Resort City Golf Club next week.
Australian-based Ashley Lau experienced her first taste of life on the LPGA circuit at the 2016 Sime Darby LPGA after finishing as the top amateur in the National Qualifying Tournament.
She is buoyed by her experience of playing alongside the world’s best golfers on the East Course of TPC Kuala Lumpur last October.
“Playing in last year’s Sime Darby LPGA was undoubtedly a career highlight for me and I hope the experience will benefit me in the Games.
“I’m looking forward to the Games and will just focus on getting out there, enjoying the rounds and hopefully putting into practice what I’ve learned in training,” said Lau.
All three players have been supported with their golfing ambitions with the help of the Sime Darby Foundation’s investment in elite female golf development through the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia Development Programme.
World No 111 Loy, the highest ranked Malaysian in the field, boasts an impressive resume, which includes a silver medal in the Asean Schools Games in 2012 and a third place finish at the prestigious Annika Invitational at Mission Hills in China.
Loy, who is a student at East Tennessee State University, will spearhead the Malaysian challenge as she hopes to build upon an impressive 10-shot victory at the RSGC Ladies Amateur Open in July.
“I’m really looking forward to playing in the Games next week. It will be a great test for where my game is at the moment and I know it’s not going to be easy.
“I think it’s great that Sime Darby continues to invest in golf through both the Sime Darby LPGA and the development programme.
“We need programmes like this in Malaysia to support and nurture women’s golf. I’d also like to thank the Malaysian Golf Association for the support they have lent to get me to where I am now,” said Loy.
She will be joined by Malaysian Ladies Amateur champion, Nur Durriyah, who is hoping to sign off her amateur career in style at the Sea Games.
The 21-year-old was Malaysia’s top performing amateur golfer last year, after claiming four international titles, and will be making her fourth successive Sea Games appearance, before turning her attention to the professional ranks.
Now in its eighth year, the world-class training scheme, which has been a main-stay of the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia since its inaugural year, is adopting a new two-part format to further improve an already successful development system for Malaysia’s top female golfers.