Eyes on big boys league
Youngster Shahriffuddin out to take his career to the next level
PETALING JAYA: Youngster Shahriffuddin Ariffin has set his sights on joining the big boys in the Asian Tour next season.
Buoyed by his success in being crowned the youngest PGM Tour Order of Merit champion recently, the 18-year-old golfer is eager to take his career to the next level.
He plans to qualify for the region’s premier Tour through its Qualifying School (Q-School) in Thailand next month.
Shahriffuddin will take on more than 200 hopefuls for the 35 spots up for grabs at the Suvarnabhumi Golf and Country Club in Bangkok from Jan 11-14.
“It has been an incredible journey. Winning the PGM Tour Order of Merit wasn’t one of those goals when I turned professional in 2015. I never thought I could accomplish it barely three years into my pro career.
“With this feat, I believe I’ve taken my game a notch higher. But I want to keep progressing and it’s only right for me to raise the bar for next season.
“I’m going to give the Q-School a shot and, hopefully, I’ll do well enough to secure my Asian Tour card. I attempted for the first time last year but missed the halfway cut.”
He raked up RM136,282 on the back of one win and nine top 10 finishes in 18 appearances on the PGM Tour to steer RM22,300 clear of second-placed R. Nachimuthu.
Shahriffuddin earned his maiden victory at the PGM Tiara Closed Championship in Melaka in August.
And he believes his consistent performances will stand him in good stead as he seeks to play more tournaments abroad next year.
“When I first joined the PGM Tour, it was all about making the cut.
“But now I’m able to go into every tournament knowing that I’m capable of something better,” said Shahriffuddin.
“I’m ready to compete in international tournaments. If I don’t make it to the Asian Tour, I plan to play actively on the Asian Development Tour (ADT). The secondary Tour is another route for me to secure a spot on the Asian Tour,” he said.