One more to go before mid-season time out
PGM Tour board adjust their tournament schedule to ease the burden on players
THERE is one more event on the Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) Tour calendar – the Perlis Closed Championship – before the circuit takes its mid-season break.
The Perlis Closed Championship will be played from May 21 to 24 after which the Tour will break for almost five weeks.
Two other tournaments have had their dates switched for what the Tour said were “circumstances” beyond their control.
PGM Tour general manager Nik Mustapha told TeeUp that “after the Perlis Closed Championship we will break until the resumption at the week-long Match Play Closed Championship at Kinara Golf Club in Puchong from June 25 to July 1.”
Nik added that the CCM Championship scheduled for Kota Serimas Golf & Country Club in Nilai from May 9 to 12 had also been postponed.
This was due to the general elections that will be held on what would have been the first day of the tournament,” he said.
The PGM Pahang Closed Championship and PGM-Indonesian Golf Tour Championship have also been affected by changes.
“The PGM Pahang Closed Championship, which was originally set for Aug 1 to 4 will now be moved to an earlier date, July 11 to 14 at Royal Pekan Golf Club.
“Similarly,” said Nik, “the PGM-IGT Championship, initially set for July 10 to 12 will still be played at Tiara Melaka Golf & Country Club in Melaka, but has been moved to Aug 1-3.
“These changes were forced on us by circumstances beyond our control. But the good thing is that we were still able to re-schedule them. And we are confident of featuring well-supported fields, similar to those that we have enjoyed so far this season,” he added.
The Tour’s leading protagonists will surely engage again in high-octane battles in a knockoutstyled tournament.
“At all our championship events we have had good strong fields,” said Nik.
“At the Perlis Closed Championship and Match Play Closed we should again get some of the top players in action.”
Among the main pretenders to the top honours should be Sukree Othman. The seasoned campaigner has already won twice this season. He captured the Perlis Closed Championship in January and then last month won the Sime Darby Closed Championship.
“Sukree is playing well again this season,” said Nik. “With two victories already he will be confident and has said that he is happy with the state of his game.
“But this is a tough Tour. There are many good players out there and Sukree won’t take anything for granted as he knows he will be swept aside by the others if he does.”
In the women’s Tour, which is played concurrently with the men’s, Nur Durriyah Damian won the first three and at the Sime Darby Closed, Aretha Pan secured her maiden win.