Knowledge of course will boost Leun Kwang’s bid to make presence felt
KUALA LUMPUR: Local golfer Kim Leun Kwang will be banking on his familiarity with the course to sparkle in his CIMB Classic debut when the US$7mil (RM29mil) US PGA Tour event gets under way here tomorrow.
The TPC Kuala Lumpur’s West Course is where the 23-year-old Leun Kwang usually practised alongside good friend and national No. 1 Gavin Kyle Green whenever they could catch up.
Leun Kwang is hoping to put his course knowledge to good use in his bid give his more illustrious rivals from the PGA Tour and Asian Tour a run for their money.
Leun Kwang tested the newly-renovated West Course for the first time in yesterday’s practice round and gave the venue the thumbs-up.
“After the renovation, it’s still pretty similar,” said Leun Kwang of the course.
“It was just a couple of changes here and there, compared to the one I used to play a lot of golf previously with Gavin. I think the key is to hit a lot of fairways.
“Whenever we both had week offs, this is where we play most of the time.”
Leun Kwang hopes to match his personal best score of five-under 67 for 18 holes on the West Course to give himself a chance for a strong finish on Sunday.
“I think the lowest round I have shot here was probably a five-under. I hope I can do that this week,” said Leun Kwang.
Leun Kwang knows that by finishing highter he will get a bigger share of the prize money which is a massive US$7mil (RM29mil) jackpot to be shared by all the 78 players in
I think the lowest round I have shot here was probably a five-under. I hope I can do that this week. Kim Leun Kwang
the field.
As the CIMB Classic is a no-cut event, Leun Kwang’s participation this week itself guaranteed him at least US$12,880 (RM53,000).
Leun Kwang qualified for the event as the winner of the CIMB National Championship two weeks ago. It also marked the first victory of his professional career since turning pro in 2012.
Leun Kwang said he would savour every moment of his rare PGA Tour appearance as well as a chance to play in front of a big crowd.
“I’m just going to enjoy every shot and every moment,” said Leun Kwang.
“Since young I’ve always liked the crowd, I always liked people watching me play, so I think I’m going to embrace that.”
The CIMB Classic will surely be a great platform for the little-known Leun Kwang to make his presence felt in the local sports scene as the “Big Four” – Gavin, Ben Leong, Nicholas Fung and Danny Chia – have been hogging the limelight for quite some time. Ben is the other Malaysian golfer in the field this week.