Ka Tung to defend KGC Amateur Open C’ship crown
KOTA KINABALU: Lee Ka Tung is ready to defend his title at the 31st KGC Amateur Open Championship to be held at Kinabalu Golf Club, Tanjung Aru from March 23-25.
KGC president Datuk Abd Razak Walli told a press conference yesterday that the champion from Sibu, Sarawak has confirmed his entry and that he is aiming for a hat-trick after winning the last two editions of the biennial championship in 2014 and 2016.
He is also a four-time champion of the tournament with the other two wins coming from the 2006 and 2010 editions.
In 2008, Ka Tung lost to Nicholas Fung, who is now a renowned professional player, while in 2012, he lost to Fazley Chua.
Razak said the club is targeting 112 players for this year’s edition.
“If participation is encouraging, we might be able to push it to the maximum of 120 players, but otherwise our target is 112.
“So far we received entries from many top players including from Keningau, Kudat and Sandakan and of course from Sarawak, Peninsular Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam,” said Razak.
Meanwhile, KGC Men’s captain Chua Poh Guan said he had made the best preparation to restore KGC’s glory days of 20 years ago.
“Intensive work is being done to prepare the course as a perfect battleground and to restore it as one of the most popular in Sabah.
“We want the KGC Open to become one of the major tournaments under the Sabah Golf Association (SGA) calendar.
“Currently, field preparation work has reached 80 per cent and the remaining 20 per cent such as tee-box and bunker will be settled a few days before the competition.
“For this year, players are not allowed to use the buggy, and everyone who competes must walk. Those who intend to bring their own caddy are required to register them at KGC as early as possible,” Poh Guan said.
Also present at the press conference was deputy president Edmund J. Doudilim, honorary secretary Harry Beatty, honorary treasurer Puney Kiob, golf secretary Kassim Yunus and organising committee members.