KGS-OBYU inter-team match play title ‘icing on cake’ for Warriors

Warriors completed a historic double when they bagged the KGS-OBYU Inter-Team Match Play title after having defeated HGA on a playoff at Kelab Golf Sarawak (KGS) yesterday.

The Samarahan Country Club (SCC) Inter Team Match Play champions this year had Charles Hoong Siew Eng and Phang Ted Hin to thank for as the team’s hero hit a birdie at Hole 3 in the playoff at the Matang Nines to hand them the 3-2 win and also the coveted OBYU challenge trophy.

Earlier in the final, Charles Chang and Albert Wong had given the Warriors a 1-0 lead when they edged Lim Chea Yi and Marvin Chin 2 and 1 in the foursome. But Michael Lee levelled the score 1-1 for HGA when he beat Oliver Ting 5 and 4 in the first singles. Adrian H’ng then beat Loh Kung Huo 1 and 0 in the second singles to hand HGA the 2-1 lead.

However, Martin Wong and Wee Song Khim equalised for the Warriors 2-2 when they beat Andrew Lee and Kenny Chin 1 and 0 in the second fourball, forcing the game into sudden death playoff.

“We are really very happy to have won our first KGS-OBYU inter-team match play title today, and this year has been a very good year for us because we had earlier won the SCC Inter Team Match Play. We had bounced back very strongly from almost becoming the losers to beat HGA in the playoff.

“Congratulations to the team members for their hard work during training/practice and playing well along the way,” Warriors captain Chai Chee Kian told The Borneo Post, adding that he had actually predicted the chances of both teams of winning the final at 50-50.

Meanwhile, HGA captain Kenny Chin congratulated the winner, and admitted that it was a very close fight.

“We were leading all the way and in the playoff they were lucky to have scored a birdie while we managed a par. Luck was simply not on our side, but we have done our very best and had to play to bridesmaids again for the sixth or seventh time in this tournament. ‘We were the champions in 2017 and we have been competing in inter team match play since 1997,” he said.

The champions received RM15,000, medals and the challenge trophy, while HGA settled for RM9,000 and medals.

The F2, who finished third, walked away with RM6,000 and medals, while fourth placed Si’at Balau collected RM3,000 and medals. OBYU Holdings Sdn Bhd chairman Dato Ahmadi Yusoff gave away the main prizes.

Also present at the event were KGS deputy president Abdul Jalil Abdul Rahman, KGS captain Ting Kee Suen and KGS committee members.

Ahmadi (second left) presents the prizes to Kenny Chin, as (from left) Kee Suen, Abdul Jalil, tournament chairman Sukiman Aini and other KGS committee members look on.

Chai (front, fourth left) and Warriors deputy captain Kuan Jee Hen (front, third left) jointly hold the challenge trophy as they celebrate the victory with the team members.