Women’s event to the fore!
RSGC Ladies Amateur Open expected to draw top-class international field
THE Royal Selangor Golf Club’s Ladies Amateur Open, the oldest women’s tournament in Malaysia and the premier event on RSGC’s ladies calendar will be played from Friday to Sunday and feature a strong international line-up.
Speaking at the launch of the event, RSGC ladies’ captain and organising chair, Datuk Yasmin Yusuff, noted that while the tournament began as a small event that mainly attracted golfers from RSGC reciprocal clubs such as the Singapore Island Golf &Country Club and Hong Kong Golf Club, it has now grown into a big interrelation tournament that attracts entries from India to Japan, including the Philippines, Australia, Macau, Hong Kong and the Asean nations.
“From a competition that started between club golfers, we now welcome national players, amateur junior champions, and club champions from the region,” she said.
“This year we expect more than 75 participants at an event that carries World Amateur Golf Ranking points.
“This year will be our 43rd event and as Royal Selangor Golf Club celebrates its 125th anniversary next year, we aim to make it bigger and better and act as a prelude to the 2018 event.
“This famous course that sits in the shadow of the KLCC Twin Towers has been the venue for many world-class events, and most recently the Maybank Championship Malaysia in 2016. And what makes the venue unique is that it is one of the few onlywalking golf courses in Malaysia.”
Yasmin also pointed out that their main sponsor this year was home appliances and electronics retailer Senheng Malaysia, who were represented by Division Head, Marketing Promotions June Tai.
Commenting on their contribution, Tai said they were “more than delighted to part of a prestigious event such as this.
“Women are a huge component in our marketplace and for us to get involved with a ladies’ tournament such as this, makes a lot of sense,” she added. “And we look forward to welcoming our visitors to Malaysia and an event that will make this country proud.”
Among the many items on offer, there will also be three hole-in-one prizes of a Mercedes Benz by Hap Seng Star Sdn Bhd, two return business class tickets to Los Angeles sponsored by Etihad Airways and a pair of diamond earrings worth RM38,500 from Mouawad.
The entry fee is RM600 which includes caddy fees for the first two days and this year, the organising committee has decided to give 50% discount to Malaysian junior players registered with Malaysian Ladies Golf association (Malga) and Malaysian Golf Association (MGA.
“We see this as a move to encourage young Malaysian female golfers and to help raise the standard of ladies’ golf in the country, particularly in a year when Malaysia will host the South-East Asian (SEA) Games and where golf is one of the sports included,” added Yasmin.