Danny Chia
The 50th edition of the Maybank Malaysian Open is back and it will give all Malaysian hopefuls another opportunity to write a slice of history next week.
Every year, echoes ring in the ears of the players, reminding them that no Malaysian has won the national championship since its inauguration in 1962.
But the presence of the Asian Tour in the country have resulted in a tremendous growth in the sport, reflected by solid performances from local stalwarts Danny Chia, Iain Steel, Ben Leong, Shaaban Hussin and S. Siva Chandhran.
Chia played his way into the Malaysian history books by becoming the first player from the country to play in all four rounds of the British Open last year.
Despite his remarkable feat, Chia believes the pressure of playing in his National Open, which will be staged at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club next week, is entirely different compared to playing in the world’s third Major.
“When you play the British Open, the expectations on you are probably a little bit less because you are playing against the world’s best players. You try to make the cut and finish some where in the middle. That’s an achievement by itself.
“But when you play in the Malaysian Open it is entirely different. Everyone expect you to win and it seems that there’s only one goal in the Malaysian Open. Expectations are much, much more. It is always going to be more pressure for us but it depends on how you handle it,” said Chia.
Chia was the first Malaysian to win an Asian Tour title when he won the 2002 Taiwan Open and it is no surprise that he paid tribute to the Asian Tour for his stellar career where he has earned over US$600,000 since 2004.
In the span of six years 17 tournaments have been staged in Malaysia with total prize money in excess of US$21 million. Other crucial tournaments such as the Qualifying School, World Cup Qualifying and British Open Qualifier have also been hosted in Malaysia which has been instrumental in elevating the sport in the region.
Through his experience of playing on the big stage locally, Chia was able to challenge for the Maybank Malaysian Open in 2008 and was the halfway leader in the 2009 edition before finishing in tied 11th.
“In the future, I hope more Malaysians will play on the Asian Tour. At the end of the day it depends on their goals and where they want to be in the future. If they want to succeed they have to definitely come out here and gain more experience,” added Chia, who also played in the world’s oldest Major in 2005 and 2008.
While Chia currently sits in 64th place on the Asian Tour career earnings, his compatriot Iain Steel lies as the highest ranking Malaysian in 57th place with earnings of US$664,246.
Steel holds the distinction as the first golfer from the country to play in the British Open and is highly regarded as the most consistent golfer on the Asian Tour where he has kept his Tour card since 2006.
An elusive Asian Tour title continues to elude Steel, whose father is Scottish, but it would be a fitting occasion should he win the elusive Seagram Trophy next week.
On the other side of the spectrum, Leong will be eager to make his first cut in the Malaysian Open after five attempts. The young Malaysian was victorious in the 2008 Worldwide Holdings Selangor Masters, which saw him beat Thongchai in an epic duel and he has gone on to enjoy fruitful results on the Asian tour.
This year, he has set himself a lofty target of being the first Malaysian to win multiple Asian Tour titles. “I need to get another win, if not two wins. Winning is my goal in the coming season and I aim to do well in the co-sanctioned events which means a lot,” said Leong.
Among others who have tasted success on the Asian Tour include Airil Rizman, the second Malaysian to win on the Asian Tour in the 2007 Pakistan Open, Shaaban and recently Asian Development Tour graduates Siva and Akhmal Tarmizee.
Siva and Akhmal finished first and third respectively on the Asian Development Tour Order of Merit last year to earn playing opportunities on the elite Asian Tour this season.
The Asian Development Tour was formed last year along the lines of the Nationwide Tour in the United States and European Challenge Tour to help up-coming golfers such as Siva and Akhmal an opportunity to enhance their careers.
“It has always been my goal to earn an Asian Tour card and I’m glad to be playing among the best players in Asia. It wasn’t easy to hold on to my lead on the Asian Development Tour Order of Merit but the reward is fruitful,” said Siva.
