Iszaimi’s impressive show set to earn him SEA Games berth

By LIM TEIK HUAT

PETALING JAYA: Amateur golfer Mohamad Iszaimi Ismail did his chances of making the team for the SEA Games a world of good by emerging as the best Malaysian performer in the Asian Amateur Championship at the Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen last weekend.

The 19-year-old put up an impressive performance to finish seventh in the 120-player field for the inaugural tournament.

Iszaimi, who has been trained in the United States, showed good consistency with 70-72-71-71 card to end with a total of four-under 284.
Iszaimi: Finished seventh in the Asian Amateur Championship in China last week.

Iszaimi was also the best golfer from the region, finishing behind three Australians.

Han Chang-won led a South Korean sweep of all the medals with a dominant five-stroke win. He carded rounds of 66-69-71-70 to finish with a total of 12-under 276 to earn a spot at the prestigious US Masters in Augusta National in April.

Another Malaysian, Mohd Iylia Jamil, also made the cut for the weekend and finished on tied 55th with 13-over 301 (74-75-83-69).

Four other Malaysians – Gavin Kyle Green, Nicholas Fung, Abel Tam and Kenneth de Silva – failed to make the cut for the top 60.

Nicholas (74-78) and Abel (73-79) completed the first two rounds on eight-over 152 while Gavin carded 77-76 to finished one stroke behind. Kenneth shot an 83 in both rounds for a total of 22-over.

Only four golfers will be named in the team for the Laos SEA Games next month.

Coach Faridil Atras said: “The Malaysian Golf Association will make the final selection next week and Iszaimi is virtually assured of a place for his fine performance in the Asian tournament.

“He was the top ranked South-East Asian golfer out there and he has given us hope of a good showing in the SEA Games. Iszaimi also won the Faldo Series Malaysia championship in Penang last month.”

At the last SEA Games in Korat in 2007, Malaysia returned with an individual bronze medal through Akhmal Tarmizee Nazari. And together with Edmund Au, Haziq Hamizan and Amri Mohiyadeen, the Malaysian men’s team finished fourth.