Mar 03, 2020: Proven Asian Tour winners Ben Leong, Nicholas Fung and Danny Chia are ready to fly the flag for Malaysia when they tee off for the Bandar Malaysia Open which gets underway at the highly rated Kota Permai Golf and Country Club on Thursday.
The trio, who holds a combined total of four Asian Tour wins and nine Asian Development Tour victories, are part of the 47-man strong local challenge vying to become the first Malaysian to win their National Open, which returns to the Asian Tour this week after a four-year hiatus.
Leong, the only Malaysian to win an Asian Tour event on home soil, is optimistic of his chances but will adopt a relaxed approach when he chases for a second victory and first since 2008 at the US$1 million event, sanctioned by the Asian Tour and in partnership with the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO).
Chia, a two-time Asian Tour winner, found an opportunity to give back to the game when he hosted a junior event, which was held in conjunction with the Bandar Malaysia Open, on the same venue last week. The 47-year-old enjoyed a tied-25th place finish when the event was last staged in 2015.
Fung, whose best finish at the Malaysian Open remains a tied-47th place result in 2014, believes he has the game to contend in his National Open. He got his season off to a disappointing start with two missed cuts in three events but will be looking to turn the corner with a fine showing this week.
India’s Rahil Gangjee and Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe, who is still chasing for an Asian Tour breakthrough, will feature in the talented 156-man field from 23 countries, which consists of over 50 Asian Tour champions and four Order of Merit winners.
The Malaysian Open boasts an illustrious list of past winners which includes India’s Anirban Lahiri and Arjun Atwal, Thai stars Thongchai Jaidee and Kiradech Aphibarnrat, as well as Korea’s Noh Seung-yul, who have gone on to lift the coveted Asian Tour Order of Merit crowns following their victories in the storied event.
The highly acclaimed Bandar Malaysia Open, which boasts a new tagline ‘Pride, Passion, Prominence’, is the flagship event for the Malaysian Golf Association (MGA).
Asian Tour Release
