KEPALA BATAS, PENANG, 5 OCT 2024 – Toyota Tour’s newest champion Fakhrul Akmal will be the early favourite to lift the Alphard Cup when it tees off at the Penang Golf Resort composite course here starting this Tuesday.
Fakhrul was the runaway winner of last week’s Harrier Cup at the Kelab Golf DiRaja Pahang in Kuantan. Even though it was his first time playing there, he finished with a 16-under score and demolished the field with a nine-stroke winning margin. It was the long-hitter’s first victory as a professional.
The 28-year-old professional will have an advantage in the Alphard Cup as he comes from these parts and knows the course quite well even though he now lives in Seremban since moving there two years ago.
“My hometown is actually just 30 minutes from the course but I’ve never played a tournament there,” said Fakhrul. “But yes, I guess you can say it used to be my home course.” The Toyota Tour is organised by the Professional Golf Malaysia and delivered by MST Golf.
Fakhrul realises he will face stiff challenge from the likes of Order of Merit leader Paul San who has won twice this year, Galven Green who also has two wins, Nasrullah Zulkifli who won in Sabah and Ben Leong the winner at Sibu.
San, who missed competing in Kuantan because of an Asian Development Tour event in Cambodia, is looking forward to playing on a course he played a long time ago as a junior on the Sport Excel circuit. “It’ll be fun and I’m always eager to compete in tournaments.”
Others who could shine on this Graham Marsh-designed layout are Marcus Lim, Kim Leun Kwang, Kenneth De Silva, Malcolm Ting, Edven Ying, Syahiran Syakir and Zia Izzuddeen. The current wet weather will play a big factor in the tournament, making the course play longer than its 6,532 metre Par 72 layout.
The Ladies Championship promises to be an exciting affair with its biggest turnout this season so far. Leading the challenge is Order of Merit leader Geraldine Wong and 2023 OOM winner Aretha Pan, rising stars Liyana Durisic, Durriyah Damian, Winnie Ng and Zulaikah Nasser, the latter being the recent Ladies winner at the Harrier Cup in Kuantan.
Liyana and Durriyah will be competing in the US$3 million Maybank LPGA Championship at the Kuala Lumpur GCC later this month, alongside Ashley Lau, amateur Mirabel Ting and Kelly Tan.
Meanwhile, 60 children have registered for the Toyota Tour Junior Clinic which will take place at Penang Golf Resort tomorrow afternoon. The professionals who will guide them at the range, putting and chipping greens are Zulaikah, Liyana, Amalia, Fakhrul, Wafiyuddin Manaf and Wan Hasnul Daniel.
