LOCAL golf this week received a massive shot in the arm with the inauguration of the Malaysian Junior Development Tour.
The event debuted with an official launch at Sunway Resort Hotel in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, where a collaboration between Dunlop Srixon Sports Asia and Golf (Malaysia) Publications Sdn Bhd was announced.
On hand to witness the initiative was Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker, who stood alongside Dunlop Srixon Sports Asia managing director Takuya Ono and Golf Malaysia general manager Andrew Ng as they signed the bond to help cultivate new Malaysian talents, with the primary aim of developing them into international champions.
The Japanese brand, which has some of the world’s most high-profile professionals in its stable, will underwrite the Malaysian Junior Development Tour, while Golf Malaysia will fill the role of tour promoter.
“This tour will provide Malaysian junior golfers with an elite tournament experience that will help them prepare for participation in national and international events,” said Ng.
“The objectives of the tour are to host professional standard golfing events for junior players in Malaysia, to create elite and international standard tournament exposure for them, to provide additional competitive platforms for juniors to develop and improve their skills and to create greater opportunities for them to accumulate World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points.
“But that is not all. The tour will assist them to develop skills beyond the course that will benefit them in their future careers and to build a stage for them to engage with their parents, guardians, families and friends,” he added.
Explaining the mechanisms of the tour, Ng said it would be built “around existing junior programmes” with a view to give junior golfers maximum benefits.
“This includes venues that are spread around the country, with the final leg of four rounds staged in the central region.
“The tournaments will be conducted with a Stroke Play format – a gross and nett category. The rounds of 18 holes a day, with three age groups.
“These will be boys and girls aged 15 to 18 (Group A), 13 and 14 (B), and 10 to 12 (C).
With a practice round arranged the day before each tournament, groups A and B will qualify for WAGR points, an international barometer that ranks amateurs worldwide weekly.
This is conducted by the R&A in Scotland and the United States Golf Association – the two world governing bodies of the sport.
The Srixon Malaysian Junior Development Tour will use an Order of Merit points system over four events to determine this year’s winners.
In the case of ties after the four events, the winner will be decided based on a countback of final rounds scores.
The winners in all three age groups will receive prizes, from first to fifth place, while the nett winners in each category will be rewarded from first to third place.
Junior golfers can register on a first-come, first-served basis via www.myjdtour.com
Players in categories A and B will be charged an entry fee of RM300 per event, while Category C players will be charged RM250 per event.