From left: Nik Mustapha, Mohd Anwar and Lee at the press conference announcing the Ladies’ Golf Tournament 2025. — Courtesy photo
WOMEN’S golf in Malaysia is set to take centre stage this October with the launch of an exclusive women-only, 54-hole strokeplay championship.
The Ladies’ Golf Tournament 2025 will be held from Oct 12 to 15 at The Mines Resort and Golf Club (MRGC) in Seri Kembangan, starting with a pro-am tourney before the championship rounds.
Among the 60 players will be 24-year-old professional golfer Winnie Ng Yu Xuan, who said the event would serve as a good stepping stone for Malaysian players like herself.
Ng says the event will serve as a good stepping stone for Malaysian players. — ADANI ZAIDI/The Star
“I’ve been playing golf since I was seven, and one of the main challenges in Malaysia is the lack of exposure for women.
“Our neighbours such as Thailand has hundreds of professionals, whereas we only have about 20 who are competing actively,” she said.
“Even in local events, we don’t have the competition we need to reach their level.
“The (women) golfers in China, Thailand and Australia are constantly competing week after week, building momentum.
“That is why I am really excited for this event.
“It’s good exposure not only for professionals, but for amateurs as well,” Ng added.
Being held in collaboration with Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM), the tournament aims to celebrate women in sports, inspire the next generation and strengthen Malaysia in the regional scene.
It will feature 30 professional and 30 amateur players competing for a total prize money of RM100,000.
Mines Golf Club and Resort founder Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew said the aim was to establish a flagship event for women.
“In the US there’s this very famous Masters tournament, and we are hoping that the Ladies’ Golf Tournament will achieve the same level of success in years to come,” he said.
“Female pros in Malaysia are just starting out and need a lot of opportunities and tournaments to keep going.
“So we hope this event opens doors,” he added.
PGM general manager Nik Mustapha Nik Mohamed said: “When we started the tour in 2011, it was all men.
“Then in 2017, we had our first ladies’ championship with only five participants.
“Over the years, we continued to have the ladies’ championship, but only within the men’s event.
“Now we’re fortunate enough to have an exclusive tournament for women, signifying real progress for professional golf in the country.”
Mines Resort and Golf Club executive chairman and Malaysian Golf Association president Admiral (R) Tan Sri Mohd Anwar Mohd Nor agreed, saying that the tournament would serve as a platform for international growth.
“It will definitely help us raise the level of professional golf in Malaysia.
“Beyond the local scene, we’re also hoping to expand the Ladies’ Golf Tournament to other Asian countries and eventually have invitational competitions.”
