Nicholas wins PGM I&P Group Championship title in style

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s top-ranked golfer Nicholas Fung tore the field apart to win the RM150,000 PGM I&P Group Championship at the Kinrara Golf Club with a new course record which equalled his career’s best low round.

Nicholas, the PGM Tour’s Player of the Year, shot a nine-under 62 in the final round to finish with a 265 total and win by a massive 11 strokes.

Joint second on 276 were Arie Fauzi (72), Khor Kheng Hwai (67) and Sukree Othman, who carded a last day five-under 66.

Nicholas lit up the Tour with a superlative display of measured discipline and controlled aggression to return one of the best round by a Malaysian in the sport’s history. His performance reinforced his position as the country’s leading light in golf. 

Nicholas picked up RM25,200 for the victory to take his seasonal earnings to RM110,465 and increase his lead on the Order of Merit over Nachimuthu to more than RM28,000. 

He was also rewarded with an additional RM5,000 by the Kinrara Golf Club for being the new course record holder.

“I am really happy with my performance,” said Nicholas, who started the final round just a stroke ahead of Arie. 

“I played solid golf and with the course record and equalling my career best round of nine-under, it has been a great week for me.”

The top-ranked Malaysian in the world standings, which has earned him an automatic slot in the US PGA Tour sanctioned-CIMB Classic at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club in October, Nicholas said he has not done anything different in recent weeks apart from working harder in training.

“I have not changed anything. But I do practise a lot to improve my game,” he added.

The next event on the PGM Tour’s schedule is the PGM Terengganu Masters (ADT) at Resorts World Kijal in Kemaman, Terengganu next week.