Sad day as national golfer Arie, 28, passes away in China

File photo of the late Arie Irawan Fauzi.

KUALA LUMPUR: The golf fraternity has suffered a shocking loss with the demise of Arie Irawan Fauzi, one of the nation's top golfers.

The 28-year-old died in his sleep this morning in his hotel room in Sanya, China.

The former national No.1 was in China to compete in the Sanya Championship, a PGA Tour Series China event but missed the cut on Friday.

Out of respect for the family, the tournament officials have cancelled the final round on Sunday.

In a statement on Sunday, PGA Tour Series China said: "Today, in Sanya, China, Arie Irawan of Malaysia died at his hotel of apparent natural causes. The official coroner's report has not been completed.

"Irawan, 28, was in China playing in the Sanya Championship, the second event of the 2019 PGA Tour Series-China season. He had missed the 36-hole cut.

"The PGA Tour and the China Golf Association grieve at this loss of one of our members and share sincere condolences to Arie's wife, Marina, and his parents, Ahmad and Jeny.

"When something of this magnitude occurs in the golf world, we all grieve together."

Arie last competed at home in the Maybank Championship last month.

He turned professional in 2013 and Arie played his best golf in 2015 when he claimed two Asian Development Tour (ADT) victories in 2015, winning the ICTSI Eagle Ridge Invitational in Philippines and PGM Sime Darby Harvard Championship in Kedah.

Following his victory in Philippines, he scaled his career-best world ranking at No.296 and became the national No.1 for a short time.