Nizar and Mahizan come out tops at Penang club championships

THE 20th Penang Golf Resort Club Championships had the members come out in full force to participate in the 36-hole competition, where some top-quality golf was on display.

There was an abundance of lucky draw prizes, which meant that all the players took back home some prize or another, and the winners of the gross and nett categories themselves received attractive gifts, comprising mostly gadgets as the main prizes.

The championship featured a men’s and seniors’ category on a course that was well-prepared for a gruelling outing, highlighted by fast and tricky greens.

There was a handicap restriction of 18 and below for the men’s category and 24 and below for the seniors (60 years old and above), which added spice to the event and maintained its prestige as a major tournament in club golf.

The management noted that they had to turn away several golfers with higher handicaps but were left with no choice but to retain the event’s stature.

Mohd Nizar Omar emerged as the club champion after he shot rounds of 80 and 74 for a gross total 154.

After donning the Green Jacket placed on him by the previous champion – in the same mode as the US Masters at Augusta National – on the practice putting green, the new champion thanked the club’s management and staff for all their efforts in organising the championship in a “grand manner”.

“It is our wish as players that Penang Golf Resort will continue to host major tournaments like this in the future,” said Nizar.

“The championship was well run, and I’m just happy to have won this year.”

A first-time winner in the senior category, Mohd Mahizan Mahamud, who shot rounds 82 and 85 for a gross total 167, turned 70 the day after the tournament ended.

He too said he thoroughly enjoyed the championship this year and mentioned how tough the course was.

ResultsPenang Golf Resort

Club Championship

Gross: 1 Mohd Nizar Omar (7) 154, 2 Muhammad Syafiq Hane’f (8) 156, 3 Mohamad Firdaus Khalili (6) 160

Seniors: 1 Mohd Mahizan Mahamud (10) 167, 2 Abdul Jalil Jaafar (9) 169, 3 Goo Book Koon (15) 171.

Nett: 1 Dr Muhamad Bahagia Ab Ghaffar (18) 138, 2 Marzuki Yahaya (18) 138, 3 Mohd Rezanajuib Ramli (14) 139.

Seniors: 1 Mohd Radzi Hamd (20) 135, 2 Lee Boon Seng (18) 142, 3 Rahim Zainal Abidin (13) 151.