Kuala Lumpur, November 9, 2017 – Thailand and New Zealand share the lead after Day One of the Nomura Cup 2017 currently underway at Sungai Long Golf & Country Club. Both teams scored 12-under-par 204 tournament total. Thailand is represented by Kammalas Namuangruk who returned the best score of the day, 8-under-par-64 , Sadom Keawkanjana who carded 3-under-par 69, Kosuke Hamamoto and Atiruj Winaicharoenchai who each returned with 1-under-par 71. Kiwis Daniel Hillier, Denzel Ieremia, Ryan Chrisnall and Luke Brown scored 67, 68, 69 and 74 respectively to share the lead with the Thais. Daniel Hillier returned with the second best score of the day, 3-strokes behind Namuangruk.

“We will continue our game plan to hit more fairways and greens for the next 3 days,” said Kanes Nitiwanakul, team manager of Thailand. “We had trained extensively before coming here to prepare for the Championship. Our best finish in this event was third place and hopefully, this year, we will be able to finish better than third.”

Conducted by the Malaysian Golf Association (MGA), the Asia Pacific Amateur Golf Team Championship for the Nomura Cup is a 72-hole stroke play event being played on the par-72, 6,991-yard Jack Nicklaus Course at Sungai Long Golf & Country Club. The 92-player field features players from Australia, Bahrain, Chinese –Taipei, China, Fiji, Guam, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, UAE, Kyrgysztan and the host, Malaysia who are members of the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation.

Considered as one of the most prestigious amateur golf team championships in the region, the Nomura Cup is often regarded as the final benchmark for top amateur players contemplating their next move in the game. Often, it serves as the ultimate checkpoint for these players before setting on their journey in the paid ranks.

Our Malaysian Team comprised Afif Fathi, Afif Razif, Rhaasrikanesh and Chan Tuck Soon had a good run today to finish 7th, 5-under-par-211, 7-strokes behind the leaders. Afif Fathi, who is debuting his first appearance at the Nomura Cup carded the best score for Malaysian with 4-under-par-68 to finish 8-way tie for 3rd.

“I am happy that I didn’t make any mistake today and contributed to the overall team score,” said Afif Fathi. “I was making 14 pars and 4 birdies and I kept going. I think I played really well and I hope to keep that up for the next three rounds.”

The last Nomura Cup was held at Yas Links, Abu Dhabi and Team Japan was crowned the Champion while Malaysia finished 10th placing. Malaysia’s best Nomura Cup finish was third placing in 1977 represented by Shabuddin Yusof, Tan Yee Khan and Eshak Bluah.

Second-round tee times for the 28th Nomura Cup at Kuala Lumpur will run from 7.30-10.05 a.m., off the Nos. 1 and 10 tees at the Sungai Long Golf & Country Club Jack Nicklaus course. For more information, please contact Bambang at 6017-2583826.

Top 3 Results

Team

  1. Thailand – 204

New Zealand – 204

  1. Chinese Taipei – 206

Individual

  1. Kammalas Namuangruk (Thailand) – 64
  2. Daniel Hillier (New Zealand) – 67
  3. Joshua Ho (Singapore) – 68

Afif Fathi (Malaysia) – 68

Yung-Hua Liu (Chinese Taipei) – 68

Denzel Ieremia (New Zealand) – 68

Dong – Min Kim (South Korea) – 68

Almay Rayhan Yagutah (Indonesia) – 68

Ting-Wei Hsieh (Chinese Taipei) – 68

Kazuya Osawa (Japan) – 68

Picture 1-Afif Fathi of Malaysia/Picture 2-Kammalas Namuangruk of Thailand