Selangor, Malaysia: Muhammad Danial Faiz Jazmi survived a late wobble to emerge triumphant in the 10th edition of the Faldo Series Malaysia Championship.
Thanks to a gutsy par at Danau Golf Club’s 18th hole, the one-handicapper from Perak clung on for a tense victory in the 11th leg of the record-breaking 2015-2016 Faldo Series Asia season.
With a 54-hole total of two-over 218 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking event, Jazmi ended one shot clear of second-placed Winnie Ng Yu Xuan with Ashley Lau Jen Wen a further stroke back in third.
Pre-tournament favourite Nur Durriyah Damian, overall winner in 2012 and Girls’ champion for the previous two years, had to settle for seventh place on 226.
However, having topped the leaderboard in the Girls’ Under-21 category, Durriyah will join Jazmi and Girls’ Under-16 winner Ng as part of the Malaysian team at the 10th anniversary Faldo Series Asia Grand Final, to be staged at Mission Hills China next March.
It will be her sixth successive appearance at the Grand Final, to be hosted by Sir Nick Faldo.
Also representing Malaysia there will be Hui Yong Sherng [Boys Under-21 winner] and M. Afif Mohd Fathi [Boys Under-16 winner].
In the absence of a handful of Malaysia’s leading youngsters who were competing at the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship in Hong Kong, it was Jazmi who stepped into the limelight.
One shot ahead going into the final round, the 17-year-old extended his advantage with an outward two-under-par 34.
But with the winning line in sight, Jazmi dropped shots at the 11th and 13th before seeing his lead trimmed further after he ran up a six at the 17th, his only double-bogey of the week.
With pressure mounting, Jazmi, to his credit, regained his composure sufficiently to make what proved to be a decisive par at the 360-yard 18th.
Six-time Major championship winner Faldo, Britain’s most successful golfer, said: “Congratulations to Jazmi and all the age-group winners at the Faldo Series Malaysia Championship. It’s never easy to win from the front, but he did well to hold on after a demanding back nine.
“He showed a lot of courage and character – attributes that are sure to serve him well as he develops his career.”
Supported by The R&A and Mission Hills and endorsed by the Asian Tour and the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation, the 2015-16 Faldo Series Asia campaign stretches over 11 months and will include a minimum of 21 events in 17 countries including, for the first time, Australia.