Sabah, Malaysia: Nelson & Haworth-renovated Sabah Golf & Country Club (SGCC) will stage the 120th edition of the Malaysian Amateur Open, one of the world’s eldest golf championships.

It will be the first time in its rich history that the tournament has been played at the SGCC in the East Malaysian State of Sabah, capital of Kota Kinabalu. On the tournament’s two previous visits to Sabah, in 2007 and 2017, Karambunai Resort acted as host venue.

Jointly organised by the Malaysian Golf Association (MGA) and the Sabah Golf Association (SGA), the World Amateur Golf Ranking event, from December 12-15, is expected to attract a strong field of leading male and female amateurs from across the region and beyond.

Founded in 1976, SGCC’s much-vaunted 18-hole course was originally crafted by Robert Muir Graves. In the mid-2000s, a redesign and renovation was undertaken by Nelson & Haworth Golf Course Architects, an Associate Business Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.

With a course rating of 73.3 and stretching to 6,335 metres from the back tees, the lush and hilly layout is widely regarded as one of the toughest in Malaysia. The club has produced some of Malaysia’s leading golfers, including Asian Tour winners Ben Leong and Nicholas Fung.

“Hosting the 120th Malaysian Amateur Open is an immense honour for Sabah Golf & Country Club and the Sabah Golf Association,” said SGA President, Nash Hon. “We are thrilled to bring the region’s best amateur players to Sabah and to showcase our club, which promises to provide a challenging and memorable experience for all competitors.”

The Malaysian Amateur Open is one of the world’s oldest active amateur tournaments, dating back to 1894 when it was established as the Straits Championship.

The roster of past champions includes regional golfing luminaries such as Robert Allenby of Australia (1990), Singaporean Mardan Mamat (1994) and Indian Shiv Kapur (2000), while Major winners Michael Campbell of New Zealand and Australian Geoff Ogilvy are among those who participated in the tournament during their amateur days.

“The Malaysian Amateur Open has long been a stepping stone for young, ambitious golfers from around the world, and we are proud to see it continue to thrive,” said MGA President, Tan Sri Mohd Anwar Mohd Nor.

“Hosting this event at the Sabah Golf & Country Club reflects our commitment to inclusivity within Malaysian golf, as we showcase Sabah’s outstanding golfing facilities to the world. We look forward to seeing some incredible talent and camaraderie among these emerging stars in the game,” he added.

Kota Kinabalu is a vibrant, sea-fronting city and is the departure point for excursions to Mount Kinabalu, one of Southeast Asia’s tallest peaks, and many of Sabah’s other natural attractions.