IN a gripping display of skill and resilience, defending champion Danny Chia showcased his prowess on the golf course by shooting an impressive five-under 67 in the opening round of the Tun Ahmad Sarji Trophy here today.
Chia, at 52 years old, proved once again that age is no barrier to excellence in the sport. Leading by one stroke, he displayed a masterful performance that sets a high standard for the rest of the competition.
In a closely contested field, Syahiran Syakir secured second spot, trailing Chia by a narrow one-stroke margin. Galven Green, another standout performer last season, follows closely, just one stroke further behind in third place. Lying joint fourth are Sukree Othman and Fakhrul Akmal. Both carded one-under 71s.
“I’m quite happy with my game, especially my wedges,” said Chia after his round. “I had a few lucky breaks out there and five under after the first round … I’ll take it anytime.” Chia who started off on the back nine, was one-under at the turn. He added two birdies on the 3rd and 5th before birdieing his last two holes.
Syahiran was visibly happy after his round and felt he had his game under control despite finishing bogey-bogey in his last two holes. “I felt good tee to green. Made a lot of fairways and greens. I played on this course in Sunday’s pro-am and had a practice round yesterday. Yes, I do like this course and hopefully I’ll be in contention on Thursday.”
