FUNG FOCUSED ON FALDO SERIES WIN IN MALAYSIA

Monday, September 07, 2009 - FSA

Nicholas Fung at 2009 FSA Grand Final

September 7, 2009: Penang Golf Resort in northwest Malaysia will play host to some of the country's brightest golfing prospects when the fourth Faldo Series Malaysia Championship tees off on October 24-25.

Supported by UBS, Mission Hills and The R&A, over 80 talented golfers, boys and girls aged 12 to 21, will be competing in the 36-hole Malaysia Championship for a place in the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final, to be hosted by Nick Faldo at Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen, China in March 2010.

Among the favourites to book a return trip to Mission Hills will be 19-year-olds Nicholas Fung and Ainil Johani Abu Bakar. Fung finished runner-up in the boys' under-18 category at the last Grand Final and will be hoping for the chance to go one better. Abu Bakar was the first Faldo Series Asia girls' under-18 winner at the inaugural Grand Final in 2007.

As part of Faldo's unique formula to help develop tomorrow's champions, competitors in Malaysia will experience strict tournament conditions on the course, while off the course they will receive expert advice from guest speakers. Younger children from the local community will also be attending to receive free coaching and watch the competitors in action, part of the six-time Major winner's drive to simultaneously create access to the sport at a grass-roots level.

Endorsed by the Asian Tour and the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation, the Malaysia Championship is one of 15 Faldo Series Asia tournaments in 12 different countries during 2009/2010, including four in mainland China plus one in each of Bahrain, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, The Philippines and Vietnam.

With over 1,000 competitors taking part this season, and many more being introduced to the game, the climax will be the fourth Grand Final in March 2010, an R&A World Amateur Golf Ranking event. As well as spending time with Faldo, over 60 Asian finalists from across the region will compete for five invites to the Faldo Series Grand Final in Brazil plus the opportunity to play in a flagship Asian Tour or Ladies European Tour event for the overall boy and girl champion.

Hoping to win a hat-trick of Faldo Series Asia titles this season will be Rashid Khan of India. In March 2009 at Mission Hills, the 18-year-old from Delhi became the first player to successfully defend his Faldo Series Asia crown, replicating European Tour stars Nick Dougherty and Oliver Fisher, both of whom have won back-to-back Faldo Series titles in Europe since its launch in 1996.


For entry into the Malaysia Championship, please contact the Malaysian Golf Association by email on razlan@mgaonline.com.my or visit the website at www.mgaonline.com.my

For information on the Faldo Series Asia visit www.nickfaldo.com