MACAO: Nicholas Fung will be the sole Malaysian flagbearer in the final two rounds of the SJM Macao Open after making the halfway cut of four-under-par at Macau Golf and Country Club.
Fung plotted his way smartly around the challenging par-71 golf course to add a second round 68 to his opening 69 in the US$1 million Asian Tour event. The 33-year-old lies in tied 41st spot on five-under-par, 11 shots behind leader Min Woo Lee of Australia who has been in scintillating form with rounds of 62 and 64.
“I hit the ball much better today compared to yesterday, especially with my irons. But my putts are still not dropping. I had a lot of lip-outs and most of my birdies were from within 10 feet. I hope more putts will drop in the next two rounds, so I’ll be working on my alignment,” said Fung.
“I’m still happy with my performance, going two days bogey-free on a tough golf course. It feels good to make it to the weekend after two missed cuts in a row. We still have a few more events on this year’s Asian Tour, so hopefully this will boost my confidence,” added the experienced campaigner, who has won once on the Asian Tour at the 2017 Queen’s Cup in Thailand.
The three other Malaysians who started the tournament, Ervin Chang, Shahriffuddin Ariffin and rookie Casper Loh, all failed to make it to the final 36 holes. Chang was unfortunate not to get through after rounds of 69 and 70 for a total of three-under-par 139, leaving him just one shot below the cutline.
Shahriffuddin’s second round 69 was not enough to offset an opening 76, while Loh carded scores of 74 and 77 in his maiden Asian Tour event.
“It was a great experience to compete in an Asian Tour event, although I didn’t play well. I just couldn’t seem to gauge the speed of the greens,” said Loh, who was a last-minute addition to the field and only arrived in Macao on Wednesday evening via Hong Kong.
Veteran Ben Leong withdrew from the tournament before the start of the first round after picking up a fever. Making a much-anticipated return after six years, the SJM Macao Open forms part of the closing stretch of the Asian Tour’s 2023 season and will thus play a pivotal role in determining the Order of Merit champion.
The tournament is title sponsored by SJM Resorts, S.A. (SJM), who have signed a three-year agreement with tournament promoter and organiser IMG. SJM is a leading owner, operator and developer of premium integrated entertainment resorts in Macao.
