SIBU: Sabah’s Ben Leong finally won on the Toyota Tour by lifting the Fortuner Cup at the Kelab Golf Sibu on Thursday.
The 38-year-old Kota Kinabalu golfer started the day on a three-shot lead and managed to stave off a determined challenge by Edven Ying and Daeng Rahman with a bogey-free five-under 65 to win by four strokes at the end of the round.
He began the final round with birdies on holes one, two and seven but saw his lead whittled to two strokes after Ying, who made the turn in four-under, birdied 10 and 12.
However, bogeys on 16 and 18 stopped his advancement, while Daeng birdied two and eagled six followed by two more birdies on 14 and 15, but missed a short putt on 18 which would have earned him solo second.
Meanwhile, Miri-born amateur Mirabel Ting coasted to an easy 11-stroke victory over Geraldine Wong in the Ladies Championship, shooting a five-under 65 for a three-day 205 aggregate to win a Toyota Tour event in her maiden outing.
Michelle Koh was third on 220.
Men’s Best Amateur honours went to Hayden Hah who finished at five-over 215 and was placed joint 34th overall.
Shaifubari Muda, Hui Yong Sherng, Kenneth De Silva and Leong also recorded the lowest scores of five-under on Thursday.
Final scores:
Men
194 Ben Leong (63-66-65)
198 Daeng Rahman (63-69-66), Edven Ying (64-68-66)
199 Khor Kheng Hwai (67-65-67)
202 Malcolm Ting (70-65-67)
Ladies
205 Mirabel Ting (am) 72-68-65
216 Geraldine Wong (71-72-73)
220 Michelle Koh (73-76-71) – GL Oh
