Honest Akhmal seeks redemption at Clearwater Masters 2011
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Akhmal Tarmizee of Malaysia hopes his fortunes will change with a victory in the US$75,000 Clearwater Masters starting Thursday.
Akhmal showed what the game is all about when he disqualified himself in the opening round of the Indonesian Masters last week after hitting a wrong ball.
He will be seeking redemption in the Asian Development Tour event at the scenic Clearwater Sanctuary Golf Resort in Batu Gajah, Perak, which is a 90-minute drive from the capital city of Kuala Lumpur.
Playing in his second year as a professional, Akhmal graduated from the Asian Development Tour last season, where he finished in the top three of the Order of Merit to earn his Asian Tour card for 2011.
He has been struggling on the elite Asian Tour where he has missed three consecutive cuts but is determined to refuel his confidence with a victory this week.
"It was disappointing what happened last week. I teed off from the 10th tee and after the turn I hit my tee shot into the rough (at last week's Indonesian Masters). The forecaddie showed a green flag so I thought it was my ball. It was of the same brand and number. I only realized it wasn't my ball when I picked it up on the next hole and didn't see my marker.
"I called for a referee and decided to disqualify myself. It was the right thing to do. I haven't been playing that well on the Asian Tour but I've gained a lot of experience which I believe will benefit me in the long run," said the 21-year-old, who is searching for his maiden career victory.
He will be joined by a strong cast of local hopes including Shaaban Hussin, who finished in tied 20th in Indonesia last week, S. Siva Chandhran and Airil Rizman, a former Asian Tour winner.
"I'm feeling very low in confidence but in golf you have to move on and try to bounce back. That's what I'm aiming to do this week and will do my best to win," said Akhmal.
Thailand's Panuphol Pittayarat, nicknamed "Coconut" will also aim to shine as he spearheads a strong international cast assembled at the Clearwater Sanctuary Golf Resort.
Filipino teen sensation Miguel Tabuena, Timothy Tang of Hong Kong, veteran golfer Zaw Moe of Myanmar and Japanese Yosuke Tsukada, who currently leads the Asian Development Tour Order of Merit will also feature in the event.
Panuphol, who turned professional three years ago after studying in Australia for a year, earned his Asian Tour card in Qualifying School on home soil earlier this year.
He believes a top-10 finish this week is a big accomplishment in his fledging career.
"I haven't been playing well recently. I've been playing competitively for a few weeks and I'm feeling tired physically and mentally. I have to learn how to cope with this and keep myself fit," said Panuphol.
"I hope to improve in each tournament I play in. There are many strong and talented players this week and I aim to finish in the top-10. That will be a great result for me," added the Thai.
Kenny Yap Ken Nan, the Chief Executive Officer of Clearwater Sanctuary Golf Resort, was delighted to host the first international golf tournament in Perak since 1995.
"The Asian Development Tour is a very unique tournament that has allowed us to bring in international players to the state of Perak. We hope more people and sponsors will support this event as we aim to elevate the stature of the tournament into a full field Asian Tour tournament in the coming years to come," said Yap.
The top three players on the Asian Development Tour Order of Merit at the end of the season will earn their Asian Tour cards for 2012.
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