Marcus Lim clinched his first professional victory with a stellar four-under 68, finishing with a seven-under 209 to win the Alphard Cup by a single stroke at the challenging Penang Golf Resort today.
Starting one stroke behind overnight leader Edven Ying, Lim's putter caught fire as he made five birdies within a six-hole stretch from the 7th to the 12th. Meanwhile, Fortuner Cup winner Ben Leong surged into contention with a four-under 32 on the front nine and at one point led by two strokes.
However, Lim's birdie spree gave him a four-shot lead with six holes remaining, setting the stage for a tense finish. Leong birdied the 16th, while Lim's bogeys on the 16th and 17th reduced the gap to just two shots. Leong's bogey on the par-3 17th proved crucial, despite him birdieing the 18th for a matching four-under 68. A potential playoff loomed if Lim bogeyed the final hole.
"I wasn’t aware of what was happening ahead of me apart from my flight mates," Lim said. "I thought I had to chip in for birdie at the last to win." Instead, he needed only to sink a 30-inch putt to seal the victory. “I’m ecstatic with the result, although not so much with my overall game,” Lim admitted. “I know I can perform better, and I’ll need to step up as I have three Asian Development Tour events coming up. My goal is to finish in the ADT top 10 by season’s end and earn an Asian Tour card.”
Ying closed with a one-under 71 for a 211 total, two strokes behind Lim. This marks his best result since his Vios Cup win at Templer Park CC last year. The Toyota Tour is organized by Professional Golf Malaysia and delivered by MST Golf.
In the Ladies Championship, Zulaikah Nasser secured her second consecutive Toyota Tour victory, despite a shaky finish. She carded a three-over 75 for a 215 total, edging out Jocelyn Chee by two strokes. Amateur Winnie Ng finished third, one stroke behind Chee, after shooting the best score among the ladies with a one-under 71 in the final round.
Zulaikah had a commanding six-stroke lead midway through her round but stumbled with bogeys on the 13th, 14th, and 15th holes. Jocelyn’s birdies on the 11th, 12th, and 16th trimmed Zulaikah’s lead to just two strokes.
“She was hitting darts, and it rattled me,” Zulaikah admitted. “I was pressing too hard, even with the big lead, and started missing greens. When Jocelyn bogeyed 17, I told myself to stay focused and keep control.”
Zulaikah entered the final hole with a three-shot lead. Jocelyn’s approach to 8 feet applied pressure, but Zulaikah’s steady 22-foot putt secured a safe par, while Jocelyn birdied, leaving Zulaikah with a two-stroke victory.
“I’m exhausted. I need a break,” said the 22-year-old, who recently won the Harrier Cup in Kuantan just two weeks ago, and the Toyota Tour qualifying school at Kota Seriemas GCC the week before that. Zulaikah’s second professional win solidifies her status as the hottest female golfer in the country, and she now looks ahead to the Yaris Cup at Mines Resort next month.
Leading Final Round scores
Men's
209 (-7) Marcus Lim 72-69-68
210 (-6) Ben Leong 70-72-68
211 (-5) Edven Ying 73-67-71
213 (-3) Fakhrul Akmal 74-68-71
214 (-2) Malcolm Ting 71-72-71, Hui Yong Sherng 74-68-72
215 (-1) Galven Green 72-74-69
216 (Even) Paul San 76-70-70, Khor Kheng Hwai 70-75-71, Airil Rizman 73-71-72, Wafiyuddin Manaf 73-71-72
Ladies
215 (-1) Zulaikah Nasser 72-68-75
217 (+1) Jocelyn Chee 73-72-72
218 (+2) Winnie Ng (am) 77-70-71
221 (+5) Aretha Pan 73-75-73, Geraldine Wong 75-72-74
