Date: April 24, 2007
Author: Alistair Hogg

National Squad trio off to Malaysia

Ray Beaufils (QLD), Rudi Bezuidenhuot (NSW) and Josh Younger (VIC) have been selected to compete in next month&aposs Malaysian Amateur and Saujana Amateur in Asia. The trio will leave our shores on 14 May and arrive in Kuala Lumpur before travelling to Sabah, a Malaysian state on the island of Borneo. The first assignment for the group begins on May 17 when the Malaysian Amateur gets underway at Nexus Golf Resort. Set on the sandy fringes of the Karambunai Peninsula, the par-72 course features picturesque fairways, tropical landscaping and daunting water hazards. The Ronald Fream designed course was voted Malaysia&aposs Leading Golf Resort consecutively in 2004/05 and invites aggressive play but will punish any player lacking precision. The 2007 Malaysian Amateur marks the first time in the event&aposs 105 year history that it has been held in East Malaysia. It is also one of the major amateur tournaments around the world that has been selected by the R&A to implement the recently-introduced world amateur golf ranking points. The Australian trio will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of National Squad team mate Andrew Dodt who won the event last year. The Queenslander finished with a total of 19-under to claim the honours at Penang Golf Resort. Entries for 2007 have been flowing in with no fewer than 15 countries participating including New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, debutants South Africa and hosts Malaysia who will be fielding a large contingent of national squad and junior players. The 72-hole stroke play event begins on Thursday May 17 and concludes on Sunday May 20 with the top 60 scores plus ties making the cut at the half-way mark. Following the Malaysian Amateur the Australian trio will compete in the Saujana Amateur at Saujana Golf & Country Club just outside of Kuala Lumpur. Set in a carved out palm and rubber plantation, the scenic club features two 18-hole courses situated among rolling hills just outside the city. The tournament will be played on the Palm Course which is renowned for its difficulty. It is nicknamed “The Cobra” because of its daunting nature and the par-three second hole has been rated as the hardest in Malaysia. Australian Andrew Buckle triumphed at Saujana in 2002 and ex-National Squad member Steven Dartnall won in 2006, so no doubt their countrymen will be seeking to continue the Australian success when the event gets underway hot on the heels of the Malaysian Amateur. Malaysian Amateur Nexus Golf Resort, Karambunai Sabah May 17-20 Saujana Amateur Saujana Golf & Country Club, Kuala Lumpur May 23-25 AUSTRALIAN TEAM Ray Beaufils, 20, Queensland Rudi Bezuidenhuot, 21, New South Wales Josh Younger, 23, Victoria Roger Hunt (manager)