Myanmar wins Asian club golfing title

Myanmar wins Asian club golfing title

CIMANGGIS, West Java (JP): Myanmar proved again the strength
of its amateur game yesterday as it swept to its second victory
in the Johnnie Walker International Club Championship at the
Emeralda Golf and Country Club.

Lying in second place, by 0.6 points, after the first round on
Sunday, the team represented by the Ayeyarwady Golf Club from the
northern city of Pathein, showed its true mettle to score 444.8
points using the Double Peoria handicap system.

"I told them not to worry about the Indian team and to go out
and play their own game" said Myanmar's Captain Thet Lwin, "which
was exactly what they did."

The 1995 Johnnie Walker International Club Champion was
represented this year by Aye Lwin in handicap Class A (0-9), Ye
Lwin Aung in Class B (10-16) and Arkar Han in Class C (17-24).

The comparatively young men all played as if they were former
caddies and had grown up on golf courses.

Myanmar won Asia's premier team event in 1995 in South Korea.
The annual event is for amateurs playing for their respective
clubs.

South Korea's Cheju Country Club made an impressive charge on
the final day, to secure a close second place by only 0.8 points,
having been in sixth after the first round. In third spot was
Guam's Talafofo Golf Club, with a total of 445.8, just 0.2 points
behind the Koreans.

The host team, T. Sugianto, Zainal Effendi and Anthony
Matulesy playing under the banner of Bogor Golf Club, moved up
one place on the final day to finish with a total of 458.4, in
tenth place.

The defending champion India managed to finish as a team,
despite the fact that Sudeep Chitlangia in Handicap A class
suffered from severe heat stroke.

Double joy

There was double joy for Aye Lwin who also took the individual
honors in Class A with a total gross score of 157 (79 78), while
Korea's Kim Sung-Rok was successful in Class B with a gross
finish of 165 (86 79). The Class C winner with a total of 172 (83
89) was Lew Ching Yoong of Singapore.

Also participating in the seventh Johnnie Walker International
Club Championship were Thailand (Leam Chabang International Golf
Club) in fourth place, followed by Vietnam (Song Be Golf Club),
Singapore (Warren Golf and Country Club), the Philippines (Alta
Vista Golf Club), Malaysia (Royal Perak Golf Club), Indonesia
(Bogor Golf Club), Sri Lanka (Royal Colombo Golf Club), Nepal
(Royal Nepal Golf Club) and Hong Kong (Shek O Golf Club).

The prize-giving was scheduled to be held at a gala evening
last night at which the professional Johnnie Walker Super Tour
players were expected to attend. (rsl)

Results:
444.8 - Myanmar
445.6 - South Korea
445.8 - Guam
446.8 - Thailand
447.7 - Vietnam
450.4 - Singapore
454.4 - Philippines
454.8 - India
455.4 - Malaysia
458.4 - Indonesia
462 - Sri Lanka
474.2 - Nepal
477 - Hong Kong