Former champion ‘Dino’ in search of spark at PKNS Selangor Masters
Just over two years ago, Shahriffuddin Ariffin [main picture] looked to have everything going for him. Buoyed by a victory at the PKNS Selangor Masters, he went on to finish fourth on the 2022 Asian Development Tour (ADT) Order of Merit to earn his Asian Tour card. Report by Jonathan Ponniah at the PKNS Selangor Masters.
Fast forward to 2025 and the easy-going Malaysian is back for the 12th staging of the Selangor Masters, which tees-off tomorrow at Seri Selangor Golf Club, in an all together different head space.
‘Dino’, as he is known to close friends and family, failed to keep his Asian Tour card following a disappointing 2024 season, lit up by occasional flashes of brilliance, and is hoping that being back on familiar ground will reignite the fire that has been missing in his game of late.
“Being back here at Seri Selangor does give me a lift,” said the 25-year-old, who finished joint ninth at last year’s championship. “I want to regain my momentum and rediscover my feel, as I have performed well at past PKNS Selangor Masters.”
Shahriffuddin Ariffin.
Shahriffuddin has two ADT titles on his résumé, having also won the PGM Labuan Championship in 2018. What chances of another victory this week at Seri Selangor?
“I have many good memories from Seri Selangor and this week is a good chance for me to get a fresh start. I like tight courses and I’m aiming for a top-five finish to start this year. I don’t want to pressure myself too much, but If I do win, alhamdullilah,” said Shahriffuddin.
Family and friends played a huge role in keeping Shahriffuddin motivated through his on-course struggles in 2024.
“I struggled a lot last year, missing the cut narrowly in many tournaments. My swing was a bit off at the start of the year, and I had no idea why. Mentally, I was stressed due to the missed cuts. But my family was very supportive and kept encouraging me and kept praying for me, motivating me,” shared Shahriffuddin, who hails from the historic city of Malacca.
“I tried very hard to turn things around and regain my rhythm, and I had some deep conversations with my coach, caddie and family. My caddie, Firdaus, is my good friend and my former club-fitter in Malacca, so I talk with him a lot.
“Later in the year, I managed to get a bit of momentum, and I was quite satisfied with my performance in the last three months,” he added.
However, Shahriffuddin was still unable to keep his Asian Tour card and also failed to make it through December’s Qualifying School. That means the talented golfer will focus on the ADT this season.
Shahriffuddin pictured winning in 2022.
“This year I’ll be playing mainly on the ADT, and I might try to qualify for the All-Thailand Golf Tour. The ADT is the best tour for players starting out, and for players like me who are struggling to regain their form, as it gives us a chance to compete with international players,” he noted.
“I did my best to compete on the Asian Tour the last two years, but I wasn’t successful as my game was not sharp enough at that time. The level of play and pressure, the tournament set-ups, are different compared to the local tour and ADT. It’s a huge difference,” Shahriffuddin admitted.
Nevertheless, Shahriffuddin remains confident he can regain his form and relaunch his quest to play with the best, using the PKNS Selangor Masters as a launchpad.
“I am still confident that I can make it. My swing feels good right now, and I played well during the Albatross Cup earlier this month. I will try my best this week and hopefully build momentum with a good start to the year.”
Picture courtesy PKNS Selangor Masters.
Next year’s PKNS Selangor Masters is set to be one of its most celebrated editions as for the first time it will be staged as the season-opening tournament on the Asian Development Tour (ADT).
The tournament, one of Malaysia’s most prestigious, will be played at Seri Selangor Golf Club – its preferred home since its inception in 2008 – from January 22-25.
And in addition to its new, important date, the prize money will be increased to US$200,000 – representing a generous 14% increment.
“With this year’s Asian Development Tour having recently been successfully completed, we are pleased to be able to start unveiling plans for next year, with the exciting news that the PKNS Selangor Masters will help raise the curtain in 2025,” said Ken Kudo, General Manager, Asian Development Tour.
“This esteemed event, which is such an important one for Malaysian golf, will allow us to start the season with a bang and is sure to draw an extremely strong field.
Shahriffuddin Ariffin, the 2022 champion.
“We thank the Selangor State Government and PKNS for clearing the way to schedule the tournament as our season opener – which is a prime position.”
India’s Rahil Gangjee won the tournament this year [main picture], back in June, following on from Chinese-Taipei’s Ho Yu-cheng and Malaysia’s Shahriffuddin Ariffin.
“PKNS is delighted that the next Selangor Masters is just around the corner,” said YB Dato’ Setia Haji Haris Bin Kasim, Chairman of organising committee.
“Our association with the tournament has been extremely rewarding and allowed us to give back to Malaysia and its strong golfing community – where there remains huge potential for the country to grow into regional force.
“The PKNS Selangor Masters starting the new season puts us on the front foot from the get go and is an important development that reflects the significance of the event.”
The Selangor Masters was first staged in 2007 on the local circuit, before being elevated onto the Asian Tour the following year – when Malaysia’s Ben Leong claimed the title. It was played on the Asian Tour until 2014 before joining the ADT three years ago, post COVID-19.
Other winners are Australian Rick Kulacz (2009), Angelo Que (2010) of the Philippines and Joonas Granberg (2011) of Finland.
They were followed by the Thai trio of Thaworn Wiratchant (2012), Pariya Junhasavasdikul (2013) and Chapchai Nirat (2014).
Thailand’s Itthipat Buranatanyarat won the ADT’s season-ending Aramco Invitational in Saudi Arabia two weeks ago, to snatch the Order of Merit title at the last minute.
The Yeangder Group are reinforcing their commitment to the development of professional golf in Chinese-Taipei by launching their very first event on the Asian Development Tour (ADT), called the Ambassador ADT.
To be played at Hsin Feng Golf Country Club (main picture) from November 7-10, the event will boast prizemoney of US$100,000, and will be sanctioned by the local PGA.
It is part of a three-year commitment by the Yeangder Group, who are the promoter of the Yeangder TPC – one of Chinese-Taipei’s most prominent events on the Asian Tour.
Its Chairman Emmet Hsu, who is also on the Asian Tour’s Board of Directors, said: “Presently, three Asian Tour events are staged in Chinese-Taipei, including the Yeangder TPC. This is excellent for golf in our country, but we also want to create even more playing opportunities for Chinese-Taipei’s rising stars which is why the ADT is the perfect platform for growth.”
Ho Yu-cheng’s success is an example of how the ADT can launch careers. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“The ADT focuses on cultivating the next generation of Asia’s golfers and we saw this last year when Chinese-Taipei’s Ho Yu-cheng won the PKNS Selangor Masters. That helped him finish in the top-10 on the ADT Order of Merit which earned him his Asian Tour card. The ADT provides a pathway to propel the careers of the region’s up-and-coming players and we would like to be a part of this.”
Hsu’s son Bryan has recently started to participate in and organise tournaments – providing further impetus for the Yeangder Group to help the development of the game in a country that has produced so many of the region’s finest players.
The Ambassador ADT will feature a field of 126 players, 66 coming from the ADT, 56 from the local PGA, plus four invites.
Said Ken Kudo, General Manager, ADT: “Last year the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open was elevated from the ADT to the Asian Tour with great success. It also meant there were no ADT events in Chinese-Taipei, so we are delighted that the Yeangder Group have now seized the opportunity to fill the void with the Ambassador ADT, as part of a multi-year deal.”
As one of the season-ending events on the ADT, the event will play a decisive role in helping to shape the final Order of Merit and determine who finishes in the top-10 to secure passage onto the 2025 Asian Tour season.
Hsin Feng Golf Country Club is 27-hole golfing complex located in Hsinchu city in Northern Chinese-Taipei.
The Indonesia Pro-Am presented by Combiphar & Nomura, which made its debut appearance on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) last year, featuring a unique team format, will make a popular return to the calendar this September.
The tournament, which is managed by OB Golf – the country’s leading golf promoter – will once again be held at Gunung Geulis Country Club and be played from September 11-13.
It will boast prizemoney of US$125,000 for the individual category – one of the ADT’s most lucrative purses – with an additional US$25,000 up for grabs in the team competition.
Jimmy Masrin from OB Golf, and Chairman of the Asian Tour, said: “OB Golf are thrilled to be in position to confirm the return of the Indonesia Pro-Am presented by Combiphar & Nomura.
Kevin Akbar.
“OB Golf are at the forefront of the professional game in Indonesia, and we were delighted that the success of this event in 2023 helped facilitate its return this season. The tournament will again play an important role in adding to an already strong Asian Development Tour schedule.”
Indonesia’s Kevin Akbar triumphed last year; no doubt inspired by playing with the owner of Gunung Geulis Country Club Agung Budiman in the team event. The team event is a three-day best-ball format that sees professionals partnered with local amateurs.
Two courses will be used at Gunung Geulis Country Club, the East and West, as per last year, with a field of 106 professionals participating along with 100 amateurs.
Ken Kudo, General Manager, ADT, said: “We are delighted to continue our partnership with OB Golf in staging the Indonesia Pro-Am presented by Combiphar & Nomura. Indonesia is always a very popular destination amongst the ADT membership and as a collective we are excited to be heading back once again.
“We remember with great fondness Kevin Akbar winning the Indonesia Pro-Am presented by Combiphar & Nomura in front of patriotic home support; there was a wonderful atmosphere that is synonymous with events in the Indonesian archipelago. Further schedule updates will be provided in due course.”
Gunung Geulis Country Club is located in Bogor – south of the capital Jakarta.
The ADT’s season got underway at the Lexus Challenge in Vietnam in March. Pakistan’s Ahmad Baig claimed the title at The Bluffs Grand Ho Tram, for his first international victory.
Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert triumphed in the most recent event, the Singha Laguna Phuket Open last month, for his eighth victory on the ADT – the most by any player. The event was played at Laguna Golf Phuket – a member of Asian Tour Destinations.
The PKNS Selangor Masters, which has been one of the highlights of the season on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) for the past two years, returns to the schedule this year and will be played at its regular home Seri Selangor Golf Club from June 19-22.
The popular event, which celebrates its 11th edition this season, will boast total prizemoney of US$175,000, and it will be the ADT’s fifth leg of the season.
It will also mark the ADT’s first visit of the season to Malaysia, and it will be jointly sanctioned with the Toyota Tour – Malaysia’s domestic circuit, and a long-standing partner.
“I think it is fair to say the PKNS Selangor Masters is back by popular demand once again this year,” said Ken Kudo, General Manager, Asian Development Tour.
“Our season is already underway and so we truly welcome today’s announcement that confirms the PKNS Selangor Masters for 2024. It is one of the most lucrative events on the Asian Development Tour that has earned the respect of our membership since joining the fold in 2022.
2022 Selangor Masters winner Shahriffuddin Ariffin.
“We thank the organisers and sponsors of the event, Seri Selangor Golf Club and our friends at the Toyota Tour for their concentrated efforts in facilitating the 11th staging of this important tournament for Malaysia and the Asian Development Tour.”
Eighty players from the ADT will be eligible to play, while there will be 40 from the Toyota Tour. The total field size will be 144, with 24 invites.
Said Dato’ Setia Haji Haris bin Kasim, Selangor State Secretary & Chairman of the organising committee: “We are expecting a strong international field once again this year for a tournament that regularly attracts leading players from the region.
“The Selangor Masters is also an important and established platform for Malaysian golfers to benefit from and take advantage of the fact that the top-10 players from the final Asian Development Tour Order of Merit earn their Asian Tour cards for the following season. This happened in 2022 when Shahriffuddin Ariffin won the tournament and secured a top-10 finish on the Merit list, and the following year when Ervin Chang tied for eighth enroute to finishing in the top-10.”
The ADT’s season got underway last month at the Lexus Challenge in Vietnam. Pakistan’s Ahmad Baig claimed the title at The Bluffs Grand Ho Tram, for his first international victory.
Chinese-Taipei’s Ho Yu-Cheng (main picture) claimed the Selangor Masters last year, succeeding Ariffin – who when he triumphed became only the second Malaysian to raise the trophy. Malaysia’s Ben Leong triumphed in 2008.
The Selangor Masters was first staged in 2007 on the local circuit, before being elevated the following year onto the Asian Tour until 2014. It was revived two years ago on the ADT – the Asian Tour’s thriving secondary circuit that helps cultivate the region’s stars of tomorrow.
When the event was staged in 2022, it was actually the first international golf tournament to be held in Malaysia following a near two-year disruption in play due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Other winners of the Selangor Masters are Australian Rick Kulacz (2009), Angelo Que (2010) of the Philippines and Joonas Granberg (2011) of Finland.
They were followed by the Thai trio of Thaworn Wiratchant (2012), Pariya Junhasavasdikul (2013) and Chapchai Nirat (2014) – who emerged victorious in a play-off to end a five-year title drought for his fourth win on Asian Tour.
The Aramco Invitational Tournament, the showstopper event on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) last year, will return to the schedule this year, and be played at Rolling Hills Golf Club, in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia from November 27-30.
With a total purse of US$250,000, which matches last year’s prize fund, it will be one of the most lucrative events on the ADT – playing a decisive role in determining who finishes in the top-10 on the Order of Merit, which will reward players with Asian Tour cards for the 2025 season.
Today’s news follows the exciting announcement last year of Aramco’s title sponsorship of the event for three years, starting in 2023, making it the biggest and most significant partnership in the history of the ADT. Headquartered in Dhahran, Aramco is one of the world’s leading integrated energy and chemicals companies.
Nabil Al-Nuaim, Chairman of the Saudi Aramco Golf Association (SAGA) and Aramco’s Senior Vice President of Digital and Information Technology, said: “Aramco is proud to continue to support golf through partnerships with key national and international partners. We aim to support the Asian Development Tour and encourage young and aspiring Saudi nationals to become professional golfers.”
Rolling Hills Country Club.
The field size will be 120 players, including 70 from the ADT, 40 from Aramco, and 10 invitees.
Last year, in one of the most thrilling finishes witnessed on the ADT and Asian Tour, Thailand’s Denwit Boriboonsub (main picture) won the Aramco Invitational Tournament by beating England’s William Harrold in a sudden-death play-off at Rolling Hills Golf Club.
The win for Denwit was also enough to clinch victory in the season-long Order of Merit, as it was the final event of the season. Remarkably, the following week, he triumphed in the Thailand Open on the All Thailand Golf Tour, and the week after that, he won the Saudi Open presented by Public Investment Fund, the last stop of the year on the Asian Tour.
Ken Kudo, General Manager of the Asian Development Tour, said: “We all saw the incredible impact the Aramco Invitational Tournament made on the Asian Development Tour last year, in terms of how it dramatically transformed Denwit Boriboonsub’s season and the opportunities it offered him, and also the overall level of excitement it contributed to the circuit.
“The ADT is on the rise, and it is because of partners like Aramco. We thank them for their ongoing support and commitment to the development of our Tour, its members and golf in our regions as a whole.”
Minhaj Khan, Vice Chairman of the Saudi Aramco Golf Association, said: “Aramco aims to expand, enhance and enrich the Asian Development Tour, and players will have an opportunity to compete in the event while experiencing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the fullest.”
Thailand’s Varanyu Rattanaphiboonkij was victorious in the inaugural event in 2022, when it was also played at the Rolling Hills Golf Course.
The Aramco Invitational Tournament announcement is the sixth ADT event to be unveiled so far this season, with many more to come.
Last year, the schedule featured 12 events, offering lucrative overall prize money of US$1.38million.
Located in Dhahran, Rolling Hills is a private course for employees of Aramco.
In advance of its full schedule announcement for 2024, the Asian Development Tour (ADT) is delighted to confirm the return of the ADT–All Thailand Partnership Trophy and the Singha Laguna Phuket Open next season.
This comes in tandem with the All Thailand Golf Tour (ATGT) releasing its full schedule today – that confirmed both tournaments will be jointly-sanctioned by the two prospering circuits.
The ADT–All Thailand Partnership Trophy, won by Thailand’s Kosuke Hamamoto in July, will be staged from May 2-5, and offer total prizemoney of THB3million (approximately US$86,690). The venue will be confirmed later.
The following week, from May 9-12, the Singha Laguna Phuket Open will be hosted by Laguna Golf Phuket (pictured) – an Asian Tour Destinations member – where the purse will be THB4million (approximately US$115,590). Indonesia’s rising star Naraajie Ramadhanputra raised the trophy in May.
Kosuke Hamamoto.
Ken Kudo, Associate Director, Partnerships, Asian Tour said: “As we finalise details for the 2024 season, we are thrilled to be able confirm that the ADT–All Thailand Partnership Trophy and the Singha Laguna Phuket Open will be back.
“Both events were extremely successful and popular this year and will once again be important stops for our membership in the new season. The fact that we are able to announce this so soon is a reflection of the strong relationship we have with our long-standing partner the All Thailand Golf Tour. More news on our calendar will be revealed in due course.”
Both tournaments will feature a Monday qualifier, which are open to ADT members, and will see a maximum of 12 players qualify. A total of 60 places are available for ADT players in each tournament, which will boast starting fields of 144 players. They will be broadcast live on local television.
The 2023 ADT season came to a memorable conclusion at the beginning of this month when Thailand’s Denwit Booribonsub won the Aramco Invitational.
That allowed him to top the ADT Order of Merit and secure his Asian Tour card for 2024, something that the top-10 on Merit list are all rewarded with.
Remarkably, just two weeks later Denwit went on the claim the Saudi Open presented by Public Investment Fund – the final event of the Asian Tour’s season. It is the first time that a player achieved that double and was another example of the myriad of opportunities offered by the ADT – the Asian Tour’s burgeoning feeder circuit. This year it featured 12 events offering lucrative overall prizemoney of US$1.38million.
Naraajie Ramadhanputra.
The new year is expected to see an increase in the number of events as well as greater prizemoney.
Asian Development Tour (ADT) Order of Merit contenders will be driving for glory when they line-up in November’s Toyota Tour Championship.
To be staged over the Palm Course (pictured) at Kuala Lumpur’s Saujana Golf & Country Club, the event is being co-sanctioned by the ADT and the Toyota Tour, Malaysia’s domestic professional circuit.
Both the ADT and Toyota Tour will be allocated 66 spots with six invites each in the starting line-up.
The total prize fund will be RM350,000 (approximately US$74,000).
As well as acting as the penultimate leg of the ADT’s 2023 season, the Toyota Tour Championship (November 15-18) will mark the culmination of the inaugural Toyota Tour campaign.
The ADT’s most recent winner, Deyen Lawson of Australia, who claimed the Indo Masters Golf Invitational presented by TNE. Picture by Yulius Martinus/OB Golf.
Following on from the PKNS Selangor Masters (November 8-11), it will also wrap-up a two-week mini-Malaysian swing for the ADT during which the Order of Merit battle is certain to intensify.
With promotion to the Asian Tour in 2024 the prize for the top-10 in the end-of-season ADT standings, the Malaysian tournaments will be pivotal in determining which players will make the step-up next year.
Cho Minn Thant, the Asian Tour Commissioner & CEO, said: “I know our players will be delighted to have back-to-back events in Malaysia as the ADT season heads towards what promises to be an exciting climax.
“With playing rights for the 2024 Asian Tour season on the line, there will be so much at stake. A good fortnight in Malaysia could confirm a player’s place in the top-10 or propel them into contention.
“Our thanks go to our friends at the Toyota Tour as well as the management and staff at Saujana, which has been the scene of so many memorable championships over the past 25 years.”
Launched this year, the Toyota Tour is a tri-party agreement between the Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) Tour, UMW Toyota Motor as the naming partner and MST Golf as the delivery agency.
“The partnership with the ADT for the season-ending Toyota Tour Championship will provide an avenue for our professionals to progress to the regional circuits and beyond,” said PGM Tour Acting Chairman Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Hamad Kama Piah Che Othman.
Asian Development Tour (ADT) players will be vying for an increased prize purse at November’s PKNS Selangor Masters.
To be held at the Kelab Golf Seri Selangor from November 8-11, the 72-hole stroke play event will offer a total prize fund of US$175,000 – up from US$150,000 last year.
For 2023, the event is being co-sanctioned with the Toyota Tour, Malaysia’s domestic professional circuit. The ADT will be allocated 70 spots in the starting line-up, with the Toyota Tour receiving 40 places.
Launched this year, the Toyota Tour is a tri-party agreement between the Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) Tour, UMW Toyota Motor as the naming partner and MST Golf as the delivery agency.
Cho Minn Thant, the Asian Tour Commissioner & CEO, said: “We’re delighted to confirm the PKNS Selangor Masters’ place on the ADT schedule this year, and to be partnering with the Toyota Tour.
Shahriffuddin Ariffin
“We’re thankful to the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) for their continued support and for ensuring the PKNS Selangor Masters remains one of the richest events on the Asian Development Tour.”
Said YBhg. Dato‘ Mahmud bin Abbas, Chief Executive Officer, PKNS: “The partnership between the PKNS Selangor Masters and the ADT provides an important avenue for professionals to progress to the regional circuits and beyond. We therefore feel it is appropriate to further elevate the stature of the tournament by increasing its purse.”
With the top-10 on the ADT’s end-of-season Order of Merit (OOM) earning promotion to the Asian Tour in 2024, the PKNS Selangor Masters will be one of the closing tournaments that will prove decisive in determining who makes it through.
After an eight-year absence, the PKNS Selangor Masters made a welcome return to the region’s golfing schedule last year.
In a fitting finale, Malaysian Shahriffuddin Ariffin showed steely determination to clinch victory from Thailand’s Denwit Boriboonsub.
He was only the second Malaysian to savour success in the event, following Ben Leong who repelled the challenge of Thai Thongchai Jaidee to triumph in the inaugural Selangor Masters in 2008, when the tournament was part of the Asian Tour.
A project of the Selangor State Development Corporation, Seri Selangor’s Ross Watson-designed 18-hole course was launched amid much fanfare in 1998, billed as Malaysia’s first genuine public facility.
PKNS’ vision was to provide a sustainable golf experience that was affordable and accessible to all. A quarter of a century on, that vision still holds true.
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