For the game of golf, Sime Darby is supporting the eight Malaysian professionals who have qualified for the upcoming Maybank Malaysian Open 2011 (MMO 2011) as well as young hopefuls under the National Junior Elite Development Programme.

The eight Malaysian professionals who have qualified for the MMO 2011 - Ben Leong, Danny Chia, Iain Steel, M. Sasidaran, S. Siva Chandran, Airil Rizman, Shaaban Hussin, and Md. Rashid Ismail (a Sime Darby employee) – will have privileged access to the award-winning Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (KLGCC) golf course and facilities in preparation for Malaysia’s premier golf tournament in mid-April.

Each golfer received a temporary membership to KLGCC which allows them full usage of the practice greens, driving range and club facilities to enable them to familiarize themselves with the award-winning West Course and hone their game for the challenge ahead.

The players, whose eligibility was determined by the Malaysian Golf Association (MGA), today received their temporary membership cards from Robert Bird, General Manager of KLGCC.

Robert Bird, General Manager of KLGCC, said, We are pleased to do our part in supporting our home grown talent in their preparation for the much anticipated MMO 2011 challenge where they will be up against some of the world’s best players.

Datuk Robin Loh, President of MGA, said he was very pleased with the initiative led by KLGCC as it will spur Malaysian players to achieve greater success in the MMO 2011.

This effort is consistent with MGA’s objective to push Malaysian golfers to the top of the leader board in 2011, when the prestigious MMO is hosted at KLGCC, he added.

Appreciating that talent can be cultivated at a young age, KLGCC has joined hands with MGA and MST Golf Academy to introduce the National Junior Elite Development Programme for budding golfers between the ages of 10 and 14 in the country.

The National Junior Elite Development Programme is aimed at creating national golfers who can compete in major international golf tournaments and possibly even the Olympics in the future.

The programme will see junior players undergo unique conditioning and learning insights similar to the training programmes adopted for much older champion golfers who have displayed a strong mental game which is the key to consistency in golf.

The young golfers are selected based on eight specific traits, including self confidence, emotional stability and tough mental condition, which are said to be found in champion golfers as determined by Golfpsych Inc., USA. On completion of the program, these juniors would have a competitive edge in future competitions.

We are very excited about this new programme as these young talents have the best opportunity to be groomed and trained from a tender age. We hope to see these youth golfers develop their skills and excel in the sport and do the country proud one day. This is also very much in line with Sime Darby’s commitment to promote sports development in the country, said Robert Bird.

Datuk Loh said these commendable initiatives will surely go far in helping junior golfers to live up to their potential as well as give them a competitive edge.

Instituting these types of programmes is essential for the progress of the golfing industry in the country, and especially to stimulate national interest in the sport. It is truly a worthy effort by Sime Darby to invest in this unique programme and provide the junior golfers with an avenue for growth, he added.

Paul Gibbons, MST GOLF Director of Group Marketing, said MST Golf is proud to partner with Sime Darby and pave the way for golfers in Malaysia to enhance their abilities and further their golfing potential. With continued commitment and enthusiasm, we are confident that both of these programmes will be a success, he noted.

Following the presentation of the KLGCC access cards and introduction of the National Junior Elite Development Programme, a friendly game between the professional golfers and members of the media was held. Some participants of the Junior Elite Development Programme were also in attendance.