Buoyed by winning form, Malaysia’s Zubair Firdaus will take aim at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship starting on Thursday ready to challenge the region’s best with a fresh boost of confidence. The 23-year-old, who recently graduated from San Jose University where he was in the golf team, triumphed at the Bahrain Amateur Open two weeks ago, overcoming a five-stroke deficit to win by two shots.
The success comes at an opportune time as he is part of a seven-strong Malaysian team challenging for honours at the Emirates Golf Club, where the Asia-Pacific Amateur champion will earn coveted spots to play in next year’s Masters and The Open. “Golf is a lot to do with confidence and momentum,“ said Zubair. “It’s very important. if you can keep this going, things just fall your way easier. I think it’s good coming into the week being very hot. I feel great about that. Ball-striking and putting worked well (in Bahrain), which are two huge keys here. I’m looking for a great week.”
He will make his fourth successive appearance in the region’s premier amateur Championship – his best finish was T32 in 2022 – alongside fellow Malaysians Anson Yeo, Zia Iqmal Abdul Rashid, Hariz Hezri, Maverick Chua, Farez Azihan and Joshua Lim. Zubair, however, believes he is now a different golfer than the first time he first teed up in the Asia-Pacific Amateur. A trip to Dubai this week also feels like a happy homecoming as Zubair lived in the cosmopolitan city famed for its stunning skyline in the United Arab Emirates for eight years from the age of six due to his father’s work. “I think it’s a great golf course. You need a lot of good tee balls and keep it on the fairways and give yourself opportunities to make birdies. I think that’s the key here,“ said Zubair, whose win in Bahrain earned him an invitation to the DP World Tour’s Bahrain Championship in January. “I grew up playing on this golf course, so I’m used to this wind style. You need to shape your shots and keep it under the wind, which I’m quite comfortable with this kind of golf.”
This will also be Anson Yeo’s fourth straight appearance in the Championship and the 19-year-old from Kuching is ready for the big test in Dubai. He made the cut in every appearance, with a best of 29th position in 2022. “The golf course is challenging, it’s pretty long and the winds pick up in the afternoon. You need to have a game plan, hit fairways and good irons into the greens. I’m proud to represent Malaysia again. I will try my best and improve on my previous position,“ said Yeo, who is the highest ranked Malaysian in the World Amateur Golf Ranking at No. 232. “Playing in the Masters and The Open is everybody’s dream. It’s an opportunity to play this week and I’ll have to play my best. Who knows, maybe I can win this.”
