The Team Captains. Dorothy Ng presents a Malaysian gift to Chloe Yong
Every year, RSGC Lady golfers look forward to this longstanding annual competition. RSGC must be one of the very few Malaysian golf clubs with a huge international Membership, from those who have settled in Malaysia to Corporate as well as Diplomatic Members – including the Lady golfers. We have a large Japanese Membership who even have their own well-subscribed weekly social games. RSGC is a true melting pot of Nationalities. We had a very good mix to make up the 28 International ladies to pit against the 28 Malaysians in this annual challenge. We had representation from Japan, South Korea, China, Switzerland, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Liechtenstein. Not many clubs can boast such a variety of nationalities amongst their membership!
This was one of the largest fields for this game in recent years and it led to a small problem of finding enough International golfers to match the enthusiastic Local signup. Once the Lady Golf Captain had appointed the traditional Team Captains, the Local Ladies Captain Dorothy Ng and her team went into full swing to source International Ladies for the opposing team, ostensibly to avoid having to ‘loan’ a Local lady to the International team, as happens quite often. No! We were not going to allow this to happen this time. At one point there was even consideration that Local Ladies who were married to foreigners might qualify as Internationals. Having been ‘loaned’ to the Internationals myself in previous years, this year I clung on to my Malaysian citizenship tightly, even sharing a Miss Malaysia photo to stake my true claim! Frantic messages and calls went out and eventually International Captain Chloe Yong had a full team. Unfortunately the Philippines Ambassador, Her Excellency Maria Angela Ponce was not available or we would have had even more countries represented.
Azarine Rahman had the perfect Malaysian shirt!
Local Team Captain Dorothy instructed her team Members to dress in the 4 colours of our Jalur Gemilang and International Team Chloe provided team visors for her team, all dressed in pink shirts. It certainly produced a colourful picture.
I have to say that throughout the history of this game it is not often that the Local Ladies manage to beat the Internationals. The Japanese and Korean Ladies are sometimes just too good! This year the game was played in an individual Stableford format and only the top 10 scores would be taken. As flights came in, it ended in a nail biting wait for the last team as the score stood at a draw! And yes, the Local Ladies won 341 to 333! We were delighted to see the return of Ainon Aznam at the top with a score of 38 points while the International MVP was Hu Xin with 42 points. Well done Ladies! The losers handed over RM10 to the winners and a good time was had by all ending with a delicious lunch.
A special thanks to our captain Chloe, who brought a strong team together.
Thank you to the Team Captains for their hard work. In fact, the whole event was truly a team effort. Here’s what the players had to say:
Shurin Halim: Reflecting on my experience, I faced significant challenges during the second half of the game, enduring relentless cramps. Nevertheless, reminded myself to persevere, for the love of my country, ‘Malaysia Boleh’. The inspiration that fuelled me was the song ‘Setia’
Dorothy Ng: As Local Ladies team captain, this has been an eye opener for me. Our ladies are very good team players. They support, encourage and cheer each other on.
Peg Wong: Local ladies dressed up in the colours of the Malaysian flag signify the Muhibbah-ness of our country! Diversity and unity!
Sima Lee: Congrats to the team for playing so well that we won Let us work hard again to win next time.
Ziltawati Mohd Tajuddin: It was a fantastic event! The local team spirit was incredible and our team’s vibrant colours really stood out compared to the opponents. Thanks to the top 10 scorers who helped us secure the win. Malaysia Boleh!
Jean Khoo: Had an amazing time! It was all about camaraderie and growth rather than competition. A special thanks to my opponent for the helpful pointers during the match. Here’s to more moments of unity and support in sports!
Salbiah Shuib: A really fun day. I’m sure new friendships were made too! It gave me an opportunity to play with new people, enjoy their company and appreciate their different skills in the game.
Chloe Yong: As the Captain of the International Team, this fun game really made me so excited. With 28 Ladies’ efforts, we had strong confidence to fight the Local Team. I could see everyone was very serious when playing, and it was very enjoyable during lunch and prize giving. It gave me an unforgettable memory to have all these great people together, building up a great team and playing in this great place!
Chizuko Hirata: I was able to really enjoy this game, which involved women from many different countries. I am grateful to our captain for organising the great team and this game.
Karin Heinemann: I very much enjoyed the friendly tournament. A morning full of camaraderie and friendship. In my flight, everyone cheered on everyone, which is a true sign of sportswomanship.
Rini Nuraini: It’s a wonderful tradition every year, and it’s always refreshing when the game is more about enjoyment and camaraderie rather than intense competition. Kudos to the two captains for all the end-to-end preparations. Well done! A well-prepared event, followed by a fantastic lunch that allows everyone to connect and get to know each other better. Aside from my could-be-better shots, it was an unforgettable experience as I feel like this goes beyond sport, it’s really about fostering connections that create everlasting memories.
Chris Atallah: The annual Locals vs. International Ladies competition is truly a wonderful event. It was such a beautiful sight to see 56 smiling and cheerful ladies gathered at the club early in the morning. Our International Lady Captain, Chloe was so sweet and thoughtful to get pink visors for her team. Each player on the international team also received a jar of delicious cookies from Ena. A big thank you from all the international players to these two amazing ladies! The lunch buffet was scrumptious and delicious! We all had so much fun chatting and laughing! We international ladies can’t wait for 2025 to win back the trophy. A big thanks to everyone who helped make this competition a success!
Miju Ohn: It was a stunning experience because I won the closest to the line. Hurray! Thank you for hard efforts who prepared this fun and nice event. Oxtail noodle soup was so yummy.
