How does it feel to successfully defend your Club Championship title?
Alhamdulillah. It is very satisfying to be able to defend the title in a prestigious event like our championship, especially with a field of high-calibre golfers. In my opinion, out of all the other championships that I play in throughout the calendar year, winning RSGC’s Club Championship has always been my top priority and biggest achievement in my amateur golfing career.
Did you feel any extra pressure coming into this tournament as the defending champion?
Of course! The pressure is always on the defending champion, as everybody is there to replace you at the top. With my competitor, Aiden Kei, playing very well in the Malaysian professional circuit as an amateur (also, he is 20 years younger than me), he was my main opponent going into the championship.
What was the biggest challenge for you in this year’s tournament compared to the previous ones?
Time. Due to my corporate life (contrary to what other Members say—yes, I do work for a living, guys!), the first couple of weeks of 2025 were very challenging for me because of work commitments. So yeah, time was the biggest issue—juggling work, family, and training for this event. Moreover, I was working with my coach, Steven Giulliano, out of KDE, making some adjustments to my game and slight changes to my swing.
Was there a particular moment or shot in the tournament that you felt was a turning point for your win?
To be honest, I don’t think there was a single defining moment or shot, but rather the way I played overall in the finals. Bear in mind, I didn’t play well at all during the qualifying matches (scoring 80 gross on both days) and barely made it past the first few rounds of match play.
I guess when I finished Day 1 at 1 or 2 under par in the finals, I knew I had it in me to win again. I suppose Aiden really brought out the best in me—he was a much superior ballstriker than I am, especially with his length off the tee. But I kept my head in the game, pressured him whenever I could, and capitalised on his mistakes whenever he made them. That’s match play for you!
How have you improved your game since your first championship win?
Well, due to time constraints and the fact that my competitors are at least one or two decades younger than me, my work in the gym has helped me train harder and longer. Of course, the mental side of the game needs to be there too, especially in match play.
Length off the tee was one of the main things I worked on since 2020, which came from gym training. The evolution of my swing since then has also contributed to my strong form over the past two years. But like in many other sports, I guess I’m now seeing the benefits or rewards of the “fruits of my labour”—both on and off the course.
Congratulations to Mohd Faiq on successfully defending his title!
