KUALA LUMPUR: Nasrullah Zulkifli might not be a household name in the local golf scene, but he's made himself known with his Hilux Cup triumph, securing his maiden Toyota Tour title today.
At 26, the rookie professional from Kuala Lumpur mastered the demanding Sabah Golf and Country Club, claiming a one-stroke victory over the more illustrious Ben Leong in Leong's home state.
Starting the day with a one-shot lead, Nasrullah secured the win emphatically by sinking a clutch eight-foot birdie putt on the final hole. He closed with an even-par 72 for a 54-hole total of five-under 211.
Nasrullah endured a roller-coaster front nine, trading two birdies against three dropped shots, including a double bogey on the par-five sixth.
He then reeled off eight straight pars before the defining moment on the 18th.
Failing to birdie would have forced Nasrullah into a sudden-death playoff with Ben, who had tied for the lead after firing a 68 in an earlier flight to finish at four-under overall.
"My putt was a real swinger, from left to right and slightly downhill. I had to judge it perfectly. Thank God it dropped!" said Nasrullah.
Sabah has proven to be a favourite hunting ground for Nasrullah, who also won the Sabah Amateur Open in 2022 and 2023. It was his victory at the Sabah Amateur Open last September that prompted him to pursue a professional career.
After enduring several demoralizing missed cuts, Nasrullah had questioned whether professional golf was right for him.
"I only turned pro late last year and missed two cuts," he said.
"This year I missed two more cuts and began questioning if this was what I wanted to do. Now that I've won, I know I can compete with the big boys, and I'll take this as far as I can go."
For Ben Leong, the runner-up finish meant falling just short of back-to-back victories after claiming the Fortuner Cup in Sibu, Sarawak last month.
In the ladies division, Geraldine Wong secured a dominant seven-shot victory over Aretha Pan, finishing with a 74 for a 227 total.
Leading final round scores:
Men
211: Nasrullah Zulkifli 68-71-72;
212: Ben Leong 72-72-68;
213: Paul San 70-71-72;
214: Shahriffuddin Ariffin 73-70-71, Daeng Abdul Rahman Abdul Azia 73-67-74;
215: Casper Loh 70-72-73, Fakhrul Akmal 70-70-75;
217: Nicholas Fung 74-73-70, Amir Nazrin Jailani 68-74-75;
218: Wilson Choo 72-73-73.
Women
227: Geraldine Wong 77-76-74;
234: Aretha Pan 82-76-76;
239: Durriyah Damian 79-78-82.