With the longest drive of 318 metres, Johor-based golfer punches ticket to British Open in Scotland
A chance meeting with a close friend in Kuala Lumpur led to Bertus-Pieter Viljoen winning a trip of a lifetime to watch golf’s British Open - the final men’s Major of the year - in Scotland next week.
While in the Malaysian capital for a business meeting, the South African was with Vincent Poon when they passed by the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club, one of the venues for the recent “BOSS the Drive” competition to find golfers with the longest drive.
With Poon’s encouragement, the 25-year-old Viljoen decided to throw his name into the hat in the event sponsored by BOSS, with all participants getting 6 tries in 90 seconds.
He eventually did well in the Malaysia qualifiers to reach the regional finals held at Sentosa Golf Club’s Serapong Course on May 30, where his drive of 318.3 metres was enough to beat contenders from Singapore and Thailand to win the top prize. Singaporean Daryl Lim was the runner-up with an effort of 296.4 metres. All the finalists were also invited to play an 18-hole round at the Serapong Course.
The qualifiers in Singapore were held at Singapore Island Country Club, Tanah Merah country Club, Sentosa Golf Club, Laguna National Golf Resort Club and Marina Bay Golf Course. All the proceeds from the registration fees will go to the Singapore Golf Association’s Junior Development Programme.
Viljoen, who is based across the Causeway in Johor Bahru, first picked up a golf club when he was just 3 years old, when encouraged to play by his grandfather in South Africa. These days, whenever his schedule allows, he enjoys playing at Forest City’s Legacy course, The Els Club in Desaru, and the Horizon Hills Golf and Country Club.
As the ultimate longest drive champion, Viljoen will soon be flying to St Andrews in Scotland to watch the 150th Open Championship, the final men’s golf Major of the year that will be held from July 14 to July 17. He will get to catch a star-studded field in action including Tiger Woods, current world number 1 player Scottie Scheffler, and the second-ranked Jon Rahm. BOSS is one of the supporting sponsors for the tournament.
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