When Old Is Gold

YOUNG BLOKES BEWARE... LEUNG HOONG KUAN CAN VIRTUALLY MATCH HIS AGE ON THE GOLF COURSE

- Roger Rodrigo

We often hear derogatory stories about aging golfers. The aching limbs or back, the constricted backswing or just simply, undue fatigue taking the pleasure out of a round of golf.

For many, the age of 70 and beyond spells the virtual death-knell of a long and enjoyable playing career. Some simply refrain for fear of not making it past the red tee.

Others cannot keep the ball in play and lose interest.

Thus the case of Leung Hoong Kuan, also known as HK, provides a shining beacon for older golfers. At age 81 he plays at least one 18-hole round a week if not more but practises at the range almost daily.

Interestingly he also trains at his home gym daily to keep fit, a regimen he has observed for the past 30 years.

For HK nothing is too late in life. He started golf in his mid-30s and quickly blossomed into a single handicapper. At age 50, he won the club championship at Saujana Golf & Country Club beating his nearest contender by nine shots.

“Golf is a game where you need focus and patience not just strength and power,” he commented. In 1986 his average handicap was 8.

30 years on he holds a USGA handicap of 10, an amazing statistical feat indeed.

Due to his disciplined training HK’s game remains very sharp. In a recent golfing trip to Vietnam last December he produced a stunning round of 1-over-par 73 at the Long Thanh golf course.

In the past HK has won numerous club medal events and never shied away from playing in Open amateur events. “I used to play in these events in Indonesia, Brunei and others but never had a chance as the field was too strong,” he said.

His memory does get spotty when it comes to dates but he did recall emerging as the gross winner in a Malaysian Open pro-am. “It was at Royal Selangor Golf Club and the year after I was in the pro-am team that finished runner-up.”