Bangladesh’s first professional golfer Siddikur Rahman missed a top-10 finish by a whisker and was placed 11th jointly with three other players in the CIMB-Asian Pacific Classic in Malaysia that ended on Sunday.
The commendable performance earned Siddik $1,21,250 (approximately Tk 85 lakh), inarguably the highest earning by any Bangladeshi individual from any single sporting event.
But for a single blemish (bogey) at the 15th, or he could have finished the day with 14 under par score and won $2,37,500. Nevertheless, he was happy with his performance and thanked all for the support he got today.
‘I don’t know how much I’ve won but I believe it’s big money. However, I’m not concerned about the money. My plan was to learn something from the top players,’ Siddik told reporters in KulaLumpur.
Siddik has now set his eyes on the US PGA tour in
America and after upstaging stars like two-time US Open champion Retief Goosen of South Africa and Asia’s first Major winner YE Yang of Korea in the event, jointly sanctioned by the Asian Tour and PGA Tour.
‘Next year, I’ll go to the US Tour qualifying school. I want to go far in my career. My plan was to learn something from the players, they are great players and I know I’m no lesser than them as I’ve had this experience,’ said Siddik.
Siddik started the day well, scoring three birdies at the third and ninth hole and finished the first round two under par. He then scored another birdie at the tenth and scored three under par before he hit the ball into the water and scored a bogey (one extra shot) at the 15th hole, ending the final day two under par 69.
‘It was a good start, birdied the third hole and overall it was good. Where I expected a birdie, I couldn’t make it but I’ll take the two under par round,’ Siddik said.
Siddik has been one of the revelations on the Asian Tour this season where he claimed his maiden victory on the Asian tour at the Brunei Open in August and became runner-up in the Taiwan Masters golf tournament.
Siddik has become immensely popular among the local Malaysians and the Bangladeshis working at the golf course were also proud to have someone as a hero from their own country. Amid the ‘Bangla Bangla’ chanting of the locals and ‘Siddik bhai’ from the Bangladeshis right through the day it was a tournament for Siddik to cherish.
