Ben Leong: Sabah's Asian Tour Golf Champion
Who is Ben Leong, the golfer from Sabah?
Ben Leong is a Sabahan professional golfer. After topping the Asian Tour Qualifying School twice, he won the 2008 Worldwide Selangor Masters on the Asian Tour, making him one of the state's most successful golfers.
Ben Leong at a glance
Golf may not be the first sport people associate with Sabah, but the state has quietly produced players who can hold their own across Asia. Chief among them is Ben Leong, whose career includes a notable professional title.
His standout achievement is winning the 2008 Worldwide Selangor Masters on the Asian Tour, a result that placed him among Malaysia's most prominent golfers of the period. Before that, he had twice topped the Asian Tour Qualifying School.
Worldwide Selangor Masters winner (2008, Asian Tour); topped Asian Tour Qualifying School two years running, the second time in Kota Kinabalu.
From college golf to the Asian Tour
Ben Leong grew up playing at the Sabah Golf and Country Club and went on to play college golf for the University of Central Florida in the United States (UCF Athletics, checked 7 October 2026).
As a professional he earned his place on the Asian Tour the hard way, topping the Asian Tour Qualifying School two years in a row. The second win came in December 2007, when the Qualifying School was held in Kota Kinabalu, in front of his home supporters (The ClubHouse, checked 7 October 2026).
Winning the 2008 Selangor Masters
The defining moment of Ben Leong's career came in 2008, when he won the Worldwide Holdings Selangor Masters, an event on the Asian Tour. It was his first Asian Tour title (ParGolf, checked 7 October 2026). Victory on the Asian Tour is a significant achievement for any Malaysian golfer, placing the winner among the best in a competitive continental field.
The win confirmed Leong as one of the country's leading professionals at the time and remains the headline entry on his record. For Sabah, it was a reminder that the state's sportspeople could compete and win well beyond Borneo.
Life on the professional tours
As a professional, Leong has played much of his career on the Asian Tour, one of the main circuits in the region. In 2019 he played the inaugural Sabah Masters at Sutera Harbour Golf and Country Club in Kota Kinabalu, an Asian Tour event on home soil (ParGolf, checked 7 October 2026).
Competing week to week against strong fields from across Asia is demanding, and Leong's body of work over those years reflects a player who belonged at that level rather than someone remembered for a single result.
A leading name in Sabahan golf
Ben Leong is one of the most successful golfers Sabah has produced. His Asian Tour win, earned after coming through Qualifying School, helped raise the profile of golf in the state.
For younger Sabahan golfers, his career is proof that the path from local courses to regional tours is possible. Together with fellow Sabahan Nicholas Fung, he forms part of a small but meaningful golfing legacy for the state.
Read about footballer Matlan Marjan, or explore the full Notable Sabahans guide to athletes, artists and writers.