Kuala Lumpur; June 1: Amateur golfers nationwide will be glad to know that the much-anticipated Carlsberg Golf Classic will return in June with 40 legs planned across Malaysia.

Running for its 18th consecutive year, the Golf Classic which evolved from an inter-club tournament among armed forces golf club in the 1980s to become one of Malaysia’s most well-received amateur golf circuit, is ready to kick up a storm with a stronger line-up of sponsors, more attractive prizes and barrels of ice-cold beer for the post-golf celebration.

Speaking to the members of the media during a press launch of the Golf Classic on May 25 at Kota Permai Golf & Country Club, Carlsberg Malaysia’ managing director Soren Ravn expressed the brewery giant continued support for the game of golf in Malaysia, especially at the amateur level.

“Carlsberg and golf have always been a perfect match, representing many of the good old traditional values. Golf demands integrity as it is a game of discipline, whilst Carlsberg upholds its integrity in delivering consistent high-quality products to our customers,” Ravn said.

“We have partnered with 40 of the most prominent and exclusive golf clubs in Malaysia for the 2011 edition of the Golf Classic. From our point of view, these are the best golf clubs in the country as well as our strongest supporters in terms of sales, so we are proud to once again be associated with them.

“We will continue to support and run tournaments at these clubs and we enjoy seeing Carlsberg being consumed by members of these clubs. Carlsberg is confident that our growth will be in tandem with the businesses of these clubs,” he added, noting that Carlsberg has been a pillar of support for Malaysian golf through its long-term partnership with the Maybank Malaysian Open.

Teeing off with the first leg at Kajang Hill Golf Club on June 12, the Carlsberg Golf Classic 2011 will be traverse the breath of the country, culminating with the National Finals in December. There will be four legs in Sabah and one in Sarawak in reflection of the growing popularity of both golf and Carlsberg in the East Malaysian states.

The gross and nett winner at each leg will represent their clubs at the National Finals, where the overall gross and nett champion will receive an exclusive invite to play in the Pro-Am tournament of the Maybank Malaysian Open 2012.

Carlsberg Golf Classic’s reputation and success in Malaysia has led to an extension to Vietnam via the Carlsberg IndoChina and for the first time, winners from various categories at the National Finals will stand a chance to join golf club managers for a golf holiday to Vietnam.

Citibank, Hap Seng Land, Hap Seng Star, Panasonic, Callaway, Liberty Travel, FootJoy, Cozzia, Gatorade, SunPlay and ParGolf are the official partners for the event this year.

“The 2011 Golf Classic is set to be the best ever and that calls for a Carlsberg! Special thanks to our new sponsors and partners, who have put forward some amazing prizes such as PremierMiles equivalent to a one way ticket to an international destination from Citibank PremierMiles card, a three-storey endlot townhouse in D’ Alpinia Puchong courtesy of Hap Seng Land, a Mercedes Benz C200 CGI Elegance by Hap Seng Star as well as other exclusive golf premiums, luxury watches and golf holiday packages,” shared Ravn.

The Carlsberg Golf Classic is open to members of each of the participating golf clubs with the tournament entry fee varying depending on the golf club. A minimum collection of RM30 from each participant will go towards deserving charitable organizations across the nation.

The full calendar of the event will be released soon and interested golfers may check with their golf clubs for further details.