Kuala Lumpur: Financial giants Maybank have raised the bar once again by increasing the prize fund for the 2013 edition of the Maybank Malaysian Open.

The 52nd edition of prestigious national Open, jointly sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours, will offer a richer purse of US$2.75 million when it returns to Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club for the fourth consecutive year from March 21-24.

The premier event has attracted star players from across the globe, with the likes of reigning champion Louis Oosthuizen and his fellow major winners Martin Kaymer, Charl Schwartzel and Rory McIlroy headlining the field in recent years.

Title sponsor Maybank have played a pivotal role in expanding the reach of the game in the country and have expressed their delight in re-affirming their long-standing support for the tournament.

“We are in our eighth year of sponsoring the Malaysian Open, and will be upping the ante of by offering a prize purse of US$2.75 million. We are confident that this will fire up the competitive spirit of the golfers, so that spectators can also expect an electrifying tournament come March 2013,” said its chief marketing officer Mohamed Adam Wee.

The event’s custodians, the Malaysian Golf Association (MGA) echoed those sentiments. “The Maybank Malaysian Open has established itself as one of the major golf events to look out for. In this region, it is a golf event that has drawn international players and spectators alike, due to its world-class status. The increase in prize money will definitely up the prestige of the event,” said its president, Admiral (R) Tan Sri Dato’ Setia Mohd Anwar Mohd Nor.