Kuala Lumpur: The CIMB Classic later next month will host its strongest-ever field with 20 of the world’s top 50 players confirming their presence at Asia’s first official PGA Tour FedEx Cup event.

American Bubba Watson, South African Ernie Els and Spain’s Sergio Garcia are the latest additions to a line-up that already boasts household names such as multiple Open winner Phil Mickelson, Brandt Snedeker, Rickie Fowler, Keegan Bradley, Hideki Matsuyama as well as past champions Nick Watney, Bo Van Pelt and Ben Crane.

Other notables who will compete for the US$7.0 million purse at the challenging West Course of Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club from October 24-27 include 2011 FedExCup champion Bill Haas, 2012 US Open champion Webb Simpson, and 2010 Open Championship winner Stewart Cink.

The complete field for the CIMB Classic will comprise 60 players from the PGA TOUR, the top 10 available players from the Asian Tour Order of Merit and eight sponsor’s exemptions, including national qualifier champion Md Rashid Ismail.

“This is a stellar field and the strongest ASEAN has ever seen – 20 of the top 50 players in the world and 15 major championship victories and 170 PGA TOUR wins collectively. With so many great players taking to the course, we are bound to see some fantastic golf,” said CIMB Group chief executive Dato’ Sri Nazir Razak, .

“With its ascension to a full-fledged US PGA tour event, the CIMB Classic is now Malaysia’s biggest international sporting event and will showcase golf in our country to at least 700 million viewers worldwide,” added Nazir.