KUALA LUMPUR: Danny Chia hopes to seize a golden opportunity to play alongside the world’s elite at the CIMB Classic when he tees up in the SapuraKencana National Qualifier next week.

The two-time champion of the Qualifier will be making his third appearance at the RM150,000 tournament, which will take place at the West Course of Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club from August 3-5.

Nearly 80 professionals, including exciting young prospect Gavin Kyle Green, have confirmed their participation for three-day slugfest, which awards one coveted spot to play in South-East Asia’s only PGA Tour official FedEx Cup tournament.

Chia, who trails Arie Irawan by 43 spots in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), acknowledges that the Qualifier may represent his best chance to secure his place in the main event.

“I’m in it to win. Last year, I had the benefit of being the the top-ranked Malaysian in the world rankings as well as the champion of the qualifier but this year, I don’t want to take any chances,” said Danny, who tops the domestic rankings.

“I opted out of the Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) Taiping Championship which started today to focus on my recovery sessions with my physio, so hopefully I will be fighting fit next week. The golf course definitely suits the longer hitters but as I have shown in the past, course management will be key around here,” he added.

The second slot will be accorded to the highest ranked Malaysian golfer on the OWGR as at October 19. If the winner of the SapuraKencana National Qualifier is also the leading Malaysian in the OWGR, the second spot for the CIMB Classic will automatically go to the next best-ranked Malaysian on the OWGR.

SapuraKencana Petroleum Berhad, a leading world integrated oil and gas services and solutions provider, will title sponsor of the Qualifier for the fourth-year running. The company is also a sponsor and lead partner in the CIMB Classic.

“The SapuraKencana National Qualifier is always a much anticipated national golf tournament and we are delighted to host it for the fourth consecutive year. The Qualifier provides an opportunity for aspiring home-grown talents to compete and win an exclusive spot to play against world-class golfers at the CIMB Classic later this year,” said SapuraKencana president and group chief executive officer Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Shahril Shamsuddin.