KUALA LUMPUR: The Maybank Championship Malaysia (MCM) today announced the 15 Malaysian players who will tee-off at the inaugural US$3 million tournament from February 18- 21 at the Royal Selangor Golf Club (RSGC).
The announcement reinforces the championship’s aspirations of ensuring the best mix of international and regional golfing talents in a Malaysian tournament.
“We are proud to say that the finest selection of Malaysian golfers will be representing the country on the East Course of RSGC next month. Making it to the list are top Malaysian golfers Danny Chia and Nicholas Fung who are ranked number 8 and 35 respectively on the Asian Tour Order of Merit.
“Malaysia’s rising star 21-year-old Gavin Kyle Green who recently turned professional and national amateur golfer Ervin Chang will also be joining this elite field at the upcoming tournament,” said Maybank chairman Tan Sri Dato’ Megat Zaharuddin Megat Mohd Nor.
Malaysian players to grace the stage at the Maybank Championship Malaysia
Danny Chia
Nicholas Fung
Nachimuthu Ramasamy
Sukree Othman
Ben Leong
Airil Rizman Zahari
Kemarol Baharin
Shaaban Hussin
Arie Irawan
Khor Kheng Hwai
Kenneth De Silva
Wilson Choo
Gavin Kyle Green
Iylia Jamil
Ervin Chang
The involvement of the leading professional golfing bodies in Malaysia, Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) Tour and Professional Golf Association of Malaysia (PGAM) will be key to ensuring the quality of the home-grown players competing in the Championship.
“Golf will be in the Olympics in Rio this August and with the Maybank Championship Malaysia our professionals will have more chances to gain valuable World Ranking Points that is essential to qualify for the Olympics. I’m pleased that R. Nachimuthu, the winner of the (PGM) Maybank Tour Players Championship will also be participating at the Maybank Championship Malaysia,” said PGM Tour chairman Tun Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid.
“We are very glad that all the Malaysian players qualified are also members of PGAM. The Maybank Championship Malaysia is a platform for the Malaysian golfers to perform and assess their game alongside some of the world’s best, and with the development of our players over the past years, we at PGAM are confident that Malaysia is well underway to producing some of Asia’s best golfers,” said PGAM president Tan Sri Dato’ Abdul Ghani Othman.
The tournament, co-sanctioned by the Asian and European Tours, will also see world’s top golfers Louis Oosthuizen, Martin Kaymer, Danny Willett, Thongchai Jaidee and Kiradech Aphibarnrat among the 156 field of play.
