KUALA LUMPUR: Olympians Kelly Tan and Michelle Koh as well as Ainil Johani Abu Bakar have been awarded qualifying exemptions to this year’s Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia.
The coveted places were awarded to the top three Malaysian lady professionals in acknowledgement of their continued progress and will see them spearheading the local challenge against a star-studded LPGA field, set to include defending champion Jessica Korda.
A minimum of two additional places will be made available for Malaysian players at the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia National Qualifying Tournament slated for late September. In addition to that, the country’s top two junior amateur ranked players will also be given the opportunity to test themselves against the best in the world.
LPGA Tour regular Tan is the highest ranked Malaysian on the Rolex Rankings (#159) and after an impressive first half of the season, she may still gain an automatic start in the US$1.8 million tournament from October 27-30 at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club.
The 22-year old from Johor will be looking to build on her result at last year’s tournament, where she finished in 61st spot.
Koh can also expect a hero’s welcome as she makes her return to Malaysian soil. Like Tan, the 26-year old will be coming into the tournament on the back of a historic appearance at the Rio Olympics.
“Thank you to Sime Darby for the opportunity to play once again. The tournament is something I look forward to every single year. With Kelly and I representing Malaysia at the Rio Olympics, it’s a great year for golf in Malaysia, and I’m sure everyone is excited. It’s always a great experience to play in front of the home fans and I’m looking forward to seeing them in October,” said Koh, who finished in 70th placing on the East Course last year.
At the same time, Ainil Bakar continues to go from strength to strength as she constantly strives to improve her game.
“I’ve always seen this tournament as a highlight of my year. Of course, I am thankful to Sime Darby for the opportunity to compete once again. It’s truly a privilege to be able to return home and compete on Malaysian soil,” said Ainil, who competes on the Ladies European Tour and Ladies Asian Golf Tour.
