KUALA LUMPUR: This week’s Malaysian winner at the CIMB National Championship will earn a coveted place in next month’s US$7 million CIMB Classic at TPC Kuala Lumpur and face a star-studded field which will include title holder Pat Perez and two-time past champion Justin Thomas.

A total of 73 Malaysian golfers will vie for one spot in the CIMB Classic at the CIMB National Championship which begins at TPC Kuala Lumpur’s East Course from Tuesday till Friday.

With Ben Leong, Danny Chia and Nicholas Fung, who have all featured in the CIMB Classic previously, competing on the Asian Tour this week and Gavin Kyle Green poised to earn the second Malaysian slot via the Official World Golf Ranking, upcoming local golfer Amir Nazrin Jailani is keen to grab top spot this week.

The 21-year-old said: “I hope to play well but the East Course is tight and the greens are challenging. I skipped a local event last week to prepare for this tournament and hopefully I will manage my game well. It will be a bonus to get a spot in the CIMB Classic and maybe it could be life changing to have the opportunity to play in my first PGA Tour tournament.”

Last year, Amir, who was then in his rookie professional year, performed admirably in the CIMB National Championship where he finished third, one shot behind the playoff duo of Gavin Green and Danny Chia. Veteran Chia won the title in extra time.

“Finishing third and one back of Gavin and Danny was motivating for sure,” said Amir. “My form this season has been pretty good … I lost in a playoff on the Asian Development Tour a few weeks ago and I’ve also finished top-five twice on the local PGM Tour.”

The CIMB Classic will celebrate its ninth edition this year, and is the second tournament of the new 2018-19 PGA TOUR Season.