
KUALA LUMPUR: Gavin Kyle Green will make his third straight appearance at the US$7 million CIMB Classic next week after earning an invite as the top-ranked Malaysian on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).
The big-hitting Malaysian will mix it up with some of PGA Tour’s biggest names with FedExCup champions Brandt Snedeker and Billy Horschel amongst the 46 PGA Tour winners, including Major winners Jimmy Walker, Stewart Cink and Jason Dufner, to challenge for the trophy at TPC Kuala Lumpur.
Following the final commitment deadline on October 1, Southeast Asia’s only PGA Tour-sanctioned tournament will also feature past champions Ryan Moore and Nick Watney and twice runner-up Gary Woodland.
Presidents Cup International team stalwarts Marc Leishman, Si Woo Kim, Louis Oosthuizen, Branden Grace, Emiliano Grillo and United States team member Daniel Berger will also feature in Malaysia from October 11 to 14 as the CIMB Classic marks the first of three-week PGA Tour swing in Asia.
Asia’s star Kiradech Aphibarnrat, who became the first Thai to earn a PGA Tour card this year, will also tee up at TPC Kuala Lumpur on a sponsor’s exemption.
The big-hitting Kiradech won the Malaysian Open at TPC Kuala Lumpur in 2013 and also finished third at the CIMB Classic in the same year.
Thailand’s Kiradech will be hoping to launch his PGA TOUR career on a strong note after writing a small slice of history by becoming the first golfer from his country to earn a PGA TOUR card.
In 41 career starts on the PGA TOUR, Kiradech has collected five top-10s, highlighted by a T3 at the 2013 CIMB Classic. He salso finished top-five at the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship and WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play earlier this season.
He is the winner of five international titles, most recently the 2018 ISPS HANDA World Super 6 in Perth, Australia and was also the Asian Tour No. 1 in 2013.
Kiradech said: “I am very thankful to receive a sponsor’s exemption and it will motivate me further as it is held on a golf course which I am very familiar with and have enjoyed success there over the years. It will be amazing if I can contend at the CIMB Classic against what looks like a very strong field,” said Kiradech.