Maybank Championship Malaysia today announced that current World No.19 Danny Willett of England as well as leading Asian players, Thongchai Jaidee and Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand have confirmed participation at the inaugural golf tournament to be held at the Royal Selangor Golf Club (RSGC) from 18th – 21st February 2016.
These professionals join previously confirmed participants Louis Oosthuizen and Martin Kaymer, ensuring that the inaugural Maybank Championship Malaysia (MCM) will have at least five of the world’s top 40 golfers in attendance.
Danny Willett was a member of the winning European team at the recent Eurasia Cup that took place in Kuala Lumpur.
The announcement reinforces the championship’s aspirations of ensuring the best mix of international and regional golfing talents in a Malaysian world-class tournament. In addition to the five players confirmed, the top sixty-seven players (67) from both the European Tour and Asian Tour respectively will qualify to participate in the MCM.
Another ten spots will be awarded to the top ten (10) qualifying players based on the Order of Merit from the Professional Golf Of Malaysia Tour (PGM) while up to five (5) spots will be given to ASEAN Professionals that will be awarded based on the Asian Tour Order Of Merit, Asian Development Tour Order Of Merit and National Professional Golfers Association of ASEAN Countries (where available) and an additional two (2) spots will be given to Malaysian professionals.
One (1) spot will be accorded to the top player on the Middle East North African Tour (MENA). Two (2) spots are reserved for other top players who are not members of European PGA Tour and the Asian Tour. The final two (2) spots will be given to the top two amateurs that qualify – one (1) to the highest ranked Malaysian in the Amateur World Rankings; and one (1) to the Asian Pacific Amateur Masters Champion.
The Maybank Championship Malaysia is co-sanctioned by The European Tour, the Asian Tour, the Professional Golf of Malaysia Tour (PGM Tour), and the Professional Golfers Association of Malaysia (PGAM).
One of the richest European Tour and Asian Tour co-sanctioned tournaments in Southeast Asia and a premier event contributing to both the Race to Dubai and the Asian Tour Order of Merit, the championship offers a prize purse of USD 3 million. The Maybank Championship Malaysia will in 2016 be one of only six events at which the European Tour members will participate in the Asian region and one of only four tournaments that is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour in 2016.
The event will provide a significant platform for Asian players to gain valuable Official World Golf Ranking points and stake a claim for a place at the 2016 Olympics.
Other posts by FO Newsdesk
