Kuala Lumpur: The tournament officials of CIMB Classic today announced that it had received commitments from Brandt Snedeker, Rickie Fowler, Keegan Bradley and Hideki Matsuyama for the PGA TOUR sanctioned CIMB Classic 2013. To be contested at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club (KLGCC) from 24 to 27 October, the CIMB Classic will be Asia’s first FedEx Cup event.
Snedeker and Bradley, who rank third and tenth respectively in the current FedExCup standings, along with Fowler and Matsuyama add to the commitments previously received from Phil Mickelson, Nick Watney, Bo Van Pelt and Ben Crane. Players will compete for a total purse of US$7.0 million, Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) and FedExCup points.
“The field is shaping up to be the strongest we’ve seen. Though still early, these confirmations are a huge reflection of the quality that will be on show at the CIMB Classic come October,” said Effendy Shahul Hamid, Head of Group Marketing & Communications, CIMB Group.
Brandt Snedeker has been one of the most successful and consistent players on the PGA TOUR over the last two years. In 2012, Snedeker was crowned FedExCup Champion with a victory in the season-ending TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola. After this victory, he moved into the top-10 in the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time in his career. In 2013, Snedeker has continued his consistent play despite dealing with a rib injury throughout the year. Snedeker won the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am early in the 2013 season and later won the RBC Canadian Open. He finished tied at the 13th position at CIMB Classic in 2011, and currently ranks at seventh position on the OWGR.
Keegan Bradley has quickly moved from being a rookie on the PGA TOUR to start the 2011 season to one of its brightest stars. A three-time winner on the PGA TOUR, Bradley won twice in 2011, most notably winning in his first-career major championship at the 2011 PGA Championship. He is one of three golfers to win in their major debut, along with Ben Curtis and Francis Ouimet. He was the 2011 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, and now ranks at 12th position on the OWGR.
Also returning to CIMB Classic is 25-year old Californian, Rickie Fowler. He was the No. 1-ranked amateur golfer in the world for 36 weeks in 2007 and 2008. One of the most popular players on the PGA TOUR, Fowler won the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina, in a playoff over Rory McIlroy and D.A. Points in 2012. . Fowler played the CIMB Classic in 2010 with a strong showing, finishing tied for fifth, and currently ranks at 34th position in the OGWR.
Playing as a non-member on the PGA TOUR in 2013, Hideki Matsuyama is one of Japan’s brightest sporting stars. The 21-year-old Japan Tour golfer is having a breakthrough season with two wins and two runner-up-finishes on the Japan Golf Tour, where he has won three times in his career. He finished T10 at the U.S. Open, T6 at The Open Championship, T16 at the RBC Canadian Open and T21 at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational. By finishing with enough points equivalent to being inside the top 125, Matsuyama became eligible for PGA TOUR membership for the 2013-2014 season, which he has elected to do. Matsuyama will be a rookie on the PGA TOUR next season. He has moved from the 159th to the 28th position on the OWGR this year.
The CIMB Classic, which is also co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Professional Golf Association of Malaysia, is the first and only PGA TOUR-sanctioned event in the region. In its fourth year running, the tournament will be part of the season-long FedExCup competition.
The CIMB Classic 2013 will see a top-class international field of 78 players. The tournament will feature 60 players from the PGA TOUR, 10 from the Asian Tour, and 8 sponsor’s exemptions. 2 spots have been reserved for Malaysian professional golfers with Rashid Ismail claiming one having won the SapuraKencana National Qualifier.