Kuala Lumpur: ‘Golf like Never Before’ is coming to Saujana Golf and Country Club from February 9-12 and the public is invited to come and experience the offerings on and off the fairways at the Maybank Championship 2017.
This year’s event will see a world-class line-up of players tackle the Palm Course which is known to be one of the toughest courses in the world. Alongside the list of top players previously announced, namely US Masters reigning Champion Danny Willett and fellow former Masters winner Charl Schwartzel, there are a flurry of players in the final line-up that will spark excitement amongst golf fans across the region.
Touring pro for Saujana in the late 90s, Lee Westwood, knows the Palm Course well and is relishing the chance to get back there this year. He said, “I was proudly associated with Saujana for a long time and it’s always great to go back because there are a lot of people that I’m still close with. That’s where the welcome stops though because the course is very tough! It’s changed a lot over the last 20 or so years. It’s hard to believe it’s been that long but hopefully I can repeat what I did back in 1997.”
Making a late entry into the player field is Tommy Fleetwood after the 26 year-old lifted the trophy at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, more than three years after his maiden victory on Tour. He currently leads the European Tour’s Race to Dubai and is followed by Sam Brazel of Australia – winner of the Hong Kong Open in December 2016, and Spain’s Pablo Larrazabal who tied for second in Abu Dhabi.
All three will be looking to continue their strong start to the season when they come to Malaysia. Joining them will be England’s Graeme Storm who got his 2017 off to a dream start coming out on top at the BMW South African Open hosted by City of Ekurhuleni – ten years after his first win on Tour, only keeping his card this season after a late reprieve. He is another man on form and with US$3million at stake, this is an important event to keep him high in the rankings.
They will line up alongside some of the top Asian stars including Prayad Marksaeng who won the Singapore Open just two weeks ago. Another winner at the start of the year on the Asian Tour is Todd Sinnott who took top spot at the Leopalace21 Myanmar Open on the Lunar New Year weekend which proved lucky and prosperous for him. Scott Hend - winner of the 2016 Asian Tour Order of Merit will kick off his year at the Maybank Championship and will be setting his sights on topping the table again this year.
This year’s event isn’t just about the European Tour and Asian Tour stars – new for 2017 is the ASEAN category. Five places have been allocated for the top players from Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines and Vietnam. The support by Maybank for the development of the talents and game in the region gives these players a chance to compete and showcase their skills on a world stage.
The final two invite spots for the Maybank Championship have been awarded to another top young ASEAN player - Arie Irawan Fauzi of Malaysia - to give him a wonderful opportunity on home soil, and Paul Dunne of Ireland owing to his rising form on the European Tour and his reputation as a top amateur before he turned pro in 2015.
Tan Sri Dato' Megat Zaharuddin Megat Mohd Nor, Chairman of Maybank said, “This year’s event is focused on delivering a memorable spectator experience. Every aspect of the event, from golf to bespoke activities, coupled with the initiatives to contribute back to the communities, we aim to have golf fans and visitors alike to have an experience that they will continue to rave about.”
“We are thrilled to host the world-class line up of golfers and excited to see the ASEAN players give their all, as they battle for the ‘coveted tiger’. We wish them all the best and thank in advance, the media and spectators who are planning to come and support them next week,” he further added.
If you thought golf was exciting enough, think again! From 8.30am each morning, visitors can sign up to get fit beside the fairways! Under Armour will be holding a yoga class each day, followed by a boot camp session. Once you’ve worked up an appetite, you can enjoy the culinary delights from Michelin Star Chef, Anton Mosimann who will be serving a signature dish in the public village.
To support the Maybank Heart project, the second day of play will be known as ‘Yellow Fri-yay’ – everyone attending, including players and staff, are being asked to wear a splash of yellow. If you make a donation of RM50 or more you will be given a special Maybank Championship Virtual Reality Cardboard to enjoy using throughout the day, whilst stocks last!
Another project by Maybank that will take centre stage at the Championship will be the Maybank Women Eco-Weavers programme. It promotes traditional textiles in a sustainable manner whilst creating economic independence and financial inclusion of women weavers across the ASEAN region. There will be fashion shows in the public village on Saturday and Sunday showcasing some of their work and visitors may even see a few golfers on the catwalk!
If you love dressing up, why not join in the excitement? There will be prizes for those who bring an element of fun to their golf outfit on Saturday!
In celebrating the public holiday, there will be FREE ENTRY on Thursday and Friday. Given the long list of exciting activities, this will be a great way to spend a fun few days with your family.
