Selangor Masters to make August debut on Asian Tour
The Selangor Masters will make its debut on the burgeoning Asian Tour from August 6 to 9, 2008 and offer a lucrative RM1 million (approximately US$310,000) in total prize money, organisers announced today.
Asia’s top stars including Malaysian stalwarts Airil Rizman, Danny Chia and Iain Steel will assemble at the challenging Seri Selangor Golf Club, Malaysia’s first bonafide public golf course, to challenge for the newest trophy in the region.
It will be the first time that the Selangor State Government of Malaysia will back an Asian Tour tournament which will reach millions of television viewers through a one-hour highlights show beamed via ESPN StarSports, the Asian Tour’s broadcast partner.
The inclusion of the Selangor Masters is a momentous occasion as it will lift the Asian Tour to unprecedented heights where the new tournament will swell its Schedule to an all-time record of 29 tournaments offering over US$38 million in prize money.
“On behalf of the Selangor State Government of Malaysia, we are delighted to support the staging of the Selangor Masters at Seri Selangor Golf Club on the Asian Tour in August,” said Selangor State Secretary, Datuk Ramli Mahmud.
“This new and exciting tournament will showcase the state of Selangor and place Selangor firmly on the world’s golfing map. We are looking forward to the tournament and believe that it will create a positive impact on the development of sports in our state and country.
“The event will also support the Raja Muda Selangor Foundationwhich is in aid of sports development in the state. Golf is such a wonderful game as it promotes integrity and honesty and we believe that these are the core values that sportsmen must instill in themselves to achieve success.
“The Asian Tour has grown extensively over the past few years and we are pleased to be working closely with them towards the development of professional golf.”
Asian Tour Executive Chairman Kyi Hla Han hailed the launch of the Selangor Masters and lauded the start of an exciting partnership with the Selangor State Government of Malaysia.
“The collaboration between the Asian Tour and Selangor State Government of Malaysia has led to the launch of a new tournament on the Asian Tour. On behalf of our talented players, I would like to extend our fullest appreciation for its generous support towards the promotion of the professional game in Asia and Malaysia,” said Han.
The inaugural Selangor Masters was staged in 2007 and later included into the Asian Tour Schedule this season. The Selangor Masters will tee off on a Wednesday with the pro-am to be held on Sunday after the event. An estimated 144 players are expected to battle for the top prize.
“The inclusion of the Selangor Masters onto our Schedule has also made Asian Tour history with the fact that we will now stage a record 29 tournaments in excess of US$38 million in prize money.
“It is only through the staging of new events like the Selangor Masters that we are able to expand significantly and create playing opportunities for our members, including Malaysia’s leading stars.
“It will be exciting for the Asian Tour to stage another world-class golf tournament in Malaysia where our best players will battle for the Selangor Masters Trophy. More importantly, the Asian Tour is committed to assist the development of Malaysia’s professional players where this new event will give them the opportunity to test their games against the Tour’s finest.”
The Selangor Masters will be one of three Malaysian events featuring on the Asian Tour this season, with the Maybank Malaysian Open held earlier in March and the Fortis International Challenge, the qualifying event for the Omega Mission Hills World Cup in China, slated for September.
Han added that the growing number of international-class tournaments in Malaysia was also significant as it will promote golf tourism in Selangor and Malaysia through the Asian Tour’s television platform.
The par-71 Seri Selangor Golf Club, designed by Australian architect Ross Watson, was built by the State Government to make the game more accessible to the general golfing public and was opened for play in 1998.
Its tree-lined fairways and devilish greens have made it one of the most talked about golf courses in Selangor. Seri Selangor previously hosted the World Cup Qualifier in 2006, won by Singapore’s Mardan Mamat and Lam Chih Bing with a winning score of 13-under-par 271.
The Selangor State Government of Malaysia is the country’s most populous state and widely recognised as the nation’s transportation and industrial hub.
The Selangor Masters will make its debut on the burgeoning Asian Tour from August 6 to 9, 2008 and offer a lucrative RM1 million (approximately US$310,000) in total prize money, organisers announced today.
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