Kuala Lumpur, 4 December 2014: Maybank will celebrate its 10th year as title sponsor of the Malaysian Open with the confirmed participation of 2010 US Open Champion Graeme McDowell and recent Ryder Cup Captain (Europe) Paul McGinley.
They will join a stellar cast of 156 players from the Asian Tour and European Tour for the prestigious co-sanctioned championship scheduled from February 5th - 8th, 2015 at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club.
One of the finest shotmakers in the game, McDowell is a name that is recognized worldwide when he upstaged Tiger Woods in the 2010 Chevron World Challenge. He also successfully defended his title at the Alstom Open de France in June 2014. He overcame Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand, a former two-time Malaysian Open winner, and American Kevin Stadler by a single stroke, which saw him reach 10 European Tour wins.
Having played an integral part in three European Ryder Cup-winning teams, McDowell knows a thing or two about converting putts when it matters.
A Ryder Cup legend, Paul McGinley needs little introduction to local golf fans after his iconic leadership of Team Europe at the 2014 edition of the biennial dust-up in Gleneagles, Scotland.
With nine worldwide victories to his name, including four on the European Tour, McGinley will bring his personal charisma and tireless work ethics to the fore at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club.
“In 2015, as we celebrate the 10th year as title sponsor of the Malaysian Open, we continue with the tradition of bringing a selection of golfing personalities to Malaysia. McDowell and McGinley, fresh from recent victories and with charisma attracting a huge worldwide following as they display consistently high standards of sportsmanship, integrity and grit; offering fans exciting and competitive golf every time,” said Tan Sri Dato’ Megat Zaharuddin Megat Mohd Nor, Chairman of Maybank.
“We are proud of our role in the Maybank Malaysian Open, showcasing a world class tournament steeped in Malaysian history. Its schedule, in the early part of the professional season, has produced surprising winners, young and not so young, and I expect this next version to yield similar excitement and outcomes.”
The Malaysian Golf Association (MGA) reinforced the critical role that the tournament has played in expanding the reach of the game at a professional level in the country as well.
“The Maybank Malaysian Open represents a consistent and considerable investment by Maybank towards the development of the Malaysian golfing scene with the largest allocation of playing spots to top local professionals and amateurs who want to participate in the tournament. Maybank has ensured that the sport is one that is treated with the seriousness and importance that it deserves. We hope that our local players will deliver truly inspiring performances that we all can be proud of and hopefully bring home the Seagram Trophy this year,” said MGA president Admiral (R) Tan Sri Dato’ Setia Mohd Anwar Mohd Nor.
The first national Open in Asia to be co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours in 1999, the Maybank Malaysian Open 2015 will once again feature top professional players as part of its 156-player line-up.
Asian Tour Chairman Kyi Hla Han said: “The Maybank Malaysian Open is one of our most important championships on our annual Schedule and one that our players enjoy participating in. The increase in its prize purse is definitely an added draw and we look forward to yet another exciting tournament in Malaysia next year and I would like to congratulate Maybank for 10 fantastic years as title sponsor of the Maybank Malaysian Open”.
Prize money earned at the Maybank Malaysian Open 2015 goes towards the Asian Tour Order of Merit and will also count towards the European Tour’s Race to Dubai at the end of 2015.
George O’Grady, Chief Executive of The European Tour, said: “Since our schedule in 1999, when it became the first event to be co-sanctioned by The European and Asian Tours, the Maybank Malaysian Open has grown in stature year on year; and with Maybank celebrating a decade of title sponsorship, the 2015 edition looks set to continue that trend. The fact that Lee Westwood and Louis Oosthuizen have both added their names to the trophy in recent seasons bears testament to the quality of field that this tournament now attracts, and we look forward to another week of top class action in Kuala Lumpur next February.”
The premier event has seen the likes of Peter Thomson, Vijay Singh, Padraig Harrington, Retief Goosen, Michael Campbell, Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel and Sir Nick Faldo making their mark over the decades and in recent times, produced young and exciting winners in the form of Korean sensation Noh Seung-yul (2010) and Matteo Manassero of Italy (2012).
“The Maybank Malaysian Open has been the standard by which all other golfing events in Malaysia are measured. We’re consistently growing the way we do things, the talent we bring and the experience that spectators have when they come down for a week of golfing excitement. Expect that bar to be raised next year – and be sure to join us!” said John Eu, Chief Executive Officer of event organizer GlobalOne.
For tournament updates and details of the event please visit:-
www.maybankmalaysianopen.com
www.facebook.com/MaybankMalaysianOpen
For tournament updates and details of the event please visit:-
www.maybankmalaysianopen.com
www.facebook.com/MaybankMalaysianOpen
For any media editorial enquiries on Maybank Malaysian Open, please contact:
Fione Wong
Arcis Communications
T: 03 7805 7133
M: 012 687 0086
E-mail: [email protected]
About Maybank
The Maybank Group is South East Asia’s fourth largest bank by assets. It has an international network of over 2400 offices in 20 countries namely Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong SAR & People’s Republic of China, Bahrain, Uzbekistan, Myanmar, Laos, Pakistan, India, Saudi Arabia, Great Britain and the United States of America. The Group offers an extensive range of products and services, which includes consumer and corporate banking, investment banking, Islamic banking, stock broking, insurance and takaful and asset management. It has over 47,000 employees serving more than 22 million customers worldwide. (www.maybank.com)
About the Malaysian Golf Association
The Malaysian Golf Association (MGA) is the sole governing body of golf in Malaysia that was founded in 1929 by representatives of golf clubs to promote the sport while preserving its traditions and integrity. The non-government organization is run by passionate volunteers who have a love for the game of golf, with the help of a team of management staff. The association’s portfolios have increased over the years ranging from conducting 14 state amateur opens, national amateur open, national amateur close, Malaysian Open to processing handicaps through its National Handicap System to promoting grassroots programs and training of athletes to represent Malaysia in international events.
The European Tour
The European Tour is committed to celebrating the game of golf from the origins of the professional game, building a proud history of achievement, sportsmanship and integrity as well as showcasing our diverse global talent and rich landscapes. The European Tour’s innovative approach enables us to embrace the world, combining championships of tradition with new tournaments in the cities and countries of the future. The European Tour International Schedule, which from 2009 has incorporated The Race to Dubai, is a thriving global brand which, in 2013, will feature a minimum of 45 tournaments spread across all five continents of the world; the European Challenge Tour focuses on the up and coming players of the future; while the European Senior Tour provides a new start for champions celebrating their 50th birthday. The European Tour’s corporate identity features the iconic silhouette image of six-time Open Champion Harry Vardon who gives his name to The Harry Vardon Trophy, presented to the player who is crowned European Tour Number One and winner of The Race to Dubai at the end of the season.
About the Asian Tour
As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. The Asian Tour has offices in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Also, visit us atwww.asiantour.com, www.facebook.com/asiantourgolf,www.twitter.com/asiantourgolf, www.youtube.com/theasiantour andwww.weibo.com/asiantourgolf.
About Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club
Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (KLGCC) is a member of Sime Darby Property Bhd and a propriety Club wholly-owned and operated by KLGCC Berhad. The club has won numerous accolades from both local and foreign golfing fraternity, the latest being recognised as Number One and Two top golf courses in Malaysia for 2014 by US Golf Digest, voted the ‘Best Course in Malaysia’ for the second time in a row for its championship West Course at the 2013 Asian Golf Monthly Awards, the second runner up for the Best Championship Course in Asia Pacific and nominated as Top 10 Best in Asia Pacific for Best Clubhouse and Best Pro-Shop categories. At the same time, The Expatriate Lifestyle Magazine readers voted Best Golf Experience KLGCC for the Best of Malaysia Awards 2013 Travel Awards. Today, KLGCC is a landmark as the most luxurious golf resort development in Malaysia and KLGCC has in recent years hosted numerous international championships such as the Maybank Malaysian Open and the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia.
About GlobalOne
GlobalOne (Emerald Evolution Holdings Sdn Bhd) is an executive lifestyle sports promoter and we create sports event ownerships.
We specialise in providing the full spectrum in sponsorship event management and have an excellent track record in planning and delivering on PGA European Tour golf events for Malaysia (Maybank Malaysian Open), Singapore (Singapore Masters) and Indonesia (Indonesia Open) since 1999. We have strong relations with sports governing bodies, the media and commercial sponsors and technical partners to deliver on the bottom line.
We assist all our clients to create super-strategic, high-return, best practice sponsorship to provide a strong, unified vision, across departments and stakeholders, of the broad range of marketing and business objectives that can be achieved through this sponsorship. We also form and maintain strong relationship with players’ managers to source the best players.
GlobalOne currently stages a highly successful and prestigious tournament in Asia – the Maybank Malaysian Open, which is co-sanctioned by the European Tour and the Asian Tour providing the event with Official World Ranking status. Our long term partners include Emirates (Official Airline), Carlsberg (Official Beer & Stout), Ricoh (Official Office Equipment), Astro (Official Satellite TV), Jaguar Land Rover Malaysia (Official Car), DoubleTree (Official Hotel), 100Plus (Official Isotonic Beverage), Crestlink (Official Apparel), Transview Golf (Official Golf Accessories & Equipment), Mal-Tel (Official Radio & Communications), Spritzer (Official Water), Singleton (Official Whisky), Srixon (Official Range Balls), Havana (Official Cigars).