Ahmad Farhan Syariff, Wilson Choo and Mohd Rizal Amin claimed their spots to compete at the USD 3 million tournament
Kuala Lumpur, 19 November 2014: S. Siva Chandran carded a brilliant three-under 69 to confirm his spot at the Maybank Malaysian Open 2015, successfully overcoming a competitive field of Malaysian players; at the Maybank Malaysian Open 2015 National Qualifiers held at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club today.
Siva Chandran, who totaled one-under 143 over 36 holes, secured his ninth consecutive start at the national Open as a professional.
He is joined by Ahmad Farhan Syariff (69-75) and Wilson Choo (71-74), who finished second and third respectively as well as Mohd Rizal Amin, who saw off the challenge of Mohd Iylia Jamil in a sudden death shootout after both players had finished; tied at fourth place.
These local champions will play against some of the world’s best for a prize purse of USD 3 million from February 5th to 8th 2015 at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club.
A three-time winner on the national Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) circuit, Siva Chandran was delighted to return with a scorecard of four birdies against a single bogey to add to his opening 74.
“This is the beginning of a journey to play in the Maybank Malaysian Open 2015 and on a personal note, I’m ready to confirm my place at this prestigious national Open. I’ve never made the cut here at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club, so that’s definitely the target come the tournament proper,” said the 35-year-old.
“I made some good putts today which helped me garner my first-ever under par score on the West Course. It will definitely motivate me to do better when we come back here in February.”
Runner-up Ahmad Farhan, meanwhile, felt the pressure coming into the second and final round of the qualifiers after a solid 69 yesterday.
“I’m really relieved that I’ve made it to the Maybank Malaysian Open because never in my wildest dreams did I think that it would come true. I was a bit nervous at the start and it just took its toll. I was five-over after 15th holes and my chances weren’t looking good.
“But I birdied from the bunker on 16th and then drained a 30-foot birdie putt on the last to secure my berth rather comfortably, so I am really excited about playing in my maiden national Open,” added the 26-year-old.
2015 marks a very special year for Maybank, as it celebrates a decade as the title sponsor of the national Open. In that time, the tournament has become a world-class fixture in the region and has been key in cultivating the sport at different levels in Malaysia.
Tan Sri Dato’ Megat Zaharuddin Mohd Nor, Chairman of Maybank who attended the closing ceremony of the National Qualifiers said “Let us congratulate our four golfing professionals – S. Siva Chandran, Ahmad Farhan Syariff, Wilson Choo, and Mohamad Rizal Amin who have all earned themselves a coveted spot to play alongside international golfing greats at the Maybank Malaysian Open this February. You will be joining the remaining eighteen Malaysians for an intense yet memorable experience at the Maybank Malaysian Open and I hope you will do our country proud.”
Tan Sri added, “Twelve other Malaysians have so far qualified for the Maybank Malaysian Open. And after this, there will be another 6 who will be selected, bringing the total to 22, who will represent Malaysia in this event. We are the only world class golf event here in Malaysia that provides so many opportunities for our Malaysian golfers, as part of our contribution to golf development in this country,”
The Maybank Malaysian Open offers the highest number of spots for Malaysian golfers in a co-sanctioned international golfing event in the country. It is a joint initiative by the Malaysian Golf Association (MGA), Maybank and GlobalOne to provide Malaysian sportsmen the opportunity to compete in the world class event.
Malaysian Golf Association’s President, Admiral (R) Tan Sri Dato’ Setia Mohd Anwar Mohd Nor expressed his enthusiasm for the progress of Malaysian golfers as well, saying, “The Maybank Malaysian Open is a vital platform for Malaysian golfers as it grants them a chance to hone their skills alongside an international playing field. Congratulations to the top four, and well done to the rest for a game well played.”
Ranking points earned at the Maybank Malaysian Open go towards the Asian Tour Order of Merit and also count towards the European Tour’s Race to Dubai at the end of 2015.
The Maybank Malaysian Open has over the years, attracted the best golfers from around the world including Peter Thomson, Vijay Singh, Padraig Harrington, Retief Goosen, Michael Campbell and Sir Nick Faldo.
LEADING FINAL RESULTS:
143 - S. Sivachandhran 74-69
144 - Ahmad Farhan Syariff 69-75
145 - Wilson Choo 71-74
146 - Mohd Rizal Amin 73-73, Mohd Iylia Jamil 74-72
(Rizal wins on the first play-off hole)
148 - Muhd Al-Warith Damian 72-76,
149 - Mohd Amli Mohayideen 74-75, Shaifubari Muda 79-70
150 - Nicholas Pua 79-71
153 - Al Malik Faisal Zainuddin 79-74, Hilmi Abdul Rahman 75-78
For tournament updates and details of the event please visit:-
Web: www.maybankmalaysianopen.com
Facebook: 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 and www.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, KLGCC was voted Best Golf Experience for the Best of Malaysia Awards 2013 Travel Awards by The Expatriate Lifestyle Magazine readers. 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).