Purse is increased to RM200,000 and top golfer will play in CIMB Classic in October 2017 

KUALA LUMPUR, July 21 (Bernama) -- In the lead-up to the CIMB Classic 2017, CIMB Group is staging the CIMB National Championship Formerly known as the SapuraKencana National Classic (“CIMB Championship” or “the tournament”), on 25 - 28 July 2017, at the Tournament Players Club (TPC) Kuala Lumpur, Southeast Asia’s first prestigious TPC-certified golf facility. The tournament – offering a total prize purse of RM200,000, with the winner taking home RM30,000 – will see nearly 100 leading Malaysian golfers in action to win a coveted place at the CIMB Classic in October 2017.  
 
Sanctioned by the Professional Golf Association of Malaysia (PGAM), the tournament is now an official event on the PGM Tour and will count towards the PGM Tour’s Order of Merit, which is the leading professional tour in Malaysia. 
 
“We are proud to host yet another platform to promote national interest in golf in Malaysia, through this much anticipated tournament which is also a qualifier for the prestigious CIMB Classic in October. As a title sponsor of CIMB Classic for the eighth straight year, our brand has become synonymous with the game in Malaysia and regionally, as we continue to deliver an exceptional golf experience for players and fans alike. We look forward to the competition among Malaysia’s best in the CIMB National Championship as they showcase their full potential to win an exclusive spot at the 2017 CIMB Classic,” said Tengku Dato’ Sri Zafrul Aziz, Group Chief Executive of CIMB Group. 
 
Malaysia’s top four golfers Gavin Green, Nicholas Fung, Danny Chia and Ben Leong will be playing in the CIMB Championship. Gavin Green is the defending champion and currently in the fourth place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, while Nicholas Fung and Ben Leong have won tournaments this year on the Asian Development Tour. 
 
The CIMB Classic 2017 will return to TPC Kuala Lumpur from 12-15 October as the second tournament of the 2017-18 PGA TOUR schedule. Offering full FedExCup points, the CIMB Classic will feature 78 players - 60 from the PGA TOUR, 10 from the Asian Tour and eight sponsor’s exemptions, and will offer a total purse of US$7 million.
 
Out of the eight sponsor’s exemptions, CIMB Classic accords two spots for Malaysians. The second spot will be awarded to the highest-ranked Malaysian golfer on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) as of 2 October 2017. If the winner of the CIMB Championship is also the leading Malaysian in the OWGR, the second spot for the CIMB Classic will automatically go to the next top-ranked Malaysian in the OWGR.
 
About CIMB Group
The title sponsor of the CIMB Classic is CIMB Group. CIMB Group is one of ASEAN’s leading universal banking groups. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, the Group is now present in 9 out of 10 ASEAN nations. CIMB Group offers a full suite of financial services and related products; has a market capitalisation of approximately USD 11.2 billion as at 31 March 2017 and 39,000 employees located in 15 countries. Read more about CIMB Group at www.cimb.com.
 
About PGA TOUR
The PGA TOUR is the leading global platform in professional golf, showcasing the highest expression of excellence, both on and off the course. The PGA TOUR’s mission is to entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back, generate significant charitable and economic impact in the communities in which it plays, grow and protect the game of golf and provide financial opportunities for TOUR players.
 
The PGA TOUR co-sanctions more than 130 tournaments on the PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, Web.com Tour, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR China. Its members represent the world’s best players, hailing from 24 countries (89 members are from outside the United States). Worldwide, PGA TOUR tournaments are broadcast to more than 1.1 billion households in 227 countries and territories in 23 languages. Virtually all tournaments are organized as non-profit organizations in order to maximize charitable giving. In 2016, tournaments across all Tours generated a record of more than $166 million for local and national charitable organizations, bringing the all-time total to $2.46 billion.
 
The PGA TOUR's web site is PGATOUR.COM, the No. 1 site in golf, and the organization is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
 
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. Tour Partners include ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), FENIX XCell (Official Apparel Supplier), Titleist (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics) and Rolex (Official Timekeeper). Sentosa, Singapore is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.

Also, visit us at: www.asiantour.com, www.facebook.com/asiantourgolf, www.twitter.com/asiantourgolf, www.youtube.com/theasiantour, www.weibo.com/asiantourgolf
 
Source : CIMB Group  

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Name : Suria Zainal 
Director 
Group Corporate Communications 
CIMB Group 
Tel : +603 - 2261 0638 
Email : suriawati.zainal@cimb.com
 
Name : Alex Urban
PGA TOUR
Tel : +1 904 273 3577
Email : alexurban@pgatourhq.com 
 
--BERNAMA