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.