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| Angelo Que heads to Malaysia for the Maybank Championship. Asian Tour (file photo) |
By Dugout Philippines
KUALA LUMPUR – The Philippines’ Angelo Que and European Tour legends Thomas Bjørn and Miguel Ángel Jiménez are the latest golf stars to confirm their participation in this year’s Maybank Championship, adding quality to the marquee field in Malaysia.
Que’s entry and that of the two European veterans comes alongside a Maybank announcement of a five-strong ASEAN line-up joining the European Tour and Asian Tour-sanctioned event at Saujana Golf & Country Club in Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia from March 21-24.
Joining Que in the ASEAN quintet are Ye Htet Aung of Myanmar, Indonesia’s duo of Danny Masrin and George Gandranata, and Singaporean Johnson Poh.
The entries of Bjørn and Jiménez add greater depth to an already formidable field that includes multiple Major championship winners, Ernie Els of South Africa and Irishman Padraig Harrington.
A 15-time winner on the European Tour, Bjørn is riding the crest of a wave of success having led Team Europe to victory over Team Asia in the EurAsia Cup at Glenmarie in Shah Alam, Malaysia in January 2018 and then that famous triumph over Team United States in the Ryder Cup in France last September.
Jiménez, widely known as the ‘most interesting golfer in the world’ because of his antics on and off the course, has 21 European Tour titles to his credit.
Together they will bring heightened competitions and excitement to the international field in the fourth edition of the US$3 million tournament.
Also, in the mix at Saujana will be Japan’s Shinichi Mizuno, who earned a slot with his victory in the Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) Maybank Asian Development Tour (ADT) Championship at Saujana in December.
Commenting on the new additions to the field, Maybank Group President and CEO, Datuk Abdul Farid Alias said, “The inclusion of Que in the ASEAN category, along with Thomas Bjørn and Miguel Ángel Jiménez, is exciting news for golfing fans and will certainly add to the stiff competition expected this year. So too is the ASEAN category, which we see as an extension of our commitment to support the growth of local talent in the region.”
“We hope the opportunity provided to the five ASEAN players in particular will enable them to lift their game further and inspire even more young talents in the region to aim to be among the world’s best. We wish them and the rest of the field all the very best in the tournament,” added Datuk Abdul Farid.
Defending champion Shubhankar Sharma of India, top-ranked Malaysian Gavin Green, Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa, and Thailand’s Poom Saksansin will also be in Kuala Lumpur.
The Maybank Championship, whose tagline is ‘Where the Best Meet’ is part of the European Tour’s season-long Race to Dubai and will feature no fewer than 15 of the world’s top-150 players.
It will also boast star attractions from other nations, including Australia, China, India, Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, and Thailand.
It will also boast star attractions from other nations, including Australia, China, India, Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, and Thailand.
The Maybank Championship, which is Malaysia’s premier golf tournament, is set to have a few more star players added to the line-up in the next couple of weeks or so.
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