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The LPGA Tour is set to return to Malaysia for the first time in over five years. The Tour is headed back to the upcoming Maybank Championship. Maybank has sponsored a lot of professional golf events in Malaysia, mostly on the DP World Tour.
It will be held on October 26-29, 2023, and will be an annual event at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club in Malaysia. It will have a 78-player field, all competing for a $3 million prize purse. It immediately becomes one of the more lucrative LPGA Tour events.
LPGA Tour returning to Malaysia for big event
LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan said via The Golf News Net:
“The LPGA is excited to bring women’s professional golf back to Malaysia for the first time in six years thanks to Maybank’s incredible support. The LPGA and Maybank’s shared values around elevating and empowering women make this an important partnership for us in this region of the world."
She added:
"Maybank is further demonstrating their commitment to women and our athletes by providing the largest prize fund of our Asian events and a world-class environment.”
This is a move strategically designed to improve the state of the game worldwide. Golf isn't a major sport across the globe, and that's even more true for women's golf. The idea behind this is to continue to promote the game across the globe.
Dato’ Khairussaleh Ramli, Group President, and Chief Executive Officer of Maybank, echoed the sentiment:
“Over the years, the Maybank Championship has successfully achieved its main intent of elevating ASEAN on a global stage in sports. Now, we see that the way forward in the evolution is to champion inclusivity of the sport in the region."
He continued:
“With the LPGA, we have found a partner that is committed to ensuring that golf courses are an equitable place for everyone, and we are proud to stand alongside this association in realising their vision to help grow the women’s game and provide equal opportunities for girls and women of all ages.”
Eventually, the people involved would like to see the LPGA Tour become a worldwide phenomenon. They would want women and girls from everywhere playing and dreaming about playing on the Tour.
Kelly Tan, a former LPGA player, said:
"As a golfer who is proud to represent Malaysia around the world, I'm more than excited to have the LPGA Tour at Kuala Lumpur once again this October."
She added:
"I believe having a company like Maybank involved with the LPGA is a huge opportunity to help promote and continue developing the game of golf in Malaysia, and I'm thrilled that golf fans in my home country will have the opportunity to watch the world's best women professional golfers compete up close."
It's safe to say that this is a monumental move for everyone involved. The tour has been absent from Malaysia for six years. So, a return is nothing short of a major triumph and the league has hopes that this can be a catalyst for its future.
