The CIMB Classic, from Oct 11-14, a PGA Tour-sanctioned competition features a limited field of 78 players comprising of the top 60 available players from the 2017-18 FedExCup points list, eight sponsor exemptions and the top-10 available players from the Asian Tour.
Apart from this week’s winner of the CIMB National Championship earning a spot, the highest ranked Malaysian on the Official World Golf Ranking as of Oct 1 will also earn the right to play in the CIMB Classic.
With Ben Leong, Danny Chia and Nicholas Fung, who have all featured in the CIMB Classic previously, competing on the Asian Tour this week and Gavin Kyle Green poised to earn the second Malaysian slot via the Official World Golf Ranking, upcoming local golfer Amir Nazrin Jailani is keen to grab top spot this week.
“I hope to play well but the East course is tight and the greens are challenging. I skipped a local event last week to prepare for this tournament and hopefully, I will manage my game well.
“It will be a bonus to get a spot in the CIMB Classic and maybe it could be life-changing to have the opportunity to play in my first PGA TOUR tournament,” the 21-year-old was quoted as saying in a PGA Tour statement today.
Last year, Amir, who was then in his rookie professional year, performed admirably in the CIMB National Championship where he finished third, one shot behind the playoff duo of Green and Chia, where Chia won the title in extra time.
“Finishing third and one back of Gavin and Danny was motivating for sure. My form this season has been pretty good … I lost in a playoff on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) a few weeks ago and I’ve also finished top-five twice on the local PGM Tour,” he said.
Earlier, the organisers had announced that Pat Perez will return for his title defence alongside nine-time PGA TOUR winner Justin Thomas, who is also a two-time CIMB Classic winner.
Other confirmed players at this year’s competition are Keegan Bradley; Ryder Cup star Paul Casey; Japanese ace Hideki Matsuyama; 2017 Rookie of the Year Xander Schauffele; and World Golf Hall of Fame members, Ernie Els and Davis Love III.
The CIMB Classic will celebrate its ninth edition this year and is the second tournament of the new 2018-19 PGA TOUR Season.