KUALA LUMPUR: National No. 1 women's golfer Kelly Tan has received a tremendous boost in her pursuit of a LPGA Tour victory.
She secured a two-year sponsorship deal today with Maybank and is appointed as its Asean ambassador.
It marked the second time Kelly is backed by a major bank after being previously sponsored by CIMB Bank from 2015 to 2016.
Playing in her eighth full season on the world's biggest women's golf circuit since 2014, Kelly is still seeking her LPGA breakthrough.
She came closest last year, emerging runner-up with Matilda Castren of Finland in the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational in Michigan. Although it was played in a team format, the tournament was considered a tour event.
Kelly has struggled in her first two starts of the season, missing the cut at the Drive On Championship last month and LA Open two weeks ago.
The Maybank partnership announcement arrived just ahead of her tee-off at the Lotte Championship in Hawaii today.
"I look forward to my role as Maybank's Asean Ambassador. This partnership represents a significant milestone for me as I have long harboured the ambition of supporting and elevating the sport for Malaysians," said Kelly, who represented Malaysia twice at the Olympics in Rio De Janeiro in 2016 and Tokyo in 2021.
"I firmly believe in the importance of instilling strong values in young players to enable them to reach the pinnacle of success.
"I am thrilled to leverage my experience to advance the growth of golf in Malaysia and the region."
Maybank and Kelly will work together towards creating a more diverse, accessible and inclusive stage for women's golf in the region. The sponsorship comes on the back of the recently announced Maybank Championship, sanctioned by the LPGA Tour, which will be held from Oct 26 to 29 at the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club.