KUALA LUMPUR: Aspiring women golfers in Southeast Asia have an exciting opportunity to play in an LPGA Tour event.
The Maybank Championship is making its much-anticipated return for the second edition at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club from Oct 24-27, with the introduction of the ASEAN Qualifier.
Five coveted spots will be up for grabs in the qualifying tournament, contested over a 36-hole stroke play format, on August 27-28.
The qualifier is open to all Southeast Asian professionals who do not hold any LPGA Tour status, allowing them a chance to play their way into the US$3 million (RM14.16 million) showpiece, the richest LPGA Tour stop in Asia.
Last year, five Malaysians were handed starts: Kelly Tan, Natasha Andrea Oon, Ashley Lau, Alyaa Abdulghany, and top amateurs Jeneath Wong and Ng Jing Xuen.
Kelly, a Maybank ambassador, and Natasha, if her condition permits, will most likely secure spots in this year's event. Natasha, who has full LPGA Tour status, has not competed this season due to an injury. The Maybank Championship could be the perfect platform for her long-awaited return to action.
Natasha was last seen in action at the KLGCC last October, where she finished tied for 52nd, emerging as the best-placed Malaysian.
The inaugural edition saw Frenchwoman Celine Boutier emerge as the winner after prevailing in a pulsating nine-hole playoff against Thailand's Atthaya Thitikul, the second-longest in LPGA Tour history.