The CIMB Classic golf tournament is one of the most recently added golf events in Malaysia. This event is part of the international golfing calendar which attracts some of the most prominent and renowned professionals to our shores. The CIMB Classic has grown in terms of popularity and is considered to be one of the most prestigious sporting events in the region.
The CIMB Classic was first held in 2010. It was to be the first golf tournament in Southeast Asia which was recognized and sanctioned by the PGA Tour. Held in October that year, it was the tournament with the largest prize money offered for a professional golf event around the region which saw the participation of 40 elite players. Then, the CIMB Classic was played at The Mines Resort and Golf Club which was won by Ben Crane.
The prestige of the CIMB Classic grew and in 2011, the prize purse grew accordingly. That year saw the prize winning increase with 48 elite players participating. The tournament’s popularity would only continue to grow which saw some of the top and biggest names in golf coming to play in 2012. That year, the CIMB Classic was played by big names like former winners Ben Crane, Bo Van Pelt, Nick Watney and Tiger Woods.
CIMB Classic achieved another milestone in 2013 when it was to be the first official FedExCup event in Asia under the PGA Tour. The event was held at the KLGCC (Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club) in October 2013.
It was to be a significant event as the CIMB Classic increased in terms of participation which saw 78 elite players joining. This was comprises of 60 players from the PGA Tour, 10 from the Asian Tour and the rest were sponsor exemptions. Meanwhile, the prize purse for 2013 was at US7 million, an invite to the 2014 US Masters, points for the Ryder Cup competition as well as a 2-years exemption for the PGA Tour. With such an impressive record, it would be widely expected that the CIMB Classic continue to grow in prestige and stature with an even larger group of participation and prize winnings for the coming years.
Date: October 2014
Venue: Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club
Prize Purse: US7,000,000
