Malaysian Open to join with European tour

Malaysian Open to join with European tour

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): The Malaysian Open will next year be part of the European and Asian golf tours, organizers announced Tuesday hailing the move as a major step for the Asian PGA Tour.

Next year's Open, starting Feb. 4, will be the second joint European-Asian event after the annual Johnnie Walker Classic, which is switched around different Asian venues.

The US$750,000 Open will be the fourth leg on the European Tour -- sandwiched between the Vines Classic in Australia and the Dubai Desert Classic -- and the second for the Asian PGA's 1999 tour.

"This is a wonderful step for golf in Malaysia, golf in Asia and for sport right across our region," said Thomas Lee, president of the Malaysian Golf Association.

He said he wanted the event to become a "role model" for national Opens across Asia.

Last year's Open was won by England's Ed Fryatt, who defeated Ryder Cup star Lee Westwood in a sudden-death play-off. Former champions include Fiji's Vijay Singh and Zimbabwe's Mark McNulty.

The 1999 Malaysian Open will be staged at the Saujana Golf and Country Club in Kuala Lumpur with prize money put up by Benson and Hedges to attract the top 65 players from the Asian PGA and PGA European Tours.

"This is further evidence of the cooperation that now exists between the Asian PGA and PGA European Tour and follows on from our acceptance last July into the PGA Tours International Federation," said Ramlan Harun, executive director of the Asian PGA.

"We are excited that the Malaysian Golf Association has decided to allow its national Open to become a joint-sanctioned event between the two Tours. I am confident it will have an extremely beneficial affect on professional golf in Malaysia and Asia as a whole," he added.

Officials from the PGA European Tour are confident the Malaysian Open will attract a high-caliber field due to the importance of ranking points for the 1999 European Ryder Cup team.

The Asian PGA, created in 1995, has blossomed despite the impact of the Asian financial crisis. Its title sponsor, Omega, is leaving at the end of this season, but Asian PGA officials are confident of signing a new one and others are joining individual events.

There are 19 events on this year's tour worth more than $3 million, about the same as 1997.

Next year for the first time, every Asian national open will be part of the tour or co-sanctioned.

As well as Europe, the Asian PGA Tour also has a link up with the Australasian PGA Tour.