T

he CIMB Classic golf tournament, the first sanctioned PGA Tour event in Southeast Asia, concluded last week and will be held for at least the next three years, spurring hopes that the tournament will encourage the development of the sport in the region.

In an interview with a group of Indonesian journalists, Effendy Shahul Hamid, head of marketing and communications for CIMB Group, said that the Kuala Lumpur-based banking company had been granted a license to hold the tournament until 2016 with an option for possible renewal.

First held in 2010, this was the tournament'€™s first year as an official PGA Tour event, which Hamid said had come much earlier than expected.

He saw its inclusion as recognition from the flagship golf sanctioning body of their efforts to organize the best golf tournament in the
region.

Unlike last year, Tiger Woods missed this year'€™s tournament, but Hamid believed that the absence of the world'€™s number one player did not take the gloss off the event.

'€œThe course was good. We had a fantastic field on show. The spectators were really encouraging. We felt the competition was great,'€
he said.

As an official PGA Tour event, the winner of the CIMB Classic garnered 500 FedEx Cup points, two-year exemptions for PGA Tour tournaments and an invitation to The Masters.

Ryan Moore won the tournament this year, beating fellow American Gary Woodland in a playoff after both shot a 14-under par 274 in four rounds at the west course of the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club.

This year featured the top 60 players from the 2013 FedExCup Points list, the top 10 money leaders from the Asian Tour Order of Merit and eight sponsors'€™ exemptions.

Moore has been the fourth golfer since 2010. Ben Crane was the inaugural champion and Bo van Pelt and Nick Wathey won it in 2011 and 2012 respectively.

While an Asian golfer has yet to win, Thai pro Kiradech Aphibarnrat finished tied for third with Chris Stround of the US, both finishing one stroke off the leaders.

Drawing the world'€™s top players, the tournament is expected to provide a stellar challenge for golfers from the Asian Tour, which also includes pros from Australia.

'€œThe idea behind organizing the tournament is that we want to provide a good golf field not only for the golfers from Malaysia but also from the region,'€ Hamid said.

The regional players were generally excited about participating in the tournament against high-ranked international players.

'€œThis is my second appearance in the CIMB Open. I had a top 10 finish last year, and I think, I'€™m not really sure, but I think I was the highest-ranked Asian, and that gave me a
lot of confidence for the remaining half of the season,'€ said Gaganjeet Bhullar, one of three Indian golfers in the field.

'€œI mean, I'€™ve always got good memories of playing with some of the top players of the world.'€

Bhullar fired a two-under 286 to end up tied for 33rd place.

Malaysian golfer Nicholas Fung, who was five-over par in what was his first appearance in the tournament, said that it was a good experience playing with the top players.

'€œI learned a few things from them. They putt so well on the greens and my putting is so bad. I need to improve more on my putting and also gain more distance,'€ he said.

Fung and fellow Malaysian Rashid Ismail competed in the tournament as sponsor exemptions.