March 6, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: The Road to the Sabah Masters will be launched this season on the ASEAN PGA Tour aimed at reinforcing the stature of the popular Malaysian tournament.
The Sabah Masters has been the season-ending event for the past two years and its growing success has inspired a year-long countdown for players eligible to play in the event based on Order of Merit.
This season’s ASEAN PGA Tour will boast at least 11 tournaments offering nearly US$1 million in overall prize money thanks to one of its strongest schedules.
And with the Tour travelling to so many nations in the region it will be able to effectively build the Sabah brand.
“The campaign is an effort to promote Sabah Tourism and Sabah as a premier golfing destination on the ASEAN PGA Tour,” said YB Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, Chairman of the Sabah Tourism Board.
“Each year the tournament has attracted a very strong field. So many of our region’s top players want to play in the Sabah Masters so the tournament fits perfectly as a Tour Championship style event that they have to battle to get into.”
The Sabah Masters is also the tournament where the Order of Merit champion is crowned and where the leading players from the Merit list earn their OneAsia cards.
The Sabah Tourism Board helped revive the tournament in 2011 as the tournament had not been played for 10 years and this year they announced they will be sponsoring it for another three years starting in 2015.
“The Road to the Sabah Masters will create a buzz factor on the ASEAN PGA Tour as players compete throughout the season to make it into the field for the final event. We thank the Sabah Tourism Board for supporting this positive development,” said AC Wong, Executive Chairman, ASEAN PGA.
This year Thailand’s Wisut Artjanawat claimed his second Sabah Masters title and fifth ASEAN PGA Tour victory at Sutera Harbour Golf and Country Club.
He pulled away from a packed leader board by firing a closing three-under-par 68 to beat compatriot Sattaya Supupramai and Vietnam’s Michael Tran by two shots.
He also claimed the event in 2011 while Antonio Lascuna from the Philippines triumped in 2013.
World Sport Group, the official commercial partner for the ASEAN PGA, will continue to promote the event and as part of this relationship they produce a one-hour highlight show that is broadcast on FOX Sports.
Asean PGA Tour backup site 