Report by Anand Datla
October 28, 2014: We are set for some sensational golf this week, as Kuala Lumpur gets ready to host a galaxy of golfing stars from across the globe for the CIMB Classic. In one of the truly international events on the Asian Tour calendar, 65 players with as many as 290 tournament wins between them shall vie for honours in a field of 78 players. An impressive 142 of those victories have come on the PGA Tour. India’s Anirban Lahiri is our only representative this week in a strong field vying for the $7mn pot of prize money on offer this week.
But Lahiri and the others from the fast growing Asian Tour will need to compete with Major winners, among others – The field includes Mike Weir, Stewart Cink, Jason Dufner, Davis Love III and a bunch of South African Major champions in Retief Goosen, Trevor Immelman, Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel.
The teenage Chinese phenomenon Guan Tianling is also in Malaysia this week on a sponsor’s invitation. He might only be 16, but is already a formidable golfer by many accounts. PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year Chesson Hadley from USA and Web.com Tour Player of the Year Carlos Ortiz from Mexico are also in contention.
Among the star studded phalanx of international stars are world number three Sergio Garcia, FedExCup winner Billy Horschel, Patrick Reed who topped the US charts in the recent Ryder Cup, Lee Westwood and Japanese Hideki Matsuyama and Ryo Ishikawa. The CIMB Classic is gaining in stature with each passing year – co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Professional Golf Association of Malaysia, it awards points toward the PGA TOUR FedExCup competition.
Lahiri has long cherished an ambition to play on the PGA Tour and the CIMB Classic offers him an opportunity to kick open that door to his dreams, if he can challenge for the $1.26mn winner’s cheque. But it is going to be no easy task, given the strength and depth in the field this week. But his victory last week at the Macau Open must fill Lahiri with the confidence needed to perform well in Malaysia.
Follow golfingindian.com on https://www.facebook.com/GolfingIndian
- In this article
- Pros
- anirban lahiri
- cimb classic
- Guan Tianling
