Women’s Golf Takes Centre Stage at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club

KUALA LUMPUR, 14 September 2023

Among the luminaries, Maybank is delighted to welcome major championship winners Céline Boutier, Nelly Korda, Brooke Henderson, Jin Young Ko, and Minjee Lee. Alongside these global stars will also be a talented group of ASEAN players, including Singapore’s Amanda Tan, Dottie Ardina of the Philippines, and Indonesia’s Ida Ayu Indira Melati Putri.

They will join a growing star-studded line-up that already includes two of the four major champions of this year, namely Ruoning Yin and Allisen Corpuz.

The tournament also marks a historic milestone for Maybank, becoming the first-ever women’s tournament sanctioned by the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour. With an impressive purse of US$3 million, the Maybank Championship stands among the most celebrated tournaments outside of the majors, attracting the crème de la crème of women’s world golf.

Maybank Championship 2023 marks a significant moment for Malaysia. This platform, poised to host the world’s best women golfers, provides an intersection where the best-in-class come together to thrive and to inspire the future generations. This event reaffirms Maybank’s unwavering commitment to the sport and celebrates the region’s burgeoning influence on the global golfing stage.

Among the giants at the event who have got the fans buzzing is 25-year-old American Nelly Korda, an Olympic gold medallist whose exceptional game has been highlighted by eight LPGA Tour titles, including her major title at the 2021 Women’s PGA Championship. Making her second visit to KLGCC as a professional, the World No. 3 is seeking her first victory of the season, but she does have seven top 10s to show for some good form.

Also joining the field is France’s Céline Boutier who recently clinched back-to-back victories in 2023, with one being her first major championship. She became the first LPGA golfer to achieve this feat since 2016 after Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn. Winning the Amundi Evian Championship was a historical one as Boutier cemented her name as the first Frenchwoman to win her country’s lone major championship. Coming to Maybank Championship, she will be eyeing to add another win to her 2023 achievements.

South Korean sensation Jin Young Ko boasts two notable wins so far this season: the HSBC Women’s World Championship and the Cognizant Founders Cup. The 28-year-old, who holds the record for the most number of weeks as world number one after she eclipsed Lorena Ochoa’s 158 weeks in June, has 15 LPGA Tour titles to her credit and six top 10s alone this year to underscore her pedigree when she arrives in Kuala Lumpur. Her two major titles came in 2019 at the Chevron Championship (formerly ANA Inspiration) and the Evian Championship.

Adding to the glamour roster is the LPGA’s 2023 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions winner, Brooke Henderson. The 13-time Tour champion etched her name in history as the second youngest player, at 18, to win a major title at the 2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and become the most successful Canadian golfer (men and women).

Australian talent Minjee Lee adds to the competition with her accomplished repertoire. She has two major championships — the Amundi Evian Championship in 2021 and the 2022 US Women’s Open — to show for her talent and quality on the course. The 27-year-old from Western Australia won her first tournament this year in early September at the Kroger Queen City Championship and will look to secure another victory at the KLGCC.

As part of Maybank Championship’s commitment to making the sport more inclusive, the tournament will see the return of the ASEAN category, with the gifted ASEAN trio participating in this golfing spectacle. 

The Southeast Asian roster includes 24-year-old Amanda Tan, who became the first Singaporean to secure an Epson Tour card. In 2021, she also became the first woman to win on the FTAG Singapore Pro Series Invitational.

Adding on to the list, Dottie Ardina, a Filipino golfer who triumphed in an Epson Tour event last year, winning the Copper Rock Championship, and clinched the Ballarat Icons Pro-Am in 2020, giving her promise to shine on the West Course.

Indonesian Ida Ayu Indira Melati Putri is another strong contender from ASEAN who has great potential. She was Indonesia’s top-ranked player from May 2018 to April 2020. Hailing from Bali, she has consistently performed well on the Thai Tour, making all the cuts so far this season, which should hold her in good stead on her visit to Kuala Lumpur.

The ASEAN region is home to some of the best potentials in the world. Three spots are reserved for ASEAN players, giving them the unique opportunity to compete with some of the world’s best in the sport.

Maybank’s ASEAN Ambassador and Malaysia’s own Olympian, Kelly Tan, will be representing the nation at the tournament and carrying the torch of progress for women’s golf in the country.

Beyond being a remarkable sporting event, the Maybank Championship 2023 signifies Maybank’s unwavering 14-year commitment to the world of golf. This evolution of golf aims to accelerate women’s golf and contribute to shaping women’s professional golf to inspire the next generation of golfers, in Malaysia and around the region.

Maybank extends a warm invitation to all golf enthusiasts to be part of this prestigious event and show support for their golfing heroes. Attendees can enjoy unreserved general admission, allowing them to witness world-class golf action up close. The ticketing options include a RM38 Day Pass (entry for Thursday and Friday), a RM68 Weekend Pass (Saturday and Sunday), or an RM88 Season Pass (all four days).

To further encourage the participation of families, complimentary entries are available for children under 12, as well as Maybank Cardholders (Debit, Credit and Charge Cards) and MAE App users. This gesture underscores Maybank Championship’s mission to Humanise Financial Services and ensure that sports are inclusive and accessible to all.

For more information and ticket bookings, visit http://www.maybank.com/championship