The US$7 million CIMB Classic kick-starts the festivities at TPC Kuala Lumpur from October 11 to 14, with veteran star Pat Perez defending his title against a stellar cast which includes world No. 4 Justin Thomas, himself a double CIMB Classic champion in 2015/16.
The US$9.5 million CJ CUP, the newest addition to the PGA TOUR’s Schedule last season, will see Thomas, the 2016-17 FedExCup winner, returning to Jeju Island in search of a fourth win in the region. The WGC-HSBC Champions will conclude the festivities with new world No. 1 Justin Rose and the title holder headlining the starry field in Sheshan International Golf Club.
When Monahan visited the inaugural CJ CUP last year, he told the Korean media that the TOUR hopes to inspire more golfers into the sport, which reportedly now has more than 80 million people playing the game globally and Asia’s growing middle-class segment expected to raise the figures in the years to come.
“It’s an honour to be in this golf crazed-market (South Korea) and it really is a remarkable marketplace for golf. I think as you look to today and look to the future and in fact if you look to the past, 10 years from now and beyond, we hope we are inspiring a new generation of fans and new generation of players by having the best players of the world here in South Korea for the CJ CUP,” said Monahan.
The stars too have embraced the TOUR’s vision with both hands. Not only do they enjoy the opportunity to perform in front of new fans, the diverse cultures from one city to the next has been a strong pull in their decisions to venture abroad.
“The game is so global now,” said Perez, who won the CIMB Classic by four shots last year. “I think it's awesome that the TOUR’s expanded outside the United States. I think it's important for the game. When I was coming up, the game wasn't that global. But I think there're so many great new, young players worldwide that it's important to get all these kids or players together because you can see there's so much competition going on.”
