The event – the Asia Pacific Classic, Malaysia – the first-ever PGA TOUR sanctioned event in Southeast Asia. The host venue – the MINES Resort & Golf Club. The title sponsor – CIMB.For the Prime Minister of Malaysia, it is a childhood ambition turned into reality. For the Founder of The MINES, it is a realization of a dream. For the Group Chief Executive of CIMB, it is the opportunity they had been searching for. For the Malaysian nation as a while, it is a multi-year event that seals its place in the annals of golf.Yes, the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic is a big deal and nothing short of a coup. It is the first time the US PGA TOUR had agreed to a long-term deal with the The MINES, making it an inaugural of a seven-year event which will prove to be the most important in this part of the globe.The premier golf tournament, to be held from 28th till 31st of October 2010, will see a top class international field of 40 players competing for a US$6 million prize purse, with US$1 million going to the winner. The contenders in the 40-man field will consist of the top 25 players from the PGA TOUR’s final FedExCup standings who will automatically qualify for the event, as well as the top 10 Players on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, Five sponsor exemptions will make up the rest of the field, with at least one place reserved for a Malaysian professional.“It was my childhood ambition to see the PGA TOUR brought to Malaysia and now it will become a reality,” said the Prime Minster, YAB Dato’ Sri Najib Tun Abdul Razak, at the launch of the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic on 7 December 2009, “I was not sure then that it could happen and I didn’t know what it takes to be able to host the event in Malaysia. Fortunately, we have Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew, an entrepreneur who has the courage and vision to do things that are difficult or seemingly impossible to do,” he assed.Noting the significance of such a world-class sporting event in Malaysia, he remarked: Malaysia is rapidly emerging as Asia’s leading golf destination…and the hosting of a PGA TOUR event is testimony to Malaysia’s strong golfing heritage.”

The Mines to Host the 1st PGA Tour Event in Southeast Asia with the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic, Malaysia