Retief Goosen and K.J. Choi to go head to head at the Third Iskandar Johor Open
JOHOR BAHRU (Thursday, 27th August 2009): Two of the world’s finest golfers – defending champion and two-time major winner – Retief Goosen and Korean, K.J. Choi, will be making their way to the Royal Johor Country Club (RJCC) to vie for the winner’s prize of US$ 158,500 at the Iskandar Johor Open (IJO) from October 22 – 25, 2009.
With Goosen and Choi headlining the US$ 1 million (RM 3.5 million) Asian Tour sanctioned event, up to 156 golfers from around the region are expected to join the duo to battle it out on the formidable course of RJCC in a bid to join the Champions circle which includes inaugural winner Artemio Murakami from the Philippines and South Africa’s Retief Goosen.
Dato’ Haji Abdul Ghani bin Othman, Chief Minister of Johor and Chairman of the Organising committee, promises another top-tiered event which will bolster Johor’s aim of becoming a golfing destination. "With Goosen’s and Choi’s participation, the IJO has gone from strength to strength, boasting the best playing field in 3 years and bringing world class golfing action to Johor’s doorstep."
There is excitement at the growth of a tournament that started three years ago as a US$ 300,000 event and has quickly developed into an event that is attracting some of the best names in golf. The total prize money has doubled from last year as part of a strategic plan to grow the IJO into a "must-watch" event in the region.
"The IJO is growing in size and prestige, experiencing a steady progression towards becoming one of the marquee tournaments on the Asian Tour. Together with IRDA, the state government will continue to grow the event and perhaps one day, the IJO will be touted as one of the "golf majors of Asia"," he added.
Goosen, who came to Johor after enduring one of his driest spells as a professional golfer, ended his 21-month title drought by winning the second IJO. His victory in Johor further cemented Goosen’s run of winning a professional event every year since 1995.
"The Goose", strode to victory over Thailand’s Thaworn Wiratchant and Australia’s Kane Webber with a winning margin of 2 strokes and total score of 12-under par 276. It was Goosen's fourth victory on the Asian Tour and his 29th international title since winning the Qatar Masters in early 2007.
Goosen is excited about his return, saying, "Winning the IJO is the best thing that happened to me in 2008 and I am looking forward to coming back to defend the title. The high humidity and tricky golf course will be my greatest challenge! Now that the prize money has doubled, I need to work extra hard on my game to keep the trophy."
Since the IJO, Goosen has continued his winning streak. He started his 2009 season with wins on two major tours. He won his second event on the Sunshine Tour, at the Africa Open in January, followed by his seventh PGA Tour title at the Transitions Championship in March. Goosen is now ranked number 19 in the Official World Golf Rankings, his highest position since November 2007.
Equally respected on both sides of the globe, K.J. Choi is no stranger to Asian golf fans, having made his name on the Asian Tour before his impressive play propelled him to the PGA Tour.
Nicknamed "The Tank", his golfing statistics pretty much speak for themselves. Widely considered to be one of the best Asian players in the world, he is the first Korean-born player to earn a PGA Tour Card. He is also the first Korean to win on the PGA Tour before becoming one of the first Asians to break into the World Top 10 ranking. He has the record for the most PGA Tour victories by an Asian-born player.
"I am looking forward to my first visit to Malaysia. I have been told many wonderful things about Johor and the junior golf development in the state. I hope that I will be able to inspire the new generation of young Asian Golfers to produce the likes of Tiger Woods in time to come! In the meantime, I need to learn to tame the challenging course at RJCC!" Choi said.
Choi is currently experiencing his own trophy drought and is searching for his first win in 2009. His last win was at the Sony Open, Hawaii in 2008 whilst the last Asian trophy he lifted was at his home open, the 2005 SK Telecom Open.
"We are happy to welcome home our honorary member, K.J Choi as he returns to the Asian Tour to thrill the local galleries. Besides K.J, we are also looking forward to seeing the best players from the Asian Tour in action as the Tour begins its major swing through Johor, Singapore, Shanghai and Hong Kong," said Executive Chairman of the Asian Tour, Kyi Hla Han.
"RJCC is the base of the Johor Junior Golf Development Programme. We are very gratified that our youth will have the chance to watch and learn from players like Goosen and Choi. They are inspirational role models to our juniors, especially Choi, who started out as a farmer’s son in Korea and has now reached the upper echelon of professional golf," added IJO Organising Secretary Majid Manjit Abdullah.
Gunning for a chance to win at home this year are Malaysian pros Airil Rizman and Ben Leong. Kuala Lumpur-born Rizman and Sabahan Leong, see IJO 2009 as an opportunity to perform in front of their countrymen.
Both Rizman and Leong are no strangers to RJCC having competed in the last two IJO tournaments. They both had strong finishes in IJO 2008, making the cut and ending the day in the Top 30.
Leong has emerged as Malaysia's newest rising star after his maiden Asian Tour victory at the Worldwide Holdings Selangor Masters last year when he beat Thai star Thongchai Jaidee in a head-to-head showdown. Rizman is going for his second Asian Tour win after holding off Scott Hend and Simon Hurd in the final round of the Pakistan Open in 2007.
Rizman and Leong will be joined by 18 Malaysian professionals who will use the IJO as an opportunity to showcase their talent on an international level, 8 invited players, 5 Open Qualifier winners and up to 123 members from the Asian Tour to produce a starting field of 144 – 156 players.
Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) has been a staunch supporter of the the IJO since the inaugural event in 2007. The IJO, which is the second largest professional golf tournament in Malaysia, has continued to surpass expectations and deliver substantial returns to its sponsors.
"IRDA has been supporting the IJO ever since its inception and we are delighted to continue to do so. The IJO has been a wonderful platform to showcase our brand to the world," said IRDA Chief Executive Officer Encik Harun Haji Johari.
"The increase in prize money is a significant boost for professional golf in the region. The year on year increase to the million-dollar prize fund clearly demonstrates the commitment and value that sponsors enjoy on the Asian Tour. It also reflects the government’s commitment to further expand and grow the golf industry and promote golf tourism in the state of Johor," said Han.
The IJO is also supported by platinum sponsor - UEM Land Berhad, the master developer of Nusajaya which is a key driver of Iskandar Malaysia. Other co-sponsors include Iskandar Waterfront Development and UM Land.
Also partnering the IJO this year are TaylorMade adidas Golf, 100 Plus, Srixon, Winston Wine, Dewars, Ricoh and the Puteri Pacific Hotel.
"We are very pleased to be working so closely with the Johor Government, RJCC, the Asian Tour and a committed family of sponsors and we are all working together to building a strong foundation for this tournament. Local support is a key factor and we have been very fortunate to have the backing of some wonderful and enthusiastic organisations. The course is looking good and is ready for Asia’s best to come and take it on," declared Grant Slack, Vice President of the Golf Division. IMG is the event promoter of the IJO.
The IJO is supported by the Johor Government and is sanctioned by the Asian Tour, the Johor Golf Association and the Malaysian Golf Association.
IJO 2009 will once again be broadcast live over ESPN STAR Sports, reaching out to over 120 million homes around the world.
Admission is free.
News and updates on the tournament will be available on the official IJO website – www.iskandarjohoropen.com
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