Eight coveted spots up for grabs at two qualifiers for Iskandar Johor Open 2010
Johor Bahru, August 23, 2010 - Great news for professional players who are looking to qualify for the Iskandar Johor Open (IJO) 2010 as organizers announced today the staging of two Qualifying Rounds for local as well as regional and international professionals.
Up for grabs are eight spots to tee-up at one of the region’s richest professional golf championships alongside some of the game’s most prominent players.
The prestigious Iskandar Johor Open, scheduled to be held from October 14 to 17, 2010 at Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club, is offering a US$1.25 million total purse this year. Leading players, defending champion K.J. Choi of Korea and South African Retief Goosen, who won the championship in 2008, have already confirmed their participation for the championship.
The first Qualifying Round, the Malaysian Qualifier, slated for September 20, 2010 at the host venue, the 6,271-metre, par-72 championship layout of Horizon Hills GCC, offers five slots. For this Qualifying Round, entry is open only to Malaysian professionals holding a valid Professional Card from recognised Golf Clubs and Professional Golf Associations.
The Malaysian Qualifier will be played over 18 holes with the top five players who return with the lowest gross score winning the chance to play in the Iskandar Johor Open under the Qualifier Winners category.
The entry fee is RM150 inclusive of caddie fees and the entry form is available from the Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club and www.iskandarjohoropen.com. The closing date for registration is September 15, 2010.
“The Malaysian Qualifier is the perfect stage for local professionals to battle it out for the five guaranteed and highly coveted slots. I believe it is going to be very competitive as the reward and the opportunity to play alongside some of the world’s golfing stars in a championship that offers US$1.25 million, is huge,” said IRDA Chief Executive Ismail Ibrahim.
“This qualifier will promote the development of golf in the country, providing the local professionals with an opportunity to compete amongst themselves for the privilege to be in the same field with some of the top regional and international golf stars come October 14,” added Encik Ismail.
Meanwhile, the second Qualifying Round will be held on a later date at the Horizon Hills GCC. For this Qualifying Round, which is open to Malaysian, regional and international professional players only, three slots are available for the top three players who return with the lowest gross score. More information on this will be released closer to the date.
Grant Slack, Vice President of the Golf Division, IMG commented: “As an Asian Tour full-field event, the Iskandar Johor Open boasts a strong field of top international and regional players. The Qualifying Rounds present perfect opportunities for players who have not qualified automatically to gain entry into such an illustrious field. I am sure the qualifiers will play their best to earn their slots in one of the most important golf championships in Malaysia and in this region.”
Sanctioned by the Asian Tour, the official regional sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia and the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia, the Iskandar Johor Open 2010 will be contested by 144 players consisting of the top 116 players on the Asian Tour ranking, the top 10 Malaysians on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, 10 sponsors invites, top five players from the Malaysian Qualifier and top three players from the International Qualifier.
The Iskandar Johor Open
The inaugural edition of the Iskandar Johor Open kicked off in August 2007. Held at the Johor Country Club (RJCC) in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, it carried a prize purse of USD$300,000 and the honour of hoisting the trophy for the first time fell to Artemio Murakami of the Philippines. In October 2008, the championship offered an improved purse of USD$500,000 and South African Retief Goosen went on to clinch the coveted trophy at RJCC. 2009 marked a milestone in the history of the Iskandar Johor Open, with a 100% increase in prize money to USD$1,000,000, certainly pointing to the tournament’s growing stature. It was won by Korean K.J. Choi, who triumphed over rising Indian star Himmat Rai and defending champion Retief Goosen.
Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA)
Iskandar Malaysia is set to become Southern Peninsular Malaysia's most developed region, where living, entertainment, environment and business seamlessly converge within a bustling and vibrant metropolis. The Iskandar Regional Development Authority is the statutory body tasked with realizing the vision of developing Iskandar Malaysia.
IMG Sports & Entertainment
Operating in 30 countries, IMG Sports & Entertainment’s diverse businesses include: consulting services; event ownership and management; fashion events and models representation; licensing; golf course design; and client representation in golf, tennis, broadcasting, speakers, European football, rugby, cricket, motor sports, coaching, Olympic and action sports. IMG Academies are the world's largest, multi-sport training and educational facilities, delivering world-class training experiences to more than 12,000 junior, collegiate, adult, and professional athletes each year.
More information about IMG is available at www.imgworld.com.
The Asian Tour
As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include J.Lindeberg (Official Apparel Partner), Ricoh (Official Office Solutions Provider), Inetol Headwear (Official Headwear Supplier), Royal Selangor (Official Trophy Supplier) and Srixon (Official Ball). Sentosa, Singapore’s premier island resort getaway, is the Home of the Asian Tour.
For Media Enquiries, please contact:
IRDA:
Balbeer Singh Jessy
Mobile: +607 218 3000
Email: balbeer@irda.com.my
