NEWS RELEASE
Preparations for Iskandar Johor Open in full swing
(16th October 2008): Preparations for Johor’s biggest golf sporting event, the Iskandar Johor Open (IJO), are in full swing with the rollout of a major advertising and promotions campaign since last week.
The prestigious championship will be played at the Royal Johor Country Club (RJCC) in Johor Bahru from Oct 30 – Nov 2.
Ground work at the RJCC is reaching a feverish pitch while buntings, banners and giant billboards have started to sprout up throughout the city to promote the event.
Striking colour advertisements based on the tagline “Live The Action” have also been appearing in major national newspapers.
“We want to drive home the message that this is a major sporting event and would like as many people as possible to witness star players in action at the RJCC,” said the championship spokesman Manjit Majid Abdullah.
Since the inaugural IJO last year, the prize money for the tournament has been raised to US$500,000 (RM1.7 million) this year, making it one of the biggest golf tournaments in Malaysia in terms of the purse.
The IJO is sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Malaysian Golf Association, and supported by the Johor Government and Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA).
Singapore-based sports management group, IMG, is the official event promoter, while the media partner is ESPN Star Sports which will broadcast the event ‘live” for four hours each during the tournament dates (Thursday to Sunday).
The IJO this year is expected to attract some 156 players from 25 countries, including 20 Malaysian professionals and amateurs chosen from the Qualifier tournament held on Aug 29.
Also joining the players’ field will be the top 10 Malaysian pros and some 114 players under the Asian Tour.
All eyes will be on defending champion, Artemio Murakami from the Philippines, who won the championship with a one stroke lead for 68 last year. The 25-year old is a rising star, especially after his debut in the 2008 US Open at the Torres Pines, United States.
Malaysian pros also vying for the purse include 22-year-old Ben Leong of Sabah, who has dazzled the golfing fraternity with his stunning wins in recent major tournaments throughout the country.
Airil Rizman Zahari, another Malaysian on the Asian circuit, has also confirmed his participation.
Other top-notch players from Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, China, Japan, South Korea and India will also make up the starting field this year.
With the IJO, the Asian Tour will hit an unprecedented 30 tournaments and nearly US$40 million in total prize money for the current season – setting a new record in Asian golf history.
Admission to the IJO is free.
The IJO official website is: www.iskandarjohoropen.com
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