CHAMPIONING INCLUSIVITY
Being at the heart of the community, evolving with the times has always been a hallmark of Maybank’s DNA.
Following 14 successful years of sponsoring European Tour and Asian Tour co-sanctioned men’s championships, Maybank now takes the next step in its evolution, partnering with the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) to create the richest ladies’ golf event in Asia, with the purpose of elevating women’s sports by providing the intersection where the best-in class, from all spheres of life, come together to thrive and succeed in their passion.
Marking the return of the LPGA Tour to Malaysian shores after a six-year hiatus, the Maybank Championship was welcomed by the golf fraternity as a much-needed impetus for the game in the country and the region. The championship will be played at KLGCC’s West Course, previously the venue for high-profile men’s events including the Maybank Malaysian Open, and will feature 68 professional golfers from the LPGA with ten additional spots reserved for Malaysian and ASEAN players. The no-cut 72-hole tournament format enables each player to earn a share of the prize money.
The tournament’s theme, Retake the Green, embodies our belief that women’s golf has the potential to create positive change, both on and off the course. In line with Maybank’s vision to empower the communities in which we operate, the championship will feature various community-focused initiatives including golf clinics, workshops, and knowledge exchange sessions.
Maybank has also signed on Malaysia’s top lady golfer, two-time Olympian Kelly Tan, as our ASEAN ambassador. The appointment of Tan will see her working with us to help create a more diverse, accessible and inclusive stage for women’s golf in the region. She will act as a catalyst to realise Maybank’s vision to grow the game and provide equitable opportunities for women from all walks of life, through junior clinics and mentorship programmes during the off-season.
Hailing from Batu Pahat in Johor, Tan turned professional in 2013 and has enjoyed an impressive career on the LPGA Tour with her best finish being a runner-up performance in the 2022 Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational. In 2019, she won the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic on the LPGA’s secondary circuit, the Epson Tour.
