Malaysia is home to many golf courses and events, and its busy sporting season kicks off this month. If you’re game for some high-spirited play, here’s a list of all the golf tournaments happening here in Malaysia in 2023.
The 2023 season begins with the PGM Tun Ahmad Sarji Trophy on 8 March. A part of the long-drawn Toyota Tour, the event will take place at the Saujana Golf and Country Club, which has two of the best golf courses in Malaysia. This will be a curtain raiser for some intense ensuing competition.
According to The Sun Daily, the Toyota Tour also features two Qualifying Tournaments for players without tour cards. One of these took place from 21 February to 23 February at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club, and the other scheduled for 12 September to 14 September at Palm Resort Golf & Country Club. The former was followed by a pro-am game at the venue’s East Course. The event brought together some of the country’s best professional players and guests in a Modified Scramble format.
The players included names such as two-time Asian Tour winner Danny Chia, Amir Nazrin — the first Malaysian to win the All Thailand Golf Tour, and Ervin Chang. Lady professionals included Ainil Bakar, Michelle Koh and Nur Durriyah Damian.
Fascinated? This is only just the beginning. Read on for a guide to all the most important golf tournaments happening in Malaysia in 2023.
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These are some of the 2023 golf tournaments taking place in Malaysia
(Main and featured image credit: Esmonde Yong/ @esmonde/ Unsplash)
This story first appeared in Prestige Online Malaysia
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When: 8-11 March
Venue: Saujana Golf & Country Club
A part of the Toyota Tour, the PGM Tun Ahmad Sarji Trophy is named after the late Tun Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid. A well-respected and long-serving civil servant, who rose to the position of Chief Secretary of State (1990-1996), Hamid had an incredible sporting history as well.
Hamid was not only a keen golfer but also took a special interest in other sports, including cricket and lawn bowls. In 2012, he was made the representative of Malaysia’s delegation to the 2012 London Olympics. In recognition of his services, Hamid was conferred with the National Sports Leadership Award in 2006.
The game is a significant calendar event in Malaysia and has a total prize money of RM 2,30,000. Of this, RM 2,00,000 is allocated for the men’s event and RM 30,000 for the ladies’ game. One of the most-anticipated events to be held this year, the four-day tournament will take place at the club’s Bunga Raya Course. In 2022, Malaysia’s Gavin Green won the cup and took home an amount of RM 35,000.
This is followed by eight other closed tournaments spread between April and October, which are named after different Toyota vehicle models.
The Toyota Tour is a joint agreement between the Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) Tour, UMW Toyota Motor and MST Golf.
Image credit: Saujana golf & country club
When: 9 March
Venue: Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club
This year, the GL Friends Golf Tournament enters its second edition and will take place at the award-winning popular golf course.
Spread across a massive area of over 4.8 sq km, the club is a developmental township and is known for its 18-hole, par 72 golf course. Offering a premium experience with holes at different levels of difficulty, the course is one of the choicest destinations among Malaysia’s golfing community.
Organised by Gamuda Land, the closed event is for members of the GL Friends community and has prizes for the 1st to 10th rankers, along with other novel prizes and opportunities to win exciting goodies.
Image credit: GL Friends Golf Tournament
When:10 June
Venue: Sutera Harbour Golf & Country Club
Hosted by the Malaysian Oil, Gas & Energy Services Council, this golf event is slated to tee off at the 27-hole 6316-metre club. The venue is one of its kind as it offers night golfing facilities in the Kota Kinabalu area.
The three-golf-course club provides the right amalgamation of breathtaking natural views and state-of-the-art facilities as well as challenging fairways and rolling greens. Setting high standards of golfing in Malaysia, the venue’s 24th hole — a 330-metre par-4 — is set on the Garden Course. It has sandy waste areas, the ocean and putting green fields, all creating a seamless environment for the sport.
A significant part of the game’s proceeds will go towards charitable organisations in Sabah.
Image credit: SOGCE
When: 11-17 June
Venue: Glenmarie Golf & Country Club – Valley and Gardens Course, KLGCC – East and West Course
Events across this seven-day fully hosted golf tournament and holiday are set to streamline all players in the Malaysian capital. It is hosted by Social Golf Australia (SGA). They offer services including golf handicaps and organise other golf events. And, besides the Malaysia tour, SGA reportedly has plans for Thailand and Vietnam tours as well.
This unique golfing holiday experience not only gives enthusiastic participants an opportunity to test their skills at an internationally competitive level but also offers a different angle of the country popularly known for badminton, grand buildings, food and shopping.
After arrival in Malaysia, the second and third days have four golf rounds at the Glenmarie Club, while the fifth and sixth days shift base to the iconic KLGCC. On day four, players can opt for rest, go sightseeing or get a practice round.
The renowned Glenmarie Club has hosted the Eurasia Cup previously and its Valley Course is designed by Ted Parslow. And while the Gardens Course is known for its beauty, the KLGCC courses are famous for their wonderful flora and fauna.
Image credit: Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club
When: 22-24 October
Venue: ELS Club, Langkawi
A sought-after golf event happening in Malaysia in 2023, the Perodua National Amateur Golf Series (PNAGS) comprises a number of state-level rounds and culminates at a grand two-round national finale at the Langkawi spot.
After a tee-off at Selangor on 2 March, the tournament travels to Wilayah Persekutuan on 16 March, followed by matches at Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Sarawak and Sabah and all the other of the 14 states.
This year marks the third edition of PNAGS and the tournament offers a highly regarded platform to the country’s amateur players to represent the national flag at the finale of the World Amateur Golfers Championship (WAGC) in Phuket, Thailand, between 4-11 November.
Five national winners shall proceed to the WAGC finals, which have previously been hosted by Malaysia in 2017 (Kuala Lumpur), 2018 (Johor Bahru), 2019 (Sabah) and 2022 (Kuala Lumpur).
Image credit: Perodua National Amateur Golf Series
When: 14-17 November
Venue: KLGCC
The 2023 Toyota Tour in Malaysia ends with the Toyota Championship at this stunning venue. The event is in partnership with Asian Development Tour (ADT) and has a prize money of RM 3,50,000.
This golf tournament is a “mixed field comprising players from the Toyota Tour and some of the region’s leading golfers from the ADT, along with sponsor’s invitations,” says The Sun Daily as per an 8 February 2023 report.
According to the news outlet, PGM Tour’s acting chairman Tan Sri Hamad Kama Piah Che Othman said, “The 2023 Toyota Tour certainly sets the stage for an exciting year for golf in Malaysia. I am sure our professional golfers will make full use of this opportunity to elevate their games and we look forward to crowning the inaugural Toyota Tour Order of Merit winner at the end of the season,” during the launch at KLGCC.
“The partnership with the ADT for the season-ending Toyota Championship will also provide an avenue for our professionals to progress to the regional circuits and beyond,” he added.
Image credit: Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Answer: Malaysia is hosting a number of golf tournaments that heighten the country’s golfing spirits. The games are spread across the country in Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Penang, Melaka and Sarawak.
Answer: The 2023 Liv Golf began on 24 February and will continue through November with several matches across the USA, Australia, the UK, Saudi Arabia, Spain and Singapore.
Answer: The 2023 PGA Championship is scheduled to take place in New York, USA, from 15 to 21 May.
Answer: The Ryder Cup is slated to take place between 25 September and 1 October 2023.
