Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: The Asian Tour’s first half schedule for 2015 includes new tournaments in Thailand, Mauritius and Malaysia.
The US$2 million Thailand Classic at Hua Hin’s Black Mountain Golf Club, the €1 million (about US$1.2 million) AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open at Heritage Golf Club and the US$750,000 Vascory Classic at Templer Park Country Club in Malaysia will be held in February, May and August respectively.
The US$1.5 million Hero Indian Open, which was not held in 2014, will make a welcome return during the third week of February. It will be the third leg of the 2015 season following the US$3 million Maybank Malaysian Open and inaugural Thailand Classic.
The long-running SAIL Open in India in March will be followed by the US$750,000 CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters, returning for its fifth edition at its traditional slot in late April.
The Queen’s Cup in Thailand will be played in mid-June on the holiday isle of Samui while the Omega European Masters in Switzerland, the only co-sanctioned Asian Tour and European Tour tournament held on European soil, has been brought forward to the third week of July from its previous September date.
Details of events in the Philippines and the Chiangmai Golf Classic will be announced in due course.
Asian Tour Chairman Kyi Hla Han said: “The introduction of new events on the Asian Tour in Thailand, Malaysia and Mauritius in 2015 shows the continued strength and appeal of the professional game at the highest level in Asia.
“Through our strong partnership with the European Tour, we will co-sanction five events together with them in the first half of 2015 while we also look forward to working together for the first time with the Sunshine (Southern African) Tour in Mauritius as well as the Japan Golf Tour at the inaugural Vascory Classic in Malaysia.”
2015 Asian Tour Schedule
February 5-8: Maybank Malaysian Open
February 12-15: Thailand Classic
February 19-22: Hero Indian Open
March 19-22: SAIL Open, India
April 23-26: CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters
May 7-10: AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open
June 18-21: Queen’s Cup, Thailand
July 23-26: Omega European Masters, Switzerland
Aug 20-23: Vascory Classic, Malaysia
TBA: Chiangmai Golf Classic, Thailand