In what has been an exciting season so far, the newly established Toyota Tour is on track towards building a sustainable platform that will gear Malaysian professional golfers to push the limits to achieve greater heights.
Presented by UMW Toyota Motor as a partnership with Professional Golf Malaysia (PGM) and MST Golf, Toyota Tour is the premier professional golf tournament in Malaysia. The Tour reflects the mobility company’s drive for pushing the limits in the pursuit of perfection.
After five completed legs of the Toyota Tour, it is the up-and-coming youngsters have proven beyond a doubt that they are the future stars, going by their amazing abilities and performances on tough, challenging course such as the Saujana Golf & Country Club, Sarawak Golf Club, Sabah Golf & Country Club and the recent Templer Park Country Club.
Take for instance, Ervin Chang, the double gold medallist in the 2022 Hanoi Sea Games. After the completion of four legs of the Toyota Tour 2023, he maintains his grip on the Toyota Tour’s Leading Money list following a second-place finish in the Vios Cup at Templer Park. Earlier in May, Ervin stunned the field by recording his first-ever professional victory at the Mirai Cup in Kuching.
The 24-year-old lad from Kajang is not only able to hit long drives but he also has an impeccable touch around the greens. After his win in Kuching, Ervin had this to say: “Toyota’s continued support for golf in Malaysia gives the top amateurs an opportunity to perform as well as prepare the professionals to take on the world.”
Other rising stars in the men’s category include Edven Ying who won at Templer Park, Paul San, Shahriffuddin Ariffin, Galven Green, Wafiyuddin Manaf, Daeng Abdul Rahman, Danial Faidz and Amir Nazrin. The Toyota Tour also draws in veteran players like 51-year old Danny Chia who won the opening leg at Saujana; R. Nachimuthu, Sukree Othman, Wilson Choo, Shaifubari Muda, Airil Rizman, Ben Leong, Khor Kheng Wai and Nicholas Fung, a popular winner of the Hilux Cup in Sabah.
The lady professionals are not left out with Aretha Pan being the leading money earner after five legs. She created waves by winning the opening leg at the Tun Ahmad Sarji Trophy in Saujana and then finished an incredible second place in the men’s category in Sabah.
Jocelyn Chee, who only turned professional in February this year, showed why the Toyota Tour is quickly becoming the best platform for emerging stars when she notched her maiden win at the Vios Cup in Templer Park.
The Toyota Tour has created so much buzz and excitement among the professionals and leading amateurs alike. Shahriffuddin, who also plays on the Asian Tour said: “The set-up of each event is masterful. The branding is everywhere; there’s even music at the first and 10th teeboxes. .”
The Toyota Tour has achieved many firsts:
One of Toyota’s objectives is to bridge the gap between professional and amateur golf, thus building a stronger connection to help boost the golf industry. Toyota has launched an Elite Junior programme that will prepare players for the bigger stage, like the Sea Games, Asian Games, Putra Cup, Eisenhower Trophy and finally, professional golf.
The programme involves 12 hand-picked juniors from across the country. The six boys and six girls will undergo intensive, holistic training over 15 weeks under the expert eyes of the best professional coaches possible in Malaysia today.
Ben Leong recently shared his thoughts about the Toyota Tour. “It is great to have a title sponsor for the tour to elevate professional golf in. I’m overjoyed for the players.”
Such is the response of the players that some are ever willing to participate in activities that engages with the public. For instance, Ervin, Shahriffuddin and Paul will be on hand to spend a whole morning with golf fans at the MST Arena at the Gardens Arena, where they will give tips on the swing and putting, participate in a Beat the Pro competition and share their Tour experiences.
This content is provided by UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd
