Din (second right) presenting the prize to joint third finisher of the PGM Tour MNRB Sarawak Championship, Masaru Takahashi of Japan at KGS. Looking on (from right) are Sarawak Golf Association president Hoan Kee Hock, Sharkawi, PGM Tour director Sari Suhut and KGS captain Dr David Sylvester Ling.
KUCHING: MNRB Group Holdings Bhd will continue supporting the Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) Tour Sarawak Championship through sponsorship.
Group president and chief executive officer Mohd Din Merican said they had been sponsoring the event for the fourth consecutive time this year.
MNRB first came as sponsor in 2012 with RM185,000, before increasing the amount to RM250,000. This year, their contribution is RM350,000.
“We have been doing this (sponsorship) for four years – it is something that we would like to continue with,” he said during a press conference at Sarawak Golf Club (KGS) here recently, adding that he noted encouraging rise in participation of golfers from the ADT and PGM Tours as well as local pros and amateurs.
However, Din said the continued sponsorship and any increase in the amount would be subject to the decision by the board of MNRB Group.
Meanwhile group chairman Sharkawi Alis said the Sarawak tournament was really one ‘worth supporting’.
He said according to feedback, the PGM Tour has become among the fastest-growing of its kind in the world. He added that since that it kicked off with one tour in 2010, it had grown tremendously in terms of prize money, organisation and participation; thus making it attractive for more golfers to compete in.
According to PGM Tour tournament director Brig Gen (Rtd) Ron S Mahendran, the tour started with only one event with RM150,000 in prize money, but had grown in the following year with 15 events and prize money of RM2.2 million.
In 2013, it hosted 19 events with RM2.6-million prize money and the year after that, it featured 22 events offering RM3.2 million.
“This year, there are 43 events, including ADT events, with total prize money of RM6.8 million. Through the ADT events which carry world-ranking points, we are also helping Malaysian pros to qualify for the Olympics; of which each country is only allowed to send two golfers,” said Ron.
He said the young Airil Rizman, who is now ranked 296 in the world, had qualified for the Olympics.
“Two other leading Malaysian golfers, Danny Chia and Nicholas Fung, are also making good progress in their bid to secure their tickets to the Olympics.”