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Malaysia to Host World Amateur Golfers Championship This Month
03 November 2022 | Written by Chris Alexander

From 12-19 November, Malaysia will play host to a major event in the sporting calendar: the World Amateur Golfers Championship (WAGC). The largest of its kind in the world, this prestigious event will draw athletes, fans and tourists from far and wide.

A total of 500 amateur golfers will descend on Kuala Lumpur for the World Finals in November, where they will compete for the title on world-class greens in the Klang Valley. These include the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club, Glenmarie Golf and Country Club, Kota Permai Golf and Country Club, and Kelab Rahman Putra Malaysia.

The event is being billed as a fun celebration, with a healthy dose of competition. “It is a platform for all golfers, no matter what handicap they play, to compete with their fellow golfers with equal skill levels to represent their states,” explains WAGC President, Isac Saminathan.

First established in 1995 by Swedish athlete Sven Tumba, the event has since grown to become the biggest amateur golf event in the calendar, drawing together amateurs from more than 45 countries worldwide. The WAGC has been held in the United States, Europe and South Africa, at high-end tourism resorts with some of the best courses in the world.

“We would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to WAGC for entrusting Malaysia again to host the world final,” says Manoharan Periasamy, who is Tourism Malaysia’s Senior Director of International Promotion (Asia/ Africa) Division, who looks forward to “welcoming international amateur golfers for their final battle in Malaysia.”

This will be the fourth time Malaysia welcomes the WAGC to its shores, having previously hosted the tournament in Kuala Lumpur (2017), Johor Bahru (2018) and Sabah (2019). The championships were postponed for the past two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The event’s return is expected to be a major draw for inbound tourists. Tourism Malaysia is targeting a total of 9.2 million international arrivals this year, who will generate an estimated RM 26.8 billion in tourism receipts. The WAGC finals represent a major step towards this ultimate aim.

Golfers taking part in the finals will stay at One World Hotel in Petaling Jaya, before visiting a range of tourist sites. A special evening is planned at the Lakeside of Putrajaya, followed by a day trip to Malacca for non-golfers accompanying the finalists. A number of celebrities will also attend the World Final, including Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and former Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek.