Maybank Plays The Long Game.

May 15, 2013

Maybank Golf – Aphibarnrat with Trophy

Kuala Lumpur, 13^th May 2013: Although the Maybank Malaysian Open has finished for another year – the divots in the course have been repaired, the golf balls fished out of the water hazards, and the trophy engraved and put back in its cabinet – Maybank’s commitment to golf in Malaysia drives on. Maybank’s support of the game may be most apparent in its annually hosting the Maybank Malaysian Open, Malaysia’s prestigious national Open tournament, but it doesn’t end there.

Throughout the year, Maybank supports a wide range of initiatives running from junior, to amateur, all the way up to the professional golf showcases and sponsorships it awards.

Realising that today’s champions – the Rory McIlroys and Tigers Woods of the world – have been in training ever since they were old enough to swing a club, Maybank has spearheaded a number of initiatives to bring young Malaysians into the game, to nurture their raw talent, hone it and sharpen it, and begin to create the champions of tomorrow.

In 2006, Maybank began its first programme for juniors – the Maybank Junior Golf – National Camp, and has run it on an annual basis ever since. Talented young Malaysians between the ages of 12 and 16 are nominated by their respective State Golf Associations to attend a three-day intensive training camp, where they hone their already considerable skills while being versed in fitness techniques and the ancient and esoteric world of golf course etiquette.

In order to increase the numbers of young people taking up the sport at an even earlier age, last year Maybank instigated another programme directed at juniors – The Maybank Junior Golf – Champions Academy. Aimed at children aged between 6 and 12, the Maybank Junior Golf – Champions Academy is open even to those who have never held a golf club in their life; offering these young people the chance to experience the game, and seeking to find and develop raw talent through a series of challenges and observations. Originally taking 300 young people from all across the country, this number was whittled down to a final ten. These ten who displayed the most talent were entered into a three-year programme of intensive training camps under the tutelage of Golf Professional Tony Maloney.

Emphasising the need to develop these juniors in a well-rounded fashion, the programme seeks to combine development in golf alongside personal and academic development. The intensive training camps take place during breaks from school, and Maybank has provided each of the selected juniors with vouchers so that they may continue their training in their home states between camps.

One such junior in the Maybank Junior Golf – Champions Academy is 10 year old Zulaikah Nurziana Nasser from Subang Jaya. Zulaikah, who has been playing golf since the age of 7, was selected in the second draft for the Maybank Junior Golf – Champions Academy in December last year. Making it through the tough competition to reach the final ten, Zulaikah has benefitted from the unique training programme organized by Maybank. Having come first runner up in the US Kids Golf World Malaysia Championship 2012 – and finishing as the highest-rated Malaysian in her age group – Zulaikah has been invited to attend the 2013 US Kids Golf European Championship in the home of golf, Scotland.

Speaking of her experience in the Maybank Junior Golf – Champion’s Academy, Zulaikah said, “It’s been really great to get the chance to be in a programme like this. I’ve been interested in golf from a very young age, and the training camps have really helped me to improve my game, as have the special diets the coaches put together to help us stay healthy. I’m excited to go to Scotland to try out my new skills and represent my country!”

Maybank’s commitment to the development of golf in Malaysia doesn’t end there, however. A programme of extensive support aimed towards those players who have not yet turned professional offers coveted spots in professional tournaments such as the Maybank Malaysian Open itself. This year, a total of 6 local amateurs were selected based on their outstanding performances in the Maybank Malaysian Open – National Qualifiers, including Gavin Green – who made waves around the world by being not only the first Malaysian Amateur to make the cut at a Maybank Malaysian Open in ten years, but the best-placed Malaysian golfer in this year’s event.

Maybank’s support of the game extends to its sponsorship of the PGM Tour, namely PGM Maybank Johor Masters, and the PGM Maybank Tour Players Championship. These tournaments give valuable experience to players on the Asian Development Tour and Malaysia’s budding young professionals, and coming first in the latter competition will result in the chance to compete in the prestigious Maybank Malaysian Open 2014.

With the abilities of these home-grown golfers going from strength to strength due to the support and help from Maybank, in addition to the prestige and excitement brought to the game thanks to Maybank’s dedicated sponsorship of the Maybank Malaysian Open, the future of golf in Malaysia continues to look brighter and brighter. With golf making its long-awaited return to the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016, perhaps one day we will see a Malaysian standing proud on the podium – and Maybank’s continued support across all levels of the game will have paid off.