Umar Khushairi topped the Toyota Tour Q-school with a total of eight-under-par.
TOYOTA and its relentless drive for perfection is reflected in the game of golf.
That’s one of the main reasons behind the carmaker’s partnership with Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) to establish the Toyota Tour.
“As a mobility company, we support initiatives that encourage us to push our limits. The Toyota Tour is a welcome addition as we see a lot of synergy between golf and Toyota,” says UMW Toyota Motor president Datuk Ravindran K.
“At Toyota, we are driven by passion and continuous improvement. For instance, fine-tuning small details to get the best performance. This drive for perfection is also present in golf and is something we want to support.”
The Toyota Tour came about through a tri-party agreement between PGM, UMW Toyota Motor and MST Golf.
The 2023 edition of the Toyota Tour will boast a total prize money of more than RM2.2mil over the 10 main events staged at some of our country’s top golf courses.
The field for each closed tournament will consist of PGM Tour card holders, along with dedicated slots for the country’s leading amateurs, as well as sponsor invitations.
Each tournament – except for the season ender – will see ladies’ championships staged concurrently with the men’s events.
Among the players to look out for at the 2023 Toyota Tour are 2022 PGM Tour Order of Merit winner Shahriffuddin Ariffin, who finished an impressive fourth at the 2022 Asian Development Tour (ADT) Order of Merit tournament.
The 23-year-old from Melaka has won five times on the PGM Tour and claimed his second ADT title at the Selangor Masters last October.
Another player to keep an eye on would be Universiti Utara Malaysia student Umar Khusairi, who finished above the 24 qualifiers at the recent Toyota Tour Qualifying School Leg 1.
The rising amateur topped the qualifying event with an impressive eight-under-par total and will be keen to do well as he makes the transition to professional golf this year.
Ervin Chang is a young talent expected to make waves in 2023, as the 24-year-old has enjoyed a superb start to his professional career with a string of impressive performances, earning him the Asian Tour’s inaugural Kyi Hla Han Future Champions Award for 2022.
Chang also won two gold medals at the 2022 SEA Games in Vietnam before joining the professional ranks.
Among the ladies, Aretha Pan was the best performer on the 2022 PGM Tour and will be looking to extend her recent fine form, which saw her win twice last year.
The 29-year-old Sabahan will face strong challenges from fellow experienced professionals such as Dianne Luke, Ainil Bakar and Michelle Koh, as well as Jocelyn Chee who was the best lady finisher in Leg 1 of the tournament’s Qualifying School.
The season began with the Tun Ahmad Sarji Trophy at Saujana Golf & Country Club (March 8-11), which was followed by a break for the month of Ramadan.
The tour will resume in May with two stops beyond the peninsula – the Mirai Cup at Sarawak Golf Club in Kuching and the Hilux Cup at Sabah Golf & Country Club in Kota Kinabalu.
This will be followed by six more closed tournaments in Peninsular Malaysia, each named after a Toyota vehicle model.
Other circuit venues include the Royal Perak Golf Club, Palm Garden Golf Club in Putrajaya, Forest City Golf Resort in Johor and Kota Seriemas Golf & Country Club in Negeri Sembilan.
The circuit will culminate with the RM350,000 Toyota Championship at the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (KLGCC) on Nov 14 to 17, which will be a co-sanctioned event with ADT.
Keyword: Malaysia’s leading golfers compete at premium venues on 2023 Toyota Tour