DID YOU KNOW - MAYBANK CHAMPIONSHIP
• Should Marcus Fraser make a successful defence of the Maybank Championship he will become only the second Australian in European Tour history to win the same official European Tour event in back-to-back years. The first was Greg Norman (1981-1982 Dunlop Masters). (Note – David Graham did win the 1981 and 1982 Trophée Lancôme. In 1981 the tournament was a European Tour Approved Special Event and was not considered official).
• Malaysia is where the first co-sanctioned event between the Asian and European Tour took place in 1999 with the Malaysian Open and won by Gerry Norquist.
• The Maybank Championship, which began in 2016, was the third different official European Tour event to be staged in Malaysia. The other two were the Malaysian Open (1999-2015) and Iskandar Johor Open (2011).
• Saujana Golf and Country Club is no stranger to hosting European Tour events. The Kuala Lumpur venue hosted the Malaysian Open in 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2009.
• With the inaugural event in 2016, the Maybank Championship became the 18th different European Tour event to have Asian involvement.
• A player with very fond memories of Saujana is Thongchai Jaidee. The Thai claimed the Malaysian Open title at this venue in 2004 and 2005, giving the Thai his first two European Tour titles. As a result of his 2005 triumph, Jaidee became the last player to win his first two official European Tour events in back-to-back years.
• Matteo Manassero won the 2011 Malaysian Open for his second European Tour title, aged 17 years and 363 days. This meant he became the youngest and second youngest to win a European Tour event. He debut win came at the 2010 CASTELLÓ MASTERS Costa Azahar. He was 17 years and 188 days, meaning he became the Tour’s youngest winner.
