KUALA LUMPUR: The expanded 2013 CIMB Classic will not lead to an increase in invites for Asian Tour players, the PGA Tour said drawing a sharp response from the regional body yesterday, who said numbers had yet to be agreed.
The 48-man, co-sanctioned event will add 30 players to the field next year and be part of the 2013-14 FedEx Cup series.
Currently, the $6.1m event played in Malaysia features 10 players from the Asian Tour and two from the PGA Tour of Malaysia, who both sanction the event.
“The eligibility next year is going to be 60 PGA Tour players off our FedEx Cup list and then it will be 10 Asian players off their order of merit and then eight sponsor exemptions,” the PGA Tour’s co-chief operating officer Ed Moorhouse said.
“We just think with the weather at this time of year, if you try and play more than 78 players it is going to be difficult to finish the tournament on Sunday,” he said referring to the seasonal heavy thunderstorms in the Malaysian capital this week.
The Asian Tour were surprised to hear of Moorhouse’s comments and said yesterday that there were meetings planned over the coming days to discuss the invite breakdown. REUTERS
