Published on October 8, 2018

PGA TOUR Stars Hit Top Form Ahead of CIMB Classic


Kevin Tway during the final round of the Safeway Open at the North Course of the Silverado Resort and Spa on October 7, 2018, in Napa, California.

The CIMB Classic will welcome three in-form PGA TOUR stars in the shape of first-time TOUR winner Kevin Tway, who won the season-opening Safeway Open on Sunday, and runners-up Ryan Moore and Brandt Snedeker.

Tway will arrive at TPC Kuala Lumpur on the back of a career breakthrough triumph following his playoff victory over Moore and Snedeker as he joined his father, Bob Tway, as a winner on the PGA TOUR.

The 30-year-old shot two closing birdies for a one-under-par 71 in Napa to force a playoff which he eventually won on the third extra hole with a birdie. Tway will now be amongst the favourites to challenge for the CIMB Classic which starts on Thursday. Last year, he finished T32 in his debut at TPC Kuala Lumpur.

Snedeker and Moore will also be headlining the US$7 million CIMB Classic, which is the only PGA TOUR tournament in Southeast Asia. Straight-shooting Moore won the prestigious event here in 2013 and 2014 while Snedeker, the 2012 FedExCup Champion, finished T13 in his lone appearance in Malaysia in 2011.

Snedeker, who won the Wyndham Championship in August, had led by five shots in Napa before being caught by Moore and Tway. He was eliminated in the first playoff hole after making a par on the 18th hole.

Tway’s victory on Sunday made it the 10th father-son duo to record PGA TOUR victories and first since 2014. “I think he’s probably crying, to be honest,” said Tway of his father, who is an eight-time PGA TOUR winner.

“He’s pretty proud of me. I talk with dad every night. He’s probably the biggest person I lean on. I can’t wait to call him. Yeah, we’re going to have about 14 hours to Hong Kong (en route to Kuala Lumpur), I think, it will probably sink in somewhere over the Pacific Ocean or wherever we’re going. It hasn’t sunk in now, but I’m pretty excited.”

Other stars competing in the CIMB Classic this week include 2017 FedExCup Champion Justin Thomas, World Golf Hall of Famers Ernie Els and Davis Love III, Billy Horschel, Europe’s Ryder Cup star Paul Casey, Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat, India’s Shubhankar Sharma and defending champion Pat Perez.

The CIMB Classic will celebrate its ninth edition this year and is the second tournament of the new 2018-19 PGA TOUR Season.

The PGA TOUR-sanctioned CIMB Classic features a limited field of 78 players comprising of the top 60 available players from the 2017-18 FedExCup points list, eight sponsor exemptions and the top-10 available players from the Asian Tour.

 Tickets for the CIMB Classic is also now on sale. For more details on ticketing prices and to purchase online, please visit www.cimbclassic.com