LPGA quickly fills open spot in 2023 schedule with new event in Malaysia

It didn’t take long for the LPGA Tour to fill the recently created hole in its 2023 schedule. On Tuesday, tour officials announced the inaugural Maybank Championship will be held Oct. 26-29 at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club, the first time the LPGA will hold an event in Malaysia since 2017.

The tournament replaces the Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA, which was cancelled last Thursday due to “operational factors.”

“The LPGA is excited to bring women’s professional golf back to Malaysia for the first time in six years thanks to Maybank’s incredible support,” said LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan in a press release. “The LPGA and Maybank’s shared values around elevating and empowering women make this an important partnership for us in this region of the world. Maybank is further demonstrating their commitment to women and our athletes by providing the largest prize fund of our Asian events and a world-class environment.”

The Maybank tournament will be the third of four events LPGA’s fall Asian swing, following a stop in South Korea and a week ahead of a visit to Japan. It will have a field of 78 players competing over 72 holes with no cut and a $3 million prize money payout.

From 2010 to 2017, the LPGA held the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia at KLGCC, whose list of champions in that time includes Inbee Park, Lexi Thompson, Jessica Korda and Cristie Kerr.