European Tour: What to Watch at the Maybank Championship

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Jun 18, 2016; Oakmont, PA, USA; Lee Westwood hits his tee shot on the 9th hole during the third round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

Fans on site can look forward to a “Golf Like Never Before” experience

The European Tour isn’t the only one to make a stop in Kuala Lumpur; the PGA is there each October for the CIMB Classic. Still, like any tournament, there are distinctions that make the week unique from the others on a tour spanning six continents and dozens more countries.

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Event organizers are touting a “Golf Like Never Before” promotion at the tournament site. The overall theme encapsulates unique fan experiences: an Under Armour-sponsored yoga lesson and boot camp session; a dish available from a Michelin Star chef. Fashion shows and more give the tournament a festival-like vibe. Entry is also free for the first two rounds on Thursday and Friday.

For those viewing on TV, many stuck in cold winter climes can feast their eyes on the Palm course’s drastic slopes, deep ravines and array of tall palm trees that has hosted seven Malaysian Opens. You might even see a few monkeys out on the course.

“It’s changed a lot over the last 20 or so years,” Lee Westwood said in an Asian Tour press release of his first stop at Saujana. “It’s hard to believe it’s been that long but hopefully I can repeat what I did back in 1997.”

The Sauhana’s Palm Course

Saujana has earned a reputation as a difficult test for its elevation changes and undulating fairways. The last Malaysian Open held there in 2009 had a sizable 17-under-par winning score, but even the champ, Anthony Kang had one tough round of 74 on Thursday on the par-72, 7,186-yard track.

The Saujana’s Palm course was carved out of an old oil plantation in 1986. It’s nicknamed “The Cobra” because it “can be deadly to any golfer.” There is not much for thick rough surrounding the fairways, but Saujana touts numerous bunkers as penal enough to reward accuracy off the tee.

The course’s greens are Tidwarf Bermuda grass and fairways are Bermuda.

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In the US, live coverage of all four rounds runs on Golf Channel from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. EST.

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