This week’s tournaments
PGA TOUR/ASIAN TOUR
CIMB CLASSIC Site: TPC Kuala Lumpur (West), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Purse: $7 million (Winner’s share: $1,260,000).
Television: WednesdayThursday, 7:30-11:30 p.m. (Golf Channel); FridaySaturday, 8-midnight (Golf Channel). Defending champion: Justin Thomas.
Last week: Brendan Steele won the Safeway Open at Silverado.
Notes: Justin Thomas begins his new season a week after he was voted PGA Tour player of the year. He will try to become the first player since Steve Stricker at the John Deere Classic (200911) to win the same PGA Tour event three straight years. … The 78-player, no-cut field is for the top 60 players available from last season’s FedEx Cup (no deeper than No. 125), the top 10 available money leaders from the Asian Tour and eight sponsor exemptions, five of them for PGA Tour players. … This is the start of a three-tournament Asia swing, followed by stops in South Korea and Shanghai. … The field features eight players from the Presidents Cup, although Thomas is the only American. … Thomas (No. 4) and Hideki Matsuyama (No. 3) give the CIMB Classic two players from the top 5 in the world ranking for the first time. … PGA Tour rookie of the year Xander Schauffele is making his first start since winning the Tour Championship. Next week: CJ Cup at Nine Bridges (South Korea).
LPGA TOUR
HANA BANK CHAMPIONSHIP Site: Sky 72GC (Ocean Course), Incheon, South Korea. Purse: $2 million. (Winner’s share: $300,000). Television (tape delay): Thursday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (Golf Channel); Friday, 9-11:30 a.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday 8:30-11:30 a.m. (Golf Channel). Defending champion: Carlota Ciganda.
Last tournament: Brooke Henderson won the New Zealand Women’s Open.
Notes: The start of the Asia swing features one of the stronger fields of the year, with all top 10 players from the world ranking, and 18 out of the top 20, in the field. … South Korea has 27 active players on the LPGA Tour, the most of any country outside the United States. Thailand is next with 13active players. … So Yeon Ryu leads by only three points over Lexi Thompson for LPGA player of the year. Sung Hyun Park, a rookie, leads the money list by $123,143over Ryu. … Se Ri Pak won the inaugural tournament in 2002. Since then, only Suzann Pettersen and Na Yeon Choi have won it twice. … Michelle Wie returns to the LPGA after missing the past four events following an emergency appendectomy. Wie plans to play the final six events of the year. … The tour will remain in Asia for the next month with stops in Tawain, Malaysia, Japan and China.
Next week: Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
SAS CHAMPIONSHIP Site: Prestonwood CC, Cary, North Carolina.
Purse: $2.1 million (Winner’s share: $315,000). Television: Friday-Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. (Golf Channel). Defending champion: Doug Garwood.
Last tournament: Bernhard Langer won the Pure Insurance Open at Pebble Beach.
Notes: This is the last chance for CBS analyst Nick Faldo to earn a spot in the Schwab Cup playoffs. The six-time major champion, who has played only six events this year, would need to finish at least alone in fourth. Faldo could also get a wild-card pick into the field provided he posts a top 10at the SAS Championship. … Langer is coming off his tour-best fifth victory and his first one since turning 60. … Langer is among four players at age 56 or older to have won on the PGA Tour Champions this year. The others are Fred Couples (twice), Tom Lehman and Kenny Perry. … Stricker, the Presidents Cup captain, has withdrawn. Stricker has not played on the PGA Tour Champions since Aug. 6 in Minnesota. … Langer leads the tour in scoring average by more than a half-stroke over Kevin Sutherland. Next week: Dominion Energy Charity Classic.