Yuta Ikeda, Hideto Tanihara, Yusaku Miyazato and Ryo Ishikawa will collectively form a strong Japanese challenge in next week’s US$3 million Maybank Championship.
Ikeda, ranked 39th in the Official World Golf Ranking, will start as one of the favourites at Saujana Golf & Country Club as the 32-year-old is coming off a successful 2017 season where he won three times in Japan. He was unbeaten in the EurAsia Cup in Malaysia two weeks ago, chalking up three points for Team Asia in the 14-10 loss to Europe.
“I’m very excited to play in the Maybank Championship. It is a great tournament and I look forward to returning to Malaysia. I played very well at the EurAsia Cup and even though my team didn’t win, I’m very happy with the week. A lot of Japanese fans came out to support me and I’m sure it will be the same at the Maybank Championship,” said Ikeda.
The Japanese quartet will be joined by Swedish star Henrik Stenson, English stalwart Lee Westwood and title holder Fabrizio Zanotti of Paraguay at the joint Asian Tour and European Tour event. Malaysia’s Gavin Green, the reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit champion, will also feature other Asian rising stars such as Shubhankar Sharma of India, Jazz Janewattananond and Phachara Khongwatmai of Thailand and Yikeun Chang of Korea.
For more information and updates, log on to www.maybankchampionship.com.my
