The Toyota Tour Championship returns this November 20-23 as the penultimate stop on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) for the second year running, thus playing a pivotal role in determining the final Order of Merit and the leading 10 players who will earn coveted Asian Tour cards for 2025.

Co-sanctioned with Malaysia’s domestic professional circuit, the Toyota Tour, the MYR400,000 (approx. US$91,000) event will be played at Asian Tour Destinations venue, Kota Permai Golf & Country Club, on the outskirts of the capital city of Kuala Lumpur.

With the 144-player field featuring the leading 66 available players from the ADT, 66 from the Toyota Tour and 12 invitations, fans can expect some scintillating action from a mix of established players and rising talents.

Headlining the ADT line-up is current Order of Merit leader Rahil Gangjee of India, who has already won twice this year including once on Malaysian soil at the PKNS Selangor Masters in June.

The 46-year-old also won the BRG Open which took place at another Asian Tour Destinations venue, the Legend Danang Golf Resort in Vietnam, in August. Gangjee sits atop the Order of Merit with US$51,307.33 in season earnings.

Hot on Gangjee’s heels in the merit standings is rising Pakistani talent Ahmad Baig, who has amassed US$50,822.95 from his 2024 ADT exploits – which include two wins in Vietnam, at the Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters and the Lexus Challenge.

The 26-year-old will head to Kota Permai in fine form and high in confidence, having chalked up top-five finishes in his last two ADT starts.

Just over a month ago, Baig came close to claiming a third victory when he finished sole second at the inaugural ADT Players Championship, played at Asian Tour Destinations venue Angkor Golf Resort in Cambodia.

Gangjee and Baig aside, five winners on the 2024 ADT will be gunning for glory at Kota Permai – Liu Yung-hua of Chinese Taipei, along with the formidable Thai quartet of Kammalas Namuangruk, Tanapat Pichaikool, Nopparat Panichphol and Witchayapat Sinsrang.

The local challenge meanwhile will rest largely on the broad shoulders of Malaysian number one Gavin Green, who is back home following a solid season in Europe.

Other Malaysians of note in the field are Gavin’s younger brother Galven, Toyota Tour Rankings leader Paul San, Ervin Chang, Amir Nazrin and the promising rookie professional, Marcus Lim.

Veteran campaigner Danny Chia, a two-time Asian Tour and four-time ADT winner, will also fly the Malaysian flag at Kota Permai on the back of an impressive win at last week’s Yaris Cup on the Toyota Tour.

Kota Permai Golf & Country Club welcomes the ADT’s Toyota Tour Championship this November 20-23

The Toyota Tour Championship is also the season-ender for the Toyota Tour, which was launched last year as a tri-party collaboration between Professional Golf of Malaysia, UMW Toyota Motor as the naming partner, and MST Golf as the delivery agency.

The inaugural event at Saujana Golf & Country last November saw Thailand’s Suttinon Panyo triumph by three shots over India’s Khalin Joshi.

The ADT’s General Manager, Ken Kudo, noted that the 2024 championship will be one to savour: “As the penultimate event on the 2024 Asian Development Tour, the Toyota Tour Championship will certainly have a huge bearing on the top 10 players on the final Order of Merit who will graduate to the Asian Tour in 2025.

“Golf fans can look forward to some great golfing action as the leading ADT players take on the cream of Malaysian professional golf.

“We would like to extend our utmost appreciation to our valued partners, UMW Toyota Motor and Professional Golf of Malaysia, for their vision in promoting Malaysian golf and for making the ADT part of that vision.

“Our players are certainly geared up to take on the superb Kota Permai course, which is one of the foremost tournament venues in this part of the world,” said Kudo.

Crafted by Australian architect Ross Watson, the Kota Permai course is widely acknowledged as one of the best in Southeast Asia with its strategic, risk-for-reward design and super-fast greens.

The club has hosted a plethora of top-class events since opening in 1998, including the Malaysian Open (2008, 2020) and the Volvo Masters of Asia (2002, 2003, 2004).

“Players can expect a challenging yet fair course set-up with a mix of risk-and-reward holes, strategically-placed hazards, and fast, firm greens. The course will test both distance and precision, with difficult pin positions requiring careful shot selection and placement,” said Tang Meng Loon, Executive Director of Gamuda Land which owns and operates Kota Permai.

“Our primary objective in hosting this event is to support our local professional players, while showcasing Kota Permai as part of the Asian Tour Destinations network. Our exceptional facilities create the ideal environment for both players and spectators, ensuring a world-class experience for everyone involved,” he added.

In the week following the Toyota Tour Championship, the 2024 ADT season will come to a close with its 12th and final event, the US$250,000 Aramco Invitational Tournament at Rolling Hills Golf Club in Saudi Arabia.