The inaugural Chiangmai Golf Classic in Thailand will debut in March in a development that underscores the strength of the Asian Tour as it expands professional golf throughout the country and region. The event will be held at the Alpine Golf Resort-Chiangmai, which is located in northern Thailand from March 28-31 and will offer a total prize purse of $750,000. In conjunction with the event promoter, IMG, Asia's newest showpiece will be broadcast live over four days on the tour's global TV platform, which reaches more than 200 countries and 650 million homes. The launch of the tournament will raise the number of Asian Tour events in the country to four, which will boost Thai players' chances to qualify for the Olympic Games in '16 through the official world golf ranking. The Chiangmai Golf Classic will be a 72-hole strokeplay tournament showcasing 144 players, with the leading 94 Asian Tour players featuring in the elite field alongside 10 players from the top-200 of the official world golf ranking, 30 players from Thailand and 10 sponsor’s invitations (IMG).
