AN international standard golf tournament, the IBTC Open Golf Championship, will be held at City Golf Restort in Yangon from February 15-18, 2009.

The tournament will replace the Grand Royal Special Reserve, an amateur golf tournament held annually since 2001, said U Tint Oo, executive director of naming sponsor International Beverages and Trading Company (IBTC).

The tournament, which is also sponsored by six other companies including Air Bagan, Hotel Yangon and Canon, has been organised in cooperation with the Myanmar Golf Federation (MGF) and Myanmar Professional Golfers Association.

Han Event Management has also supervised planning for the golf tournament closely.

“IBTC has been working with the MGF since 2001 [with the Grand Royal Special Reserve] for the development of Myanmar’s golfers. The Grand Royal Special Reserve was classified as amateur, only amateur players could be taken part. But now at this IBTC event both professionals and amateurs from across the nation will be able to participate,” said U Aung Kyi, the general secretary of MGF.

Qualifying for the IBTC Open Golf Championship will begin in December at Lashio Golf Club, from December 7-10, followed by Yedagun Taung Golf Resort in Mandalay from January 11-14 and finally Ayetharyar Golf Resort in Taunggyi from January 25-28.

Fifteen professionals and 100 amateurs are expected to participate in the event, which will use St Andrews Golf Rules and Regulations with some regional variations.

The tournament will have separate prize money for professionals and amateurs. The top-placed professional will take home K1.5 million, second K800,000 and third K600,000, while the top amateur will receive K600,000, second K450,000 and third K400,000.