
The prestigious Queen's Cup will return for its 10th straight edition on the Asian Tour with a new presenting sponsor in Bangchak Corporation, one of Thailand's leading energy companies, from June 28-July 1, officials said.
The US$300,000 Asian Tour event will be played for the first time at the Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club in Pattaya.
Malaysia's Nicholas Fung, who won by one shot to claim his first Asian Tour victory at the 2017 Queen's Cup, will defend his title against a star-studded line-up when the event gets underway later this month.
Shiv Kapur of India will also be returning to the venue where he won the Royal Cup for his third victory of the season in December and became the only player to win three times on the Asian Tour in 2017.
Since its inception in 2009, the Queen's Cup has welcomed many worthy winners such as 2016 Order of Merit champion Scott Hend of Australia and Thai veterans Prayad Marksaeng and Thaworn Wiratchant, who have each won the title twice from 2012-2015.
Sakol Wannapong, governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT), said: "The Sports Authority of Thailand is very pleased and honoured to be supporting the Queen's Cup once again this year.
"We believe that this prestigious event will continue to develop the game of golf in our nation and gain more interest among fans in Thailand and across the region. We also hope to boost the tourism in Thailand with the staging of the Queen's Cup."
Asian Tour CEO Josh Burack said he is confident that the long-running event will continue to play a key role in stirring up fervent support for the sport.
Chanya Swangchitr, president of Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club, said: "It's our pleasure to host the Queen's Cup. We look forward to welcoming both local and international golfers."