Asian Tour Yearbook: 2023

E rvin Chang memorably won the gold medal in the Southeast Asian Games in 2022 and it is fair to say that during the following season he put in another gold medal winning performance – impressively flying the flag as the recipient of The Kyi Hla Han Future Champions Award. To honour the late, great Kyi Hla Han – the former Asian Tour number one who later guided the Tour as its Executive Chairman – the Han family and the Asian Tour came together to establish The Kyi Hla Han Future Champions Award. The award sees a worthy player selected, when the opportunity arises, to receive funding to help with the costs of his debut season on the Asian Tour, and Chang became the very first golfer to earn this very special and important accolade. It is a big responsibility to be a part of Kyi Hla’s legacy, but the young Malaysian repaid the faith of the Han family and the Asian Tour who picked him by producing a season that showed determination and desire to improve, coupled with no shortage of talent. In his first full season as a professional, Chang, finished in 10th place on the Asian Development Tour Order of Merit, to secure his Asian Tour card for the 2024 season. The top-10 on the final merit list earn their cards and Chang secured his at the last minute with a brilliant performance at the season-ending Aramco Invitational in Saudi Arabia, where he finished third. He also played seven events on the Asian Tour and made five cuts, including in the star-studded season-opening PIF Saudi International powered by Softbank Investment Advisers. “I’m so very grateful to the Kyi Hla Han family for giving me the award,” said Chang, THE KYI HLA HAN FUTURE CHAMPIONS AWARD: IMPRESSIVE CHANG SEIZES SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY Ervin Chang picture with the Han family, Marlene [RIGHT] and daughter Natasha [LEFT] 164 THE K Y I HL A HAN FU TUR E CHAMP IONS AWARD