Defending champion Ben Crane is one of 12 players in this week’s CIMB Asia Pacific Classic Malaysia field to have won a PGA TOUR event in 2011, having captured The McGladrey Classic in mid-October.

The dozen players have won 13 titles—with Mark Wilson winning twice (Sony Open in Hawaii and Waste Management Phoenix Open). The 48-player field includes the top 30 available players from the final 2011 FedExCup points list, the top 10 in from the Asian PGA Tour Order of Merit, as well as eight sponsor exemptions.

Next week's World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions event is not an official money event, but it is considered an official PGA TOUR victory if the winner is currently a PGA TOUR member. With the potential impact on post-season honors including PGA TOUR Player of the Year, ballots for post-season awards will not be sent to PGA TOUR members eligible to vote until after the completion of the HSBC Champions event. Last year, the HSBC event was held the week prior to the Children’s Miracle Network Classic, with non-member Francesco Molinari winning the event.

With his victory at the 2011 Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic, Luke Donald picked up his second PGA TOUR win of the season and in the process captured the Arnold Palmer Award for being the leader in official earnings with $6,683,214. Webb Simpson was T6 and finished second in the official earnings at $6,347,353.

For the 44 stroke-play events on the PGA TOUR in 2011, Rory McIlroy (U.S. Open) had the only wire-to-wire victory. The last year the TOUR had less than two wire-to-wire winners was 2007 (Steve Flesch, Reno-Tahoe Open).

Over the last two seasons, 29 of the 90 winners of official PGA TOUR events have been first-time champions, including 14 in 2011.

+ PGA TOUR Media Release