PGA Tour players concerned about heat at CIMB Asia Pacific Classic

Soaring temperatures and humidity levels are causing concern for the stellar field assembled for this week's CIMB Asia Pacific Classic

The $6.1 million event, co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour and Asian Tour, begins on Thursday with temperatures in the 90s and humidity above 90 percent at the Mines Resort and Golf Club.

"I got in Monday night and kind of walked around and got acclimatized to it," said Brandt Snedeker, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour this year. "We try to compare the weather here to Memphis because we play Memphis in June. Memphis in June is hot, but I think this takes the cake.

"This is mild today, they said," he added. "It's all overcast, but I walked outside and I was sweating at 9:00 a.m."

Sweden’s Fredrik Jacobson is trying to put the sweltering conditions into perspective.

"I always had a tough time playing in Malaysia and in Thailand because coming from Sweden and living there, those were the first tournaments of the year for us in the 90s," he said. "I was coming straight out of the wintry climate in Sweden and coming into the hot, humid weather was always difficult. Now coming from Florida, the weather feels more like what I am used to in Florida."

Jonathan Byrd, a five-time winner on the PGA Tour, said he had never known heat like it.

"I grew up in South Carolina and that's hot," he said. "But it's very different here, I sweated a lot today."

But not everyone was concerned.

"Coming from Bangladesh, this is normal for me," said Asian Tour regular Siddikur, who prefers to go by the one name. "I like it."

Temperatures and humidity levels are expected to remain sky-high throughout the week and are unlikely to be tempered by the heavy rains that are also forecast.

The 48-player field also includes such PGA Tour regulars as Robert Allenby, Chez, Reavie, Charley Hoffman, Rory Sabbatini, Stuart Appleby, John Senden, Ricky Barnes, Lucas Glover, Vijay Singh, Jerry Kelly, Kyle Stanley, Ben Crane, Ryan Moore, Jeff Overton, Bo Van Pelt, Ryan Palmer, Jhonattan Vegas, Camilo Villegas and Mark Wilson.