European Tour returns to Malaysia
BY Bruce Young | Asian Tour | 2010 Malaysian Open | Preview | 03 Mar 2010
The European Tour swings back into action this week when the Malaysian Open is played at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club in the country’s capital.
The tournament, co sanctioned with the Asian Tour, has been played at this venue on only one previous occasion, that coming in 2006 when Charlie Wi won the title and in doing so denied Asia’s best player, Thongchai Jaidee, of a third Malaysian Open title.
With several of Europe’s best in Florida this week for the Honda Classic, Jaidee will start the favourite to make it three wins and with form on the golf course and some great form in recent weeks he appears a great chance to extend his record in Malaysia. He is the leading word ranked player in the field.
Two weeks ago Jaidee made it to the quarter finals at the Accenture Match Play Championship before being beaten by the eventual winner Ian Poulter. In his previous start Jaidee finished third in the Dubai Desert Classic.
Soren Hansen was beaten in the first round of the Accenture but prior to that he was playing well enough for him to be a threat against this field. Hansen’s problem is his form in Malaysia in the few times he has played. He has struggled to make a cut but his class and current form should take him a long way this week.
K.J. Choi has not been at his best over the past twelve months but there have been several encouraging signs of late. The last time Choi was in Malaysia he won the Iskander Johor Open late in 2009 and appears to be on the way back to the class player we have come to know. He has finished inside the top 30 in each of his last four PGA Tour starts in 2010.
There will be much interest in just how Australia’s Andrew Dodt performs this week. His recent win in India has provided European Tour status for him in 2010 and the field he defeated in New Delhi was certainly as strong as that he will face in this event. After two fine performances in Nationwide Tour events in New Zealand and Australia he could again go well.
Given the co-sanctioning nature of this event a large number of Australasians with European and Asian Tour status get a start, many hoping to emulate Dodt and leapfrog their way on to the European Tour.
Scott Strange, Rick Kulacz, Marcus Fraser, Brett Rumford, Danny Lee, Darren Beck, Adam Blyth, Terry Pilkadaris, Scott Hend, Peter O’Malley, Marcus Both, Mark Brown, Michael Campbell, Scott Barr, Andrew Tampion, Gavin Flint and Unho Park.
