European Tour moves south for Singapore Masters
BY Bruce Young | Asian Tour | 2007 Singapore Masters | Preview | 07 Mar 2007
The Clariden Leu Singapore Masters is the 7th event of the 2007 European Tour season jointly sanctioned between the European and Asian Tours with another three yet to come. After a week in Thailand last week for the Johnnie Walker Classic, the tri-sanction becomes a co-sanction as the Australasian Tour drops out of the equation this week.
The tournament is played over the two Andy Dye designed Laguna National Resort layouts at the facility adjacent to Singapore’s Changi airport. The courses were opened in the mid 1990’s. With both courses in use this week a field of 204 will line up on the opening two days.
The tournament has been played at Laguna since 2002 after moving from the Singapore Island Country Club. Caltex sponsored the event in its first few years as a co-sanctioned event but this year a new sponsor is on board in the form of the Swiss Private Banking Group Clariden Leu.
The defending champion is Singaporean Mardan Mamat who edged out the then defending champion, Nick Dougherty, for a surprise victory, albeit on his home golf course twelve months ago. Ross Fisher and Charlie Wi finished one shot further back.
David Howell is, by some way, the leading world ranked player in the field but he has been easing his way back into tournament golf in recent weeks and might yet be a little underdone. He had a brilliant season in 2007 and if he can rediscover some of that form he would be a definite threat against this field. Howell is working with a replacement caddy this week as his previous caddy Mick Doran has left to join Justin Rose in the USA. Howell has spent time since his early departure from the Accenture working on getting his actual swing more like his practice swing so it sounds like he might yet be a work in progress.
Lee Westwood comes off a series of solid if unspectacular finishes in 2007 and with a 5th place at this event in 2005 behind Nick Dougherty he can be considered a good chance to do well.
There were glimpses of Darren Clarke getting back to some of the form we know he is a capable of in events in the Middle East. It has been a tough twelve months especially for Clarke as he finds his feet after the loss of his wife last year.
The recent winners, Mikko Ilonen and Anton Haig, could be considered chances but for both it will be hard to refocus after such milestones in recent weeks. Haig beat a much stronger field than this last week in Phuket but it might be a bit much to expect him to back up. Ilonen’s reaction to his win in Jakarta two weeks ago was to miss the cut in Thailand last week but he might rebound with another good week this week.
Oliver Wilson had been putting together several solid weeks before his near miss in Thailand last week when runner up to Haig. He has yet to win on the European Tour but that has not stopped others winning for the first time in recent weeks.
Ross Fisher finished 5th in Dubai recently and with a third place last year he might be an option at longer odds while Peter Hanson is a much improved player with several good finishes of late. He was 13th in this event last year and is a chance to do well this week
The best of the Asian Tour players could well be Thongchai Jaidee. He disappointed in his homeland last week but he is clearly one of Asia’s best and could atone this week but he will face strong opposition from the likes of Jeev Milkha Singh and Jyoti Rhandawa amongst the Asian golfers.
The Australasians are headed by Peter O’Malley although he has been a little disappointing of late. Brett Rumford, Scott Strange, Terry Pilkadaris, Marcus Fraser, Peter Senior, David Bransdon, Brad Kennedy, Matthew Millar and Marcus Both are also included amongst a group of thirty-five Australasians in the field.
Photo – Asian Tour
