Bandar Malaysia Open Rd 2: What They Said
Shah Alam, Selangor, March 6: Read what players have to say following Round 2 of the Bandar Malaysia Open on Friday.
Andrew Dodt (AUS) – Second round 68 (-4), Total 131 (-13)
It’s hard to back up a 63 but I did with a 68 today, pretty solid. I hit a lot of greens but didn’t hole as many putts as I did yesterday. But all in all, it’s a solid day’s work.
I had like a 10-footer down the hill on the last at the top. To see that going in was nice. But I haven’t really hit into any tricky spots so far this week. Nice to stay bogey-free and play some solid golf.
I didn’t think I played cautious today. I just didn’t hit it as close. I didn’t have as many chances as I did yesterday. The pin positions were pretty difficult.
I’m just playing a little bit technical with my swing. I think about it a lot on the plane coming here. I haven’t been playing well before this week so I just wanted to throw it up a bit and just play the game.
I’ve done that so far and happy to be in a good position with two more days to go. I’m just going to have fun, keep things simple and stay relaxed which is what I have done. Nothing’s changed.
Liu Yanwei (CHN) – Second round 65 (-7), Total 132 (-12)
I had to finish the first round this morning, so it was good to just keep going. I have been playing really well lately and this is probably the best I have been hitting my irons.
I didn’t even realize that I made nine birdies until just now, except for a bogey on my 10th hole and a three-putt on my 12th I played really well. Last time I made nine birdies in a tournament round was on the China Tour last year in March.
Some of the pins were in places I could get to them so I could afford to be aggressive, especially as well as I am hitting my irons at the moment.
I’m really happy with everything the last two days and looking forward to the weekend.
Jarin Todd – Second round 66 (-6), Total 133 (-11)
It was a good day, hit it pretty good got a few lucky breaks on some of the shots I hit poorly, but rolled in a few putts and just kind of kept it in play.
I didn’t have a five on the card, so I’ve been playing the par fives good. This morning I was five-free until the last hole and then I made a five, so I really wanted to make that putt on the last hole just to kind of get my revenge on the five-less card, which is kind of rare.
I hit a terrible drive on the last hole, a really good second shot, kind of punched it up through the trees, and then a good third shot at went farther than I thought. The putt was fast but kind of just held the line at the end and went in.
Jarin Todd of the United States
Trevor Simsby (USA) – Second round 64 (-8), Total 133 (-11)
I was really tired starting out the second round today. I came back early this morning to finish four and a half holes from round one. I had a great second round. I had zero putt on three holes today. On my last hole ninth, I putted off the fringe and had two chip-ins on 15 and 16.
Nice to have that five birdies in-a-row. It was one of those rounds. After the first round, I took some time to recharge and relax for a bit. That was important I thought. Got off to a solid start and had a nice run of birdies. I feel like if you can play the par threes in level par for the week, you’re doing well, so try to do that.
It’s a very tough green on the ninth. Everything fits to the left. I left myself in a pretty good spot, and then had a nice putt which barely went in and then on the 16th, I pushed my tee shot to the right and had to punch out. And then I made it from probably about 35 yards.
I just want to keep the same kind of level head and momentum and try to not overthink it because there are a lot of birdie opportunities. Again, I want to play the par threes smart and if I can do that, I think I’ll have a good chance.
I’ve been here in Kuala Lumpur for two weeks now. Getting used to the weather and everything. Decided to come here and practise instead of going to New Zealand. I guess that helps. I spend a lot of time in Malaysia when I play in Asia.
Charlie Wi of Korea
Charlie Wi (USA) – Second round 66 (-6), Total 135 (-9)
Conditions were a little bit softer than yesterday, obviously rained a lot yesterday. It was a little bit windy in the afternoon yesterday as well but today, playing in the morning was really calm. The scoring conditions were perfect out there.
I’ve been hitting the ball solid. I just haven’t been able to make any putt. But I maanged to make some coming down the stretch. That eagle on seventh, I hit my driver and then a five-wood on the green to about 30 feet. Fortunately, I was able to make that eagle putt.
The greens are really nice out here and especially this morning when we were the first ones off. The greens are perfect. If you can get it started on line, you know you can make a lot of putts out here.
I took the last two and a half years off. You know I’m getting older and I do want to try the Champions Tour in a couple of years. So I’m just trying to start playing more this year. I enjoy competing. I don’t like to practise as much as I like when I was younger.
But I know I have to put some time in and you know, I just like coming out to Asia to see all the guys and the game of golf grow. I think I can still win again. I hit the ball well. It’s just a matter of making putts.
I had fun playing with Pavit and Angelo these two days. I’ve known Angelo for almost 20 years, so it was always good to catch up with him. He’s so easy to play with. I’ve never played with Pavit but he’s got so much talent. There’s so much talent here in Asia. It is really good to watch.
Shah Alam, Selangor, March 5: Australian Andrew Dodt took advantage of a hot start to sign for an opening nine-under-par 63 and grab the clubhouse lead by two shots at the weather-disrupted Bandar Malaysia Open on Thursday.
After two opening birdies, the 34-year-old Dodt added a birdie on the sixth and an eagle-three on seventh to turn in 31. He nailed four more birdies on his way home to take his place atop the leaderboard just before play got suspended at 5.55pm local time due to lightning threats.
Andrew Dodt of Australia
Dodt, who endured two missed cuts in his first three starts this season, was thrilled to regain his fine form in Malaysia, where he had sensationally claimed his third Asian Tour victory in Sarawak last August following a two-month injury layoff.
Reigning Asian Development Tour Order of Merit champion Naoki Sekito of Japan closed with three consecutive birdies to sit in second place at the US$1 million event, which is sanctioned by the Asian Tour and in partnership with the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO).
Thai duo Phachara Khongwatmai and Pavit Tangkamolprasert returned with matching 66s, thanks to their respective front and back-nine 30s, to share third place with Chinese Taipei’s Chang Wei-lun and Bjorn Hellgren of Sweden, who came through the Asian Tour Qualifying School two weeks ago.
Naoki Sekito of Japan
Mohammad Wafiyuddin emerged as the best-placed Malaysian after carding a commendable 68 to tie in 13th place at the award-winning Kota Permai Golf & Country Club, which last hosted the storied event in 2008.
A total of 51 players will resume their opening rounds at 7.40am on Friday with the second round slated to start at 7.50am.
The highly acclaimed Bandar Malaysia Open, which boasts a new tagline ‘Pride, Passion, Prominence’, is the flagship event for the Malaysian Golf Association (MGA). It returns to the Asian Tour schedule this week after a four-year hiatus.
Ends.
Shah Alam, Selangor, March 5: Read what players have to say following the opening round of the Bandar Malaysia Open on Thursday.
Andrew Dodt (AUS) – First round 64 (-8)
It felt quite simple. I hit a lot of fairways and a lot of greens and holed a lot of putts. This is, overall, what I’ve been trying to do everyday. Just felt comfortable and easy. It’s great to shoot nine-under.
Malaysia has been a happy hunting ground for me. Today’s round is just another step in the right direction for me. I was first reserve on site when we played the Malaysian Open here back in 2008. So I just sat around the putting green the whole day and didn’t get to tee up.
I birdied the first two holes and that kind of kicked off the round for me. My game’s in a good shape. I was very aggressively on my par-fives and there weren’t too much breeze. I could get on the green in two. That certainly helps.
This course demands accuracy off the tees. If you’re not on the fairways, you’re going to struggle getting on the greens. I haven’t played as well as I can the last two weeks but now I can. I just want to keep it simple and have a bit of fun.
Andrew Dodt of Australia
Naoki Sekito (JPN) – First round 65 (-7)
It was good to finish with three birdies. I made a bad bogey on the fifth where I three-putted and I told myself to make at least one more birdie coming in. I managed to birdie the seventh hole and rode on the momentum from there. I am so happy.
I missed only one green today. I think that’s the key to my 65. I hit my irons quite close to the pins and made some good putts. I remember playing in a junior event here on this course when I was 17. I played really well but lost in a play-off.
I couldn’t speak English at that time yet. It was before I went to Australia. I only remembered playing on this course before when I came back here this week. Good vibes for me because I played well although I didn’t win at that time.
I haven’t played in a tournament for a month so it was nice to come back and get off to a good start. You need to keep the ball in play to give yourself birdie chances out there.
On the seventh, I made the birdie putt from about 15 feet and then another similar one on the eighth. On the ninth, I hit a good second shot to about two feet and made the birdie putt.
Pavit Tangkamolprasert (THA) – First round 66 (-6)
I didn’t make any putts on the first nine at all. The turning point came on the 11th hole. I sank the birdie putt from about three yards. That gave me a lot of confidence heading into the remainder of the round. I felt like the putter is turning hot and I started making everything.
I hit it on the line on 17th actually but the green was so firm, I knew I won’t be able to hole it especially from 200 yards. I hit it good off the tee today and I was able to give myself a lot of opportunities. My approach shots were good too. I managed to hit it close on a few holes.
Phachara Khongwatmai of Thailand
Phachara Khongwatmai (THA) – First round 66 (-6)
I made a 30-footer for eagle on the first. Good start there. Gave me a lot of momentum there. I went on to make four birdies to turn in 30. The back nine was quite difficult for me because I didn’t get to practise yesterday due to the rain. I only flew in on Tuesday evening.
Even-par on the back nine, it’s not too bad. I’ll take it. I putted well today. The greens are quite difficult here. So I’m happy with the way I played.
Bjorn Hellgren (SWE) – First round 66 (-6)
It was a good round. I just tried to hit the fairways and then move on from there. I putted alright. I started from the 10th hole and didn’t make much in the beginning. I made six birdies today and pretty much hit every green.
My best birdie was on the eighth. I played it safe off the tee. I had a long shot coming into the green and I hit it really close to about five feet. This is my second time in Malaysia. I played in Malaysia last year when I got an invite to play an Asian Development Tour event.
This is my first professional event on the Asian Tour and I’m happy to get off to a good start, especially after coming through Qualifying School two weeks ago. I have been playing on the Challenge Tour in Europe before coming here. I’m based in Hua Hin, Thailand right now.
Kosuke Hamamoto (THA) – First round 67 (-5)
It was gettable conditions out there today I guess. It was not so windy, fairways are pretty soft and greens are soft on some holes too. My putting was really good today. It was nice to see some putts going in earlier which gave me a bit of confidence in the long ones.
I made a couple of long putts. I made a 20-footer for par on the 10th which was huge because it kept the momentum going. You have to keep the ball in play on this course. If you can keep it in play, it’s scorable. I’m usually a pretty good driver so I guess that’s why this course suits my eyes.
Mohammad Wafiyuddin (MAS) – First round 68 (-4)
Getting to play and practise on this course last week helped me a lot. I feel really comfortable out there. If I could hit a few more greens in regulation, I think I could go a few shots lower. My putting was key today but I’m not really happy with my iron-play.
Overall, I’m very pleased with the way I played. I don’t get to play here often because I’m from Kedah. Happy to get off to a good start in my National Open. It’s a good boost in confidence for me because I haven’t played in tournaments for about three months already.
Shah Alam, Selangor, March 4: Korean Teen wonder Joohyung Kim will resume his bid for a second Asian Tour title when he makes his maiden appearance at the Bandar Malaysia Open, which gets underway at the highly rated Kota Permai Golf and Country Club on Thursday.
The talented 17-year-old, who came close to winning in New Zealand last week before settling for fourth, hopes to make amends by putting up a strong title assault at the storied event, which returns to the Asian Tour this week after a four-year hiatus.
Kim made his mark on the region’s premier Tour when he claimed his breakthrough in India last November, just a month after securing his third victory on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) last season to earn his Asian Tour card for the remainder of the 2019 season.
Prior to his solid fourth-place finish in New Zealand, the talented Kim also enjoyed a fourth-place result at the Singapore Open in January to secure his berth at The 149th Open at St. George’s this July where he will be making his Major debut.
Joohyung Kim of Korea
Order of Merit leader Wade Ormsby, who also came in top-10 in New Zealand last week, is looking to extend his fine form into the US$1 million event, which is sanctioned by the Asian Tour and in partnership with the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO).
The 39-year-old Australian endured a slight dip in form after winning his third Asian Tour title at the season-opener in Hong Kong but was pleased to rediscover his ‘A’ game just in time for his sixth appearance at the Malaysian Open, where he came in tied-11th in 2015.
Charlie Wi of Korea
Korea veteran Charlie Wi, who has won seven Asian Tour titles including the 2006 Malaysian Open, hailed the emergence of young talents such as Kim and reckoned they should be the players to look out for when the tournament gets underway on Thursday.
Wi returned to play on the Asian Tour after a five-year absence at the Hong Kong Open two months ago and came in tied-seventh. He denied Thai star Thongchai Jaidee of a record third straight victory in the event when he sank a 10-footer for birdie on the last to win by one shot in 2006.
The highly acclaimed Bandar Malaysia Open, which boasts a new tagline ‘Pride, Passion, Prominence’, is the flagship event for the Malaysian Golf Association (MGA).
(L-R) Joohyung Kim of Korea, Wade Ormsby of Australia, Charlie Wi of Korea and Ben Leong of Malaysia.
Shah Alam, Malaysia, March 4: Read what players have to say ahead of the Bandar Malaysia Open which starts on Thursday.
Joohyung Kim (KOR)
I played well last week in New Zealand. I took a break before that and came back not knowing what to expect. Being in contention and having a chance to win last week was just great although it was not the day I wanted to have on Sunday.
But I have a lot of hopes for this week as well. I played a lot in Malaysia when I was playing on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) last year. To come back to Malaysia and playing on the main Tour now is really exciting for me.
The course is in great shape so I will just stick to the game plan and try to play the best that I can again this week. Driving the ball well will be the key for me. Keeping the ball in play and just working yourself around the golf course will be a huge advantage too.
I will try and stay hydrated out there. It’s really humid and hot. It’s fortunate enough for the Malaysian Open to happen given the virus crisis all over the world. I’m glad we all get to play this week.
Wade Ormsby (AUS)
It’s been a nice start to the year for me. Obviously, I had a great week in Hong Kong but didn’t play so well after that. It was a good return to form last week in New Zealand and I’m feeling good coming to Malaysia this week.
It’s always nice coming to play in Kuala Lumpur. We’ve played a lot of golf courses here and this week’s course is in great condition. The green complexes and there’s quite a bit of them so you need to be sharp around the greens here.
The course is actually not quite long which sets up well for me so I’ll just go about my business and see how it goes. You got to keep the ball in play.
It’s absolutely fantastic to have the Malaysian Open back on the schedule. It’s a great event. Seeing the trophy when we drove in this morning and seeing so many big names on it, it just feels great to be playing in such a storied event which has been around for a long time.
Charlie Wi of Korea
Charlie Wi (KOR)
I won the Malaysian Open a long time ago. I remember making a 10-footer on the last hole to win the tournament in 2006. It’s nice to be back playing in the same tournament again but I think it’s not about me anymore.
We have young players like Joohyung Kim. He’s such a great player and he has a bright future ahead. And Wade (Ormsby) is off to a good start and I wish him continued success. For me, I’m just happy to be back competing.
I haven’t played too much golf the last two and a half years. I had two kids who are 13 and 10 years old now so I was spending a lot of time with them. Getting older now, but I don’t want to say how old I am, I want to start playing a little more to get myself prepared.
It’s just nice to compete again. There’s still a lot of familiar faces and also there’s a lot of new faces and just to see and watch them play I think is enjoyable for me.
The last time I played at Kota Permai, I think Joohyung was not even born. It was in 2002 when Kevin Na won a tournament here. At that time, the trees were much smaller. And now when you drive in certain spots, the trees get in the way for your second shot so you have to strategically place your tee shots.
You have to be on the right side of the green too so I think it would be very challenging and I think it would be a good competition.
Danny Chia (MAS)
It’s great to finally play our own National Open again. I was surprised when I heard about the return of this event. It’s a great news for Malaysian golf and all the local professionals. I have had a lot of good memories playing in the Malaysian Open, especially on this course.
We last played the Malaysian Open here in 2008 and I remembered I was tied for the lead after two rounds here. It’s nice to be back here. The course’s looking fantastic. It’s possibly one of the best around this area. The greens are fast. They did a really good job.
I hosted a junior event for the first-time last week. I had fun. It was a good experience. It was pretty stressful and I was very busy but it’s rewarding. It’s good to see so many people and companies coming out to support too. It’s important that we give back to the game.
I would like to see these juniors playing in more international events in the future. It will be a great experience for them to play against other top ranked players around the world and see where they stand. If you always play with the same people, it’s very hard to progress to the next level.
Ben Leong (MAS)
It’s great to have Bandar Malaysia coming on board to support the Malaysian Open and the development of golf in Malaysia. It’s great to see the Malaysian Open back after four years. It’s really motivating.
We played a small event here with the juniors last week. It was hosted by our countryman Danny Chia. We had good fun and I got a chance to see the course firsthand which helps. As usual, the course at Kota Permai is in great shape and the greens are running a little quick than usual. It will be interesting.
I’m going to treat this like any other event. Just normal, I know it’s easier said than done, but you know, that’s the mindset for this week. We have a good representation of Malaysian golfers this week with 47 of us in total. A big shout out to the Malaysia Golf Association for being so supportive.
Tee shots are important to set up birdie chances out there. It’s tough coming out from the rough and the fairways are not small and they are not big. They are just in between sizes so being on the short grass is definitely an added bonus.
I think my three-wood and five-wood need to perform well this week to have a chance. I had a tough year last year. I hope to do better this year and my aim for this season is to try and crack top-30 on the Order of Merit.
Nicholas Fung (MAS)
I have been playing well and hitting the ball good. I just think it’s not coming at the right time and that’s why results are not showing. I did some work with my coach Steven and did some club fitting as well. Checked with my team and it seems like all is good and we’re ready to go.
I’ve been missing the cut by a few shots. I think it’s my poor judgement with my second shots. Otherwise, all else feels good. We have a strong field this week but the local players have advantage because we get to practise here before the tournament week.
It was very nice of Kota Permai and I believe the local boys have all got good preparations done for this week. I won’t say it’s impossible for one of us to win the Malaysian Open for the first time this week.
I won’t put so much pressure on myself. I just want to go out there and have fun and enjoy myself out there. If you hit the ball well, the win will come. I had a tied-11th place finish on this course before.
But the course is not playing the same now. The trees have grown taller. It’s not a long course and placements are key on this course. Not so much an advantage for the big hitters.
Rahil Gangjee (IND)
The course is looking good. I’m pleasantly surprised by the conditions because you know it’s very humid out there. Greens are firm and fast, which is great for me. I remember playing here many years ago and I remember Arjun (Atwal) won here.
The game’s feeling a little rusty but I hope to get back into it quick. I had like a one-month off and I went to Kenya for holiday. I had a great time there. Feeling refreshed and recharged for this week.
I’m just trying to keep my body in check. To keep it nimble, so that I wouldn’t have to face too many problems and my mind will be fresh and clear, which is very important for us.
I want to win again, that’s for sure. That’s a bigger goal for this year. I looked at my stats with my psychologist and we realised that I need to play better on my par-fours. I am playing my par-fives decent but I need to work on my par-fours and try not to lose too many shots there.
That is my short-term goal now. I’m hitting long lines into the greens and that’s probably why I am making moves and stuff so I got to have to figure out a way to be better.
Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe
Scott Vincent (ZIM)
This is probably one of the best courses I’ve played in Malaysia. It’s in great conditions. I am very excited. My game needs a bit of work at the moment but it’s good to be back out and playing again.
It was nice to see my good friend Benjamin Follett-Smith coming through the Qualifying School two weeks ago. We’ve been hoping that he’s going to play like that because he’s very talented and he has got a lot of potential.
I am very excited for him to be out here and hopefully we can work together and push each other on. I have been trying to recruit a few players and it has taken a while for someone to come over to Asia and give it a try. It’s nice to have some company with Benjamin securing his Tour card now.
By Olle Nordberg, Former Asian Tour and European Tour professional
The Tournament
The Bandar Malaysia Open is making a return to the Asian Tour schedule after a four-year absence and is held in partnership with the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO). A prize purse of US$1 million will be on offer with the winner taking home US$180,000.
The event was last held in 2015 where Indian star Anirban Lahiri beat Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger by one shot to secure his sixth title on the Asian Tour.
The Course
Kota Permai Golf and Country Club last hosted an Asian Tour event in 2012 with Thai legend Thaworn Wiratchant emerging victorious, and the course has also hosted Bandar Malaysia Opens in the past.
The last time the event was held at this course was in 2008 when Arjun Atwal of India won the title for the second time.
One of the premier courses in Malaysia, it will play as a par-72 at 7,016 yards from the championship tees this week.
Players to Watch
Joohyung Kim (KOR)
One of the most promising young players anywhere in the world, the 17-year-old Kim seems to be near the top of the leaderboard every time he plays.
Apart from three Asian Development Tour (ADT) wins and one Asian Tour title in 2019, he also won The Country Club Invitational on the Philippine Golf Tour to bring his total wins for the year to five.
His career record in OWGR counting events (which exclude two of his wins last year) has been impressive as he currently holds a 10.34% win percentage, 44.83% top-five percentage and a 51.72% top-10 percentage in 29 events played. For reference, Tiger Woods is currently at a 57.66% top-10 percentage.
A fourth-place finish in Singapore in January qualified Kim for The Open at Royal St. George’s this July, his first Major, and last week he led the New Zealand Open through the first three rounds and eventually finished in solo-fourth place.
While he had been hoping for a different outcome on Sunday afternoon, Kim picked up 4.5 important OWGR points and is now up to number 123, a career high and the second highest in the field this week.
Joohyung Kim
Pavit Tangkamolprasert (THA)
The two-time Asian Tour winner started his season with a win at the Boonchu Ruangkit Championship on the ADT in late January, and his good form goes all the way back to the middle of last year.
Pavit won his second Asian Tour title at the Sabah Masters in November, two weeks after narrowly missing out on winning his National Open in a playoff.
After getting off to a disastrous start by being five-over-par in his first five holes last week in New Zealand, Pavit proved why he’s such a dangerous player by making 17 birdies and no bogeys in his next 40 holes.
While he was featuring near the top of the leaderboard most of Saturday, he would eventually finish the tournament in a creditable 11th place, which is his best outing in three straight attempts at the New Zealand Open
Pavit Tangkamolprasert
Wade Ormsby (AUS)
The Asian Tour Order of Merit leader after winning the season-opening Hong Kong Open where he claimed the title by four shots over The Open champion Shane Lowry.
It was the second time Ormsby had gotten his name engraved on the prestigious trophy, having also won the event in 2017.
Ormsby, however, endured three straight missed cuts on the European Tour after his win in Hong Kong, but would regain his form in New Zealand last week. Ormsby finished tied-seventh and extended his lead on the Asian Tour Order of Merit with over US$209,000 in earnings.
Wade Ormsby
Rashid Khan (IND)
With top-10s in his last two events, a sixth-place finish at the Hong Kong Open and a tied-eight in Singapore, Khan is obviously in good form.
He also won the 2019 Professional Golf Tour of India Order of Merit in 2019, posting two victories and eight other top-10s on his local Tour.
He is the highest ranked Indian on the OWGR at 186th and is also inside the cut-off mark for the Olympics at number 53 on the Olympic Golf Rankings. The top-60 on the list as of June 22nd will qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, which should be a huge incentive for Khan to keep up the good play for the next few months.
Rashid Khan
Gunn Charoenkul (THA)
Having already made US$77,150 on the Asian Tour in the first two events of the 2020 season, the Hong Kong Open where he finished third and the SMBC Singapore Open where he tied for 11th, Gunn has been in great form for more than a year.
He played most of his golf last year on the Japan Golf Tour, where he posted 10 top-10s and finished 21st in the Money Rankings, but came back to the Asian Tour in December and finished the year with a solo-second at the BNI Indonesian Masters and a fifth-place finish at the season ending Thailand Masters.
Although he made almost US$130,000 in the three Asian Tour events that he played last year, easily enough to keep his card, he did not play enough events to count on the Order of Merit.
Currently ranked number 136 on the OWGR, he is also one of the Tokyo Olympics hopefuls and is currently at number 46 inside the qualifying cutoff of top-60 on the Olympic Ranking list.
Gunn Charoenkul
Ben Leong (MAS)
The highest-ranking Malaysian in the field this week at number 532 on the OWGR, Leong is a one-time winner on the Asian Tour as well as a two-time winner on the ADT.
Leong’s best result on the Asian Tour last year was a tied-sixth at the Thailand Open and he finished in 48th place on the Order of Merit. He also had second-place finish on the ADT, as well as two other top-10s.
Ben Leong
Rikuya Hoshino (JPN)
The highest ranked player on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) in the field this week at number 117, the Japanese had a solid week at the SBMC Singapore Open where he finished tied-11th.
Hoshino also finished 11th on the Japan Golf Tour Money Rankings in 2019, posting a win at the Dunlop SRIXON Fukushima Open and had seven other top-10s.
He also won a tournament on home soil in 2018, the Fujisankei Classic, which helped him to a career high rank of seventh in the Money Ranking that season.
Rikuya Hoshino
Shah Alam, Selangor, March 3: Proven Asian Tour winners Ben Leong, Nicholas Fung and Danny Chia are ready to fly the flag for Malaysia when they tee off for the Bandar Malaysia Open which gets underway at the highly rated Kota Permai Golf and Country Club on Thursday.
The trio, who holds a combined total of four Asian Tour wins and nine Asian Development Tour victories, are part of the 47-man strong local challenge vying to become the first Malaysian to win their National Open, which returns to the Asian Tour this week after a four-year hiatus.
Leong, the only Malaysian to win an Asian Tour event on home soil, is optimistic of his chances but will adopt a relaxed approach when he chases for a second victory and first since 2008 at the US$1 million event, sanctioned by the Asian Tour and in partnership with the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO).
Chia, a two-time Asian Tour winner, found an opportunity to give back to the game when he hosted a junior event, which was held in conjunction with the Bandar Malaysia Open, on the same venue last week. The 47-year-old enjoyed a tied-25th place finish when the event was last staged in 2015.
Fung, whose best finish at the Malaysian Open remains a tied-47th place result in 2014, believes he has the game to contend in his National Open. He got his season off to a disappointing start with two missed cuts in three events but will be looking to turn the corner with a fine showing this week.
Rahil Gangjee of India
India’s Rahil Gangjee and Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe, who is still chasing for an Asian Tour breakthrough, will feature in the talented 156-man field from 23 countries, which consists of over 50 Asian Tour champions and four Order of Merit winners.
The Malaysian Open boasts an illustrious list of past winners which includes India’s Anirban Lahiri and Arjun Atwal, Thai stars Thongchai Jaidee and Kiradech Aphibarnrat, as well as Korea’s Noh Seung-yul, who have gone on to lift the coveted Asian Tour Order of Merit crowns following their victories in the storied event.
The highly acclaimed Bandar Malaysia Open, which boasts a new tagline ‘Pride, Passion, Prominence’, is the flagship event for the Malaysian Golf Association (MGA).
Ends.
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