High-profile golfers to compete at Maybank C’ship

Kuala Lumpur, Feb 4: A star-laden Asian Tour cast, including reigning number one Scott Hend and former champion Anirban Lahiri of India, will shoot for glory at the Maybank Championship at Sauja Golf and Country Club next week.

Big-hitting Hend, who became the first Australian to win the Order of Merit crown last season, will be joined by nine other former number ones, including Thai duo Thongchai Jaidee and Kiradech Aphibarnrat, American David Lipsky, India’s Anirban Lahiri, Jeev Milkha Singh, Jyoti Randhawa and Arjun Atwal, Chi’s Liang Wen-chong and Filipino swinger Juvic Pagunsan, according to a release on Saturday.

Over 40 Asian Tour champions with over 100 tourment victories accumulated will also tee up for the $3 million showpiece, which is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour.

Such is the attraction of the Maybank Championship, which is celebrating its second edition, that the marquee event has attracted all the top-10 players of the current Asian Tour’s Order of Merit and also last year’s fil top-10 on the Merit list.

Hend is tipped to contend for the spectacular Maybank trophy sculpted in the shape of a tiger head which is part of its corporate emblem. Last year, he won twice at the Thailand Classic and Queen’s Cup and savoured his rise to the top of the Asian golf pincle with over $1 million in earnings.

Since joining the Asian Tour in 2007, the 44-year-old has become the most successful intertiol golfer in the region following an impressive haul of nine career victories.

“I’m looking forward to competing at Sauja next week. I’ve heard a lot about the venue and it’s also a great tourment for us. It would be fantastic to contend again for a win,” said Hend.

“The Asian Tour was a great place for me to be at a time where I had nothing and I came to Q-School and finished runner-up to Ben Leong (of Malaysia). And from then on, I went to Pakistan, finished second and all of a sudden hit greater heights and climbed my way up to top-60 in the world. Hopefully from here, I’ll get on with it,” said Hend.

Lahiri, Asia’s number one in 2015, has always enjoyed competing on Malaysian soil with one victory previously along with numerous other top-10s. Together with a crop of rising Indian stars such as Gaganjeet Bhullar, S. Chikka and Shubhankar Sharma, the Indian contingent is expected to feature prominent on the leaderboard at Sauja, which last hosted a major event in 2009.

The intertiol stars who will feature in the Maybank Championship include title holder Marcus Fraser of Australia, who was second on the Asian Tour Order of Merit last year, reigning Masters Tourment champion Danny Willet and former Major winner Charl Schwartzel. IANS