KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 30 — Malaysia’s reigning Asian Tour number one, Gavin Kyle Green will have a more experienced caddie on his bag when he contends at the US$3 million (RM11.7 million) Maybank Championship which starts on Thursday at Saujana Golf and Country Club in Subang.

According to Asian Tour official website, the big-hitting 24-year-old will team up with Mark Crane of Scotland, who previously caddied for Paul Casey and Chris Wood and has the experience of caddying in Majors and in the Ryder Cups.

Green and Crane worked together for the first time in Dubai last week and will continue their partnership at the Saujana Golf and Country Club where they will face an elite field which includes Henrik Stenson of Sweden and an in-form Li Hao-tong of China.

"We started working together in Dubai last week...We are trying to get comfortable with each other and so far, it has been good. It is a different chemistry because I had my dad on the bag previously,” said Green.

"He understands that you can’t attack all the holes. You got to play it on the safe side, get your par and get out of there. For example, on hole number two. You want your par and get out of there. It is such a tough hole, so why make it tougher? Make it as simple as possible. Somebody of that level telling me that is a different thing. He had an injury and he was out for a while. Now he is on my bag,” added the Maybank ambassador.

His father, Gary, who previously caddied for him, will now be on the bag for his younger brother Galven Kendall, who will arrive in Malaysia early Thursday morning before teeing it up in the first round at the Maybank Championship.

Green started his 2018 season in Malaysia at the EurAsia Cup and flew to Singapore where he enjoyed a top-10 finish. In the following week, he travelled to the Omega Dubai Desert Classic where he came in tied-45th.

"This is my fourth week in a row and I’m resting as much as I can. I’m hitting it a little bit better as compared to EurAsia Cup so that’s good. I know this course well. I think everybody will have a tough time on the greens.

"My game has tightened up and I have been working really hard with my coaches. I feel I’m mentally and physically prepared. Definitely there’s a chance (to win) but I need to stay patient and handle the pressure of playing in front of the home crowd,” he said. — Bernama