SHAH ALAM, March 4 — Asian Tour Order of Merit leader Wade Ormsby is seeking to continue his fine form when he tees off at the Malaysian Open golf tournament, which starts tomorrow at the Kota Permai Golf & Country Club here.
Fresh from winning the Hong Kong Open for the second time after 2017 early this year, the 39-year-old Australian is looking for another title via the four-day tournament that offers a total prize money of US$1 million (RM4.181 million).
“It’s been a nice start to the year for me. Obviously, I had a great week in Hong Kong but I 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,” he told a pre-tournament press conference at the venue today.
“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,” added Ormsby who finished tied seventh at the recent New Zealand Open.
Also sharing his sentiments was South Korean teen sensation, Joohyung Kim who is vying to make amends after finishing fourth at the New Zealand Open.
“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 17-year-old said.
“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,” added Kim who made his breakthrough in the Asian Tour after winning the Panasonic Open in India last November.
A total of 156 players from over 20 countries will be vying for top honours at the Malaysian Golf Association’s (MGA) flagship event which is sanctioned by the Asian Tour and also the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO).
The Malaysian challenge will be spearheaded by three experienced players—Danny Chia, Ben Leong and Nicholas Fung. — Bernama
