Malaysian number one Nicholas Fung is confident of launching a title charge at this weekâs Worldwide Holdings Selangor Masters, which starts on Thursday, on a course which he knows very well.
The 24-year-old rising star believes his straight-shooting game is suited to the challenging Seri Selangor Golf Club which was used as a training hub when he featured in the Malaysian team during his amateur days.
With a strong line-up of stars from the region, headlined by the top-two ranked Asian Tour stars David Lipsky of the United States and Indiaâs Anirban Lahiri, at the popular RM1.3 million (approximately US$410,000) Asian Tour event, Fung hopes to emulate the victory of countryman Ben Leong who triumphed at the event six years ago.
âI have played at Seri Selangor since I was 14 years old. We used to train here every day and I know the course really well. You need a lot of local knowledge to play well as the fairways are tight and greens are firm. What I need to do this week is to keep the ball in play all the time. Even par can be a good score on this course,â said Fung.
The Selangor Masters is celebrating its seventh year on the Asian Tour and Fung clearly remembers Leongâs stunning victory in 2008 where he defeated Thai great Thongchai Jaidee in a head-to-head duel.
âIt was very good for Malaysian golf. As he is also from Sabah (state) like I am, I practice with Ben regularly. It was really good to see him win the event then. It was an important win for Malaysian golf as it gave us the confidence of winning as well. Iâve got the confidence of contending for the title this week and hopefully I can be the second Malaysian to win the Selangor Masters,â said Fung, who did not play in last weekâs Yeangder Tournament Players Championship in Taipei due to illness.
Since last season, Fung has risen to stature on the Asian Tour. He won the Asian Development Tour (ADT) Order of Merit crown and also secured his Asian Tour card by finishing 32nd on the Order of Merit last season. His strong finish to the 2013 season also earned him a captainâs pick for the inaugural EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM where he featured in Asiaâs memorable draw with Europe in March.
âI still want to improve and get myself into the top-10 of the Asian Tour Order of Merit,â said Fung, who is currently 36th on the rankings.
âMy skill set is still the same but I think mentally, I have become a better golfer. Playing the EurAsia Cup earlier this year has also helped me. I have played with a lot of top players and I have learned from them. There is no pressure when they play. They just want to have fun on the golf course and aim for birdies.
âHowever, itâs hard to win on the Asian Tour. You need to have four good days of consistent golf. Iâve always had one bad round and Iâm trying to have all four good days. I would shoot one or two over. Probably there was too much pressure as my mind would keep thinking âI want to win, I want to winâ and I would end up playing bad golf. Iâm trying to relax my mind now. If Iâm in contention, I will just go out and try to play like I do in the first round, just aim to get birdies and not think of winning.â
ASIAN TOUR MEDIA ADVISORY
This weekâs event: Worldwide Holdings Selangor Masters
Prize Money: RM1,300,000 (approximately US$410,000) – (Winner’s Purse: RM234,000, approx. US$73,000)
Venue: Seri Selangor Golf Club
Starts: From September 18 to September 21, Thursday to Sunday.
Top Contenders: Pariya Junhasavasdikul (Tha – defending champion), David Lipsky (USA), Anirban Lahiri (Ind), Thaworn Wiratchant (Tha), Arjun Atwal (Ind), Nicholas Fung (Mas).
Fast Facts â 2014 Worldwide Holdings Selangor Masters
- The prestigious Worldwide Holdings Selangor Masters, which joined the Asian Tour Schedule in 2008, Â will display yet another spectacular golf event at the Seri Selangor Golf Club from September 18 to 21.
- Defending champion Pariya Junhasavasdikul of Thailand and former Asian Tour Order of Merit Winner and champion Thaworn Wiratchant will headline the elite field.
- Current Order of Merit leader David Lipsky, winner of the Omega European Masters in Switzerland, and this seasonâs winners Marcus Both, Anirban Lahiri and Rashid Khan will be in the field along with 38 other Tour champions.
- Local heroes Danny Chia, Nicholas Fung, S. Sivachandhran, Shaaban Hussin, R. Nachimuthu, Shukree Othman, Airil Rizman will fly the Malaysian flag and aim to emulate Ben Leongâs victory in 2008.
- There will be three other former Selangor Masters in the fray next week – Rick Kulacz (2009), Angelo Que (2010) and Joonas Granberg (2011). Kulacz and Que won at Seri Selangor.
- Â Seven from the current top-10 players of the Order of Merit â Lipsky, Lahiri, Rahil Gangjee, Baek Seuk-hyun, SSP Chowrasia, Antonio Lascuna and Rashid Khan – will be in the field.
- Â PGA Tour champions Daniel Chopra of Sweden and Indiaâs Arjun Atwal, who is also a double Malaysian Open winner, will be amongst a star-studded cast.
- 25 Nations will be represented at the Worldwide Holdings Selangor Masters.
