Filipino star Angelo Que hopes to ride on home ground advantage as he seeks to win the US$1 million Resorts World Manila Masters presented by 918.com which starts on Thursday.
The in-form Que, who has enjoyed three top-10s in his last four starts on the Asian Tour, headlines a stellar cast at Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club which includes title holder Liang Wen-chong, reigning Asian Tour number one Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand as well 14 of the current top-20 players from the Order of Merit.
āI feel at home here, itās my home course and my home country. Iāve been playing solid the past few months and Iām looking forward to it. Iāve been working a lot with my coach yesterday and today and hopefully it would be the week where Iām going to do it,ā said Que, who is fifth on the Merit list.
āI think weāve got one of our strongest fields here in a full-field Asian Tour event this year. It would mean the world for me and my family if I can win it this week.ā
At the inaugural Resorts World Manila Masters last season, the 35-year-old Que was the joint halfway leader before fading over the weekend rounds to settle for tied 25th position. But with a recent run which included a runner-up finish at the Hong Kong Open where he lost in a play-off and a tied eighth finish at the CIMB Classic in Malaysia which was jointly sanctioned by the PGA Tour, Que is brimming with confidence.
āMy mind is stronger now, Iām thinking clearer on the course and making good decisions which helps a lot. Iāve made great decision and itās the key to winning a golf tournament and finishing well,ā said Que, who is a three-time Asian Tour winner.
Kiradech, who secured a fourth place finish in Chiangmai last week, is confident of challenging for Liangās title in his first appearance in the Resorts World Manila Masters.
āThe course is in good shape, small greens and nice fairways. Itās in fantastic condition right now. Iām been playing well the last couple of months except that I have not won titles. Last year, I wasnāt here so Iām hoping that I can win the title and I want to tell Liang that it wonāt be easy to defend his title as weāve got a strong field this week,ā said the 25-year-old Thai, as he looked cheekily across the table to Liang during a press conference.
With the Manila Southwoodsā Masters course suited to long hitters, Kiradech hopes to make the most of his big-hitting game by claiming a third Asian Tour victory.
āIām striking the ball well and hitting the ball on target. I hope my putting is good this week. Iām happy thereās not too much rough here so that I can whack it. I can reach most of the par fives in two here,ā added Kiradech.
Liang, the only Chinese to become the Asian Tour number one in 2007, hopes to relieve the good memories from last yearās triumph where he came from behind to beat Thailandās Prom Meesawat in a play-off before generously donating half of his winnings to the victims of Typhoon Haiyan, which had hit the Philippines a week prior to the event.
āIt feels like yesterday that I won the Resorts World Manila Masters. I had very good memories from last year. I hope Iāve helped the victims in a way or another and I hope they are doing better now. Itās my pleasure to be back here and I look forward to a great week here,ā said Liang, who arrived fresh off a fifth place outing in Japan last weekend.
āI know we have got a strong field but Iām feeling good about my game. I just want to enjoy it out there and hopefully I can successfully defend my title on Sunday.ā
Liang, who started his career on the Asian Tour since 1999, sang praises for the development of golf in the region. āIāve played on the Asian Tour for many years. Itās getting really competitive out here and itās good to see young players coming out and winning on Tour. Golf is developing here in Asia. Players get to play in more tournaments now and prize money has grown over the years,ā said the 36-year-old.
Indian star Jeev Milkha Singh, a two-time Asian number one, hopes a return to the Philippines which was the scene of his first two Asian Tour victories will help turn his golfing fortunes around where he currently languishes in 1,077th position in the world rankings.
āItās been about 20 years since I came back here. I was only about 22 or 23 years old,ā he recounted. āIām glad to be back after so many years and itās good to have gone through that rough patch which gives you the positive vibes and the good memories from the last time I played here. I hope to build on those and play my best this week,ā said Singh, who has been ranked in the worldās top-50 previously.
Sponsors of the Resorts World Manila Masters include Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club, Bally Technologies, Aristocrat, International Gaming Technology, Renoir Implementation Services, Marriott, Philippine Airlines, Maybank, PLDT and Avis.
