MalaysiaāsĀ highest ranked golfer Arie Irawan will head into thisĀ weekās PGM Terengganu Championship with a new springĀ inĀ his step as he sets sight on achieving more success on theĀ burgeoning Asian Development Tour (ADT).
Arie, who claimed a breakthroughĀ victory on the ADT at the season-opening event in January,Ā is eager to build on his winning form for a second titleĀ when he returns to the Resorts World Kijal for the RM200,000Ā (approximately US$55,400) event, which starts onĀ Wednesday.
Arie will lead the local challengeĀ alongside Asian Tour stalwart Danny Chia, 2013 ADT Order ofĀ Merit champion Nicholas Fung and one-time ADT winner WilsonĀ Choo at the PGM Terengganu Championship, whichĀ is the third leg of the ADT schedule thisĀ season.
Reigning Order of Merit winner andĀ defending champion Pavit Tangkamolprasert of Thailand willĀ spearhead the international charge which includes AmericanĀ Brett Munson, Englandās Grant Jackson, Lam Chih BingĀ of Singapore and Asian Tour Qualifying School graduateĀ Lindsay Renolds of Canada.
Arie admitted the successful startĀ to his stint on the ADT this season has made him hungry forĀ bigger achievements.
āIām solely focused onĀ winning this week,ā said the talented 24-year-old, whoĀ will be in the field for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio deĀ Janeiro based on this weekās rankings.
āThe game is feeling great.Ā I went to Singapore last week to get some practice with ZawĀ Moe and Mardan Mamat and Iām ready. Winning on the ADTĀ made me believe that I can go out and win more.
āIām definitelyĀ playing with more confidence now and Iām aiming to winĀ three or more ADT events this year. I want to boost myĀ ranking for the Olympics and also secure my Asian Tour cardĀ for next year,āĀ added the young Malaysian, who is currently rankedĀ 346th on the Official World Golf RankingĀ (OWGR).
Arie has enjoyed an impressive runĀ on the ADT last season where he notched a total of nineĀ top-10s to finish sixth on the Merit rankings. He earned oneĀ of the five Asian Tour cards on offer for the 2015Ā season after Thailandās Sattaya Supupramai, rankedĀ fourth, secured his card through finishing inside top-60 onĀ the 2014 Asian Tour money list.
Choo, who also tasted victory onĀ the ADT for the very first time last month, insists there isĀ more to come if he sticks to his game and keep up with hisĀ consistency.
āWinning on the ADT provedĀ that my hard work has paid off. It boosted my confidence asĀ well. The win meant a lot to me as I want to focus on theĀ ADT this year and try to work my way onto the Asian TourĀ next season,ā said the 25-year-oldĀ Malaysian.
āItās getting reallyĀ competitive out here on the ADT. There are a lot of goodĀ players and everybody is fighting to win. Nothing hasĀ changed in my game since winning but I guess there is moreĀ advantage forĀ me now that I get to play every event on theĀ schedule,ā added Choo.
Since it was inaugurated in 2010,Ā the ADT has grown from five events in the first year to aĀ record 21 tournaments in 2014. The ADT has announced aĀ provisional 2015 schedule of a minimum 18 tournaments withĀ several more to be announced in due course.
The ADT will continue to rewardĀ the top-five finishers on the Order of Merit at the end ofĀ this season with Asian Tour cards for 2016.
With the Olympic Games looming inĀ 2016 where golf will be reintroduced as a medal sport,Ā players in the region could earn their spots in Rio deĀ Janeiro by earning Official World Golf Ranking pointsĀ throughĀ the Asian Tour and ADT.
