Kuala Lumpur woke from its St Valentine’s Day celebrations to find Padraig Harrington declaring his love for the city as he prepared for his eighth attempt at winning the Maybank Malaysian Open, which starts on Thursday at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club.
The Irishman finds a deep sense of comfort in the hustle and bustle of Asia and, as a result, he has enjoyed a good deal of success on the continent, notably in winning the BMW Asian Open in 2003 and the UBS Hong Kong Open the following year.
He has twice gone close to winning in the national open of Malaysia, having finished second in 2000 and 2001, and feels that this year’s conditions at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club suit him perfectly.
“When you like a venue you tend to play well there,” he said. “The Asian golf courses in general do suit me. I like grainy greens, I play well in the heat and because there is not much run you have to hit the ball in the air a long way and that suits me.
“I see an advantage out here. Some of the Europeans struggle on the grainy greens but if anything I find them easier to read. Obviously it is tough coming out here and playing the Asian players in their own backyard, as they are obviously very familiar with the heat and the conditions, but I do feel confident out here.”
However, the rustiness that envitably accrued during Harrington’s nine-week break, during which time he made a number of small changes to his swing, is the one thing that is tempering his level of expectation.
“The first couple of rounds are very important for me because I am a bit rusty. If I do struggle a bit it is going to be tough. The key is to not necessarily make a quick start, but not to make a slow start. I would be quite happy to work my way into the tournament and be there of thereabouts with a few holes to go and take my chances from there.
“I do like Kuala Lumpur and I feel very comfortable here. To come out here and be looked after so well and called into a press conference at your first event of the year, it is good for your ego. Hopefully I can be up there this week.”
Another man hoping for the same is Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee, who is aiming to create a slice of golfing history by becoming the first Asian player to win the same European Tour event for three consecutive years.
If successful, he would joint a select band of five golfers - Ian Woosnam (Monte Carlo Open, 1990-92), Nick Faldo (Irish Open, 1991-93), Colin Montgomerie (PGA Championship, 1998-00), Tiger Woods (WGC-NEC Invitational, 1999-01) and Ernie Els (Heineken Classic, 2002-04) - to achieve the feat.
Already, Jaidee is the first Asian to retain a European Tour title - an impressive achievement considering he was a late beginner in the sport as he grew up in Lop Buri, two hours north of Bangkok. Jaidee made his breakthrough in 2004, winning at Saujana Golf & Country Club with a total of 274, then lowered that score by seven shots in 2005 as he defended the title at the same venue.
Now he returns to Kuala Lumpur in search of a three-timer but found a very different course lying in wait. “I came here before the new year to practice and the course was playing easy. It was wide open. But when I came here on Monday, it looked different. The rough was very thick and I think it'll be very challenging, especially if you miss the fairway. The rough will kill you. The greens are soft this week because of the rain.
“I will try my best to win again, for the Asian Tour. I love my game now, it’s getting better and better.”
This year’s event, which is being jointly sanctioned by the European and Asian tours for the eighth year in a row, has a new title sponsor in Maybank, which has signed a long-term agreement, and a new venue, the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club. The club boasts two par 72 championship golf courses, the East Course and the West Course, both designed by Canadian Neil Haworth.
