Sentosa, October 28: Korean star K.J. Choi has a new spring in his step coming into the Barclays Singapore Open that he hopes will propel him to back-to-back victories.
The US-based Choi triumphed at the Iskandar Johor Open in Malaysia last week which ended a frustrating 18-month winless spell and with his confidence back, he is gunning for more glory especially with Singapore being his last tournament of the year.
“Obviously my confidence level is up after the win last week. I played in the pro-am today and I feel my shots are there at the moment and I feel good. I also received a lot of support from the fans and I have a lot of expectations,” said Choi, who is an Asian Tour honorary member.
Choi will certainly need to be at his best form at Sentosa Golf Club from tomorrow as this week’s US$5 million showpiece has attracted a stellar cast which includes world number two Phil Mickelson and fellow Major champions Michael Campbell Geoff Ogilvy, Ernie Els and Padraig Harrington. Els and Harrington finished joint runner-up last year.
A total of 118 winners will be on parade in Asia’s richest national Open which is sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour for the first time.
Choi, the first Asian Tour graduate to enjoy success in the US with seven victories, credited his improved putting for his revival in Malaysia. He hopes to continue wielding his putter like a magic wand in a bid to improve on his tied 14th finish at the Barclays Singapore Open in 2007. He missed the cut by one stroke last year.
“This year it (the course) is really superb. It’s in perfect condition for the tournament and that’s why I have better expectations compared to the past few years,” said the man nicknamed “The Tank.”
“This course has tight fairways, so tee shots will be very important. Reading the greens will be very important as there are some double greens, like an ‘S’.”
The powerfully-built Korean knows this is his last chance to force his way back into the world’s top-50, although he says it is not a priority. “Numbers don’t really mean a lot to me at this point. I’m not thinking of that right now. What’s important is gaining my confidence back which I did by winning last week. At this point, I’m trying to prepare myself for next season. I’m going to work very hard for next year,” said Choi, whose victory last week pushed him up to 73rd place in the world.
Long billed as the Asian most likely to win the region’s first Major, Choi was happy that compatriot Y.E. Yang achieved the historic feat at the US PGA Championship in August and insists that it has given him added motivation to win a Major.
“I’ve been saying for the past five years that an Asian can win a Major and it became a reality. And now he (Yang) has motivated me to attain my own dream of winning a Major. Previously it was always asked ‘can we do it’ but now we’ve shown that we can. It has given me a sense of confidence to strive for a Major win.”
Big-hitting Thai star Chapchai Nirat hopes to fire himself into contention again this week after leading into last year’s final round. A win will also secure him a place in next week’s World Golf Championship event in Shanghai.
“Last year, I was leading but I didn’t perform on Sunday. I got a bit nervous (playing with Phil Mickelson) and didn’t play my usual golf. I think I got too quick with my game,” said Chapchai, who won the SAIL Open in India with a world-record 32-under-par 256 total earlier this season.
“If I have a chance to contend again this year, I’ll know what to do. I’ve learned from last year’s experience.”
After his triumph in India, Chapchai’s form dipped but the Thai produced a second place finish in Malaysia last weekend. “I always enjoy playing at Sentosa Golf Club. It’s a challenging golf course and you need to be on top of your game to shoot a good round there,” said Chapchai.
“I somehow seem to play some good golf in the tournament and I’m looking forward to it again.”
About Barclays
Barclays is a major global financial services provider engaged in retail and commercial banking, credit cards, investment banking, wealth management and investment management services, with an extensive international presence in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia. With over 300 years of history and expertise in banking, Barclays operates in over 50 countries and employs over 155,000 people. Barclays moves, lends, invests and protects money for over 48 million customers and clients worldwide. www.barclays.com
Barclays Golf sponsorships
In addition to the Barclays Singapore Open, Barclays is title sponsor of the Barclays Scottish Open and The Barclays in the US, and it also sponsors golfers Phil Mickelson and Darren Clarke.
About Sentosa Island
Sentosa is Asia’s leading leisure destination and Singapore’s premier island resort getaway, located within 15 minutes from the central business and shopping districts. The 500-hectare resort island is home to an exciting array of themed attractions, award-winning spa retreats, lush rainforests, golden sandy beaches, resort accommodations, world-renowned golf courses, a deep-water yachting marina and luxurious residences - making it a vibrant island resort for business and leisure.
By 2014, some 2,000 homes at Sentosa Cove will dot the coast. Situated on the eastern end of Sentosa Island, the exclusive residential enclave will feature romantic quayside restaurants, retail and specialty shops. Offering Singapore’s only truly oceanfront residences, Sentosa Cove is fast becoming the world’s most desirable address. The Island is proud to be home to Sentosa Golf Club and its two acclaimed golf courses, The Serapong and The Tanjong. Since 2006, Asia’s richest national open, the annual Barclays Singapore Open, has teed off on The Serapong with star-studded line-ups featuring international players and golf professionals from Asia, Europe and the USA playing to nail-biting finishes. Welcoming a growing number of local and international guests every year, Sentosa is an integral part of Singapore’s goal to be a global destination to work, live and play.
About the Asian Tour
As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include ESPN Star Sports (Official Regional TV Broadcaster), Pin High (Official Apparel Partner), Ricoh (Official Office Solutions Provider) and Srixon (Official Ball). Sentosa, Singapore’s premier island resort getaway, is the Home of the Asian Tour.
About the European Tour
The PGA European Tour is an organisation which operates the three leading men's professional golf tours in Europe: the elite European Tour, the Senior Tour and the developmental Challenge Tour. Its headquarters are at Wentworth Club in Virginia Water, Surrey, England. The European Tour is the primary golf tour in Europe.
The European Tour was established by the British-based Professional Golfers' Association, and responsibility was transferred to an independent PGA European Tour organisation in 1984. Most events on the PGA European Tour's three tours are held in Europe, but in recent years an increasing number have been held in other parts of the world outside of North America. The PGA European Tour is a golfer-controlled organisation whose primary purpose is to maximise the income of tournament golfers. It is a company limited by guarantee and is run by a professional staff but controlled by its playing members via a board of directors composed of 12 elected past and present tour players and a Tournament Committee of 14 current players. As of 2007, the Chairman of the Board is Neil Coles and the Chairman of the Tournament Committee is Thomas Bjørn. The European-based events on the European Tour are nearly all played in Western Europe and the most lucrative of them take place in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, France and Spain. The PGA European Tour also stages The Ryder Cup in cooperation with the PGA of America.
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