Title holder Ben Leong hopes a successful defence at the Worldwide Holdings Selangor Masters next month will help turn his troubled season around.
The talented Malaysian was expected to build on last year's maiden Asian Tour victory at Seri Selangor Golf Club but his form over the past six months has been anything but inspiring.
Leong will headline the field at the RM1 million (US$300,000) Asian Tour event from August 5 to 8, 2009 (Wednesday to Saturday) where other top names include countrymen Danny Chia, Airil Rizman and Iain Steel, last year's Asian number two Lin Wen-tang of Chinese Taipei, Korea's Bae Sang-moon and Australian duo Scott Hend and David Gleeson.
"Going back to Seri Selangor to defend the tournament, I'm sure it'll be a good feeling. It'll be nice to get back to the golf course and I'm really looking forward to it. I hope the local fans will come out again to support me," said Leong.
However, the 23-year-old has struggled with his game this season where he has missed more cuts than making them. From tee to green, Leong has failed to find any consistency while his putter has been lukewarm as well.
"It's been a rough year," conceded Leong. "I'm having trouble from tee to green and even on the putting green. I've been working hard on my game during the Asian Tour summer break and hopefully I'll get to see some results over the next few months.
"I'll try to stay patient and not give up. Golf is so unpredictable. Mentally, I'm just not there yet. One thing led to another and it kind of eats into your confidence. But during the break, I've practiced quite a lot and I’m hopeful that it'll become better."
Leong stunned two-time Asian Tour Order of Merit winner Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand in a head-to-head duel last year to win the Selangor title. He became only the third Malaysian after Danny Chia and Airil Rizman to win on the Asian Tour.
"It changed my life a lot. It opened up a lot of opportunities on the Asian Tour and it was such a big confidence booster. It encouraged me to move ahead and to try to get my game to the next level."
"I know I'm capable of doing it. Otherwise I wouldn't have won. Beating Thongchai, who is one of Asia's great players, was great as it's one of the ways you want to win a tournament. Beating him made the win sweeter," said Leong.
The par-71 Seri Selangor course will host the Worldwide Holdings Selangor Masters once again which Leong insists will provide a stern test for the field.
"It's a tough course … there are too many trees and the greens are quick and undulating. I was really surprised that I shot 15-under to win the tournament last year and I guess it was one of those special weeks. You just have to keep the ball on the fairways and hit the greens," said Leong.
While his form has let him down so far this year, Leong's goal for the remainder of the Asian Tour season is to win a second title. "It's certainly a goal of mine to win another one and to finish in the top-40 of the Order of Merit. I'm hopeful that I can achieve those targets," said Leong.
A total of 156 players will compete in the Worldwide Holdings Selangor Masters which will include 36 Malaysian players, 112 Asian Tour professionals and eight invited players.
About the Worldwide Holdings Selangor Masters 2009
The Worldwide Holdings Selangor Masters will be staged at Seri Selangor Golf Club from August 5 to 8, 2009 and offer RM1 million (US$300,000) in total prize money. The event, which made its Asian Tour debut last year, is title sponsored by Worldwide Holdings Berhad while other sponsors include Permodalan Negeri Selangor Berhad, CIMB Group, Majlis Bandaraya Shah Alam, Majlis Perbandaran Sepang and Majlis Perbandaran Selayang. The event is also supported by Srixon, 100Plus and Ricoh.
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.
(China.org.cn by July 8, 2009)
