Bengaluru, August 8: Poom Saksansin of Thailand hopes to take advantage of his recent run of good form to launch a successful title defence at the US$350,000 TAKE Solutions Masters, which starts on Thursday.

Coming off the back of a tied-sixth finish in Fiji last week, Poom is confident of putting up another good run at the Karnataka Golf Association (KGA) Golf Course, where he had led from start to end to win by two shots for his second Asian Tour title 12 months ago.

The 25-year-old Poom, who sits in 23rd place on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings, believes his game is trending in the right direction but prefers to play down his expectations as he bids to retain his title successfully for the first time in his career.

Poom will spearhead the talented 156-man field alongside Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe, highest-ranked Asian Tour player in 10th place on the Habitat of Humanity Standings, as well as Indian stalwart S.S.P. Chawrasia and homegrown talent Khalin Joshi.

Chawrasia, a six-time Asian Tour winner, is playing in his first event in four months on the region’s premier Tour. The 40-year-old Indian, who made only two cuts in five starts this season, is looking to regain his top form at the event backed by his sponsor, TAKE Solutions.

Rising star Joshi, who came in runner-up last year, will be banking on his home course knowledge to put up another title run for a breakthrough victory on the Asian Tour.

Vincent hopes to make it a week to remember by claiming his maiden Asian Tour title in his first visit to Bengaluru at the TAKE Solutions Masters. Prior to last week’s Fiji International, the 26-year-old Vincent has claimed four top-10 results in his last five starts on Tour.

Poom Saksansin of Thailand

Did you know?

• Poom Saksansin completed a wire-to-wire victory to seal his second Asian Tour title at the 2017 TAKE Solutions Masters.
• Thanks largely to that victory, Poom finished in a career-high eighth position on the Merit rankings in 2017 and earned a maiden appearance at the 2018 EurAsiaCup where he represented Team Asia.
• Poom, together with Sunghoon Kang, defeated Henrik Stenson and Alex Levy in the first day four-ball match 5&4. Also beat Paul Casey 1 up on the final day Singles match at the 2018 EurAsia Cup.
• Poom produced a five-shot victory at the 2016 BNI Indonesian Masters presented by Zurich to win his first Asian Tour title.
• Poom, who turned professional in 2013, used to ply his trade on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) where he has won a title at the 2015 PGM Kinrara Championship in Malaysia.
• Poom enjoyed a tied-sixth place finish at the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways last week. It was his third top-10 finish this season. He claimed his best result at the Thailand Open in June, where he finished one shot back of winner Panuphol Pittayarat to settle for second place on his own.
• S.S.P. Chawrasia of India successfully defended his title at the 2017 Hero Indian Open for his sixth Asian Tour victory. Became only the third player to make a successful defence of his National Open.
• Chawrasia, who is sponsored by TAKE Solutions, became a recipient of the prestigious Arjuna award in 2017.
• The 40-year-old Chawrasia claimed his first Asian Tour victory outside of India at the 2016 Resorts World Manila Masters. Also represented his country at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro the same year.
• Chawrasia is playing in only his sixth start on the Asian Tour this season. He spent most of the season plying on his trade on the European Tour.
• Khalin Joshi, also sponsored by TAKE Solutions, holds the home course advantage this week. He enjoyed a runner-up finish last year.
• Joshi also holds the course record of a 10-under-par 62 which he set during an amateur event in 2012. He turned professional in 2013.
• The 25-year-old Joshi enjoyed a tied-fifth place finish at the lucrative Maybank Championship in Malaysia earlier in February. Sits in 18th place on the Habitat for Humanity Standings and has virtually sealed his card for the 2019 season.
• Scott Vincent is the highest-ranked player in the 156-man field this week. He sits in 10th place on the latest Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings.
• Vincent is only member from Zimbabwe on the Asian Tour. He signaled his arrival in Asia by coming through the Qualifying School in 2016. Claimed two top-10 finishes in six starts that year. Did not miss a single cut and was crowned the rookie of the year after finishing in 29th place on the Order of Merit that season.
• Vincent claimed four top-10s in 2017 to finish in 17th place on the Order of Merit, thereby retaining his card for the 2018 season. He has notched six top-10 results so far this season.

Poom Saksansin of Thailand

Players’ quotes:

Poom Saksansin (Tha)

I had a good finish last week so I am feeling more confident with my game. It was really windy in Fiji last week but luckily the greens were softer that’s why I was able to score. I am very proud with my result last week. It shows that I can play well in windy conditions.

I am excited to be back here to defend my title this week. This is a very tight golf course. I just hope my driver will be good. I hope I can defend my title but my first goal is to make the cut first. I hope to put myself in contention again but I don’t want to think about that yet.

I will just try and make the cut first. I got in to Bengaluru late last night. I went back home for a day just to see my mother. I am feeling pretty tired now but I am looking forward to tomorrow. I hope I can continue to hit the ball good and putt well.

The course seems pretty different from last year. It’s been raining and it seems like you’re hitting shorter out there. Some holes are playing long for me. I think my game is good right now. My putting is in good shape.

Tee shots will be the key this week as there are a few narrow holes out there. Putting is important too. I only remember I won here last year, can’t remember anything else but I feel very good to be back here again.

S.S.P. Chawrasia of India

S.S.P. Chawrasia (Ind)

The course is a little bit wet today but conditions wise, it’s excellent. The game’s feeling alright. I played good in the pro-am tournament today so I hope to continue that good form over to the next few days.

This is my sponsor’s event. I am very excited. TAKE Soutions has been supporting me for many years and they have helped a lot of other players as well. I haven’t been playing well for the last couple of weeks so this week will be a good event for me to get my game back on track and build on my confidence.

I have been working on my putting. I think I’m not practicing good enough so that’s why I am struggling. I have played many events here so I am pretty familiar with this course and although I have never win here before, I have had a lot of top-10 finishes here.

There are a couple of narrow holes out there but also a couple of wide holes. It’s a good mixture. Putting will be the key to score this week. We know the Bengaluru greens are tricky so everyone is working on their putting this week.

Khalin Joshi of India

Khalin Joshi (Ind)

I have a bunch of good memories out here but the one that stands out the most is my last amateur event here. I shot a course record 62. That’s one of the fondest memories I have out here. Hopefully I can repeat that again this week or make it even better.

I am looking for my maiden Asian Tour victory this week. Hopefully I can do it on my home course here. There’s no other better venue than this for me. This is my home tournament as well. It would mean the world to me if I can win this week because I’m sponsored by TAKE Solutions as well.

First victory at this golf club and at this tournament, it’s going to mean everything to me. I am going to put in my heart for this week and hopefully I can be victorious on Sunday.

Scott Vincent (Zim)

I played in Fiji last week after taking a short break. The game felt a bit rusty there but I’m happy to play four rounds. Obviously hoping to play four more here in Bengaluru. I have high expectations this week, some are self-imposed while some from the outside.

But it’s good to have those high expectations of yourself. I’m looking forward to this week and looking forward to the challenges ahead. The course is in good shape. It’s a little wet with the rain today but apart from that, everything looks good.

The game’s not great at the moment but I’ll do some practice later and hopefully find something for the next few days. It’s my first time in Bengaluru. It’s been good so far. The course is good and where we’re staying is good too.

Ends.

About 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 Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), Habitat for Humanity (Official Sustainable Development Partner), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), Titleist and FootJoy (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.