Ahead of the season-opening SMBC Singapore Open, we pick out 10 likely contenders who will emerge victorious this Sunday.
SERGIO GARCIA
Country: Spain
Current OWGR ranking: 27th
Last five starts: T6, T9, 2, 1, T7
Major win: 1
Professional wins: 34 (including six in Asia)
Sergio Garcia is defending his title at the SMBC Singapore Open this week. He lived up to his star billing by playing exquisite golf to win by five shots last year. The 2017 Masters champion ended his 2018 season in style, claiming one victory and four top-10 finishes in his last five starts. Garcia, who turned 39 years old last week, has amassed 34 victories worldwide, out of which, six were secured in Asia.
PAUL CASEY
Country: England
Current OWGR ranking: 24th
Last five starts: MC, T16, T16, T18, T13
Professional wins: 18 (including three in Asia)
Paul Casey is the highest-ranked player in the 156-man field. He was part of Team Europe who emerged victorious at both the EurAsia Cup and the Ryder Cup last year. Casey claimed two Asian Tour wins in China in 2005 and obtained a career-high third place on the OWGR in 2009. He last played the Singapore Open in 2012.
MATTHEW FITZPATRICK
Country: England
Current OWGR ranking: 40th
Last five starts: 2, T34, T27, T54, T16
Professional wins: 5
Fitzpatrick came close to winning the Honma Hong Kong Open two months ago. He fired a superb final day eight-under-par 64 to finish runner-up, one shot back of eventual winner Aaron Rai. Fitzpatrick successfully defended his title at the Omega European Masters in 2018 whereboth his victories in Crans Montana were secured through play-offs.
DAVIS LOVE lll
Country: United States
International wins: 37
Major win: 1
Love enjoyed a seventh place finish at the Sony Open in Hawaii last week. He holds a total of 21 titles on the PGA Tour. He also won the PGA Championship in 1997. He was ranked inside top-10 on the Official World Golf Ranking for over 450 weeks, with his best position being second place. He captained the US teams at the Ryder Cup in 2012 and 2016. In 2017, he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. His son Dru Love will also feature in the elite field this week.
JUSTIN HARDING
Country: South Africa
Current OWGR ranking: 83rd
Last five starts: MC, MC, 4th, T14, T46
International wins: 9 (including 2 on the Asian Tour in 2018)
Harding won a tournament in each of his first three seasons on the Sunshine Tour – 2010, 2011 and 2012. He won again in 2015 and 2016 and then twice in two weeks in 2018. Harding won the Indonesia Open in what was his first appearance in Asia last July. Two weeks later, he won the Royal Cup in Thailand by 6 strokes. Harding finished in third place on the Habitat for Humanity Standings in his rookie season on the Asian Tour last year. He will make his debut appearance in Singapore this week.
JAZZ JANEWATTANANOND
Country: Thailand
Current OWGR ranking: 111th
Last five starts: 5th, 2nd, 3rd, MC, T6, T48
International wins: 6 (including 2 on the Asian Tour)
Jazz holds the record of being the youngest player to make the cut on the Asian Tour. He achieved the feat at the 2010 Asian Tour International when he was only 14 years and 71 days old. In 2016, he lost his Asian Tour card for the first time in his career after finishing outside top-60 on the Merit rankings that year. The talented Thai, however, turned his career around by winning his first Asian Tour title in Bangladesh in 2017. He earned his Major debut at The Open last year, thanks to his tied-fourth place finish at the SMBC Singapore Open.
SANGHYUN PARK
Country: Korea
Current OWGR ranking: 121st
Last five starts: T41, MC, T4, T7, T37
International wins: 9 (including 2 on the Asian Tour)
Park won twice on the Asian Tour in 2018. He ended the season in a career-high second place on the Habitat for Humanity Standings and was the best-performing rookie player of the year. Park also made his Major debut at The Open last year, courtesy of his runner-up finish at the 2018 Kolon Korean Open.
SHUGO IMAHIRA
Country: Japan
Current OWGR ranking: 56th
Last five starts: T12, T8, T13, T8, T12
International wins: 4
Imahira started playing full-time on the Japan Golf Tour in 2015 and has won twice on the tour, in 2017 and 2018. He was crowned the Order of Merit champion on the Japan Golf Tour in 2018. By virtue of this accolade, Imahira received an invitation to The Masters tournament which he gladly accepted last week.
RYO ISHIKAWA
Country: Japan
Current OWGR ranking: 220th
Last five starts: T2, T40, T24, MC, MC
International wins: 15
In 2007, Ishikawa became the youngest winner-ever of a men’s regular tournament on the Japan Golf Tour by winning the Munsingwear Open KSB Cup at the age 15 years and 8 months. He turned professional the following year and won again on the Japan Tour. By the end of 2008, he had become the youngest ever player to break into top-100 on the Official World Golf Rankings. Ishikawa came in tied-16th at the Singapore Open last year.
POOM SAKSANSIN
Country: Thailand
Current OWGR ranking: 138th
Last five starts: T12, 1st, T40, MC, T38, T22
International wins: 5 (including 3 on the Asian Tour)
Poom is looking forward to picking up where he left off after closing his 2018 Asian Tour season in style by winning the Tour’s season-finale in Jakarta last December. The 25-year-old Thai is dubbed ‘The Assassin’ for his high-profile defeats of Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson and Paul Casey on the Asian Tour last year. He enjoyed a tied-12th place finish in his debut appearance at the Singapore Open last year.
Ends.
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