Karachi, Pakistan, October 10: Mardan Mamat of Singapore will be bringing his renewed sense of confidence to the US$300,000 UMA CNS Open Golf Championship which starts tomorrow.

Mardan is happy with the current state of his game after he made a successful foray into the European Senior Tour this year.

Coupled with a pair of good results in the last two events in Chinese Taipei, the 50-year-old Mardan feels that he is ready for an excellent finish, if not a win at the Karachi Golf Club.

Mardan, Singapore’s most decorated professional golf player, is also proud to see his young compatriots Gregory Foo and Abdul Hadi joining the play-for-pay ranks. The duo will be playing in the UMA CNS Open Golf Championship on an invite.

Foo has never played in Pakistan and he will be competing with a fresh mindset along with a new status.

Conversely, Hamza Amin of Pakistan has competed frequently at the Karachi Golf Club and he will be using his intimate knowledge of the golf course to his advantage.

Tirawat Kaewsiribandit of Thailand

Thailand has a strong contingent of golfers at the tournament, spearheaded by the likes of Suradit Yongcharoenchai and Tirawat Kaewsiribandit.

Suradit will enter the tournament as the highest-ranked player both on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings and the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). With his card for the 2019 season, virtually secured, the 19-year-old will be gunning for victory.

Did you know:

• Mardan Mamat has won five times on the Asian Tour and is currently placed fifth on the career money list on a US$2,610,865 total.
• He won the 2004 Indian Open and became the first golfer from Singapore to win an Asian Tour title.
• Mardan enjoyed his best season on the Asian Tour in 2016. He made US$263,110 that year and finished a career-high eighth on the Asian Tour Order of Merit.
• Gregory Foo turned professional after competing on the 2018 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship last week. He finished tied-ninth at that tournament.
• He offered a glimpse of his class by finishing impressively in tied-16th at the 2018 SMBC Singapore Open as an amateur
• Hamza Amin earned his first Asian Tour card in 2014 after making the mark at the Qualifying School. However, he failed to retain his playing status that year.
• He was placed tied-sixth at the PGM MNRB Championship, an event on the Asian Development Tour, last month.
• Suradit Yongcharoenchai is placed 546th on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) and 47th on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings.
• He narrowly missed out on winning his maiden Asian Tour this year at the TAKE Solutions Masters, where he finished tied-second.
• Tirawat Kaewsiribandit enjoyed a successful 2017. He posted four top-10s and was placed 36th on the Asian Tour Order of Merit.
• He won an event on the Asian Development Tour in 2017, at the Betagro All Thailand Championship.

Players’ quotes:

Mardan Mamat (Sgp)

Firstly, it’s nice to be back here after such a long time! I played this course in 2006 and it is pretty much the same, although the trees have grown taller. The hospitality has been great and the people have tried their best to make our stay here comfortable.

My goal is to get back into the winner’s circle. I need to grind and get a win.

My game is getting better. I went to Europe to play some senior tournaments and I got my confidence back. I’m happy about the way I’ve been putting, particularly over the last two weeks. The signs are looking good.

The course is not a long hitter’s course. It is my kind of course, the type where you need to keep the ball in play. If you do so, you can get birdie chances. You need to putt well to score and I haven’t done that. But as I’ve said, it’s getting better and I’m sure my “feel” will come back.

It’s about time (having new Singapore professionals playing on Tour). These two guys (Gregory Foo and Abdul Hadi) have played amateur golf for the last few years. So, they know what it takes to play in tournaments under pressure. My advice for them is to stay patient, work hard and the results will surely come your way.

Gregory Foo (Sgp)

What a difference a week makes! I was just an amateur last week and now I’m a professional. I feel like I’m playing well and I am looking forward to a good start as a professional.

It’s a whole new experience. I’m happy to be here and I’ll be embracing my time in Pakistan whatever happens this week.

As an amateur, you usually travel as a team and things are taken care off for you. But as a pro, you have to be independent and handle the planning as well as the logistics. It’s a totally different lifestyle. I feel that mentally, I’ve been preparing for it and I’m glad that it is finally official.

I’m lucky to have a lot of Singapore players here in Pakistan. Mardan has taken me under his wing and he has been very nice and helpful.

The layout of the course is tight and narrow. It has character. There’s a premium on keeping the ball in the fairway for sure. Getting through the first two days will be a good start, then I’ll try to finish as high as possible. A win will be a bonus.

Hamza Amin (Pak)

It’s been too long since the Asian Tour last had a tournament in Pakistan. The whole country is excited. For once, cricket won’t be the focus.

It feels good to be flying the flag for Pakistan. This is not my home club as I stay in Islamabad but I’ve played enough golf here to have a good shot of playing well this week.

I’m just going to treat this just like any other event. I know the golf course well and I’ve played here for six years and I’m going to give it my best.

I’ve been unlucky this year, missing a lot of cuts by one shot. My confidence is there. I won a tournament in Austria this year and I look forward to a good week.

Suradit Yongcharoenchai (Tha)

I decided to come to Pakistan at the last minute. I really fancy my chances here.

I don’t feel any pressure even though I’m the highest-ranked player in the field. I’m looking forward to competing, play my own game and hopefully have some fun this week.

The golf course is in a very good condition. The fairways and greens are well maintained. If I putt well here, I should stand a great chance. This course isn’t too long. So as long as I keep my ball in play and I putt well, I should be in contention come Sunday.

I have done well enough this year to keep my card, so now I’m looking for a win.

Tirawat Kaewsiribandit (Tha)

I’m feeling great about my recent form. I’m happy to be here and focused on playing well here. I’m really confident as I posted some decent results over the last four weeks.

I will be trying to win this week. Actually, the tournament is up for grabs. This is a new golf course for most of us and we don’t have prior knowledge. The course is narrow and the conditions are dry, so I’ll try to maximise my chances of staying on the fairways by teeing off with a three-iron.