Sentosa, Singapore, January 15: England’s Paul Casey knows he has to overcome the strong Asian challenge to stand a chance of winning the SMBC Singapore Open which starts at the Sentosa Golf Club on Thursday.

The world number 24 is the highest ranked player in the elite 156-man field and knows that Asia’s best players will pose a significant threat to his bid of winning Singapore’s National Open, which is the season-opening event for the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO).

The 41-year-old Englishman may hold 18 professional victories worldwide but having witnessed the rise in Asian golf over the last decade, he is under no illusions that it will be a stroll in the park at this week’s US$1 million event.

Spain’s Sergio Garcia is relishing the opportunity to defend his SMBC Singapore Open title. He lived up to his star billing when he cruised to a five-shot victory last year and enjoyed a rich vein of form towards the end of 2018 where he secured one win and four top-10s in his last five  starts.

England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick is hoping to shine in his maiden appearance at the SMBC Singapore Open.

Fitzpatrick first came to Singapore as a nine-year-old on a family holiday and is back after more than a decade, hoping to challenge for his first win on Asian soil this week.

Thailand’s Danthai Boonma also returns to the Lion City which has brought him much success over the years. He earned his Asian Tour breakthrough in Singapore in 2015 and was also rewarded with a ticket to The Open after finishing tied for fourth at the SMBC Singapore Open last year.

Did you know?

• Paul Casey was one of the world’s most consistent players in 2018, achieving 12 top-20 finishes, including five top-10s in addition to his victory at the Valspar Championship. He has also remained a regular fixture inside the world’s top-25 since 2016.
• Casey is no stranger to winning in Asia having claimed the Shinhan Donghae Open in Korea in 2011 and the Volvo China Open and TCL Classic, also in China, both in 2005.
• He holds 13 titles on the European Tour and returned to the winner’s circle last year after triumphing at the Valspar Championship on the PGA Tour.
• Matthew Fitzpatrick is the youngest Englishman to get up to five European Tour victories after successfully defending his European Masters title in September last year.
• Sergio Garcia is a multiple winner in the United States, Europe and Asia.
• He is widely regarded as something of an Asian specialist, having tasted victory in the Kolon Cup Korea Open (2002), the Champions Tournament, Shanghai (2008), the Iskandar Johor Open (2012), the Thailand Golf Championship (2013), and the Ho Tram Open, Vietnam (2015).
• Garcia finished 2018 on a high by playing a leading role in Europe’s Ryder Cup victory over the United States in Paris and retaining his title at the Andalucia Valderrama Masters.
• Fitzpatrick has won in every season since making it through Europe’s Qualifying School in 2014 and his victory in the European Masters in Switzerland saw him become the first player since Spain’s Seve Ballesteros (40 years ago) to successfully defend that title.
• The young Englishman shone in his rookie season in 2015, claiming his maiden title after going wire-to-wire at the British Masters.
• He then triumphed twice in 2016 at the Nordea Masters and DP World Tour Championship, Dubai en route to a career-best sixth place finish in the Race to Dubai
• Danthai ended his 2018 season in 23rd place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit.
• He earned his prized ticket to The Open after finishing tied-fourth at the SMBC Singapore Open last year.
• The SMBC Singapore Open continues to be part of The Open Qualifying Series for the third consecutive year with the leading four players (not otherwise exempt) who finish in the top 12 and ties earning their places at the 148th Open in July.

Players’ Quotes:

Paul Casey (Eng)

I believe there has been a constant kind of curve on the way up in terms of how many guys we see playing world class golf from Asia now. It feels like it used to be just a number you could count on one hand, sort of key names. But its dozens of guys, and guys I’ve never heard of right behind them who are about to take our place. I’d love to see the numbers on it but it’s certainly been a swell, and it’s something the world has taken notice of. They’ competing all over now – there are multiple winners on the PGA tour, European Tour and Asian Tour so that’s why when the three of us come over here this week, we know how tough this is going to be this week. The depth of field, I think that certain thing you see. You see the great players playing world golf but it’s now very deep as well. I don’t think we could honestly say that a decade ago. The depth wasn’t there but it is now. I was not quite as sharp as I would like to have been. But that does not have much bearing on what this week is going to bring. This is a golf course that I remember really thoroughly enjoying playing and (has) the types of grass I like to play on. I recall it being very windy so touch wood it is not going to be that way this week.

Sergio Garcia (Esp)

It feels good to be back. It is a course I love playing, a wonderful golf course, and to be here as champion is always special. It was a good off season. A little bit of rest – which was nice after a very hectic year – and I started practicing a couple of weeks ago. There is still a little bit of rust in there but hopefully I will get it off in this heat. We’ve been talking about it for a while now. Every year, you see more and more great Asian players coming out. Youngsters are coming out to play at the highest level and they’re doing well. I think probably one of the biggest ones right now is Li Haotong. There’s a good group of young Asian players out there, such as Hideki [Matsuyama] and some Koreans. So you can see that the level is growing every year. Things are being done the right way here in this part of the world and when it comes to golf, you can see the effects.

Matthew Fitzpatrick (Eng)

The course is in fantastic condition and I am really looking forward to the week. I got back to work after the off season and have been practicing for five weeks straight trying to get into shape so I can compete with these guys (Garcia and Casey) a little bit more. I have not played too much in Asia but I have played two EurAsia Cups. The first year we went with a really strong team and we played really well, that was in 2016. We won fairly convincingly. Two years later, I would say we went with a stronger team and we almost got beaten. That shows as well -we had some of the 10 best players in Asia against 10 in Europe, and it was certainly tough at the start last year and that definitely shows that the standard is coming up.

Danthai Boonma (Tha)

I like this golf course a lot and I like Singapore too. I’m hoping to repeat what I’ve done from last year and maybe do even better. I know what is needed to improve my flaws and my game in general. Putting will be the key for me this week and I’ve been working hard on that. I have a house in Hua Hin and that was where I spent most of my time with my friends and family during the short break we had. My goal for this year is to finish inside the top-10 on the Order of Merit.

Ends.