Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, March 19: India’s Shubhankar Sharma returned to the scene of his famous victory on the Asian Tour fueled with the belief that he can repeat his winning act when the Maybank Championship starts on Thursday.

The Indian closed with a stunning 10-under-par 62 to claim a two-shot victory at the Saujana Golf and Country Club last year and became the first Asian and second Asian Tour member after inaugural Australian winner (2016) Marcus Fraser to clinch the title.

Apart from a tied-second finish on his domestic circuit this year, Sharma’s results abroad have not been impressive by his lofty standards. The 22-year-old, however, vows to set the record straight especially at an event which he has been victorious before.

Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond is looking forward to live up to his billing as one of the highest ranked players on the Official World Golf Ranking in the field this week.

Ranked 78th in the world, the young Thai has enjoyed a spectacular start to the season, especially with his third Asian Tour victory in Singapore at the beginning of the year. Having taken two weeks off to recharge, the 23-year-old is mentally fresh and ready for the challenge.

Malaysia’s Nicholas Fung is meanwhile hoping to better his previous best result of a tied-24th place finish which he achieved at the inaugural edition in 2016. Fung is hopeful his local knowledge of the course and weather conditions will be advantageous as he chases his second win on the Asian Tour this week.

Did you know?

• Shubhankar Sharma’s win at the Maybank Championship last year was the springboard to greater success as he went on to clinch the Asian Tour Order of Merit title that year.
• Sharma is the first Asian to win the Maybank Championship and second Asian Tour member after Fraser to clinch the title.
• Sharma’s win at the Maybank Championship saw him break into the world’s top-100 (72nd) for the first time in his career and that victory also played a key part in securing him an invitation to the Masters Tournament last year.
• It was also his second Asian Tour victory in three months. He broke through at the Joburg Open in December 2017.
• His winning total of 21-under is the lowest winning score recorded at the Maybank Championship.
• Jazz currently leads the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings and is making his fourth start on the Asian Tour this week.
• Jazz broke into the world’s top-100 for the first time in his career after claiming his third Asian Tour title at the season-opening event in Singapore in January.
• That victory also earned him a coveted spot in The Open, where he made his Major debut last year.
• He followed up that win with a tied-13th place finish at the ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth and went on the secure a fourth place finish at the New Zealand Open the following week.
• Nicholas Fung’s tied-24th finish at the inaugural Maybank Championship in 2016 remains as his best result. He finished tied-52nd in 2017 and missed the cut last year.
• Fung made his breakthrough at the 2017 Queen’s Cup and dedicated that victory to his father on Father’s Day that year.
• Fung had a season to remember in 2013 when he won the Asian Development Tour (ADT) Order of Merit thanks to one victory and three runner-up finishes. He rose more than 1000 spots in the world rankings to 239th at the end of the 2013 season.
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