Rashid is top Indian in field for revived Malaysia Open

By Rahul Banerji

Anirban Lahiri will not be back to defend the title he won in 2015, the last time the event was held, but nine Indians in all will line up at the Bandar Malaysia Open that gets under way on Thursday.

Rashid Khan is the top-rated Indian in the field and the only one in the current top 10 of the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit in fifth place behind leader Wade Ormsby of Australia, two Thais and a Korean.

He will be joined by Gaganjeet Bhullar, Ajeetesh Sandhu, Shiv Kapur, Rahil Ganjee, Chikkarangappa S., Viraj Madappa, Jeev Milkha Singh and Aman Raj at the $1 million event.

Best performance

Two-time winner Arjun Atwal holds the record for the lowest winning score at the Malaysia Open, a 24-under par 260 that came in 2002 at the Mines Resort.

Six years later, he would repeat the feat, at the Kota Permai Golf and Country Club in 2008.

According to the Asian Tour, the field for the tournament jointly sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO), includes in excess of 50 former tour winners – including three from Malaysia – and five Order of Merit toppers.

This year, the Malaysia Open will be played at the par-72, 7,016 yard Kota Permai Golf and Country Club in Selangor.

In all, 156 players from over 20 countries including 47 Malaysians will be vying for top honours in the $1 million event. The top 65 and ties progress to the money rounds over the weekend.

Order of Merit leader Ormsby will spearhead the Asian Tour challenge along with Korean teenager Joohyung Kim who won the Panasonic Open India in October last year, John Catlin of the United States, and Thailand’s Gunn Charoenkul.

Top-ranker

Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino, currently 116th on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), will make his debut at the Malaysia Open as the highest ranked player in the field.

Lahiri and Atwal, along with Thai stars Thongchai Jaidee and Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Korea’s Noh Seung-yul went on to top the Asian Tour Order of Merit crowns following their victories in Malaysia.

Jeev, though not a winner at this event, was another to top the money list,

Meanwhile, Ganjee who has been hard at work in Selangor. was full of praise for the venue.

“The course is looking good,” he said on the Asian Tour website. “I’m pleasantly surprised by the conditions because you know it’s very humid out there.

“Greens are firm and fast, which is great for me. I remember playing here many years ago and I remember Arjun won here.”

Also read: Chip-in playoff eagle earns Arjun Atwal Honda Classic starting slot