Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Gavin Green will be aiming to strike gold at the TPC Kuala Lumpur this week.
Green is back on familiar ground as he attempts to win his fourth Asian Development Tour (ADT) title at the PGM MIDF TPC Kuala Lumpur Championship.
The highly-rated Malaysian, who made his Olympic debut last month, hopes to earn himself playing rights on the Asian Tour for the remainder of the 2016 season by recording his third ADT win of the season at the RM200,000 (about US$46,600) event.
Placed second on the Order of Merit, Green will spearhead the home charge alongside fellow Olympian Danny Chia, Nicholas Fung, Ben Leong and Arie Irawan.
The 72-hole event is taking place over the East Course at TPC Kuala Lumpur, formerly known as the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club and a Golf Facility Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.
Thai Pavit Tangkamolprasert, Swede Oscar Zetterwall and Thailand’s Itthipat Buranatanyarat, ranked third, fourth and fifth respectively on the Order of Merit, will also headline the field in what is the Tour’s final stop in Malaysia this season.
Chinese Taipei’s Hsien Chi-hsien, George Gandranata of Indonesia, American John Michael O’Toole and South African Mathiam Keyser make up a cosmopolitan field with more than 16 different nationalities represented in the event.
Green has enjoyed a stellar season on the ADT with two victories and six other top-10s. Should he win again, he will become the third player to win three titles in a single season since the ADT was launched as a gateway to the Asian Tour in 2010. Chinese Taipei’s Chan Shih-chang and Pavit achieved the feat in 2014.
“I am hitting the ball alright. I just need to stay patient on this course and keep hitting good shots. There are a couple of shorts holes but things can get out of hand quick there so you’ve got to be smart around this course. The course is in great shape and I am very excited to play,” said the big-hitting Green.
“The experience of playing in the Olympics has helped my game in every way. I have given myself a bunch of chances this season and I am hungry for another win,” added the 22-year-old.
The ADT will reward the top-five finishers on the Order of Merit at the end of this season with Asian Tour cards for 2017.