Lee Westwood is in confident mood this week as he attempts to claim a first European Tour victory in three years at the Maybank Championship in Malaysia, a country in which he has won twice in his career including his most recent title in 2014.
The Englishman, a ten-time Ryder Cup player, has also in the past triumphed over this week’s venue Saujana Golf and Country Club – in a non-European Tour sanctioned event – while three years ago he marched to a seven-stroke victory just 15km away.
That, paired with a strong start to the 2017 season in the Middle East, has filled Westwood with confidence as he joins a strong field which also includes his countryman and Masters champion Danny Willett, as well as another green jacket holder Charl Schwartzel.
Defending champion Marcus Fraser, meanwhile, makes his first appearance of the calendar year having finished 2016 with a top ten finish at last December’s UBS Hong Kong Open.
Player quotes:
Lee Westwood: “Honestly I don’t remember a lot about the win here 20 years ago. I just remember winning and being associated with Saujana for two or three great years in the middle of the 90s. I actually lost here in a play-off in 1998 after the win in 1997 so I almost won back to back.
“Obviously then I won here in Malaysia three years ago so I love the place, and it’s nice to be back. I’m looking forward to a good week, I seem to play well in South East Asia, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, those hot places and I’m looking forward to getting going and getting off to a fast start and getting into contention.
“I’ve played well in the first couple of tournaments of the season, eighth in Abu Dhabi, 23rd last week even though I was the wrong side of the draw, so my game’s in pretty good shape. If you asked me to point out a weakness in my game at the moment I’d be struggling to say one.”
Marcus Fraser: “It’s always nice to come back as defending champion, which I’ve not experienced too much throughout my career, but it’s nice when it does happen.
“It’s quite a familiar golf course for me at Saujana. It’s nice not only to be back in Malaysia but also to Saujana. I’m quite familiar with the golf course, we’ve played a lot of tournaments here in the past.
“I always love coming to Malaysia. When you like a place, it rubs off on the golf course and that was what happened last year when I won here.
“I had eight weeks at home. It’s been a long time since I’ve done that. It was my daughter’s first day at school last week and I skipped the Middle East to make sure I was around for that.
“I think there’s always a little bit of added pressure being defending champion. You’ve got to do everything right to have a chance. It’s pretty tough out there but I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
Thongchai Jaidee: “I’ve won twice at Saujana in 2004 and 2005 which was very important for my career. That’s why I love this golf course, I’m a two-time winner here. My life changed from here.
“On the last day in 2004, I made a hole in one on the 16th hole during the final round and I won by two shots, that one shot changed my life. It made me who I am today. That’s why I love coming back to Malaysia. It’s like my second home, I have a lot of friends and fans’ support here.
“It’s a good chance for the Asian Tour players to win the tournament. It’s an open field. A very consistent player will do well. You need to hit the fairways, don’t really need to be long. I think there’s a good chance for the Asian Tour players to win. A lot of our young players are coming up.”
Gavin Green: “The course is very challenging. There are a couple of holes where you have to be on the fairway. It will punish you if you are not. I’ve been playing okay in the last few weeks. I’m not going to overdo anything. I’ve seen the course so I know what to do.
“I’m going to go out and play my game. It is important for me to do what I have to do. I know what to expect from this golf course. I have a high target but I need to focus on my game. If I can do that, the results will come. I’m confident but you can’t be over-confident at the same time.”
