American Brett Munson hopes to find success again when heĀ returns to defend his title at the PGM CCM Rahman PutraĀ Championship which starts on Wednesday.
Munson, who finished fifth on theĀ Asian Development Tourās (ADT) Order of Merit lastĀ season, enjoyed his maiden ADT victory in what was only hisĀ second event on the burgeoning Tour last year.
Fresh from a notable tied-13thĀ finish in Terengganu and not missing a single cut so farĀ this season, Munson is confident of keeping the momentumĀ going in the RM200,000 (approximately US$55,400) event whichĀ will be held at the Kelab Rahman Putra.
āThe gameās feelingĀ good at the moment. I think itās getting better andĀ Iām heading towards the right direction. IāmĀ looking forward to defend my title this week! I guess youĀ always do better when youāreĀ in your comfort zone. This course suits my gameĀ well,ā said the 28-year-old American.Ā
Munson, who recalled having toĀ battle through hazy conditions for his very first ADT titleĀ last year, is determined to put up a strong defence when heĀ steps up to the tee on Wednesday.
āWinning my first ADT titleĀ last year was really a big deal for me. It was my first yearĀ in Asia and only my second start on the ADT. I rememberĀ playing in the haze last year! It wasnāt the bestĀ conditionĀ to play golf but I guess that was what makes it memorable. Iām playing with more confidence after a great seasonĀ on the ADT,ā added Munson.
Munson will be part of the eliteĀ cast from 21 countries to tee up at the Kelab Rahman PutraĀ and they include reigning Order of Merit champion PavitĀ Tangkamolprasert of Thailand, James Byrne of Scotland, Ā Englandās Grant Jackson, Canadian Lindsay Renolds andĀ Australian Adam Blyth.
Current Order of Merit leader ArieĀ Irawan will spearhead the local charge alongside Asian TourĀ stalwart Danny Chia, 2013 ADT Order of Merit championĀ Nicholas Fung, Ben Leong, Shaaban Hussin and one-timeĀ ADT winner Wilson Choo in this weekāsĀ event.
Thailandās Panuwat Muenlek,Ā who won his maiden ADT win in Terengganu last week,Ā Japanās Masaru Takahashi, Christopher Cannon ofĀ England and Indonesian George Gandranata will also featureĀ in the event, whichĀ is the fourth leg of the ADT schedule thisĀ season.
Since it was inaugurated in 2010,Ā the ADT has grown from five events in the first year to aĀ record 21 tournaments in 2014. The ADT has announced aĀ provisional 2015 schedule of a minimum 18 tournaments withĀ several more to be announced in due course.
The ADT will continue to rewardĀ the top-five finishers on the Order of Merit at the end ofĀ this season with Asian Tour cards for 2016.
With the Olympic Games looming inĀ 2016 where golf will be reintroduced as a medal sport,Ā players in the region could earn their spots in Rio deĀ Janeiro by earning Official World Golf Ranking pointsĀ throughĀ the Asian Tour and ADT.
Arie, who won the ADTĀ season-opener on home soil earlier in January, and ChineseĀ Taipeiās Chan Shih-chang, who finished second on theĀ ADT Order of Merit last season following three victories,Ā are currentlyĀ in the field for the Olympic Games based on thisĀ weekās rankings.
For more information on the ADT,Ā please visitĀ www.
