PGM.JOHOR

Australian Jack Munro will stake his claim for a maiden Asian Development Tour (ADT) victory when he tees up at the PGM Johor Championship which starts on Wednesday.

The Australian suffered a play-off loss to Chinese Taipei’s Chan Shih-chang in last year’s edition but is determined to make up for the disappointment by riding on his recent run of good form at the Johor Golf and Country Club.

Munro will join Order of Merit leader Hsieh Chi-hsien of Chinese Taipei, American Brett Munson, James Byrne of Scotland and Singapore’s Lam Chih Bing in leading an international field which consists of players from over 20 countries at the RM200,000 (approximately US$55,400) ADT event. 

One-time ADT winners Arie Irawan and Wilson Choo, placed second and fifth respectively on the Order of Merit, will spearhead the local charge alongside Asian Tour stalwart Danny Chia as well as 2013 ADT Order of Merit champion Nicholas Fung in what is the sixth leg of the ADT season.

Coming off the back of a tied-eighth finish in Taipei two weeks ago, Munro is preparing for a big week in Johor.

“I’m looking forward to returning to a course where I know I can play well on. The past experience of playing well on this course has given me a great boost in confidence. I played well last year and I was happy with the finish. I feel like I can have a great week and contend again,” said the 27-year-old, who is currently 16th on the Merit rankings.

“I feel like my game is in good shape and I definitely feel like a win will come soon. The season has been pretty solid so far with two top-10s in four starts. I would really love to register a win and push my way through this season to earn my Asian Tour card. I will stick to my plans this week and hopefully it will put me in a position to win,” Munro added.

Other notable players in the field include Singapore’s Quincy Quek, Canadian Lindsay Renolds, George Gandranata of Indonesia and Zaw Moe of Myanmar.

The winner of the PGM Johor Championship will take home a winner’s prize purse of US$9,560 and earn six Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points.

The ADT will reward the top-five finishers on the Order of Merit at the end of this season with Asian Tour cards for 2016.

With the Olympic Games looming in 2016 where golf will be reintroduced as a medal sport, players in the region can earn their spots in Rio de Janeiro by earning OWGR points through the Asian Tour and ADT.

For more information on the ADT, please visit www.asiandevelopmenttour.com

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