Siva counting on 'local knowledge' for Selangor Masters

Malaysian stalwart S. Siva Chandran will be relying on ‘home comfort’ as he chases for glory at the RM1 million Worldwide Selangor Masters 2008 from August 6 to 9.

The 29-year-old Siva Chandran knows he has a chance to sparkle in the Asian Tour event which is organised by the Selangor state government as it will be staged at his home course, the Seri Selangor Golf Club.

“I’m looking forward to the Worldwide Selangor Masters 2008. I have to grab the opportunity with both hands as I know the golf course well and I will try to play to my best ability,” said the former Malaysian amateur number one.

Siva Chandran will be amongst a strong contingent of local stars who include 2007 Pakistan Open winner Airil Rizman, Danny Chia, winner of the 2002 Taiwan Open, Iain Steel and upcoming talent Ben Leong.

The Kedah-born Siva Chandran believes the inclusion of the Worldwide Selangor Masters 2008 onto the Asian Tour Schedule is a huge boost for professional golf in Malaysia as it will allow 32 of the country’s leading players to test their games against Asia’s finest.

“It’s great for us that the Worldwide Selangor Masters 2008 is now part of the Asian Tour. It will help the local professionals as there have been very few local events for us the past couple of years,” said Siva Chandran, who finished second in last year’s Selangor Masters when it wasn’t part of the Asian Tour Schedule.

“I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to play on the Asian Tour for two seasons now but there are many other local players who rely solely on local events. With the Worldwide Selangor Masters 2008, the local pros will have a chance to play in a top competition. Hopefully, more local events will come up on the Asian Tour,” added Siva Chandran.

Playing in his sophomore year on the Asian Tour, the slender Malaysian said that his game has improved considerably after competing regularly against the region’s top players.

“This is my second year on the Asian Tour. I’m gaining more experience and knowledge. The main thing that I have learnt is to manage myself in Asian Tour events and how to prepare my game.”

Siva Chandran played in his maiden season last year and produced his best outing with a top-20 finish at the Iskandar Johor Open in Malaysia. He also made eight cuts from 11 starts and recently played in all four rounds of the Singha Thailand PGA Championship.

“I’m still learning,” admitted Siva Chandran. “I was amongst the leaders in the Macau Open last year (where he was tied fifth going into the third round) but I didn’t finish too well. From that experience, I learnt that I need to set a goal for myself before playing a round.

“I’ve have enjoyed the experience of playing with top-20 players from the Asian Tour and I’m always learning from them. It’s a big learning curve despite the fact that I’ve had a good experience with the national amateur team,” said Siva Chandran, who was in two victorious Putra Cup teams during his amateur days.

He said that the region’s stars will face a stern challenge at Seri Selangor. “The greens are quick and the rough has been left to grow. The club has also narrowed down some fairways which makes it more difficult on some of the closing holes. The last three holes should make it interesting at the Worldwide Selangor Masters 2008,” he said.

The Worldwide Selangor Masters 2008, one of three Malaysian events on the Asian Tour this season, will lift the Asian Tour to unprecedented heights where the new tournament will swell its Schedule to an all-time record of 29 tournaments offering over US$38 million in prize money.

July 17, 2008

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