East meets West in Malaysia this week, but who will be best? The answer will be revealed on Sunday after the first co-sanctioned Benson & Hedges Malaysian Open, presented by Carlsberg, at Saujana Golf & Country Club.

According to World No6, Lee Westwood, the home-based Asian golfers may well have a slight advantage over the Westerners due to the unbearably high humidity and hilly nature of the golf course in Kuala Lumpur.

"We are expecting people to be dropping like flies out there because it’s a very demanding course, hill wise, and the humidity is very severe. I’ve had experience over the past five years and it’s going to be difficult."

Westwood, winner of the tournament in 1997 and beaten in a play-off by Englishman Ed Fryatt twelve months ago, added: "Your concentration can wander and in this humidity it’s hard to get it back. It’s probably the first thing that goes."

The players from Europe will all be encouraged to drink plenty of fluids to compensate for the humid conditions, while the Asian PGA members fancy their chances against the visiting players from the European Tour.
India’s Jeev Milkha Singh, currently second in the Volvo Order of Merit, admitted: "The standards on the Asian PGA Tour have definitely improved over the past few years. The cuts now are much lower than they were."

Westwood’s objective this year is to topple Tiger Woods from No1 in the world rankings, while Darren Clarke, presently rated No16, is aiming to break into the top ten.

Clarke, who has lost a stone during January thanks to a rigid exercise programme, said: "My immediate goal is to get into the top ten in the world. Lee is aleady up there and I’ve got to get up there with him. In order to do that I’ve got to win more and bigger tournaments."