Top picks for the Malaysian Open

The European Tour roadshow moves to Asia this week with the Benson and Hedges Malaysian Open, a new addition to the calendar.

The event has attracted a weak-looking field, however, Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke, second and third respectively on the 1998 European Order of Merit, do begin their 1999 campaigns this week.

The tournament is played at the Saujana Country Club near Kuala Lumpur and is the first joint-sanctioned event between the European Tour and the Asian PGA Tour.

An added incentive for the local players is that the winner of the £468,000 event will receive a two-year exemption for the European Tour enabling him to bypass qualifying school.

Saujana Golf and Country Club is widely regarded as one of the top courses in Asia and the tournament will be played over the Palm Course.

It has been dubbed the "Cobra" because of its' tough nature and the tall imposing palm trees.

Westwood won the event in 1997 and finished runner up in 1998 after a play-off defeat to Ed Fryatt, who returns to defend his title.

THE LEADING CONTENDERS

Lee Westwood: The Worksop wonder is the obvious class in the field. He finished 1998 in style by winning back-to-back tournaments in Japan to take his tally of victories to seven for the year. He has performed very well in this tournament - and in this region - in the past and furthermore is attached to the Saujana club which gives him an added incentive. But he is playing in his first event after an eight-week break and following previous hiatuses, he has claimed to be rusty. At his very best when he's played a few tournaments and is not worth support at the shortest odds you will probably find a favourite all year.

Darren Clarke: Clarke finished the 1998 European Tour season with a superb round of 63 to win the Volvo Masters at Montecastillo. It was his second title of the year following his victory in the Benson and Hedges International Open at the Oxfordshire. Long off the tee, he has a fine all-round game but his Achilles heel is his putting and that facet of his game may not be at its' sharpest after the mid-winter break.

Andrew Coltart: A consistent figure in the Southern Hemisphere, he topped the Australian Order of Merit last year. In 1998 he also won his first European tour event and played well at the end the season including a creditable second in the Volvo Masters. He was an encouraging tied 13th in Perth last week and was tied fourth in last year's Johnnie Walker Classic - the European Tour's event in Thailand. He's got a fine swing and could be a real challenger.

Alex Cejka: Comes into the event in fine form after top-15 finishes in successive weeks. A tied fourth in Bangkok in 1998, he is well travelled and a proven winner. Number one on the 1998 European tour for greens in regulation and returning to somewhere near the form which saw him win three tournaments in 1995. If his putter warms up, this could be the moment for him to get back to winning ways.

Ed Fryatt: The Rochdale-born player defends his title and with course form cannot be disregarded. A regular winner in Asia and only a freak incident denied him top spot on their Order of Merit last season. Is now concentrating his efforts on the Nike tour in the States but he is use to the conditions.

Frankie Minoza: Japanese PGA Tour regular who is rated the best non-Japanese player in Asia. Won in the land of the Rising Sun in 1998 and added two titles in his homeland plus the Rolex Masters in Singapore. The Filipino star is the highest ranked Asian player on the Sony world rankings in 52nd place and was second in last week's opening event on the Asian Tour - the London Myanmar Open.

BEST OF THE REST

There's a number of home-based players worth considering like Asian PGA Tour veteran Nico van Rensburg, who hopes to make the jump to Europe and played well in the South African PGA. Kang Wook-soon of Korea was the top money-winner on last year's Asian circuit, winning two consecutive events - the Perrier Hong Kong Open and the season-ending Omega PGA Championship. Chris Williams of South Africa also entered the winner's enclosure twice on the Asian PGA Tour in 1998 - he lifted the Volvo Masters of Malaysia and the Fedex PGA Championship. Elsewhere, Bob May is in fine form with top ten finishes in successive weeks in South Africa and Australia. Accuracy is his strength and coming from the warmth of the desert in Las Vegas, he plays well in heat. Pierre Fulke led the European Tour stats in accuracy off the tee and played well in Perth last week, finishing tied for seventh.

SUMMARY

While Lee Westwood has the most glaringly obvious chance here we will plump for Frankie Minoza to pull off a decent sized priced win.

After the heat of South Africa and Australia, humidity is the problem to be overcome in the Far East and that cannot be understated.

Nor can the carrot of the European Tour card until the year 2001.

39-year-old Minoza is hardly a household name in these shores but he only missed missed making the Presidents Cup International team by one place and has won three times on the Japanese Tour.

Last year was his finest season ever and like his area's greatest golfing export - Vijay Singh - it is diligent hard work on the practice area that is paying its' reward.

He has taken advantage of the Asian PGA Tour's earlier start to the year to play in this event and showed in Myanmar, that he is in fine nick.

The course has been toughened up since last year with the cow grass rough, thick vegetation and palm trees that line the fairways, making accuracy a prerequisite.

On that basis there are a number of players who enter the equation with Bob May and Pierre Fulke top of our list.

Both players' games are built on their ability to split the fairway off the tee and enter the tournament with confidence after good showings last week.

Las Vegan May followed up his tied sixth in Johannesburg with a fifth place in the Heineken Classic and if his putter is hot, he could be ready to enter the winners' circle.

Similar sentiments apply to the Swede. He was tied seventh in Western Australia and with his radar like driving, cannot be overlooked.

The most likely of the Asian Tour regulars to triumph we've mentioned in our "Best of the Rest" section although to be honest it's hard to pinpoint which one might come through.

The more reliable options could be Nico van Rensburg and Kang Wook-soon.

Van Rensburg is hoping to make the jump to Europe and a tour exemption is a big lure for him. He played well in Johannesburg and finished in the top ten after taking the first round lead with a 65. He also won in Kuala Lumpur last October.

Kang was a winner on this layout in 1996 and as last year's Asian Money List leader, his ability to play consistently well over 72 holes in oppressive conditions are patently clear.