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Maybank Malaysian Open Preview

Tuesday, 2 March 2010
Fergus Bisset
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Anthony Kang defends

Lowdown:
After a week's break, the European Tour heads back to Asia for the Maybank Malaysian Open at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club. Anthony Kang defends the title.
It's the 49th running of the Malaysian Open and it returns to Kuala Lumpur G&CC for the first time since 2006. The Malaysian Open was the first ever tournament to be co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours back in 1999.
Since then winners of the Malaysian Open have included Fiji's Vijay Singh and Thongchai Jaidee from Thailand who won in 2004 then successfully defended his title the following season.
Last year, Anthony Kang of the USA ended an eight-year victory drought, firing a final round 67 to beat England's David Horsey and Miles Tunnicliff, Prayad Marksaeng of Thailand, and India's Jyoti Randhawa by a single shot.
The course at Kuala Lumpur G&CC was originally designed by Nelson Howarth and opened for play in 1991. But, the track has been totally reconstructed since the 2006 Malaysian Open - every blade of grass on the course is new since then, although the routing and layout remains the same.

Venue: Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club, Malaysia
Date: Mar 4-7
Course stats: par 72, 7,000 yards
Purse: €1,600,000 Winner: €250,000
Defending Champion: Anthony Kang (-17)

TV Coverage:
Thursday 4 - Live on Sky Sports 1 from 7am
Friday 5 - Live on Sky Sports 2 from 7am
Saturday 6 - Live on Sky Sports 1 from 4am
Sunday 7 - Live on Sky Sports 1 from 4am

Player Watch:
Thongchai Jaidee - He's won this tournament twice and has shown excellent form so far this year. He made it to the quarter-finals of the recent Accenture Match Play Championship.
K.J Choi - The Korean hasn't been playing the kind of golf we've come to expect from him this season. But, this could be an excellent opportunity for a kick-start to his season.
Soren Hansen - A threat in any tournament he starts, Hansen has been solid if not spectacular so far in 2010. He's overdue a victory. In fact, it's hard to believe he's only ever won two tournaments on the European Tour.

Key hole: 14th. It may be only 358 yards long but, with a heavily bunkered fairway, and a tricky approach over a lake, it's a hole that will require a careful and strategic approach.

Skills required: Staying dry. There's quite a bit of water to contend with, particularly on the back nine. If the trouble is successfully avoided then low scoring will be possible. Charlie Wi won here in 2006 with a 19-under-par total.