A preview, form guide and best bets for this week's Euro Tour event - the Maybank Malaysian Open.
Some key stats and a form guide for this week's Euro Tour event - the Maybank Malaysian Open
The European Tour remains in Asia for one of the longest co-sanctioned events on the rota.
The Malaysian Open enjoyed its maiden appearance on the European Tour schedule 14 years ago, and this week's tournament heads to Kuala Lumpur Country Club for the fifth time since 2006 - and fourth season in a row.
Undulating and with little in the way of trees, the 22-year-old venue was given a facelift, as well as toughened-up, six years ago and is certainly no pushover.
This year's event is being staged three weeks earlier than in 2012 when the tournament came just seven days after The Masters at Augusta.
SELECTED PLAYERS with GOOD to REASONABLE FORM at KUALA LUMPUR
Tour History as a co-sanctioned event
Player: '06 / '10 / '11 / '12
Rafael Cabrera-Bello: - / - / 4 / 3
Alejandro Canizares: - / 14 / 9 / MC
Simon Dyson: 18 / - / 7 / 24
Stephen Gallacher: - / 49 / 11 / 2
Raphael Jacquelin: 3 / - / 32 / -
Thongchai Jaidee: 2 / 7 / 17 / MC
Shiv Kapur: 18 / MC / 13 / 52
Soren Kjeldsen: 37 / 34 / 13 / 16
Jason Knutzon: MC / 9 / 17 / 47
Pablo Larrazabal: - / - / 29 / 24
Peter Lawrie: - / 10 / 29 / MC
Wen-Chong Liang: MC / 25 / 64 / 29
Joost Luiten: - / 49 / 17 / 20
Matteo Manassero: - / - / Won / 7
Prom Meesawat: 18 / MC / - / 24
Chapchai Nirat: 13 / 19 / 46 / 20
Charl Schwartzel: - / - / 11 / 6
Thaworn Wiratchant: 31 / 25 / 41 / MC
SELECTED PLAYERS with POOR to MEDICORE FORM at KUALA LUMPUR
Tour History as a co-sanctioned event
(No Top-35 finishes from three or more starts, or no Top-40s from two)
Player: '06 / '10 / '11 / '12
Gaganjeet Bhullar: - / 39 / MC / MC
Marcus Both: MC / MC / 46 / 47
Robert-Jan Derksen: 46 / - / - / 47
Andrew Dodt: - / 39 / MC / MC
David Drysdale: - / MC / 73 / 40
Oliver Fisher: - / - / MC / MC
Alastair Forsyth: - / - / 64 / 63
Nicholas Fung: - / MC / MC / MC
David Gleeson: - / 49 / MC / MC
Gavin Kyle Green: - / MC / MC / -
Peter Hedblom: MC / - / - / MC
Shaaban Hussin: - / MC / - / 57
Rashid Ismail: MC / MC / MC / Dq
Pariya Junhasavasdikul: - / - / 58 / 69
Anthony Kang: 55 / 44 / MC / 57
Simon Khan: - / 56 / - / 52
Maarten Lafeber: MC / - / 41 / -
Anirban Lahiri: - / MC / 52 / MC
Sung Lee: - / MC / MC / 66
Prayad Marksaeng: 72 / MC / 41 / 57
Richard McEvoy: MC / MC / - / 66
S Murthy: MC / - / - / MC
R Nachimuthu: MC / - / Ret / MC
Sukree Othman: - / MC / MC / MC
Juvic Pagunsan: - / 70 / MC / -
John Parry: - / MC / 66 / -
Chawalit Plaphol: 46 / - / 66 / -
M Sasidaran: MC / 60 / MC / MC
Digvijay Singh: - / 60 / MC / MC
S Sivachandran: - / MC / MC / MC
Lee Slattery: MC / - / - / MC
Abel Tam: - / MC / - / MC
Namchok Tantipokhakul: - / - / MC / MC
Bernd Wiesberger: - / - / 61 / 57
TOP-10 Finishers at Kuala Lumpur in 2012 (Not Listed Above)
David Lipsky: (T-3rd)
Romain Wattel: (T-7th)
LOWEST 15 STROKE AVERAGES at KUALA LUMPUR
(Last Three Years - 20010/12)
Average (Rounds)
68.88: Rafael Cabrera-Bello (8)
68.88: Matteo Manassero (8)
69.75: Charl Schwartzel (8)
70.00: Gregory Bourdy (8)
70.13: Simon Dyson (8)
70.17: Felipe Aguilar (6)
70.17: Alexander Noren (6)
70.33: Stephen Gallacher (12)
70.60: Alejandro Canizares (10)
70.75: Soren Kjeldsen (12)
70.75: Jason Knutzon (12)
70.86: Kiradech Aphibarnrat (7)
70.88: Pablo Larrazabal (8)
71.00: Thongchai Jaidee (10)
71.00: Jeev Milkha Singh (8)
Min. No of Rounds = 6
MOST TOP-10 Finishes at EUROPEAN TOUR events staged in ASIA
(Last Five Years of co-sanctioned tournaments - since Jan 1st 2008)
Total
8: Alexander Noren
7: Marcus Fraser
6: Thongchai Jaidee
6: Peter Lawrie
6: Wen-Chong Liang
5: Robert-Jan Derksen
5: Simon Dyson
5: Johan Edfors
5: Pablo Larrazabal
5: Matteo Manassero
5: Jyoti Randhawa
5: Charl Schwartzel
LOWEST ROUNDS at KUALA LUMPUR as co-sanctioned event
62: Raphael Jacquelin (2006)
63: Soren Kjeldsen (2006)
63: Thongchai Jaidee (2006)
63: Mark Foster (2006)
63: Charlie Wi (2006)
64: Eight times (five of these since 2006)
Kuala Lumpur Country Club: Par 72; 7,000 yards
Winning Totals (Last Three Years):
2012: 271 (Louis Oosthuizen)
2011: 272 (Matteo Manassero)
2010: 274 (Seung-Yul Noh)
Tournament Stroke Averages
2012: 72.58 (454 rounds)
2011: 72.63 (457)
2010: 72.67 (456)
2006: 70.68 (366) - 54-hole event
Conclusion
It's hard to see star turns Luke Donald and Charl Schwartzel not being a big factor this week but preference is for the South African.
Donald has to contend with a 12-hour time difference after jetting in from Tampa Bay to Malaysia whilst Schwartzel rested up last week.
It's also worth noting that all six of Luke's European Tour strokeplay wins have actually come on European soil rather than in far flung places.
By contrast, Schwartzel won by 11 on his last start in Asia - December's Thailand Golf Championship - and he's finished sixth and 11th here in the last two years.
It'll be hot this week and the South African loves a bit of sun on his back.
Perhaps 11/2 is a bit tight so why not double him with Tiger Woods at Bay Hill (Woods is chasing an amazing eighth win there).
The Schwartzel-Woods double pays around 24/1 which seems a good price for something so obvious.
This tournament has been won by a variety of different nations - South Africa, Italy, South Korea, United States, India and Sweden in the last six years - so how about a Frenchman in 2013?
Victor Dubuisson is 'the one' when you question the French press about their biggest potential star and the player who might make Europe's 2018 Ryder Cup team in Paris.
Dubuisson was ninth in India last week - his second top 10 in three starts - and he was 11th in this event last year.
Take him each-way at 45s.
At 66s I also like Wen-Chong Liang, who finished third in India last week.
"My form is good. I played well last week and I hope I can play well again this week," said the Chinese ace.
"My fitness level has improved and it certainly plays an important part during tournaments with high humidity."
He has a couple of top 10s to his name in this event and was 17th here with a round to go last year but went the wrong way on Sunday.
"My confidence is at a high at the moment," said Liang in Tuesday's press conference so the 66/1 looks appealing.
Best bets
2pts double Charl Schwartzel & Tiger Woods (Bay Hill) at 23.38/1 (Sky Bet)
1pt e.w. Victor Dubuisson at 45/1 (Sky Bet 1/4 1,2,3,4,5)
1pt e.w. Wen-Chong Liang at 66/1 (Sky Bet 1/4 1,2,3,4,5)
