Padraig Harrington returns to Malaysia this week hoping to finally make a winning breakthrough in the Carlsberg Malaysian Open at Royal Selangor Golf Club.
Harrington has not enjoyed the luck of the Irish on his last three visits to Malaysia, following his fourth place finish in 1999 with runners-up finishes in the last two editions of the event. In 2000 Harrington dropped three shots in the last four holes to be overhauled by Taiwan's Yeh Wei-Tze while 12 months ago he again had to settle for second best when he was defeated by the then reigning Masters Champion Vijay Singh at the third hole of a sudden-death play-off.
That was the first of seven runners-up finishes for Harrington during 2001 but the Ryder Cup player ended the year in style by winning the Volvo Masters Andalucia on his way to finishing second to Retief Goosen in the Volvo Order of Merit.
The Carlsberg Malaysian Open, the first national Open in Asia to offer US$1 million in prize money, will be Harrington's first appearance in a stroke play event on The European Tour International Schedule since his emphatic victory in Spain.
"Padraig Harrington has proved that he is one of the world's finest players and he underlined his immense talent by finishing second on the Volvo Order of Merit last season after a string of top finishes," said Dato' Jorgen Bornhoft, Carlsberg Brewery Malaysia Berhad Managing Director. "We are delighted he is returning to Malaysia."
Michael Campbell also returns to Malaysia after finishing joint seventh in the event last year. Campbell has already tasted success in Asia, claiming his first European Tour title when he held off the challenge of World Number One Tiger Woods to win the Johnnie Walker Classic in Taiwan at the start of The 2000 European Tour International Schedule.
"I always enjoy the atmosphere in Asia as the crowds are extremely enthusiastic," said Campbell, who competed in the BMW Asian Open and Omega Hong Kong Open at the end of last year and finished tied sixth and 13th respectively.
Also in the field are Major Champions Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam after competing the Caltex Singapore Masters last week, Ryder Cup player Jarmo Sandelin, winner of the BMW Asian Open, the opening event of The 2002 European Tour International Schedule and last week’s champion in Singapore, Arjun Atwal.
Royal Selangor Golf Club, located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, is the second oldest course in Malaysia dating back to 1893 when it as founded by a group of colonial administrators.
Royal Selangor was the regular home of the Malaysian Open from its inception in 1962 until the early 1990s. The tournament was last played there in 1994 when Sweden's Joakim Haeggman won the title after a marathon eight hole play-off against Malaysia's Periasamy Gunasegaran and New Zealand's Frank Nobilo.
