The European Tour returns to Malaysia for the third edition of the Maybank Championship. Here’s everything you need to know about this week’s event…
Unbe-Li-vable Haotong– Li Haotong has made an exceptional start to 2018. After winning two and half out of three points in the Eurasia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM, the Chinese took his fine form to the Middle East where he picked up his second European Tour title.
Rounds of 66-66-64 handed Li a one-shot advantage going into the final day in Dubai, but with four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy hot on his heels the 22 year old needed to be on top of his game in order to win.
With eight holes to go McIlroy led by two shots, but Li rallied with some exceptional scoring, birdieing three of his last four holes to reach an outstanding 23 under par total – a record score in the tournament’s prestigious 29-year history.
Having become the first Chinese player to break into the world’s top 50, Li will be looking to go back-to-back in Malaysia this week.
Bernd’s birdie blitz– Last year Bernd Wiesberger made history by carding nine consecutive birdies during his second round at Saujana Golf and Country Club.
"I really tried to cut down on the shots, it was really warm out there this afternoon," said Wiesberger after his record-breaking run which started on the seventh and finished on the 15th.
After becoming the first player in European Tour history to make nine consecutive gains, Wiesberger returns to Kuala Lumpur with plenty of fond memories.
Eurasia Cup rivals return– Malaysia hosted the Eurasia Cup in January, and no fewer than 12 representatives from Europe and Asia will be teeing it up, in addition to captains Arjun Atwal and Thomas Bjørn.
Eurasia Cup winners Alexander Levy, Henrik Stenson and Wiesberger all return to the Malaysian capital, while Team Asia stars Li, Kiradech Aphibarnrat, SSP Chawrasia, Nicholas Fung, Gavin Green, Yuta Ikeda, Phachara Khongwatmai, Poom Saksansin and Hideto Tanihara.
Green, the 2017 Asian Tour Number One, is teeing it up in just his 17thEuropean Tour event. The home favourite will be bidding for his first European Tour victory; he finished second to Eurasia Cup teammate SSP Chawrasia at last year’s Hero Indian Open.
Zanotti defends– Paraguay’s Fabrizio Zanotti made one of the biggest comebacks of the year at the 2017 Maybank Championship, overhauling a six-stroke deficit to win his second European Tour title.
Incredibly, the Paraguayan finished with an eagle to pip David Lipsky to the title by just one stroke. Signing for a final round nine under par 63, it was the lowest round of the day by two strokes.
The 34 year old has made a strong start in the 2018 Race to Dubai, finishing tied ninth at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA in his first start of the year.
The Iceman cometh– Sweden’s Henrik Stenson will tee it up for the third consecutive week on the European Tour as he prepares to play a stroke play event in Malaysia for the first time since 2005.
The Ryder Cup regular posted his best finish in Malaysia that year, third behind Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee and India’s Jyoti Randhawa.
