Lee Westwood is relishing his return to the Maybank Malaysian Open as the Englishman takes the strong form he showed in Dubai to a venue upon which he blitzed the field a year ago en route to a seven stroke victory.
The 41 year old added a 23rd European Tour title to his victory canon at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club with a wire to wire win last April, leaving runners up Nicolas Colsaerts, Louis Oosthuizen and Bernd Wiesberger in his wake.
Fresh from a top ten finish in his first appearance of the season at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic last week, the eight-time Ryder Cup player is hoping that his hot form, allied with fond memories of last year’s triumph, will equate to a successful title defence.
“I am looking forward to going back there,” said Westwood, who finished in a share of ninth place at the Emirates Golf Club. “It’s obviously a golf course I play very well on and it’ll be nice to go back and defend. It’s always nice going back to defend a tournament.
“I think any time you pull away from a field and win by a lot, it’s very satisfying. It was great to win by a few and it’s nice to play the last few holes with a big cushion.
“I’m pleased with the way that I’m playing and if you go back to a course on which you’ve won, you feel like it suits you. Malaysia is a nice place to go play golf, even if it can be a little hot, but I cope well with sticky conditions and it will be a good week no doubt.”
Westwood heads a strong field in the first of back to back South East Asian events on The Race to Dubai schedule, followed immediately by the inaugural Thailand Classic.
Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell makes his first appearance in Kuala Lumpur since 2008 after a tie for ninth of his own in Dubai last week.
Fellow Major Champion YE Yang is also in the field, as are 2014 Ryder Cup winners Victor Dubuisson and Stephen Gallacher, as well as their European Team Captain Paul McGinley.
Alongside Westwood, fellow former winners Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Matteo Manassero, who won in 2013 and 2011 respectively, will tee it up alongside the Englishman. Two-time victor Thongchai Jaidee, who claimed consecutive titles from 2004, will also be in the field from Thursday.
