Miri: Malaysian rising star Kenneth De Silva is beaming with confidence as he aims for a second Asian Development Tour (ADT) title in less than a month at the inaugural Professional Golf of Malayisa (PGM) Eastwood Valley Masters which starts on Wednesday.
De Silva, who capped a maiden win at the PGM Sarawak Masters earlier this month, is among the talented cast chasing for honours and also the chance of boosting their rankings on the ADT Order of Merit. The top three players at the end of the season will earn their Asian Tour cards for 2013.
“I have more confidence now after winning. I feel like I can win every time I play. I know I can win more and I can do better,” said the 21-year-old rookie, ahead of the US$80,000 event staged at the Eastwood Valley Golf and Country Club.
“Before winning, I struggled with my confidence. I didn’t think I was good enough to win but now I enter every tournament with more determination.”
The turning point in his season came when he reverted to his old iron set which he used as an amateur. “I changed to my original irons just before winning. I won a lot of amateur titles with that set and I hope I can do the same in the professional ranks. I feel more comfortable with these irons.”
The PGM-Eastwood Valley Masters is the 11th ADT leg this season and plays an integral part in the Order of Merit race where De Silva currently stands in 11th position.
He suffered the agony of missing out on an Asian Tour card at Qualifying School in January as he was in position of earning playing rights on Asia’s elite circuit but sent two shots into the water on the last hole to miss out.
“The ADT helps young players grow as a professional golfer. More importantly, it helps you get an Asian Tour card. Qualifying School is definitely one of the most difficult tournaments for a professional golfer!” said De Silva.
“Having narrowly missed out on my Asian Tour card earlier this year was my worst experience and it took me a few months to get over it. But I think I learned a lot from that,” he added.
Peter Richardson of England, Hsieh Chi-hsien of Chinese Taipei and Filipino Jay Bayron, the top-three players on the ADT Order of Merit will also headline the event, which is part of the 30th anniversary celebration of Eastwood Valley’s holding company, Woodman Group.
