Harvard stop for ADT

S.Sivachandhran ©Asian Tour
S.Sivachandhran ©Asian Tour

Sungai Petani: The Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) Sime Darby Harvard Masters will continue to add to the gloss that the Asian Development Tour (ADT) has enjoyed since the start of the year when the RM200,000 (approximately US$65,000) event tees off on Wednesday.

The Sime Darby Harvard Masters is the second event on the ADT to receive world ranking points this season and will feature one-time ADT winner Hsieh Chi-hsien of Chinese Taipei, Singapore’s M.Murugiah and local hopeful S. Siva Chandhran, won topped the ADT Order of Merit in 2010.

Ireland’s Niall Turner, Korea’s Park Jin-woo, Sweden’s Nils Floren and Australia’s Gavin Flint, Flint, a former Asian Tour regular and winner of the 2010 Air Bagan Myanmar Masters, are also part of the international field that will feature at the PGM Sime Darby Harvard Masters.

Sanctioned with Malaysia’s burgeoning domestic circuit, the Sime Darby Harvard Masters will continue the ADT Order of Merit race where the top three players at the end of the season will earn their Asian Tour cards for 2014.

Siva, who was once ranked Malaysia’s number one amateur, is eager to regain his zip in form when he tees off at the Harvard Golf and Country Club this week.

The Malaysian lost his card on the main Tour after he finished in 103rd place on the Order of Merit and will be looking for a performance that can salvage some lost pride and regain his place on the region’s premier Tour.

A strong advocate of local golf development in Singapore, Murugiah will be relishing the opportunity to test himself against his younger rivals in the game.

The Singaporean, who is also the president of the Singapore Professional Golfers’ Association, will be 49 years old this year and a good result will show that he can win in his 40s, much like his compatriot Mardan Mamat, a three-time Asian Tour winner.