India’s best golfer now has a chance to wrap up the Order of Merit on the Asian Tour.
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The top three players – Day, Spieth and McIlroy – are all in their 20s and hail from three continents. “Obviously it’s part of the wraparound [PGA Tour] season, but this would be the icing on the cake if we were able to compete and capture a win here; obviously that’s our expectation”. “Hopefully I can do that and then concentrate on the golf”. It’s the same thing. “But a lot has changed in the last 12 months”.
McIlroy remains confident of turning out in a tournament he missed a year ago because of necessary preparations for a court case with his former management team. Lahiri is trying to juggle three tours at once.
The Northern Irishman started the Finals Series with a solid tie for sixth at last week’s Turkish Airlines Open that extended his lead over nearest challenger Danny Willett.
“It’s been a balancing act”, he said. But what an exciting year it was for golf, I mean with so many young players, for golf, playing so well. “Hopefully I will be better tomorrow and I can play”.
Stenson was equally scathing of his own performance, saying: “Out of ten, I’d probably give myself a two”. “Beyond the world-class action on the course, the atmosphere off it is just as electric, it really is one of the highlights of Singapore’s social calendar so we can’t wait for more of the same in the years to come”. “But my focus is going to be primarily in America”. He is returning after a three week break following the US Presidents Cup victory in Korea. Asked by The Daily Telegraph whether he craved an escape to normality, given his mother Christine’s revelation that he has never put any trophies on show at his house in Dallas, Spieth said: “I’ve never wanted just to display stuff”. “When you get on a good run, you can really make it count”.
‘The year has been very good to me so far and I’m looking forward to end it on a high note.
Then again, maybe the conversation might include a different list – or a longer list – of players at this time next year. While he and Watson are two of the longest hitters on the PGA Tour, Johnson doesn’t feel that Sheshan worldwide is necessarily a bomber’s paradise.
Spieth, 22, has claimed two majors this year, while Jason Day (PGA Championship) and Zach Johnson (The Open) were the other winners. But he has more than enough.
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Giles Morgan, Global Head of Sponsorship and Events at HSBC said: “Since the start of our partnership in 2011 the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship has gained the reputation as the jewel in the crown of Middle Eastern golf”.
