GOLF/Malaysian Open: Ireland's Padraig Harrington tees off at the million-dollar Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur today hoping it will be fifth time lucky after a heartbreaking run of near misses.
Harrington has always been in the reckoning in the richest national Open in Asia but he is eager to step up a notch in an event which has attracted former US Masters winners Ian Woosnam and a back-in-form Nick Faldo.
On his last visit to Malaysia, Harrington lost out 12 months ago in a sudden-death play-off to Vijay Singh.
That was the first of seven runners-up finishes for the Dubliner in 2001 - including losing the final of the World Matchplay to Woosnam - but he eventually ended the year in style by winning the Volvo Masters in Spain.
In fact that was the Dubliner's last outing in a stroke-play tournament on the tour, and after a nine-week break he was beaten in the first round of this year's World Matchplay Championship in California last week.
"I've been in Malaysia four times, three Malaysian Opens and one World Cup in 1999, and finished fourth, third, second and second," said Harrington, whose consistency saw him end the year in second place on the Order of Merit behind US Open champion Retief Goosen.
"Last year was meant to make it fourth, third, second, first - but I don't know what happened. Hopefully it will be this year."
Harrington stayed on to practice at La Costa after his first-round exit in the World Matchplay event at the hands of American Steve Flesch, arriving in Kuala Lumpur on Monday morning.
"I've done the practice and it's just about trying to get competitive," he added.
"I'm not sharp and not scoring well but that's always the case at the start of the year. I'm trying to get focused on the scoring end of the game and try to leave the practice for another week.
"Because of my past record here I'm hoping to do well again. My swing is where I want it to be but my game isn't anywhere near.
"I changed my irons in the winter, making them half an inch shorter to promote a more upright backswing, and clubbing and judging distances are not the same.
"It's getting used to little things like that and maybe selecting the right shots at the right time. That's what you get when you play competitively week after week."
India's Arjun Atwal, winner of the Singapore Masters on Sunday, heads the Asian PGA challenge in the Malaysian event alongside last season's number one Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand and Korean Charlie Wi.
Six-time Major winner Faldo, seeking his first title in five years, looms as a main threat as the English star has gone 10th, sixth and third in his last three tournaments. And he has developed an instant liking of the par-71 Royal Selangor's Old Course.
"You have to shape the ball here and there are a lot of tee shots where you either have to draw it or fade it. That's what I enjoy. I like a course which makes you do something with the ball. The course has a lot of great trees, which you have either got to avoid or stand under the shade!
"I played well all week (at the Singapore Masters) and I'm looking forward to getting back out there again.
"It is all fitting together. The next step would be to run with the leaders and trying to win. That would be the next goal," said Faldo.
The 43-year-old Woosnam, who became the oldest winner at the World Matchplay title in Wentworth last year, has flown in his old golf set in his bid to relaunch his season after missing the halfway cut in Singapore with new clubs.
"I've got my old irons back. They are a little bit better and hopefully I can find something. I can't seem to find any rhythm but I hope to get some confidence and see what I can do," he said.
Asia's best players will aim for a double following Atwal's emphatic five-shot win in Singapore last week, which made him the first Indian player to win a European Tour-sanctioned event.
"That win has sunk in although I didn't really celebrate as my wife wasn't around," Atwal said. "I hope to play well here and now that I have won on the European Tour, I would like to win again.
"I've been practising chipping with a three-wood around the green because of the type of grass here, which may provide some tricky lies."
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