Que kicks off golf bid in Singapore

MANILA, Philippines – Wary but confident, Angelo Que sets out for the Singapore International Thursday looking for a strong start but at the same time bracing for a shaky launch in the first of two money-rich events in the Lion CIty wrapping up the integrated 2020-21 Asian Tour season.

Que drew fellow former Philippine Open champion Steve Lewton of England and American Paul Peterson at 7:40 a.m. at the backside of Tanah Merak Country Club’s Tampines course, not expecting too much coming off the long holiday break.

Like majority of the 127-player field, Que had not much exposure to top-level tournaments since falling short to keep his Japan Golf Tour card with a 45th place finish in the Final Qualifying last month.

In fact, he only had a couple of practice rounds at Manila Southwoods before heading to Singapore for the $1 million championship, a new event on the Asian Tour schedule but tipped to generate interest since it is being hosted by one of Singapore’s finest golf courses.

For Que and the rest of the bidders, the chance to simply tee up is a welcome one with the Tampines, together with the adjacent Garden course, undergoing significant work in recent years that made it more daunting and challenging.

Still, the long hitters may cash in on their length although the course has the capability to stretch to over 7,500 yards with water hazards coming into play in half of the holes and lots of ground contours on fairways and around the greens to put the field’s short game into focus.

Que also hopes to do well with his putting, an aspect of his game he and swing coach Bong Lopez had tinkered and tried to polish before he left for Singapore.

Just behind Que’s group is the threesome of Thai Jazz Janewattananond, one of the Asian Tour Order of Merit winners, rising Korean star Bio Kim and Aussie Wade Ormsby, the current OOM leader.

Others tipped to contend for the crown are India’s Shubhankar Sharma and Gavin Green of Malaysia along with multi-titled Shiv Kapur, also of India, and Chan Shih Chang of Taiwan and Thai Phachara Khongwatmai, who shared top honors in the two Thailand events which marked the restart of the Asian Tour late last year after a 20-month hiatus due to pandemic.

Also in the roster are Prom Meesawat of Thailand. Berry Henson of the US, another Phl Open winner, Singapore’s Mardan Mamat, Janne Kaske of Finland, Richard Lee of Canada, Ben Leong of Malaysia, Jyoti Randhawa of India, Charlie Wi of Korea, Gunn Charoenkul of Thailand, Malaysian Danny Chia and young turks Kim Joo Hyung of Korea and Ratchanon Chantananuwat.

The event also serves as a prelude to next week’s $1.2 million Singapore Open to be bannered by former world No. 3 Paul Casey of England.