Que eyes strong start, finish in Singapore Open

MANILA, Philippines – Angelo Que resumes his Asian Tour campaign with renewed vigor as the veteran Filipino campaigner braces for an early test of will and character after drawing last week’s playoff loser Rattanon Wannasrichan at the start of the Singapore Open Thursday at Sentosa’s Serapong course.

Que put himself in contention in the first two days of the Singapore International but fumbled in the third round before rallying to finish joint 16th in the event ruled by young Korean Kim Joo Hyung, who nipped Wannasrichan in sudden death.

The former three-time Asian Tour winner said the rigors of tackling the wind-raked Tanah Merah's Tampines course took their toll on his game in the pivotal day and said he needed a rest to get himself ready for the tougher task in the host country's flagship championship, a $1.25 million event which also stakes berths in this year’s British Open, one of the world’s four majors.

Yuki Shino, one of the 39 players from the Japan Golf Tour, including Que and Fil-Am Justin delos Santos, vying in the 72-hole event, joins Que and Wannarischan in the 8:30 a.m. flight on No. 10 of Serapong, which was spruced up to championship condition to provide a true test of golf for a stellar international field.

Former world No. 3 Paul Casey of England is co-headlining the field with 19-year-old Kim, who is also out to claim the Asian Tour Order of Merit title in the integrated 2020-21-22 seasons after grabbing the lead with his big win last week.

Casey, who has posted 21 victories, including three on the PGA Tour and two on the Asian Tour, kicks off her title drive at 12:20 p.m. on the first hole with Japanese Yosuke Asaji and Thai amateur sensation Ratchanon Chantananuwat, while Kim clashes with Taiwanese Chan Shih Chang, winner of one of two Thailand events that marked the , and Tour restart following a 20-month hiatus due to pandemic last November and Mikiya Akutsu, also of Japan, at 7:50 a.m. on No. 10.

Others tipped to contend for the crown are Malaysian Gavin Green, American Paul Peterson, Thais Prom Meesawat and Pavit Tangkamolprasert and India’s Jyoti Randhawa.

Delos Santos, meanwhile, launches his drive at 8:50 a.m., also at the back, with Japanese Kosuke Hamamoto and Masanori Kobayashi.