Gavin Green (AFP/Anthony Wallace)

Gavin Green of Malaysia will spearhead the Asian Tour challenge at the SMBC Singapore Open later this month as he looks to start the new year on a high note after a history-making campaign in 2017.

The big-hitting 24-year-old became the first Malaysian to win the Asian Tour Order of Merit, with earnings of US$585,813, after a stellar year that saw him record his maiden win and finish runner-up three times, stated the Asian Tour.

Other Asian Tour heavyweights in the field include defending champion Prayad Marksaeng of Thailand, in-form Indian Shiv Kapur and countrymen SSP Chawrasia, Gaganjeet Bhullar and Jeev Milkha Singh — all multiple winners with Singh triumphant here in 2008 — Arjun Atwal, the captain of Team Asia at the upcoming EurAsia Cup, and former Singapore Open champions Thaworn Wiratchant, Jyoti Randhawa and Zaw Moe.

They will take on Major champions Sergio Garcia of Spain and South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen, world Number 19 Pat Perez of the United States and the cream of the Japan Tour, including 2016 champion Song Younghan, from Jan. 18 to 21.

Green has a score to settle with the Serapong Course at Sentosa Golf Club after he placed second at the halfway mark last year before dropping down the leader board after a poor third round.

He provided a taste of the heroics to come in 2017 with opening rounds of 66 and 68 last January before his title bid came unstuck with an 82.

The rising star put the blip down to a lack of experience and added that he was a much improved player coming into the 2018 tournament.

“It was my first time in that position [placing second at the halfway mark]. You know, it was all new,” he said of a round that he would rather forget. “I am a little stronger than last year and can control my game and the ball a little better. So yeah, I am looking forward to coming back.”

He added that hitting fairways on the tough Serapong Course was the first priority.

“If you are going to score well, you have to hit a lot of fairways, give yourself looks for birdies and hopefully some of them drop. It will be a rough day definitely if you are in that rough a lot, it will punish you,” he said.

Victory at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters and second-place finishes at the Hero Indian Open, Yeangder Heritage and Shinhan Donghae Open propelled him to the Order of Merit title and underlined his huge potential.

“It was an amazing feeling to win the Order of Merit and [a year on from where it all started] it will be good to come back to the SMBC Singapore Open as the Order of Merit champion,” he said.

The 52nd edition of the SMBC Singapore Open will again be jointly sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Japan Golf Tour Organization with a prize of $1 million.

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