Jan 31, 2016: Singaporean veteran Mardan Mamat will be looking to boost his confidence and get into a winning momentum when he returns to the Kurmitola Golf Club for the US$300,000 Bashundhara Bangladesh Open which starts on Wednesday.
The 49-year-old Mardan claimed his fifth Asian Tour title at the inaugural Bashundhara Bangladesh Open in 2015 but missed out on a chance to defend his title last year as his father was sick.
Having failed to make the halfway cuts in the first two events of the season, Mardan is eager to turn the corner by capping another good result at the full-field Asian Tour event, which is celebrating its third consecutive edition on the region’s premier Tour this season.
Mardan will contend for the title against India’s Jeev Milkha Singh, a six-time Asian Tour winner, young talent Shubhankar Sharma and local hero Siddikur Rahman, in what is the third leg of the Asian Tour schedule this season.
Singh, who enjoyed three top-10 finishes last season, is eyeing a successful debut at the Bashundhara Bangladesh Open. The 45-year-old Indian hailed the development of golf in Bangladesh and praised Siddikur for being the flag-bearer of the country.
The 20-year-old Sharma enjoyed a superb start to the season with tied-11th and tied-ninth finishes in Singapore and Myanmar respectively. He will be bidding for a breakthrough win on the Asian Tour this week.
Siddikur, a two-time winner on the Asian Tour, will spearhead the local charge which consists of 32 local players and six amateurs.
Interesting facts of the day:
- Mardan’s first triumph in the region stretches back to 2004 where he came charging back from three shots to triumph in India. Subsequently, his four other wins have been impressive start-to-finish victories, including his fifth and last victory at the 2015 Bashundhara Bangladesh Open.
- Singh is a two-time Order of Merit winner on the Asian Tour. He is also a board member of the Asian Tour.
- Sharma finished third on his own at the 2016 Bashundhara Bangladesh Open. It was his best result on the Asian Tour since turning professional in 2013.
- Siddikur finished tied-38th and tied-35th in the last two editions. He will be vying to become the first Bangladeshi to win his National Open.
- Siddikur is attached to the Kurmitola Golf Club as an honorary member. He has previously worked as a ball boy at his home course to support his studies.
Asian Tour Release
