Himmat Rai ready to defend his title at the ISPS Handa Singapore Classic – Golf News
Indian Himmat Rai heads to the ISPS Handa Singapore Classic with an aim to defend his title at the Orchid Country Club in Lion City, Singapore.
Rai expressed his pleasure on returning to the field where he earned his maiden victory on the Asian Tour.
“It (winning) was amazing to me last year,” said Rai. “Singapore has happy memories for me. I've played well here in the past”.
“The course is in great shape. I played a practice round this morning. I'm just going to try to stick to the basics and go out there and do my preparation for Thursday and treat this as another tournament”.
Elmer Salvador of Philippines, on the other hand, said that he was a bit unlucky last year when Rai carded a 25-foot birdie to snatch his first victory on the Tour.
This year, he is confident to lift the trophy with a better display of his game on the course.
Meanwhile, the number one player from Singapore, Mardan Mamat took a week off, following the six-week stretch on the Asian Tour.
Mamat said that the break proved to be a good one, especially after playing continuously for six weeks.
He is now ready for the show at the home event to record his first victory since he won the 2006 Singapore Masters.
"My hunger for wins has kept me going all these years. You play to win and that's what I tell myself every time I compete in a tournament," said the 44-year-old Singaporean.
Last year, Lam Zhiqun was the highest listed player on the Singapore Classic leaderboard as he tied for the eighth position.
He then appeared as an amateur and led the Singaporeans. This year, he will be seen playing for the cash as he turned professional in December, 2011.
After a shaky start this year, Zhiqun plans to tweak his game by learning from his mistakes as well as from the senior players in the event.
He said that he will try to be an all-round golfer. That may help him achieve his goals on the course.
South Africa’s Jbe Kruger and Indian Jeev Milkha Singh are the other players who are currently aiming for a victory in the event.
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