Jyoti Randhawa aims at being numero uno

Taiwan’s Yeh Wei-tze will, however, attempt to reinforce his number one position on the Davidoff Tour Order of Merit on a golf course which he dislikes.

The 27-year-old Yeh, who has led the money race all year bar one week, does not feel at home at the Singapore’s Country Club’s Island Course due to the undulating and tight tree-lined fairways.

“I don’t like undulating courses and the fairways are also very narrow. Maybe, I’ll keep my driver in the bag on some of the holes as accuracy is a premium. Right now, I’m not thinking about ending the year as the No 1 player because it adds to the pressure and may affect my game.

Yeh said: “I’ll try to stick to my normal game plan and see where it takes me. There are so many players who can do well here and in Hong Kong next week to catch me in the money race. However, I’m swinging the club well, so I’m confident.”

Yeh has accumulated $216,436 this season and leads England’s Simon Dyson, winner of the Macau and Volvo China Opens in May, by approximately $33,000.

But with a $400,000 prize pot to shoot for this week and another $500,000 at stake at the season-closing Omega Hong Kong Open, the top 16 players on the Order of Merit have a mathematical chance of overhauling Yeh.

The 40th Singapore Open champion will bank $64,600 while the winner of the Omega Hong Kong Open will pocket $80,750, which adds up to $145,350.

South Africa’s Craig Kamps, currently third on the moneylist with $157,404, is refreshed and recharged after skipping last week’s Thailand Open.

“The course here is in good condition and scoring will below. You can drive three par fours here and the par fives are reachable in two, but the key would be to put the ball below the pins as there are some severe slopes on the greens.

“It’s a big two weeks and a couple of good finishes might just see any of us moving up to the top of the Order of Merit. After taking last week off, I’m confident I can do something,” said Kamps, winner of the Lexus International in October.

In 1998, Korea’s Kang Wook-soon came charging from where to lift the money list title after securing back-to- back wins at the Hong Kong Open and Omega PGA Championship.

Last year, American Fran Quinn also won the last two events of the season. Kang, who will play the last two events, feels another double repeat is possible.

“I think Yeh will win the Order of Merit crown as he is playing solidly. It would be good for golf in Asia if he achieves the goal as we need more Asian winners on Tour,” said Kang.

The pressure is not only in the race for the Number One crown. As only the top-60 players on the Davidoff Tour Order of Merit will retain their cards, there is also plenty at stake at the opposite end of the rankings.

Regular Tour players like Greg Hanrahan of the United States, Gilberto Morales of Venezuela, this season’s Qualifying School winner Soushi Tajima and upcoming Philippines star Gerald Rosales are amongst those currently outside the top 60.

American Jeff Burns, who earned the last card at Qualifying School this season after prevailing in a pressure-packed 12-man play-off, is currently ranked a lowly 112th and facing a bleak prospect.

“I’m not looking at the rankings and will just do my best in the next two events and see what happens. That’s the way golf is but I sure don’t want to go back to Qualifying School again.”