Iskandar Johor Open preview

A strong field has assembled at Horizon Hills Golf and Country Club in Malaysia to do battle for the Iskandar Johor Open. It’s the first time the event has appeared on the European Tour schedule.

Padraig Harrington defends
Fergus Bisset
By
published

Lowdown: A strong field has assembled at Horizon Hills Golf and Country Club in Malaysia to do battle for the Iskandar Johor Open. It's the first time the event has appeared on the European Tour schedule. A number of the European Tour's best players have remained in Asia to contest this tournament as they look to secure their places in the season-ending Dubai World Championship. Padraig Harrington, the defending champion, is currently 76th on the Race to Dubai with only the top 60 making it to the lucrative final event. The Irishman is some €90,000 behind 60th placed James Morrison so he needs a good result here to move into one of the qualifying spots. Others trying to make the leap in to the top-60 this week include Rhys Davies (currently 62nd) and Soren Kjeldsen (currently 75th.) Anthony Kim of the USA will be one of the star attractions this week. The 26-year-old finished in tied third last week in Singapore and a victory this week should push him back inside the top-50 on the Official World Golf Ranking. "That's the goal," Kim said. "Obviously playing in the Majors is very high on my priority list. I'm just trying to get better every single week, and it seems to be happening. I just need to play better and hopefully give myself a chance to win this week." Also teeing it up will be Louis Oosthuizen, Colin Montgomerie, Ross Fisher and Camilo Villegas. This will be the fifth running of the Iskandar Johor Open. Until this year it has been a full-field Asian Tour event, but this season it has become co-sanctioned with the European Tour. This has led to a significant increase in the prize fund - up to $2 million. In last year's tournament, Padraig Harrington ended a lengthy winless streak, firing 20-under par to finish three clear. The course at Horizon Hills, designed by Ross Watson, is always popular with the players. Last season the greens received particularly good reviews.

Venue: Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club, Johor, Malaysia Date: Nov 17-20 Course stats: par 72, 6,945 yards Purse: €1,476,000 Winner: €242,580 Defending Champion: Pablo Martin (-11)

TV Coverage: Thursday 17 - Live on Sky Sports 1 from 6am Friday 18 - Live on Sky Sports 1 from 6am Saturday 19 - Live on Sky Sports 1 from 3.30am Sunday 20 - Live on Sky Sports 1 from 3.30am

Player Watch: Joost Luiten - The Dutchman has enjoyed a good season and is sure to be playing in the season-ending Dubai World Championship. He was tied fifth last week in Singapore and is desperate to secure his breakthrough victory on the European Tour. This could be the week.

Anthony Kim - He's full of confidence after solid recent performances and, when Kim is confident, he's a force to be reckoned with.

Danny Lee - The talented young Kiwi was tied fifth last week in Singapore and he looks to be coming back towards his best form. If he can find that, he could well contend. Key hole: 18th. A 519 yard par 5 offering a number of strategic options. From the tee the players either have to lay up, turning the hole into a three-shotter, or they can go for the island fairway from the tee - a carry of some 275 yards. Then they'll aim at a green that's surrounded by water on three sides. There's the possibility of picking up shots on this daunting final hole, there's also the possibility of a complete meltdown. Where next? Preview - Alfred Dunhill Championship

Fergus Bisset
Fergus Bisset
Contributing Editor

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He has also worked with Golf Monthly to produce a podcast series. Called 18 Majors: The Golf History Show it offers new and in-depth perspectives on some of the most important moments in golf's long history. You can find all the details about it here.

He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly.

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?

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