Hua Hin, Thailand: Buoyed by his first win outside South America last week, Wolmer Murillo will be hoping to complete a memorable Thai double on the Mena Golf Tour when he tees off at the MahaSamutr Masters, sponsored by Pace Development Corporation Plc, at the Banyan Golf Club on Tuesday.
“It was quite important for me to win and, definitely, a burden off my shoulders. I am feeling much more relaxed and upbeat,” said the 35-year-old Venezuelan, who rewrote the script with a final-round 69 to take the Mountain Creek Open for his first win since landing in Thailand in 2013 to give wings to his golfing career.
“Being a Banyan Golf Club ambassador, I know a thing or two about the course, but, at the end of the day, it all boils down to hitting fairways and greens as much possible and rolling in clutch putts,” said Murillo, who earlier this year played in the Volvo China Open after winning a local qualifier.
“I’ve been in Asia for a while and it’s has been a great learning curve for me, especially the last seven or eight months. Swing changes that I have done with John Wither, a PGA professional, have helped me a lot. I feel more in control of things.
“It’s given me a whole new level of confidence in my game,” said Murillo who will join a strong field led by England’s Zane Scotland, who currently leads the Order of Merit standings with $24,759 in earnings.
Highlighted by the presence of eight Mena Golf Tour winners, the field also includes England’s Miles Tunnicliff, a European Tour veteran. Leading the Thai challenge will be Changtai Sudsom, who racked up a top-10 finish last week.
“The course looks just stunning – as if someone has rolled out a carpet out there,” said Scotland, an 11-winner on the tour. “I think long hitters will have a distinct advantage,” he said.
“I am feeling good about my game, but we will see that once the tournament gets under way. I think a double-digit score is going to win this week,” said 33-year-old from London, who last week played in a pro am event in Ireland.
In a rich vein of form following his second-place finish last week, India’s Rayhan Thomas will be hoping to keep the momentum going, but he prefers to stay grounded in the present.
“The thinking is to just go out, try and play some good golf and have fun,” said the 16-year-old Dubai-based prodigy, who leads the Order of Merit for amateurs with 83 points from his first two events he won this season.
“The greens are quite tricky and it will all depend upon how well you putt,” said Thomas, who is supported by the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation.
“We feel it is vitally important to invest in and support young players on the Mena Golf Tour because they are its lifeblood past, present and future,” said Mohammad Juma Bu Amaim, chairman of the tour.
“We want to give young people the opportunity to be the best and we see Rayhan as somebody who will not only fulfil his massive potential, but also demonstrate the strength of self-belief.”
An initiative of the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation, the Mena Golf Tour was created in 2011 with the aim of developing golf in the region. It is affiliated to R&A, the worldwide golf governing body based in the home of golf, St Andrews, and the Arab Golf Federation and enjoys the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) status.
Multiple European Tour starts, including the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, the Hassan II Trophy and the Maybank Championship Malaysia in addition to full playing privileges on the Sunshine Tour and exemptions into the Final Stage of the Asian Tour Q-School for the leading three professionals are some of the added incentives for the Mena Golf Tour members.
