MayBank Malaysian Open Preview

It's not for nothing that beefy Englishman Lee Westwood is the bookmakers’ favourite to win the Maybank Malaysian Open at the Kuala Lumpur Country Club this weekend.

Not only will the former World No 1 have come away from Dubai this past weekend feeling good about his Top 10 finish at the Emirates Golf Club and the quality of the game he has brought into 2015, but, perhaps more importantly, he will have great memories of his imperious win in the Malaysian Open just under a year ago.

On that occasion the 41-year-old Englishman produced a commanding performance that left his closest pursuers, Nicolas Colsaerts, Louis Oosthuizen and Bernd Wiesberger all choking in his dust as he charged to a resounding, seven-stroke, gun-to-tape victory, his 23rd on the European Tour.

And this is clearly why the bookies have made him their favourite at 7/1 with another Dubai Top Tenner, Bernd Wiesberger of Austria at 10/1, Frenchman Victor Dubuisson and Ulster major winner Graeme McDowell at 16/1 and fellow Brits Danny Willett and Stephen Gallacher at 18/1

“I am looking forward to going back there,” Westwood told the media on Monday. “It’s obviously a golf course I play very well on and it'll be nice to go back and defend. It’s always nice going back to defend a tournament.

“I think any time you pull away from a field and win by a lot, it’s very satisfying. It was great to win by a few (7) and it’s nice to play the last few holes with a big cushion.

“I’m pleased with the way that I’m playing and if you go back to a course on which you’ve won, you feel like it suits you. Malaysia is a nice place to go play golf, even if it can be a little hot, but I cope well with sticky conditions and it will be a good week no doubt.”

Will it be as hot as is expected?

Our GolfWeather boffins say yes, but no too hot. They forecast that midday temperatures in centigrade will be 32 on Thursday, 33 on Friday, 34 on Saturday and 32 again on Sunday. They also forecast rain and thunderstorms in the late afternoon on each of the four days which, unless all four rounds are started and finished early, could cause problems for the leaders who'll be right at the back of the field on both weekend afternoons.

Weather is not always totally predictable, of course, and in the meantime, what we do know is that Westwood heads a strong field as the European Tour leaves its Middle Eastern sweep and heads to South East Asia where this week's Malaysian event is to be followed by the inaugural Thailand Classic.

Apart from the men already mentioned, the field also includes the America young gun Peter Uihlein, Asia's first-ever Major winner Y.E. Yang, Thailand's respected Kiradech Aphibarnrat who is set down to tee off alongside Westwood and Italian youngster Matteo Manassero on Thursday.

An interesting sidelight of this tournament could be the performances of Andy Sullivan and Gary Stal.

When the smiling Englishman and the quiet Frenchman each, in consecutive weeks earlier this year, respectively swept past strongly entrenched leaders, Charl Schwartzel and Martin Kaymer, both former major winners, and captured titles no one had expected them to win, there was a feeling that they might both be one of those one-time winners who briefly play out of their skins and then are never heard from again.

Not so, in their case, it seems. The two have both regularly featured on leader boards since then just as they did again this week when they finished in a 4th place tie in Dubai with Kaymer and Danish young gun Morten Ørum Madsen.

The Leading Odds on Tuesday Morning

Lee Westwood 7/1
Bernd Wiesberger 10/1
Victor Dubuisson 16/1
Graeme McDowell 16/1
Danny Willett 18/1
Stephen Gallacher 18/1
Andy Sullivan 25/1
Nicolas Colsaerts 28/1
Gregory Bourdy 33/1
Emiliano Grillo 28/1
Marc Warren 30/1
Gary Stal 33/1
Peter Uihlein 35/1
Pablo Larrazábal 40/1

NOTE: For all the odds, go to http://www.oddschecker.com/golf/malaysian-open/winner.

For any feedback or ideas you are welcome to email: neville@golfweather.com.