Darren Beck (AFP)
Australian Darren Beck is hoping a strong bond with his brother -- and caddie -- Jonathan will help him successfully defend his Brunei Open title when it starts on Thursday.
Australian Darren Beck is hoping a strong bond with his brother -- and caddie -- Jonathan will help him successfully defend his Brunei Open title when it starts on Thursday.
Beck claimed a career breakthrough on the Asian Tour after a thrilling three-way play-off last year with his brother on the bag and he is feeling confident of a repeat at the majestic Empire Hotel and Country Club.
The 32-year-old paid tribute to his brother's influence on the golf course, saying the younger sibling played a big role in last year's success at the Brunei Open.
"We have a good combination. We joke a bit on the golf course and that's good. It was one of the reasons why I won last year," he said Wednesday.
" I played in a couple of tournaments where my brother didn't caddie for me and it was a lot different."
A strong cast of Asian Tour stars will also be gunning for success at the 300,000 US dollar tournament.
They include rising Thai player Chinnarat Phadungsil, former champions Wang Ter-chang, Taiwan's Lin Wen-tang, last year's runner-up Gaganjeet Bhullar of India and Filipino star Angelo Que.
Beck, who recently welcomed a second baby boy into his family, believes he is better prepared this week to tackle the tricky and challenging Jack Nicklaus designed Empire course.
"I know the golf course really well from last year and took down important notes. If I can use the same notes, I'm quite confident everything will work out fine for us," said the Australian.
Bhullar lost in the play-off to Beck last year but made amends at the season-opener in Thailand where he won his second Asian Tour title. He admits that he has struggled to find his best form in recent months but is confident of turning the corner.
"I'm driving and hitting my irons well but I'm struggling on the greens. That's the part of my game which I need to concentrate on," said Bhullar, who lies in 12th position on the Asian Tour's Order of Merit.
The standard of golf in Brunei has grown tremendously since the tournament's inception in 2005 and has boosted local interest in the sport.
The Kingdon's first professional golfer Pengiran Hassanal predicted a bright future for the sport in the Brunei.
"I'm glad I made the decision to turn professional as there are many young players who know they have an option to be an amateur or professional player," he said.
© 2010 AFP/sid
