Bangladeshi hero Siddikur Rahman is planning to adopt a relaxed attitude as he tees off for the tri-sanctioned Fiji International at the Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course on Thursday.
Although the 32-year-old is enjoying a rich vein of form of late, he is not setting himself any targets in his maiden appearance at the the A$1.5 million (approximately US$1.14 million) event on the holiday isle of Fiji.
“I am still trying to cope with the jet lag but I am really excited to be here in Fiji for the first time,” Siddikur said.
“I played yesterday and it was not as windy as I thought. I expect it to be windier in the next few days. Hopefully I can get a taste of the windy conditions this afternoon before the tournament starts.
“The game’s feeling good. I am hoping to ride on the good momentum coming into this week. I had a superb week in Germany last month, claiming a tied-third finish on the European Tour. Things have been coming along really nicely so I am hoping for the best this week.”
Siddikur came close to securing his third Asian Tour title on home soil before setting for a runner-up finish in February. He notched another top-10 result in Japan before hogging the limelight again with a tied-third place finish in Germany last month.
“I take pride in my results so far this season. I am really happy with the way I have been playing. I practise a lot and I work a lot on my fitness. I am glad the efforts are paying off. I don’t set targets for myself anymore. I don’t want to myself any expectations. I just want to enjoy my game.
“I think I am lucky because I tend to play better under windy conditions. I heard it can really windy here on this course but I am prepared for it.”
Like Siddikur, Indian stalwart Rahil Gangjee is also entering the week in good form. He hopes to make up for a lackluster first half of the season, where he made only two cuts in eight starts, with a strong showing at the Fiji International.
China’s Liu Yan-wei, who is playing on a sponsor’s invite this week, hopes to make the most of his opportunity as he chases for a breakthrough in his burgeoning career.
From being ranked in 1092nd position on the Official World Golf Ranking at the start of the season, Liu has moved to his current 587th place, thanks to three top-three results on the Asian Development Tour, one top-10 finish on the Asian Tour and a tied-11th place on the European Tour at the Shenzhen International in April.