EUROPEAN TOUR:SOREN HANSEN hopes an encouraging start to the year will lead to a return to the winner's enclosure at this week's Maybank Malaysian Open.
The 35-year-old has finished inside the top-20 in all five events this season to extend his run of consecutive cuts made to 23: his last failure to make the weekend came at last year’s US Masters.
Hansen did lose in the first round of the WGC Matchplay Championship to Retief Goosen on his last outing, although that did allow him to head to the newly-refurbished Kuala Lumpur Golf Country Club looking to post a first win since the 2007 Mercedes-Benz Championship.
“I only decided to come at the last minute and I am really pleased that I have done that, because I see a very good course that is in great condition and gives you all sorts of opportunities – you can take it on, leave it back and so on,” said the world number 50.
“My game is not bad at the minute – it is coming good, so I just wanted to play golf. It is one of those weeks where you don’t know if it will be a long- or short-hitter winning this week, if we will have a European or Asian winner – it is wide open and that is what you want at the start of every week.”
Hansen enjoyed a superb 2009 with top-10 finishes at the US and British Opens, meaning the Dane has qualified for all four majors this season.
Irish interest will centre on Darren Clarke, Peter Lawrie and Gary Murphy.
