Malaysia’s rising talent Ervin Chang is looking forward to testing himself against the cream of the Asian Tour and the elements at this week’s US$1 million SJM Macao Open.
Chang will be playing the hilly, windswept layout of Macau Golf and Country Club in competition for the first time when the tournament starts on Thursday.
“The golf course is amazing. It’s very hilly and the condition is excellent, despite the recent typhoon. It’s definitely a challenging layout and you can’t hit a lot of drivers.
“The wind is a big factor. Sometimes, we’re kind of hidden in a corner when hitting our tee shots so we don’t feel the wind – but out there there’s a huge gust of wind coming,” said Chang after yesterday’s practice round.
“This week will be about whoever hits the most fairways and greens and plays the smartest. I’m changing my gameplan from how I normally play and will take a more conservative approach for the first two rounds and see how that goes. If I need to attack, I’ll go for it,” added the 25-year-old.
Chang finished joint 37th in last week’s International Series Singapore at Tanah Merah Country Club, where his putting was on song.
“I was pretty comfortable and confident with my putting last week although I lost a lot of shots from the tee. I saved par from seven feet at the last hole of my second round to make the cut. It feels good knowing that my putting is on the right track,” he said.
Chang turned professional in May last year after winning the individual gold medal at the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam. He finished 15th on the 2022 Asian Development Tour Order of Merit and was subsequently named as the recipient of the Asian Tour’s inaugural Kyi Hla Han Future Champions Award, which rewards promising young players with funding and invitations to selected events.
In May this year, Chang broke through on home soil to claim his maiden professional victory at the Mirai Cup, a tournament on the domestic Toyota Tour. He won by a massive six-shot margin over Shahriffuddin Ariffin, who is also playing in the SJM Macao Open.
Joining Chang and Shahriffuddin at Macau Golf and Country Club this week are fellow Malaysians Ben Leong, Nicholas Fung and rookie Casper Loh.
Among the favourites for the title are Taichi Kho of Hong Kong, China, who recently won the individual gold medal at the 19th Asian Games men’s golf tournament, and Australian star Min Woo Lee, ranked within the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking.
“There are many good players here at the SJM Macao Open. We have past champions, we have European Tour players, we have the Asian Games gold medallist. I’m looking forward to a challenging week as I like to compete with world-class players and measure myself against them,” said Chang.
Making a much-anticipated return after six years, the SJM Macao Open features a field of 144 players vying for the honour of being crowned champion of its milestone 20th edition. The tournament forms part of the final stretch of the Asian Tour’s 2023 season and will thus play a pivotal role in determining the Order of Merit champion.
The tournament is title sponsored by SJM Resorts, S.A. (SJM), who have signed a three-year agreement with tournament promoter and organiser IMG. SJM is a leading owner, operator and developer of premium integrated entertainment resorts in Macao.
