First round play restarted at 12.40pm - following a delay of four hours due to thunderstorms in the area.
Once played restarted the battle between Martin Kaymer and Graeme McDowell resumed as both have dual targets in their respective sights at the Barclays Singapore Open at Sentosa Golf Club this week.
Not only will the German and the Northern Irishman have their eyes on one of the most prestigious titles in Asia with its associated first prize of €713,165, they will also be viewing each other’s performance in what has turned out to be an intriguing Race to Dubai.
Following his three consecutive victories in the US PGA Championship, the KLM Open and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, Kaymer looked to have somewhat of a stranglehold on the second Race to Dubai, but McDowell’s victory in the Andalucia Valderrama Masters two weeks ago put him very much back into the frame at only €531,806 behind the German.
“When I started this five week run for the Race to Dubai, I targeted this week because I know that I can play well here,” said McDowell. “After my good finish here last year (tied fifth) I thought the golf course here at Sentosa sets up pretty well for me.
“You’ve got to drive the ball into the fairway and you’ve got to think your way round the golf course a little. Of course, this week is the week which I’ve targeted as an important one in trying to catch Martin and obviously I got off to a great start in Valderrama.
“My goal is to go to Dubai as close to I can possibly be to Martin for the chance to win the Race to Dubai. We were pretty close last week (in China) but a huge week this week can punch a hole in his lead. If I can have a solid finish this week, play the way I can play and Martin continues to play the way he has been doing the last four, five months, he’ll be hard to catch. But I’ll trying hard.”
Kaymer said: “Graeme played good golf in Valderrama and he really deserved to win. I played with him on the Thursday and Friday and he played fantastic golf. It would have been a big surprise for me if he had not won there.
“But this is what golf is all about – to have the challenge to play against the best players in the world and he is obviously one of them. I don’t think we should forget Lee Westwood (in the Race to Dubai). He still has a chance because it is a big prize fund in Dubai and anything can happen there. It sounds so simple but I can only take care of my own game.”
Westwood is missing from the field at Sentosa due to his ongoing rehabilitation from a calf muscle injury but the player currently in fourth place – Italy’s Francesco Molinari – does tee up, fresh from his stunning victory in last week’s WGC-HSBC Champions in China.
Indeed the Italian will tee up alongside McDowell and China’s Liang wen-Chong in one of the feature groupings of the first day while Kaymer partners Australia’s Adam Scott and Tetsuji Hiratsuka of Japan.
Both those pairings begin their title challenge on the Serapong Course – the main course in action during the week – while World Number Four Phil Mickelson begins his quest on the adjacent Tanjong Course in the company of Italian teenager Matteo Manassero and Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee.
Phil Mickelson's quest for golf's No. 1 ranking may have suffered a setback in China last week, but the Masters champion expects a stronger performance starting Thursday at the Singapore Open.
Mickelson finished tied for 41st in Shanghai.
"I didn't play the best last week but I seem to play better the second week of my two-week stretch and hope to put it together this week," Mickelson said.
Mickelson said he hasn't "played the way I liked to this year other than the win in Augusta," and he faces another daunting field in the $6 million Singapore Open.
Among the 204-man field, is defending champion Ian Poulter, Asia's first major winner Y.E. Yang and three-time major winner Padraig Harrington.
Poulter, currently ranked 15th, has designs on eventually claiming the No. 1 spot. The top ranking was out of reach in the years when Tiger Woods was at his peak, but now Poulter sees a window of opportunity.
"Everybody is now in the frame to push forward," Poulter said. "With that in mind, anybody in the top 10 in the world has a good six months, can find themselves moving up the world ranking higher enough to contend for that No. 1 spot. And that's something I'm aiming for."
After a mid season lull, Poulter's play has picked up with a strong Ryder Cup showing, and he expects a strong title defense. Yang also started the year promisingly, getting a top-10 finish in the Masters, but has tailed off since.
"For many players, it would have been a successful year, but after the personal highs in 2009, it has been a bit disappointing, especially as I have not won on the PGA TOUR, where I play the majority of my golf," Yang said.
