Defending champion Poh pumped up for PGM ADT Johor Championship return
Johor, Malaysia - Singapore’s Johnson Poh is banking on his good early season form and positive vibes from last year’s tournament as he tees up for the PGM ADT Johor Championship which tees off tomorrow.
The 27-year-old Poh shot his lowest four-round score ever at the 2018 edition of the tournament to win his first Asian Development Tour (ADT) title.
The Singaporean carded a 21-under-par 267 total for a two-shot victory at the Palm Resort Golf and Country Club, which will also be the host venue for this year’s PGM ADT Johor Championship.
“I’m very excited to be back as the defending champion! I have many great memories from last year. The task this year is to try to recreate those shots I played, and also to create more great shots!” said a confident Poh ahead of the RM225,000 (approximately US$58,000) event, co-sanctioned by the ADT and the Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM)
He added: “I’ve gone to play a round there last month. The course hasn’t changed much from last year; only the greens are a little firmer due to the dry season recently. Hitting to the right spots is the key to playing well for this course as some pins can be quite tricky.”
Poh went on to finish the season in 13th place on the 2018 ADT Order of Merit, coming agonisingly close to snatching on one of the seven Asian Tour cards on offer. The Singaporean hopes to do better this season.
“I have had a great start to 2019 by playing well at the SMBC Singapore Open (the Asian Tour season opener), and I am aiming to ride that momentum into Johor. It was a great breakthrough last year at this event. I am looking forward to even more success this year!”
Poh's title ambitions will be put to test by the likes of ADT Order of Merit champions Miguel Carballo of Argentina (2018) and Pannakorn Uthaipas of Thailand (2017), as well as ADT winners Shinichi Mizuno of Japan and Sam Gillis of the United States.
The leading seven players on the final ADT Order of Merit will earn playing rights on the premier Asian Tour for the 2020 season.
All ADT events offer Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points. The winner will receive a minimum of six OWGR points while the top six players and ties will also earn points based on a sliding scale.
