2016 Hong Kong Open winner Sam Brazel has been quietly going about his business to start 2018 and after some solid play in the Middle East will like his chances to climb into the limelight in Malaysia this week.

Brazel is one of 10 Australasians in the field for the Maybank Championship where a T12 finish last year suggests a liking for the Saujana GC in Kuala Lumpur.

After a blistering 66 to be outright 5^th after 18 holes in 2017, Brazel slipped with scores of 71-73 but hit back Sunday with a 69 to climb back up the leaderboard.

Now in his second full year in Europe, the 39-year-old will feel at home at the Asian Tour co-sanctioned tournament, the circuit where he played several seasons before his big breakthrough.

His form in 2018 will have gone unnoticed by most but T32 in a strong field in Abu Dhabi (with a final round 76) and T22 last week in Dubai suggests he is on the verge of putting together four good rounds and it would be no surprise if that performance came this week.

Also looking to capitalise on some good form is Jason Scrivener who has earned a start in Malaysia courtesy of his tremendous play in Dubai.

With his T6 finish, the West Australian is exempt into the following week’s event and makes his debut at the Maybank this week.

Andrew Dodt showed flashes of brilliance over four days in Dubai and will be looking to minimise mistakes this week at a course where he finished mid-field last year.

Wade Ormsby, Scott Hend, 2016 winner Marcus Fraser, Jason Norris and New Zealand’s Ryan Fox round out the European Tour contingent while Jake Higginbottom, Terry Pilkdaris and Todd Sinnott represent the Asian Tour.

Hend was erratic at Saujana last year with rounds of 74-66-75-67 suggesting he can go low at the course but perhaps needs to temper his naturally aggressive style to minimise dropped shots.

Fraser’s victory didn’t come at this course and he missed the cut here last year so will need to turn things around after also missing the cut last week in Dubai.

Todd Sinnott and Terry Pilkadaris both played last year but Pilkadaris missed the cut and Sinnott finished T64, well below what both will be hoping for this week.

Jason Norris, Jake Higginbottom and Ryan Fox all make their first appearance at the event this week and all come to Malaysia after missing cuts at their respective events last week.