Forget Malaysia, Warren is close to winning again

Sore as he may be feeling at the moment, marc warren should be encouraged by his performance in the Maybank Championship in Malaysia last week and feeling excited about the rest of the season.

For 30 holes at Saujana Country Club Kuala Lumpur, Warren reminded us exactly why he is highly regarded by his peers as he played fantastic golf to sit three shots clear of the field before discovering how quickly this game can kick you in the guts.

He never really recovered from spilling six shots over that closing stretch in the second round, but hopefully it won’t be long before Warren is back chasing a fourth European Tour title.

His caddie, Ken Herring, had predicted in Dubai that Warren’s game was close to clicking and, though a share of 20th spot wasn’t what the East Kilbride man had in mind as the putts were dropping and bogeys stayed off the card in Malaysia, the signs are certainly there that a return to winning days could just be around the corner.

Not that anyone should ever underestimate how difficult that is to achieve at the top level these days. Just ask Masters champion Danny Willett, who took a three-shot lead into the final round yet was unable to finish off the job as Paraguayan Fabrizio Zanotti produced a stunning late charge.

That Zanotti had missed the cut in all three of the Desert Swing events, having failed to break 70 in six rounds, just goes to show that this game has a habit of seeing fortunues change quickly. In fact, it’s one of the many reasons that makes the game fascinating.