Rikard Karlberg of Sweden hopes to turn his season around by igniting a title charge at the Macao Open presented by Cityneon starting Thursday. 

Karlberg won two Asian Tour titles in his rookie season last year and is determined to make the most of his debut in the US$750,000 showpiece staged at the Macao Golf and Country Club.

He was voted as the 2010 Asian Tour Rookie of the Year where he finished in third place on the Order of Merit and is eyeing to better last year’s feat.

“My goal is to finish higher on the Asian Tour Order of Merit to give myself a chance of climbing up the world rankings as well. At the end of the year I want to try and finish in the top-100. And in the future I hope to break into the top-50,” said Karlberg.

Karlberg has yet to secure a top-10 finish on the Asian Tour this year but he remains optimistic of turning the corner in the Macao Open presented by Cityneon, which returns on the Asian Tour Schedule after a one year hiatus.

“I started good in Asia and Europe but now I’ll concentrate more on the Asian Tour. I didn’t play much in the summer and when the tournaments come, I feel like I need to get back in the groove because I haven’t done it in a while. It takes a while to warm up.

“My golf game is improving but sometimes you don’t get the results right away. I feel I’m hitting it more consistent so I know I’ll do better when we come to the tougher courses,” said the 24-year-old.

Asian Tour rookie Timothy Tang has yet to claim a single pay cheque on the region’s elite Tour where he missed six consecutive cuts but he is hopeful of getting a lucky break in Macao, located about two hours from his home in Hong Kong. 

“I put too much pressure on myself and I need to learn and play my game. There’s still a lot of golf left towards the end of the year and I need to stay positive and treat it like I’m playing at home,” said Tang.

He earned his Asian Tour card at Qualifying School earlier this year where he finished in tied 21st place but has been struggling to hit top form.

“I want to treat this week like any other week and do the best that I can. I’m trying to have more consistent putting. I’m putting the pieces together this year and learn as much as I can,” said Tang, who graduated with a communications degree from the College of Charleston in the United States.

Man of the moment Himmat Rai is keen on riding the immense form which won him his maiden Asian Tour title at the ISPS Handa Singapore Classic last week where he triumphed after a six-hole play-off.

“It was a great win. All the work that I put in four weeks before the event paid off. I played extremely well and I’m glad it worked out like how it did,” said Rai, the third Indian to win on the Asian Tour this year.

Rai played in the 2008 and 2009 Macao Opens where he missed the cut but insists he is a different and better player now.

“I was unprepared when I last played in Macao. I’m going to be focussing more on the shots that I require and taking it from there. This is a course where you must know where to hit the ball. You have to do your homework well,” added the 24-year-old.

He will be joined by countrymen and Order of Merit leader S.S.P. Chowrasia, Asian Tour honorary member Jeev Milkha Singh, who last featured in the Macao Open in 1999 and young guns Gaganjeet Bhullar and Anirban Lahiri.

Title holder Thaworn Wiratchant of Thailand, Siddikur of Bangladesh and Lin Wen-tang of Chinese Taipei will headline the Macao Open presented by Cityneon

The Macao Open has been a regular fixture on the Asian Tour calendar and has previously attracted some of the world’s best players. The tournament has been won by many world stars, including Lee Westwood of England (1999) and Colin Montgomerie of Scotland (2003).

Asian luminaries who have triumphed in the tournament include China’s Zhang Lian-wei (2001 & 2002), Lu Wen-teh of Chinese Taipei (2007) and Thaworn (2009). The trio have also confirmed their participation for this year’s edition. The Macao Open presented by Cityneon will be beamed live during all four rounds on the Asian Tour’s television platform of over 200 nations and 850 million homes, ensuring that Macao will be the centre of attention during the week.