Trailblazer Siddikur all set for new season

Kuala Lumpur: Bangladesh`s first and only winner on the Asian Tour, Siddikur Rehman, hopes to

continue his winning form as he prepares for the 2011 campaign. One of the revelations of 2010, Siddikur won his maiden Asian Tour title at the Brunei Open and finished an impressive seventh on the Order of Merit. In 16 appearances across Asia, the average built Siddikur was very consistent and missed only three cuts. He finished the year with USD 267,692, ahead of stars like Singaporean veteran Mardan Mamat and Thailand`s Prayad Marksaeng. Siddikur begins his season with the Asian Development Tour`s season-opening event, the Grameenphone Bangladesh Masters at the Kurmitola Golf Club in Dhaka next week. Through 2010, he also finished second at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters, losing in a play-off to Thailand`s Pariya Junhasavasdikul. He also made heads turn at the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic, Malaysia, co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and US PGA Tour. He capped the season with a tied fifth-place finish at the Hero Honda Indian Open, the joint richest full-field Asian Tour event. Siddikur`s is a remarkable rags-to-riches story. "I know I have won a lot of money but my motivation to achieve more success is not driven by money. I just want to become a good player on the Asian Tour and maybe on the PGA Tour some day," said Siddikur. "I`ve got full confidence that 2011 will be another wonderful year and I believe I will be back to challenge for honours again," said the 26-year-old, who started playing golf with a makeshift seven iron head stuck to an iron rod. Siddikur`s accomplishments on the Asian Tour have opened the door for many aspiring golfers in Bangladesh to chase their dream of playing professionally, and they will stand a chance to test their mettle at the Grameenphone Bangladesh Masters, which makes its debut on the region`s secondary circuit from February 3-6, 2011. "I believe the tournament will be good for the future generation. I think it is important to expose players in Bangladesh to more professional events," said Siddikur. PTI