Self-belief propels Singapore golfer Quincy Quek to his biggest win

Thrice, he had come close to bagging his first PGA Tour Series-China win, but all three times he had fallen short.

Quincy Quek has endured a tumultuous last few years that have been riddled with missed chances, but five years and 38 starts later, the 32-year-old's patience was rewarded when he clinched his first tour title in the Haikou Classic at Mission Hills Haikou yesterday.

He wrapped up the tournament with two-over 73 for a 16-under 268, securing a two-stroke victory over China's Bai Zhengkai.

This comes on the back of his win at the PGM Northport ADT Championship in Kuala Lumpur - his first Asian Development Tour (ADT) title in seven years - less than a month ago.

He said: "It's the self-belief that I can get it done and not being afraid to do it. The first win has helped me aim higher a bit.

"In the past, it's been up and down; you make some silly mistakes, unforced errors, your mind starts to wander, you get stressed out.

"But now I know that I have the ability and it's just about going out there and getting the job done."

Even after putting in an impressive performance in the first three rounds that saw him take a six-stroke lead at 18-under 195 at the 7,146-yard Sandbelt Trails Course, thoughts of winning did not surface in his mind.

Instead, he concentrated on the present so as to stave off any unnecessary pressure.

This proved crucial in the final round of the tournament, which saw Quek hang on to his lead despite carding three bogeys.

In between shots, he would think of other things like the fond memories he has with his two-year-old daughter and not get too obsessed with how he was faring in comparison to others.

Said Quek: "There have been times when I find myself slipping and getting distracted by the position and how many more birdies I have to get to this position, but I've tried to let my mind not think so much about the result, think more about process."

Quek's biggest professional triumph saw him take home a winner's cheque of 288,000 yuan (S$56,000) - more than four times the RM39,375 (S$13,000) he earned in KL last month.

"I've tried to let my mind not think so much

about the result, think more about process."

- Singapore golfer Quincy Quek