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Golf

Lin Wen-tang believes that he is ready to sparkle again despite the presence of several marquee names at the UBS Hong Kong Open.

Just 12 months ago, the five-time Asian Tour winner claimed his biggest win of his career when he defeated Northern Irish teenage prodigy Rory McIlroy in a thrilling play-off.

Following that victory, Lin has gone on to enjoy further success when he won his fifth Asian Tour title at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters last month. That win also saw him equal the five career victories held by compatriots Lu Wen-teh and Lin Keng-chi.

The Chinese Taipei star also charged into the lead midway through the second round against a star-studded field in Shanghai last week and was also in contention in Singapore a fortnight ago.

"The field this week is very strong. But I'm playing well and I'm glad to be back in Hong Kong to defend my title again," said Lin.

Besides having to contend with McIlroy, who made up for his near miss last year by claiming his breakthrough European victory at the Dubai Desert Classic in February, Lin will have to edge past a world-class field that boosts the likes of world number four, Lee Westwood of England and newly honoured Asian Tour honorary member, Yang Yong-eun of Korea.

"I do not want to give myself too much pressure by thinking of winning the title again but this place has given me many wonderful memories and I hope it'll continue to do so again this week," said Lin.

The father of two took a four-month hiatus from golf in the middle of the year to spend quality time with his family and the refreshing break is paying off as he is enjoying a resurgent in form once again.

"The constant demands of traveling and being away from my family took a toll on me and I decided to take a break from golf for a while especially since I have such a young family," said Lin.

"Those time spent with my family were the best I ever had since I became a professional golfer. It's tough to be constantly away from your family if you are professional but I'm grateful to have a very supportive and understanding wife who looks after my two kids when I'm away," added Lin.

Meanwhile Westwood who will be making his first appearance in Hong Kong has promised a strong performance that will hopefully see him win the title in his first attempt here.

"I'm obviously looking forward to making my first appearance in the UBS Hong Kong Open. I have watched it on TV over the years and it's very tight and tree-lined," said Westwood who currently leads the Race to Dubai.

"I'm not thinking about the money list this week, but thinking more about the UBS Hong Kong Open as it is a very old and prestigious tournament and one I've never won. I would like to win all the titles I've not won before so the goal is to win this week," added the Englishman.

Victory may not be easy for Westwood as McIlroy is determined to make up for the heartbreak of last year when he narrowly lost to Lin.

The Northern Irish youngster believes that he is peaking at the right time and is now back as a better golfer .

"A year on, I feel every day I wake up is a day to learn something new. I feel I need to keep doing that. I am still the same person but my results have been better this year," said McIlroy.

"I am a better golfer than last year but it is fractions. All the experiences count. You can look back on them and learn from your mistakes. It is a huge factor in golf. Experiences on the course make you learn about your game and yourself," added the teenager.