Ryan Moore is more than a defending champion. This week at the CIMB Classic in Malaysia, he is a two-time defending champion.
The tournament is the third on the PGA Tour's 2015-16 calendar, merging the U.S. schedule with the Asian Tour's conclusion.
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"It's hard to figure out why I've had the success that I have in this tournament or on this course particularly, but obviously, I hope it continues," he said Wednesday.
Play begins at 7:45 a.m. Thursday in Kuala Lumpur, which is 7:45 p.m. ET Wednesday. There's a half-day difference in the time zones.
The CIMB Classic also is the U.S. tour's season debut for several big-name players. Among them:
— Henrik Stenson of Sweden, who at No. 7 is the top player in world rankings in the tournament. Stenson was strong in the season-ending FedEx Cup play, finished three tournaments in second place.
— Patrick Reed, a Texan who is No. 20 in world rankings. His past two ventures in Malaysia were nothing special. But he has the chops to win, having done so on the PGA Tour and playing well on the European Tour as well.
— Sergio Garcia, who tied for second last year and is seeking his first PGA Tour win since 2012.
— Anirban Lahiri of India, who is making his first as a member of the PGA Tour, made a splash last season and has a chance to win the Asian Tour's Order of Merit. Lahiri won on the Kuala Lumpur course earlier this year. He played for the International team in the Presidents Cup.
"In terms of the game, I think it's in a really good place," he said. "But obviously the energy levels are beginning to dip. It's been a long year. I've made four or five trips all the way across the world from India to America, then back, then to Europe, then back, then to Asia, then back. But I'm at home right now. This is as close to home as it gets for me, and I'm just comfortable on this golf course."