Najib, the golfer, has his own style

They say golf can mirror an individual's character. Both newly appointed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak and his predecessor, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi play the game.

I have had the opportunity to play a round with Abdullah and have also had a close look at Najib's performance on the golf courses several times.

Both the gentlemen share some similarities in the way they approach the game. They both know golf well enough and have kept themselves abreast with the latest in the sport.

Both are careful players who constantly seek views of their caddies before taking every shot but Abdullah somehow struck me as a more risk-averse golfer than Najib that when we played, he would almost always opt for the percentage shots rather than attack the course.

From the several times I have seen him in action, Najib seemed a more attacking player among the two and has lesser aversion towards taking a bit of risk to go for the rewards.

I have seen Najib blasting out of fairway sand traps trying to go for a par-4 hole in regulation many times when any percentage player like Abdullah would reach for the wedge, get out of the bunker and try to make the green in three.

But the new Prime Minister is far from being a reckless golfer. I seldom see him smile on the golf course, an indication that he takes the game seriously, and stays focussed throughout.

Abdullah on the other hand is more relaxed that when we played, it was more of a friendly game. He chatted and commented on shots made by everyone in the flight.

True to his nature of being a consensus-seeker, Abdullah constantly consults his caddy. In that, I saw some similarities between the two gentlemen since Najib is also known to do likewise.

But from what I have seen between the two, Abdullah perhaps spends a bit more time engaging his caddy, especially on the putting surface.

Being at the hottest place on the golf course, I was burning every time we waited for Abdullah to read the greens.

But whatever excess time he spent on consulting his caddy, Abdullah made good with his sharpness in putting.

When we played, he sank a 25-foot putt to save par on the challenging 17th hole at the Saujana Bunga Raya Course after spending much time reading the green.

Najib, I heard, is equally sharp although from what I have seen, he plays at a faster pace than Abdullah.

Dressing-wise, save perhaps for the fact that if both are professional golfers, they already qualify to play the Seniors' Tour, they can measure up with Colombian ace and fashionable golfer, Camillo Villegas, any time.

Abdullah stepped down from the premiership yesterday and Najib is now Prime Minister. Naturally, every Malaysian wonders what it would be like having Najib as Prime Minister.

If it is true like they say, that golf is a mirror to one's character, there should be some similarities between the two in how they manage the country.

But after having a round with Abdullah and watching Najib on the course several times, I am more inclined to believe that there will be more differences.