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Schwartzel, whose birdie blitz snatched victory on a heart-stopping final day last week, stars with British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen and top-ranked Martin Kaymer, the PGA Championship title-holder.

Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy will also be looking to bounce back quickly after an agonising Sunday in Augusta when the three-round leader threw away a four-shot lead to finish 10 strokes adrift.

Defending champion Noh Seung-Yul, 19, Thongchai Jaidee and Jeev Milkha Singh head the regional charge at the $2.5 million event at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club.

Schwartzel, 26, will be buoyant after he dramatically birdied the last four holes at Augusta National to steal victory from Australians Adam Scott and Jason Day after McIlroy's collapse.

Afterwards, he said he had drawn inspiration from compatriot Oosthuizen's British Open win as he joined his close friend, as well as Trevor Immelman and Retief Goosen, among South Africa's major champions.

"To see him win there was just such a big inspiration. We play almost every single practice round together, as well," Schwartzel said.

"Just to see him do it made me realise that it is possible, and just sort of took me over the barrier of thinking that a major is too big for someone to win."

McIlroy will be keen to recover strongly from his meltdown, which evoked unwanted memories of last year's British Open, when he led the first round at St. Andrews but shot 80 on a windswept day two.

"It's very disappointing what happened today," the disconsolate Ulsterman said last week. "Hopefully it'll build a little bit of character in me as well."

Meanwhile highly rated Italian hotshot Matteo Manassero, 17, will be hoping to wrest the title from South Korea's Noh, who became Asia's youngest order of merit champion last year.

"I've not had great scores this year but feel like I'm playing well. So I'm ready. I'm ready to make some good scores and have a good tournament. Hopefully it will be this week," Manassero said.

Meanwhile Thai veteran Thongchai, a three-time Asian merit champion, said he was 80 percent recovered from a back injury which left him in hospital for nine days in February.

"You never know what will happen in golf. There are strong players on the Asian Tour. The weather and course conditions also suit us better," he said.

"I'm going to try my best to win and if I don't, I hope another Asian player will take the title home."