Jazz ready for Volvo China Open and excited about “next chapter in my life”
Jazz Janewattananond has reached many momentous milestones during his illustrious career and ahead of this week’s US$1.5 million Volvo China Open, being played at Hidden Grace Golf Club, in Shenzhen, he enthusiastically revealed the next one: marriage.
The Thai star will tie the knot with girlfriend and fellow professional golfer Sarina Schmidt next month in Thailand, completing a romance which on occasion has seen her caddie for him – most noticeably when he won last year’s International Series Morocco.
“The big day is on November 22nd!” said the 27-year-old.
“It’s good, it’s the next chapter of my life. I have been growing up, finding myself on the golf course and now I am trying to grow up off the golf course, which is good, everyone has to grow up sometimes.”
The exciting news is just the lift the 27-year-old needs after a torrid second half to the season which has seen him miss 12 successive cuts, the majority of which came on the DP World Tour.
Jazz Janewattananond pictured with the winner’s trophy and girlfriend Sarina Schmidt after winning last year’s International Series Morocco at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
It meant he lost his playing rights on the DP World Tour but as he now turns his attention to playing full-time on the Asian Tour it is with renewed hope and optimism, especially after opting to ditch a swing change.
He said: “I am back playing on the Asian Tour full-time right now. I was struggling a little bit, couldn’t get it back, couldn’t get my confidence. But it has been improving for sure. I have been seeing a lot of improvement. Working hard on what I have been doing well on the practice round so that I can transfer to the golf course.
“I have had some swing problems, some maintenance problems. I was working on the wrong things for a little bit, but I got it back now, I am on the right track. I have gone back to the things I was working on by myself.”
Jazz is a seven-time winner on the Asian Tour – the first of which came at the Bangladesh Open in 2017 – and he also won the Order of Merit in 2019, the year he roared to victory on four occasions.
And after winning in Morocco last November, which was his first success on the Asian Tour in three years, his game appeared to be back on track.
The good form continued this year until his struggles with his swing really became serious in May.
“I was playing well until Japan in April. I had just finished fourth in the International Series Vietnam, then after that I fell off with the swing change. The first month the changes weren’t that bad but then after I never recovered,” he said.
“You know sometimes you think you are going the right way but then you find a big wall and you can’t turn back but now I am going the right way.”
Seven of his wins on the Asian Tour three have been national Opens, as he also won the Singapore and Korea Opens in 2019, so he will have his eye on another when he tees-off on Thursday.
L-R- Ye Wocheng of China, Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand, Tong Yang of China and Eugenio Chacarra of Spain take a selfie at Long Cheng Square in downtown Shenzhen on Tuesday December 31, 2023 ahead of the Volvo China Open at the Hidden Grace Golf Club. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
This week marks the first time the Volvo China Open has been played on the Asian Tour since 2019. The tournament returns as part of the blossoming International Series and features a stellar line-up that includes American Andy Ogletree – who leads both the Asian Tour and International Series Order of Merits – Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell, Eugenio Chacarra from Spain and Taichi Kho from Hong Kong.
It is the 28th staging of the Volvo China Open, which in 2020 and 2021 was played as a China only tournament when local professionals Huilin Zhang and Jin Zhang triumphed. The event wasn’t held last year.
Both Zhangs are competing this week along with the country’s amateur star Ding Wenyi, who lost the Asian Amateur Championship in a sudden-death play-off in Australia at the weekend.
Ding, winner of the US Junior Amateur last year, has been paired with Jazz for the first two rounds.
The Volvo China Open makes its long-awaited return to the Asian Tour schedule this week, and it will be the first time since 2019 that the event has been open to international players following three years of interruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The US$1.5 million event, which is part of the Asian Tour’s highly lucrative International Series for the first time, will see the top players from the Asian Tour compete alongside the best players from China at Hidden Grace Golf Club, in Shenzhen. The club formerly known as Genzon Golf Club has hosted the tournament four times, in 2014 and from 2019 to 2021.
This week marks the 28th staging of the tournament – which has enjoyed a storied history since its inauguration four decades ago.
When the Volvo China Open was first played in 1995 at Beijing International Golf Club it was the first time a major international professional tournament was held in China, and the ground-breaking event was won by Raul Fretes of Paraguay. While the event was not a part of the Asian Tour schedule in the first year, it would join a year later.
The history of the Volvo China Open pictured on a branded wall at Hidden Grace Golf Club. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
During the early years of the Asian Tour the Volvo China Open was an important event on the schedule, and it would help launch and shape the careers of several noteworthy Asian Tour players.
In its first year as part of the Asian Tour, legendary Thai player Prayad Marksaeng won by nine strokes over Hsieh Yu-shu of Chinese Taipei. It was his maiden professional win and the first of his 10 Asian Tour victories.
In 1997 history was made when the third staging of the tournament saw its first Chinese winner, with Cheng Jun lifting the trophy after winning by five shots over Australian Adrian Percey. That victory was expected to be the first of many for the exceptionally talented Cheng, but surprisingly it remains his only professional victory.
The 1999 edition of the event at Shanghai Silport Golf Club was famously won by Kyi Hla Han of Myanmar by seven shots from American Christian Pena, and the victory helped Han secure the Asian Tour Order of Merit crown that season. Han would later become instrumental in re-shaping the Asian Tour when he took over as Chairman in 2004, and he is credited for having overseen the rapid growth of the professional game in Asia. Han sadly passed away in February of 2022 aged 61 after a short battle with illness, and earlier this year the Asian Tour launched the Kyi Hla Han Future Champions Award in his honor.
Four years later in 2003 Chinese star Zhang Lianwei won the title at Shanghai Silport, it was Zhang’s second win of the year having previously won the Caltex Masters in Singapore in a play-off over Ernie Els of South Africa. That year he also became the first player from his country to crack the top-100 on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) and as a result received a special invitation to play in the Masters, the first player from China to do so.
The tournament was co-sanctioned by Asian Tour and DP World Tour between 2004-2008 and in 2006 Jeev Milkha Singh became the first player from India to win the Volvo China Open. His victory was the first out of four global wins in Singh’s fabulous season, capped by claiming the Asian Tour Order of Merit. He also finished the year inside the top-50 in the OWGR, earning an invitation to the Masters, becoming the first Indian to play in this Major the following year.
The Volvo China Open would not be sanctioned by the Asian Tour between the years 2009 and 2017, but among the noteworthy winners during this period were China’s Wu Ashun and Li Haotong who posted their first DP World Tour victories with these wins, and PGA Championship winner Y.E. Yang of Korea who won the tournament in 2010.
The Volvo China Open returned to the Asian Tour schedule in 2018 when Sweden’s Alexander Björk claimed the trophy, and again the following year when victory went to Finland’s Mikko Korhonen.
Jeev Milkha Singh of India with the winners trophy after the final round of the Volvo China Open at the Beijing Honghua International Golf Club in 2006. Picture by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images.
The global pandemic meant the tournament was played as a China only event in 2020 and 2021, with local pros Huilin Zhang and Jin Zhang winning the last two editions. No event was held in 2022.
Both of those players are competing this week, when the region can enjoy the return of China’s biggest and most important golf event.
The Asian Tour has welcomed the launch of the LIV Golf Promotions event as another breakthrough moment for golf in the region, with Cho Minn Thant, its Commissioner & CEO, describing it a “an incredible, lifechanging opportunity”.
The innovative and inclusive new event, which will provide a pathway onto the world’s most exciting new franchise, the LIV Golf League, was unveiled yesterday, and will be staged at the celebrated Abu Dhabi Golf Club from December 8-10.
The top-three finishers will secure passage through to next season’s multi-million-dollar circuit with a decidedly strong contingent from the Asian Tour set to compete in Abu Dhabi via the Tour’s International Series.
The leading 25 available players from the top-40 on this year’s final International Series Order of Merit (OOM), will be eligible to enter round one, as well as tournament winners from this season’s Asian Tour. In addition, players ranked two to eight on the final International Series OOM earn a pass into round two.
Scott Vincent retained his playing rights for next year’s LIV Golf League. Picture by Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images.
“It’s a pathway to golf’s most lucrative series, and an incredible chance for Asian Tour members, offering a lifechanging opportunity,” said Cho. “With so much at stake, I’m sure this event will capture the attention of all eligible players as well as golf fans around the region and beyond.”
The International Series – 10 elite-level tournaments integrated into the Asian Tour schedule with its own OOM – starts its homeward stretch of three successive events next week, with the Volvo China Open followed by the Hong Kong Open and the BNI Indonesian Masters presented by TNE.
American Andy Ogletree is poised to win The International Series OOM, helped by two International Series victories in England and Qatar this year, and secure the automatic berth onto the 2024 LIV Golf League but there will be fierce competition for places in the LIV Golf Promotions event, which will tee-off just over two weeks after Indonesia.
Added Cho: “We were already expecting a gripping end to the season before yesterday’s news, but the LIV Golf Promotions event will now bring added drama – particularly as it being held on our continent.
“Christmas will come early to the three successful graduates. Judging by the performances of our members this year we know they will have an excellent chance to earn one of those ‘gold tickets’ and join The International Series Order of Merit winner on next year’s LIV Golf League, along with Scott Vincent – who did so well to this year to keep his playing privileges,”
Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent, who first made his name on the Asian Tour and claimed last year’s inaugural International Series OOM, finished this season 22nd in the LIV Golf League Individual Rankings to lock in a spot for 2024.
The LIV Golf Promotions event tournament will see four rounds of golf played over three days, with 36-holes on the final day, and offer an overall prizemoney of US$1.5 million.
Highlighting the global aspect of the LIV Golf League, leading players from all over the world will be eligible to participate. Through its broad entry criteria, recent winners of Majors plus PGA Tour, Korn Ferry Tour and DP World Tour events will be welcome to compete alongside Ryder Cup stars, and players from the top of The Universal Golf Rankings.
The field will also include the leading golfers from the rankings on the Japan Golf Tour, Korean PGA Tour, Sunshine Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia alongside extensive categories for the game’s elite amateurs.
Players in the Drop Zone from the recently completed 2023 LIV Golf League Individual Standings will also have another chance to return to the circuit.
Starting Friday, December 8, those who finish in the top-20 and ties from round one will advance to Saturday’s round two, where scores will reset, and the field will be joined by a category of players who automatically qualified for day two of competition. The top 20 players and ties following round two will advance to the final day of competition, where scores will reset once more for an intense full-day, 36-hole shootout.
At Sunday’s conclusion, the top three finishers will receive highly coveted and lucrative spots on the LIV Golf League for 2024. The top three finishers will also earn prize money of US$200,000, US$150,000 and US$100,000 respectively.
Players finishing fourth to 10th will receive full exemption for all 2024 events on The International Series.
The tournament will be available globally live and on-demand on LIV Golf Plus, the LIV Golf YouTube channel and broadcast partners around the world, with live coverage on Friday and Saturday from 12:00 – 4:00 p.m. and Sunday from 12:30 – 5:00 p.m. (all times local).
For more information, visit: LIVGolf.com/liv-golf-promotions-2023
Following an exciting LIV Golf season finale that saw captain Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC capture the 2023 LIV Golf Team Championship and celebrated RangeGoats GC’s Talor Gooch earning the 2023 Individual Champion title, the league today announced details on LIV Golf Promotions, presenting an exciting pathway for elite players from across the global golf ecosystem to earn their place on the LIV Golf League in 2024.
The tournament will be staged December 8-10 at the iconic Abu Dhabi Golf Club (pictured) in the United Arab Emirates, with four rounds of golf played over three days, including 36 holes on the final day where the top three finishers will be drafted into one of the LIV Golf teams next season. LIV Golf Promotions also offers a prize purse of US $1.5 million.
“In less than two years, through the launch of LIV Golf and our development of The International Series on the Asian Tour, more than 3,500 new opportunities have been created for players to compete and advance their careers at golf’s highest levels. This is bringing progress to the sport on a global scale, and the world is taking notice,” said Greg Norman, LIV Golf Commissioner and CEO. “LIV Golf Promotions establishes an integrated pathway for the best players and up-and-coming talent from all over the globe to join a league that is changing the game. Open competition and meritocracy have always been a part of the fabric of LIV Golf, and following the success of our first full, 14-event season, we’re excited to be able to launch LIV Golf Promotions and offer players from around the world the chance to qualify for 2024.”
Captain Bryson DeChambeau and Crushers GC, first place, Captain Bubba Watson and RangeGoats GC, second place, and Captain Joaquín Niemann and Torque GC, third place, celebrate on stage during Day Three of the LIV Golf Invitational – Miami Team Championship at Trump National Doral Miami on October 22, 2023 in Doral, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)
Highlighting the global aspect of the LIV Golf League, leading players from all over the world will be eligible to participate. A full breakdown of eligibility criteria, including qualifiers for round one and round two, is below.
LIV Golf Promotions will consist of four rounds of 18-hole stroke play. Starting Friday, December 8, those who finish in the top 20 and ties from round one will advance to Saturday’s round two, where scores will reset, and the field will be joined by a category of players who automatically qualified for day two of competition. The top 20 players following round two will advance to the final day of competition, where scores will reset once more for an intense full-day, 36-hole shootout. At Sunday’s conclusion, the top three finishers will receive highly coveted and lucrative spots in the LIV Golf League for 2024. The top three finishers will also earn prize money of $200,000, $150,000 and $100,000 respectively. Players finishing fourth to 10th will receive full exemption for all 2024 events on The International Series on the Asian Tour.
LIV Golf Promotions will complete the player roster for the 2024 LIV Golf League, with the three qualifiers from Abu Dhabi Golf Club being joined by the winner of The International Series 2023 Rankings to replace the four relegated players. American Andy Ogletree, who competed in the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational Series in 2023, is poised to secure that automatic berth, having recorded two International Series victories in England and Qatar, and three further top-10 finishes.
Rahul Singh, Head of The International Series, said: “This is what our season has been driving towards and is a great showcase of the open player opportunities that LIV Golf is committed to. The innovative format of LIV Golf Promotions will offer drama and excitement and I have no doubt that we will crown some very deserving recipients of their rights in the LIV Golf League 2024.”
Scott Vincent, a member of this season’s Iron Heads GC team thanks to finishing atop last year’s International Series Rankings, finished this season 22nd in the LIV Golf League Individual Rankings to lock in a spot for 2024.
Talor Gooch of RangeGoats GC hits his shot from the first tee during Day Three of the LIV Golf Invitational – Miami Team Championship at Trump National Doral Miami on October 22, 2023 in Doral, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)
Said Vincent: “That’s the coolest thing about LIV is you get to play with some of the best in the world, and that’s what we grow up hoping for, to challenge ourselves, push ourselves, and try and reach new levels – maybe something we never dreamed of. It’s amazing how it worked out for me. So many things just rolled into place, and the fact that I get to do this again, I can’t be more thrilled.”
In addition to welcoming players from around the world, relegated players, and those without a team commitment for 2024 who finished in the ‘Open Zone’ (25-44th) on the 2023 LIV Golf League standings also have the opportunity to regain their playing rights for 2024.
The tournament will be available globally live and on-demand on LIV Golf Plus, the LIV Golf YouTube channel and broadcast partners around the world, with live coverage on Friday and Saturday from 12:00 – 4:00 p.m. and Sunday from 12:30 – 5:00 p.m. (all times local).
For more information, visit LIVGolf.com/liv-golf-promotions-2023
LIV Golf Promotions Eligibility Criteria:
Category A: Qualifiers for Round 1
- Members of the 2023 Walker and Palmer Cup Teams
- Winner and runner-up of the following most recent amateur events:
- S. Amateur Championship
- The Amateur Championship
- Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (October 29)
- Latin America Amateur Championship
- European Amateur Championship
- NCAA Championship (Individual)
- Eisenhower Trophy (Individual)
- Leading 15 available players from within the top 40 WAGR rankings as of November 20, 2023 (excluding players exempt into round 2)
- Leading 25 available players from within the top 40 on the final International Series 2023 Rankings, (excluding those exempt into round two)
- Leading 3 available players from inside the top 5 from each of the following professional Tours as of November 20, 2023
- Japan Golf Tour (Money Ranking inc. Majors)
- KPGA Korean Tour (Genesis Point Ranking)
- Sunshine Tour
- PGA Tour of Australasia
- Tournament winners from the Asian Tour in 2023 and Korn Ferry Tour in 2023
- Leading 30 available players from within the top 300 in The Universal Golf Rankings (TUGR) as of November 20, 2023 (excluding those who are exempt into Round 2)
- Event invitations as determined by LIV Golf League
Category B: Byes into Round 2
The following players are exempt from Round 1 and are automatically eligible to participate in Round 2:
- The top 2 players in the WAGR rankings as of November 20, 2023
- Players ranked 2 to 8 on the final International Series 2023 Rankings
- Leading 5 available players from within the top 30 of the Final 2023 DP World Tour and Korn Ferry Tour Order of Merits / Rankings
- Winners of PGA TOUR and DP World Tour sanctioned tournaments in the 2022 and 2023 calendar years
- Ryder Cup and President’s Cup participants from 2019 – 2023
- Winners of Major Championships from 2019 – 2023
- The leading 15 available players from within the top 150 in The Universal Golf Rankings (TUGR) as of November 20, 2023
- Players relegated or without a contract for the following season from the Final 2023 LIV Golf Individual Standings
- Event invitations as determined by LIV Golf League
LIV Golf is owned and operated by LIV Golf Investments whose vision and mission are centered around making holistic and sustainable investments to enhance the global golf ecosystem and unlock the sport’s untapped worldwide potential.
Aramco has agreed one of the biggest and most significant partnerships in the history of the Asian Development Tour (ADT), after confirming title sponsorship of the Saudi Aramco Invitational for the next three editions, with an additional two-year option. The overall prize money will be US$250,000, making it the most lucrative event on the Tour, and establishing it as a prestigious season-ending tournament.
The 72-hole stroke play event will be held at Rolling Hills Golf Course (main picture) in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, from November 29 to December 2, bringing down the curtain on the ADT’s 2023 calendar in spectacular fashion and taking total ADT prize money for the season beyond the US$1 million barrier.
Nabil Al-Nuaim, Chairman of the Saudi Aramco Golf Association (SAGA) and Aramco’s Senior Vice President of Digital and Information Technology, said: “Aramco has a history of over 75 years supporting golf in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We are proud to continue our tradition across the company and the Kingdom. We believe partnership with the Asian Development Tour is a natural fit with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and Aramco’s mission to promote sports, and particularly golf, among the youth of Saudi Arabia.”
Cho Minn Thant, the Asian Tour Commissioner & CEO, said: “This is wonderful news for the Asian Development Tour, the Asian Tour’s flourishing feeder circuit, and we are truly appreciative to Aramco for their support.
Varanyu Rattanaphiboonkij is the defending champion. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“I know that all those who play on the ADT will welcome this exciting news, which, I’m sure will motivate them to work even harder as they bid to progress their way onto the Asian Tour,” he added.
With the top 10 players on the ADT’s end-of-season Order of Merit earning promotion to the Asian Tour in 2024, the Saudi Aramco Invitational will prove decisive in determining who makes it through.
Cho added: “Where Energy is Opportunity is Aramco’s tagline. The Saudi Aramco Invitational will energise and provide opportunity for the region’s up-and-coming professionals, as well as elite amateur players. We’re grateful to Aramco for their vision and commitment to the development of golf.”
The 120-strong field for the Saudi Aramco Invitational will be made up of 70 players from the ADT, 40 players selected by Aramco and 10 invitees.
Thailand’s Varanyu Rattanaphiboonkij triumphed in the 2022 inaugural tournament, which was also played at the Rolling Hills Golf Course.
Located in Dhahran, Rolling Hills is a private course for employees of Aramco.
Headquartered in Dhahran, Aramco is one of the world’s leading integrated energy and chemicals companies, creating value across the hydro-carbon chain and delivering societal and economic benefits to people and communities around the globe who rely on the vital energy it supplies.
“Aramco takes great pride in sponsoring and hosting Asia’s best up-and-coming talent at our beautiful, yet challenging, golf course,” said Mr Al-Nuaim.
“We are always seeking strategic and long-term partnerships and we look forward to further developing our relationship with the Asian Tour and Asian Development Tour.”
Famed for hosting some of the most prestigious golf events in Asia, The Serapong at Sentosa Golf Club has borne witness to countless remarkable moments in its storied history.
Following further success in 2023, it has secured its place alongside the most esteemed golfing destinations in the world after being named the ‘World’s Best Golf Course’ at yesterday’s World Golf Awards in Abu Dhabi, joining illustrious venues such as the Old Course at St Andrews, Carnoustie, Augusta National, and Shinnecock Hills in recent years to have claimed this honour.
With an unrivalled reputation for excellence, The Serapong often receives praise from top players who have graced its fairways. Thailand’s Prayad Marksaeng, who emerged victorious at the SMBC Singapore Open in 2017, shared his admiration for the course’s outstanding layout and conditioning, saying: “The Serapong is one of the best conditioned courses I have ever played. Players enjoy playing fair courses and this is something I found at Sentosa Golf Club. It was difficult and challenging, but also fair and I loved this during my victory there.”
Sadom Kaewkanjana claimed the SMBC Singapore Open in 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/SPORTFIVE.
This is a sentiment echoed by fellow Asian Tour star and 2022 SMBC Singapore Open champion Sadom Kaewkanjana from Thailand: “It is not only one of the most favoured course amongst Asian Tour players but undoubtedly one of the most challenging as well for many golfers. With a perfect design and great conditioning, it has so many great holes, including the first three that work through the hillside before dropping down towards the lagoon and the coastline.”
Earlier this year, The Serapong, having staged the Singapore Open from 2005-22, welcomed the LIV Golf League for the first time as Talor Gooch landed the first back-to-back triumph on the circuit. The American came through a play-off with Spaniard Sergio Garcia, a former winner of the Singapore Open five years ago, with Brooks Koepka a shot back.
American Koepka, who would go on to lift the PGA Championship only a few weeks’ later, emphasized The Serapong’s allure as a ball striker’s paradise: “It’s a ball striker’s golf course. You’ve got to leave yourself some good opportunities from the fairway. These greens are just so pure that you can roll it in pretty easy if you just start it on line.”
Phil Mickelson has been a regular visitor to Sentosa Golf Club for the past 20 years.
For two days, Phil Mickelson was also in contention at Sentosa Golf Club and the six-time Major winner gave an interesting insight into his preparations to tackle The Serapong.
“You’re going to have a lot of shots from 160 to 210, a lot of full six, seven, eight iron shots, and you need to hit those really well and you need to drive the ball well. If I want to play well here, those are the areas that I really need to focus on,” said the American.
The Serapong has always been a jewel in the Singapore golfing crown but the renovations in 2020 have now elevated it to a new level, after the fairways were replaced with fresh grass and new drainage infrastructures, tee boxes re-lasered to reinstate a tabletop flat finish, and bunkers given new liners with new white sand to improve consistency, texture, and playability for decades to come.
When Garcia played there in April, he made special mention of the ‘pure greens’. He said: “It’s a course that I enjoy. I feel like if my game is a little bit on, and I hit a lot of fairways, hit a lot of greens, give myself a lot of birdie opportunities, and then the greens are so pure that if you’re rolling it with a little bit of confidence, you can make some putts.”
Sergio Garcia won on The Serapong in 2018 and lost in a play-off there this year.
Alongside being named the best course on the planet at the awards, there was additional cause for celebration as The Serapong also collected the award for Singapore and Asia’s Best Course.
These endorsements from the world’s best players, combined with its recent accolades, have firmly establish The Serapong as an icon of world golf and Singapore, inviting golfers from around the world to explore its magnificence.
Taichi Kho will be aiming to complete a unique double when he lines up in next month’s Volvo China Open.
It was on the first day of October that Hong Kong’s number one struck individual gold at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
It was an inspired performance that he’ll be seeking to replicate when he returns to the world’s most populous country from November 2-5 for the eighth leg of the Asian Tour’s 10-event International Series at Shenzhen’s Hidden Grace Golf Club.
Adding the Volvo China Open title to his Asiad gold would not only secure a momentous China double for Kho, but would also put him in a perfect frame of mind for the following week’s Hong Kong Open over his home course at Hong Kong Golf Club, where he won the World City Championship in March.
Across the border at Hidden Grace Golf Club, formerly known as Genzon Golf Club, Kho will face stiff competition from a high-quality field spearheaded by six of the top-nine from the International Series Order of Merit.
Andy Ogletree of the USA
American Andy Ogletree, the runaway leader, is joined by Zimbabwean Kieran Vincent (third), Australian Wade Ormsby (fifth), Thai Gunn Charoenkul (sixth), Australian Kevin Yuan (eighth) and Spaniard Eugenio Chacarra (ninth).
There are also the top four from the Asian Tour Order of Merit with Miguel Tabuena of the Philippines (second), Thai Poom Saksansin (third) and Australian Travis Smyth (fourth) all looking to close the gap on leader Ogletree.
Other notable names in the starting line-up include Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell, a former US Open champion, and past Asian Tour Order of Merit winners Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand and Australian Scott Hend.
Look out, too, for a concerted challenge from home players with past, present and future stars from China all vying for glory.
It will be an especially poignant occasion for Zhang Lianwei, a pioneer of the professional game in China. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Zhang’s victory in the ninth edition of the Volvo China Open in 2003.
Zhang Lian-Wei of China
Meanwhile, the unrelated Zhang Jin will be defending the title he won in 2021, the last occasion the Volvo China Open was staged. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic it was then a standalone event on the China Tour.
There will also be considerable focus on an exciting batch of Chinese amateur golfers led by Ding Wenyi, who is among the favourites for the previous week’s Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Australia’s Royal Melbourne Golf Club. Ding, currently 19th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, was runner-up at the 2020 Volvo China Open.
Joining him at Hidden Grace will be Qiu Zihang, the reigning China Open Amateur champion who represented his country at last week’s 33rd World Amateur Team Championship for the Eisenhower Trophy in Abu Dhabi.
Also displaying their talent will be the past two winners of the Volvo China Junior Match Play Championship, Shao Minghao (2023) and Kuang Yang (2022).
The Hidden Grace Golf Club, formerly known as Genzon Golf Club.
The Volvo China Open marks a welcome return to China for the Asian Tour, following a four-year absence. The Asian Tour’s last visit there was for the Volvo China Open in 2019.
Among the famous names inscribed on the Volvo China Open trophy are Korean Yang Yong-eun, Asia’s first Major championship winner, and European Ryder Cup players Paul Casey of England and Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts.
Ends.
Some of the greats of modern-era golf will be lining up for a shot at glory in one of Hong Kong’s longest-running professional sporting events, as a stellar field prepares for the long-awaited return of the Hong Kong Open from 9-12 November at the Hong Kong Golf Club.
2018 Masters winner Patrick Reed and 2010 US Open winner Graeme McDowell join LIV Golf headliners Harold Varner III and Belgian Thomas Pieters for the long-running tournament, first held in 1959, which has a prize pool boosted to the tune of US$2 million this year thanks to its new status as an International Series event on the Asian Tour.
Other big-name players including 2022 The Open Championship winner Cam Smith; two-time Hong Kong Open champion Wade Ormsby; Hong Kong Asian Games gold medallist and the first local player to win an Asian Tour title at the World City Championship in March, Taichi Kho; and LIV Golf pros Talor Gooch and Eugenio Chacarra are in the field for the first Hong Kong Open to be contested since 2020.
For Varner and Pieters, the Fanling date means a chance to re-connect with close friend and LIV Golf “RangeGoats GC” teammate Gooch. Gooch has acknowledged his relationship with fellow star ‘HV’ Varner as a key factor in his switching LIV Golf teams to RangeGoats this season.
Graeme McDowell. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“HV and I first met in college golf. We just hit it off right away and have been close ever since; then we had a bunch of time together on the PGA Tour, and now on LIV – and now we are teammates so it is fun, and it is a cool opportunity,” said Gooch, who has made history this season as the first player to win three LIV Golf events and won the overall standings last Sunday at LIV Golf Jeddah.
Varner also has some history behind his name; the 33-year-old is only the second American player to win the Australian PGA Championship. He added a first LIV Golf victory in DC in May with a 12-under-par score, and also has an Asian Tour win at the PIF Saudi International last year.
Gooch is confident that Varner and his teammate Pieters are going to quickly become fan favourites at the Hong Kong Open.
“‘HV’ is about as fun of a dude that you are going to be around, but he is also a great player. He hits the ball a long ways, and he has a great short game. He plays well all over the world. He is my teammate, but I hope that I whip him that week,” added Gooch.
Pieters has seven wins since turning pro in 2013 and has represented Belgium and Europe in numerous team events including the 2016 Ryder Cup – when he led Europe with four points.
With wins in six different countries in his career already, Pieters will be intent on adding China to that list this November at the Hong Kong Open. For Gooch that outcome is always a possibility.
“Thomas is truly one of the great talents that we have in the game. You look at him and think why are you not playing a different sport. He looks like a Greek god. He is 6’5” and a big dude that hits the ball a country mile. Great short game, great hands, just a great player. He truly has the potential to be one of the best players in the game on any given week,” added Gooch.
From friends to friendly rivals, the Hong Kong Open is set to welcome the return of two Fanling – and Ryder Cup – legends in Reed and McDowell.
Reed is no stranger to the excitement surrounding the Hong Kong Open – the nine-time PGA tournament winner having finished tied-for-third at Fanling on his debut in 2015, behind winner Justin Rose and Lucas Bjerregaard. The 33-year-old Reed has returned twice since then (2016, 2018), and was named in the field for the 2021 tournament, which was cancelled due to the pandemic.
The Texan is circling in on the LIV Golf Tour with five top-five finishes so far this season. He had a similar showing at this year’s Masters at Augusta, a venue where Reed will forever be remembered for his heroics in 2018, when he shot 15-under-par to win by a stroke.
Harold Varner III. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Northern Irishman McDowell is also no stranger to Fanling – or Reed – as the pair have been part of rival Ryder Cup camps down through the years, representing Europe and America, respectively.
The 44-year-old McDowell counts four top-20 finishes among his previous efforts at the Hong Kong Open, to add to 15 career wins on the PGA Tour and European Tour in his illustrious career. He has also been an ever-present player on the LIV Golf Tour since 2022.
The Hong Kong Open is the penultimate event of this season’s The International Series, 10 marquee tournaments on the Asian Tour calendar. What happens in Fanling could have real bearing on the final standings for The International Series Order of Merit, the year-long race which will guarantee one lucrative spot for the overall leader in next season’s LIV Golf League.
As well as the enthralling, world-class golf, the Hong Kong Open’s Fan Village will once again entertain tens of thousands of visitors across event week. The Fan Village is the place to enjoy all the sun and fun off the course at the beautiful Hong Kong Golf Club with a host of activities and entertainment with yoga sessions, art workshops, golf simulators and other sport games, premier food and beverage offerings, shopping, face painting and more.
Tickets for the Hong Kong Open 2023 are now available via Ticketflap at www.ticketflap.com/hongkongopen2023.
Admission on Thursday and Friday, 9-10 November is free while daily prices for Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 November are Hk$200 per day or HK$300 for a weekend pass.
For more information please visit: www.thehongkongopen.com.
While Min Woo Lee captured the headlines with his stunning victory in the US$1 million SJM Macao Open last Sunday, another player who caught the eye with an exceptional performance was former champion Jason Knutzon. Report by Olle Nordberg, Contributing Editor – Asian Tour.
The American, the winner of the event a mere 19 years ago in 2004, finished in a tie for sixth place – a remarkable achievement, also considering it was his first tournament in five years.
After finishing an inspired week, where his tournament total of 17 under par was one stroke better than when he won the event, Knutzon said: “I would say I am incredibly happy; I had no expectations for the week.”
It was a trip that nearly didn’t happen, after Knutzon had a bout with a bug leading up to the event and felt unsure about his preparations for returning to tournament action.
“I started practicing a little bit about a month ago and then I got sick for a week or two. Something got me pretty good, and I almost felt like I wasn’t gonna come over, because I’m already unprepared, is what I felt like,” said the 47-year-old whose other Asian Tour win came at the Motorola International Bintan tournament in 2007.
Jason Knutzon poses with trophy 19 years ago. Picture by Stanley Chou/AFP via Getty Images.
“I almost didn’t go, but then I’m like, you know what, I want to play just to see a bunch of the tour friends and staff, and obviously I know this place pretty well. So yeah, it’s pretty remarkable to be honest with you, because most of my friends know what I’ve been doing at home.
“I worked basically an insurance job for a couple years and then felt like I wanted to get back into golf, so I’ve got a teaching facility in Des Moines and I’m really enjoying that. Now, I hit it incredible this week actually, I really hit it good. I don’t know, I can’t really describe it, but I really had a great week, it was awesome.”
Since playing his last Asian Tour event at the Yeangder TPC in Chinese-Taipei in the fall of 2018, Knutzon has been totally away from tournament golf and has focused more on coaching and spending time with family and friends.
Said the father of two: “Now we live in Altoona, a suburb of Des Moines, Iowa. We’ve been back there for about three years now and really like it, happy to be back around family. We have two kids, 15 and 12, so they are growing up fast. I have played a couple little qualifiers, but this year, all I did was play a member guest event at the Harvester Club, it’s a pretty awesome place.
“But you know, I haven’t done anything all year. I probably played about five times until the summer and then I played a little bit. But no, I didn’t even play in anything, not even one day events, so it’s pretty remarkable.”
Following his shock performance against a strong field of Asian Tour’s best and after a five-year hiatus, is he tempted to ask for some more sponsor invitations for upcoming events?
“I don’t know. I mean, honestly, it was such a fun week to be back. I was relaxed and maybe it’s because I had no expectations. You know, sometimes you get in the tour grind, and as a lot of my friends and family know, I always kind of played better after weeks at home and some weeks off, and then I’d come out and usually play pretty decent,” he said.
“But this is five years of testing that theory, so no, I honestly don’t know. I know I hit a lot of awesome shots over the week and played really well. Now, I know there’s a lot of work to it, it was just one week. But yeah, I don’t know what the future brings.”
For now, it is back to his “golf barn”, as he calls it, to do more coaching and after a majestic week in Macau there is no doubt he has one eye on the senior game in just three years time.
An exciting new chapter in the history of the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open will be written this year when the event becomes part of the Asian Tour for the first time.
Since 2014 the tournament has been one of the most prominent and lucrative events on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) but this season its prizemoney will be doubled to US$400,000 paving the way for its elevation to the main Tour.
The tournament will be staged at Taifong Golf Club – its regular home, located in Chang Hwa County in central Chinese-Taipei – from November 30 to December 3 and it will be the 22nd and penultimate of the season.
“We welcome the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open to the Asian Tour,” said Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner & CEO, Asian Tour.
Taifong Golf Club.
“We feel it is a natural progression in its evolution for this highly regarded and established event to step up onto the Asian Tour and play a key role in determining how our year is concluded.
“For seven successive seasons the tournament was part of the Asian Development Tour, and featured some famous winners, such as two-time champion Chan Shih-chang, and its profile will now be further elevated as an Asian Tour-sanctioned tournament.”
The arrival of the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open means the Asian Tour will visit Chinese-Taipei on three occasions this year.
Last year, the tournament made a welcome return to the schedule after a three-year hiatus due to the global pandemic and was the final event of the ADT’s season.
In what proved to be a thrilling climax to the season Chinese Taipei’s Hung Chien-yao sealed a commanding five-stroke victory, while Suteepat Prateeptienchai from Thailand finished in second place, cementing his position at the top of the ADT Order of Merit. The prizemoney was incremented by 25% to US$200,000, making it the joint richest event on the ADT.
Local hero and five-time Asian Tour winner Chan won the event in 2014 and 2018, while other past champions include Thais Donlaphatchai Niyomchon (2019), Pannakorn Uthaipas (2017) and Rattanon Wannasrichan (2015), and American Johannes Veerman (2016).
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