5 things we learned at the Volvo China Open
April 30: The Volvo China Open marked a significant development for the Asian Tour and a groundbreaking one for the winner, Alexander Björk. We look back at the happenings on and off the course.
1. Alexander Björk became the first Swede to win the Volvo China Open, which celebrated its 24th edition last week. It is the oldest professional golf tournament in the country.
2. Bjork bought a house in Sweden with his girlfriend, Kate, just four days ago so most definitely, his prizemoney of CN¥3,333,330 (approx. US$526,400) will come in very handy.
3. It was Björk’s first win in 44 starts on the European Tour and his second attempt at the Volvo China Open. He missed the cut on the same course at the Topwin Golf and Country Club last year.
4. A record total of 42 Chinese players took part in the 2018 Volvo China Open. Six of them made the cut. Ashun Wu emerged as the highest ranked Chinese in tied-seventh following a closing 67.
5. A total of three hole-in-ones were recorded at the 2018 Volvo China Open. Japan’s Hideto Tanihara drove home a new car after sinking an ace on the 16th hole in the first round. Tapio Pulkkanen fired an ace on the sixth hole in the third round while Ashun Wu nailed it on the 13th hole after his eight-iron tee shot from 158 yards found the bottom of the cup on the final day.
Ends.
Beijing, April 29: Alexander Björk became the first Swede to lift the Volvo China Open trophy after he closed with a bogey-free seven-under-par 65 to win by one shot at the Topwin Golf and Country Club on Sunday.
The 27-year-old Björk, who started the round one shot back, rolled in seven birdies for a winning total of 18-under-par 270 and a maiden title on both the European Tour and the Asian Tour in the CN¥20,000,000 (approx. US$3,178,000) event.
Björk endured an anxious wait before his victory was confirmed after overnight co-leaders Matt Wallace of England and Adrian Otaegui of Spain failed to eagle the par-five 18th hole to force a play-off. He took home a winner’s prize purse of CN¥3,333,330 (approx. US$526,400).
Alexander Bjork of Sweden
Otaegui birdied the last to sign for a second straight 67 and finish in second place on his own. Wallace settled for a 68 following a closing par to share third place with countryman Jordan Smith (64) and Jorge Campillo (67) of Spain on 272.
Ashun Wu produced the shot of the day when his eight-iron tee shot from 158 yards found the bottom of the cup on the par-three 13th hole. It was the third hole-in-one of the week.
Wu, who won the tournament in 2015, signed for an eventual 67 to emerge as the highest-ranked Chinese player in tied-seventh place in the 24th edition of the Volvo China Open, which is tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and the China Golf Association.
Did you know?
- Alexander Björk claimed his breakthrough win in his 44th start on the European Tour.
- The victory will move him into the top-80 in the world, potentially to as high as 72nd, up from 115th on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).
- The 27-year-old Björk becomes the first Swedish winner of the Volvo China Open, which is celebrating its 24th edition this week.
- Björk has never fell outside top-10 in all four rounds of the Volvo China Open this week. Found 10 fairways, missed two greens and needed only 28 putts around the greens in his solid round of 65.
- Björk dropped only four bogeys the whole week. He stayed bogey-free in his final 24 holes.
- Björk turned professional in 2009 and previously won once on the Challenge Tour.
- Björk is playing in his second attempt at the Volvo China Open this week. He missed the halfway cut last year.
- Adrian Otaegui, 25, is a Spanish player who is based in Dubai. He turned professional in 2011 and won his maiden European Tour title at the Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Match Play in 2017.
- Otaegui is mentored by his countryman and idol, former Major champion José María Olazábal, having played most of his junior golf at his local golf club in the seaside resort of Fuenterrabia, where Olazábal was born and raised.
- Matt Wallace claimed his second European Tour title and first Asian Tour victory at the 2018 Hero Indian Open last month.
- Wallace broke a number of records when he won five times in five consecutive starts on the Alps Tour in 2016. He won a total of six titles that year to win the Order of Merit.
- Jeunghun Wang completed back-to-back victories with a come-from-behind one-shot triumph in the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, barely a week after he had broken through in Morocco in 2016.
- The 22-year-old Wang is a three-time European Tour winner and one-time Asian Tour winner.
- Wang enjoyed a stellar season in 2014 where he didn’t miss a single cut in 16 straight events on the Asian Tour.
- Ashun Wu is a former winner of the Volvo China Open in 2015. He sank his career’s third hole-in-one on the par-three 13th hole with an eight-iron from 158 yards in the final round of the 2018 Volvo China Open. It is also the third hole-in-one this week. Japan’s Hideto Tanihara drove home a new car after making the first ace of the week on the 16th hole in the opening round.
Alexander Bjork of Sweden
Players’ quotes:
Alexander Bjork (Swe) – Final round 65 (-7), Total 270 (-18)
It’s great to know that I am the first Swede to win the prestigious tournament. It sounds pretty good. I am super happy. I would say the birdie on 17 was good. I knew I had a good chance on 18. I know I will have a good chance if I can make par on 18.
It’s tough to describe the emotions right now but I am really very happy. I am very proud of myself. The way I played today, it’s probably one of the best rounds of golf that I have ever played.
I didn’t make any mistakes today. I am super happy. I have been striking the ball so good off the tee and I putted great on the greens as well. It has been so solid. It’s easy to play around when you feel like your swing is there.
It’s really nice to be working out well for me today since it’s the final round and the pressure comes on. I still hit good shots all the way. I didn’t look at the leaderboard too much on the first nine holes.
From 12, I knew I was up in the leaderboard and I saw Jordan Smith finished on -16 so I knew I had to make birdies coming down the stretch. That helped me to stay positive and give me the strength to make birdies instead of trying to play safe.
That was important for me to try and make birdies. I had mixed feelings on the last. I was happy with the par save but obviously I would want to finish with a birdie. It’s a tough hole to make an eagle on the last as well. I thought I had a pretty good chance but you never know.
You never think you were going to win. You hope it will happen. I had a really good feeling this morning actually. I was less nervous than how I would usually be before the final round. I guess it was meant to be today. I missed out on the win in Hong Kong earlier this season. I had a bad finish. It was my turn to win today so I am very happy.
Adrian Otaegui (Esp) – Final round 67 (-5), Total 271 (-17)
I am happy with my second-place finish at the Volvo China Open. I hit a three-wood left and I knew it was a good spot to miss on the left. It was about 35 meters short. It was a difficult putt to make but I managed to make a good up-and-down there for birdie.
Matt Wallace (Eng) – Final round 68 (-4), Total 272 (-16)
It was gutting. I hit one of the best shots that I have ever hit into the last hole. Get no lie, no shot and then missed the putt to finish tied-third.
I played great. When you play great, you want to win. You want to know you can win. I kind of got a little bit unlucky with every bad shot that I hit today. I probably hit three bad shots today.
I had to chip outside where you saw on the third hole and had a really bad lie on the 10th to make bogey. I will learn from it and I will come back stronger again. It’s hard to take right now.
Jeunghun Wang of Korea
Jeunghun Wang (Kor) – Final round 68 (-4), Total 274 (-14)
I played really good this week. I was hitting the ball really well. I didn’t miss a lot of short putts today but I missed a lot of putts for birdies today. It’s pretty disappointing but overall, I am happy with my result. It’s always good to finish inside top-10.
I made a good birdie on the 11th hole. I hit driver off the tee but went into the bunker. I hit a great shot out from the bunker to about two feet and made the birdie putt. That’s the highlight for me.
I wasn’t thinking much out there. I tried my best not to think about anything. I just want to play my own game. I think that worked for me, especially on my front nine.
Ashun Wu (Chn) – Final round 67 (-5), Total 274 (-14)
It was a fantastic day. I made a hole-in-one on the 13th hole today. The wind was blowing from left to right. I hit an eight-iron from 158 yards and the ball landed two yards short of the pin before rolling into the hole.
It was very nice. I didn’t see it but everyone told me it went in. They were all cheering. This is the third hole-in-one in my career.
I didn’t play so good in my front nine but I played really good on the back. I am very happy with my overall performance. It’s been a great week playing at home. I enjoyed it a lot. I love the golf course. It’s in very good conditions this week.
Many thanks to my friends and family members who came down to support me this week. The home crowd was awesome.
Ashun Wu of China
Scores after round 4 of the Volvo China Open being played at the par 72, 7261 Yards Topwin GcC course (am – denotes amateur):
270 – Alexander BJORK (SWE) 66-72-67-65.
271 – Adrian OTAEGUI (ESP) 68-69-67-67.
272 – Jordan SMITH (ENG) 69-69-70-64, Jorge CAMPILLO (ESP) 69-68-68-67, Matt WALLACE (ENG) 65-70-69-68.
273 – Lucas BJERREGAARD (DEN) 70-73-66-64.
274 – Ashun WU (CHN) 70-71-66-67, Jeunghun WANG (KOR) 72-66-68-68, Paul DUNNE (IRL) 71-68-67-68, Jinho CHOI (KOR) 69-72-65-68.
275 – Scott VINCENT (ZIM) 66-74-68-67, Sihwan KIM (USA) 70-66-70-69, Andrea PAVAN (ITA) 68-72-66-69.
276 – Daxing JIN (CHN) 64-76-69-67, Shubhankar SHARMA (IND) 69-72-68-67, Mikko ILONEN (FIN) 71-70-67-68, Soomin LEE (KOR) 68-69-70-69, Alexander LEVY (FRA) 69-73-65-69, Nacho ELVIRA (ESP) 69-67-70-70.
277 – Aaron RAI (ENG) 73-70-68-66, Ashley CHESTERS (ENG) 72-68-68-69, Jason SCRIVENER (AUS) 67-69-71-70, Matteo MANASSERO (ITA) 72-68-67-70, Julien GUERRIER (FRA) 68-69-68-72.
278 – Keith HORNE (RSA) 69-74-68-67, Joost LUITEN (NED) 70-69-70-69.
Ends.
About Asian Tour
As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), Habitat for Humanity (Official Sustainable Development Partner), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), Titleist and FootJoy (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.
Beijing, April 28: Overnight leader Matt Wallace of England battled to a three-under-par 69 to remain atop the leaderboard, sharing the honours with Adrian Otaegui of Spain following a low-scoring day at the Volvo China Open on Saturday.
The 28-year-old Wallace, who held an overnight one-shot lead, nailed four birdies against a bogey for a three-day total of 12-under-par 204 at the Topwin Golf and Country Club. Otaegui matched his efforts after sinking five straight birdies from the eighth hole for a flawless 67.
Alexander Bjork of Sweden posted a 67 to share third place with Julien Guerrier of France and Jorge Campillo of Spain, who carded matching 68s, in the CN¥20,000,000 (approx. US$3,178,000) event, which is the oldest professional golf tournament in the country.
Korean talent Jeunghun Wang and American Sihwan Kim were among those bunched in sixth place on 206 following rounds of 68 and 70 respectively in the 24th edition of the Volvo China Open, tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and the China Golf Association.
Ashun Wu, a former winner of the Volvo China Open in 2015, emerged as the highest-placed Chinese player after signing for a commendable 66 to stay three shots off the pace in tied-12th position. He is one of the six local players who made the halfway cut.
Defending champion Alexander Levy of France fired a low round of 65 to move within three, giving himself an outside chance of winning the tournament for a record third time.
He is also chasing for back-to-back victories on the European Tour after winning in Morocco last week. Levy was seven shots off the lead going into the final round of the 2017 Volvo China Open.
Matt Wallace of England
Did you know?
- Matt Wallace turned professional in 2012 after enjoying a stellar amateur career, where he won the 2011 Czech Amateur and Tallihade and Argentine Amateur.
- Wallace broke a number of records when he won five times in five consecutive starts on the Alps Tour in 2016. He won a total of six titles that year to win the Order of Merit.
- Wallace defeated Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston in a play-off to claim his second European Tour title and first Asian Tour victory at the 2018 Hero Indian Open last month.
- Adrian Otaegui, 25, is a Spanish player who is based in Dubai. He turned professional in 2011 and won his maiden European Tour title at the Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Match Play in 2017.
- Otaegui is mentored by his countryman and idol, former Major champion José María Olazábal, having played most of his junior golf at his local golf club in the seaside resort of Fuenterrabia, where Olazábal was born and raised.
- Starting the round with a two-shot deficit, Otaegui reeled in seven pars before producing five straight birdies from the par-five eighth hole. He returned home with six consecutive pars to mark a bogey-free round.
- Otaegui has only dropped three shots so far this week. He is playing in his second attempt at the Volvo China Open. He missed the halfway cut in the last edition.
- Jeunghun Wang completed back-to-back victories with a come-from-behind one-shot triumph in the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, barely a week after he had broken through in Morocco in 2016.
- Those two victories also earned Wang a place in the record books as the youngest player at 20 years and 251 days to ever secure back-to-back triumphs in European golf history.
- Wang also capped a remarkable maiden season in Europe by claiming the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year title in 2016. Enjoyed a stellar season in 2014 where he didn’t miss a single cut in 16 straight events on the Asian Tour.
- Wang was also selected as a Captain’s pick to represent Team Asia at the 2016 EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM.
- The 22-year-old Wang is now a three-time European Tour winner and one-time Asian Tour winner.
- Ashun Wu has previously won the Volvo China Open in 2015. He is a two-time winner on the European Tour, as well as the Japan Golf Tour. He was the first Chinese to win on the Japan Golf Tour.
- The 32-year-old Wu played on the Asian Tour in 2008 and 2009. Also represented Team Asia at the 2016 EurAsia Cup in Malaysia.
Players’ quotes:
Matt Wallace (Eng) – Third round 69 (-3), Total 204 (-12)
It was up and down today as you could see with my emotions out there. I’m really gutted to finish with a bogey and a par on the last two holes. After the big putt at 16 for par I was a bit too hyped up really and I needed a second on the tee there just to slow myself down and get the ball in play.
I had a chance at par at 17 and missed it and then it was just a bad tee shot down the last. Again, it was frustrating but I’m playing really good golf so there’s not much else I can do. I hit it quite close on a few of them, including on nine but it was a tough putt and I missed it on the low side.
Then I was grinding through. I had a good look on 11 at the right edge of the green as they were a frustrating few holes but I’m still up there.
I’m playing really nicely, I’m hitting it long and straight and if I do that tomorrow I’ll have a few chances at birdies. We’re tied for the lead so I’m pretty happy.
Adrian Otaegui of Spain
Adrian Otaegui (Esp) – Third round 67 (-5), Total 204 (-12)
I played well from the beginning to the end. I made a couple of mistakes but was able to make pars. That five birdies in a row helped me a lot to a five-under-par 67. I found the green in two on the eighth and make two putts for birdies.
I made good putts on ninth and 10th as well. I hit it onto the green again on the 11th and made a good up and down for birdie on 12th. It was a good run there for me. I managed to par the remaining holes after that.
I think I have been very consistent all week. I am striking the ball well and feeling well so I am happy with that.
Alexander Bjork (Swe) – Third round 67 (-5), Total 205 (-11)
I played really well today. I had a good chance on almost every hole on the first seven holes to make birdie and only made one. Then had good run of birdies on holes 8, 9 and 10. Trying to keep it going tomorrow. I had a couple of putts where I was just overthinking and reading the wrong line.
My game plan tomorrow is to just try and go out and play like how I did today. Today was some of the best ball striking rounds I’ve had in a long time. If I can just hole a couple more putts tomorrow then hopefully I can get close to a win.
Sihwan Kim (Usa) – Third round 70 (-2), Total 206 (-10)
I hit some really good iron shots today although my putts didn’t fall in. I guess that’s one positive I could take away. I knew my strength and weaknesses coming into this tournament. I just wanted to make my strength stronger, which was putting.
I just did not putt well today. It’s something wrong with green reading. I will work on it right now and see what happens tomorrow. I knew I was up there on the leaderboard. You get a lot of short clubs into the wind here.
I don’t have much to complain about from tee to green. I played well. You just have to make putts to get the momentum going. I just had no momentum today. I will do what I need to do for tomorrow. I will practise on my putting and hopefully it will be better tomorrow.
Jeunghun Wang (Kor) – Third round 68 (-4), Total 206 (-10)
I played really well on the back nine but I had a bad finish on the last hole when I missed a short birdie putt. I had an eagle on hole 11 an that was my turning point. and after that I made two birdies. I am really happy about my position and I just want to stay positive for tomorrow.
(On the eagle on 11th) The chip I made was 25-yards from the pin. I hit a driver to the left of the fairway and chipped it in. I love to play in Asia I love the food and weather and I do well here.
Jeunghun Wang of Korea
Ashun Wu (Chn) – Third round 66 (-6), Total 207 (-9)
I have been playing pretty consistently this week. The game’s been feeling good. I just managed to make a few putts today and I guess that was the key for me. The wind wasn’t as strong as yesterday but the pins were pretty tricky.
It’s quite different from the previous editions so it’s been quite a challenge for the players. I will continue to do what I have been doing tomorrow. I think my chances are pretty good this week. I have had quite a bit of experience on this course so I am very familiar.
I have been playing well in the last two events in Europe as well so I am feeling confident about this week. There is still a long way to go. Anything can happen tomorrow. I am just going to do my best and see how it goes.
Scores after round 3 of the Volvo China Open being played at the par 72, 7261 Yards Topwin GcC course (am – denotes amateur):
204 – Adrian OTAEGUI (ESP) 68-69-67, Matt WALLACE (ENG) 65-70-69.
205 – Alexander BJORK (SWE) 66-72-67, Julien GUERRIER (FRA) 68-69-68, Jorge CAMPILLO (ESP) 69-68-68.
206 – Jinho CHOI (KOR) 69-72-65, Andrea PAVAN (ITA) 68-72-66, Paul DUNNE (IRL) 71-68-67, Jeunghun WANG (KOR) 72-66-68, Sihwan KIM (USA) 70-66-70, Nacho ELVIRA (ESP) 69-67-70.
207 – Alexander LEVY (FRA) 69-73-65, Clement SORDET (FRA) 71-70-66, Ashun WU (CHN) 70-71-66, Matteo MANASSERO (ITA) 72-68-67, Nino BERTASIO (ITA) 65-73-69, Soomin LEE (KOR) 68-69-70, Jason SCRIVENER (AUS) 67-69-71.
208 – Micah Lauren SHIN (USA) 71-71-66, Mikko ILONEN (FIN) 71-70-67, Scott VINCENT (ZIM) 66-74-68, Ashley CHESTERS (ENG) 72-68-68, Jordan SMITH (ENG) 69-69-70, Jason NORRIS (AUS) 74-64-70.
209 – Lucas BJERREGAARD (DEN) 70-73-66, Chris HANSON (ENG) 71-71-67, Shubhankar SHARMA (IND) 69-72-68, Yuta IKEDA (JPN) 69-72-68, Arjun ATWAL (IND) 69-72-68, Daxing JIN (CHN) 64-76-69, Hongfu WU (CHN) 73-67-69, Joost LUITEN (NED) 70-69-70.
210 – David LIPSKY (USA) 68-75-67, Ryan FOX (NZL) 70-72-68, Andrew DODT (AUS) 69-72-69, Pablo LARRAZABAL (ESP) 70-69-71, Ricardo GOUVEIA (POR) 71-68-71.
Ends.
About Asian Tour
As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), Habitat for Humanity (Official Sustainable Development Partner), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), Titleist and FootJoy (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.
Beijing, April 27: American Sihwan Kim continued his fine form by signing for a bogey-free six-under-par 66 to put himself in the title mix at the Volvo China Open on Friday.
Kim, who enjoyed back-to-back top-10s prior to his campaign this week, stayed on track for a breakthrough win after nailing six birdies for a two-day total of eight-under-par 136 at the Topwin Golf and Country Club.
Australian Jason Scrivener took the pole after 17 holes but a double-bogey on his last hole ninth saw him settle for a 69 to match the efforts of Kim and Nacho Elvira of Spain, who posted a 67, in the CN¥20,000,000 (approx. US$3,178,000) event.
“It was quite windy out there, especially on my back nine, so to finish bogey-free feels pretty good. My irons were good. I was a little bit shaky off the tee today but the course is wide enough for me to get my iron shots onto the greens,” said the 29-year-old Kim, who sits in sixth place on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings.
“My distance control was spot on. With this wind, it’s definitely playing quite different from yesterday. Having the bogey-free round today helps my confidence quite a bit. I will play my best for the next few days,” he added.
Follow the Volvo China Open live here.
Beijing, April 27: A resilient Matt Wallace of England signed for a battling two-under-par 70 to seize a one-shot lead at the halfway stage of the prestigious Volvo China Open on Friday.
The 28-year-old Wallace, who opened his campaign with a 65, moved atop the leaderboard after closing with a brilliant birdie, thanks to his caddy’s advice to pace himself on the par-five 18th hole, at the Topwin Golf and Country Club.
Matt Wallace of England
Wallace traded one birdie against a bogey before soaring with an eagle on the par-five eighth hole for the third consecutive day to turn in 34. He reeled in six straight pars before dropping a shot on 17 which he would eventually gain it back on the last.
Kim, who enjoyed top-10 finishes in his last two starts on Tour, continued his fine form to sign for a 66, grabbing a share of second place with Australia’s Jason Scrivener and Nacho Elvira of Spain in the CN¥20,000,000 (approx. US$3,178,000) event.
Soomin Lee of Korea reckoned the feel-good factor from his breakthrough win in the Middle Kingdom two years ago has stood in his favour as he put himself in the title mix after carding a 69. He sits two shots off the pace in fifth on 137 alongside three other players.
A total of 69 players made the halfway cut set at one-under-par 143 at the 24th edition of the Volvo China Open, tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and the China Golf Association.
Overnight leader Daxing Jin of China slipped to tied-22nd position following a disappointing 76. He is amongst the six local players, including Haotong Li and Ashun Wu, to progress into the weekend rounds in their National Open.
Did you know?
- Matt Wallace eagled the par-five eighth hole for the third straight day at the Volvo China Open. He has eagled the same hole during the pro-am tournament on Wednesday.
- Wallace found 10 out of 14 fairways and missed only two greens in regulation. He averaged 296.5yards off the tee and needed 28 putts around the greens.
- Wallace claimed his first Asian Tour title and second European Tour win in India last month. Since that victory, the world number 107 has endured two consecutive missed cuts on the European Tour.
- Wallace sits in a current second place on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings, which is led by Shubhankar Sharma of India.
- Wallace won six times on the Alps Tour in 2016 to lift the Merit crown that year.
- Experienced Irish caddy Dave McNeilly, who has previously caddied for Major winners Nick Faldo and Padraig Harrington, is on the bag for Wallace this week.
- Sihwan Kim is playing in his second season on the Asian Tour. He came through the Qualifying School after finishing tied-eighth in the final stage last January.
- The 29-year-old Kim retained his playing rights on the region’s premier Tour for 2018 after ending the season in 55th place on the Order of Merit, thanks to three top-10 results.
- Kim hit only eight (out of 14) fairways but found 14 greens in regulation in his commendable round of 66. He navigated his way around the greens with 28 putts.
- Prior to his campaign this week, Kim claimed his best finish on the Asian Tour when he came in third at the Hero Indian Open last month. He went on to finish tied-fourth in Japan last week. He sits in sixth place on the Habitat for Humanity Standings.
- Soomin Lee, 24, turned professional in 2014. Came through the 2015 Qualifying School in 2015 and enjoyed a superb rookie season, thanks to two top-five results.
- Lee endured the disappointment after throwing away his lead at the 2016 Maybank Championship where he eventually settled for a tied-second place finish. He bounced back by winning the Shenzhen International on the European Tour two months later.
- Lee notched two other top-10s in Myanmar and Bangladesh to finish a career-high eighth place on the 2016 Order of Merit.
Players’ quotes:
Matt Wallace (Eng) – Second Round 70 (-2), Total 135 (-9)
It was tough all day, the wind picked up in the afternoon. Scoring was low this morning so I didn’t really know what the score would have to be to stay up there. I was two-under after eight holes and was just thinking we can get a couple more birdies on the back nine. But the wind just picked up and I could not get it close enough.There were a couple of shots where I thought the wind would help but it did not. As shown on the 16th hole I hit a great shot in and it was just miles short and left myself a five-footer for par.I lean on my caddy quite a lot, he has been there, seen it and done it. I listen to him since he has so much experience. Sometimes he makes mistakes but he’s brilliant overall. And down the last hole, he showed his class. We made bogey on the hole before and he gave me the best advice going into the last.My caddy, Dave, told me there was no point in trying too hard to get a birdie since we are already in a good position. So, I just kept my tempo going into the last hole. Hit a great drive, a good second shot and hit it to four-feet from 50 yards and made the putt.There were a lot of guys on eight-under-par this morning and I tried to push on and widen the gap but the weather didn’t really allow me to score. Hopefully the weather will be kind. I am playing nice golf so to be ahead with the tough conditions today is a nice feeling and I am going to bring that over to the weekend.(On the eagle on the eighth hole) That is my third eagle on the same hole this week because I did it in the Pro-Am as well. Hit a great drive, and a perfect 4-iron from 234 yards. Pin was back right and had a massive right-to-left putt from about 20-feet and it got in the back door.
Sihwan Kim (Usa) – Second Round 66 (-6), Total 136 (-8)
It was a pretty good round. It was quite windy out there, especially on my back nine, so to finish bogey-free feels pretty good. My irons were good today. I was a little bit shaky off the tee today but the course is wide enough for me to get my iron shots onto the greens.My distance control was spot on. With this wind, it’s definitely playing quite different from yesterday. Some of the tee shots and approach shots, you have to adjust with the wind and some holes, it plays a lot shorter and some are playing longer.All in all, I am very happy with where I stand now heading into the weekend. Having the bogey-free round today helps my confidence quite a bit. I will play my best for the next few days.
Sihwan Kim of the United States
Nacho Elvira (Esp) – Second Round 67 (-5), Total 136 (-8)
I got off to a very good start with four birdies in a row in the first six holes and then overall it was solid from tee to green and I made a few putts. I think the putting stood out, I put a lot of work into my putting and I’m starting to roll them really well – my speed is much better than the beginning of the season so as a consequence of making better putts, I’m getting better scores.I’m in a good position obviously, going into the weekend, and I’m happy with how I’m striking the ball and the way I’m behaving on the golf course so I’ll try to stay calm and positive and see what the weekend has in store.
Jason Scrivener (Aus) – Second Round 69 (-3), Total 136 (-8)
It was very frustrating. I could feel I was kind of leaking away towards the end, I’m pretty exhausting after being awake since 2am. But there are no excuses, it’s just not the best way to finish a round.I feel like I have progressed slowly over the last couple of years, and I feel like I’m close to winning out here. I’ve just got to put myself in these positions more often.It’s hard work and mentally, being persistent, working hard and doing the right things and hopefully I’ll get that win soon.Everyone has to travel but usually the Australians have to do a little more than anyone. We’re kind of used to it though and it’s just part of the job.There are so many different holes on this course, certain ones that are quite tricky and other ones where you have to play quite conservative. Then there are ones where you can attack so it’s got a pretty good mix of holes and the course suits my eye.I hit a nice shot into five, and it didn’t get any claps around the green, but I got up there and it was in the hole. So it’s a tough crowd to please! It was a nice two though.
Soomin Lee (Kor) – Second Round 69 (-3), Total 137 (-7)
It’s not a bad round today. I gave myself a lot of chances. I kept my concentration going and made quite a few putts out there. I got really lucky on the 10th. I had trouble with my tee shot but was able to make birdie there. That was the turning point for me.This course is similar to the golf courses that I see back home in Korea so it kind of feels familiar. The fairways are pretty wide here and it’s not too long. I think I will focus more on my putting as that will be the key to score this week. Also going to work on my wedges and short-irons which will help too.
Soomin Lee of Korea
Scores after round 2 of the Volvo China Open being played at the par 72, 7261 Yards Topwin GcC course (am – denotes amateur):
135 – Matt WALLACE (ENG) 65-70.
136 – Nacho ELVIRA (ESP) 69-67, Jason SCRIVENER (AUS) 67-69, Sihwan KIM (USA) 70-66.
137 – Jorge CAMPILLO (ESP) 69-68, Soomin LEE (KOR) 68-69, Julien GUERRIER (FRA) 68-69, Adrian OTAEGUI (ESP) 68-69.
138 – Nino BERTASIO (ITA) 65-73, Jason NORRIS (AUS) 74-64, Jeunghun WANG (KOR) 72-66, Alexander BJORK (SWE) 66-72, Jordan SMITH (ENG) 69-69, Scott JAMIESON (SCO) 67-71.
139 – Joost LUITEN (NED) 70-69, Ricardo GOUVEIA (POR) 71-68, Paul DUNNE (IRL) 71-68, Masahiro KAWAMURA (JPN) 69-70, Richard T LEE (CAN) 71-68, Pablo LARRAZABAL (ESP) 70-69, Sam HORSFIELD (ENG) 69-70.
140 – Xuewen LUO (CHN) 72-68, Ashley CHESTERS (ENG) 72-68, Matteo MANASSERO (ITA) 72-68, Gavin GREEN (MAS) 73-67, Alvaro QUIROS (ESP) 69-71, James MORRISON (ENG) 70-70, Hongfu WU (CHN) 73-67, Julian SURI (USA) 71-69, Haotong LI (CHN) 70-70, Andrea PAVAN (ITA) 68-72, Daxing JIN (CHN) 64-76, Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND) 68-72, Scott VINCENT (ZIM) 66-74.
141 – Mikko ILONEN (FIN) 71-70, Arjun ATWAL (IND) 69-72, Romain WATTEL (FRA) 72-69, Yuta IKEDA (JPN) 69-72, Shubhankar SHARMA (IND) 69-72, Thorbjorn OLESEN (DEN) 74-67, Ashun WU (CHN) 70-71, Lasse JENSEN (DEN) 73-68, Andrew DODT (AUS) 69-72, Clement SORDET (FRA) 71-70, Marcus KINHULT (SWE) 68-73, Tapio PULKKANEN (FIN) 70-71, Shiv KAPUR (IND) 73-68, Prom MEESAWAT (THA) 73-68, Jinho CHOI (KOR) 69-72.
142 – Chris HANSON (ENG) 71-71, Ryan FOX (NZL) 70-72, Phachara KHONGWATMAI (THA) 70-72, Khalin H JOSHI (IND) 71-71, Alexander LEVY (FRA) 69-73, Micah Lauren SHIN (USA) 71-71, Jazz JANEWATTANANOND (THA) 74-68, Panuphol PITTAYARAT (THA) 68-74.
143 – Adilson DA SILVA (BRA) 70-73, Lucas BJERREGAARD (DEN) 70-73, Marcus FRASER (AUS) 72-71, Keith HORNE (RSA) 69-74, Kiradech APHIBARNRAT (THA) 73-70, Yanwei LIU (CHN) 70-73, David LIPSKY (USA) 68-75, Joakim LAGERGREN (SWE) 73-70, Aaron RAI (ENG) 73-70, Edoardo MOLINARI (ITA) 72-71, Marcel SIEM (GER) 75-68, Miguel TABUENA (PHI) 71-72.
About Asian Tour
As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), Habitat for Humanity (Official Sustainable Development Partner), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), Titleist and FootJoy (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.
April 26: Former World Number 1 and one of Fiji’s greatest sportsmen Vijay Singh has again shown his commitment to his home tournament and signed on for his fifth straight appearance at the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways.
Singh joins good friend and fellow World Golf Hall of Famer Ernie Els in the field for the 2018 edition to be played at Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course from August 2-5.
The pair has shared many sterling contests on the golf course, none more prominent than The Masters in 2000 where Singh defeated ‘The Big Easy’ by three shots to claim the coveted Green Jacket.
They have also played alongside one another in numerous Presidents Cup tournaments representing the International Team, of which Els was named Captain for the 2019 edition at Royal Melbourne Golf Club.
“I’m looking forward to meeting up with Ernie in Fiji, he and I have travelled the world together as professionals, so it will be nice to show him my home country,” said Singh.
“We’ve had some good memories together on the golf course; we’ve played a lot of Presidents Cups together including the International’s win in 1998.
“He’s a close friend of mine but come round one at the Fiji International, I certainly won’t be holding anything back and I don’t expect him to either, it’s hard to scale back that competitive streak we both have.”
The proud Fijian has been a vocal supporter of the tournament since its inception in 2014 and had a hand in the initial design of the Natadola Bay Championship Course as well as its re-design in 2017.
He has also designed the Desaru Coast Valley Course at The Els Club in Malaysia, a sought-after golfing destination made up of three courses, the two others designed by Ernie Els.
“I was very excited to work with Ernie at The Els Club, I’m sure when he plays at Natadola he’ll notice some similarities between my work here and over in Malaysia.
“He has a keen eye for course architecture so I hope he enjoys the course in Fiji.”
Singh has made the cut in all four of his Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways appearances, his best to date a third place in the 2015 edition.
This year he has already returned to the winner’s circle recording a one-shot victory in the Toshiba Classic on the PGA TOUR Champions in March.
“It definitely feels good to get a win so early in the season,” added Singh.
“I’m definitely not done yet and will challenge this year in the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways.”
Singh is a wonderful ambassador for Fiji overseas and is warmly welcomed home each year for the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways.
“The Fiji International would be incomplete without Vijay and we look forward to welcoming him back once again in 2018,” said the Minister for Industry, Trade, Tourism, Lands and Mineral Resources, the Honourable Faiyaz Siddiq Koya.
“Having an athlete of Vijay Singh’s calibre and repute playing in the tournament for the last four years adds value to the status of the tournament and will be a good incentive for other players to play alongside him. The Fiji International will definitely be a must-attend event and we look forward to a good round of competitive golf come August,” the Hon. Minister added.
Gavin Kirkman, CEO of the PGA of Australia which owns the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia, said Singh’s continued presence at the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways speaks volumes of his commitment to golf in his home country.
“We are excited to see Vijay Singh in action once again at the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways,” said Kirkman.
“He’s a marvellous player, course architect and ambassador for Fiji; I look forward to seeing Vijay and his good friend Ernie Els in action.”
Ends.
Beijing, April 26: Local hope Daxing Jin surprised himself by signing for a flawless opening round of eight-under-par 64 to grab the clubhouse lead by one shot at the Volvo China Open on Thursday.
The 25-year-old Jin, who has never make the halfway cut in his last four appearances at his National Open, is thrilled to highlight his bogey-free card with six birdies and a chip-in eagle on the par-five eighth hole at the Beijing Topwin Golf and Country Club.
“I played really well. I’m really happy with my form and I have to say I would give myself 100 marks for today’s round. My strategy today was just to hit the greens in the regulation and I did that for 17 of the 18 holes, and the one I missed I managed a par, so that was great,” said Jin.
Jin is part of the record 42 players representing China in the CN¥20,000,000 (approx. US$3,178,000) event, which is celebrating its 24th consecutive edition this week as the oldest professional golf tournament in the country.
“On the eighth, I was about 10 yards from the pin with my second shot and I saw Scott (Jamieson) make eagle from a similar position so I had confidence that I might chip it in. I read the line from Scott’s shot and holed it.
“I’ve been relaxed coming into this week because I don’t have too much expectation but I’ll just keep playing one stroke at a time, one day at a time and see how it goes for me,” added Jin.
England’s Matt Wallace, who claimed his breakthrough win in India last month, closed out his round in style with an eagle-birdie from the eighth to trail by one in second place.
“I had a great group today and it was nice to catch up with Alexander Bjork and Julian Suri whom I haven’t seen in a while. He was making a couple of birdies and I was making some too and we were rubbing off each other which was good.
“This is my first full year on tour, I really like the country and I love the golf course and the weather was perfect today. I drove it well today which was key, setting it up nicely on the fairwway so I can get it close on the green,” said the 28-year-old Wallace.
Follow live scores here.
Ends.
Beijing, April 26: Homegrown talent Daxing Jin raised the local cheers when he signed for a flawless eight-under-par 64 to lead by one shot in the opening round of the prestigious Volvo China Open on Thursday.
The 25-year-old Jin, who is making his fifth appearance in his National Open this week, is thrilled to return with a bogey-free round highlighted by six birdies and an eagle at the Beijing Topwin Golf and Country Club.
Japanese hotshot Hideto Tanihara stole the limelight by driving home a new Volvo XC90 T5 Momentum, thanks to an ace on the par-three 16th hole in the CN¥20,000,000 (approx. US$3,178,000) event, which is the oldest professional golf tournament in the country.
Matt Wallace of England, who claimed his breakthrough win in India last month, carded a solid 65 to share second place with Nino Bertasio of Italy while in-form Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe stayed two shots off the pace in tied-fourth alongside Alexander Bjork of Sweden.
The 24th edition of the Volvo China Open is tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and the China Golf Association. It is staged for the third successive year at the Topwin Golf and Country Club.
Did you know?
- Daxing Jin is making his fifth appearance in the Volvo China Open. He has never made the halfway cut in his National Open.
- Jin turned professional at the end of 2011. His golfing idol is Rory McIlroy.
- Jin missed only one green in regulation in his commendable round of 64.
- Jin’s father, Sanlu, is a teaching professional golfer.
- Jin claimed his first professional title on his local circuit in 2014.
- Hideto Tanihara sank the ace from 197 yards with an eight-iron to mark his career’s third hole-in-one.
- Tanihara signed for an opening 72 to sit in tied-74th place.
- Matt Wallace claimed his first Asian Tour win and second European Tour win at the co-sanctioned Hero Indian Open last month.
- Starting from 10, Wallace fired five birdies against a bogey to turn in 32. He traded another birdie against a bogey on his way home but managed to close out his round in style with an eagle-birdie from eighth.
- Wallace won the Alps Tour Order of Merit in 2016 after winning six times that year.
- Scott Vincent finished tied-fourth in Japan last week. It was his second top-10 result this season. He sits in 13th place on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings.
- Vincent has his wife Kelsey on the bag this week. Kelsey also caddied for him in Japan last week.
- Vincent signaled his arrival in Asia when he came through the Asian Tour Qualifying School in 2016. He was named the Rookie of the Year after finishing in 28th position that year. He finished 17th on the money list in 2017 to retain his card for 2018.
- Vincent is the only Zimbabwean player on the Asian Tour.
Players’ quotes:
Daxing Jin (Chn) – First round 64 (-8)
I played really well today. I’m really happy with my form and I have to say I would give myself 100 marks for today’s round. I hardly give myself 100 marks when I play in tournaments but today was really good I thought. My strategy today was just to hit the greens in the regulation and I did that for 17 of the 18 holes, and the one I missed I managed a par, so that was great. My putting was good too. I made three long putts out there. I am really pleased. I don’t want to give myself too much pressure. It’s still very early. I will continue to do what I have been doing for the next three rounds. I will just keep targeting fairways and greens out there and then give myself chances for birdies. On the eighth hole, I was about ten yards from the pin with my second shot and I saw Scott (Jamieson) make eagle from a similar position so I had confidence that I might chip it in. I read the line from Scott’s shot and holed it. It wasn’t very windy out there today and it was a pretty smooth round for me. I was targeting two or three-under today but I did better than that. I am really happy. I will aim to make the cut first but I don’t want to think about it right now. I don’t think there’s much advantage playing in the morning. I think the conditions are pretty much similar out there. I’ve been relaxed coming into this week because I don’t have too much expectation but I’ll just keep playing one stroke at a time, one day at a time and see how it goes for me.
Matt Wallace (Eng) – First Round 65 (-7)
I made a couple of bogeys which were from a couple of swing errors but overall, I am swinging it great. I have been trying to shorten my swing for a while and that’s been my main swing thought coming into this week which helped massively. I have never really managed to do it till last week when I found something and it’s a weird feeling. I feel like I am swinging it halfway but I am actually striking it better and not losing any distanceMy ball was slightly in the rough and I just hit a nice fade into the green with my three-iron and it turned out perfectly. Had a right-to-left putt from seven- feet and rolled it into the hole for eagle on the eighth. I had a bogey on the fourth hole so it was a nice comeback. Birdied the last hole as well, just played it left-to-right the entire hole and the green slopes left-to-right. Hit my nine-iron into the green and had about six-feet for birdie. I had a great group today and it was nice to catch up with Alexander Bjork and Julian Suri who I haven’t seen in a while. He was making a couple of birdies and I was making some too and we were rubbing off each other which was good. This is my first full year on tour, I really like the country and I love the golf course and the weather was perfect today. I drove it well today which was key, setting it up nicely on the fairway so I can get it close on the green.
Scott Vincent (Zim) – First Round 66 (-6)
I hit a great drive with a solid five-iron into the middle of the green and rolled a straight putt in for eagle on the eighth hole. I didn’t feel that great before last week but managed to figure things out and get things moving in the right direction in time for this week. There wasn’t a lot of wind and I took advantage of the morning conditions to get as many birdies as I could. Still a long way to go and I don’t want to get ahead of myself and I hope to keep things going. My wife’s been an excellent caddy and she’s doing such a great job and I wouldn’t have anyone else on the bag. I enjoy having her around so I am not letting her go anytime soon.
Scores after round 1 of the Volvo China Open being played at the par 72, 7261 Yards Topwin GcC course (am – denotes amateur):
64 – JIN Daxing (CHN).
65 – Matt WALLACE (ENG), Nino BERTASIO (ITA).
66 – Alexander BJORK (SWE), Scott VINCENT (ZIM).
67 – Scott JAMIESON (SCO), Jason SCRIVENER (AUS).
68 – Julien GUERRIER (FRA), Marcus KINHULT (SWE), Andrea PAVAN (ITA), David LIPSKY (USA), Panuphol PITTAYARAT (THA), Adrian OTAEGUI (ESP), Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND), Johannes VEERMAN (USA), LIN Yuxin (am, CHN), Soomin LEE (KOR).
69 – Keith HORNE (RSA), Alexander LEVY (FRA), Jordan SMITH (ENG), Jinho CHOI (KOR), Sam HORSFIELD (ENG), Blake SNYDER (USA), Arjun ATWAL (IND), Yuta IKEDA (JPN), Jorge CAMPILLO (ESP), Shubhankar SHARMA (IND), Nacho ELVIRA (ESP), Wade ORMSBY (AUS), Alvaro QUIROS (ESP), Andrew DODT (AUS), Masahiro KAWAMURA (JPN), Nicholas FUNG (MAS).
70 – Daisuke KATAOKA (JPN), James MORRISON (ENG), LI Haotong (CHN), Tapio PULKKANEN (FIN), Pablo LARRAZABAL (ESP), LIU Yanwei (CHN), Sam BRAZEL (AUS), Adilson DA SILVA (BRA), Lucas BJERREGAARD (DEN), Joost LUITEN (NED), WU Ashun (CHN), Ryan FOX (NZL), Phachara KHONGWATMAI (THA), Sihwan KIM (USA).
About Asian Tour
As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), Habitat for Humanity (Official Sustainable Development Partner), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), Titleist and FootJoy (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.
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