Sentosa, Singapore, October 29: Khalin Joshi is a relieved man, having finally secured his maiden victory in front of a roaring home crowd at the Panasonic Open India in what was his sixth try since the event was inaugurated in 2011.

The 26-year-old Indian emerged victorious from an enthralling final day battle after firing four birdies in his closing five holes to edge out Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh, who was his closest rival for the title, and win by one shot.

“You know I am really relieved and really happy. I have come close a few times and a lot of my friends have won this season. To finally seal the deal on home soil is a huge monkey off my back. I have no words to describe how I am feeling,” said Joshi, who became the 13th first-time winner this season.

Joshi’s conservative approach has served him well at the Panasonic Open India, where he made the cut in three of the past five editions. This year though, he changed his strategy to great effect.

“This year I played very different from the previous years. I have seen many of the past champions going for it in two shots on the par fives, but I have always just taken a more measured approach. You know, that’s all I did this week, stuck to my game plan and played aggressively and that’s what paid off,” added the Indian star, who moved up to 16th position on the Habitat for Humanity Standings from a previous 23rd place.

The Bengaluru-based Joshi has come a long way since 2016 when he failed to stay inside the top-60 to secure his Asian Tour card. He took a trip back to Qualifying School for the fourth time in 2017 where he would miss the grade in the final stage.

Joshi managed to overcome his disappointment and marked three top-10 finishes that year which included a runner-up finish at the TAKE Solutions Masters, to eventually take 52nd position on the Merit ranks and gain full playing right for the 2018 season.

The Indian was quick to ease off the pressure of retaining his card this year with a tied-fifth finish at the Maybank Championship in February. Since then, he has erased any lingering doubts in his ability, and has been playing with a noticeably different winning mindset.

“Securing my spot on the 2019 Asian Tour means a lot, because I no longer have to worry about doing enough just to keep my card. Now I can play to win, with a clear mind,” said Joshi.

With the Asian Tour heading into the busy end of the schedule starting with the tri-sanctioned Honma Hong Kong Open presented by Amundi in November, Joshi will have to keep his foot on the gas pedal as continues to display the form of an Asian Tour winner.

“Winning my first Asian Tour event here means the world to me. Winning anyway was great but winning at Delhi Golf club was unbelievable. I have four big weeks coming up after this. I am going to go back work on my game and come back fresh for the Honma Hong Kong Open,” said Joshi.

With the conclusion of the WGC-HSBC Champions that was held in conjunction with the Panasonic Open India, the top-10 on the Habitat for Humanity Standings remain the same as the Tour heads to Hong Kong and Melbourne for the ISPS HANDA Melbourne World Cup of Golf in three weeks’ time.

Ends.

Top-20 players on the Habitat for Humanity Standings

Pos       Player  Order of Merit

1            Shubhankar SHARMA (IND) $695,993.55

2            Sanghyun PARK (KOR) $561,898.62

3            Matt WALLACE  (ENG) $446,660.00

4            Gaganjeet BHULLAR  (IND) $422,936.53

5            Scott VINCENT  (ZIM) $420,887.60

6            Justin HARDING  (RSA)   $395,977.88

7            John CATLIN   (USA) $383,132.18

8            Kiradech APHIBARNRAT  (THA)   $372,480.89

9            Sihwan KIM   (USA) $341,763.77

10          Yuta IKEDA  (JPN) $338,671.47

11          Rahil GANGJEE   (IND) $302,628.50

12          Minchel CHOI   (KOR) $286,555.97

13          Jazz JANEWATTANANOND  (THA) $253,308.97

14          Berry HENSON   (USA) $253,020.60

15          Paul PETERSON   (USA) $241,148.57

16          Khalin JOSHI   (IND) $222,432.42

17          Adilson DA SILVA  (BRA) $221,440.05

18          Shaun NORRIS  (RSA) $201,156.39

19          Prom MEESAWAT  (THA) $189,611.13

20          Danthai BOONMA  (THA) $173,358.05

Shanghai, October 28: Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat enjoyed his best-ever finish at a World Golf Championships by signing off with a one-under-par 71 to end his week in tied-fourth place at the WGC-HSBC Champions on Sunday.

The US$10 million event also welcomed a new champion in American Xander Schauffele after he defeated compatriot Tony Finau with a birdie in the first play-off hole to lift the Old Tom Morris Cup at the Sheshan International Golf Club.

Schauffele, who celebrated his 25th birthday on Thursday, closed with 68 to finish with a 14-under-par 274 total for the tournament.

On his second trip back to the 18th for the play-off, Schauffele found the green in two and duly sank his short birdie putt.

He was confirmed as the newest champion of the WGC-HSBC Champions when Finau’s birdie putt from the edge of the green stopped just short of the hole.

Defending champion Justin Rose of England had to settle for third place after two bogeys in his last four holes saw him finish four shots back of Schauffele and Finau on 72.

China’s Li Haotong justified his position as the country’s best golfer when he posted a 70 to share 11th place with Australia’s Jason Day and Bill Horschel of the United States while India’s Shubhankar Sharma, who leads the Asian Tour’s Habitat for Humanity standings, signed for another 72 and will turn his attention towards strengthening his pole position on the money list now.

Did you know?

• Kiradech Aphibarnrat hit 32/56 fairways and 36/72 greens the entire week. He made a total of 25 putts on the final day.
• The Thai was playing in his fourth WGC-HSBC Champions. His previous results include T55 (2013), T30 (2015), T24 (2017).
• His tied-fourth finish at this week’s WGC-HSBC Champions is his best result in a WGC event and also the best ever finish by a Thai.
• He is the first player from Thailand to gain full-time membership on the PGA TOUR.
• Prior to his win at the WGC-HSBC Champions, Xander Schauffele’s best result at WGCs was a tied-13th finish at the 2017 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.
• Schauffele was the only player in the field to shoot in the 60s in both of the third and fourth rounds.
• The playoff was the second in the event’s history as a World Golf Championship. Bubba Watson defeated Tim Clark with a birdie on the first extra hole in 2014.

Players’ Quotes

Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Tha) Fourth round 71 (-1) Total 280 (-8)

I’m really happy with the score because of the way I played. It was terrible. I only hit seven greens in regulation all day. That’s really terrible golf for my standards. I holed a lot of putts, a lot of par saves today but overall one-under par is the best golf I can do today. I think it’s one of the good results for me, but I know I can do better than this, if I can strike the ball better. My iron play was not on form, not at all. I did not have my A Game, even for one day this week. But I managed to keep the score low under such tough conditions especially with the wind. My putting was good and that was the key. I really love to come back and play on the Asian Tour. Everyone knows that I’m born and started from here. I just got to manage my schedule but I’m sure I’ll come back.

Xander Schauffele (Usa) Fourth round 68 (-4), Total 274 (-14)

This win means a lot. Last season, I really wanted to win in my rookie year and wasn’t able to do that. I felt like I was playing great all day. Besides that first tee shot on one, where I pulled it right of the tree, I felt like I was in control of my ball. We kept our heads down. I didn’t even know when I was signing my card, I was like, Oh, wow, I actually went birdie, birdie to get in the playoff. I was just in my own world out there. My whole family is here with me this week and it means a lot. You know, it was my birthday this week. A lot of guys talk about the Asian stretch, and to have my family out here, especially with the win, it’s really special.

Tony Finau (Usa) Fourth round 71 (-1) Total 274 (-14)

I definitely feel like I let this one get away. But Xander played incredible golf today. It was playing tough out there. He posted a number and made birdie on a playoff hole when it counted. Hats off to him. He played nicely today and deserved to win. It seemed like we kind of separated ourselves with nine holes to play. Kind of a three-man tournament. So I definitely felt that way coming down the stretch, and it was cool to have a chance to win, a real chance to win, and you know, I’ll definitely learn from this and keep moving forward.

Shubhankar Sharma (Ind) Fourth round 72 (Even) Total 304 (+16)

I’m happy that I competed against the best players in the world this week. Even though I didn’t have my best game this week, I think you always learn when you play against such a world class field. I’m very comfortable now. In the beginning obviously I was a bit starry-eyed playing in this field and looking at all the players. But now I know it’s just all about me playing and playing against the course, which good. I feel like it will help me in the future.

This year has been a huge learning curve for me. I’ve played in some of the biggest events I could ever imagine and learned a lot. And this week again, I think I learnt a lot. I played decent over the weekend and could have gone lower than what I did the first two days. But I felt like the game was better than the first two days, and that’s good enough for me to take into the next few weeks. I’ll be playing Hong Kong and the next few events after that. So looking forward to playing well now. It’s high time. It’s the end of the year now and I feel like I have to do my best to have a chance to win the Order of Merit and I’ll try and do that.

Leading Scores after round 4 of the WGC – HSBC Champions being played at the par 72, 7261 Yards Sheshan International Golf Club course (am – denotes amateur):

274 – Xander SCHAUFFELE (USA) 66-71-69-68, Tony FINAU (USA) 66-67-70-71.

278 – Justin ROSE (ENG) 69-67-70-72.

280 – Kiradech APHIBARNRAT (THA) 68-71-70-71, Andrew PUTNAM (USA) 70-71-67-72.

281 – Keegan BRADLEY (USA) 69-70-70-72.

283 – Patrick CANTLAY (USA) 70-68-73-72, Thorbjorn OLESEN (DEN) 75-69-67-72, Tommy FLEETWOOD (ENG) 68-68-72-75, Patrick REED (USA) 64-72-70-77.

284 – LI Haotong (CHN) 73-72-69-70, Billy HORSCHEL (USA) 68-72-71-73, Jason DAY (AUS) 71-70-69-74.

285 – Rafa CABRERA BELLO (ESP) 68-73-73-71, Emiliano GRILLO (ARG) 70-69-74-72.

286 – Brooks KOEPKA (USA) 72-74-71-69, Paul CASEY (ENG) 73-68-74-71.

287 – Adam SCOTT (AUS) 69-73-72-73, Alex NOREN (SWE) 74-69-71-73, Thomas PIETERS (BEL) 75-64-74-74.

Shanghai, October 27: Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat will be hoping to overcome his ball striking woes on the day that matters most after carding a third round two-under-par 70 at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions on Saturday.

The world number 41 ended day three of the US$10 million event in tied-seventh place, six shots back of American leader Tony Finau, who stamped his authority at the Shanghai showpiece by being the only player to birdie the last three holes to lead with his three-day total of 13-under-par 203.

Defending champion Justin Rose, who is seeking to become the only player other than Tiger Woods to defend a World Golf Championships title, returned with a 70 to share second place with Americans Patrick Reed and Xander Schauffele.

While a maiden WGC win at the Sheshan International Golf Club is still within sights, the Thai prefers to play down expectations and just focus on getting off to a fast start so that he chase Finau down on the final day.

Kiradech birdied two of his opening three holes before dropping a shot on six. He recovered quickly with another birdie on the next hole but suffered another bogey on the eight hole.

The Thai then marked his card with another pair of birdies on 13 and 14 before another bogey on 15 dropped him back to two-under for the round.

Like Kiradech, Finau is also eyeing his breakthrough at a WGC event and is hopeful of getting the job done provided he continues to maintain his composure as he is wary of the host of world class players ready to capitalise on any of his mistakes he may make on the final day.

Did you know?

• Kiradech Aphibarnrat hit 9/14 fairways, 7/18 greens and took 21 putts today.
• The Thai is playing in his fourth WGC-HSBC Champions. His previous results include T55 (2013), T30 (2015), T24 (2017).
• He is the first player from Thailand to gain full-time membership on the PGA TOUR.
• Tony Finau is playing in the fifth World Golf Championships event of his career and he has never finished worse than T27 at a WGC.
• Finau finished T11 at last year’s WGC-HSBC Champions in his only previous start at the event.
• Justin Rose is bidding to become first golfer to successfully defend at WGC-HSBC Champions.
• He came from eight shots back to win last year, the third largest comeback in WGC history.
• Xandere Schauffele is looking for his first top-10 finish in a World Golf Championships event.
• In his past five starts at WGCs, Schauffele’s best finish is a T13 at the 2017 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational.

Players’ Quotes

Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Tha) Third round 70 (-2) Total 209 (-7)

I got off to a good start, hit solid shots and rolled the putts well but towards the end of the day, I didn’t strike the ball as well as I could have. It’s the same every day, my iron game isn’t sharp enough to make it. I think so far I hit like seven greens in regulation, which is like so low. Accuracy is quite key around this course because when the wind picks up and it’s very windy around here, the golf course gets more difficult. I still have to work hard on my game to get everything back. I have to get off to a very hot start and just keep it going. I really need a low number to have a chance but finishing top-five is the goal for me this week.

Tony Finau (Usa) Third round 70 (-2) Total 203 (-13)

It was great to birdie the last three. It’s always a nice way to finish no matter what position you’re in. I didn’t have a lot going my way, kind of for the first half of the day, and Rosey was making his run. I was just really pleased I was able to finish that way and get some momentum going into tomorrow. I will just continue to take it a shot at a time. I’ve been doing a good job of that this week. You’ve got to still just stay in the present. You can’t look too far ahead, and learn just kind of from maybe some of the mistakes that I’ve made. I feel like I hit a lot of good golf shots. My speed on the greens were a little off, so you know, I missed quite a few putts because of that. But I knew I was right there. I was still in the golf tournament, very much in the golf tournament and if I could just finish the way I know I can, put me in good position going into tomorrow. There was no need to panic. Just play some good golf coming down the stretch and I was able to do that. I’ve got a world-class field chasing after me. This is the position you want to be in and you know, I’ll be looking to close out my first tournament in this position, which is exciting for me. Whether it happens or not, it’s an experience that you learn from and you continue to move forward.

Justin Rose (Eng) Third round 70 (-2) Total 206 (-10)

I’m playing well, so I’ve got to go out tomorrow. Shoot maybe something in the mid 60s and see if I can chase Tony down. Obviously there’s three guys at 10-under who are all going to be chasing pretty hard but nothing to lose tomorrow. It’s going to take a good round. I’m playing well, feeling good. Just got to put that last couple holes behind me and come out a little bit angry tomorrow.

Xander Schauffele (Usa) Third round 69 (-3), Total 206 (-10)

I think I’ll probably have a word with my caddie tonight. Try and stick to whatever process we come up with and try and slow down what I do. There’s a lot of decisions to be made out here on the golf course with the wind swirling. If we can stay in each shot and not get ahead of ourselves, I think that will be the key to success.

Leading scores after round 3 of the WGC – HSBC Champions being played at the par 72, 7261 Yards Sheshan International Golf Club course (am – denotes amateur):

203 – Tony FINAU (USA) 66-67-70.

206 – Xander SCHAUFFELE (USA) 66-71-69, Justin ROSE (ENG) 69-67-70, Patrick REED (USA) 64-72-70.

208 – Andrew PUTNAM (USA) 70-71-67, Tommy FLEETWOOD (ENG) 68-68-72.

209 – Keegan BRADLEY (USA) 69-70-70, Kiradech APHIBARNRAT (THA) 68-71-70.

210 – Jason DAY (AUS) 71-70-69.

211 – Thorbjorn OLESEN (DEN) 75-69-67, Billy HORSCHEL (USA) 68-72-71, Patrick CANTLAY (USA) 70-68-73.

212 – Andrea PAVAN (ITA) 72-71-69.

213 – Thomas PIETERS (BEL) 75-64-74, Emiliano GRILLO (ARG) 70-69-74.

214 – LI Haotong (CHN) 73-72-69, C.T. PAN (TPE) 68-76-70, Alex NOREN (SWE) 74-69-71, Adam SCOTT (AUS) 69-73-72, Rafa CABRERA BELLO (ESP) 68-73-73, Ian POULTER (ENG) 69-71-74.

215 – Satoshi KODAIRA (JPN) 72-73-70, Alexander BJORK (SWE) 70-75-70, Paul CASEY (ENG) 73-68-74, Ryan FOX (NZL) 70-70-75.

New Delhi, October 27: Indian talent Khalin Joshi fired a superb eight-under-par 64 to turn a six-shot deficit into a one-shot lead alongside Bangladeshi hero Siddikur Rahman following the penultimate round of the US$400,000 Panasonic Open India on Saturday.

The 26-year-old Joshi, who is bidding for a maiden Asian Tour title, produced a near-perfect card which included nine birdies and a lone bogey. His three-day total of a 13-under-par 203 would match the efforts of Siddikur, who signed for a battling 70, at the Delhi Golf Club.

Ajeetesh Sandhu of India remained in third place after carding a 70 while overnight joint-leader Suradit Yongcharoenchai of Thailand slipped two shots off the pace to fourth following a 72 in the event, which is celebrating its eighth successive editions on the Asian Tour this week.

Siddikur, a two-time Asian Tour winner, got off to a fast start with three straight birdies before dropping two bogeys on the fourth and ninth hole to turn in 35. He would regain a shot on the 11th hole to remain one shot ahead of the chasing pack.

Joshi has enjoyed a superb season thus far, capping two top-10 finishes to sit in 23rd place on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings. Having virtually secured his playing rights for the 2019 season, Joshi will take aim at securing a breakthrough victory on Sunday.

Sandhu, who traded three birdies against a bogey, remained hopeful of a successful redemption at the Panasonic Open India, where he came in joint-second last year. He is chasing for a second victory and first on home soil on the region’s premier Tour.

The Panasonic Open India is sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) and is the second leg of the 2018/19 Panasonic Swing, which is an aggregate points race that spans five events – in Thailand, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Japan.

Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh

Did you know?

• Khalin Joshi has come close to winning his maiden title on several occasions. His best result on the Asian Tour was a runner-up finish at the 2017 TAKE Solutions Masters, held on his home course in Bengaluru.
• Joshi’s low round of a 64 was three shots better than the rest of the field on moving day at the Panasonic Open India. It was his personal best 18-hole score at the prestigious course and the lowest round of the tournament so far this week.
• The last time he shot a 64 was during the third round of the TAKE Solutions Masters two months ago. He was trailing by one heading into the final round where he would eventually finish in tied-sixth position.
• Joshi, who turned professional in 2013, enjoyed a tied-fifth place finish at the lucrative Maybank Championship in Malaysia earlier in February to virtually secure his Asian Tour card for the 2019 season.
• Joshi missed only three greens and four fairways in his solid round of 64. He needed only 26 putts around the greens.
• Siddikur Rahman holds an impeccable track record at the Delhi Golf Club. He won his second Asian Tour title in 2013, finished inside top-10 in four of his five attempts at the Panasonic Open India and has secured six top-10s in other Asian Tour events there.
• Siddikur did not play in the last two editions of the Panasonic Open India. In his last appearance in 2015, Siddkur came in tied-second.
• Placed 97th on the money list, Siddikur needs a strong showing to boost his rankings and hopefully break into top-60 by the end of the season to keep his Asian Tour card for 2019.
• Siddikur enjoyed his career-best season in 2013 when he came in fourth on the Asian Tour Order of Merit. He has not finished outside top-60 on the money list in his last eight consecutive seasons on Tour since 2010.
• The 33-year-old Siddikur wrote a slice of history in 2010 when he became the first player from Bangladesh to win on the Asian Tour at the Brunei Open.
• Ajeetesh Sandhu enjoyed a superb season in 2017 where he claimed his maiden Asian Tour win at the Yeangder TPC in Chinese Taipei. He followed up with a play-off win on the Japan Challenge Tour the week after.
• His good form continued in the following weeks at the Macao Open and the Pansonic Open India where he finished joint runner-up. Also enjoyed a tied-eighth place finish at the season-ending Indonesian Masters to finish in 21st position on the final 2017 Order of Merit.
• The 30-year-old Sandhu sits in a current 34th place on the Habitat for Humanity Standings, thanks to two top-10 finishes in Japan and Korea.
• Suradit Yongcharoenchai is seeking for his maiden Asian Tour title this week. He turned professional at a tender age of 16 and will be celebrating his 20th birthday on Sunday.
• Suradit sits in 40th place on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings, thanks to two top-five finishes in India and Pakistan. He came in joint runner-up at the TAKE Solutions Masters in India in August and finished tied-fifth in Pakistan two weeks ago.

Players’ quotes:

Siddikur Rahman (Ban) – Third round 70 (-2), Total 203 (-13)

I got off to a great start with three birdies in a row. Dropped a few shots after that but all in all, it wasn’t too bad. I had some doubts here and there about my game during the round but I managed to control myself and told myself not to think about what will happen.

I think I managed myself very well today. I thought I played really well on the last five holes but the putts didn’t drop. I hit a good drive on the 14th hole although I missed a three-footer for birdie. Missed birdie again on the next hole and hit a good three-wood on 16th but missed birdie as well.

I hit a good drive on the 17th again. I played a three-wood off the tee but unfortunately it went a little left. I still had a chance there and I made a good up and down. I kept myself in it. I wasn’t frustrated although I didn’t play as good today compared to the last two rounds.

One more day to enjoy out there so I am really looking forward to it. It’s good that I played in the leader group today. It’s been some time since I last played in the leader group. I think I have overcome the nerves today already so I should be fine for tomorrow.

It will be a fearless day tomorrow. I have a lot of experiences playing in the leader group before so that won’t be a matter to me. It’s always good to have a one-shot lead. I think the back nine is slightly tougher. The last few holes are very tight and it can be really challenging under pressure.

There won’t be anything exceptional tomorrow. Everything will be the same. I will head back to the hotel later, freshen up, get a good sleep tonight and come back tomorrow!

Khalin Joshi (Ind) – Third round 64 (-8), Total 203 (-13)

I got off with a par, I birdied second, made a good par on the third. Birdied fourth, birdied fifth, birdied eighth. Parred 9. Birdied 10,11. Made a bad bogey on 13th, I was just in the rough, flew over the green. Great chip, about 4ft missed the puyt. Birdied 14, 15 and 18.

Overall, I am very happy with the way I played, pretty solid. I mean I hit pretty well of the tee. I am putting pretty good, so overall the game is in good shape. I am just happy with the way I am playing.

I have been playing pretty solid all week. I just didn’t finish well on the first day. Finished with two bogeys. But other than that I have been playing well. Giving myself more birdie chances, which is key over here.

And I have always struggled to hit fairways in the golf course in the past. You know I have worked on my driving, I am playing more aggressive this year. I am hitting drivers in few holes. I am just comfortable with the swing, the way I am playing. Looking forward to tomorrow.

I felt really good in Bangalore two months ago as well, but never really close that off. I feel I have been hitting the ball pretty well. Worked on my game the last two weeks, just comfortable with the way I am playing. Looking forward to tomorrow.

It’s always good to give yourself a chance. I have a fair chance on Sunday and hopefully tomorrow I will be up there all throughout the game.

It doesn’t really matter who I play with. I have always been a scoreboard watcher, I will just try to play my best.

I think all of my birdies today were pretty good. I got pretty close, I made two good putts. I think the putt I made on 11 was about 15-17 Feet. Other than that, all my putts were pretty close, within 10 feet.

I hit a great drive on the 18th, about 330 yards to the middle of the fairway but had a bad four- iron to the left of the green. Hit a great chip there which lipped out to about two feet and yeah it became a birdie.

Ajeetesh Sandhu of India

Ajeetesh Sandhu (Ind) – Third round 70 (-2), Total 204 (-12)

I am disappointed with my score because I played a lot better than that. Just missed a lot of putts. But still I’m just one back so that doesn’t mean anything, there are still 18 holes to go.

I have hit it the best that I have for the last three days, in fact for the last few months actually. On this course, you have to patient. Even if you get a good start, you still have a lot of holes to play.

The back nine here can get a bit tricky, especially the stretch of 11, 12 and up till 16. If you play well, you can make a few birdies but you can drop a few shots as well. So it does not really depend on the start, you just have to patient through all the 18 holes.

Suradit Yongcharoenchai (Tha) – Third round 72 (even), Total 205 (-11)

I think I just wasn’t lucky today. I hit good shots but got some unlucky bounces. I made a good birdie on the third after sinking a 20-footer. That gave me some confidence heading into the round.

It’s going to be my second time playing in the final group in the final round tomorrow. The first time was in Myanmar earlier this year. I am just two shots behind. I think I still have a good chance tomorrow.

I will focus on hitting more fairways tomorrow and see how it goes. I am looking forward to it.

Scores after round 3 of the Panasonic Open India being played at the par 72, 6935 Yards Delhi GC course (am – denotes amateur):

203 – Khalin Joshi (IND) 71-68-64, Siddikur Rahman (BAN) 67-66-70.

204 – Ajeetesh Sandhu (IND) 67-67-70.

205 – Suradit Yongcharoenchai (THA) 66-67-72.

206 – Aman Raj (IND) 70-68-68.

207 – Sachin Baisoya (IND) 70-70-67, Matt Stieger (AUS) 70-69-68, Yutaka Araki (JPN) 70-67-70, Settee Prakongvech (THA) 70-67-70, M. Dharma (IND) 70-67-70.

208 – Kshitij Naveed Kaul (IND) 72-66-70, Jazz Janewattananond (THA) 68-67-73.

209 – Jbe Kruger (RSA) 71-70-68.

210 – Steven Jeffress (AUS) 71-71-68, Angad Cheema (IND) 70-70-70, Mukesh Kumar (IND) 71-67-72.

211 – Jyoti Randhawa (IND) 70-74-67, Chiragh Kumar (IND) 72-71-68, Shiv Kapur (IND) 70-70-71, Chikkarangappa S. (IND) 71-69-71, Prom Meesawat (THA) 71-69-71, Tapy Ghai (IND) 67-72-72, Jack Harrison (ENG) 69-68-74.

Ends.

Shanghai, October 26: Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat is still not out of the running for the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions despite returning with a second round one-under-par 71 at the Sheshan International Golf Club on Friday.

The Thai, who has already enjoyed two top-five finishes in his previous two WGC events in Mexico and the United States this year, will head into the weekend rounds in tied-seventh place, six shots back of American Tony Finau.

Finau signed for a 67 to take over the lead from compatriot Patrick Reed, who slipped to a share of second place with Englishmen Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood after the trio signed for matching two-day totals of eight-under-par 136 at the US$10 million event.

While conceding he has yet to play to his true potential this week, Kiradech is pleased he is still in contention for his first WGC win and there is a marked improvement in his short game.

Finau is playing at the WGC-HSBC Champions for the second time and showed his dominance on the second day of the tournament when he raced out in 32.

Finau suffered an unfortunate bounce off a sprinkler-head on 11 which saw his ball land over the back of the green and he would eventually go on to card a double-bogey there.

The American bogeyed 13 but came storming back with three more birdies on 14, 16 and 18 to take a three-shot advantage into the weekend.

Did you know?

• Kiradech Aphibarnrat hit 7/14 fairways and 9/18 greens today.
• The Thai is playing in his fourth WGC-HSBC Champions. His previous results include T55 (2013), T30 (2015), T24 (2017).
• He is the first player from Thailand to gain full-time membership on the PGA TOUR.
• Tony Finau is playing in the fifth World Golf Championships event of his career and he has never finished worse than T27 at a WGC.
• Finau finished T11 at last year’s WGC-HSBC Champions in his only previous start at the event.
• Patrick Reed is vying for his second victory at a World Golf Championships event having won the 2014 World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship.
• Reed still holds the distinction of being the youngest player ever to win a World Golf Championships event with his victory at the 2014 World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship at age 23 years, 7 months, 4 days.
• Justin Rose is trying to become the only player other than Tiger Woods to defend a World Golf Championships title. Woods has done it on seven occasions.

Players’ Quotes

Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Tha) Second round 71 (-1) Total 139 (-9)

It’s not a bad spot to be here. It’s really tough conditions with the wind all around, so strong. Makes the golf course completely different from the first round and was more difficult. But at least I got my putting back. I rolled the ball quite well. My short game around the green was great. I just didn’t keep the driver quite as good as I used to. I think I only hit four or five fairways all day, but need to hit more greens, as well. When the winds pick up, you need to hit more from the fairways and give yourself more opportunity to putt. This week, I don’t feel I have my A Game yet. I don’t totally have it back, but much better than what I had the last few weeks.

Tony Finau (Usa) Second round 67 (-5) Total 133 (-11)

I played nicely. Was happy with the way I finished. I was pleased to make a few birdies coming down the stretch. One thing I’ve learned in this game, you take the good with the bad and keep moving forward. I knew I was playing well still and still at the top of the leaderboard. Just keep plugging along and try to get that back and I was able to do that. I feel like I’m always pretty enthusiastic whenever I play. It serves me well and it definitely has this week. I think I just stay in attack mode. I think there’s guys, a lot of great players here that are looking to chase me down. I’ve got to stay in attack mode, continue to make birdies and if I limit the mistakes, I think it will be a good weekend.

Patrick Reed (Usa) Second round 72 (Even), Total 136 (-8)

Really it was a grind today. It was one of those days that you easily could have shot 76 or 77 with playing out of the rough all day and hitting three balls in the water, and you know, being able to salvage even par and only being three back starting the weekend, I’m happy with where I’m at. All I need to do is tighten it up a little bit and we should be right there and ready to go. I think the biggest difference between today and yesterday was yesterday I felt like I was in complete control of the golf ball. I felt like my timing was right where it needed to be, and today it felt like it was a hair off. Therefore, the ball wasn’t coming out of the window I was looking at, so it was tough to judge how far it was going to go. Today it seemed like the wind wasn’t staying in just one direction like it was yesterday. Today it just seemed to kind of bounce between west, northwest, all the way up to west. With it kind of bouncing around, you just had to hope you caught the right gust or hit the right shot, but you know, it was a grind out there.

Justin Rose (Eng) Second round 67 (-5), Total 136 (-8)

I used the greens book most of the time and there’s no greens maps here, so obviously I’m reading them with my eyes, which is how you should read putts, I know. I feel comfortable reading putts I guess this week. It was the opposite wind today. Although it was tough, certain holes played much harder than yesterday and certain holes played easier. The par 5s played easier, certainly No. 8 and No. 2 played easier than they did, but yeah, just found my moments to make birdies. I kept it mentally obviously sharp and I felt like towards the end of the round I was trying to whip myself and keep driving forward and making good decisions and good swings.

Leading scores after round 2 of the WGC – HSBC Champions being played at the par 72, 7261 Yards Sheshan International Golf Club course (am – denotes amateur):

133 – Tony FINAU (USA) 66-67.

136 – Patrick REED (USA) 64-72, Justin ROSE (ENG) 69-67, Tommy FLEETWOOD (ENG) 68-68.

137 – Xander SCHAUFFELE (USA) 66-71.

138 – Patrick CANTLAY (USA) 70-68.

139 – Kyle STANLEY (USA) 70-69, Kiradech APHIBARNRAT (THA) 68-71, Keegan BRADLEY (USA) 69-70, Emiliano GRILLO (ARG) 70-69, Thomas PIETERS (BEL) 75-64, Pat PEREZ (USA) 70-69.

140 – Ryan FOX (NZL) 70-70, Billy HORSCHEL (USA) 68-72, Ian POULTER (ENG) 69-71.

141 – Rafa CABRERA BELLO (ESP) 68-73, Andrew PUTNAM (USA) 70-71, Paul CASEY (ENG) 73-68, Alexander LEVY (FRA) 71-70, Jason DAY (AUS) 71-70.

142 – Tyrrell HATTON (ENG) 72-70, Adam SCOTT (AUS) 69-73, Hideki MATSUYAMA (JPN) 72-70, Adam HADWIN (CAN) 74-68.

143 – Andy SULLIVAN (ENG) 72-71, Chez REAVIE (USA) 70-73, Branden GRACE (RSA) 72-71, Andrea PAVAN (ITA) 72-71, George COETZEE (RSA) 69-74, Alex NOREN (SWE) 74-69.

144 – Thorbjorn OLESEN (DEN) 75-69, Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND) 72-72, C.T. PAN (TPE) 68-76, Matt WALLACE (ENG) 69-75.

New Delhi, October 26: Delhi expert Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh signed for a solid six-under-par 66 to grab a share of the halfway lead with young Thai talent Suradit Yongcharoenchai at the US$400,000 Panasonic Open India on Friday.

After opening his campaign with a flawless 67, Siddikur fired eight birdies against two bogeys to match the efforts of overnight leader Suradit, who returned with a bogey-free 67, on 11-under-par 133 total at the venerable Delhi Golf Club.

Local hotshot Ajeetesh Sandhu carded a 67 to trail the leading duo by one in third place while his playing partner Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand, who also carded a 67, lurked two shots off the pace in fourth.

Placed 97th on the Habitat for Humanity Standings, Siddikur will have the Merit chase at the back of his mind when he bids for a third victory on the region’s premier Tour and second at the Delhi Golf Club in the weekend.

The 33-year-old Bangladeshi is hopeful of turning his season around with a strong showing on his favourite hunting ground, where he holds an impeccable track record on. He needs to finish inside top-60 on the final Merit rankings to keep his card for 2019.

Suradit, who goes by his Thai nickname ‘Art’, has enjoyed a commendable season on the Asian Tour thus far, claiming two top-five finishes which include a joint runner-up result in India two months ago. The 19-year-old is seeking his maiden Asian Tour title this week.

A total of 74 players will progressed into the weekend rounds after making the halfway cut set at two-over-par 146 at the popular event, which is celebrating its eighth consecutive edition on the Asian Tour.

The Panasonic Open India is sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) and is the second leg of the 2018/19 Panasonic Swing, which is an aggregate points race that spans five events – in Thailand, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Japan.

Suradit Yongcharoenchai of Thailand

Did you know?

• Siddikur Rahman birdied all the four par-fives (hole one, eight, 14 and 18) today. He missed only two fairways and needed only 24 putts around the greens in his solid round of 66.
• Siddikur holds an impeccable track record at the Delhi Golf Club. He won his second Asian Tour title in 2013, finished inside top-10 in four of his five attempts at the Panasonic Open India and has secured six top-10s in other Asian Tour events there.
• Siddikur did not play in the last two editions of the Panasonic Open India. In his last appearance in 2015, Siddkur came in tied-second.
• Placed 97th on the money list, Siddikur needs a strong showing to boost his rankings and hopefully break into top-60 by the end of the season to keep his Asian Tour card for 2019.
• Siddikur enjoyed his career-best season in 2013 when he came in fourth on the Asian Tour Order of Merit. He has not finished outside top-60 on the money list in his last eight consecutive seasons on Tour since 2010.
• The 33-year-old Siddikur wrote a slice of history in 2010 when he became the first player from Bangladesh to win on the Asian Tour at the Brunei Open.
• Suradit Yongcharoenchai missed only three fairways and found a total of 16 greens in regulation in his solid round of 67.
• Suradit is seeking for his maiden Asian Tour title this week. He hopes to follow in the footsteps of his countryman and roommate Tirawat Kaewsiribandit, who broke through in Pakistan two weeks ago.
• Suradit turned professional at a tender age of 16 in 2015. He will be celebrating his 20th birthday on Sunday.
• Suradit sits in 40th place on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings, thanks to two top-five finishes in India and Pakistan. He came in joint runner-up in his last event in India in August and finished tied-fifth in Pakistan two weeks ago.
• Suradit plied his trade on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) in 2016 and ended his 2017 season in 43rd place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit to keep his card for 2018.
• Suradit made the headlines when he won back-to-back titles on his domestic circuit last year.
• Ajeetesh Sandhu enjoyed a superb season in 2017 where he claimed his maiden Asian Tour win at the Yeangder TPC in Chinese Taipei. He followed up with a play-off win on the Japan Challenge Tour the week after.
• His good form continued in the following weeks at the Macao Open and the Pansonic Open India where he finished joint runner-up. Also enjoyed a tied-eighth place finish at the season-ending Indonesian Masters to finish in 21st position on the final 2017 Order of Merit.
• The 30-year-old Sandhu sits in a current 34th place on the Habitat for Humanity Standings, thanks to two top-10 finishes in Japan and Korea.
• Sandhu needed only 26 putts around the greens in his round of 67.

Players’ quotes:

Siddikur Rahman (Ban) – Second round 66 (-6), Total 133 (-11)

I had another excellent day with eight birdies and two bogeys. Overall, it was still a wonderful round. I am happy because I played exactly the way I wanted to play.

After dropping two bogeys in a row, I told myself it happens, especially on this golf course, and I still have many holes to go. I had like three eagle chances today. I hit the green in two on all three par-fives.

On the 14th hole, I had like seven feet for eagle but I missed that and settled for birdie. On the first hole, I had about a 20-footer for eagle and then another 12-footer on the eighth. I didn’t hole any of these eagle putts but it was alright.

I am really enjoying the course so far. I am very comfortable with my driver and three-wood. Nothing really different compared to yesterday. I stuck to my game plan and kept the same strategy.

I was a little unlucky on the third. I hit a good shot but it went into the bush. It was a good bogey actually. I chipped in from about 20 feet on the fringe with my putter.

I wasn’t thinking about catching anyone. I just want to play my own game and hopefully I can continue to play the way that I have been playing.

Suradit Yongcharoenchai (Tha) – Second round 67 (-5), Total 133 (-11)

Nothing really different from yesterday. The fairways are still playing firm. The pin positions are pretty much like yesterday’s as well. This Sunday’s my 20th birthday so I definitely hope I can win my first Asian Tour title here but I don’t want to think too much about that yet.

I just want to play my game and focus on the tee shots, which are important if you want to play well on this course. If I can hit it good off the tee, everything will be easier. I need a little bit of luck on the greens this week as well.

I made a long putt for birdie from about 15 feet on the 10th hole. That’s the highlight for me today. I feel happy for Tirawat who won in Pakistan two weeks ago. He told me not to think so much and just focus on my game.

I like Prom Meesawat. He’s one of my favourite Thai golfers. He’s not a long hitter but he can play so well. I practise with him sometimes and he always give me advises on my game which helped me a lot.

This is my third year as a professional. I have learnt a lot, especially from playing on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) where I started honing my skills in 2016. I played on the main Tour last year and secured my card. It has been a very good journey so far. I gained a lot of experiences which helped.

I learned a lot from the Thai players whom I travel and practise with. They have helped me a lot in my game. Seeing them win on Tour, I feel inspired as well and I hope to be like them one day. Like how Phachara Khongwatmai is playing in Europe now, my aim is also to play well so I can progress onto the bigger stage as well.

Ajeetesh Sandhu of India

Ajeetesh Sandhu (Ind) – Second round 67 (-5), Total 134 (-10)

It was a much better round today as compared to round one. I hit it better even though I missed a few putts. I’m quite pleased about my effort.

At the Delhi Golf Club, one has to create opportunities by hitting maximum fairways. The par-fives also provide scoring opportunities if you play them well.

I felt certain aspects of my game were a bit rusty so I’ve been working on those over the past few months with my friend and fellow professional Gurbaaz Mann and my coach Jesse Grewal.

The key moment today was the birdie on the 11th. After having started with a bogey on the 10th I felt I came back well with the birdie on the next hole that actually helped me settle down and get into my rhythm.

I’ve always played well at the Delhi Golf Club. I don’t remember having a bad finish here. I have good memories of this course from my junior days when I won a lot here.

Scores after round 2 of the Panasonic Open India being played at the par 72, 6935 Yards Delhi GC course (am – denotes amateur):

133 – Suradit Yongcharoenchai (THA) 66-67, Siddikur Rahman (BAN) 67-66.

134 – Ajeetesh Sandhu (IND) 67-67.

135 – Jazz Janewattananond (THA) 68-67.

136 – Rashid Khan (IND) 68-68.

137 – M. Dharma (IND) 70-67, Jeev Milkha Singh (IND) 69-68, Settee Prakongvech (THA) 70-67, Jack Harrison (ENG) 69-68, Anura Rohana (LKA) 70-67, Yutaka Araki (JPN) 70-67.

138 – Aman Raj (IND) 70-68, Mukesh Kumar (IND) 71-67, Kshitij Naveed Kaul (IND) 72-66.

139 – Chapchai Nirat (THA) 70-69, Namchok Tantipokhakul (THA) 71-68, Khalin Joshi (IND) 71-68, Terry Pilkadaris (AUS) 69-70, Tapy Ghai (IND) 67-72, Matt Stieger (AUS) 70-69.

140 – Prom Meesawat (THA) 71-69, Angad Cheema (IND) 70-70, Sachin Baisoya (IND) 70-70, Chikkarangappa S. (IND) 71-69, Shiv Kapur (IND) 70-70.

141 – Shankar Das (IND) 70-71, Lu Wei-chih (TPE) 70-71, Kapil Kumar (IND) 69-72, Jbe Kruger (RSA) 71-70, Lionel Weber (FRA) 71-70.

142 – Peradol Panyathanasedh (THA) 68-74, Abhijit Chadha (IND) 71-71, Veer Ahlawat (IND) 68-74, Steven Jeffress (AUS) 71-71, K. Prabagaran (LKA) 69-73.

Shanghai, October 25: Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat underlined his growing reputation as a world class player by posting a four-under-par 68 to take a share of fifth place after the first round of  the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions on Thursday.

Kiradech, together with C.T. Pan of Chinese Taipei, are the highest placed Asians in the elite 78-man field and they will head into the second round of the US$10million WGC event four shots back of American Patrick Reed who leads with his 64 at the Sheshan International Golf Club.

Having already enjoyed two top-five finishes in his previous two WGC events in Mexico and the United States this year, Kiradech, who was hospitalised for two days after his exertions in Malaysia a fortnight ago, is back in the pink of health and looking forward  to get the job done this week.

The 2013 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion is ranked 41st in the world and is also the first Thai to earn a PGA TOUR card.

India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar will meanwhile be looking for a strong comeback after struggling to a 72 which placed him in a share of 27th place at the year’s final WGC event.

Compatriot Shubhankar Sharma, who currently leads the Asian Tour’s Habitat for Humanity standings, had a day to forget as he carded a 80 to end the day in last place on the leaderboard.

Did you know?

• Kiradech Aphibarnrat is playing in his fourth WGC-HSBC Champions. His previous results include T55 (2013), T30 (2015), T24 (2017).
• He made a total of 26 putts and traded six birdies against two bogeys today.
• Kiradech’s season has been highlighted by a couple of impressive top-five finishes at the WGC-Mexico Championship and WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.
• Kiradech has also enjoyed two other top-15s at the Memorial Tournament and U.S. Open.
• Earlier this year Kiradech won his third Asian Tour title at the 2018 ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth.
• C.T. Pan is making his WGC debut at the WGC-HSBC Champions this week.
• Patrick Reed won the Masters Tournament this year and also has one World Golf Championships title to his name when he emerged victorious at the 2014 WGC-Cadillac Championship.
• Reed still holds the distinction of being the youngest player ever to win a World Golf Championships event with his victory at the 2014 World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship at age 23 years, 7 months, 4 days.
• Patrick Reed was the only player in the field to hit all 18 greens in regulation today.

Players’ Quotes

Patrick Reed (Usa) First round 64 (-8)

It feels great. To be able to come out here and to be the first event back and to feel like I hit the ball really solid. I had full control, especially with how windy it was today. It felt really good because if you can go out and shoot rounds like that in these kind of conditions, you know you’re going to have confidence when the wind dies down and there are perfect conditions out there. I really just need to keep on taking it day by day and try to shoot the lowest round I can each day. Hopefully I’ll shoot a couple more of these rounds, I think that will help me out.

Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Tha) First round 68 (-4)

I just tried to put the ball in the fairways and gave myself the opportunity to play the second shot. There’s a lot of birdies out there, but you can’t make a mistake. When you hit it in the wrong position, you might get hurt a lot. I spent some time in the hospital, two nights, and just feel fresh, ready to come out now. It was too hot in Malaysia, some dehydration, and some more rest, but so far I’ve been recovered and I’m good to go. I have to say, I’m playing very solid golf the last eight months. I got really confident in the last two World Golf Championships, I finished top five. I’ve been knocking on the doors. Went on the top in the first round. But just can’t make the job done. A lot of things went wrong in the last two rounds. But I’ve got more experience and I’ve got more confident going into this year. To be the first Thai golfer to play on the PGA TOUR brings about a lot of pressure. But I will try to win, you know, even one event. I hope to let the new generation see that despite coming from little country in Asia, we can play against the top players in the world. I just want to inspire them.

C.T. Pan (Tpe) First round 68 (-4)

It was great. I followed my strategy very well and made a couple really crucial putts out there for pars. That helped me a lot to stabilise my mind. Other than that, I just played very good. I gave myself a lot of good opportunities, and the last hole was great. I putted off the green into the hole. So that’s always a good finish. The conditions are hard. It’s windy and it’s swirling. It’s not consistent. So I hit a lot of low shots, just trying to keep it under control. But you know, you still have to hit the fairway and the tee shots are hard. You cannot really feel the wind on the tee box because you are surrounded by the trees. I will just follow my same strategy. All I’m trying to do is try to play more conservatively and give myself more opportunities out there. It’s great. (having his brother on his bag) He’s getting better. Last week I had an anger issue and said something bad on him, but other than that, he’s getting better and I’m getting better with him too. We had a blast out there.

Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind) First round 72 (Even)

I’m little frustrated especially with those few pars coming in the last few holes. I think I could have done better. But it was a tough day. It was windy and the winds were swirling a lot but I’m looking forward to playing well in the next 54 holes. There’s still everything to play for and hopefully I can come back out again and play some good golf the next three days.

Leading Scores after round 1 of the WGC – HSBC Champions being played at the par 72, 7261 Yards Sheshan International Golf Club course (am – denotes amateur):

64 – Patrick REED (USA).

66 – Xander SCHAUFFELE (USA), Tony FINAU (USA).

67 – Matthew FITZPATRICK (ENG).

68 – Billy HORSCHEL (USA), Tommy FLEETWOOD (ENG), Rafa CABRERA BELLO (ESP), Kiradech APHIBARNRAT (THA), C.T. PAN (TPE).

69 – George COETZEE (RSA), Adam SCOTT (AUS), Ian POULTER (ENG), Justin ROSE (ENG), Keegan BRADLEY (USA), Matt WALLACE (ENG).

70 – Pat PEREZ (USA), Ryan FOX (NZL), Patrick CANTLAY (USA), Andrew PUTNAM (USA), Kyle STANLEY (USA), Alexander BJORK (SWE), Chez REAVIE (USA), Emiliano GRILLO (ARG).

71 – JC RITCHIE (RSA), Alexander LEVY (FRA), Jason DAY (AUS).

72 – Satoshi KODAIRA (JPN), ZHANG Xinjun (CHN), Andrea PAVAN (ITA), Branden GRACE (RSA), Adam BLAND (AUS), Sihwan KIM (USA), Hideki MATSUYAMA (JPN), Adrian OTAEGUI (ESP), Brooks KOEPKA (USA), LIANG Wenchong (CHN), Andy SULLIVAN (ENG), Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND), Tyrrell HATTON (ENG), Rory MCILROY (NIR).

New Delhi, October 25: Thai teenager Suradit Yongcharoenchai broke clear of the tight leaderboard after firing two birdies in his closing three holes for an opening six-under-par 66 at the US$400,000 Panasonic Open India on Thursday.

The 19-year-old Suradit, who is playing at the popular event for the second time, nailed seven birdies against a lone bogey to lead by one shot over Delhi expert Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh, as well as Indian duo Ajeetesh Sandhu and Tapy Ghai at the Delhi Golf Club.

Having enjoyed a tied-fifth place finish in Pakistan two weeks ago, Suradit was delighted to continue his fine form as he takes aim at a breakthrough Asian Tour title at the Panasonic Open, where he finished tied-21st last year.

Siddikur, a two-time Asian Tour winner but not since 2013, rediscovered some of his best form after returning with a bogey-free round highlighted by five birdies.

He holds an impressive track record at the par-72 6935 yards course where he won his second Asian Tour title in 2013, finished inside top-10 in four of his five attempts at the Panasonic Open India and has secured six top-10s in other Asian Tour events.

Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond, highest-ranked player in 14th place on the Merit rankings, posted a 68 to trail by two while defending champion Shiv Kapur of India posted a 70 to tie in 16th position in the event, which is celebrating its eighth successive edition on the region’s premier Tour.

Reigning Asian Development Tour (ADT) Order of Merit champion Pannakorn Uthaipas recorded the second albatross of the season on the par-five first hole after his five-iron second shot found the bottom of the cup from about 220 yards.

The Panasonic Open India is sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) and is the second leg of the 2018/19 Panasonic Swing, which is an aggregate points race that spans five events – in Thailand, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Japan.

Did you know?

• Suradit Yongcharoenchai sits in 40th place on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings, thanks to two top-five finishes in India and Pakistan. He came in joint runner-up in his last event in India in August and finished tied-fifth in Pakistan two weeks ago.
• The 19-year-old Thai had ended his 2017 season in 43rd place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit to keep his card for 2018. Enjoyed a top-10 finish in India that year as well.
• Suradit turned professional at a teenage of 16. Made the headlines when he won back-to-back titles on his domestic circuit last year.
• The young Thai is leading in an Asian Tour event for the first time in his career.
• Siddikur Rahman holds an impeccable track record at the Delhi Golf Club. He won his second Asian Tour title in 2013, finished inside top-10 in four of his five attempts at the Panasonic Open India and has secured six top-10s in other Asian Tour events there.
• Siddikur enjoyed his career-best season in 2013 when he came in fourth on the Asian Tour Order of Merit. He has not finished outside top-60 on the money list in his last eight consecutive seasons on Tour since 2010.
• The 33-year-old Siddikur wrote a slice of history in 2010 when he became the first player from Bangladesh to win on the Asian Tour at the Brunei Open.
• Placed 97th on the money list, Siddikur needs a strong showing to boost his rankings and hopefully break into top-60 by the end of the season to keep his Asian Tour card for 2019.
• Siddikur missed only three fairways and needed only 26 putts around the greens for his commendable 67.
• Tapy Ghai hails from Gurgaon, India. The 22-year-old is playing in his second year as a professional.
• Despite hitting just four fairways, Ghai found 12 greens in regulation and navigated his way around the greens in just 24 putts.
• Ajeetesh Sandhu enjoyed a superb season in 2017 where he claimed his maiden Asian Tour win at the Yeangder TPC in Chinese Taipei. He followed up with a play-off win on the Japan Challenge Tour the week after.
• His good form continued in the following weeks at the Macao Open and the Pansonic Open India where he finished joint runner-up. Also enjoyed a tied-eighth place finish at the season-ending Indonesian Masters to finish in 21st position on the final 2017 Order of Merit.
• Sandhu sits in a current 34th place on the Habitat for Humanity Standings, thanks to two top-10 finishes in Japan and Korea.
• Reigning Asian Development Tour (ADT) Order of Merit champion Pannakorn Uthaipas recorded the second albatross of the season on the par-five first hole. The Thai hit a three-wood off the tee right down the middle of the fairway before his five-iron second shot found the bottom of the cup from about 220 yards. It was the second albatross in his career and first time in a professional tournament.

Players’ quotes:

Suradit Yongcharoenchai (Tha) – First round 66 (-6)

I played really good today. I feel very good with my game. I hit a lot of fairways. My tee shots were very good today and that was the key to play well here. I played my irons very well too and gave myself a lot of birdie opportunities.

I knew I was tied for the lead after the birdie on seventh but I wasn’t thinking too much. I just played my own game and went on to make another birdie on the eighth. I didn’t hit my tee shot well on that hole. It was kind of in the rough and I had to lay up from about 100 yards.

I managed to hit it close to the pin from there and made the birdie to take the outright lead. I think my game is pretty alright at the moment. If I can keep hitting fairways and greens, I should be able to do well this week.

Obviously riding on my good form as well. I finished tied-fifth in Pakistan two weeks ago and was joint runner-up when I last played in India two months ago. I haven’t change much to my routine so I will keep doing what I have been doing.

I made a really good birdie on the par-three seventh hole. I hit it close to within a foot and tapped in for birdie. I played pretty consistently through the round today. This is my second time playing on this course and in this tournament.

I don’t have a driver in the bag this week. I know the fairways are pretty tight here. I told myself to just focus on the tee shots. I feel good and confident coming back to India because I came close to winning in this country two months ago.

Tirawat (Kaewsiribandit) is my regular roommate on Tour and to see him win in Pakistan was a great motivation and inspiration for me. It makes me want to win as well. Hopefully I can ride on my good form and try for a win this week.

Siddikur Rahman (Ban) – First round 67 (-5)

It was an excellent day out there. I hit the ball good and my putting was great as well. I am really happy with my round. I have a lot of great memories on this golf course. I won on this course five years ago and I have played well here on several other occasions.

I always think about all these good memories whenever I come to play here. It always inspires me. I don’t think there will be any changes in my game plan moving forward. I hope to continue playing the same way I did today.

I had a good birdie on the 10th hole. I really didn’t know where the putt will go. I saw the slope and just putted from about 18 feet and the ball just went in. I had another nice birdie on the 17th hole. I hit a seven-iron from 165 yards to about five foot of the pin and made that putt.

I feel really excited now. I missed the last two editions so it’s been awhile since I last played here. To come back here and shoot such a good score, I feel really excited now. I am always happy to come and play here. It’s one of my favourite courses on Tour.

I know I play better when I feel happy on the golf course. I will try not to think so much about other matters and focus on enjoying my game over the next few days. That will be the key. The course seems to be playing easier this time. The fairways are playing softer.

I finished tied-12th in Pakistan two weeks ago and that’s my best result this year. I was a little bit under pressure because I haven’t been playing well since the start of the year and I needed to keep my card for 2019.

I have been giving myself too much pressure by thinking about it and that is why I haven’t been able to play well. I shouldn’t be thinking about that. I know I am a good player and I just need a good week to achieve what I need.

That is what I am telling myself now. I won’t give myself any pressure. I just want to play my game and see how it goes. I am happy with my recent performances so I hope to continue that. I played here as an amateur since 2000 and I won the All Indian Amateur here in 2004.

Ajeetesh Sandhu (Ind) – First round 67 (-5)

The score is pretty good. I played alright, not my best. It’s something that might just happen on this course. I think I played pretty well. That three birdies in a row kind of gave me some momentum heading into the remainder of the round.

I hit two good shots on the 13th and made a 10-footer for birdie there. The 14th hole was the toughest hole that I birdied today. I hit a great chip for eagle on the 18th but it somehow lipped out. But I’ll take it. I’m happy with the birdie on the last.

It was pretty warm out there. There was no wind so it was pretty easy. The greens are a bit slow so you got to be aggressive with your shots. If you miss on the wrong side of the greens, you miss another chance.

It’s always good playing with Jazz (Janewattananond). We have a good friendship. We have played quite a lot together this year, even in Europe. It was fun and comfortable out there. He finished well with a birdie on the last like me too which was good.

I am sure the conditions will be different tomorrow morning. It plays completely differently when the sun comes out. The course plays shorter and it’s definitely easier. I’ll just take it as it comes. I have played this course enough times.

Tapy Ghai (Ind) – First round 67 (-5)

When you score seven birdies it’s always a good round. All the aspects of my game were in good shape today. I had clarity of mind and didn’t have any doubts during my round so that helped.

I’ve drawn a lot of confidence from my first professional win which was achieved on the PGTI earlier this month in Ahmedabad. That win has helped me break some mental barriers. I feel like a different player now.

As a junior I’ve played a lot of golf at the DGC at it was my home course at the time before I moved to Gurgaon. I’m quite familiar with the DGC so that is another advantage I enjoy this week.

I recovered well from the bushes to make my first birdie of the day on the 10th. The momentum just continued thereafter as I hit a terrific tee shot on the 12th that set up a seven-foot birdie putt. Then I also had a 20-feet birdie conversion on the 14th.

Subsequently I made two birdies and two bogeys till the fourth before coming back strong with consecutive birdies on the fifth and sixth. I’m delighted with this effort considering this is only my second Asian Tour event.

Veer Ahlawat (Ind) – First round 68 (-4)

It’s been a good season for me so far as I’ve posted five top-10s on the PGTI in 2018. I’m 11th on the PGTI Order of Merit at the moment and I feel I’m carrying some good form into this week.

My game was pretty solid today as I struck it well and therefore hit 16 regulations. I also holed a couple of 15 feet birdie putts.

I started really well with birdies on the first two holes and four birdies on the first seven holes but a poor tee shot on the 18th was a dampener as it resulted in a double bogey. Importantly, I didn’t let that double bogey affect my rhythm on the front nine where I picked up two more birdies.

The highlight of my round though was the chip-in from the fringe for a par save on the seventh.

My game is at a good point as of now as I’m striking and putting well. But I don’t want to think too ahead and want to take it one round at a time. My focus was good today as I managed to pull myself up even after the double bogey on the 18th.

My goals in the near future include getting my first win on the PGTI and also trying to qualify for the Asian Tour through the Qualifying School.

Scores after round 1 of the Panasonic Open India being played at the par 72, 6935 Yards Delhi GC course (am – denotes amateur):

66 – Suradit Yongcharoenchai (THA).

67 – Tapy Ghai (IND), Siddikur Rahman (BAN), Ajeetesh Sandhu (IND).

68 – Veer Ahlawat (IND), Rashid Khan (IND), Peradol Panyathanasedh (THA), Jazz Janewattananond (THA).

69 – Terry Pilkadaris (AUS), Jack Harrison (ENG), Suttijet Kooratanapisan (THA), K. Prabagaran (LKA), Kapil Kumar (IND), Karandeep Kochhar (IND), Jeev Milkha Singh (IND).

70 – Angad Cheema (IND), Sachin Baisoya (IND), Settee Prakongvech (THA), Shiv Kapur (IND), Akshay Sharma (IND), Maverick Antcliff (AUS), Anura Rohana (LKA), Yutaka Araki (JPN), Matt Stieger (AUS), Shankar Das (IND), Chapchai Nirat (THA), Mardan Mamat (SIN), Lu Wei-chih (TPE), Mitchell Slorach (SIN), Aman Raj (IND), M. Dharma (IND), Jyoti Randhawa (IND).

71 – Chikkarangappa S. (IND), Khalin Joshi (IND), Steven Jeffress (AUS), Trishul Chinnappa (IND), Himmat Rai (IND), Wolmer Murillo (VEN), Jbe Kruger (RSA), Abhijit Chadha (IND), Shamim Khan (IND), Prom Meesawat (THA), Lionel Weber (FRA), Namchok Tantipokhakul (THA), Mukesh Kumar (IND).

72 – Manu Gandas (IND), Naman Dawar (IND), Kshitij Naveed Kaul (IND), Paul Harris (USA), Niall Turner (IRL), Udayan Mane (IND), Ashok Kumar (IND), Sudhir Sharma (IND), Zamal Hossain Mollah (BAN), Digvijay Singh (IND), Chiragh Kumar (IND), Mohammad Sanju (IND), Gaurav Pratap Singh (IND), Om Prakash Chouhan (IND), Abhishek Jha (IND), Shakhawat Sohel (BAN)

Shanghai, October 24: Zimbabwean Scott Vincent and Sihwan Kim of the United States are prepared for one of their career’s biggest tests when they take on the world’s best players at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions which starts on Thursday.

Vincent qualified for the US$10 million Chinese showpiece as one of the leading four players from the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings while Kim secured his place when the number of spots for the Asian Tour was increased to six due to late withdrawals.

The 26-year-old Vincent is the first golfer from Zimbabwe to play on the Asian Tour. While he is still awaiting his breakthrough, he has already enjoyed three runner-up results and six top-10 finishes this season.

Kim, on the other hand, has posted five top-five finishes on the Asian Tour so far and is currently in ninth place on the Habitat for Humanity Standings.

The Korean-American was elated upon receiving the news that he was going to tee up at the year’s final WGC event which will feature five of the world’s top six golfers and all of the year’s Major winners.

They include world number one Brooks Koepka of the United States, defending champion Justin Rose of England and Italy’s Francesco Molinari, who famously triumphed at The 147th Open Championship this year.

The home challenge will be led by China’s highest ranked player Li Haotong. Li, who is currently ranked 54th in the world, finished tied-seventh at the WGC-HSBC Champions in 2015 which remains his best result at the event so far.

Did you know?

• Scott Vincent earned his first Asian Tour card in 2016 via Qualifying School.
• In his rookie year on Tour, he posted two top-10s, including a tied-second finish at the Shinhan Donghae Open. Vincent went on to finish 28th on the Order of Merit to retain his card for the 2017 season.
• In 2017, he claimed four top-10s to finish in 17th place on the Order of Merit.
• The Zimbabwean has posted nine top-10s this season including three runner-up finishes.
• Sihwan Kim is a graduate of the 2017 Asian Tour Qualifying School. Straight after securing his card then, he went on to claim two straight top-10 finishes at the Leopalace21 Myanmar Open and Bashundhara Bangladesh Open.
• He secured a tied-sixth finish at the season-ending Indonesian Masters to finish in 55th place on the Habitat for Humanity Standings and retain his card for 2018.
• Kim has already secured five top-five finishes on the Asian Tour so far and is currently in ninth place on the Habitat for Humanity standings.

Players’ Quotes

Scott Vincent (Zim)

I’m obviously very excited to be here. I was just telling Kelsey (wife) the other day that at the start of the year, I was qualifying to play at the SA Open and a few months later, I’m playing at a WGC event. What a year it has been. I got to play in some amazing tournaments and I’ve also played some amazing golf this year. This is definitely the pinnacle of my golfing career so far and it’s nice to be able to share this with my wife and to rub shoulders with the best players in the world. I’m not expecting a lot but I still very competitive and I want to come out here to compete. I know what I need to do as a player and I’ll try to stick to the game plan. Then we’ll see where that puts us at the end of the week.

Sihwan Kim (Usa)

I’m very excited and I’m very glad I can make it here. I was like one of the last ones to get in here and getting anything here would be a huge bonus. I was in the States and then I got an email that I was the first reserve and a couple of days later, I was in. I was happy and excited. I just got to stay patient and hopefully I can hole some putts to keep the momentum going. I just got to keep the ball on the fairway as the rough can be very tricky here. If I can do that, you can have lots of birdie chances which I certainly need around here.

Li Haotong (Chn)

I just want a chance to play better, and to have a good performance, as well, and to enjoy this great event, great week here. Winning in Dubai was certainly the highlight for me this year. I want to thank the China Golf Association for giving me the opportunity to compete across the world and to have that chance to win such a great event. It has been an amazing year. I feel that I will have a breakthrough this year because I have a pretty good momentum and I’m in pretty good shape. It is a lot of pressure, but I think right now I’m much better to compete. I think three years ago, I was one behind in the last or second last group. So I enjoy it more and I’m more used to it I think.

Brooks Koepka (Usa)

It was nice (to win in Korea last week). To start the year off with a win is something you always want to do. 1-for-1 is always nice. Just got to build on that. I feel like I’ve built a lot of momentum throughout the year and obviously only a week off in between, it felt like, so there wasn’t much of a gap. To build that momentum and kind of build on what I’ve done this year, was key, and hopefully, you know, it rolls over into this week and then have a few weeks off to kind of figure out what I need to work on and what needs to get better, and go from there. I’ve only been world number one for three days. I haven’t found too many challenges in those three days. But I’m looking forward to this week. Looking forward to teeing it up as number one. I think that’s something every golfer kind of dreams of and every golfer wants to accomplish. I’m looking to build on that lead, grow it, and that way I can be number one for a while. The goal isn’t just to get here; it’s to stay here. I think you look at it, and you get the best players in the world to come over here. I mean, I know a lot of the guys in the States, they have got to travel, you know, 16, 17 hours just to get here, but yet the guys are doing it. So there’s a reason that they are going to come over here. It’s a WGC. It’s an important — you know, these eight events, the majors and WGCs, are what you want to play and what you want to win. And when you’re done, when you’re done playing, those are what people remember you for. They remember you for the majors that you’ve won, the WGCs, things like that. So it’s an important event. I wouldn’t — I think what they are doing right now is an unbelievable job. The way they treat us here is fantastic. The fans are awesome. It’s a fun golf course to play, and I think that right there speaks for itself.