Published on April 24, 2021

When England’s evergreen star Lee Westwood celebrates his 48^th birthday today, the one victory – out of his 44 international wins – that may come to mind the most is his triumph at the Indonesian Masters, in Jakarta.

That is because he claimed the first of his three wins in the event on this same day, just a decade ago.

In what was the inaugural edition of the Indonesian Masters he beat Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee by three shots at Royale Jakarta Golf Club – the event’s regular home for the ensuing eight years.

Westwood, at the time ranked number two on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), led by five going into the last round and closed with a three-under 69, to hold off a typically brave challenge from Thongchai, who shot a sensational 65.

“This will definitely be the most memorable birthday for me,” said Westwood, after his win.

The Englishman was also bidding to reclaim the number one spot on the OWGR – which was being led by Germany’s Martin Kaymer, although England’s Luke Donald, in third place, looked like taking over top spot as he was on the cusp of winning the Heritage tournament on the US PGA Tour that same Sunday.

“It was about coming here this week and trying to win the Indonesian Masters and I’ve done that. I’ve ticked every box this week so we will have to wait and see what happens,” said the Englishman, who held the number one spot for 17 weeks before being deposed by Kaymer in February.

Westwood’s win was put on hold for over an hour when lightning forced him to return to the clubhouse with one hole to play.

When play resumed he parred the 18th to finish the tournament on 19-under 269.

He was even par for the day after nine holes but shifted gear when he holed a difficult birdie putt on the 11th hole.

“Yeah, that was probably the hardest putt I had all day,” he said.

“It was 15 feet and had a three-feet break on it. I birdied the next with two good shots and played solidly. I managed to pick up a few shots and birdied the 16th from four feet. I was quite comfortable after that.”

Thongchai credited a red-hot putter for his fine round, where he turned in 31 before adding two more birdies on his back nine.

“It was a good round from me and I’m happy with how I played. I played my own game and focused hole by hole and shot by shot,” said the Thai, a three-time Asian Tour Order of Merit winner.

In the end Westwood did not reclaim top spot on the OWGR from Kaymer – nor did Donald, who lost in a play-off to American Brad Snedeker at the Heritage.

But his victory in the Indonesian capital was yet another career defining conquest. He went on to win the event the following year, and then again in 2015.

To date he has claimed nine titles in Asia and is one of the few golfers who has won tournaments on five continents – Europe, North America, Asia, Africa and Oceania.

And after winning the European Tour’s Order of Merit last year and finishing runner-up on the PGA Tour twice in March, first at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard followed the week after at THE PLAYERS Championship, perhaps we have not seen the last of his silverware success in Asia.

Happy Birthday Lee Westwood!

Published on

Thailand’s Itthipat Buranatanyarat is another of his country’s emerging young players – as demonstrated by his three wins on the Asian Development Tour (ADT). We spoke to him at the Boonchu Ruangkit Championship, the All Thailand Golf Tour and ADT event he claimed in 2019, earlier this year and got up to speed on what he has been up to.

COVID-19 has made life difficult for everyone. How has it been for you Itthipat?

I have tried to take the positives out of it and spend more time with my family, which has been great. I still kept practicing and working out. I am a professional golfer so it’s my routine. During the pandemic, I had a lot more time to play golf in Thailand and meet many people.

I also did some teaching but nothing too serious. I just wanted to give something back to the community and help people enjoy golf more. Most were junior golfers between 4-15 years old. I received positive feedback and really enjoyed it.

How much have you enjoyed playing on the Asian Tour?

The Asian Tour has been great for me, even though I lost my Tour card after playing a few seasons. But, I got my card back again in 2020 and had the opportunity to play in three big tournaments: the Hong Kong Open, the SMBC Singapore Open and the Bandar Malaysian Open. It was a great experience playing with many big-name players in those events. I was very satisfied with my performance before the season was put on hold because of the  pandemic.

You have put in some good performance on the Asian Tour. What are the areas of your game you have to work on to improve?

After returning to the Asian Tour, I have tried my best to improve everything. Then during the pandemic, I had a lot more time to practice on my own. And having taken such a long break without any competition, I have had more time to prepare myself and get ready for the Tour restart.

You won the Boonchu Ruangkit Championship in 2019, probably the biggest win of your career. How important was the victory for you?

The Boonchu Ruangkit Championship is co-sanctioned between the All Thailand Golf Tour and the Asian Development Tour (ADT). It meant a lot to me; I felt like it unlocked and improved my game. It also helped me claim the All Thailand Golf Tour Order of Merit that year and finish in the top-five on the ADT Order of Merit – which allowed me to get my Asian Tour card and return to the Tour again.

What are your memories of that week and did you have a feeling you could win?

At that time, I did not think about winning but I remember that it was one of my best performances. I played without pressure in the final round. I just tried to concentrate and focus on my game. I could go out and play, enjoy and have fun. It was the key to my success.

How old were you when you started playing, and who taught you?

I started playing golf when I was 10 years old. My first teacher was a former national golfer, Sitthichon Samransuk. My father taught me as well when I was a kid. I followed him to the driving range and one day I told him that I wanted to try a swing, so he got me a club and I hit it. It was not too hard from the beginning because I like sports and my family have always supported me.

Who was your golfing idol growing up?

When I was young, my idol was Tiger Woods. He is a super talented golfer and one of the most inspirational golfers. In Thailand my idol is Boonchu Ruangkit, he is a legend in Thailand and like a big brother for all Thai golfers as well.

What are your plans and objectives in the future?

I want to keep playing on the Asian Tour and I’m aiming to win an event, I think I have a chance to do that in the future. I also look forward to playing in Japan, as that is part of my plan. However, my big goal is to play on the European and PGA Tours, but I will have to do really well on the Asian Tour, that would be the first step. During the pandemic, I also started to think about setting up a small business in the future.

 

 

 

Published on April 19, 2021

American John Catlin, a four-time winner on the Asian Tour, continued his remarkable rise in the game by claiming the Austrian Golf Open on Sunday – his third victory on the European Tour in just eight months.

The 30-year-old Californian prevailed after a thrilling sudden-death play-off against German Maximilian Kieffer, which lasted five holes over the par-three 18th at Diamond Country Club, near Vienna.

The German found the water, that guards the front of the green on 18, three times on the fifth play-off hole to hand victory to Catlin.

They had finished the tournament tied on 14 under, after Catlin closed with a seven-under 65 and Kieffer, chasing his first win on the European Tour, a 66.

Catlin took the Asian Tour by storm in recent years – he triumphed three times in 2018 and once in 2019, plus claimed two titles on the Asian Development Tour – and is now intensifying his reputation as a clutch putter and closer in Europe.

His victory makes it three wins in his last 13 starts and moves him into the top 25 on the Race to Dubai Rankings Presented by Rolex.

He will also break into the top-100 on the Official World Golf Ranking – which will be updated later today.

“I’d love to crack that top-50 in the world,” he said. “Just to get a chance to play in some Major Championships – I’ve actually never played in a Major. I’m thinking this gives me a very good chance to play in the US PGA Championship, that was kind of my goal.

“Hopefully it’s good enough and to get into those events and to have the chance to win a Major, that’s been my goal since I was a kid.

“Winning is never easy, it doesn’t matter what tour you’re playing on and to have gotten this one is definitely something special.”

They had a birdie chance each on the first two play-off holes and Kieffer holed a 30 footer on the third to pile on the pressure but Catlin also made his birdie from a third of the distance.

A stunning bunker shot helped Catlin save par on the fourth trip up the 18th before Kieffer found water once from the tee and twice from the drop zone to make the result a formality despite Catlin finding sand again.

“It’s always tough to watch that happen,” Catlin added. “We’re out here giving it our all, he’s obviously a very, very accomplished player and to come out on top is something I will always cherish.”

Kieffer said: “Standing here I feel like I’m only going to get better. Sometimes it doesn’t happen that way, you never know in golf, but I’m confident about the game and I felt good.

“Every shot on the play-off felt good too but the last shot was a bit stupid, I got a bit too aggressive.”

Germany’ s Martin Kaymer, winless since the 2014 US Open, continued his comeback by claiming third place outright. The two-time Major champion finished three shots short of the play-off.

 

 

Published on April 16, 2021

Jeev Milkha Singh enjoyed many great victories during his illustrious career but perhaps his finest was his memorable win in the Volvo China Open in 2006. It was his first success in seven years and opened the floodgates for three more wins that season and another five in the ensuing years. We look back at the victory – achieved on this day 15 years ago – in China’s capital city, which marked the Indian star’s revival.

Jeev Milkha Singh’s incredible success and endless list of firsts achieved for his country in the game gloss over the fact that there were some serious bumps in the road for the Indian legend.

When he claimed the Lexus International in Thailand in 1999 for his ninth win in Asia, and third on the Asian Tour, all seemed in order and his continued rise to stardom on the perfect trajectory.

However, having already been a professional for seven years, the effect of pounding golf balls, week in, week out, finally caught up with him and he was beset by injuries – in particular, a career-threatening wrist injury.

He struggled, season after season, until the turning point – an epiphany of sorts – came in the world’s most populous country in the second week of April, 2006.

In the 12^th staging of the Volvo China Open he emerged from a stressful seven-year drought to claim the title and signify his return to the topflight – much to the relief of his millions of fans.

He was 34 years old at the time and carded a final round 70 at the Honghua International Golf Club, in Beijing, for a 10 under par total of 278 to lift the trophy by one shot from Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano.

To say it was an emotional victory is an understatement and it gave him the final proof that his years in the wilderness were over.

“This is fantastic,” he said at the time. “When I was injured, I didn’t know if I was going to come back in the sport. When I came back I wasn’t thinking the same way. I was struggling, I was putting pressure on myself and I was getting down. And after that, you don’t think right. I started working hard and the wrist became better and things started looking better for me. I’ve just won and it’s one of the best feelings.

“I just can’t explain this feeling. It’s like a dream come true. I’ve always tried hard to win and today, I just went in there with reverse psychology thinking that if it doesn’t happen, never mind. I just wanted to give it my best shot. And it worked out perfect for me. I’m really excited and happy the way it worked out.”

One shot adrift of playing partner David Lynn from England at the start of the day, things did not start promisingly for Singh when he bogeyed the opening hole. But he regrouped bravely and birdies at the third, fifth and seventh holes saw him reach the turn in 34 and one shot clear at the top of the leaderboard.

Fernandez-Castano tried his best to spoil Singh’s comeback win, especially on the 365-yard 17th.

The Spaniard hit a spectacular six-iron second shot, from sand, which finished five feet from the pin.

The resulting birdie three pulled him to within a shot of Singh, playing in the final match behind, but any real hope he had of forcing a play-off ended when he pulled his drive into the woods at the last and had to chip out one handed and backwards on his way to a bogey five, a 70, a nine under par total of 279 and second place outright.

Singh, who had not dropped a shot all day since his blemish on the opening hole, made bogey on the last, three putting from 40 feet after his second shot landed on the front edge of the putting surface.

But it was enough to secure the title and restore his confidence and faith in his game.

Earlier in the day, a bizarre incident had threatened to thwart his challenge.

On the 11^th hole his wayward drive ended in the woods, where a spectator picked up the ball and ran away with it, forcing Singh to ask permission from a tournament referee to replace it.

“My ball was down there and this guy was walking with my golf ball in his hand,” said Singh. “There were so many people saying so many things to him and he got confused and scared and just let the ball go.

“I just told him to relax, and the rules official came and told the guy to tell me where the ball stopped. The person asks him, and while he was doing it someone from the gallery came out and kicked him.”

It was the same calmness in the face of adversity that saw him go on to complete his comeback win and begin the most successful chapter in his career.

Published on April 13, 2021

After over a quarter of a century officiating on the Asian Tour, Thailand’s Wanchai Meechai has chosen to stepdown from his role as Senior Tournament Director, and referee on an event-by-event basis. We talked to him about his journey with the Asian Tour, and also got the back story about how his daughter Wichanee Meechai – currently playing on the LPGA Tour – started playing the game.

If you have been to an Asian Tour event, at some point over the past couple of decades, the chances are that you will have seen Wanchai Meechai on the course, keeping a watchful eye over proceedings.

“I have travelled to almost every event since starting all those years ago, and I’ve technically been with the Asian Tour for 26 years now,” said the 67-year-old, Senior Tournament Director on the Asian Tour, from his home in Bangkok this month, after announcing he plans to wind down his career with the Tour.

He uses the word “technically” because his introduction to the Tour was a gradual process.

Rules Rookie

The popular Thai was a Tour professional for five years – he turned professional in 1987 – before his friend Somchai Hiranpruek, an official on the local Thai Tour, refined his knowledge of the rules and also taught him how to set up a golf course for a professional tournament.

“After that I decided to become a rules official,” said Wanchai.

His big break came in 1995 when the Thailand Golf Association sent him to assist the Tournament Director, David Parkin, at the Asian PGA International – an Asian Tour event played at Sriracha Golf Club, near Pattaya.

“That was when I first met David Parkin, my first international teacher. He taught me how to set up the course, mark the course and, basically, how to do everything. It was very hands-on then. He made me learn by doing,” adds Wanchai.

He also started to work at Thai PGA events and his education and exposure to life on Tour was further enhanced when Khun Santi Bhirombhakdi, President of Singha Corporation – the long-standing main supporter of golf in Thailand – asked him to be a translator for the country’s top players such as: Boonchu Ruangkit, Thaworn Wiratchant, Chawalit Plaphol, Prayad Marksaeng, and Thammanoon Sriroj.

He says: “They could not speak English then, so I travelled with them and helped them with translation and assisted with whatever they needed, for a while.”

It was not long before the Asian Tour regularly engaged his services as a rules official – something that Singha helped him with by assisting with expenses.

“David Parkin came to realise that I was a good assistant to him, so he hired me to work with him at the Asian Tour. I was working with him on an event basis and it was only in 2004 that I officially joined the Tour as a permanent staff. I am the first Thai professional to join the Asian Tour as a member of staff,” said Wanchai.

It was a landmark achievement for the popular Thai and, indeed, his country.

Globetrotting for golf

He says there have been many highlights along the way, not least the chance to travel and work at the biggest tournaments in the game.

“I think the most memorable moments in my career were my experiences at Augusta. I was very lucky to be there for The Masters Tournament three times. I felt very proud to be representing the Asian Tour there,” he said.

He also went to The Open on four occasions, The US Open once, and the PGA Championship at Wentworth six times.

“I had the chance to go to Switzerland as well. I think I made seven to eight trips there for the Omega European Masters. It’s really beautiful and I must say it’s my favourite amongst the places I have travelled to so far. Even though I didn’t venture out of the course!” he adds.

“I also got to see snow for the first time in Arizona, when we were there for a WGC event. The weatherman suddenly said it might snow. No one was prepared for it. I remember I was on the course without any winter gear on! The buggy I was on did not have roof as well. It was so cold. It’s funny now thinking back about it.”

Proud Father

While life as an Asian Tour official was all consuming, there was also another very big part of his life that was to also make a significant impression on planet golf: his daughter Wichanee.

“I took both my daughters (Wannisa and Wichanee) to practice at the Army course when they were about eight to nine years-old. I bought a set of clubs for both of them and made them practice but they were not very interested. They would hit two to three balls and then went to eat. I eventually gave up after a while as I thought they were not interested. I told them it’s not going to work out and asked them to go back to their studies,” said Wanchai.

Game over it appeared, but not quite.

He adds: “They were fine with it. My elder daughter (Wannisa) was very good with her studies. My younger one (Wichanee) was good as well but the elder one was better. To my surprise, when Wichanee was around 14 years old, she came to me and said she wanted to play golf.”

He told her that if she wanted to play golf, she must follow his instructions to the T … and the tee.

Wanchai wasted no time in capitalizing on his daughter’s sudden interest in the game and took her out from a normal school and sent her to a special college where she could study two days a week and play golf and practice the other days. And while he coached her in the beginning he soon felt it best for her to see a “proper coach”.

“I said: ‘Don’t tell me you’re not good. If you’re not good, go and practice’. This is what I always told her. She had very good self-discipline. I never had to wake her up to practice or exercise. She knows what she has to do. Every morning, she would go to exercise and practice by herself,” commented Wanchai.

Wichanee also trained at Thongchai Jaidee’s academy and shortly after turning professional, when she was 19 years old, she won her first event on the Thai LPGA, and later claimed titles in China, the Philippines and Chinese Taipei.

And of course since 2017, she has been a regular on the LPGA Tour, gradually making her mark there with three top-10 finishes to date and with more expected from the 28-year-old.

Super Senior

While Wichanee continues to work hard on building her career, her father has plans for the next chapter of his life.

“I’m going into a semi-retirement now but actually, I am still fit. I went for a heart bypass last year but I’ve recovered and I’m well now. I will still work for the Asian Tour on an event-by-event basis. I am just no longer a permanent staff with the Tour,” said Wanchai.

He also wants to spend time helping to promote women’s golf in Thailand as he says although the country has so many great players, he feels there could be many more.

And having watched so much golf overs the years, and seen his daughter hit the big-time, he still has that itch, the competitive one, to get out and play.

“I went to play on the Thai Champions Tour. They have a super senior category. It was great to be back playing competitively. I really enjoyed it. I get to see all my old friends and get to talk to them.

“Just last week, I met Boonchu, Thongchai, Thaworn, Prayad at the event. I know I can’t beat them but it was fun. I am looking forward to the next one.”

Published on April 12, 2021

Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama won The Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on Sunday to become the first player from his country to win a men’s Major championship.

The 29-year-old finished a shot ahead of American rookie Will Zalatoris, after carding a final-round one-over-par 73 for a tournament total of 10-under.

He also became only the second Asian-born player to triumph in a Major – after Korean YE Yang’s victory in the 2009 US PGA Championship.

Matsuyama started the final day with a four-stroke advantage over four golfers — England’s Justin Rose, Australia’s Marc Leishman and Americans Xander Schauffele and Zalatoris.

He survived some mistakes late on, and a challenge from Schauffele, to claim the Green Jacket in thrilling circumstances.

Schauffele fired four straight birdies before his bid for honours ended with a triple-bogey on the par-three 16th.

“I felt nervous from the start of the day and right through until the end,” said Matsuyama.

“I was thinking about [my family] all the way around. I’m really happy I was able to play well for them.”

He recovered from a bogey on the first with birdies on the second, eighth and ninth. He then extended his lead to six on the back nine, but he gave Schauffele some hope when he found water going for the green in two on the par-five 15th.

After Schauffele’s fourth straight birdie, the lead was down to two shots with three to play, but the American’s charge came to an end on the 16th hole.

Matsuyama found a greenside bunker on the 18th, but splashed out to give himself two putts to win the title.

“Hopefully I’ll be a pioneer and many other Japanese will follow,” said the Japanese star, the winner of five titles on the PGA Tour and eight on the Japan Golf Tour Organization.

 

Published on April 7, 2021

Korean KJ Choi may have just fallen short of winning a Major but his performances in The Masters Tournament, which tees-off at Augusta National Golf Club tomorrow, were an inspiration to Asian golfers and paved the way for players from that continent to continue where he left off. We look back at the two memorable Masters that could have easily seen the Korean don on a Green Jacket.

When Korean Sungjae Im tied for second in last year’s Masters, five shots behind American Dustin Johnson, there was no doubt the result – the best finish by an Asian at Augusta National Golf Club – had its genesis in the genius of his illustrious compatriot KJ Choi.

Choi, much to the disappointment of millions of his fans, never won a Major but he went further than any other Asian had gone before in the Majors by finishing in the top-10 on six occasions. He was a pathfinder for Asian golf and his lack of silverware in the Majors was compensated for by eight victories on the PGA Tour – most notably The Players Championship in 2011.

And although his friend and countryman YE Yang spoilt the party at the Choi hacienda by becoming the first Asian to win a Major, when he triumphed in the 2009 US PGA Championship, it was Choi’s results in the Majors there were perhaps the greatest inspiration for players from the Far East.

To be more specific, it was his heroic play in the Masters that acted as a beacon of hope for the next generation.

Most notably, it was his third-place finish in the Masters in 2004 and equal-fourth placing in 2010 that will be long remembered.

EAGLE SEASON

In 2004, Choi had Asian fans on the edge of their seats when he shot 31 on the back-nine on Sunday to finish three shots behind American Phil Mickelson. South African Ernie Els claimed second, one behind the winner.

Choi, playing with Els, began the final round three shots off the lead and struggled on the front nine with two bogeys, making the turn in 38. But a pure five-iron on the 11th – the third most difficult hole of the week – changed everything for the Korean.

His ball rolled straight into the cup for an eagle, only the third eagle on 11 in Masters history.

Choi, 33 at the time, then closed with birdies on 13, 14 and 16 to shoot 69 and record his career-best performance in a Major.

A remarkable performance considering he made his debut in the event a year earlier, finishing in a for 15^th, demonstrating his immediate affinity for the tournament.

“More years, more experience, more comfortable,” said Choi at the time, who opened with a front-nine 30 on Friday to tie a course record.

The six-time Asian Tour winner added: “This is going to help me positively with my swing and the development of my game.”

TIGER WATCH

Six years later Choi again came close to claiming the year’s first Major.

Starting the day four strokes behind overnight leader Lee Westwood from England, he briefly joined Mickelson in a share of the lead with eight holes to play before slipping back with bogeys on 13 and 14.

He retaliated back with a birdie at the 15th but that was where the rally ended. He returned a 69 to finish in a tie for fourth with American Tiger Woods, five shots adrift of Mickelson, who claimed his third Green Jacket.

Choi fittingly summed up what the result really meant: “In the past … the mindset of the Asian players was that when it comes to the Masters, there was a fear factor there, that we can’t do it.

“Now I hope that this gives motivation for the younger players, other players, that they can do it at big tournaments like the Masters.”

Choi had the added pressure of partnering Woods for all four rounds as the world number one made his return after admitting to a string of extra-marital affairs.

“It was exciting like 2004, but only this year I think it was, on a personal level, it was better for me because my playing level has improved a lot compared to 2004,” said Choi.

“I think it was more gratifying for me this year and the fans were very supportive and just playing with Tiger for the last four days it was a very good experience for me.”

Choi will not be playing in the Masters this year but four Asians will be competing: Im, Chinese-Taipei’s CT Pan, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, and Korean Siwoo Kim.

Pan thrilled his army of fans back home by finishing equal seventh last year; Matsuyama enjoyed a best finish of fifth in 2015; while Kim was tied 21^st in 2019.

All performances that suggest more is to come from Asia’s current generation of golfers this week; all performances that pay homage to KJ Choi, arguably, the architect of their success.