SGC’s carbon neutral plans
Sentosa Golf Club (SGC), home to the Asian Tour and a member of Asian Tour Destinations, recently announced its commitment to become the world’s first ever carbon neutral golf club by 2022. We spoke to Andy Johnston, the Club’s General Manager and Director of Agronomy, about this high-profile commitment.
Andy, what made the Club want to take on this carbon neutral project?
We recognize how important it is to address the issues of global warming including the more critical element of climate change. We can see the changing landscape in the planet’s ecosystems and feel climate change should be on the top of everyone’s annual master planning efforts for long- and short-term agenda.
We recognize we often lead the conversions in golf in South East Asia and perhaps on a larger worldwide platform with the attention we seem to attract with our work. We notice that we are making a difference after nearly a decade of responsible business practices which are adding up to an intelligent global sustainability programme. There is no playbook for addressing climate change, but there is one thing we can clearly see that needs to be addressed, and that is a more aggressive wider participation in the reduction of carbon.
Many of us have been talking about climate change and carbon elevation, giving the conversation attention, however we now feel it is time to do something about it. The community of golf has many great leaders, role models, heroes in sport and business and we believe it is time for us as leaders to create a healthy community for our planet.
How does the Club plan to reach its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2022?
We have developed an in-depth carbon footprint audit. The carbon footprint identifies how we are contributing to carbon release in the atmosphere, and we intend to use the study and the audit to define stronger control in the reduction of our outputs.
The Club has recently purchased two bio-digesters that will remove problematic methane inputs from food and horticultural waste in the landfill by breaking down the products onsite into a compost fertilizer that will be re-used on our two championship golf courses.
Currently any carbon that we do not reduce, we have made a commitment to purchase certified carbon offsets through regional Forestry or Blue Carbon projects to balance our outputs while we work to naturally become carbon neutral or better.
How is the Club able to work out how much more CO2 is needed to be saved to achieve its target?
As mentioned earlier, the Club has recently undertaken its first CO2 audit that has revealed where we currently sit in terms of our carbon footprint. These carbon footprint analytics mathematically allow us to review our operations and the overall impact they are causing to the environment. This study delivers the evidence in three stages.
The Club has implemented several sustainable initiatives on-site since 2018 through its two campaigns, #KeepitGreen and GAME ON. Are there any further initiatives that are planned soon to help lower the Club’s carbon footprint?
Our new Bio digesters will come online later this year. They are estimated to help reduce our food and horticultural waste considerably with up to 40kg of food waste generated each day and one tonne of horticultural waste produced each month to be ground down into fertilizer. This will help to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills; one of the world’s biggest causes for methane leakage.
We are also currently making a study into a floating solar farm, as well as changing our brown energy to green energy. The Club has also recently developed a partnership with adidas Golf for our new staff uniforms. Our golfing and F&B teams will be supplied with the new adidas Golf PRIMEGREEN polos that are made with yarn developed out of 100% recycled ocean plastics. We are hoping in the next few months to expand our partnership with adidas Golf to bring about greater awareness for their campaign to end ocean plastic waste once and for all.
In August 2020, SGC became the first golf club in the world to join the UN Sports for Climate Action initiative. Is the Club’s commitment aligned with the initiative in any way?
The UN is the world leader in this area. We are still learning from the UN and the delegates involved and will continue to review the information and the resources provided to help improve our overall position. They have a high-profile team who expect signatories of the UN Sports for Climate Action initiative to deliver on proposed goals and show ways in which they are constantly looking to reduce their carbon footprint. We are currently working to participate with them on many levels and will share these in due course once it is possible to do so.
Are there any specific companies that the Club is working with to help achieve its carbon neutral target?
Since forming a partnership last year with international sustainable golf non-profit, GEO Foundation, we have been working closely alongside them to help monitor our carbon output and discover new ways to gather and report our results.
It is our intention to become a GEO Certified® venue and be able to use our partnership to help pioneer new innovative practices that can be shared with other golf clubs around the world to help influence them to begin their own journey to becoming carbon neutral.
What advice would you give to other golf clubs around the world that are thinking of becoming carbon neutral?
All I would say is start by building a detailed plan that recognises your different carbon outputs, as it is important to understand what levels you are working at before you begin. Once you have reached this point, it is crucial that everyone within the business is committed to working the plan and making sure no stone is left unturned in the club’s pursuit to reduce its overall carbon footprint and move forward in its journey to becoming carbon neutral.
The time to act is now, we can no longer wait for tomorrow, or let others step up to the plate first. Without considerable action, the world, and its ecosystems that we rely on to live will reach the point of no return. However, if we act fast and unite as an industry, golf can play a considerable role in helping to turn the tide on climate change. It is not game over, It’s GAME ON.
How does the Club plan on helping Sentosa Island achieve its goal of becoming a carbon-neutral destination by 2030?
Sentosa Island has recently this year taken on the commitment to become a carbon neutral destination by 2030. They have employed a new Director of Sustainability and developed a sustainability division that are looking into how the entire precinct can work towards becoming carbon neutral.
They are working extremely hard to develop a robust all-encompassing island wide programme. It is a massive undertaking, and we are really honored to be a part of it. We will continue to play our part and hopefully be able to showcase to other businesses on the island the ways in which they can begin to lower their carbon footprint and contribute towards the island achieving its overall goal of carbon neutrality.
By Robin Bose from thegolfinghub.com, in India.
Had the pandemic not struck last year and the Tokyo Games gone ahead as per schedule, Rashid Khan would have made his Olympic debut as India’s number one golfer. With a career-best world ranking of 176 at the start of 2020, the experience of turning out in Tokyo under the Indian tricolour would have been precious and the takeaway memories from Kasumigaseki Country Club priceless.
Khan’s build-up to the Games was the result of some solid golf and sound strategy. Making the most of the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points on the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) and solid results in Asian Tour events at home in 2019, Khan was India number one when the pandemic stalled events on the Asian Tour and PGTI in March last.
Given the enormity of the crisis, the Olympics got postponed. “I was in and ahead when the pandemic started, and they froze the OWGR points.”
The double whammy was the rustiness after the PGTI restarted in November last. Out of touch and trying to play catch up with fewer OWGR points on the PGTI took a toll on the world ranking of Khan and Udayan Mane, who were in a neck-and-neck race to seal Olympic berths when the virus struck. Both slipped out of the top-60 in the race to Tokyo, and that rankles for Khan.
Khan pictured during round three of the Classic Golf and Country Club International Championship at Classic Golf and Country Club on September 14, 2019 in Gurgaon, India. (Photo by Arep Kulal/Asian Tour/Asian Tour via Getty Images)
And when the Final Olympic Ranking was confirmed this week, Anirban Lahiri was the only Indian to make it through after securing 60th place in the 60-man field at the eleventh hour following several player withdrawals. Mane is in the que as one of the replacements.
“Why me, the person with the best feel should have made the Olympics,” said Khan.
Two wins on the Asian Tour and 10 on the PGTI, for someone as prolific as Khan picking up his first OWGR points after more than a year this February is a shocker and attributed to lack of touch. “When the feel goes, it is tough. With no tournaments, the circumstances have been disappointing,” he said.
Reliving childhood days
Not one to brood over a situation none had anticipated, Khan visited his village in India’s most populous state of Uttar Pradesh in May. When he arrived in Jagdishpur near Lucknow, the state capital, Lockdown 2 was in force, but Khan still carried his golf set. Earlier, trips to the ancestral home built by his grandfather were whirlwind visits; for the first time in 19 years he stayed more than a week, in fact two weeks.
Khan pictured with the winner’s trophy at the Chiangmai Golf Classic at Alpine Golf Resort-Chiangmai on November 16, 2014 in Chiang Mai, Thailand. (Photo by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour/Asian Tour via Getty Images)
It was a throwback, meeting friends and family and spending quality time over sessions of sequence (a card game). What stands out is visiting the small river that flows near the house every day and sitting on the bank for hours fishing. The icing to the cool experience was plucking mangoes from the family orchard and sharing them as the friends sat with their feet dipped in the river.
Despite the clubs travelling with him, golf was incidental, or “for fun” as Khan terms it. An empty rice field became a makeshift driving range. The weather pleasant, retrieving the balls was no problem as a bunch of wide-eyed children were always willing for the job. All clubs were tried out except the putter. For a man struggling to regain touch, putting on an uneven surface would have been detrimental.
What did work for Khan during the trip is his sleep pattern got regulated. “In the village everyone has dinner by 7.30pm and sleeps by 9 since there is nothing to do.” It contrasted with his hours in Delhi ‒ staying up till 1am and waking up around noon.
It’s been a month since Khan got back from holiday, but the pattern has held, and that’s a positive as the city unlocks and Khan gets back to full-fledged practice.
Thailand’s emerging golf star Gunn Charoenkul says his appearance in this summer’s Olympics will, surprisingly, mark the first time he has represented his country and that he plans to “aim high” and finish on the podium with a medal.
“During the early part of my career, when I was 16 or 17 years old, I never got a chance to get into the national team. So, this is the first time,” he said this week, after finishing in 52nd place on the Final Olympic Ranking ‒ which see the top 60 qualify for Tokyo 2020.
The 29 year old, who plays on both the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour Organization, admitted that he could barely look at the Ranking at tournaments each week as he tried to maintain his focus and keep his position in the top 60.
“I felt the pressure, and I think that’s partly why I did not perform well in the past eight events. I tried not to think about it too much, tried not to think about my World Golf Ranking which determines your Olympic position,” he added.
“My goal is one of the medals, they are the only prize. You have to aim high, even though the top players are going to be there.”
Gunn will be joined at the XXXII Olympiad by compatriot Jazz Janewattananond and he will be one of seven Asian Tour players competing. At the Rio Olympics in 2016 ‒ when golf returned to the quadrennial event after an absence of 112 years ‒ Thongchai Jaidee and Kiradech Aphibarnrat represented Thailand, with the latter impressively finishing joint fifth.
KASAOKA, JAPAN – MAY 30: Gunn Charoenkul of Thailand hits his tee shot on the 1st hole during The Mizuno Open at JFE Setonaikai Golf Club on May 30, 2021 in Kasaoka, Okayama, Japan. (Photo by Toru Hanai/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)
Appropriately, Gunn has been in Japan since March competing on the JGTO: he is currently 37th on Money List, and has only missed one cut in 11 starts in the 2020/2021 season, with a best finish equal eighth in the Dunlop Phoenix. He lines up in this week’s Dunlop SRIXON Fukushima Open.
“I never thought I would be home sick, but I am,” said Gunn, who plans to play the second half of the year on the JGTO after the Olympics ‒ which means he faces the prospect of not getting back to Thailand until December.
“I haven’t seen my family for four months. I could understand why Prom [Meesawat] did not come. He said he did not want to be away from his family that long. But these are exceptional times and the opportunity to play in the Olympics and more events in Japan helps outweigh the negatives.”
Despite what appear to be good performances this season, Gunn ‒ whose textbook golf swing is perfectly complemented by a calm demeanour ‒ has been disappointed with his form, which he says is partly because he is carrying an injury to his left thumb ‒ the unfortunate consequence of trying to hit the ball like American Bryson DeChambeau.
“I was trying to do some Bryson stuff last October. I was just trying to swing harder but the problem is my swing is really steep and the harder I swing the more I pull the head of the club, so it gets even steeper and puts a lot of strain on my thumb. I even had a shot of cortisone before my flight here in March,” he said.
“I am just going at things 70% right now. Anything longer than a six iron I cannot swing that hard. I don’t really know any therapist here. I know one but he is more like an acupuncture doctor. I went to see him over the last two weeks, and I did a couple of treatments but basically he said the best thing to do is rest.”
He has two more JGTO events before he can prepare for Tokyo 2020. A golf club have offered him their facilities to practice and play for a few weeks, after which he heads into the Olympic bubble.
HONG KONG, CHINA – JANUARY 12: Gunn Charoenkul of Thailand reacts during the final round of the Hong Kong Open at the Hong Kong Golf Club on January 12, 2020 in Hong Kong. (Photo by Yu Chun Christopher Wong/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
Said Gunn: “I am really looking forward to being part of the Olympic village, soaking up the atmosphere and seeing other athletes, although it may be difficult with the restrictions ‒ I just heard the news that you cannot go and watch other sports. And I want to see the work ethic and routines of other athletes.”
He says he has not played Kasumigaseki Country Club, host venue for the Olympic golf event, before as they have not held events, but he has been doing some homework about the course by reading their website.
Added Gunn: “I feel ok now about things, but I think when I get to the village it will hit me. It will be amazing.”
An impressive total of seven players from the Asian Tour have finished in the top-60 on the Final Olympic Golf Ranking for Tokyo 2020, which starts on July 23.
Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino, Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond and Gunn Charoenkul, Juvic Pagunsan from the Philippines, and Zimbabwean Scott Vincent have all qualified for the first time while Gavin Green from Malaysia and India’s Anirban Lahiri have the distinction of making it through to their second Olympics.
ORLANDO, FLORIDA – MARCH 06: Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand watches his shot from the third tee during the third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge on March 06, 2021 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
The men’s golf tournament will be played from July 29 to August 1, at Kasumigaseki Country Club, Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture, as will the women’s event, the following week – from August 4 to 7.
Last week’s US Open was the last qualifying event (qualification was tied to the Official World Golf Ranking) and while the final list of qualifiers is due to be ratified by the players’ respective National Olympic Committees and published by July 6 this is expected to be a mere formality.
Spaniard Jon Rahm topped the Ranking thanks to his sensational victory in the US Open at Torrey Pines. Rahm became world number one and moved above Justin Thomas of the United States into the top position on the Olympic Rankings.
Americans finished second to fifth with Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau, respectively. The United States is the only country with more than two qualifiers for the 60-player field.
In-form Hoshino placed 27th on the Ranking thanks to an inspired period of form that has seen him win three times during the Japan Golf Tour Organization’s 2020/21 season. He currently leads the Money List there, while he also finished in a tie for 26th at the US Open ‒ which was his best finish in a Major.
The 25 year old has the honour of lining up alongside compatriot Hideki Matsuyama ‒ this year’s Masters champion, who is one of the favourites to light the Olympic Cauldron at the opening ceremony ‒ who was ninth on the Rankings.
He is the defending champion at this week’s Dunlop SRIXON Fukushima Open.
Jazz finished in 36th place helped by a breakthrough 2019 season when he claimed four titles on the Asian Tour and won the Order of Merit title for the first time. He also showed flashes of brilliance this year, most notably when he narrowly missed winning his first European Tour event after losing the Kenya Savannah Classic in sudden-death.
Pagunsan was one of the players to leave it late to qualify. In May he triumphed in the Gate Way To The Open Mizuno Open ‒ which was his first victory in Japan after a decade playing there ‒ a few weeks after a runner-up finish in the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup. He eventually finished in 50th position on the Ranking.
KASAOKA, JAPAN – MAY 30: Juvic Pagunsan of the Philippines poses with the trophy after the award ceremony after earning an exemption into The 149th Open via the Mizuno Open at JFE Setonaikai Golf Club on May 30, 2021 in Kasaoka, Okayama, Japan. (Photo by Toru Hanai/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)
Vincent and Gunn finished 53rd and 54th on the Ranking respectively, thanks to consistent performances in Japan and on the Asian Tour; while Green, the 2017 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion who tied for 47th in Rio, ended in 58th place.
Lahiri, a seven-time Asian Tour champion and the Order of Merit winner in 2015, sensationally secured the very last 60th placed spot on the final day this week when the Ranking was being finalised by removing player withdrawals. The Indian finished 57th in the Olympics in 2016.
The men’s qualification system for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games commenced on July 1, 2018.
Several Asian Tour members ‒ Korean Joohyung Kim and Indians Udayan Mane and Gaganjeet Bhullar ‒ are on the reserve list and are dependant on further player withdrawals.
This year’ marks the XXXII Olympiad, and after its successful re-introduction to the roster in RIO in 2016, golf returns as one of the most eagerly-anticipated sports.
A total of 14 Asian Tour members competed in Rio, with several players excelling: in particular, Australian Marcus Fraser and Kiradech Aphibarnrat from Thailand tied for fifth, just eight shots behind gold medallist Justin Rose from England. Fraser, in fact, led after day one and two.
But more than the performances it was the Olympic experience that was remembered the most by the Asian Tour players who competed.
Bangladesh star Siddikur Rahman was the flag bearer for his country, Brazil’s Adilson da Silva was the first player to tee off in the first round, and Green, inspired by the occasion, promptly got an Olympic tattoo on his arm when he returned home.
It was a memorable return to the Olympics for golf after 112 years that, all being well, will be suitably matched, despite COVID-19 protocols, in the Tokyo 2020.
Ends.
After a series of disappointments, Anirban Lahiri gets good news with Olympic qualification. By V.Krishnaswamy.
Anirban Lahiri was over the moon as he received the news of getting into the final field of 60 for the Tokyo Olympic Games. He got the news just as the deadline ran out this morning.
It was just what he needed to boost his morale after months of disappointments including being stranded in India last year due to travel restrictions and lockdown; then patchy form at times and finally the big blow in the form of COVID-19 just as he was finding form.
While Lahiri will be the lone male Indian golfer in the men’s field, Aditi Ashok should also comfortably make the grade as she is currently 44th on the list. The deadline for women’s final is June 29. It will be the second Olympics for both Lahiri and Aditi.
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 12: Anirban Lahiri of India watches his tee shot on the 16th hole during the second round of the golf on Day 7 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Golf Course on August 12, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
Lahiri said, “I’m feeling really blessed and fortunate right now. I was obviously not expecting it. I had no clue or information about what was going on with the withdrawals. So, I literally found out about a few minutes before I spoke to you. Like I said, because it was not expecting to, I’m just beginning to realise and plan for it as to what I’m going to do over the next month.”
In 2016, India had two men – Lahiri and SSP Chawrasia.
Udayan Mane, whose berth seemed secure if the Games had been held in time last in July last year, is now stranded as one of the first reserves depending on which player from which country pulls out. He needed some specific withdrawals, and it remains to be seen how he will be accommodated in case of some pull outs between now and the Games. Mane has not played a tournament since March this year.
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – APRIL 04: Anirban Lahiri of India plays his shot from the second tee during the final round of Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio Oaks Course on April 04, 2021 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
After being out of the running and relinquishing his position as the top Indian, Lahiri seemed resigned to miss out on the honour of wearing the tricolour at Tokyo. Then he was hit by COVID last month and was forced to miss some events on the PGA Tour and fell further back on the world rankings.
Lahiri added: “It is always a great honour to represent India. So, I am extremely happy. But I have to start planning now, also with where I find myself on the PGA Tour (currently 118th).”
The top 125 players at the end of the season retain their full playing rights. After this week’s Travelers Championship, Lahiri potentially has five more events before the Olympics, but he will have to skip some because of travel and preparation. After the Olympics, Lahiri will have only two more starts to make the Top-125. So, it will be a tight squeeze for him.
Lahiri laughed and said: “Among the things I need to manage are my workload, my schedule with my events, the travel and my physical conditioning. So, there’s lots of things to look into to make sure that you know I can accomplish all my goals, not just my Olympic goals.
“I guess it just starts with me playing well this week and building some momentum. So, I’m just trying to stay in the present. I am very, very happy and the best way forward for me is to optimize my golf.”
Last year Lahiri was stuck in India during the pandemic. He could not travel because of restrictions. This year it was patchy form and then COVID.
ORLANDO, FLORIDA – MARCH 04: Anirban Lahiri of India lines up a putt on the first green during the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge on March 04, 2021 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Lahiri’s form finally seemed to show up positively at the Palmetto Championships at Congaree, the week before the US Open. He finished T-25 finish and that helped him rise from 354th to 340th and that in turned helped him secure his spot, which at that time had looked tough. Even after the Palmetto Championship, Lahiri was 340th and needed a couple of withdrawals from certain countries to squeeze in. As the deadline passed on Tuesday morning, Lahiri found himself exactly on the 60th spot. He was duly informed by the International Golf Federation.
“The news could not have come at a better time,” signed off Lahiri, who will now be in perfect frame of mind as he tees up at Travelers’s Championship.
The extended three-year qualification process for the men’s golf competition at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games was completed on Tuesday.
With his U.S. Open victory on Sunday, Jon Rahm of Spain became world number one and jumped Justin Thomas of the United States into the No. 1 position of the Olympic Rankings. Americans finished Nos. 2-5 with Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau, respectively. The United States is the only country with more than two qualifiers for the 60-player field.
ORLANDO, FLORIDA – MARCH 05: Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand plays his shot from the 15th tee during the second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge on March 05, 2021 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Some of the top Asian and Asia-Pacific names in the field include Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), Rikuya Hoshino (Jpn), Sungjae Im (Kor), Si Woo Kim (Kor), Jazz Janewattananond (Tha), Gunn Charoenkul (Tha), C.T. Pan (Tpe), Juvic Pagunsan (Phi), Gavin Green (Mas), Carl Yuan (Chn), Ashun Wu (Chn), Cameron Smith (Aus), Marc Leishman (Aus) and Ryan Fox (Nzl).
The top-15 world-ranked players are eligible for the Olympics, with a limit of four players from a given country. Beyond the top-15, players are eligible based on the world rankings, with a maximum of two eligible players from each country that does not already have two or more players among the top-15. The men’s competition in Tokyo will be held from July 29 to August 1, 2021.
Spain’s Jon Rahm won the US Open on Sunday at Torrey Pines in sensational fashion to claim his maiden Major, and also become the first Spaniard to win the prestigious event.
A brilliant birdie birdie finish saw him end one ahead of South African Louis Oosthuizen ‒ who has now finished second in six Majors, including last month’s US PGA Championship.
On a gripping final day which saw the title wide open and the lead change hands numerous times, Rahm sensationally holed a 25 footer for birdie on the par-four 17th and after splashing out of sand on the par-five last, he made another challenging 18-foot putt for birdie, which sent the crowd wild.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 20: Jon Rahm of Spain celebrates with the trophy after winning during the final round of the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course (South Course) on June 20, 2021 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
That saw Rahm, who was playing in the fourth from last group out having started the day three off the lead, close with a four-under-par 67 and set the clubhouse lead at six under.
Oosthuizen, playing in the final pairing, surprisingly found trouble off the tee on 17 and needed to hole his third shot for an eagle on 18 to force the tournament into overtime. He ended up making birdie after his approach finished 15 feet away.
The victory comes two weeks after Rahm was forced to withdraw from the Memorial Tournament ‒ where he was leading by six shots after three rounds ‒ because of a positive coronavirus test.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 20: Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa reacts after putting for birdie on the 18th green during the final round of the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course (South Course) on June 20, 2021 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
“I’m a big believer in karma and after what happened a couple of weeks ago, I stayed really positive knowing that big things were coming,” said the world number three, who won his first PGA Tour event at Torrey Pines in 2017.
“I didn’t know what it was going to be but I knew we were coming to a special place. I got my breakthrough win here and it’s a very special place for my family.
“The fact my parents were able to come, I got out of Covid protocol early, I just felt like the stars were aligning.”
The 26 year old dedicated his win to Spanish legend Seve Ballesteros, who claimed five Major titles but died 10 years ago of brain cancer at the age of 54.
Rahm’s previous best Major result was when he finished tied for third at the 2019 US Open
“It’s frustrating. It’s disappointing,” Oosthuizen said. “I’m playing good golf, but winning a Major championship is not just going to happen. You need to go out and play good golf.”
Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau from the United States, his compatriot Brooks Koepka, winner of this event in 2017 and 2018, and Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, the 2011 champion, were all contention but made mistakes on the back nine.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 18: Rikuya Hoshino of Japan waits with his caddie on the ninth hole during the second round of the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course (South Course) on June 18, 2021 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Asian Tour member Rikuya Hoshino from Japan put together four impressive rounds on a typically demanding US Open golf course. He finished in a tie for 26th after a final round 71, for a four-round total of three over.
Fellow Asian Tour member Wade Ormsby from Australia also shot a 71 to tie for 40th on six over.
It was a big step up for both players as they missed the cut in their previous US Open appearances, while it is the first time Hoshino made the cut in three Major appearances.
In-form Rikuya Hoshino from Japan ‒ currently riding high on top of the Money List in Japan ‒ is one of four Asian Tour members who will compete in this week’s US Open, which tees-off tomorrow at Torrey Pines in California.
He is joined by countryman Yosuke Asaji, Australian Wade Ormsby, and Johannes Veerman from the Unites States.
Hoshino, who like Aasji and Veerman made it through tough US Open final qualifiers, has been on fire this year having tasted victory twice on the Japan Golf Tour Organization: first in the Kansai Open Golf Championship, in April, and then the following month’s Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup Golf.
The Japanese star also claimed the Fujisankei Classic in September last year, an event part of the 2020/2021 schedule in Japan, and currently leads Japan’s Money List with winnings of ¥68,413,107 (approx. US$621,389)
He starts at 2.09 pm (local time) on tee 10 with American Brendon Todd and Sebastian Munoz from Columbia, while Asaji also begins on 10 at 6:56 am with Venezuelan Jhonattan Vegas and England’s Marcus Armitage.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 15: Rikuya Hoshino of Japan plays a shot from the first bunker during a practice round prior to the start of the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course on June 15, 2021 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Ormsby, playing in his second US Open (he missed the cut in 2017), tees-off on the 10th at 12:30 pm with Canadian Taylor Pendrith and David Coupland from England.
He got into the event by virtue of leading the Asian Tour Order of Merit.
Veerman starts on the first at 2.31pm with Americans John Huh and Zack Sucher.
This year marks the 121st edition of the USGA’s flagship event ‒ which boasts an overall purse of US$12,500,000, with the winner earning US$2,250,000.
American Bryson DeChambeau is the defending champion and has been paired with Japan’s Masters winner Hideki Matsuyama at 1.14 pm on hole one.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 14: Phil Mickelson of the United States plays his shot from the 15th tee as Bryson DeChambeau of the United States looks on prior to the start of the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course on June 14, 2021 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Six-time runner-up in this event Phil Mickelson from the United States, who became the oldest Major winner at the age of 50 when he won the US PGA Championship in May, starts his latest bid to complete the career Grand Slam at 7.51 am.
The left hander, who celebrates his 51st birthday on the eve of the tournament, is playing with fellow Americans Xander Schauffele and Max Homa.
ENDS
It has been an historic year so far for Asian golf following Hideki Matsuyama’s win at The Masters and more recently Yuka Saso’s victory at the US Women’s Open.
In April, Matsuyama became the first golfer from Japan to don a Green Jacket while this month Saso achieved the huge honour of becoming the first Filipino to win a Major.
And the fact that Saso’s father is Japanese meant it was also a win win for the Land of the Rising Sun.
While we hope to see more success by players from Asia at this week’s US Open, the Major has proven to be the more difficult to get to grips with by players from this region.
But as historians of golf know, it is another Japanese golfer who has the distinction of registering the best finish by an Asian golfer in the prestigious US event.
In 1980, at the 80th US Open, Japan’s Isao Aoki came close to pulling off one of the biggest upsets in the history of golf when he went head-to-head with America’s “Golden Bear” Jack Nicklaus and nearly prevailed.
At Baltusrol Golf Club, near New York, Nicklaus set a new tournament scoring record and won his fourth U.S. Open title, but Aoki took much of the glory thanks to a brave performance that saw him finish two-shots behind in second place.
Isao Aoki of Japan. (Photo by Brian Morgan/Getty Images)
The two played all four rounds together in almost Matchplay like conditions, in what became known as the “Battle of Baltusrol”.
Nicklaus, aged 40 years old, and his countryman Tom Weiskopf began the tournament by firing seven-under-par 63s in the first round on the Lower Course.
After a second round 71, Nicklaus had a two-stroke lead over Aoki, but the Japanese star carded a third consecutive round of 68 the following day to tie Nicklaus and set up a thrilling final round.
On that Sunday, Nicklaus birdied the third after Aoki recorded a bogey on two, taking a two-shot lead.
Nicklaus was then expected to run away with the tournament but found it nearly impossible to shake off Aoki.
The American hit his approach to three feet on 10 to set up a birdie, but Aoki countered with a long putt from the fringe for a birdie. And on the 17th Nicklaus holed a 22-footer for birdie but again Aoki rose to the challenge and made his own from five feet.
UNITED STATES – MARCH 19: Isao Aoki and Jack Nicklaus during the 58th Senior PGA Championship held at the PGA National Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. April 17-20, 1997. (photograph by The PGA of America). (Photo by Montana Pritchard/PGA of America via Getty Images)
And as if to make sure of getting the job done, Nicklaus rolled in another birdie putt on 18 from 10-feet to win the championship and his 16th major title as a professional.
“I kept telling myself no matter how perfect he is, he will make a mistake in 72 holes in four days,” said a 39-year-old Aoki that week. “But I was wrong. Jack did not make any errors until the end of the tournament.”
“It has been a very good lesson. I learned a lot for my future play.”
To this day it remains the best finish by an Asian in the US Open ‒ slightly better than that of TC Chen’s joint runner-up finish in 1985.
It was also to be Aoki’s best-ever finish in a Major championship.
Finishing second was a rarity for Aoki during an illustrious career: he triumphed 51 times in Japan, where he topped the Money List in 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980 and 1981.
But he also tasted success overseas, most notably winning the Hawaiian Open in 1983 ‒ becoming the first player from Japan to win on the PGA Tour, where he played for over two decades. And in 1978 he claimed the World Match Play Championship in England, which was one of the biggest tournaments in the game at the time.
Fittingly, Aoki now serves as Chairman of the Japan Golf Tour Organization, helping to nurture his nation’s stars of the future and groom future US Open champions.
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