Snyman’s game flourishing thanks to South African great Frost
South African Ian Snyman says spending two days in the company of one of his country’s finest golfers, David Frost, has helped play a big part in his fine run of form recently – which includes taking the lead on the opening day of the US$2.5 million International Series Qatar today.
Snyman nailed a confident seven-under-par 65 here at Doha Golf Club, to lead the way from compatriot Louis Oosthuizen, Spaniard David Puig and Zach Bauchou from the United States, who carded 66s.
Two other Spaniards, Luis Masaveu and Eugenio Chacarra, fired 67s, along with Sadom Kaewkanjana from Thailand and Japan’s Tomoyo Ikemura – in the penultimate event of the season on both the Asian Tour and The International Series.
After today’s opening salvo, consisting of an eagle, seven birdies, and one double, Snyman is on course to make his 12th successive cut on the Asian Tour, as well as put himself in position to claim his first title on the circuit.
David Puig. Picture by Ian Walton/Asian Tour.
“My coach, Paul McKenzie, and I have been working on a few things and I also got some advice from David Frost – he is a former Asian Tour winner having won in Hong Kong,” said Snyman, about Frost – winner of the Hong Kong Open in 1994 and 29 titles around the world.
“About five months ago we spent two days with David. We were trying to find some consistency, that was my main concern. Looks like we are getting there. Just need to get some low ones like we did today, which is exciting.
“The big thing we worked on with David was the takeaway. I always take the club back outside and get laid off at the top. He kind of helped me feel a way to get it straighter.
“Another big thing was not to be so rigid. I would be very stickman like golf, my left arm would be very stiff and strong but he kind of got me to relax a bit more, you can actually bend that left arm.”
He was cruising at eight under with two to play but made double on the par- three 17th.
He explained: “Bit of a brain fade there. I was over the ball, they [the officials] were trying to calm some people down behind the tee box, but instead of re-starting my routine I walked straight into my shot. I think I was mis-aligned and pushed it way right of the green.”
Luis Masaveu. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
He duffed his chip and three putted but bounced back on the par-five 18th hitting his third to two feet.
Puig is making his first appearance on the Asian Tour since April – in that time he has played on the LIV Golf League, three Majors and the Olympics, where he played alongside Jon Rahm.
“Pretty solid, especially after a month off tournaments. Super, super proud of how I fought,” said Puig, winner of the season-opening Malaysian Open and runner-up in the International Series Macau presented by Wynn, where American John Catlin defeated him in a play-off.
“Didn’t hit it that good but somehow managed to post a pretty good score. Hit a lot of greens in regulation, which is something I have been working on.”
His countryman Masaveu, just one year younger at 21, was even happier as today marked his debut as a professional in a Tour event.
“First tournament as a professional, so very happy,” said the Spaniard, who birdied the last three holes and has his dad, Rafa, caddying for him.
Louis Oosthuizen. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“To be honest, I didn’t really think about this being my first event as a pro. The good thing is my coach Gonzalo [Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano] is also playing. We did a good plan. I just tried to stay focused on my emotions.”
Masaveu finished third in this year’s US Amateur, having been beaten by compatriot and eventual winner Jose Luis Ballester 3&2 in the semis, and could be one to watch this week.
American John Catlin, leader of both the Asian Tour Order of Merit and The International Series Rankings with just two tournaments to go including this week, signed for a 70, while his countryman Patrick Reed, winner of last week’s Link Hong Kong Open, came in with a 71.
Catlin can put the Merit list title beyond the reach of others this week if results permit. His nearest challengers Richard T. Lee, in second, from Canada and third-placed Ben Campbell from New Zealand, shot rounds of 69 and 70 respectively and need to step on the gas to deny Catlin top spot.
Lee was well placed to finished higher but doubled the 18th after a big hook off the tee found trouble.
The International Series Rankings, which will see the champion earn a place on next year’s LIV Golf League, will go down to the wire at next week’s US$5 million PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers.
Thailand’s Ratchanon ‘TK” Chantananuwat, the amateur star currently in his Freshman year at Stanford University, returned a 71 in what is his first appearance on the Asian Tour since April.
John Catlin has admitted there’s “a lot of hard work to be done” over the remaining two weeks on the Asian Tour and The International Series to finally finish number one on both.
It all starts tomorrow when the US$2.5 million International Series Qatar tees-off at Doha Golf Club and concludes next week at the US$5 million PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers.
This week the American could potentially complete the first part of his mission and claim the Asian Tour Order of Merit. It’s a far easier feat compared with topping The International Series Rankings.
He leads the Merit list on 3,030.06 points, with his nearest challenger, second-placed Richard T. Lee from Canada, trailing by the large margin of 1,245.81 points.
Picture By Harvey Jamison.
To put things into perspective, this week’s winner will earn 787.5 points, while 427.5 points goes to the player in second, meaning a good finish by Catlin and other results going his way will see him crowned Asian Tour number one for the first time.
“It would mean so much to win the Asian Tour Order of Merit as this is where it all started for me,” said Catlin – a six-time winner on the Asian Tour, two of those coming this season.
“It has been a special year. I have done a lot of great things. I have two more weeks to go and hopefully I can do a few more great things and clinch both the Asian Tour and International Series titles.
“It would be really, really, special but there’s a lot of hard work to be done.”
Catlin surprisingly missed the cut at last week’s Link Hong Kong Open and while that did not have much impact on his Merit list ambitions, thanks to a dominant year, it has made the Rankings race even closer than it already was.
John Catlin. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
He has an 82.95 lead on the Rankings from New Zealand’s Ben Campbell, who is second and closed the gap by finishing second in Hong Kong, where he was defending champion.
Next week many more points are available – the winner earns 1,000 – so it is literally wide open and going to be exhilarating to watch as the winner earns a place on next year’s LIV Golf League.
Added Catlin: “For LIV Golf, having played there this year, having seen that, it gives me an enormous goal to try and win The International Series Rankings.”
Catlin attended a press conference today with American Patrick Reed, the winner in Hong Kong on Sunday.
Both players shot 59 this year: Reed in the third-round last week while Catlin registered his at the International Series Macau presented by Wynn when paired with Reed, also on day three.
John Catlin. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Both players also sealed the deal with lengthy left to right putts on 18.
“You have to make a putt that has a lot of left to right to get it done,” joked Catlin.
“It [shooting 59] is just a culmination of a lot of hard work. I am sure Patrick would say the same thing. You just keep putting in the hours and doing the right stuff.
“It is fine margins out here, you can be doing a lot of things right, but it doesn’t happen. You just wait and try and go out on the day it does. Not really any secrets to share, I don’t have them, I wish I could share.”
Tournament Information
- Tournament: International Series Qatar
- Date: November 27- 30, 2024
- Venue: Doha Golf Club
- Par/Yards: Par 72 / 7,437 Yards
- Purse: US$2.5 million (US$450,000)
- Asian Tour leg: 20th event of the 2024 season
- The International Series leg: Ninth
- Edition of tournament: second
- Total number of players: 120
- Format: 72-hole stroke play with a cut made after two rounds. The leading 65 pros plus ties make it through to the weekend
- Social Media Hashtags: #InternationalSeries #ThisISEverything #TimeToRise
Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Field Breakdown
- Asian Tour Order of Merit winners: Sihwan Kim (2022), Jazz Janewattananond (2019), Scott Hend (2016), Anirban Lahiri (2015), Jeev Singh (2006, 2008)
- Nationalities: 32
- Top contenders: John Catlin (USA), Ben Campbell (NZL), Patrick Reed (USA), Michael Maguire (USA), Lee Chieh-po (TPE), Richard T. Lee (CAN), Peter Uihlein (USA), Anirban Lahiri (IND), David Puig (ESP), Dean Burmester (RSA), Louis Oosthuizen (RSA)
- Highest ranked player on OWGR: David Puig (ESP) #103
- Highest ranked player on 2024 Asian Tour Order of Merit: John Catlin #1
- Highest ranked player on 2024 International Series Rankings: John Catlin #1
- Defending champion: Andy Ogletree (USA) – Not playing
- Number of amateurs: 5
- Number of Qatar players in the field: 2
General view of the 18th green at Doha Golf Club. Picture By Ian Walton/Asian Tour.
Tournament Notes
- Although American John Catlin missed the cut at last week’s Link Hong Kong Open, he has otherwise been in fantastic form this whole season with eight top 10s in 12 Asian Tour starts, and he leads both the Asian Tour Order of Merit and The International Series Rankings. The 33-year-old has posted two victories so far this season, the International Series Macau presented by Wynn and the Saudi Open presented by PIF, as well as three runners-up at the Black Mountain Championship, the International Series Morocco and the Yeangder TPC. A tied third finish in the season opening Malaysian Open secured him a spot in the 152nd Open Championship where he finished tied 16th for his best result in a major. He currently leads the Merit list with 3,030.06 points to Canadian Richard T. Lee, the winner of the recent BNI Indonesian Masters, who is in second place with 1,784.25. He also tops The International Series Ranking with 900.58 points against 817.63 for last week’s runner-up Ben Campbell. Catlin has also subbed in for injured players on three different teams on the LIV Golf League this year and posted an impressive T7 in LIV Golf Nashville in June. He has amassed US$1,393,925 in earnings on the Asian Tour so far this season, while his LIV Golf League total was US$1,629,367 in his 2024 campaign.
- Chinese Taipei’s Lee Chieh-po is coming into the week with five consecutive top 10s, seven in his last eight events, after a T8 in Hong Kong last week. His hot run includes a win at International Series Thailand late last month, a solo third at the Black Mountain Championship, missing the play-off by only one shot, a fourth-place finish at Yeangder TPC, a T7 at the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open and a T9 at the Shinhan Donghae Open in September. Lee is fourth on the Asian Tour Order of Merit and fifth in the International Series Rankings.
- Last week’s runner-up Ben Campbell of New Zealand is a two-time International Series winner after capturing this summer’s International Series Morocco in a play-off against John Catlin, and the 2023 Hong Kong Open. Currently third on the Asian Tour Order of Merit and second in The International Series Rankings, Campbell also finished T6 the BNI Indonesian Masters and T4 in the Black Mountain Championship last month. Other good results this season includes a T5 at the International Series Macau presented by Wynn and a T10 at the 103rd New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sport.
- American MJ Maguire won the Black Mountain Championship after defeating John Catlin on the second play-off hole and followed that up with a great week at the International Series Thailand finishing T4 after a final round 61. Maguire also posted a good result at the BNI Indonesian Masters with a T8 for his third straight top 10, and earlier had a T7 at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters in October. He is currently ranked sixth in both the Asian Tour Order of Merit and The International Series Rankings.
- Richard T. Lee from Canada recorded his third Asian Tour win at the BNI Indonesian Masters early this month, this win was his first since 2017 and was his fourth top 10 in a row. He also finished T2 at the International Series Thailand, T9 at the Black Mountain Championship and T10 at the Yeangder TPC in September. He has been a remarkably consistent high performer this season, posting a third at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open in May and an eighth-place finish at the International Series Macau presented by Wynn in March. Lee is second on the Asian Tour Order of Merit and third in The International Series Rankings.
- American Peter Uihlein won the International Series England in August and came close to posting another victory at the International Series Thailand, finishing T2 just one shot behind the winner after a bogey on the 72nd He is currently in fourth place in The International Series Rankings. In addition to the results in England and Thailand, he also has a T3 at the Saudi Open presented by PIF and a sixth-place finish at the International Series Oman earlier in the season. Uihlein also plays on the LIV Golf League where he had a T2 at the LIV Golf Las Vegas as his best result this year.
- The 2015 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion Anirban Lahiri of India came very close to capturing his first LIV Golf League event at the legendary Real Club Valderrama in Andalucia, Spain in July. A missed short putt on the 18th in regulation play put Lahiri in a play-off with Sergio Garcia who came out on top in the end. Lahiri’s impressive resume boasts seven Asian Tour titles as well as a runner up at the 2022 Players Championship, a tied second at the 2017 Memorial Tournament on the PGA Tour. His best finish in a Major is a tied fifth at the 2015 PGA Championship.
- Last week’s Link Hong Kong Open winner Patrick Reed of the U.S. is making his third Asian Tour start of the season, after playing the International Series Macau presented by Wynn earlier in the year finishing fourth. The 2018 Masters champion is a nine-time winner on the PGA Tour and has appeared on three Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup squads each. Reed should be considered one of the top shot-makers in the game, as was on display in Hong Kong when he fired a third round 11-under-par 59.
- David Puig of Spain won the season Opening IRS Prima Malaysian Open and has finished inside the top 10 in the other three Asian Tour events he has played in this year, posting a T10 at the International Series Oman, lost a playoff to John Catlin in the International Series Macau presented by Wynn and finished fifth in the Saudi Open presented by PIF. He has also been playing on the LIV Golf League this season as part of the Fireballs GC, and his best individual result was a T3 at the LIV Houston event. On the DP World Tour Puig has also had some success lately, finishing T3 at the Acciona Open de España presented by Madrid, T4 at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and T12 at Estrella Damm Andalucía Masters.
- The 2010 winner of The Open Championship Louis Oosthuizen from South Africa had a good 2024 season on the LIV Golf League, with two runners-up and five other individual top 10s to rank sixth overall. The Stinger GC captain has played in one Asian Tour event earlier this year, the International Series Oman, where he finished in solo second place. He has an impressive record in golf’s Majors, where in addition to the win in The Open he has posted six runners-up, two third place finishes and two other top 10s. He represented the International Team in the Presidents Cup in 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019.
- Fellow Stinger GC and South African Dean Burmester recorded his first LIV Golf League win in Miami in April this year and posted three other top 10s finishing the year ranking ninth individually. He had his latest win playing the Vodacom Origins of Golf Final Oubaai on the Sunshine Tour two weeks ago in South Africa. In late 2023 Burmester won back-to-back events on the DP World Tour in his native country, the Joburg Open and the Investec South African Open Championship.
- Other notable LIV Golf League players in the field this week are Anthony Kim, Brendan Steele, Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace, Sam Horsfield, Thomas Pieters, Kalle Samooja, Matt Jones, Jinichiro Kozuma, Scott Vincent and Kieran Vincent.
Patrick Reed’s outstanding winning four-round total of 22-under-par 258 at the Link Hong Kong Open tied the lowest score in the tournament’s 63-year history. As preferred lies were played it did not count officially but it was still a performance that will live long in memory.
The only player with the same winning score at the Hong Kong Golf Club is Englishman Ian Poulter in 2010, while Jose Maria Olazabal of Spain also went 22 under when he triumphed in 2001 – but that year the course played as a par 71 so his winning total was 262.
Reed blitzed the field in the third-round last week firing a flawless 11-under-par 59 around the Composite Course – incredibly hitting all 14 fairways and all 18 greens in regulation while requiring only 25 putts. Again, because of preferred lies it could not stand officially, meaning Englishman Aaron Rai’s 61 in 2018 remains the course record.
For Reed, known as one of the game’s premier shot-makers, the tree-lined Fanling course is one of his favourites, and his stats show that. He topped the Greens in Regulation (GIR) category for the week with 87.5%, missing only nine greens. He was also impressive on the greens averaging 1.62 Putts per GIR, ranking third in this category, and 28.5 Putts per Round, for T16th. Off the tee he managed to find the Fairways 80.36% of the time (T9th), while averaging 287.75 yards (44th).
Ben Campbell. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
The 2018 Masters champion also tied Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana for most birdies during the week with 26. Also he only made four bogeys for the week: one on the 15th and another on the 18th on Sunday when the tournament was all but decided.
Runner-up Ben Campbell of New Zealand did his best to defend the title, and led the field after the first two rounds on 12-under-par. While he was unhappy with his putting on the weekend, he did put up great numbers across all major stat categories ranking T4th in Putts per Round with 27.5, sixth in Putts per GIR on 1.638, T9th in GIR with 80.56% and T2nd in Fairways Hit with 89.29%, missing only six fairways for the week.
China’s Ye Wocheng had a magical week on the greens topping both the Putts per Round and Putts per GIR, on 26 and 1.53 respectively. Unfortunately, the other parts of his game did not perform so well as he tied for 52nd.
Statistics Categories leaders at the Link Hong Kong Open (of players making the cut):
- Putts per Round: Ye Wocheng (CHN) – 26
- Putts per GIR: Ye Wocheng (CHN) – 1.53
- GIR: Patrick Reed (USA) – 87.5%
- Fairways Hit: Ajeetesh Sandhu (IND) – 91.07%
- Driving Distance: Eugenio Chacarra (ESP) – 332.75 yards
- Most Birdies: Patrick Reed (USA), Sadom Kaewkanjana (THA) – 26
- Fewest Bogies or Worse: Ben Campbell (AUS), Natipong Sritong (THA) – 3
- Scrambling: Chan Shih-chang (TPE), Chapchai Nirat (THA) – 83.33%
Patrick Reed stormed to a runaway victory in the US$2 million Link Hong Kong Open today – to claim the prestigious event for the first time and register his first victory in four years.
After his off-the-charts 11-under-par 59 yesterday here at the Hong Kong Golf Club, he signed off with an equally fine 66 today to finish on 22-under, for a convincing three-stroke victory over New Zealand’s Ben Campbell, the defending champion.
Campbell ended his excellent defence with a 65, while Japan’s Kazuki Higa shot a 63 to claim third, another shot back. Australian Wade Ormsby, a winner here in 2017 and 2020, shared fourth with Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana. They both fired 65s.
Hong Kong’s top golfer Taichi Kho returned a 66 to tie for sixth – his best result of the year, and his best finish in an event which means so much to him.
Patrick Reed. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Any concerns that Reed, who started the day three ahead, would have difficulty shooting another low round following yesterday’s heroics were quickly dispelled when he birdied four in a row from the third for a six-shot cushion. And at the turn he had a gaping seven-shot advantage to be in complete control. Dropped shots on 15 and the last while his nearest challengers were making birdies closed the gap, but it remained a foregone conclusion.
“Nothing like coming to a place that I know pretty well and love the golf course,” said the 34-year-old Texan, who plans to play in the final two events of the season: next week’s International Series Qatar and the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers, the week after.
“I love how it makes me think about golf shots and you have to be creative around this place. So, to be able to come out and play the way like I did on the weekend. I mean, it always helps shooting 59 yesterday, but the biggest thing, the hardest part, was today.”
It is his maiden title on the Asian Tour and also his first victory since the Farmers Insurance Open on the PGA Tour in 2021 – not including his two team wins with 4Aces GC on the LIV Golf League in 2023.
He added: “Kind of going out there and forgetting about the 59 and going out, even though I had a three-shot lead, to try to expand on that. And the goal was to go out there and make a couple birdies early quickly, get up on top, so then on the back nine I could just kind of hit fairways and middle of the greens.
“When I was able to birdie 13 there, then it just kind of got into really boring golf which led to two mistakes. But, you know, the last one, I was not ever going to take that on.”
Ben Campbell. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Campbell had a phenomenal back nine, making five birdies but Reed was simply too far ahead.
“Another frustrating day with the putter,” he said.
“I hit it really well but yeah, for the weekend the putter was pretty cold unfortunately. Obviously, it’s still a good result, but just frustrating it was not to be. I feel like I should have been right up there and pushing Patrick. So, yeah, it is what it is, but it was close.”
Hong Kong Golf Club Ambassador Kho finished in a blaze of glory by nearly holing his second shot on the par-four 18th, where he tapped in for a birdie. It completed a strong finish, as he was not in the running for much of the day but came back by also making three successive birdies from 13.
Taichi Kho. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Kho, who has only just returned following a back in injury, said: “Feels great. Had so many friends and family out there, and so much credit goes to them, and I felt so supported out there. So yeah, super happy with this performance. It’s been a while since I played on the Asian Tour, so overall a really good week.
“It feels so great to have so many people I know out here, and even people I don’t know, I just feel so supported out here. And yeah, even though Patrick’s running away with it a bit, I felt like it was a small win for me today, and I felt like I made a lot of good progress this week.”
Justin Rose from England, the winner here in 2015, fired a 67 and ended in a tie for 18th on 13 under.
LIV Golf star Patrick Reed said earlier this week he had come here to win the US$2 million Link Hong Kong Open and not treat it as a warm-up, and he spectacularly backed that claim up today by shooting an 11-under-par 59 to take the third-round lead.
Five birdies in a row started it and four on the trot finished it as the American leapt into the lead on 18-under.
Indian Rashid Khan and Nitithorn Thippong from Thailand share second place, three behind the leader. Khan shot a 63 and Nitithorn a 66.
Defending champion Ben Campbell from New Zealand, the leader at the start of the day, is one shot back following a 68.
Rashid Khan. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
It is only the second 59 recorded on the Asian Tour – the caveat being that preferred lies were played so it does not stand officially.
The only other 59 was registered back in March when American John Catlin recorded the magic number at the International Series Macau presented by Wynn.
Remarkably, Reed played with Catlin on that day, and it was also in the third round.
Reed sealed the deal with a confident 15-foot birdie putt on the famous par-four 18th here at Hong Kong Golf Club.
“Yeah, you know, it was kind of one those days,” said Reed, who is attempting to win for the first time in four years and claim his maiden Asian Tour title.
“I got up, I felt a little tight but felt ready to go and got out here and had probably one of the worst warm-ups ever.
Nitithorn Thippong. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“I looked at my caddy, and he goes, hey, a warm-up is a warm-up, let’s go out and just play golf. He goes, some of your best rounds have come from a poor warm-up.”
Reed also made birdies on seven and 13 and was bogey free. He has only dropped two shots in three rounds.
Added the 2018 Masters champion: “And you know, I stepped up on that first tee and did a great drive, and then from that point on, just quality iron shots, leaving myself a lot of really good looks, and was able to make a lot of putts.”
He has been a regular visitor here over the past 10 years and came close to winning in 2015 when he tied for third.
Khan, who made five birdies on the back nine, two on the front and was also bogey free, is in a battle to keep his Asian Tour card, in 90th place on the Order of Merit. He needs a big finish tomorrow to take the pressure off.
Ben Campbell. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
He said: “I feel great. I mean, you know, it’s been very long since I have been in contention playing. You know, to get a trophy home, I’m really working hard and really enjoying myself right now. That’s all I can say. I mean, when you’re playing golf, when you’re playing an event, a competitive round, it’s all about being comfortable on the golf course and just having fun out there.”
He is a two-time winner on the Asian Tour, but it has been a while as both those wins came a decade ago.
Campbell was in far less prolific form today but did well to stay in touch with the front runner.
“I just putted really poorly today,” said the Kiwi.
“The putter was ice cold, so it was frustrating. It felt like it should have been a pretty low one out there, I think I only missed one or two greens, and I think I missed one fairway or something like that. So, I hit it easily well enough to have a really good score out there.”
Australian Wade Ormsby, winner of this event in 2017 and 2020, has a chance of adding a third title after carding a 64 to sit six off top spot. He is tied with Hong Kong ace Taichi Kho, after a 66.
England’s Justin Rose, the 2015 champion here, returned a 65 and sits eight behind “Mr 59.”
Ben Campbell’s defence of his US$2 million Link Hong Kong Open title continues to go according to plan after he took the halfway lead at the Hong Kong Golf Club, Fanling.
The Kiwi fired a five-under-par 65 to top the leaderboard on 12-under by one from first-round leader Nitithorn Thippong from Thailand.
Nitithorn backed up his opening day 62 with a 67 and is two ahead of a trio of players in third place: Korean Yongjun Bae (62), Kevin Yuan (68) from Australia, and Japan’s Kazuki Higa (68).
Hong Kong’s number one Taichi Kho did what everyone was hoping for and made his move carding a 65 and is in a group of five players one stroke back.
Campbell appears to be in his comfort zone on the Fanling course, making four birdies on the back nine, one on the front and zero bogeys.
Ben Campbell. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“I just think it’s a course where, you know, I’m not the longest hitter, so it’s good that you just got to sort of plot your way around and just be patient I think,” said the 33-year-old, who is a two-time winner on the Asian Tour having also won this year’s International Series Morocco.
“I hit a lot of shots to sort of 10-15 feet today, and sort of just played patient. I didn’t fire at a few flags when I wasn’t quite in position and then rolled in a couple of 15 footers. So, yeah, I think it’s just all about being patient around here and sort of not trying to overpower the golf course.”
Nitithorn, a three-time winner on the Asian Tour trying to make amends for a poor season, courageously bounced back from a bogey-ridden start.
Having started on the back nine he bogeyed three holes in a row from the 14th, suggesting another disappointing day on the golf course was ahead. But he was able to respond in the correct manner by making a birdie on 17 and then three on the trot from the third.
He explained that a new relaxed approach is helping him to stay on track.
Nitithorn Thippong. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“Actually, I didn’t think about it that much,” said the 28-year-old, about mis-firing early on.
“I mean, I feel like I really flowed today, and didn’t think about if I made a bogey, but just let it go. And it’s good that I have Sebastian, my caddie with me too, so he made me really have fun on the course and didn’t think about it.”
He was helped by chipping in for birdie on the fifth, about which he said: “I just pictured that shot chipped it and it went in.”
Nitithorn has been one of the Asian Tour’s rising stars over the past few season. His first win came at The DGC Open presented by Mastercard in 2022, and he triumphed again that year at the International Series Singapore. He also claimed the Mandiri Indonesia Open last year.
Kho is exactly where he wants to be heading into the weekend, on the shoulder of the leaders.
“I thought today was a really solid round out there,” said Kho.
“I feel like I was able to capitalize on a lot of looks that I had that I quite didn’t do yesterday. I feel like I was able to really get going in my round from the first hole, and I was proud of how I was able to be in the right state of mind and being zoned in from the get-go. So, I’m happy about myself about that, and hopefully I sharpen up a couple things tomorrow, and yeah, we’ll get going.”
Taichi Kho. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
It’s been a good two days work for a player who has been out of action for close to two months with a back injury.
He added: “My back has felt a lot better this week. It felt pretty good last week, and this week is progressing really nicely. So, lots of props to my team for getting me out here again, and yeah, it’s almost a surprise to me that my body is feeling so good. So, I’ll just continue to do what I’ve been doing, and hopefully I’ll get back to 100% really soon.”
A history-making winner here last year at the World City Championship, when he became the first golfer from Hong Kong to win on the Asian Tour, he is now trying to become the first from the territory to claim the Link Hong Kong Open.
England’s Justin Rose carded a 66 and is five under, while American John Catlin, leader of both the Asian Tour Order of Merit and The International Series Rankings, surprisingly missed the cut.
Catlin returned a 68 and finished one over with the cut made at two under.
Two events remain this year, next week’s International Series Qatar, followed immediately by the PIF Saudi International presented by SoftBank Investment Advisers where the American needs to steady the ship if he is to remain on top.
“I’ll go and work on some things and tidy some things up,” said Catlin.
“It is all in a lifetime, sometimes you make a few mistakes, and you learn from them, and you move on. I’ve still got plenty to play for. I know where I want to be and I know what I have to do and do it, it’s all about going out there and doing it.”
Commentator Dom Boulet is known for his expertise by golf fans all over the world thanks to his deep knowledge of the game.
He will be even more on point for viewers this week commentating on the Link Hong Kong Open, having played the tournament multiple times as an amateur and professional before trading in the clubs for the mic and headphones to work behind the camera.
Boulet, a Hong Kong native, managed a fourth and sixth-placed finish as well as multiple top-20 placings in just under 20 starts as an amateur and professional, in groups featuring the late, great Payne Stewart, Peter Senior and Scott Hoch to name just a few.
This year’s tournament features Major winners Justin Rose and Patrick Reed, as well as rising star Tom Kim, a former Asian Tour Order of Merit winner, and Boulet says it is the perfect chance for regional rising stars to learn from the best while trying to beat them.
He said: “It was a fantastic experience. I remember my first one the best playing 1984 with Peter senior, a great Australian player. Seeing the pros, how they play, at home in front of friends and family was a great experience. Now it is a bigger event in terms of set up, but it has always been a huge event with big crowds, it was always exciting to play in front of good crowds.”
Dom Boulet in action at the Pro-Am ahead of the International Series Thailand last year. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Boulet was a firm fan favourite in Hong Kong, and he enjoyed the experience of holing from the bunker on 18 in front of nearly 10,000 spectators while playing the same course with Seve Ballesteros, Ernie Els and Colin Montgomerie back in the 1990s, a once-in-a-lifetime moment he described as “the biggest roar” he had ever experienced.
As a member of the Hong Kong Golf Club, he knows the Composite Course here better than most and said: “You must be precise, especially the front nine as there are dog legs and it is tree lined, so you must hit some quality golf shots. I might be a little bit biased, but I know a lot of the players very well, and they genuinely enjoy this golf course. It is a ‘second shot’ golf course.”
As commentator for the Asian Tour and the LIV Golf League plus on the Asian Tour’s Board of Directors, Boulet understands the pathway that The International Series offers to players through its rankings race better than most, with the champion getting an automatic berth and 32 players offered entry into the LIV Golf Promotions event in Saudi Arabia to compete for another spot on the roster.
He joked: “I’m jealous of these guys. The opportunities and money they have now, we never had. The players appreciate it and are genuinely excited. It is a game changer; it has reignited the tour and given us a great outlook for the future.
“When I’m commentating, I can feel the tension, and see it is in the back of a player’s mind – in a position where they have got a good chance. The quality of the golf has shot up as well – you can tell from the scores and the number between the leader and the cut mark.
Boulet in on-course commentator mode at the LIV Golf Bangkok in 2022. Picture by Peter Van der Klooster/Getty Images.
“You can see the quality of the field, the depth of the field The International Series is one of the factors, as these guys are working harder for bigger rewards.”
Boulet learned from players such as three-time major winner Stewart back in the day, and this latest generation is getting a similar schooling from some of the best in the game.
“Take the guys like Patrick Reed for example. The chance to see them up close and learn from them is invaluable. How often do you get the chance to learn from a Masters champion with a short game like that? It is literally a life-changing opportunity for the guys on the Asian Tour. To take a step to the next level.
“Think about Kieran Vincent last season on Legion XIII – he won his place onto the LIV Golf League, and he got the chance to play practice rounds and hang with Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton all season. Goodness me, for a young man in his early 20s, what an incredible learning experience and opportunity.”
Boulet is a graduate from the revered Northwestern University in Illinois, and he believes the US college system is starting to look at The International Series as a viable route to the big time, given the bigger prize money on offer, and its pathway to the LIV Golf League.
He said: “I think what golfers are very good at, is they like to talk. And as big a game it is, it is also a very small industry, so players all know each other. And I’m sure the likes of Andy Ogletree, who won the rankings race last year and joined the HyFlyers GC, went back and spoke about the well-run events, the purse, the intense competition. It is a great option.”
Nitithorn Thippong courageously bounced back from a bogey-ridden start to keep his lead in the US$2 million Link Hong Kong Open today.
He added a three-under-par 67 to his first day 62 to hold the clubhouse lead on 11-under by three shots at the Hong Kong Golf Club, Fanling, after the morning flights came in.
Hong Kong’s number one Taichi Kho did what everyone was hoping for and made his move carding a 65 to sit in second place, along with Tomoyo Ikemura from Japan, who fired a 67.
One stroke back are Thailand’s Panuphol Pittayarat and Atiruj Winaicharoenchai, plus Italian Stefano Mazzoli, who all shot 66s, Korean Yeongsu Kim, in with a 67, and Miguel Tabuena from the Philippines and American Patrick Reed, who both returned 68s.
Nitithorn Thippong. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Thailand’s Nitithorn, a three-time winner on the Asian Tour trying to make amends for a poor season, was in trouble early on when, after starting on the back nine, he bogeyed three holes in a row from the 14th.
It suggested another disappointing round was on the cards, but he was able to respond in the correct manner by making birdie on 17 and then three on the trot from the third.
He explained that a new relaxed approach is helping him to stay on track.
“Actually, I didn’t think about it that much,” said the 28 year old, about mis-firing early on.
“I mean, I feel like I really flowed today, and didn’t think about if I made a bogey, but just let it go. And it’s good that I have Sebastian, my caddie with me too, so he made me really have fun on the course and not think about it.”
Taichi Kho. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
He was helped by chipping in for birdie on the fifth, about which he said: “I just pictured that shot chipped it and it went in.”
Nitithorn, whose nickname is “Fever”, has been one of the Asian Tour’s rising stars over the past few season. His first win came at The DGC Open presented by Mastercard in 2022, and he triumphed again that year at the International Series Singapore. He also claimed the Mandiri Indonesia Open last year.
Kho is exactly where he wants to be heading into the weekend, on the shoulder of the leader.
“I thought today was a really solid round out there,” said Kho.
“I feel like I was able to capitalize on a lot of looks that I had that I quite didn’t do yesterday. I feel like I was able to really get going in my round from the first hole, and I was proud of how I was able to be in the right state of mind and being zoned in from the get-go. So, I’m happy about myself about that, and hopefully I sharpen up a couple things tomorrow, and yeah, we’ll get going.”
It’s been a good two days work for a player who has been out of action for close to two months with a back injury.
Taichi Kho. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
He added: “My back has felt a lot better this week. It felt pretty good last week, and this week is progressing really nicely. So, lots of props to my team for getting me out here again, and yeah, it’s almost a surprise to me that my body is feeling so good. So, I’ll just continue to do what I’ve been doing, and hopefully I’ll get back to 100% really soon.”
A history-making winner here last year at the World City Championship, when he became the first golfer from Hong Kong to win on the Asian Tour, he is now trying to become the first from the territory to claim the Link Hong Kong Open.
England’s Justin Rose carded a 66 and is five under, while American John Catlin, leader of both the Asian Tour Order of Merit and The International Series Rankings, surprisingly looks like missing the cut.
Catlin returned a 68 and is one over with the cut looking set to be two under.
Two events remain this year, next week’s International Series Qatar, followed immediately by the PIF Saudi International presented by SoftBank Investment Advisers where the American needs to steady the ship if he is to remain on top.
“I’ll go and work on some things and tidy some things up,” said Catlin.
“It is all in a lifetime, sometimes you make a few mistakes, and you learn from them, and you move on. I’ve still got plenty to play for. I know where I want to be and I know what I have to do and do it, it’s all about going out there and doing it.”
Scott Vincent is in the mix at this week’s Link Hong Kong Open, and the Zimbabwean has been quick to credit the support of his wife after she made a one-off return to caddie duties for the tournament.
The 32-year-old shot a first round five-under-par 65, an encouraging start as he looks to finish the season strongly with three events remaining including this week. He was paired with Thailand’s Nitithorn ‘Fever’ Thippong, who opened with a stunning 62.
Said Vincent after his first round: “That was really good, solid golf. I felt I was getting left behind – Fever is playing incredible golf right now. But all throughout the day it felt really good and solid, I was just trying to be patient and let it come to me, trying not to chase anything. It was a really good example of just sticking with your game and just letting it come to you.”
Scott Vincent. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Vincent was quick to credit the big part wife Kelsey played in the performance, after she made a cameo turn on the bag. The pair met during Vincent’s time at Virginia Tech on a golf scholarship, with Kelsey on the university’s women’s soccer team, and she caddied for him from 2017 before giving up the position in 2019 ahead of the arrival of their first child.
Vincent explained: “She had given me the thumbs up to come out here to play. I asked if she wanted to caddie and she was all about it. This is her first time back since 2019, so it is special for us to do this just for this week. It’s a one-off, the kids are in good hands with my mum and my wife’s mum, and seem pretty happy because they are getting spoiled.
“She has that experience, and she just knows. I got to train her the way that I wanted her to caddie, which was great, and she remembers all that. I didn’t have to say anything out there today, she knew exactly what to do, which is cool. What she brings is just that calm, that warm smile and good energy. It is nice having someone that cares about you so much right next to you.”
The winner of the 2022 International Series Rankings has played on the LIV Golf League for the past two seasons for Irons Heads GC but finished in the drop zone this year.
However, he is determined to make an immediate return by winning the Rankings race once again or by making it through via the LIV Golf Promotions event at Riyadh Golf Club in Saudi Arabia from 12-14 December.
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