Q and A with Itthipat
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.
Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
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.
Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
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.
Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
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.
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 and Kieffer congratulate each other after the play-off. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
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.
Catlin plays his tee shot on the second. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
“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.
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.
BEIJING – APRIL 16: Jeev Milkha Singh of India with the winners trophy after the final round of the Volvo China Open at the Beijing Honghua International Golf Club on April 16, 2006 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
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 12th 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.
BEIJING – APRIL 16: Jeev Milkha Singh of India celebrates with his caddy after winning the Volvo China Open at the Beijing Honghua International Golf Club on April 16, 2006 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Andrew Wong/Getty Images)
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 11th 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.
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.
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 11: Hideki Matsuyama of Japan plays a shot from a bunker on the second hole during the final round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 11, 2021 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
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.”
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 11: Hideki Matsuyama of Japan hugs his caddie, Shota Hayafuji, on the 18th green after winning the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 11, 2021 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
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.
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.
AUGUSTA, GA – APRIL 11: Ernie Els of South Africa chats with K.J. Choi of Korea on the 12th tee during the final round of the Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club on April 11, 2004 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
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.
AUGUSTA, UNITED STATES: K.J. Choi of Korea tips his hat on the 11th fairway after after his eagle during final round action of the Masters Golf Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club 11 April 2004 in Augusta, GA. Choi started the round at 3 under par. AFP PHOTO/Stan HONDA (Photo credit should read STAN HONDA/AFP via Getty Images)
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 15th, 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.”
AUGUSTA, GA – APRIL 08: Tiger Woods (R) plays his tee shot on the first hole as K.J. Choi of Korea (L) and a gallery of fans look on during the first round of the 2010 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 8, 2010 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)
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.
AUGUSTA, GA – APRIL 08: KJ Choi of South Korea (L) shakes hands with Tiger Woods on the 18th green during the first round of the 2010 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 8, 2010 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
“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 21st 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.
Two-time Asian Tour winner Justin Harding returned to the winner’s circle at the weekend when he triumphed in the Magical Kenya Open presented by Johnnie Walker, on the European Tour.
The South African beat American Kurt Kitayama, also an Asian Tour champion, by two shots at Karen Country Club.
Harding had started the final day two ahead and was never caught, going on to card a bogey-free 66 to finish at 21 under.
Harding and Kitayama congratulate each other on the final day (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Playing partner Kitayama briefly cut Harding’s advantage to one as he carded two eagles in a 66 of his own, but Harding stayed in control and earned a sixth worldwide victory in three years.
Harding hit the headlines when he won twice on the Asian Tour in July of 2018, at the Bank BRI Indonesia Open and the Royal Cup in Thailand. The following season he also claimed his first title on the European Tour at the Qatar Masters, but struggled with his game after that.
“I went through such a good run in 2019 when it felt like I never actually played badly,” said the 35 year old. “Getting over the line in Qatar was, it sounds a bit strange now, but it was almost like something that was going to happen.
“I’ve been through a dip in form in terms of mixed results and it was nice to get over the line this time around. Winning isn’t everything but I think being in the winner’s circle again means a little more to me than I actually thought it did.
“Ultimately, I just hope that I can kick on and it would be nice if I could go on a run like I did in 2018/2019 but who knows? Maybe I do it, maybe I don’t. We’ve just got to keep giving ourselves some chances.”
Harding celebrates the win on the 18th green (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Harding and Kitayama went head-to-head in the final group at the 2018 Afrasia Bank Mauritius Open – with the American prevailing on that occasion, in an event jointly-sanctioned by Europe and Asia.
“Kurt’s an unbelievable competitor,” he said. “I got him back for Mauritius.”
It was indeed an excellent week for Asian Tour members: Australian Scott Hend – a 10-time winner on the Asian Tour – was tied for second after the third round and eventually finished equal 16th with Indian Gaganjeet Bhullar.
In-form Bhullar finished joint runner-up in the previous week’s Qatar Masters.
Thailand’s brilliant young star Phachara Khongwatmai has described his triumph in the PGM CCM Rahman Putra Championship – achieved on this very day in 2015 – as being “like the first step to improve my game”.
He claimed the Asian Development Tour event by the comfortable margin of four strokes at the Rahman Putra Golf and Country Club in Malaysia, to secure his first regional title as a professional.
“It is a very good memory and it’s like the first step for me to improve my game,” said the 21-year-old Phachara, speaking from his home in Thailand last week.
“At that time I was young and didn’t think too much while I was playing. My game was aggressive. I enjoyed traveling on the Tour with friends. I was an easy-going person like a normal teenager. But now I am older and changed my perspectives with more careful planning.”
PATTAYA, THAILAND – DECEMBER 20: Phachara Khongwatmai of Thailand pictured in action at Phoenix Gold Golf & Country Club on December 20, 2019 in Pattaya, Thailand. (Photo by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour/Getty Images)
The win was part of a phenomenal start to his career, coming just two years after he had tasted victory in the Singha Hua Hin Open in Thailand as a 14-year-old amateur.
He adds: “At that time [at the Singha Hua Hin Open] I was very young. I remember that I played without thinking of the result. After the second round, I was on top of the leaderboard, then after the third round I heard someone say that I’m a new golfer and I wouldn’t win. To be honest, during that time I didn’t think about the title. I just wanted to go out and play, enjoy and have fun. I didn’t think about the trophy.”
He says winning that event was a turning point and he decided to turn professional straight after.
“I discussed it with my parents and made plans for my life and which way to go. They did not force me and let me to decide. They have always supported me,” says the Thai.
Phacahara also won the Boonchu Ruangkit Championship, on the Asian Development Tour, in Thailand later in 2015 to further enhance his status as the region’s most exciting young player.
Surprisingly, the gifted golfer has yet to win on the Asian Tour and has been a runner-up on six occasions.
But a victory in the 2019 GolfSixes Cascais – an unofficial money ranking team event on the European Tour – with Thongchai Jaidee once again showed he is on the cusp of winning at the top level.
CASCAIS, PORTUGAL: Thongchai Jaidee and Phachara Khongwatmai of Thailand celebrate victory with the trophy during Day Two of the GolfSixes at Oitavos Dunes on June 08, 2019 in Cascais, Portugal. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Despite the lack of silverware Phachara is upbeat and biding his time.
He says: “I never get discouraged and enjoy playing golf every time. It feels good to go out for a competition. However, I am still aiming to win on the Asian Tour and I think I have a chance to win in the future.”
A minor car crash recently, that left him with stitches in his mouth, meant he had to take a short break from the game but he is expected to defend his Singha Esan Open title on the All Thailand Golf Tour later next month.
His win in that event last year was his fifth on home soil.
“To win the Singha Esan Open in February last year was a great feeling. It felt really good to win after a while. At that time my golf game was very good. Although it’s not an international title, it’s a very good feeling to win at home.”
Thailand’s Poom Pattaropong claimed the Boonchu Ruangkit Championship two weeks ago, but there is always another winner there every year and that is the great man himself, Boonchu Ruangkit. We spoke to the five-time Asian Tour winner, and two-time Thailand Open champion, that week about his popular event – which is hosted on the All Thailand Golf Tour and normally co-sanctioned with the Asian Development Tour, except during seasons when coronavirus is prevalent.
How have you been during the pandemic, where were you, and did you play golf?
I have lived in Bangkok and Khao Yai (in Nakhon Ratchasima province). If the situation was not so good, I would stay in Khao Yai. Friends would come to visit me there and we played golf together very often.
Tournament host Boonchu Ruangkit in relaxed mode during a busy week. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
You must have been very relieved that you can stage your event this year and last year?
My tournament was postponed twice because of coronavirus. Today, I am extremely happy that I have done as I promised to the players. I remain committed to nurturing the future generation of Thailand’s professional golfers but admit that the COVID-19 crisis made this year’s edition the most challenging to organise.
Why did you first start the Boonchu Ruangkit Championship?
Thailand’s senior golfers have moved on to become legends, so we have to build the new generation. We should have tournaments for them to gain experience, help their income and give them the chance to attend international tournaments on the Asian Tour and Japan Tour.
My tournament is organised to allow young Thai players to sharpen their skills and pursue their careers on the international stage. I believe that our golfers are second to none and it is very important that we have an appropriate development programme for them, as well as a wealth of tournaments.
LPGA star Ariya Jutanugarn was in attendance. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
How happy have you been with the event’s progress?
The progress has been excellent and I am very happy with what we have achieved so far. I would like to thank all of our sponsors for their support this year, and every year. This year was particularly exciting as for the first time we had four women professional golfers and some celebrities attend the event. It certainly added some colour to the tournament, especially seeing the women compete with the male golfers; this would have been a great experience for them.
What have been the highlights for you over the years about your event?
Importantly, we have worked hard to make sure the tournament is international standard. You will see a players’ lounge, a LED display on the 18th green, and of course it is broadcast live on television and it is streamed live.
We want to ensure our players compete in an environment that is the same as when they play overseas. This will help them be more comfortable and confident when they compete in other countries.
My tournament can serve as a springboard for Thais to play in the global arena.
And of course, it has been great that the top players from Thailand complete in my event every year.
Boonchu said this year’s event was the most stressful edition. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
What are your long-term plans for the event?
We will have to see what happens with coronavirus, but we are confident the situation will improve.
I still want to make the Boonchu Ruangkit Championship an event where senior and young players can meet each other every year. It is a special situation.
However, much also depends on the continued support from our sponsors.
Is it hard work staging your own event?
It’s harder and harder to organise the tournament every year. This year it’s been really hard work, because of the coronavirus crisis. This year we had less sponsors compared with the previous year, but it is understandable in this climate especially for sponsors in sectors hardest hit. It has been a challenge, but we have been very determined to keep going.
During your playing career what do you think your greatest achievements were?
Every tournament was important for me and I did my best every time. Also, being the president of the Thailand PGA Tour and helping the development of professional golf in Thailand makes me very proud. It is very rewarding to play a part in helping golfers, especially the youngsters, to play and develop their skills.
All precautions were taken to make sure the event was safe from COVID-19. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Do you miss those playing days?
Yes, I miss those playing days. When I see young golfers playing on the tour, I would like to join them but I’m too old now. Now I’m looking forward to playing on the Senior Tour in Thailand soon.
What was the secret to your great success when playing and winning?
Sponsors have been the secret to my career success. I would like to thank them for the support. They are behind my success. I would never be the person I am today without them.
On this day 15 years ago, Singapore witnessed the greatest achievement by one of its golfers when Mardan Mamat claimed the OSIM Singapore Masters at Laguna National Golf and Country Club. We spoke to Mardan this week about that memorable victory.
Mardan Mamat is a man of many firsts. He was the first Singaporean to compete in The Open championship, when he successfully qualified in 1997, and his success in the Indian Open in 2004 meant he became the first player from his country to win on the Asian Tour.
To date he has tasted victory on the Asian Tour five times and has played in the World Cup on five occasions, among countless other achievements.
Mardan is congratulated by Dougherty after their final round battle. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
But it is his win in the OSIM Singapore Masters in 2006 that he is best known for as the event was jointly sanctioned by the European Tour and Asian Tour.
He was thrust forward into the international spotlight as he became the first player from the Lion City to win on the elite European Tour; and, he became a national hero.
“I can’t believe it’s been 15 years! Time flies,” said Mardan, having just played a practice round at Changi Golf Club, ahead of a local event there next week.
“It was an incredible victory and one I will never forget.”
He created history when he held off the defending champion Nick Dougherty of England for a one-stroke win.
A final round of 71, one under par, saw Mardan finish on 12-under-par 276 and complete an astonishing and emotional wire-to-wire victory.
Mardan celebrates winning with his daughter Syahira, son Syirham and brother Mazlan. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
It earned Mardan, who was 38 years old at the time, a cheque for €138,560 and a two-year exemption to the European Tour.
“We had been practicing a lot on the course before the event and my short game was particularly good – which was a big reason why I won,” he said.
It was a behemoth and brave win as he had to hold off a late and daring challenge from Dougherty – the 23-year-old rising star of European golf.
Mardan started the final day one clear of Dougherty and when the Englishman fell back with three dropped shots on the front nine, it appeared Mardan would coast to victory.
But, as expected, Dougherty clawed his way back into contention with some gutsy play over the back nine. He birdied the 11th but remained three behind with four to play. And a magnificent second shot then left Dougherty with a 10-foot eagle putt on 15 but the putt refused to drop and Mardan got up and down to bravely match his birdie.
Dougherty then birdied the 16th to move within two as they walked to the par-three 17th – the most difficult hole on the course. Both players missed the green but saved par, leaving Mardan two clear playing the last.
“My main goal on the back nine, that day, was to make sure I had a two-shot lead playing the final hole,” adds Mardan.
It proved to be an excellent strategy as Dougherty applied pressure by making birdie on the last.
“I hit a good drive and a wedge in on 18 but my approach went over the back. I managed to chip it very close and hole out. It was what I had dreamed of, to win a big event in Singapore, especially a European Tour co-sanctioned tournament,” said Mardan, who was roared on all the way at Laguna by large and unprecedented crowds.
“It was a very big achievement in my life. Things went my way. And I hoped it inspired all young Singaporeans to achieve what I achieved. It was such a good feeling that I cannot express it.”
Mardan plays his tee shot on the ninth hole during the third round. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
“It just all went horribly wrong for me on the front nine,” said Dougherty. “I fought back well but it was not enough in the end. Mardan finished off very well. It is tough to hold off a bunch of us and I think he did himself proud today.”
Mardan’s win completed an incredible journey from humble origins, and the very definition of golf at grass roots level.
As a kid he had caddied at Jurong Country Club with his brother Mazlan. And it was there that he learned to play the game, using an old six iron.
It was not until he was 15, in 1982, that he got his first full set and by the time he was 18 he was a 12 handicapper.
Thanks to an exemplary work ethic he was off scratch by the age of 22 and he was soon playing for the Singapore national team in the biggest amateur tournaments in the game.
It was a remarkable rise embellished by four fantastic days at the OSIM Singapore Masters in 2006.
Korea’s Wooksoon Kang is one of the Asian Tour’s greatest players. A two-time winner of the Order of Merit, he was the dominant player in the late 90s. We caught up with him last week, in Korea, and discovered that he is on-passing his gift for the game to the next generation of golfers in the Land of Morning Calm.
Food is perhaps an appropriate subject to discuss first with Korean golf legend Wooksoon Kang.
Not because some kind of secret diet was behind a celebrated career that saw him win the Asian Tour Order of Merit title in 1996 and 1998, claim seven Asian Tour events, and 12 Korean Tour tournaments.
22 Feb 2001: Kang Wook-soon of Korea before he plays his second shot to the 4th green during the first round of The Caltex Singapore Masters being held at The Singapore Island Country Club, Singapore. X Digital Image. Mandatory Credit: Matt Turner/ALLSPORT
But rather quite the opposite, as it was widely reported that it was cuisine that partly led to the curtailment of his career.
To be more precise it was American, or western, food that quickly brought an end to his dream of playing on the PGA Tour.
In 2003, having swept all before him in Asia and having the claimed the last of his Asian Tour titles at the 2001 Thailand Masters, he chose to head to that most feared of golfing contests, the PGA Tour Qualifying School.
He made an impressive first appearance, making it through to the Final Stage and just missing his card by one stroke. Although it was not the result he was looking for, it gave him passage onto the lucrative second-tier Nationwide Tour.
South Korea’s Kang Wook-soon holds up the trophy after clinching the four-day 300,000 US dollar Hong Kong Golf Open with a two-stroke victory after firing a four-under-par final round 68, 29 November in Hong Kong. Kang held off England’s Edward Fryatt to finish with a 12-under-par total 272. AFP PHOTO/Robyn BECK (Photo by Robyn BECK / AFP) (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)
However, after playing six events, in 2004, he decided to pull up stakes and head home.
“There was a problem because of the food,” said the 54-year-old.
“I played for about six months in the first half of the year, and my score was good. But in America they have bread in the morning. It’s not easy to eat. I had a problem with my body.”
He said he prepared thoroughly for his attempt to play on the PGA Tour and that the courses were very good, but he desperately missed the tastes of home.
At one point he even tried to get his caddie to cook for him, but that was unsuccessful
“The caddie was a man, so it was not easy for him to cook well,” joked Kang.
After returning to Korea he claimed a couple of events on home soil before gradually winding down his playing career.
16 Feb 2001: Kang Wook-Soon of Korea plays his third shot to the 14th green during the second round of the Carlsberg Malaysian Open being held at Saujana Golf and Country Club, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. X Digital Image. Mandatory Credit: Matt Turner/ALLSPORT
So, how does the quiet and unassuming Korean spend his time these days?
He explains: “Last year, I participated in several tournaments on the KPGA Champions Tour but I’m no longer playing. Since 2017, I have focused on my academy – the Wooksoon Kang Golf Academy. It focuses on finding talented young people and potential CEOs. And I also commentate on golf competitions – more recently the Genesis Open and GS Caltex Maekyung Open – plus I appear on the air.”
He said that it has taken him 10 years to build his business, after overcoming some difficulties early on. He first secured the business in 2008, when he was competing in the SBS Johnnie Walker Blue Label Open.
“After hearing that I had won the business, I won that tournament,” he says.
Kang adds that he was influenced greatly by Kunhee Lee, the late Chairman of Samsung Group, and that his academy is not just a typical golf driving range and par-three course, but rather a ‘system of education’.
“Each year, 1,000 young people learn golf here. They come to learn golf through educational organizations, local sports associations, and other associations. It is for Korean golf,” he says.
The Korean was on business in Vietnam in February of last year when coronavirus first broke out and by the time he had returned home soon after the situation had become serious.
“We could go to practice ranges as they complied with the government’s COVID-19 quarantine rule to stay 2.5 metres apart. But there were many days when indoor facilities, such as fitness centres, swimming pools, and saunas, were closed. Fortunately, as golf is an outdoor game it did not affect us too much,” he adds.
However, he does point out that when he does go for a round of golf, the culture has changed a lot, and he heads home immediately after, not stopping for a chat, shower or food.
Kang considers his finest win to be the Maekyung LG Fashion Open in 2000.
He beat Australian Kim Felton by one stroke in what is considered one of Korean golf’s Majors.
“The galleries were huge and the difficulty was very high. There was a difference in tension compared with other competitions, so I remember it the most,” he added.
And so, amongst all the highs during a sparking career, was the biggest disappointment?
“It was the 1996 Alfred Dunhill Masters [played at the Hong Kong Golf Club]. At that time, I had a neck-and-neck race with Bernhard Langer. I often faced Langer. I was defeated by him at that time and that is the most regrettable moment of my career.”
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