2023 Hong Kong Open: Kiwi Campbell flies high at Fanling
As a golfer, Ben Campbell has endured more than his fair share of disappointments and setbacks.
During his final years as an elite amateur and over the ensuing decade as a professional, the New Zealander had frequently found himself on the wrong end of narrow losses.
Third-round leader in the third edition of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Singapore in 2011, starting spots at the following year’s Masters Tournament and Open Championship beckoned.
However, a final-day 70 relegated him to third spot, two shots behind the triumphant Hideki Matsuyama. For Campbell, it was little consolation that he finished one shot ahead of fourth-placed Australian Cameron Smith and comfortably in front of highly-rated fellow Kiwi Ryan Fox.
Upon joining the ranks of the professionals in 2012, Campbell was widely tipped to become a dominant force.
Ben Campbell. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
It didn’t work out that way, though, with his solitary success coming at the New Zealand PGA Championship in 2018. On the Asian Tour, he’d contended on more than a dozen occasions, only to fall agonisingly short.
At the fabled Hong Kong Golf Club in the second week of November 2023, the tide finally turned.
Putting behind him the demons of previous close calls and the doubts that had swirled in his mind since undergoing back surgery and missing six months of the 2022 campaign, Campbell [main picture being congratulated by Cam Smith] wrote his name into Hong Kong Open folklore with a gutsy victory, secured on the famous final green at the Fanling venue.
“It’s good to finally get the monkey off the back. I was just battling away all day,” said Campbell, who drained a 15-foot birdie putt on the home hole to defeat playing partners Smith and Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai after a gripping battle over the closing stages.
Campbell, who had not led at any stage of the tournament until that brilliant last putt, shot a four-under-par 66 to finish on 19-under and beat Smith by one and Phacahara by two.
The trio were tied as they went to the final tee, but 2022 Open Championship winner Smith had to lay up with his second shot. Although he nearly holed his third, he had to settle for a four. Phachara, meanwhile, missed his birdie attempt from 25-feet and three-putted.
Ben Campbell. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Displaying nerves of steel Campbell. who also made birdie on 17, held firm to make it across the finishing line in first place in what was the penultimate leg of The International Series.
Campbell said: “I went back to a few close losses and wrote a few notes down in my yardage book last night, and used them on those last four or five holes.
“It was getting a bit tight in the swing and from those past experiences I managed to put a couple of nice swings coming down the stretch which really helped.”
Given his injury travails, victory was just reward for Campbell.
“Even probably four months ago, I was battling with the body. I’ve had quite a few operations, and bulged discs in the back and things like that. I had to change the swing quite a bit, especially in the last two or three years,” said Campbell, the third New Zealander to win the Hong Kong Open after Walter Godfrey in 1972 and Frank Nobilo in 1997.
Smith, a two-time winner on the LIV Golf League in 2023, struggled with his driver and long irons over the weekend and was disappointed not to win for the first time in Asia.
“Pretty poor over the weekend, I guess. I found parts of the course I don’t want to see ever again. Definitely wasn’t the nicest golf to be played over last couple of days,” he said.
Ben Campbell. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Like Campbell, Andy Ogletree had cause to celebrate after being confirmed as the winner of The International Series Order of Merit, handing him a ‘golden ticket’ onto the multi-million-dollar LIV Golf League in 2024.
“It’s been a lot of hard work this year and a lot of great golf has gone into this. I want to thank everyone that’s gotten me to this point. The Asian Tour for all that they’ve done and my team back home for allowing me to play the way I’ve played this year. I couldn’t be more excited, and I can’t wait to play LIV next year,” said the American, who finished joint 15th following a closing 69.
Yubin Jang, the 21-year-old who turned professional after helping Korea win gold in the team event at the Hangzhou Asian Games a month earlier, blazed his way to final-round 63 to claim fifth place.
Among those tied for eighth was Chinese-Taipei’s Lee Chieh-po, who won the keys to a BMW I5 eDrive40 MSE after holing his seven-iron tee shot at the par-three eighth in round two.
Eight months on from his history-making victory in the World City Championship at Fanling, HKGC ambassador Taichi Kho shared 53rd place.
Suteepat Prateeptienchai became the first player to successfully defend a title on the Asian Tour in seven years when he claimed the US$400,000 Taiwan Glass Taifong Open in Chinese-Taipei today after the closest of finishes.
The Thai golfer backed up his breakout star status by making a birdie on the final hole at Taifong Golf Club to beat his young compatriot Runchanapong Youprayong by one.
He birdied the par-five 18th after chipping to two feet while Runchanapong, playing with him in the final group, missed his four from 10 feet moments earlier.
Suteepat shot a four-under-par 68 to finish 22-under, while Runchanapong returned a 69.
“This means so much, I am very happy, and excited,” said Suteepat, who started the day sharing the lead with Runchanapong.
Suteepat Prateeptienchai (left) celebrates with Danthai Boonma.
“I made a bogey on six and that made me really angry. It fired me up and then I started making birdies.”
He actually birdied the next three holes and made another on 11 and was two ahead at that point before Runchanapong impressively drew level with birdies on 15 and 17.
The victory, which earned him a cheque for US$72,000 and moved him to fifth on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, continues a remarkable run of form – particularly on this golf course and in this country.
Three years ago he was playing on the Asian Development Tour (ADT), and won the Order of Merit thanks to three wins in Indonesia and a second-place finish here in Taifong – when it was the ADT’s season-ending tournament.
A year later he went one better in Taifong, when the event was played on the Asian Tour for the first time, while two months ago he was victorious in the Yeangder TPC, also in Chinese-Taipei.
Added the 31-year-old: “Even my caddie said when I play here, I always have a chance.”
Suteepat is also the first player to defend the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open, and he is virtually assured of becoming the first foreigner to win the Taiwan PGA Merit list. Just two events remain on the Taiwan circuit where he has also been playing this year.
In addition, the win gives him a three-year exemption on the Asian Tour.
Suteepat Prateeptienchai.
Runchanapong, just 23-years old and in his second season in the pro game, found a fairway bunker off the tee on the last and wasn’t able to reach the green in two like Suteepat, although he hit a brilliant third in close.
“I thought that last putt was left edge but when I putted it didn’t move at all. It was a mis-read,” he said.
“I have never been in this position on the Asian Tour before, so it definitely feels very special to come second.
“I am happy, thought I handled the pressure well even though I did not have my A game.”
India’s S.S.P. Chawrasia was the last player to defend a title when triumphed in the Hero Indian Open in 2017.
Chinese-Taipei’s Hung Chien-yao and Chonlatit Chuenboonngam from Thailand closed with 68s to tie for third, four behind the champion.
Thailand’s Danthai Boonma and Jack Thompson from Australia fired 70s and finished another two strokes back.
The Asian Tour heads to the Link Hong Kong Open next week at Hong Kong Golf Club, one of three big money events in a row that will bring the season to a thrilling climax. It’s followed by the International Series Qatar and the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers. All three are also part of The International Series.
Pictures courtesy Taiwan PGA.
Thailand’s Suteepat Prateeptienchai is one round away from a successful defence of his Taiwan Glass Taifong Open after he took a share of the third-round lead today with his young compatriot Runchanapong Youprayong.
Suteepat, who also won the Yeangder TPC here in Chinese-Taipei in September, fired a four-under-par 68 at Taifong Golf Club, while Runchanapong carded a 66.
They lead the US$400,000 event on 18-under by four from overnight leader Jack Thompson from Australia, who fell back with a 73, Thailand’s Danthai Boonma, who came in with a 65, and Chonlatit Chuenboonngam, who returned a 68, plus Chinese-Taipei’s Hung Chien-yao, after a 70.
Suteepat has made no secret about his love of Chinese-Taipei and he showed that again today when after a slow start he moved through the field. He bogeyed the first but bounced back with five birdies later on.
Runchanapong Youprayong.
Said the 31-year-old: “I three putted the first but holed a 15 footer for birdie on eight which was the turning point for me. I missed from six feet on the last to match my winning score of 19 under last year, but never mind.
“I have never defended a title before. It’s big. I just need to make sure I create a lot of chances tomorrow.”
Runchanapong, who is 23 years old and in just his second year as a professional, birdied the last three holes to set up the biggest Sunday of his fledgling career.
“I was only two under on the front nine but gave myself a lot of chances,” said Runchanapong, who was coached in his junior days by this week’s Tournament Director Krirkchai Boonprasert.
“Made a big birdie putt on 10 from 25 feet and then had that great finish. I am just going to play the course tomorrow not the other players. It’s been great this week, the greens really suit me so that’s why I have been holing putts.
Danthai Boonma.
“Just need to play the same tomorrow as I have for the last three rounds.”
Boonma is looking to make it win number three on the Asian Tour, his most recent was the Bangladesh Open in 2022.
He said: “No complaints, bogey free today. Made birdie on number five, which is one of the toughest, that relaxed me and helped me to play easier. Felt I was more focused today, concentrating better.”
Chinese-Taipei’s Max Lee Chieh-po, currently in third place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit thanks to his victory in the International Series Thailand, shot a 67 and is six behind the leaders.
Jack Thompson has the halfway lead in an Asian Tour event for the first time after a second round seven-under-par 65 moved him to 15-under at the US$400,000 Taiwan Glass Taifong Open.
The young Australian, who is languishing in 87th place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit and fighting to keep his card with three events remaining after this week, has a one-shot lead over defending champion Suteepat Prateeptienchai from Thailand.
Suteepat carded a best of the week 63 here at Taifong Golf Club, while Chinese-Taipei’s Hung Chien-yao and Thai Runchanapong Youprayong, the joint overnight leader with Thompson, are another two strokes further back.
Hung carded a 64 while Runchanapong fired a 68.
Thompson’s best finish this year is joint 23rd in the Mandiri Indonesia Open in August – surprising for a player who won last year’s Qualifying School and who great things are expected.
“I kept doing what I was doing yesterday,” said the 26-year-old from Melbourne. “I just kept it going. Everything was pretty level; it was all good. My putting has been really good.
Sutteepat Prateeptienchai. Picture courtesy of Taiwan PGA.
“Just trying to not get in my own way. Just all the cliches, like one shot at a time. I just feel really relaxed, don’t know why, just feel really good.”
He finished in a blaze of glory yesterday with an eagle and three birdies in his last four holes and was equally as strong today making eight birdies and dropped his only shot in 36 holes on the first, which was his 10th as he started on the back nine.
He kept his card finishing 54th on last year’s Merit list and feels he is not doing much differently this year.
“I am not trying to hide from what I need to do; I know how I need to play,” he explained.
“I have not been matching everything up this year, but it is only my second year. I don’t feel I am doing that much different from the year before.”
Suteepat won the Yeangder TPC here in Chinese-Taipei at the end of September and is bidding for a rare hat-trick of titles in the island nation.
“I have not been thinking about defending my title this week, but now I am,” he said. “The conditions are easier this year because the greens are soft and slower, so easy to putt.
“The courses in Taiwan require you to hit good tee shots as they are narrow, and I have been playing well from the tee, so that is a reason why I play well here.”
Thailand’s Chonlatit Chuenboonngam and Shahriffuddin Ariffin from Malaysia are in a tie for fifth, five behind Thompson, after they both carded 67s.
Runchanapong Youprayong from Thailand and Australian Jack Thompson took a share of the clubhouse lead on day one of the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open today after astonishingly finishing their rounds with three birdies and an eagle for eight-under-par 64s.
Runchanapong, in just his second year as a professional, played in the morning session and had the outright lead for much of the day thanks to a storming finish with three birdies in a row from 15 before an eagle on the par-five 18th.
It looked like he would remain out in front on his own before Thompson, on a mission to finish before play was called for the day with darkness closing in, signed off in similarly spectacular fashion by making birdies on 15 and 16, before registering an eagle on 16, and a birdie on the last.
Thailand’s Danthai Boonma fired a 65 while Canadian Jared Du Toit shot 66, here at Taifong Golf Club.
Jack Thompson. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Heavy fog first thing in the morning meant the start was delayed by an hour and 20 minutes; the end result being 33 players will have to compete their first rounds tomorrow.
Runchanapong, who hit a six iron to 10 feet on 18 to set up his eagle, said: “I have been struggling with my putter. Ball striking has been okay, so it was good to see a few putts rolling in today.”
He made it through the Asian Tour Qualifying School last year but was unable to keep his card and has been playing mainly on the Asian Development Tour, where he has shown some form recently with three top 10s.
He’s also enjoying playing here this week thanks to the fact that the Tournament Director Krirkchai Boonprasert is his former coach.
“He was actually my first coach. He coached me from six until 14 before he moved into being a referee and I went to college in the US. It’s really great to see him out here,” said Runchanapong.
Both he and Thompson played the back nine in six-under-par 30, and the finish late in the day definitely left Thompson stunned.
“I can’t remember the last time I played like that,” said the Australian.
“To finish strong like that. Finishing birdie, birdie, eagle, birdie, that really helps. It was getting really dark, so I guess I played even better to try and finish.”
He won last year’s Asian Tour Qualifying School and enjoyed a strong first season, but he is currently 87th on the Asian Tour Order of Merit and in a battle to retain his playing privileges.
“I am not where I want to be in terms of keeping my card, but this is the kind of round I needed to have a chance,” he added.
Boonma is coming off the back of a fine spell of form with three top 16 finishes and is clearly growing in confidence.
Said the Thai golfer: “Everything good, no complaints today. Started on 10 and made four birdies in a row from 16. I got a lot of confidence playing in the events in Thailand and Indonesia recently.”
Thailand’s Suteepat Prateeptienchai, the defending champion, is five under with three to play.
Lee Chieh-po has revealed he enjoyed one of the happiest moments of his career recently when took his International Series Thailand trophy to his home club.
“I felt so proud to bring my first Asian Tour trophy back to the club last week,” said the Chinese-Taipei star, who tees-off in the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open at Taifong Golf Club tomorrow.
His home club is in Taoyuan City, where he has been attached since his teenage days.
It was yet another memorable milestone for the impressive 30-year-old this season.
He won the International Series Thailand three weeks ago [main picture] and supported by four other top 10s in the space of a month he has leapt into third place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit and fifth on The International Series Rankings.
Lee Chieh-po celebrates on the 18th green on Sunday at the International Series Thailand. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
He has a chance to finish top of both with three big money events ahead in Hong Kong, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. American John Catlin leads both rankings, and may be too hard to catch on the Merit list but the race on The International Series – which earns the winner a place on next year’s LIV Golf League – is wide open.
The pressure will be immense, but Lee is trying to take it all in his stride.
“It’s been a great last couple of weeks,” says Lee, who is sponsored by Taiwan Glass, along with countrymen Chan Shih-chang and Chang Wei-lun.
“Finally getting my first win, so relieved to get the monkey off my back. But to be frank, nothing’s going to change much this week.
“Still the same mindset, same game. Even at the BNI Indonesian Masters, the week after I won, things were still the same. I’ve been doing all the right things it seems, and I’ll keep doing that, stick to my routine and see where it brings me at the end of the season.”
Further celebrations in Thailand. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Lee won this week’s event back in 2021 – when due to COVID-19 it was part of the local tour only and before it was elevated from the Asian Development Tour to Asian Tour last year. Offering total prizemoney of US$400,000 it will not make a huge impact on the Asian Tour merit list, although a win would certainly be ideal preparation ahead of the multi-million dollar events to follow, all three of which are also part of The International Series.
He adds: “It’s great to give myself a chance at the Order of Merit and Ranking titles. Still a few more events to go, I know I am doing well so I will aim to continue my good form and hopefully clinch the Merit titles that everyone out here is aiming for. I believe everyone wants to play on LIV so it will be great if I can qualify to.”
Working on staying fit, being healthy and improving his swing have all played a major part in stepping up to another level this season he says.
He is a six-time winner on the local circuit, four of those coming in 2021 when he secured their Order of Merit. One of those victories included the Taifong title while back in 2014 he claimed his first one when he was still an amateur.
It was the early days for a star-in-the-making who has now become that star, and a very bright one at that.
Tournament Information
- Tournament: Taiwan Glass Taifong Open
- Date: November 14-17, 2024
- Venue: Taifong Golf Club
- Par/Yards: Par 72 / 7,302 Yards
- Purse: US$400,000 (first place US$72,000)
- Asian Tour leg: 18th event of the 2024 season
- Edition of tournament: Second (Asian Development Tour event 2014-2019 and 2022)
- Total number of players: 120
- Format: 72-hole stroke play with a cut made after two rounds to the leading 65 pros plus ties
- Social Media Hashtags: #TimeToRise
Suteepat Prateeptienchai. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Field Breakdown
- Nationalities: 21
- Top contenders: Lee Chieh-po (TPE), Suteepat Prateeptienchai (THA), Phachara Khongwatmai (THA), Gunn Charoenkul (THA), Chang Wei-lun (TPE), Chan Shih-chang (TPE)
- Highest ranked player on OWGR: Lee Chieh-po #247
- Highest ranked player on 2024 Asian Tour Order of Merit: Lee Chieh-po #3
- Highest ranked player on 2024 International Series Rankings: Lee Chieh-po #5
- Defending champion: Suteepat Prateeptienchai (THA)
- Number of amateurs in the field: 1
- Number of Chinese Taipei players in the field: 48
Lee Chieh-po. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Tournament Notes
- Lee Chieh-po of Chinese Taipei has been in great form since early September, culminating with a victory at the International Series Thailand three weeks ago. Prior to that he finished solo third at the Black Mountain Championship after missing the play-off by only one shot, was fourth at the Yeangder TPC and T9 at the Shinhan Donghae Open, back in September. The week after winning in Thailand he was T8 at the BNI Indonesian Masters. Lee also won the Taifong event in 2021 when it was part of the local tour.
- The defending champion Suteepat Prateeptienchai from Thailand is having a good second half of the season, sitting in seventh place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit after a win the Yeangder TPC in Taipei. He also had a T4 at the recent Black Mountain Championship and a T6 at the Mandiri Indonesia Open in August. Suteepat was joint runner-up in this event in 2022 when it was part of the Asian Development Tour (ADT).
- Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai posted his best finish of the year at the BNI Indonesian Masters with a T2 after a final round 64 – his first top 10 since the International Series Macau presented by Wynn in March.
- Fellow Thai player Gunn Charoenkul has been playing very solid golf lately, with a solo second finish at the SJM Macao Open last month. Since then he has posted a T14 at the Black Mountain Masters, a T12 at the International Series Thailand and a T8 at the BNI Indonesian Masters. Gunn, currently in 10th place on the Order of Merit, is still looking for his first Asian Tour win and would love to rectify that this week.
- Chang Wei-lun from Chinese Taipei finished T2 at the BNI Indonesian Masters to secure his playing rights for next season, in what had otherwise been a forgettable year on the Asian Tour. Chang came close to winning this week’s event twice when it was on the ADT, losing a play-off to American Johannes Veerman in 2016 and finishing T2 in 2019. He has picked up three victories so far this season on the local tour in Chinese Taipei.
Thailand’s top golfers have always had a strong affiliation for Chinese-Taipei. Many of them have enjoyed success on the archipelago, thanks, they say, to the many friends they have made there and the famous food. Story from the 2023 Asian Tour Yearbook.
Thailand’s Suteepat Prateeptienchai is a fine example of this, and to be more specific Taifong is the place on the island nation where he is happiest, for very obvious reasons.
At the end of 2022 he finished joint second in the Taifong Open at Taifong Golf Club. It was the final event of the season on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) and the result allowed him to wrap up the ADT Order of Merit (OOM) title and earn his Asian Tour card for the 2023 season.
And exactly one year later, with the event promoted on to the Asian Tour at the same venue, he cantered to a four-shot victory in the US$400,000 Taiwan Glass Taifong Open to secure his first victory on the Asian Tour.
Suteepat Prateeptienchai. Picture courtesy of Taifong Open.
The Asian Tour rookie, who had a two-stroke lead at the start of the day, shot a fine four-under-par 68 to finish on 19-under – in the second from last event of the season on the Asian Tour.
Thailand’s Atiruj Winaicharoenchai fired a 66 to finish second with Malaysian Shahriffuddin Ariffin who came in with a 69. It was the best performance by both players on the Asian Tour.
Pavit Tangkamolprasert from Thailand and Korean Seungtaek Lee tied for fourth, after they both returned 68s.
Five birdies in a row from the third set up Suteepat for the win and allowed him to stroll to victory despite the enormity of the occasion.
Thirty-year-old Suteepat, a professional since 2017, burst onto the scene in 2022 with three ADT wins, all in Indonesia, which marked him down as a potential star of the future.
He enjoyed as strong debut season on the main Tour with five top-20 finishes before putting the finishing touches to his season with a fine victory.
“Really happy, I love this place,” said Suteepat, who won US$72,000 and leapt into 24th place on the Asian Tour OOM, from 53rd.
Shahriffuddin Ariffin. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“I won the ADT title here, I got my Asian Tour card from here, yeah, I love it. I just stuck to my game plan and my putter got really hot with those five birdies in a row. None of the putts were short really, the shortest was 10 feet.”
With a substantial lead heading into the back nine he could afford to make three successive bogeys from the 14th before he restored order with a birdie on 17.
He added: “I didn’t chip well on those holes. I missed all those greens and could not get up and down.”
Atiruj and Ariffin both took giant steps towards securing their Tour cards for 2024, with the former moving into 55th place on the OOM, from 80th, and the latter into 60th position, from 91st. Come the end of the season they both comfortably finished in the top-65 to safely make it through to the new season.
“I was thinking about the Order of Merit all day to be honest, but I have been in this situation before, so I have experience,” said Atiruj.
“I just kept my head down and concentrated. I felt a bit nervous on the last few holes. It was a long week and a tough year. I just changed my swing with my coach and the results have now come.”
Said Ariffin: “It’s a big relief. The top five was my target so I am really happy to have done better than that. When he [Suteepat] made those five birdies in a row I knew we were playing for second. Just need to play well in Saudi.”
Major champions Martin Kaymer from Germany and American Patrick Reed have confirmed they will take part in this year’s LINK Hong Kong Open – to be staged at The Hong Kong Golf Club, November 21-24.
The US$2 million event, which is part of The International Series on the Asian Tour, had already announced that another Major winner, Justin Rose from England, and Korea’s Tom Kim will compete in what will be the 63rd staging of the historic tournament.
For Kaymer, the return to the LINK Hong Kong Open will be his second visit to The Hong Kong Golf Club this year, as he played in LIV Golf Hong Kong back in March.
“Every time we come to Hong Kong it’s not only the golf course that is fantastic but also the people are friendly and very supportive. They are great golf fans. The hospitality of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong people, the Hong Kong government, is fantastic,” said Kaymer, winner of the 2010 PGA Championship and US Open in 2014.
Patrick Reed. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
The German also has a deep connection with the city, as the 2006 edition of the Hong Kong Open was his first ever as an international touring professional.
“I was standing on the putting green and right next to me was Miguel-Angel Jiménez. Ian Poulter was there too. I was quite intimidated by it because just a few months before I was playing on the German professional tour and all of a sudden I’m standing on the putting green next to these Ryder Cup players and these big boys,” Kaymer has recalled. “I was just trying to stay away from them and not interrupt their practice. So it was funny and a totally new experience for me back then.”
Reed is another star that cannot stay away from Hong Kong’s golf scene, becoming a regular visitor to the city over the past decade, with his best result a T3 in 2015. The American – who along with that historic Masters triumph in 2018 has finished top-10 in all four Majors – comes to town having also claimed four top-10 finishes across this past LIV Golf season.
It is little wonder that nine-time Major winner and LINK Hong Kong Open Ambassador Gary Player from South Africa has labelled the tournament “Asia’s Major” in the year marking the 135thanniversary of The Hong Kong Golf Club.
Admission to the opening rounds on Thursday and Friday, 21-22 November, is free for the public. Daily prices for Saturday and Sunday 23 and 24 November are HK$200 per day or $300 for a weekend pass. Tickets on sale now at KLOOK.
Royale Jakarta Golf Club hosted the BNI Indonesian Masters for the 12th time last week, and after playing it as a par-71 12 months ago, hole number nine was back as a par-five last week – meaning the impressive South Jakarta course was once again a par-72.
Despite this, Richard T. Lee’s winning total of 23-under fell one short of Gaganjeet Bhullar’s total from a year earlier, although birdies and eagles were once again made with apparent ease.
There were 1,617 birdies and 32 eagles recorded, and it was wire-to-wire winner Lee who topped the total birdies and eagles categories for the week with 26 and two respectively. Remarkably, he’d also won the birdie count at the previous week’s International Series Thailand, where he tied for second, with 27.
The win on Sunday was the Canadian’s fourth top-10 in a row on the Asian Tour, and during that span he was a combined 73-under-par having made 97 birdies, or 6.06 per round, with a scoring average of 66.94.
Chang wei-lun. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
At Royale Jakarta Lee was in total command on the greens, ranking a clear first in Putts per Greens in Regulation (GIR) with 1.518 and fourth in Putts per Round with 26.5. That putting performance combined with finishing T8 in GIR, on 77.78%, proved deadly, helping to ensure he was never close to being caught on Sunday afternoon. His other major stats for the week were Driving Distance (290.75, T36) and Fairways Hit (62.5%, T42).
For the season so far, Lee has been impressive in several statistics categories: he ranks fourth in Scoring Average with 68.39, second in GIR with 76.77%, third in Birdies per Round with 5.14 and 14th in Putts per GIR with 1.714.
For Chinese Taipei’s Chang Wei-lun it was a crucial week as his T2 meant he secured his card for 2025 after posting his first top-10 of the season. Chang had a very good week on the greens, ranking seventh in Putts per GIR with 1.632 and T10 in Putts per Round with 27.5. He also impressed with his tee to green game, ranking T4 in GIR with 79.17% and T2 in Fairways Hit on 83.93%.
Chang only dropped shots on two of the 72 holes, a double bogey in round one and a bogey in round three, and was tied for first in Fewest Bogeys or Worse for the week.
Phachara Khongwatmai. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Phachara Khongwatmai of Thailand also posted his best result of the year after an uncharacteristic season with only one previous top-10. Like tournament winner Lee and co runner-up Chang, Phachara was also in good form on the greens and ranked sixth and T8 in Putts per GIR and Putts per Round, with 1.618 and 27.25 respectively. He also posted one of the two Holes-in-One during the week, acing the par three 11th hole in the third round, moments after American Bubba Watson had aces the same hole with an almost identical shot.
American John Catlin, who continues to lead both the Asian Tour Order of Merit and The International Series Rankings, posted a T6 for his eighth top-10 finish in 11 Asian Tour events this season. However, he saw his lead shrink in the ranking races, with Lee now his closest pursuer, jumping from seventh to second on both sets of tables. Catlin leads the Asian Tour Merit list with 3,030.06 points to Lee’s 1,775.29 and The International Series Ranking with 900.58 vs. 660.64 points for Lee.
Statistics Categories leaders at the BNI Indonesian Masters (of players making the cut):
- Putts per Round: Prom Meesawat (THA) – 26
- Putts per GIR: Richard T. Lee (CAN) – 1.518
- GIR: Austen Truslow (USA) – 87.5%
- Fairways Hit: Ben Campbell (NZL) – 92.86%
- Driving Distance: Douglas Klein (AUS) 320.38 – Yards
- Most Eagles: Richard T. Lee – 2
- Most Birdies: Richard T. Lee – 26
- Fewest Bogies or Worse: Jazz Janewattananond (THA), Chang Wei-lun (TPE) – 2
- Scrambling: Maverick Antcliff (AUS) – 90.48%
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