Special delivery: Ian ‘The Postman’ Poulter commits to International Series England
Ryder Cup legend Ian ‘The Postman’ Poulter is set to return to his homeland for International Series England, and is one of a number of marquee names to be confirmed in the field at Foxhills Club & Resort from 8-11 August, 2024.
It is the second time that Poulter will play the Asian Tour’s enhanced event on British soil – he finished runner-up in last year’s edition.
The co-captain of Majesticks GC will be joined by a host of other LIV Golf League stablemates at the event which will be played in the heart of Surrey golf country.
Graeme McDowell, the 2010 US Open champion representing Smash GC, has also been confirmed along with Harold Varner III of 4Aces GC, Anirban Lahiri from Crushers GC, and Branden Grace from South African Stinger GC. Richard Bland of Cleeks GC and English compatriot Sam Horsfield of Majesticks GC will also feature.
Poulter has an impressive international pedigree with three tournament victories on the PGA Tour and 12 on the DP World Tour, including two wins in co-sanctioned Asian Tour events – the Barclays Singapore Open in 2009 and UBS Hong Kong Open in 2010.
Graeme McDowell in action at last year’s International Series England. Picture By Ian Walton.
He was also a phenomenal Ryder Cup Team Europe player. His total of 16 points helped Team Europe win five of the seven Ryder Cups he appeared in. It was his emotionally charged clutch putts that stayed long in the memory, earning him the nickname ‘The Postman’ because he always delivered on the greens.
At International Series England in 2023, the Lee Westwood Colt Course at Close House was Poulter’s playground. He shot 14 birdies and one eagle to finish runner-up, as 2023 International Series Rankings winner and now HyFlyers GC team member Andy Ogletree from the United States took the title.
On his return to International Series England for 2024, he said: “Playing in England has and always will be very special for me. Having home crowds and family and friends supporting is always awesome.
“I’m very much looking forward to playing the International Series event at Foxhills. For me to be back home is going to be a truly special summer.
“Foxhills is a course that is only one hour 20 from my front door, but it is a course I have not played yet. I am looking forward to getting there and playing a few practice rounds and getting a look at the venue, and then really giving it a good go.”
Anirban Lahiri pictured at the International Series Oman. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
A host of stars from the Asian Tour have also been confirmed as they seek invaluable points in the season-long race for The International Series Rankings title, with the champion securing a place on the LIV Golf League and over 30 places available for the season-ending LIV Golf Promotions event.
John Catlin will be one of the favourites. The in-form American recently completed back-to-back tournament wins, clinching the Saudi Open presented by PIF following his thrilling play-off win over David Puig from Spain at the International Series Macau presented by Wynn.
Two-time Hong Kong Open champion Australian Wade Ormsby, 11-time Asian Tour champion Gaganjeet Bhullar of India, and talented Thai newcomer Denwit Boriboonsub, who won three consecutive tournaments at the tail end of the 2023 season, are also among the Asian Tour talent confirmed to tee it up at Foxhills.
Poulter expects more LIV Golf League stars and Asian Tour heavyweights to sign up. He said: “With the scheduling that the Asian Tour has done, it enables a few of the LIV Golf players to compete on The International Series, which is fantastic. I think you will see a lot of guys play events like this to get that extra competition and also gain valuable world ranking points.
“It is fantastic for everyone, it boosts the competition and gives the Asian Tour those stronger fields and higher purses, and that provides a great stepping stone for those players striving to get onto the LIV Golf League, which is potentially life changing.
“It gives them a fantastic opportunity and with that you are seeing better competition, stronger international fields and great golf generally.”
Harold Varner III competing in this year’s International Series Macau presented by Wynn. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
International Series England is the ninth stop on the Asian Tour and the fourth tournament on the calendar of 10 elevated events. Next up is International Series Morocco from 4-7 July at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, with six events still to take place after International Series England.
Tickets for International Series England are now on sale, with an Early Bird offer giving a generous 15% discount on standard pricing until 28 May.
Standard pricing day passes start at £15 for Thursday, £20 for Friday and £30 for Saturday or Sunday, with a four-day pass at £75. Hospitality packages start at £185 for Thursday or Friday, and £250 for Saturday or Sunday, with a four-day pass also available for £620.
Tickets can be purchased here.
April, 2024: There’s something about KFC
Asian Tour star Denwit Boriboonsub was well and truly on the road in April, competing in Saudi and Korea before heading to Japan. In his April diary he talks about how the defence of his title in Saudi went, and the experience of playing in the GS Caltex Maekyung Open for the first time, where he also watched his first baseball game. Denwit was speaking to Asian Tour contributor and former Tour player Olle Nordberg
Since the last edition of my diary, the first event I played in was the Saudi Open presented by PIF in Riyadh where I was defending champion – and it was a great experience.
Being the defending champion on the Asian Tour for the first time felt special, there were a lot of media and attention.
Unfortunately, I didn’t play that well, particularly in round three. But overall, it was pretty good, I finished tied 17th in the end, on seven under par for the week.
I wasn’t nervous teeing it up as the defending champion, not really, but I guess I was struggling with my game a bit before the first round. My driver wasn’t sharp, my irons were pretty poor, and my wedge game was really bad, my putting too. The game just wasn’t good enough in the first three days. I didn’t make any birdies, as I didn’t get close with my wedges, and I didn’t really get the ball up and down around the greens much either.
Denwit (back right) went to watch a baseball game in Korea with a group of friends during the week of the GS Caltex Maekyung Open.
The third round was really a struggle, I shot 76. When you can’t make birdies with your wedges, and when your driving isn’t good, it’s difficult. Plus, in that round the wind was pretty strong compared to the other rounds.
But I just managed to figure it out in the last round. When I won last year I ate KFC every night, and so I had KFC for dinner on Friday night, and on Saturday I went out and crushed it, carding a 63, which is eight-under. Yeah, it was quite amazing. I just tried to be patient out there, I had an early tee time too so there wasn’t much wind out there, and I stayed patient. And the putting just took care of it all.
I didn’t do anything much after coming back from Saudi. I just came back on Sunday and rested the whole week and didn’t play much golf. Like the whole week I didn’t do anything much because the weather in Thailand is just super-hot this time of year, so I didn’t want to go outside to play.
We then headed to Korea for the GS Caltex Maekyung Open, and it was really nice to get to some cooler weather. I started off the week on Tuesday by going to see Richard T. Lee’s coach Jack Kim at 88 Country Club outside of Seoul. The lesson was great, we just changed a little bit on my address position and a bit on the wrists in the backswing, and yeah, I think it’s going to be better than before. For now maybe it was just a one-time visit, but we’ll see later how it works.
A 63 on the final day in the Saudi Open presented by PIF saw him tie for 17th.
We also had a bit of fun on Tuesday night when we went to a baseball game at the Seoul Olympic Stadium to watch the DooSan Bears against the Samsung Lions – two of the Korean professional baseball league teams. It was fun, the stadium was quite crowded with about 20,000-25,000 fans there, and it was a great experience. It was my first time watching baseball and I didn’t really understand much about the game and rules, but the atmosphere was very nice.
Playing the legendary tournament course Namseoul Country Club for the first time, the course is really tough. Honestly it doesn’t suit me much, because I’m not used to playing on tight courses and the fairways are pretty tricky. You can get an uneven lie anywhere and the greens have a lot of undulations and are very fast too.
I think the most difficult thing about Namseoul is the narrow fairways and the fairways are like a first cut of rough and easy to get fliers. The greens are also tricky, but you can still hole putts because they are almost perfect.
I felt a bit rusty earlier in the week after my practice round, but I’m ok with the result in the end finishing tied 37th because it’s my first time playing in this tournament. This course is quite difficult, but I think I could do better.
I was a bit disappointed with the final round shooting four over, but the conditions were very difficult with rain all day. The greens there are tricky, but with the rain on them, they were even trickier than before. It was just so difficult to play.
After Maekyung I stayed in Seoul for a few days with my manager Tom Su and other people from my management company. We did some sightseeing and did some stuff in Gangnam. After that we headed to Japan for two weeks, in Osaka, to prepare for and play in the US Open qualifier at Hino Golf Club on May 20th.
I’m really looking forward to playing in the US Open qualifier. Last year there were around 30 guys playing for only three spots, so it will not be easy to get through. But it’s a great opportunity for me. I’m already qualified for The Open after finishing tied third in the Malaysian Open, so it would be awesome to play in two Majors this year. I’ll let you know how that went next time!
Michael Hendry has recorded a win for the ages by claiming the For The Players by The Players on the Japan Golf Tour Organisation on Sunday – remarkably a year after being diagnosed with leukemia.
The Kiwi won by a point from Japan’s Hideto Kobukuro in an event using Stableford points scoring, played at The Club Golf Village.
Last May, not long after finishing second in the World City Championship in Hong Kong on the Asian Tour, he shocked the golfing world by announcing news of his cancer before facing a battle for survival.
“A year ago, I received the diagnosis of leukemia, and it was a devastating blow,” said the 44-year-old.
“Throughout my hospitalisation, I remained confined to the hospital bed and lost 17kg. The hospitalisation was about three to four months; I couldn’t play golf for five months. I was discharged in September, and it was not until October before I started playing again.
Michael Hendry (far right) picture at the World City Championship, where he was second and earned a place in The Open. Not long after he was diagnosed with cancer. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“I’m truly grateful for this second opportunity in my golfing journey and the chance to return to professional competition. My current goal is to enjoy golf and cherish time with my family.”
He has won once before in Japan, at the Token Homemate Cup in 2015, while he is also a four-time winner on the PGA Tour of Australasia, the most recent being the VIC Open last year, months before his diagnosis.
His fine performance in the World City Championship, one of his best on the Asian Tour, earned him a place in The Open, which he agonisingly had to let go.
However, Hendry’s determination to make a full recovery became loud and clear when he won on the Charles Tour in New Zealand in October of last year.
Statistics are always going to be an interesting point of discussion at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open simply because its host venue, the notorious Namseoul Country Club, is home to one of the most difficult courses on the Asian Tour, and Korean PGA Tour. Conditions were also made more challenging by rain all day on the last day.
Built on the side of a hill, its fairways are narrow and often at a stiff gradient, so you rarely get a flat lie, and the greens are treacherous, particularly when above the hole.
Korean Hongteak Kim, who triumphed after beating Thailand’s Chonlatit Chuenboonngam on the first extra-hole to cap a gripping Sunday afternoon, had the perfect answer to Namseoul’s defences.
He putted brilliantly, topping both Putts per Round and Putts per Green in Regulation, with 1.4 and 1.5 respectively, and he was also ranked among the longest drivers on the measuring holes with 306.40 yards for fourth place in that category.
Hongtaek Kim.
The interesting caveat on the latter category, again as a result of Namseoul’s toughness, is that not all players hit driver, so the longest drivers ranking is a tad misleading.
However, that does not detract from Kim’s dominance, which also saw him make five more birdies than anyone else with 24.
Chonlatit, bidding to become the first overseas winner of the event in 20 years, produced some unbelievable golf, particularly on day two when he holed from the fairway twice on par fours to make eagles. He had the joint most eagles with two thanks to those miracle shots and also registered the fewest bogeys, with five.
His second-round nine-under-par 62, one short of the course record, saw him take the lead, while the following day he holed out from off the green for birdies on two occasions.
Chonlatit Chuenboonngam.
Like Kim, he also had a very good week on the fast and difficult greens and ranked second in Putts per Round, helped by holing out from off the green regularly, with 1.42, and fourth in Putts per Greens in Regulation with 1.68.
Canada’s Richard T. Lee, who finished third, looked very solid in the difficult Sunday conditions and tied for the most Greens in Regulations (GIR) hit that day with 14, placing fourth overall for the week with 75%.
The third-round leader Junghwan Lee from Korea, known in Korea as the “Ironman” because of his accurate iron play, proved his nickname right by topping the Greens in Regulation stats with 85.19% through the first three rounds, as he did not submit his final round stats. He tied for fourth, and also topped the Scrambling ranking.
Richard T. Lee.
Statistics category leaders at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open (of players making the cut):
Putts per Round: Hongtaek Kim (KOR) – 1.40
Putts per GIR: Hongtaek Kim (KOR) – 1.50
GIR: Junghwan Lee (KOR) – 85.19%*
Fairways Hit: Taehoon Ok (KOR) – 80.36%
Driving Distance: Mingyu Cho (KOR) – 317.50
Most Eagles: Chonatit Chuenboonngam (THA), Pavit Tangkamolprasert (THA), Michael Maguire (USA), Seungtaek Lee (KOR) – 2
Most Birdies: Hongtaek Kim (KOR) – 24
Fewest Bogeys: Chonlatit Chuenboonngam (THA) – 5
Scrambling: Junghwan Lee (KOR) – 85.70%
* Through 54 holes
Korean Hongtaek Kim showed he is just as good on the golf course as he is playing simulator golf today when he beat Thailand’s Chonlatit Chuenboonngam in a sudden-death play-off to win the GS Caltex Maekyung Open at Namseoul Country Club – on an overcast day with persistent rain that left everyone drenched.
Kim, a star on the golf simulator circuit on Korea’s GTour – his nickname is King of the Screen thanks to 12 wins – drained a knee-knocking four-foot par putt on the first extra hole to claim one of Korea’s most coveted titles.
The pair finished tied in regulation play on 10-under after Kim, who started the day three behind overnight leader Junghwan Lee from Korea, had stormed through on the back nine with three birdies in a row from 13 and another on 17.
His two-under-par 69 gave him the clubhouse lead before Chonlatit, playing in the last group and bidding to become the first foreigner to win the event since American Mark Calcavecchia in 2004, courageously holed par save putts on 17 and 18, both from about eight feet, to force the 43rd staging of the event into overtime.
Hongtaek Kim.
In the play-off, held on the demanding par-four 18th and with the rain constant, Kim found the fairway off the tee, but his Thai opponent landed in the large bunker on the left of the fairway. Chonlatit’s second shot clipped the lip of the trap and left him with a 50-yard approach shot while Kim’s second finished just off the back of the green.
The result was more or less decided when Chonlatit’s third landed 25 feet short. His par putt also struggled to reach the hole and after he holed his four footer for a bogey Kim had virtually the same putt for par to secure the win.
Joked 30-year-old Kim: “There was a misunderstanding that I was only good at simulator golf. I solved the misunderstanding today.
“I think simulator golf has actually been very helpful. Competing in championships in simulator golf has helped relieve tension.”
He earned a cheque for US$221,231 for what is his first victory on the Asian Tour and third on the Korean PGA Tour, plus he joins an elite list of Korean golfers who won this title, including Bio Kim, Sanghyun Park, Sangho Cho, and Jongduck Kim.
Chonlatit Chuenboonngam.
Chonlatit, who led at the halfway mark following a stunning 62 – the lowest round of the week – was also trying to become the first Thai to have his name inscribed on the trophy.
He had a one-shot lead with three to play but made an expensive bogey on the par-five 16th.
“It was very hard today,” said the 25-year-old, who was attempting to win for the first time on the Asian Tour.
“Everything was hard, I was constantly trying to keep my grips dry, but I’m still very happy with the tournament. I had some good luck in the other rounds holing out shots and chips.”
He also lost in a sudden-death play-off against Australian Wade Ormsby at the International Series Thailand at the beginning of 2023. To the surprise of many it has taken him this long to once again be in contention.
He said: “I just changed my swing a little bit, and I have worked very hard on it. I feel like my game is back now.”
Canadian Richard T. Lee closed with a 71 to finish in third place, two short of the play-off.
“Yeah, I mean I had a lot of good looks but the putts just didn’t seem to drop in today,” said the two-time winner on the Asian Tour, who frustratingly made bogeys on 16 and 18.
Junghwan Lee.
“I hit the putts that I wanted to, but they just didn’t fall in. I guess next time I’ll make sure I get a little bit more luck. And yeah, it was tough today with the rain and the conditions, so I’m actually pleased.”
Since the Asian Tour returned from the COVID-19 pandemic he has finished second twice and third on three occasions.
Junghwan Lee shot a 75 and finished in a tie for fourth with countrymen Yang Jubin and Taehoon Ok, who both carded 68s.
The Asian Tour takes a short break next before returning to Korea next month for the Kolon Korea Open. The tournament will take place at Woo Jeung Hills Country Club from June 20-23. American Steve Seungsu Han is the defending champion.
Junghwan Lee birdied three of the last five holes to take the third-round lead in the GS Caltex Maekyung Open today to give himself a chance of improving upon his joint second place finish here last year.
The Korean, whose nickname is ‘Ironman’ because of his strong iron play, carded a five-under-par 66 to lead on 11-under at Namseoul Country Club by a shot from Thailand’s Chonlatit Chuenboonngam, the leader at the start of the day, who returned a 70.
Canadian Richard T. Lee (69) and Hongtaek Kim (71) from Korea are another two strokes back – in the sixth event of the Asian Tour’s season.
This year’s Asian Tour Qualifying School winner Kristoffer Broberg (71) from Sweden and Korean Kyungnam Kang (73) are an additional two shots behind.
Chonlatit Chuenboonngam.
Lee, aged 32, started the day three behind the leader Chonlatit and trailed the Thai for much of the day.
However, Chonlatit, who had a two-shot lead after nine, made a costly double bogey on the par-four 16th – where left a chip short and failed to get up and down – while Lee was able to take to the front thanks to birdies on 14, 15 and 17.
Said Lee: “I was second going into the final round last year but this time I am going in to the final round in the lead, which I think is an advantage. I think it is good to solve problems step by step.
“I want to win. I want to do it so much. I have my coaches here this year and we are working really hard. My swing is getting better little by little, it’s not perfect, but it’s improving.”
Lee is in pursuit of his third win since turning professional in 2009, having won on the Korean PGA Tour in 2017 and 2018.
Chonlatit will be disappointed to have let the lead slip from his grasp over the closing stages, but he has given himself a chance to become the first foreign winner of the GS Caltex Maekyung Open in 20 years.
Hongtaek Kim.
The 25-year-old, who would also become the first Thai to win the tournament, which is one of Korea’s most prestigious events, sensationally made two eagles on par fours yesterday and he was equally inspired today holing a bunker shot for a birdie on the par-three 11th and chipping in for birdie on number 13.
He’d started the day with a one-shot lead following a scintillating day two 62 – which was one shy of Chinese-Taipei’s Chung Chun-Hsing course record, set in 2001.
“I was so lucky today, just lucky,” said Chonlatit.
“Today wasn’t that good, but I had some luck saving me on a few of the holes.
“Today the greens were very fast, if you were past the pin I don’t think you would be able to stop the ball short of the hole.”
“I will just focus on my game and just play tomorrow. I want to hit my tee shots in the fairway first, and then same plan as before, keep it short of the pin and make some putts.”
The Thai lost in a sudden-death play against Australian Wade Ormsby at the International Series Thailand last year, and has won once before on the Asian Development Tour in 2022.
Thailand’s Chonlatit Chuenboonngam upstaged the big guns of Korean golf today to take the halfway lead in the GS Caltex Maekyung Open after shooting the lowest round of the week so far and one of the best of the season.
His brilliant bogey-free nine-under-par 62, which featured eagles on two of the par fours and was agonisingly one short of the 23-year-old course record, put him on nine-under and gave him a one-shot lead over Koreans Kyungnam Kang, the first-round leader, and Hongtaek Kim.
Kang carded a 69 and Kim a 65, while their compatriot Yubin Jang, a member of Korea’s gold medal winning Asian Games team last year, is another stroke back following a 69.
Chonlatit lost a sudden-death play-off against Australian Wade Ormsby at the International Series Thailand early on last season – a result which many thought would launch his career. Further success did not materialise but his talent re-surfaced once more today with the finest round of his career that featured two eagles and five birdies, including two in the last three.
Kyungnam Kang.
He also missed a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-five ninth, which was his 18th as he began on 10, to narrowly miss matching Chinese-Taipei’s Chung Chun-Hsing course record, set way back in 2001.
“I didn’t see the ball go in on either hole for eagle as they were uphill,” said 25-year-old, who finished late in the day to edge ahead of Kang and Kim, who were out in the morning session.
“I thought they were going to be the right distance and close, but not that they would go in.
“It’s my first time playing this course. I don’t know the trouble left and right, so I just played my game. I didn’t think too much. I just tried to hit the fairways and keep the ball short of the pins for uphill putts. That’s my game plan for the weekend too, keep it short and not past the pin.”
His first eagle came on the 13th before he made another two on the first.
Kang admitted that the GS Caltex Maekyung Open is the title he wants to win the most.
The 41-year-old is an 11-time winner in Korea but he has yet to win one of the country’s big three events: the Korean Open, the Shinhan Donghae Open and this week’s event.
Hongtaek Kim.
“The goal is always to win. I want to win the GS Caltex Maekyung Open Championship the most though,” said Kang, who was bogey-free yesterday, but made two bogeys today and four birdies.
“I have played safe for two consecutive days. It is more important to avoid bogeys than make birdies. If you persevere, you get a chance.
“I’m over 40 years old, but I have the confidence to win.”
The Korean has been battling a back injury by doing plenty of exercise including regular bike riding.
He said: “I rode my bike for 40 minutes again yesterday. I have discovered that my body performs better when I am tired. If I had realised this earlier, I would have won 20 tournaments!”
Kang, who last won in Korea three years ago, said he is not used to playing so well early in the season and is normally a late starter so feels he might have a chance to finish the year ranked first in Korea.
Yubin Jang.
Kim has made his name on the golf simulator circuit in Korea winning 12 times on the GTour – his nickname is ‘King of the Screen’ – but he is enjoying being in contention playing the real thing.
“It feels good to be tied for the lead at the moment. I’ll prepare well for the weekend round,” said the 30-year-old, who won on the Korean PGA Tour back in 2017.
“I was in a hurry yesterday because the play went well.”
He participates in simulator competitions when there are no Korean PGA Tour events being played.
“Namseoul’s green speed is faster than simulator golf’s ‘very fast’ mode. You can’t come here after playing at ‘very fast’,” he joked.
Defending champion Chanmin Jung from Korea missed the cut after rounds of 72 and 73 to finish three over. The cut was made at one over.
His playing partner John Catlin also finished on the same total, adding a disappointing 74 to his first-round 71. The American had been attempting to become the first player in the history of the Asian Tour to win three in a row, having triumphed in the International Series Macau presented by Wynn and the Saudi Open presented by PIF.
Kyungnam Kang, one of Korea’s most experienced campaigners, laid down a marker on the opening day of the GS Caltex Maekyung Open today shooting an imperious bogey-free six-under-par 65 to take the lead here at one of the country’s venerable old venues Namseoul Country Club, south Seoul.
The 41-year-old, an 11-time winner on the Korean PGA Tour, made six birdies – including four in a row from the 12th – and has one-shot lead over his compatriots Jang Yubin and Woohyun Kim, Canadian Richard T. Lee and Miguel Carballo from Argentina.
Kang has been a professional for 20 years but has never won on the Asian Tour.
He’s made the perfect start to try and add that feather to his cap and record his first victory since 2021.
Jang Yubin. Picture courtesy GS Caltex Maekyung Open organiser.
He said: “I’ve played a lot in Namseoul. It’s a difficult course every time I play it, but I made a lot of birdies today, so I gained a lot of confidence.
“It’s a good performance considering I have a bad back. I withdrew from the first event on the Korean PGA Tour season last month because of it. It was even hurting when I was breathing. It is still not great.”
Despite the injury the Korean says he is fully focused on winning as many times as possible in the twilight of his career.
“I hope to win 15 or more games until I retire. Sanghyun Park has 12 wins, I have 11 wins. Sanghyun is an excellent player and I want to catch him,” added Kang, who says he does Pilates for one or two hours every day and: “I ride my bike for 50 minutes whether it’s early evening or early morning. I’m just trying to take care of myself.”
Jang’s excitement at competing in this week’s event for the first time since turning professional was behind his fine start.
Miguel Carballo. Picture courtesy GS Caltex Maekyung Open organiser.
He finished tied eighth last year at a venue he has played many times as a member of the Korean amateur team and his familiarity with the course was evident as he moved into contention making six birdies and one bogey.
The 21-year-old is one of Korea’s hottest properties having been part of the Korean team that won gold at last October’s Hangzhou Asian Games – the event that marked his last appearance as an amateur.
At the start of this year Jang targeted the three events he wanted to win the most and the GS Catltex Maekyung Open was one of them.
“I have taken a step forward,” said Jang.
“When I played in professional tournaments before as an amateur, I was very nervous, so I didn’t play well. Now I’m not nervous.
“I gained so much experience participating here before as an amateur. That experience has helped me, and I feel like I have improved since last year.”
In the Hong Kong Open, soon after the Asian Games and in his first event overseas as a professional, he shot a stunning closing round seven-under-par 63 to finish solo fifth.
Richard T. Lee. Picture courtesy GS Caltex Maekyung Open organiser.
And in the early season events on the Korean PGA Tour he has also been in the running: finishing fourth, joint sixth and tied 24th.
Carballo is the surprise package at the end of day one, but perhaps he shouldn’t be bearing in mind he shot 66 on the opening day last year to sit in third place. He eventually tied for 35th.
The veteran golfer has done well in an event traditionally dominated by Korean golfers. The most recent overseas player to win was Mark Calcavecchia from the United States in 2004.
“I like the golf course,” said the 45-year-old.
“I hit the fairways and I hit the greens, and the putting was working. This year the first couple of tournaments I played well, but the putter wasn’t working. The scoring wasn’t coming but the last two tournaments I played very good, the putter is not very good but it’s working.”
John Catlin from the United States, chasing a record-setting third consecutive win on the Asian Tour, appeared to be in complete control at three-under with three to play, without a bogey on his card, but proceeded to bogey the final three holes for a 71.
His playing partners Koreans Guntaek Koh, currently ranked first on the Korean PGA Tour, and Chanmin Jung, the defending champion, fired rounds of 70 and 72 respectively.
Korean Bio Kim, a two-time winner here, opened with a 75 and has much to do to become the first player to win this event three times.
Current Korean PGA Tour number one Guntaek Koh and Chanming Jung, the defending champion at this week’s GS Caltex Maekyung Open, both say they are determined to convert their fine form on home soil to success overseas on the Asian Tour.
Koh won three times in Korea last year to top the local rankings – including the Asian Tour sanctioned Shinhan Donghae Open following a play-off against Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai – and has also been victorious once this year, while Jung tasted victory twice, most noticeably in last year’s GS Caltex Maekyung Open, which is also part of the Asian Tour schedule.
Both players have started to travel more and more in order to advance their careers, with Koh showing more promise having made the cut in all three events he has travelled to in 2024, in Malaysia, Macau and Saudi.
“First of all, it’s fun to take on a global tour,” said Koh, who won the KPGA Founders Cup with Hanmac CC last month.
Guntaek Koh winning last year’s Shinhan Donghae Open. Picture supplied by the Korean PGA Tour.
“Playing at various golf courses and competing with many players seems to be a great help to my golf growth. When I have the opportunity to go overseas I take it as I want to continue to challenge myself and move forward.”
Koh has been paired in today’s first round, and tomorrow’s second round, with Jung and American John Catlin – the hottest player on the Asian Tour at the moment having won the past two events.
Explains Koh: “The level of the Korean, Japanese, and Asian Tours seem to be somewhat similar. There seems to be a difference in the appearance of the courses, but I think the fairways are a little narrower in Korea as we have a lot of out of bounds.
“However, this is advantageous, as you need to hit it accurately in events, whether domestically or overseas. Rather than finding a place that suits me, I am trying to improve my golf skills so that I can play well on any tour or golf course.”
Koh, who like Jung is 25 years old, has been a professional since 2018 and has held off doing his national service in order to capitalise on his recent exceptional form.
Mission accomplished for Chanming Jung at last year’s GS Caltex Maekyung Open.
“By postponing my military service I have the opportunity to challenge myself and play more overseas to increase my golf skills and experience. Winning again recently definitely effected this decision.”
The Korean says his success is the result of making a concerted effort to work harder and prepare more.
“Like last year I really worked on my physical conditioning during the winter. I’m constantly working on my game and fitness and thankfully the results have come,” he said.
Jung has played much more than Koh overseas, particularly last year after winning the GS Caltex Maekyung Open. Unlike Koh, making it through to the weekend has been a struggle but he is determined to find a solution.
“I think I’m trying to adjust quickly to the Asian Tour,” said Jung.
“It’s a different environment than Korea, such as weather, courses, and food, so I think I spend a lot of time adapting to it. The next Asian Tour events for me will probably be in Morocco in July and England in August.”
Chanmin Jung at last year’s Saudi Open presented by the Public Investment Fund. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
His success has been built on power from the tee. Currently ranked seventh in driving distance on the Korean PGA Tour with an average drive of 305.7 yards he’ll be looking to end the year top of the list, as he did in 2022 with an average of 317.1 yards.
“I think last year’s season was a little busy. Playing in England and Scotland was a great experience but very different. There is a lot for me to learn but I am determined to do so.
“Winnin here last year was my turning point. I was glad that I was able to let Korean golf fans know about me.”
As both Koh and Jung looked to make their mark on the international stage, they need look no further than their playing partner Catlin for guidance.
The American, who leads the Asian Tour Order of Merit, is attempting to become the first player to win three tournaments on the trot on the Asian Tour and has won six times on the Asian Tour.
- Tournament: GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship
- Date: May 2-5, 2024
- Leg: Sixth event of 2024 season
- Edition: 43rd (Asian Tour 1999-2003, 2005-2009, 2018-2019, 2023)
- Venue: Namseoul Country Club, Seongnam, Seoul, South Korea
- Course designer: Seiichi Inoue (JPN)
- Year Opened: 1971
- Course Record: 61, Chung Chun-Hsing (TPE) GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship 2001
- Purse: KRW1,300,000,000
- Par/Yards: 71 / 7,083
- Field: 144
- Format: 72-hole stroke play with a cut made after two rounds to the leading 65 professionals and ties
- Social Media Hashtags: #MaekyungOpen #whereitsAT
Chanmin Jung celebrates on the 18th last year. Picture supplied by GS Caltex Maekyung Open committee.
FIELD BREAKDOWN
- Order of Merit winners: Sihwan Kim (USA) 2022, Jazz Janewattananond (THA) 2019
- Nationalities: 16
- Past winners of tournament in the field: Chanmin Jung (KOR), Bio Kim (KOR), Inhoi Hur (KOR), Taehee Lee (KOR), Sanghyun Park (KOR), Sanghee Lee (KOR), Kyongjun Moon (KOR), Innchoon Hwang (KOR), Jongduck Kim (KOR)
- Defending champion: Chanmin Jung (KOR) -16 (won by 6 strokes over weather shortened 54 holes in 2023)
- Highest ranked player in field on OWGR: John Catlin (USA) 155
- Highest ranked player on 2024 Asian Tour Order of Merit: John Catlin (USA) #1
- No. of amateurs: 8
- No. of Korean players in the field: 87
Bio Kim won for the second time in 2022. Picture supplied by GS Caltex Maekyung Open committee.
TOURNAMENT KEY NOTES + STORYLINES
- Order of Merit leader John Catlin is coming off back-to-back wins at the Saudi Open presented by PIF and International Series Macau presented by Wynn. He will be returning to Namseoul Country Club for the first time since 2018 when he finished eighth. Catlin, who is a six-time winner on the Asian Tour and a three-time winner on the DP World Tour, will be looking to extend his lead on the Order of Merit with his eight closest OOM pursuers not playing in Korea. He is attempting to become the first player in the history of the Asian Tour to win three events in a row.
- Thailand’s Denwit Boriboonsub is making his first appearance in this tournament and will look to continue his good form of the past six months. The 20-year-old should feel confident after a final round 63 at the Saudi Open presented by PIF two weeks ago where he finished tied 17th, despite a five over par 76 in the third round. He has a tied third place finish in the IRS Prima Malaysian Open, which earned him a ticket to the Open Championship, and a ninth place in the International Series Macau presented by Wynn as his best finishes of the season and sits in 10th place on the Order of Merit. At the end of 2023 Denwit posted three straight victories.
- Local favourite Bio Kim won the 2022 and 2012 editions of the tournament and has a very impressive record at Namseoul overall, with a tied sixth in 2023 and five other top-five finishes in the previous 15 times he’s played in the GS Caltex Maekyung Open. Kim has tied 13th in the IRS Prima Malaysian Open as his best Asian Tour result this season and has recently posted two top 10s on the Korean Tour.
- Korea’s Sanghyun Park is also a two-time winner of the tournament, with both of his victories coming in playoffs in 2016 and 2018. Park has posted 12 wins on the Korean Tour and two on the Japan Tour during his career. He recently finished runner up at the DB Insurance Promy Open, the first event on the 2024 Korean Tour schedule.
- Taehee Lee of Korea won the tournament in back-to-back years in 2019-2020 and is a four-time winner in Korea during his career. Not off to the best start on his 2024 Asian Tour campaign, he will be looking at the return to Namseoul as a chance to rekindle his form. Recently posted a tied 10th finish at the KPGA Founders Cup, the second event of the Korean Tour season, and a tied 11th last week at the Woori Financial Group Championship.
- Korean players have won the last 19 editions of the GS Caltex Maekyung Open, going all the way back to 2004 when American Mark Calcavecchia, the winner of the 1989 Open Championship, captured the event.
- Established in 1982, the tournament has mostly been staged at the Namseoul, but it has also been held at three different venues. The other venues that have been used are Lakeside Country Club in 1998, 1999, 2004 and 2006, Gwanak Country Club in 1984 and Elysian Gangchon Country Club in 2020.
- In 2005, Korean Sangho Choi won the tournament and set an Asian Tour record as the oldest winner on the Asian Tour at 50 years and 145 days.
- Five players have won the tournament twice, Bio Kim, Sanghyun Park, Taehee Lee, Kyungtae Kim and Namsin Park. No player has won the title three times.
COURSE YARDAGES
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out |
| Par | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 36 |
| Yards | 409 | 484 | 189 | 537 | 421 | 223 | 418 | 422 | 524 | 3,627 |
| Hole | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
| Par | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 35 | 71 |
| Yards | 423 | 209 | 386 | 394 | 504 | 341 | 535 | 231 | 433 | 3,456 | 7,083 |
Recent Comments