Composed Lee sets up final day thriller with Poom at SJM Macao Open
Australia’s Min Woo Lee led the US$1million SJM Macao Open for the third successive day after firing a six-under-par 65 today for a staggering tournament total of 22-under, and a narrow two-shot lead over Poom Saksansin from Thailand.
Poom fired an equally impressive 64 here at Macau Golf and Country Club, with Korea’s Jaewoong Eom two back following a 65, thanks to a brilliant eagle on 18.
New Zealand’s Ben Campbell (68) and Meenwhee Kim (69) from Korea are four strokes further adrift.
Playing aggressively and with supreme confidence 25-year-old Lee, brother of LPGA Tour star Minjee Lee, made an eagle, five birdies and one bogey – which was only his second dropped shot of the week – to put himself in position to win for the first time in two years and claim his maiden Asian Tour title.
He was pushed all the way by playing partner Poom, who in typical Poom fashion drew level with him on the back nine and refused to capitulate.
Poom Saksansin. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
The diminutive 30-year-old birdied four in a row from the seventh to catch his Australian opponent before Poom handed the lead back when he dropped a shot on 12. Lee went two ahead after a superb eagle on the par-five 13th, where he hit his second to 10 feet and holed out, before a birdie on 15 put him three in front. However, Poom rallied and birdied the last two holes, while Lee also made birdie on 18.
Lee will have his work cut out for him tomorrow as Poom won the Yeangder TPC three weeks ago for his first victory in five years and is known for being a ferocious competitor and giant killer.
He famously beat England’s Paul Casey in the singles at the 2018 EurAsia Cup and combined with Korean Sunghoon Kang to defeat Henrik Stenson and Alex Levy in a four-ball match 5&4.
And later that year he won the Indonesian Masters for the second time, upstaging the tournament’s two big name players Justin Rose from England and Stenson.
He is also a renowned strong frontrunner having won all four of his Asian Tour titles having led going into the final day and claimed one of those, the 2017 TAKE Solution Masters, wire-to-wire.
Said Lee: “You know, all the boys that I was playing with they were going pretty hard, so I knew I needed to just keep my composure and the back nine was really good.”
A par-save on the par-three 11h proved to be crucial. An uncharacteristic-wayward tee shot there left him with a difficult 20-yard pitch which he landed 15-feet away and bravely holed.
“Yeah, it was massive,” he said.
“I mean, probably worst swing of the week on 11. You know the chip shot was a bit scary. It wasn’t the best of lies and it came out pretty good, and as long as I give myself a putt I am happy. So yeah, that was huge, I knew I needed to get some momentum going my way, missed a lot of putts early on.”
Poom made nine birdies and two bogeys and is in contention for the second week in a row having tied for third in last week’s International Series Singapore.
“I think I have to hit nine under tomorrow to stop Lee,” said Poom.
“If he plays like he is playing now, it will be difficult, even though I am only two shots behind. We’ll see. I am going to hit some balls on the range now.”
Jaewoong Eom. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Eom was the third player in the group and appeared to be slipping too far behind before making the shot of week, holing his chip shot from 25 yards on the par-five 18th. The ball took an eternity to trickle into the hole, adding to the drama.
“It happens sometimes,” laughed Eom, joint second in Singapore last Sunday.
“Hit a great tee shot, agonised between a three or five wood for my second, chose five but it was finished short. I was focused on making a birdie but unbelievably it slowly rolled in. Like I said yesterday, I was aiming to shoot six under, and that’s what I did. Plan the same tomorrow.”
Veteran golfer Jason Knutzon continued his impressive tournament. The 47-year-old won this event in 2005 and has not played tournament golf for five years but showed his affinity for Macau Golf and Country Club after returning a 66 to go to 11 under. Defending champion Gaganjeet Bhullar shot the same score and is one of the players tied with him.
World number 46 Min Woo Lee once again combined power with precision at the US$1million SJM Macau Open today skillfully adding a seven-under-par 64 to his opening 62 for a three-shot lead.
His 16-under-par total here at Macau Golf and Country Club is the lowest two-round total in the event and was fueled by 15 birdies and an eagle since yesterday.
Poom Saksansin is in second place, his purple patch continuing as he carded a 62, while Korean Jaewoong Eom, also enjoying a good run of form, is third, four off the lead, following a 65, with compatriot Meenwhee Kim, who fired a 66.
Lee barely put a foot wrong again today in his debut appearance in a full-field event on the Asian Tour.
He began the day sharing top spot with Scotsman David Drysdale but accelerated away from the pack with five birdies on the front, and two on the back.
Poom Saksansin. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“Flawless golf today,” said Lee, who missed numerous birdie opportunities including a four-footer on the last.
“I played really good, didn’t get myself in too much trouble and the last two days have been probably the lowest two days I’ve ever played. So, it’s been fun.”
He is attempting to win his first title in two years, with the most recent being the Scottish Open in 2021.
At the start of the week, he warned that he’s playing well and that his game is trending in the right direction – something very evident by the fact he has an impressive total of eight top-15 finishes this season with a best finish of joint second – and he has been true to his word, dropping just one shot over the two days.
He added: “I feel like I have really good control over the ball, and I’ve been putting well, so if the drives are still on, I think I’m gonna try go low again. I haven’t tried to play passive, I’ve just been trying to play aggressive and it’s nice to make a lot of birdies.”
The previous lowest score after two days had been Australian David Gleeson’s total of 14 under back in 2008.
Poom won the Yeangder TPC in Chinese-Taipei three weeks ago and last week came home in equal third in the International Series Singapore and played near perfect golf today.
He said: “I hit almost all fairways I think, and my irons were pretty good, and I holed most of my putts.”
The layout is short and narrow therefore suitable for a player like the Thai golfer, who is not the longest but known for his accuracy and deft touch.
“If I can guess the wind right then this course definitely suits me,” he added.
Jaewoong Eom. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Eom, who tied for second in the International Series Singapore for his joint best finish on the Asian Tour, said: “I set my goal at six-under-par before I started, and I am grateful that I succeeded.”
His only two dropped shots of the day came on the 10th which he double bogeyed.
“I miscalculated the wind on the 10th hole. My ball fell into the hazard. I thought it was a wind to hook the ball into, but I should have sliced it. Definite miscalculation,” he added.
“Rather than chasing Min Woo, I think I will just try and focus on firing six under each day.”
Chinese-Taipei’s Lee Chieh-po and Indian Kartik Sharma returned 65s and are tied fifth, along with New Zealand’s Ben Campbell, who shot 68.
Drysdale came in with a 71 and is nine under in joint 12th.
Defending champion Gaganjeet Bhullar from India shot a 70 and is six under in a group that includes China’s Liang Wenchong, the Asian Tour number one in 2007, who, now 45, came out of retirement to play this week and carded his second 68.
Meenwhee Kim. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Jason Knutzon, the 47-year-old American who won this event in 2004, also did well to finish on the same score.
After Typhoon Koinu hit this area last week, it was the turn of Australian Min Woo Lee to storm Macau Golf and Country Club today along with Scotland’s David Drysdale. They fired breathtaking nine-under-par 62s to share the lead after round one of the SJM Macao Open, which matched the course record but could not count officially as preferred lies applied.
India’s Ajeetesh Sandhu, joint second here in 2017 when the event was last played, Ian Snyman from South Africa and Ben Campbell from New Zealand, also went low, carding 63s.
Phachara Khongwatmai from Thailand and Korean Meenwhee Kim returned 64s in the US$1 million event, that is the 18th event of the season on the Asian Tour.
Lee is the highest ranked player in the field in 46th place on the Official World Golf Ranking and proved that today, firing an eagle, eight birdies and one bogey, which came on his first hole, the 10th.
David Drysdale. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“62 anywhere is a really nice score,” said the 25-year-old from Perth, who is the younger brother of LPGA Tour star Minjee Lee.
“Especially on a course like this: it was tricky, and the wind got up. It was really nice to really drive it well and capitalise on those drives.
“There are a few holes you can hit driver and a few I didn’t just because we saw some stats from before indicating holes where not so many birdies are made. We were aggressive, smart, smart aggressive. It worked out pretty well. Drove on the fairway most of the time and had wedges in. It was an early start today, 4am wake up, so keen to get back to the room and have a snooze.”
Lee, a two-time winner on the DP World Tour, was helped by playing with countryman Scott Hend and Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho, recent winner of the gold medal in the Asian Games.
He said: “It is one of the better groups I have had all year around. Taichi is around my age, and we can talk about anything and Hendy, I have known him since being a pro on the European Tour, so it’s been really good fun and we all made a lot of birdies.”
While Lee played his round in the morning Drysdale was in the afternoon session, starting on tee one.
He birdied the first two and made three-in-a-row from the sixth to make the turn in five under, before more gains on 10, 12, 14 and 15.
“I missed makeable birdie putts on the last three holes, including a 10-footer on the last,” said the 48-year-old, who played in Europe for over 20 years before successfully negotiating this year’s Asian Tour Qualifying School.
“However, I would have taken a 62 at the start of the day. I have shot 10 under before in a tournament. The first time I played the course was yesterday in the Pro-Am, and that was in a buggy!”
He is proving to be one of the leading ‘rookies’ of the season, especially after tying for third in the Mercuries Taiwan Masters last month.
Ateejesh Sandhu. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Currently in 49th place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit he is looking for another good week, in order to secure a top-60 finish on the Merit list and keep his Tour card.
Sandhu missed the early part of the season due to a sore back but has gradually been returning to form, as he demonstrated today.
“I was injured for the first half of the year,” said the Indian, who has one win on his Asian Tour resume, the Yeangder TPC in 2017, as well as five runner-up finishes.
“It was nothing too serious, it looked like it could have been a back issue, but the spine is absolutely fine. It was more a ligament tear on the SI joint. I was just over- golfed. Last year, I played all the tournaments in India, chasing the Order of Merit, and on the Asian Tour. At the Saudi International [the first event this season] it just kind of gave up. I was out until May. Took a bit of time to get back into it but the game is in a good place. I was at home for two months, didn’t touch a club.”
Like Lee, and Campbell, he started on the back nine today and made an eagle, on the second, the same as Lee, and recorded seven birdies and a bogey.
He finished three shots behind compatriot Gaganjeet Bhullar here six years ago and feels his game is a match for the Macau course.
“This is a course where you cannot get ahead of yourself. You have to position yourself on every hole, and that suits my game a bit more, you have to be patient. You can’t overpower it in anyway,” he said.
“I think the course is playing easier than the past years. Usually, it is a lot firmer and faster, but it is a little bit softer because of the rain and the typhoon, so I think that is playing a little bit into our hands. It should firm up at the weekend with the sun being down and the wind picking up. Today was a lot easier than what I am used to here. Glad I was able to take advantage of it.”
Phachara Khongwatmai. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Phachara had looked to be on course to easily better the nine under mark when he went to nine under after 14, but surprisingly he pushed his tee shot out of bounds on the par-four 16th. His ball landed on the out of bounds line and unluckily he was forced to play his provisional. He signed for a double-bogey.
India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar, the defending champion, and Kho both shot 66s and are tied 14th.
When Pavit Tangkamolprasert lifted the Macao Open trophy back in October of 2016, it was the culmination of an emotional week for the Thai player for two reasons. Firstly, because it came during a week when a ceremony was held to mark the passing of Thailand’s beloved King Bhumibol Adulyadej at the age of 88, and secondly due to the fact it was his first victory on the Asian Tour. Report by Olle Nordberg, Contributing Editor – Asian Tour.
“It was because of the King, I really wanted to win it for the King,” said Pavit, ahead of this week’s SJM Macao Open – which tees-off tomorrow and is making its return to the golfing calendar for the first time since 2017.
“That was my passion before the tournament started, and I think it gave me a lot of power and he helped me with everything. Like my putts, everything went in. I couldn’t believe it.”
He beat Asian Tour great, Indian Anirban Lahiri, after one of the most sensational finishes Macau has witnessed. He won on the first hole of a sudden-death play-off after shooting a brilliant seven-under-par 64, which helped him to counter an explosive finish by Lahiri that saw him birdie the last seven holes.
Pavit Tangkamolprasert pictured during the Pro-am today. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Armed with those inspiring memories he has been eagerly anticipating the start of what is the 20th edition of the Macao Open this week.
He says: “I’m really looking forward to this week, I really like the course. I mean it’s challenging, but after I won, we only played there for one year in 2017, and this is like six years. I have been looking forward to going back.”
The victory was also significant because it helped him finish 10th on the Asian Tour Order of Merit – meaning for the first time in eight years playing on the Tour he was able to finish in the top-60.
“Well, I was very surprised, because first I just wanted to keep my card,” adds the 34-year-old.
“Even before the last day, if I finished well, I would have managed to keep my card and I just wanted to get in the top-60. But the last day I shot seven-under-par and beat Anirban in the playoff, which was unexpected, it was just my week.”
Pavit had started the final round playing in the penultimate group, one shot behind the leader Lahiri.
The Thai got off to a hot start and was four under for his first seven holes, while Lahiri was two over through his first seven.
Pavit found himself in the lead going into the back nine, but his Indian opponent stormed back into contention by birdieing his way home from the 12th for a 65.
“Honestly, there was no leaderboard after 11, and at that point I was maybe three or four shots ahead. From the 11th until the 17th hole, I didn’t know what was going on,” said Pavit.
“I birdied 12 and 13 and I thought it was done, but when I walked on the 16th and I saw him doing a fist pump on 17, as he had made a birdie, and I looked at the walking scorer and I thought oh, he’s coming. I was like, it’s impossible for him to make six birdies straight in those conditions. But he did, and he almost made a chip for eagle on the last too, and I thought wow, that was good.”
Pavit Tangkamolprasert. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Pavit had to birdie the par-five 18th to force the tournament into overtime and he made another four on the same hole to win on the first extra hole, after Lahiri found water with his second.
After a slow start to 2023 Pavit has managed to turn his game around and showed a marked improvement when he tied for fifth at the Mandiri Indonesia Open in early August and followed that up with top-10s in the International Series England and the Yeangder TPC in Chinese-Taipei.
“Yeah, after Indonesia I kind of found something, my rhythm. I have been doing alright for the past three weeks, played very solidly. With my driver I’ve hit more fairways, and my putting has been very good,” he said.
Just the right preparation as he looks to add to his two Asian Tour wins to date – he also claimed the Sabah Masters in 2019 – and his record seven titles on the Asian Development Tour.
Gaganjeet Bhullar’s excitement to be competing in this week’s US$1 million SJM Macao Open at Macau Golf and Country Club is understandable: he is the defending champion, and a two-time winner – on both occasions, incredibly, wire-to-wire.
“You know, I’m very, very excited,” said Bhullar, of being back for Macau’s national Open, which was last played in 2017.
“Of course, I do have a lot of positive and good memories of Macau, having won the tournament twice and, by the way, I came second once. It brightens my whole aura, and it brings back all the positives and all the happy memories for me.”
Six years ago he beat countryman Ajeetesh Sandhu and Filipino Angelo Que by three, in 2012 he triumphed by two over American Jonathan Moore, while in 2009 he was runner-up to Thailand’s Thaworn Wiratchant.
Marquee players at today’s photo call. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
He added: “You know, I’ve been coming to Macau since 2007 – it was actually my first year on the Asian Tour. I mean, I have actually seen Macau grow up. We used to stay in the older part of town and then drive all the way to the golf course, and there used to be nothing on the Cotai strip, nothing. And now it’s been close to 10 years, we have not been to the old town, and I’ve stayed in some of the biggest five-star resort casinos in the world. It just gives you the buzz you know, it’s buzzing with light and life and everything. So, I think that is one thing which I’ve seen in Macau which has changed over the period of years.”
The 35-year-old is the most winningest Indian player on the Asian Tour with 10 victories and this week he is bidding to become the first player to win this event three times, as are Australian Scott Hend and Zhang Lianwei from China. Hend, 50, won here in 2013 and 2015, while Zhang, now 58, back-to-back in 2001 and 2002.
Macau Golf and Country Club, which has been the event’s regular home since its launch in 1998, features dramatic elevation changes on some holes – including the spectacular par-three 17th – and due to being right on the south coast of Coloane wind can also be a big factor. With his extensive experience on the course, Bhullar seems to have figured out what is needed to do well on the challenging layout.
“I personally think if you are driving the ball well on this golf course it gives you an edge, and all my good finishes in Macau came years when I drove the ball really well. Because if you are in the fairway throughout the round, it gives you so much of good momentum, it basically sets you up for really, really good birdie chances,” says the Indian.
“And if you’re ending up putting well, I mean, you’re unstoppable. This works for everybody and anybody who drives the ball well and putts well, but on this particular golf course, I’ve noticed, if the ball is in play off the tee, then the course is short, and the birdie opportunities open up.”
His most recent win on the Asian Tour came in last year’s Mandiri Indonesia Open, which was yet another start-to-finish victory and also his third success in the event, and ahead of this week’s tournament, which starts on Thursday, he knows there is work to be done.
“Well, if I look from my stats point of view, I’m quite happy,” said Bhullar, who is tied third on the Asian Tour’s all-time winners list.
“But if I look from the scores point of view, I think there are a few things which do not match, the scores are not matching the stats. But I’m working with my team. I’m trying to narrow down those mistakes, and I’m trying to narrow down all the small little errors which I make during the rounds. And once I end up narrowing that gap, I think the scores will definitely follow my stats.”
A detail view of the winner’s names on the base of the Macao Open trophy. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Australian Min Woo Lee, Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho, Miguel Tabuena from the Philippines, Thai Poom Saksansin and China’s Li Haotong, are some of the big guns here this week looking to win in Macau for the first time.
China’s Liang Wenchong, the Asian Tour number one in 2007, has also entered. The 45-year-old coached China in the recent Asian Games.
David Puig strolled to a majestic five-shot win in the US$2 million International Series Singapore today – to register his maiden victory in the professional game.
He completed a stunning wire-to-wire triumph after firing a final round one-over-par 73 to finish the Asian Tour event on 19-under, with Jaewoong Eom from Korea finishing in second place, after carding a 69.
American Andy Ogletree took another step closer to securing both the Asian Tour and International Series Order of Merits by closing with a 69, which featured a hole-in-one on the par-three fourth, to finish in a tie for third with Thailand’s Poom Saksansin, in with a 68.
Puig had a nine-shot lead at the start of the day thanks to rounds of 64, 66 and 66 and was never challenged. Playing conservatively, he made the turn in one under with a birdie on eight, before a minor wobble with bogeys on 11 and 14. The 21-year-old had a six-shot lead playing 18, which playing partner Eom birdied.
David Puig. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“It’s awesome,” said Puig, who won US$360,000, and became the youngest winner of an International Series event.
“You know, this is my first year as a professional, but I think I deserved a win probably two or three months before this day. But, yeah, it’s awesome, it’s the best feeling in the world. That’s why I practice so hard and yeah, very happy.”
His win comes as no surprise, as since turning professional in September last year he has been close to winning on numerous occasions, including in his first event the International Series Morocco, where he was third, and the International Series England in August, when he tied for fourth.
This was only his ninth start on the Asian Tour and moved him into second position on the International Series Order of Merit and fourth place on the Asian Tour merit list.
His success comes off the back of an outstanding season on the LIV Golf League, where he has been playing for Torque GC – the dominant team this year, having won four times.
He added: “It has been an awesome journey. I had a good opportunity to join LIV right after college and I think I took advantage of that and played pretty good this year. Also, I want to say thanks to my team, the Torque team, they have always been very helpful to me, and I learned a lot from them. And yeah, playing against these guys, it’s a dream come true. But I think I should be here and then today I showed that.”
Jaewoong Eom. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Today’s victory is the perfect preparation for next week’s LIV Golf Jeddah – the final regular-season event of 2023. He’ll be hoping to improve on his best individual finish on LIV Golf, which is joint fourth place at LIV Golf Greenbrier in August.
Eom’s strong finish allowed him to match his best performance on the Asian Tour, as he tied for second in the New Zealand Open in March.
“I’m very pleased with the way I played this week,” said Eom.
“Nice to finish with a birdie on the last. I actually had a lot of chances out there, but it was just too hot outside. I was feeling dizzy out there, that’s why I made a bogey on the 15th. But I managed to hang in there and finish well to claim second. It feels good to finish runner-up in a big tournament like this. It’s also going to help me keep my card for next year.”
The Korean injured his left wrist a couple of years ago, underwent surgery and spent a year and a half recuperating before making a comeback last year.
Ogletree’s ace was the result of a magnificent five iron from 230 yards that flew straight into the cup.
He said: “Yeah, it was crazy. I didn’t see it. I just had a really bad hole on three and was trying to decide between a four and a five. I said let’s hit the five and give it a chance, and it flew in. Crazy. We heard it hit the pin, but we didn’t know where it went. We got up there, and there it was in the hole.”
It was his ninth hole in one and he also chipped in on the next hole for a birdie.
Remarkably, moment earlier, Japan’s Jinichiro Kozuma won a brand new BYD SEAL EV thanks to a superb ace on the par-three 16th. He fired in a perfect nine-iron and claimed the keys to the electric vehicle.
Singapore amateur Ryan Ang also finished in a blaze of glory holing his second shot on the par-four ninth, his final hole, for an eagle two and a 68. His six-under total meant he finished as the leading local player in a tie for 23rd.
Andy Ogletree. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
The SJM Macao Open is the next stop on the Asian Tour and tees-off on Thursday at Macau Golf and Country Club. It is the first time the event has been played since 2017, when India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar won the event for the second time.
Australian brothers Jediah and Lincoln Morgan are at different stages of their golf careers, but this week’s International Series Singapore brought the pair together – one of three sets of brothers playing at the esteemed Tanah Merah Country Club.
The Morgans lined up alongside Zimbabwean brothers Scott and Kieran Vincent, and the Mexican siblings Carlos and Alvaro Ortiz, in a star-studded field that also included 2010 US Open champion Graeme McDowell, 2011 Masters winner Charl Schwartzel, plus Spanish rising star David Puig, American sensation Andy Ogletree and top talent from all over the world battling it out for this year’s International Series Order of Merit
Elder brother Jediah, 23, is one of several LIV Golf stars appearing regularly on The International Series schedule, with a T55 in England the best finish in four appearances for the Ripper GC star who has competed on the events as a regular tune-up to complement the 14-date LIV Golf League schedule.
Three years his junior, younger brother and 2023 Singapore Amateur champion Lincoln was also in the field this week, getting his first taste of action in a professional event.
Morgan junior, crowned Singapore Amateur Champion at Orchid Country Club earlier this year, was not overawed by the experience, although a respectable one-over 73 and three-over 74 left him on the wrong side of the one-under cut line after two rounds on the testing Tampines Course.
Lincoln Morgan. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
He said: “I’m playing with good golfers, when you see the names such as Charl, Graeme, Carlos Ortiz, Andy Ogletree and my brother, it was pretty cool for my first pro event to be honest!
“I thought I would be a bit more nervous than I was, but it was too early to think too much about it,” he joked. “It is strange, I didn’t feel out of place, but I didn’t exactly feel comfortable. But once the round got going, I started to feel more comfortable and finished quite well in the end.”
So, did Lincoln seek out older brother Jediah for some sage advice ahead of his big day?
“I didn’t really ask him anything this week, I felt like I should steer clear of him and let him do his own thing and I can do mine. We can have our own preparation before events,” added the 20-year-old who is hoping to be in place for a crack at Q-school – potentially in the Asian Tour – in ‘a year or maybe two’.
Big brother Jed confirmed the distanced approach.
“I think he watches what I do more than anything,” he laughed. “He’s a bit younger than I am and we are a bit different, but he’s seen it all before at LIV events and he has been fortunate enough to see what all the top guys do to prepare, so I don’t think he needs to learn too much from me! We are different – he needs to do what he needs to do.”
Morgan senior has shown glimpses of his undoubted talent in patches at LIV, playing in the Ripper GC team alongside the 2022 Champion Golfer of the Year Cameron Smith, Marc Leishman and Matt Jones.
Some strong performances – including a five-under 66 on day one last time out at LIV Golf Chicago and a T16 finish at Sentosa in LIV Golf Singapore – have provided to be important contributions that have helped the all-Australian team to fourth in the LIV Golf League’s first season standings.
Morgan had been hoping to use the International Series Singapore as important preparation for a huge week at the season-ending LIV Golf Jeddah next week, where he is fighting for his card ahead of next season because of his current status in the lower reaches of the individual standings.
But his one-over first round and level par second – which included a costly triple bogey on two, left the 2022 Australian PGA Championship winner one over and out of the weekend’s action. Despite that disappointment he declared himself satisfied with important aspects of his game.
Morgan, who carded five birdies over the two rounds, said: “I felt good out there, my swing felt nice. It’s just my putter that needs to get hot. There’s a couple of tricky pins out there so you need to hole some putts you don’t usually hole.
“The course set up, it was tough. That’s why it is good to play these elevated tournaments – they are good and highly competitive. I enjoy playing these as well as LIV events, and the goal is to play plenty of International Series events ahead of League fixtures.”
David Puig impressively remained on course to win his first title as a professional when he carded a third-round six-under-par 66 for a gaping nine-shot lead in the US$2 million International Series Singapore at Tanah Merah Country Club (TMCC).
The Spaniard dominated The International Series event for the third successive day, reaching 20 under, with Korean Jaewoong Eom leading the chasing pack after shooting a 69.
Thailand’s Atiruj Winaicharoenchai returned a 68, and Australian Jack Thompson a 69, to sit in a tie for third, one shot back – on another incredibly hot and humid day on TMCC’s magnificent Tampines Course.
Puig’s 64 on day one gave him a three-shot lead, and after a 66 yesterday he moved six in front before more big drives, precision iron play and a hot putter today saw him extend the gap.
SINGAPORE: Jaewoong Eom of Korea pictured during Round Three of the International Series Singapore at the Tanah Merah Country Club (Tampines Course) on Saturday October 7, 2023. The US$2 million Asian Tour event is staged from October 5-8, 2023. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
The 21-year-old, who also plays on the LIV Golf League, attacked the front nine with three birdies and an eagle to take a firm grip of the event before eight successive pars on the back was fittingly capped off with a birdie on the par-five 18th.
Said the richly talented golfer: “Yeah played very good again, hit a lot of fairways and greens and made some putts on the front nine. I think I missed some on the back but overall played very good, very steady and pretty happy.”
His 54-hole score is the lowest of the season on the Asian Tour, while he also has the biggest three-round lead of the year.
Despite his exceptional performance he did admit he still has concerns.
“You know, I always get frustrated. It doesn’t matter if I’m leading like this week or if I’m playing pretty bad, I always get frustrated because I always want to make the best score I can,” he said.
“But again, I know I was hitting good putts, they dropped in the front nine and they didn’t on the back, so I think it was pretty average overall. But again, very happy with the way I’m playing, and it was good to finish with a birdie on 18.”
Puig is expected to see it through tomorrow and banish the memories of recent missed opportunities, when he dropped shots at crucial stages.
He led after three rounds of the International Series Morocco last year, in his first event on Tour, before finishing third, and this year he shared the lead at the half-way mark of the International Series England in August, eventually finishing fourth. The following week he had a three-shot lead after two rounds of the St Andrews Championship but ended in a tie for 14th. And last month he was the first-round leader in the Shinhan Donghae Open, before coming home in equal 11th place.
He also hasn’t missed the cut in his nine starts on the Asian Tour, since turning professional just over a year ago.
Little is known of Eom, although he excelled in the New Zealand Open this year, finishing in a tie for second and will at the very least look to repeat that tomorrow.
“I couldn’t make as many putts as I did yesterday,” he said.
“I gave myself a lot of opportunities but couldn’t make most of them. That’s the key difference compared to yesterday. I managed to save pars on two holes after hitting wayward drives. Nice to stay bogey-free for two rounds.
Atiruj Winaicharoenchai of Thailand pictured during Round Three of the International Series Singapore at the Tanah Merah Country Club (Tampines Course) on Saturday October 7, 2023. The US$2 million Asian Tour event is staged from October 5-8, 2023. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“Puig played very well and he is too far ahead. It will be tough to catch him tomorrow. But I learned a lot from watching how he played today. I will just play my game tomorrow and try to finish the best I can.”
While his English is limited, he does surprisingly speak Mandarin fluently having lived in Qingdao, China, for a couple of years when he was a teenager and went to high school and college there.
American Andy Ogletree – leader of both the Asian Tour and International Series Order of Merits – came in with 68, while Koreans Seungtaek Lee and Yongjun Bae plus Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho carded 69s and are in a tie for fifth but a whopping 11 shots behind the runaway leader Puig.
Defending champion Nitithorn Thippong from Thailand fired a 73 and is one under, in a tie for 55th.
Singapore’s next generation of golfing talent were given an insight into the skills needed to make it to the top of the game, at a special masterclass delivered by Graeme McDowell, one of the LIV Golf League superstars playing at International Series Singapore this week.
The 2010 US Open champion spent time with 15 talented youngsters on the Singapore Golf Association’s SGA Futures programme, delivering tips on technique and attitude at the Tanah Merah Country Club’s driving range on Friday, day two of the US$2million event which is one of 10 marquee events on the Asian Tour season.
McDowell, who triumphed at Pebble Beach in 2010 to become the first European in 40 years to win the US Open, said: “It is fun, but of course it’s important for us as pro golfers to take this stuff seriously.
“We always talk about coming to Asia and parts of the world where golf is obviously still a developing sport. It’s great to see the next generation out here playing the game and looking to improve,” added McDowell who plays on the Cleeks GC in the LIV Golf League.
Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland conducts a golf clinic for Singapore Golf Association children at the driving range at the International Series Singapore at the Tanah Merah Country Club (Tampines Course) on Friday October 6, 2023. The US$2 million Asian Tour event is staged from October 5-8, 2023. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Despite having star billing, the 44-year-old Northern Irishman struggled for form in the International Series Singapore, and ultimately missed the cut after carding scores of 74 and 75 on the challenging Tampines Course at TMCC.
He said: “You are always hoping that you are inspiring the next generation – not inspiring this week with a 74 and 75 from me! It’s probably one of the most educated bunch of young kids that I have ever done a clinic for but it’s great for me to think through the mechanics and some of the things I forget a little bit as well.
“It’s cool, a lot of fun getting to spend some time with them. We always talk about growing the game but sometimes we don’t do enough to help and grow the game but it’s a nice opportunity to do this today.
“My little boy and my little girl are seven and nine years old, and they’re on a very similar program to this one. It’s great.”
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