Namseoul maestro Bio in search of jump start
When Bio Kim tees it up at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship at Namseoul Country Club tomorrow he will be doing so at a course where he’s had so much success throughout his career: he won the event last year, and in 2012, while he also claimed the prestigious Korean Amateur Golf Championship here in 2008.
Remarkably, he also tied for fourth in 2007 – when he made his debut on the Asian Tour as a teenager – and was equal third the following season, on both occasions as an amateur.
“It’s good, I mean it’s always nice to be defending champion, so hopefully I can defend the title”, said the 32-year-old Korean, who conveniently lives not far from the course, located in Seoul.
“It felt great [last year], I just have a lot of good memories at the Namseoul golf course. I’ve had two wins at the Maekyung, and I’ve won the Korean Amateur Championship here when I was 18 years old. So, I do have some good memories, but it’s a tough golf course!”.
Bio Kim, fourth from left, at today’s photo shoot. Picture courtesy of Korea Golf Association.
To the surprise of many Kim has not won since lifting the trophy here last year. That victory was supposed to be a catalyst for more success during what was his first full season playing on the Asian Tour. He eventually finished second on the Tour’s Order of Merit and was the Rookie of the Year, but he only came close to winning again at the International Series Korea, where he was runner up.
Coming into last year’s event he was playing some of the best golf of his career and had notched seven top-10 finishes. However, this time around he just has the one: a tied-fourth finish at the recent World City Championship presented by Hong Kong Golf Club, which was a giant result as it earned him a place in this year’s Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in July, as the tournament was part of the Open Qualifying Series. It will mark the first time he has played in The Open and will be only his third appearance in a Major.
With that on the horizon and a strong desire to improve on his current Order of Merit position, which is 26th, he is hoping to get back on track this season by reviving the memories of his magical Maekyung win a year ago.
Says Kim: “I felt confident that week. I had some success over the last few years on this course, and then heading toward the tournament, especially last year, I was going into it in pretty good form. I was having a lot of top 10s going into that week, so I was looking forward to it. I didn’t know I was going to actually win, but you know, I like that golf course, so I had some good positive vibes.”
The Namseoul layout is known on Tour as a stern test because of the demanding greens and elevation changes, add windy conditions and difficult pin positions on the weekend, and the mere idea of winning a tournament here is inconceivable to many.
Bio (left) with Taichi Kho, Travis Smyth and Michael Hendry after they secured berths in The Open at the World City Championship presented by the Hong Kong Golf Club in March. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Having started the final round four shots ahead of the chasing pack, Kim arrived at the 72nd hole with a two-shot advantage. He says: “The tough par-four 18th, I was two shots ahead and my driver went right into the woods and my contender was in the fairway. I thought that he was gonna make a birdie, and then somehow, I had to imagine myself making par or at the worst-case bogey. I did that [made a bogey], and that was probably one of the hardest shots to hit out of the woods, that was probably the shot of the day.”
He ended up defeating compatriot Mingyu Cho by two shots.
Asked about his key to winning at Namseoul, Kim says: “To be honest, I don’t know. Just that us Korean golfers grew up on this golf course, we play Korean amateur events here and play several rounds on the Namseoul golf course, so I think that helps. And you know, it’s a tough golf course, you have to be dialed in with everything, you need to putt well, irons and putting and everything. So yeah, I mean hopefully I can keep doing what I’ve been doing at Namseoul. I just have to put myself in good positions and I’ll be pretty aggressive off the tee, but you know, we’ll see how it goes.”
He has been paired in the first two rounds with Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana and one of the country’s amateur stars Wooyoung Cho.
It’s the first trip of the year to Korea for the Asian Tour, with two more to come later in the year, the Korea Open and the Shinhan Donghae Open.
Total prizemoney this week is KRW1,300,000,000 (approximately US$970,700).
The Shinhan Donghae Open, one of the region’s longest-running golf championships, will return to Korean shores this year.
After its history-making visit to Japan in 2022, the 39th edition of the KRW1.4 billion (about US$1 million) event will be staged over the Ocean Course at Club72 (formerly Sky72) in Yeongjongdo, Incheon from September 7-10.
Sponsored by the Shinhan Financial Group, the event will continue to be tri-sanctioned between the Asian Tour, Japan Golf Tour, and Korean Tour for the third time.
Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner & CEO of the Asian Tour, said: “Since its launch in 1981, the Shinhan Donghae Open has been a standout championship in our region, always looking to innovate and break new ground. Shinhan has always looked to evolve with the times and has never been shy about making bold decisions for the betterment of the event. After a highly successful visit to Japan last year, we are looking forward to the tournament returning to its traditional home this season.”
“I am delighted that the Shinhan Donghae Open is returning to Korea this year,” said Jin Ok-dong, Chairman of Shinhan Financial Group.
2019 winner Jbe Kruger.
“It is one of the country’s premier golf events and a highlight every season for Korean golf fans.
“The Shinhan Donghae Open boasts an impressive list of past champions and I am looking forward to handing the trophy to another worthy champion this year. The competition will no doubt be fierce at a new and challenging venue for the tournament.”
It was in 2019 it became the first tournament to be sanctioned by the Asian, Japan and Korean circuits.
And in a deeply symbolic move last year, the event was held at the Koma Country Club in Japan, the first time, since its inauguration 41 years earlier, that it had been staged outside of Korea.
“This year marks the 39th edition of a long-lasting relationship between the Shinhan Financial Group and the KPGA,” said J.C. Koo, Chairman, KPGA.
“The return to the city of Incheon, which has hosted eleven of the last twelve editions of the Shinhan Donghae Open, with 2022 being the lone exception during the period, is spectacular news for Korean golf fans in the area.
“I have no doubt this event will live up to the proud legacy of great champions such as Jongduk Kim, KJ Choi, Sangmoon Bae, Paul Casey and Byeonghun An, Yoseop Seo, to name a few.”
This year will mark the first time that Club72 has hosted the Shinhan Donghae Open. From 2015 to 2021, the event made its home at Bear’s Best Cheongna. For four years prior to that (2011-2014), the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea was the venue.
As was the case last year, a strong field is guaranteed to assemble at Club72 in September, comprising the leading lights from all three sanctioning Tours.
Among the favourites is likely to be Kazuki Higa, who birdied the final two holes at Koma Country Club last year to triumph. He went on to top the standings in the Japan Golf Tour’s Order of Merit for 2022.
Isao Aoki, Chairman, Japan Golf Tour Organization said: “We are greatly honored and happy that the tournament will be held again this year under the tri-sanctioned arrangement with the Asian Tour, and the KPGA.
“Hosting international tournaments like this helps to promote golf tournaments in Asia, and most importantly, it fosters the development of players. We are truly grateful to Shinhan Financial Group for their strong support.
“The Shinhan Donghae Open is one of the leading tournaments in Asia. I strongly hope that the participating players will use this opportunity as a stepping stone to expand their careers onto the global stage.”
The Shinhan Donghae Open will be the Asian Tour’s third visit to Korea in 2023 following the 42nd GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship, which starts on Thursday, and The 65th Korea Open Golf Championship (June 22-25).
The unstoppable force called Talor Gooch added a six-under par 65 to remain on top of the LIV Golf Singapore leaderboard – a remarkable fifth straight round he has done that – but his lead this time was zero shots as Sergio Garcia caught up with him with a second successive bogey-free round on Saturday. Report by Joy Chakravarty, Contributing Editor – Asian Tour, at LIV Golf Singapore.
At Sentosa Golf Club, the American and the Spaniard were tied on top at 13-under par 129, one ahead of the in-form Brooks Koepka (65).
In Adelaide last week, Gooch had opened with two successive rounds of 10-under par 62s and was 10 ahead of his closest rival going into the final round.
Asian Tour star Scott Vincent shot the best round of the day – a nine-under par 62 which matched the course record, but does not count as official because of the preferred lies in play – and moved to tied third place at 11-under par 131. He was joined on the same score by American Cameron Tringale and Australia’s Cameron Smith, both of whom produced bogey-free rounds of 66 each.
In the team championship, Tringale and captain Phil Mickelson (66) helped lift Hy Flyers to tie the lead with the Bubba Watson-led Range Goats at 25-under par. Both teams have never tasted success in the unique team championship of LIV Golf.
Talor Gooch. (Photo by Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images).
The all-Australian Rippers were in third place at 22-under par, but Iron Heads (-21), Fireballs (-21) and Torque (-20) were within a shot of each other.
The 43-year-old Garcia, SMBC Singapore Open champion at the same venue in 2018, continued his brilliant ball-striking form. The only mistake he made was when he tried to lay up for his second shot on the par-five 18th hole and pulled it into the bunker. From there, he failed to make a birdie that would have given him sole possession of the lead. Gooch, on the other hand, closed with birdies on the 17th and 18th to ensure himself first-tee privilege on the final day.
From his previous experiences, Garcia knows how difficult the Serapong course can play, but had an explanation for the low scores this week.
“Obviously, the calibre of players here, it just shows. On a day like today, where there wasn’t much wind, the course was gettable. We were able to pick the ball up on the fairway, so that probably makes it one or two shots easier,” said the 2017 Masters champion.
“Some of the memories (from past) help. But at the end of the day, I think that every tournament is a different story. The course is playing may be a little bit longer than when we played it here on the Singapore Open. It definitely makes a little bit of a difference, but obviously you know that if you want to contend on a LIV tournament, you have to raise your level as much as possible because all of these guys can really play the game.”
Gooch said he’d rather have a 10-shot lead than none against his closest rival going into a final round, but added that leading tournaments can help him add valuable experience.
“Nothing can replace experience. So, the more that I can put myself in this position, the more comfortable I’m going to get. The more you play with these guys and the more you feel like you can compete and beat these guys, the more comfortable you’re going to get,” said Gooch, who received his invitation to play the PGA Championship on Friday.
“I’ve been fortunate to play some good golf here over the last year and hopefully we can continue getting more and more comfortable and getting more experience.”
Vincent, who earned the right to play LIV Golf this season by winning the International Series Order of Merit on the Asian Tour last year, started with birdies on his first two holes, and never took his foot off the accelerator until making a 15-footer putt for his ninth birdie on his final hole. The round also included a monster birdie putt from 60 feet on the 13th hole.
“The putter was working really well. That putt there on the 13th was just one that you’re trying to cozy up as close as possible, and the next thing it goes in. Yeah, it was one of those days today where a lot of putts went in, and it’s a lot of fun when that happens,” said Vincent.
“You take them when they happen. Very happy about how the day went. It was a lot of really good putting, but the other game was not too shabby too.
Scott Vincent. (Photo by Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images).
“The whole group actually started really well. We were all under par within the first two or three holes. And we were all kind of feeding off each other after that.”
Among other Asian Tour stars, Anirban Lahiri improved to tied 26th place at three-under par after a round of 67, while American Sihwan Kim shot a 71 to remain on one-under par total.
On Sunday, the final round has been advanced to 8:05am (00:05 GMT), due to forecasted thunderstorms in the afternoons. Live broadcast starts at 8:00am (00:00 GMT).
There shouldn’t be an iota of doubt that Scott Vincent loves the Asian Tour. He just loves The International Series a bit more, writes Joy Chakravarty, Contributing Editor – Asian Tour, on site at LIV Golf Singapore this week.
In 2022, the Zimbabwean star won the International Series in England – his first on the Asian Tour after several runner-up finishes – and he went on to win The International Series Order of Merit at the end of the season to secure full playing rights on this year’s LIV Golf League.
And even though Vincent has played only one of the four International Series events held so far in 2023, it hasn’t diminished any of his love for the exciting series of upper-tier events on the Asian Tour. And the fact his younger brother Kieran won the International Series Vietnam earlier this month means it’s also become a family affair now.
The 25-year-old Kieran, who rose to No50 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking before turning professional last year, is a matter of pride for Scott.
Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe with the International Series Order of Merit trophy last year. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“It’s amazing to see his progress and how it has happened. It doesn’t surprise me at all. I think he is a very talented golfer,” said the world No125, whose flowing mane is as much a trademark as his super-smooth swing.
“Obviously, I get to watch it from a closer perspective than most other people. It’s a really cool achievement what he has been able to do already so quickly in his pro career.
“We will wait and see what the rest of the year holds for him.”
Vincent was flying to Adelaide for the LIV event there on Sunday as Kieran was battling down the stretch and trying to get ahead of the clubhouse marker set by India’s Anirban Lahiri at KN Links. It was a tense moment and the flight could not have happened at a worse time. Thankfully, modern-day jets have WiFi.
“We were flying from Melbourne to Adelaide. Our flight took off right as he was teeing off on the 18th, which was annoying. Fortunately, it had WiFi and my caddy was sending me videos of each shot that he hit. We didn’t get to see it live, but I think it was as good as we could have,” added Vincent.
“We found out pretty much right after everyone else knew, so that was amazing. And as soon as we landed, we gave him a call. And as you know, when these things happen, there’s so much that you have to do, so we only got to speak for a little bit, but it was an amazing feeling.”
With the history that Vincent family has with The International Series, his views on one of the latest initiatives of Asian Tour, with the financial backing of LIV Golf, would probably be biased, but Scott speaks from his heart.
“I would say The International Series has opened many doors for a lot of people. And it has changed the Asian Tour and made it an amazing Tour to play on,” explained Scott.
“Not that it wasn’t before. But it is even more so now. It now attracts a lot of high-class players that come and play. This helps all of us to continue to learn and see how these really good players do it and obviously compete with them.
“So that’s amazing and I’m very thankful to the Asian Tour. The Tour, and The International Series, has been really good to me. And yeah, it’s been really good for other Asian Tour members as well.”
Sentosa Golf Club, the headquarters of the Asian Tour, is hosting this week’s LIV Golf Singapore and being on ‘home ground’ has clearly helped inspire the Zimbabwean. A first round 69 on Sentosa’s Serapong course was followed up today with a brilliant course record equaling 62 that gives him a shot at the individual title tomorrow.
“I’m very excited to be back in Singapore and to have the opportunity to play on a golf course that the Asian Tour has always started the season with. It’s nice to kind of play it at a different time of year and to see what kind of changes that makes to the golf course,” said Vincent.
“I believe they had closed the course for four weeks before we got there. And you can see that with how pristine the fairways and the greens are looking in the bunkers and everything. So, a huge congratulations to Sentosa Golf Club for all the effort that they are putting in. As a player, we really appreciate it.”
Vincent won the International Series England in June 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour
Before his first round, Vincent spoke about how patience would be key on a difficult golf course like Serapong.
“My game is always a work in progress. It’s obviously something that we work on, but something I can’t control,” said Scott.
“I think the Serapong puts up a really good fight every time you play it. What is required here is a lot of freedom…freedom to go and hit the shots, and not get caught up in the results. I think it requires a player that can be patient, but also one that believes that they are a world-class player.”
By Joy Chakravarty, Contributing Editor – Asian Tour, onsite at LIV Golf Singapore.
Nothing bothered Talor Gooch. Neither the change of continents, nor the change of climate, nor a lengthy rain delay, and certainly not a beastly golf course.
For the fourth time in four LIV Golf rounds, the American maintained his stranglehold on top of the leaderboard, shooting a bogey-free seven-under par 64 that included a stunning eagle on the par-five 18th hole of the Serapong course of Sentosa Golf Club.
On a day when a two-and-a-half-hour delay, caused by a passing thunderstorm, added to the energy-sapping heat and humidity, several superstars still managed to go low at LIV Golf Singapore.
One behind Gooch 65 were reigning Open champion Cameron Smith of Australia, Americans Brooks Koepka and Cameron Tringale, and Spain’s Sergio Garcia, winner of Asian Tour’s 2018 SMBC Singapore Open at the same venue.
And the leaderboard became even more decorated going down one shot. At 66 were major champions Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and Louis Oosthuizen.
Brooks Koepka (Photo by Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images).
Among the Asian Tour players, Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe was best placed, recovering well after an early double bogey with four birdies in his last seven holes for a 69.
American Sihwan Kim showed signs of returning to form with a 70, while India’s Anirban Lahiri (72) was left frustrated with two double bogeys coming in.
In the team championship, Tringale, Mickelson and James Piot (70) combined to give HyFlyers the early lead at 12-under, while the all-South African Stingers were a shot behind at 11 under with contributions from Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel (67) and Dean Burmester (69). Range Goats, Koepka’s Smash and Smith’s Ripper were tied third at nine-under par.
Gooch, who received welcome news this morning before his round that the PGA of America would be honouring his finish inside the top-30 of the FedEx Cup last year and grant him a spot at the PGA Championship next month, revealed how he managed to tuck his form in cottonwool and carry it across from Adelaide, where he had started with two straights 62s before winning by three shots.
“There’s no pixie dust I’ve thrown on the clubs the last couple weeks. It’s just the game comes and goes in waves,” explained Gooch, who smashed a hybrid from 253 yards to 25 feet on the 18th for his eagle.
“I have a buddy of mine, who has been like a mentor to me since I was 10, and he always said, ‘In golf, the penthouse and the outhouse are always right around the corner from each other’. You try not to get too high or too low when things are too good or aren’t good.
“You’ve got to earn it. These 62s and 64s don’t just happen, and just because you’re confident, doesn’t mean it’s going to happen again. Hopefully, we can keep it rolling and go play some good golf and finish out a good week here.”
Garcia also had a splendid eagle, threading his second shot between two palm trees on his fourth hole (his second) to about seven feet. That was a kickstart to his round as he moved to four-under par through his first four holes.
Sergio Garcia (Photo by Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images).
Asked if his previous success at Sentosa played a role in his round today, the 2017 Masters champion said: “I think anytime you’ve done well at a course, it’s always a plus. It doesn’t mean that you start two or three shots better than anyone else, but obviously, it brings good memories.
“I’ve played Singapore Opens here a few times, and I’ve been able to win it once. It’s a course that I enjoy. I feel if my game is a little bit on, I hit a lot of fairways and a lot of greens.
“A reason why you see so many major champions on the leaderboard, is because they are all good ball strikers. And that’s what this course is asking you.”
LIV Golf announced that tee times have been brought forward over the weekend due to forecasted thunderstorms in the afternoons.
Gates will open at 7:00am local time on both days, with shotgun starts scheduled at 8:15am (00:15 GMT) on Saturday, 29 April and 8:05am (00:05 GMT) on Sunday, 30 April. Live broadcast starts at 8:00am (00:00 GMT) on both days.
By Joy Chakravarty, Contributing Editor – Asian Tour, reporting from Sentosa Golf Club, Singapore.
Chase Koepka’s hole-in-one at the ‘Watering Hole’ (the par-three 12th) on the final day of LIV Golf Adelaide, and the incredible scenes that followed, have become viral sensations.
As good as that nine iron shot was, Koepka insists he hit an even better one the day before – a seven wood from 260 yards on the par-five ninth hole, which he flushed to seven feet and made an eagle.
Golf is replete with stories of how one good shot has changed the form of a player, and the 29-year-old younger brother of four-time Major champion Brooks is hoping that’s the case with him as well as he prepares to represent Team Smash at LIV Golf Singapore, which starts today at Sentosa Golf Club.
“The funny thing is, that ace on the 12th may not have even been that exact shot,” said Koepka, a regular on the Asian Tour since last year.
“I was working on hitting a little trap draw all week. I managed to hit it exactly as I wanted on the 12th, but that one became special because it went in. But it was the seven wood on the ninth hole that gave me so much confidence. It came out perfectly and I knew the moment I hit it that it was going to be a very good shot. It rolled to six feet from the pin and I made an eagle.
Chase Koepka walks to the green after his hole in one at the 12th during day three of LIV Golf Adelaide at The Grange Golf Club last Sunday. Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)
“I was like ‘wow’ the moment I hit it. I haven’t had that feeling in a little bit. That just kind of boosted my confidence. Sometimes, all it takes is just one good swing that kind of gives you the momentum moving forward. I would have loved to have finished a little bit higher, but I wasn’t that far off from finishing inside the top-10.
“And I know this is a new week and I have to hit the re-set button, but I hope to bring the same feelings to Singapore. The good news is the game’s kind of trending in the right direction and looking forward to this week.”
The shot on the 12th is going to be etched in his memory forever.
“The crowd in Adelaide was amazing. It was not just the celebration on the 12th hole, but I was getting standing ovations on every tee I went to. Throughout the rest of the day, it was a special moment for me and my caddy. I can’t wait to get back to Adelaide next year,” explained Koepka.
“I mean, there’s always so much luck involved in something like that going in, but it could not have happened on a better hole. The cool part was different players telling me their stories of how they heard the roar all around the golf course.”
However, there is more to Koepka’s confidence than just those two shots in Adelaide. He is also taking immense pleasure and pride in the resurgence of his older brother, who won twice on LIV Golf since October last year, and was sensational in finishing tied second at this year’s Masters.
“It’s great to see Brooks back in that form. Obviously, he’s my big brother. He’s also my captain. I can lean on him a lot and pick his brain. He’s always been my biggest asset. And he’s always there for me trying to help me play better. It’s so nice to see him get back into that mindset. And you can see it in his face when he’s playing that way. He’s really locked in,” said Koepka.
Chase Koepka, Bio Kim and Travis Smyth pictured enjoying a local Korean BBQ ahead of the International Series Korea last year. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“I wasn’t out there at the Masters, but I watch it all on TV. And I’m a nervous wreck when he’s playing. It’s way easier to play myself and not to worry about any shot that I am hitting. I now have a much greater appreciation for how my parents felt watching us play growing up.
“Brooks was a bit frustrated not getting the job done. However, at the end of the day, if he had to tell himself 18 months ago that he would have had a chance to win the Masters, he would have taken it.
“I’ve always loved watching my brother play. For me, he’s one of the best to ever pick up a golf club. And when he plays well, I do get motivated to do better myself.”
Koepka said one of his year-end objectives would be to keep his card on the Asian Tour. The other would be to finish inside the top-24 in LIV Golf and make sure he is part of the League in 2024.
“Honestly, the way that the Asian Tour events are run and, and just speaking to other players, how much better it’s gotten since Asian Tour and LIV came together, I was tempted to join the Tour. Everyone out there has nothing but positive things to say,” said Koepka.
“All the members are loving the opportunity to play their way into LIV, and also, we’re getting better purses, and playing better golf courses. The Asian Tour is starting to get noticed a lot more.
“I have a great opportunity that was given through LIV and I want to support the Asian Tour. I’m playing against some very good golfers out there, and anytime I get to compete against good golfers, I will take that opportunity.
“I am going to play at least four more Asian Tour events towards the middle and end of the season.
“I want to finish in the top 24 in LIV, which secures my place next year. I have gotten off to a slow start, but it only takes one or two good events to get right back into it. And I want to make sure I keep my card on the Asian Tour so that I can play a full schedule there too.”
Talor Gooch, a former member of 4Aces GC who joined Bubba Watson’s RangeGoats GC in the offseason, completed a wire-to-wire victory Sunday at LIV Golf Adelaide.
Anirban Lahiri from India followed up his brilliant second place finish in last week’s International Series Vietnam on the Asian Tour by also taking the runner-up spot in Adelaide.
Meanwhile, Gooch’s old team captured its first trophy of the 2023 LIV Golf League.
Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces, which had podium finishes in the first three events of the season, produced a sizzling final round in a tight team battle at The Grange Golf Club. With Patrick Reed shooting a seven-under-par 65, new member Peter Uihlein contributing a 66 and Johnson adding a 67 (Pat Perez shot the same score), the Aces finished with a LIV Golf-record 47 under to win by a stroke over the RangeGoats. The all-South African Stinger GC took third.
Talor Gooch of RangeGoats GC poses for a photo with his trophy after winning Liv Golf Adelaide. Picture by Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images.
Last year, the all-American 4Aces won four regular-season events and the Miami Team Championship, all on home soil. Their performance in Adelaide was their most dominant, with all four members finishing in the top-10 in points.
“Obviously, it was a great week,” said Johnson, whose team increased its lead atop the season-long points standings to 44 points. “All four guys played well. To get our first win outside the U.S. was nice.”
Gooch, meanwhile, had to endure some tight moments despite entering the day with a 10-shot lead thanks to consecutive 10-under 62s. A four-hole stretch in which he suffered his first two bogeys of the week, followed by a double bogey at the par-five 10th, whittled his deficit. At one point, he led by only two shots.
But after his double bogey, he responded with birdies at the 11th and 13th holes to restore some breathing room, then parred in the rest of the way for a 73, leaving him at 19 under for the tournament. That ties the all-time LIV Golf best score for three rounds.
“Golf is just really hard,” said Gooch as he proudly cradled the LIV Golf trophy while wearing the Goat Chain, his team’s nod to winning performances. “It’s hard to put back-to-back days together like I did and even harder to do it three times in a row. I actually played fine out there today. The golf gods, I think, said, ‘We don’t want this first win to be easy on you.’
Anirban Lahiri prepares to putt on the 18th on day three of LIV Golf Adelaide. Photo by Brenton Edwards /AFP.
“Had a couple bad breaks here and there, so it made things interesting, but it was cool to kind of overcome the adversity and dig deep after I made a double on No. 10. It was kind of a point of we’re either going to dig deep and do this or you’re going to stumble coming in. It was cool to dig deep and get the job done.”
Crushers GC’s Lahiri shot a 65 to claim second place at 16 under while four players tied for third at 15 under: Reed, Perez, Cameron Tringale of HyFlyers GC and Cameron Smith, the captain of Rippers GC, the all-Australian team that were the crowd favorites this week. Reed took third in points via the tiebreaker.
“It would have taken something exceptional from the rest of the field to beat Talor after the start that he had,” said Lahiri, a six-time winner on the Asian Tour.
“So, yes, it is another second place finish for me, but I will take that and I am happy with the way I am swinging, and the way I played the whole week. I left some out there today as well, but I can’t complain about my golf over the weekend after shooting 13-under par.”
The Indian star unfortunately lost his ailing mother-in-law during the round and came to know about it only after his finish.
4Aces GC teammates Peter Uihlein, Patrick Reed, Dustin Johnson and Pat Perez celebrate on the podium spraying champagne after they won the team event at LIV Golf Adelaide. Photo by Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images.
He said: “The last few weeks have been tough for the family. Mom was in quite a lot of pain the last few days. So we’re just relieved that she is probably at peace and she’s in a better place now.”
LIV Golf Singapore tees off next Friday at Sentosa Golf Club.
The Indonesian Masters will be played from 16-19 November later this year, once again playing a major role in the end of season action on the Asian Tour.
The long-standing tournament, which will boast minimum prizemoney of US$1.5 million, will once again be the final event of this year’s 10-event International Series and one of the closing events on the Asian Tour’s season.
Importantly, the prestigious event will have the final say in who wins the International Series Order of Merit (OOM) and secures passage onto the 2024 LIV Golf League.
Chairman of the Asian Tour and Founder of the Indonesian Masters, Jimmy Masrin, said: “The Asian Tour and The International Series have enjoyed outstanding starts to 2023, and we are thrilled that the Indonesian Masters will once again help contribute to an exciting climax to the season. The two work hand-in-hand, with The International Series being the single most important development in the history of the Asian Tour.”
Lee Westwood won the first edition in 2011. (Photo by Khalid Redza / Asian Tour via Getty Images)
Thailand’s Sarit Suwannarut (main picture) triumphed at the Indonesian Masters last year, during a memorable week when the tournament brought the curtain down on both the Asian Tour and International Series seasons. American Sihwan Kim claimed the Asian Tour OOM and Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent the International Series OOM – both players have been competing on the LIV Golf League this season.
Rahul Singh, Head of The International Series, said: “The Indonesian Masters has always been a fitting battle ground for global trophy hunters over the last 11 years, and as it was last year, it now has the added bonus of being the clincher for a lucrative ticket to one of the world’s most exciting franchises – the LIV Golf League.”
Cho Minn Thant, Asian Tour Commissioner & CEO, said: “While we continue to break ground at several new venues across the globe, events like the Indonesian Masters make up the backbone of the Asian Tour. The global nature of the event and its esteemed heritage, it is clear that the tournament is the right fit for The International Series.”
A prominent feature on the Asian Tour since its launch in 2011, the Indonesian Masters has always welcomed world-class fields and has a distinguished list of past champions including England’s Lee Westwood, a three-time champion and the winner of the inaugural edition. Other notable champions include Justin Rose, Jazz Janewattananond and Anirban Lahiri.
News on the host venue and supporting sponsors will be announced in due course.
Last Sunday saw the fourth International Series event of the season completed, with Zimbabwe’s Kieran Vincent, young brother of Scott Vincent, claiming the International Series Vietnam after a nail-biting finish.
Kieran Vincent made it a unique brotherly double on the Asian Tour today, when he claimed the International Series Vietnam at KN Golf Links – just 10 months after his brother Scott won the International Series England.
The Zimbabwean, in just his second year as a professional, holed a decisive 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to beat Anirban Lahiri from India and Australian Kevin Yuan by one stroke.
Vincent shot a six-under-par 66, for a four-round aggregate of 19 under, while Lahiri carded a 64 and Yuan, who missed a similar length birdie putt on the last to force a sudden-death play-off, a 68.
Japan’s Takumi Kanaya had started the day with a three-shot advantage but, unlike the International Series Oman in February where he triumphed after also holding the third-round lead, he struggled on the back nine and closed with a 73 to tie for fourth, on 16 under, with American Michael Maguire (66), Korea’s Taehee Lee (67) and Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai (67), Pawin Ingkhapradit (68) and Jazz Janewattananond (70).
Kieran Vincent. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“It is surreal right now,” said the 25-year-old Vincent, who won US$360,000.
“I think there are so many people I have to thank at this stage that have put so much time and effort into me that they deserve it more than myself.
“I feel like I am a lead singer in a band of people that have done so much for me. I am very appreciative. I don’t think it is going to sink in for a while.”
The Zimbabwean’s putter seemed to go cold on Saturday, but he bounced back today with six birdies and no dropped shots.
About his final putt, he said: “That is the game of golf, you win some, you lose some, some go in, some don’t, and I am just very thankful it went in at the right time, when I needed it, and so I was just lucky enough to keep giving myself opportunities. Yeah I could not have dreamed it any better.
He’s moved into second place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit (OOM) and third on the International Series OOM, giving him a chance to emulate his brother Scott who won last year’s International Series merit list and is now playing on the LIV Golf League.
Kevin Yuan. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
American Andy Ogletree remains in pole position on both OOMs.
Yuan, playing in the last group, came close to spoiling the party for Vincent, in the group ahead, but narrowly missed his birdie putt on 18.
Said Yuan: “I gave it my all out there today. Left a few shots out there today and a few shots out there this week, but I’m happy with where my game is and the progression that it’s on. I think it was an awesome round by Kieran today and a huge win for him, congrats to him. But overall, I’m pretty satisfied with how my tournament went and looking for more good things to come.”
The result continued a remarkable run of form by the up-and-coming golfer from Sydney, who has made the cut in all eight events on the Asian Tour this season. His result today improved upon his previous best finish, which was fifth place at the International Series Thailand last month.
Seven-time Asian Tour winner Lahiri was attempting to win his first Asian Tour title in eight years and was a strong favourite after storming through the field in the fifth from last group making eight birdies in his first 14 holes, with no dropped shots, but he could only par the last four holes.
“I’m happy with the way I played, disappointed not to make a couple more coming in,” said Lahiri, the Asian Tour’s number one player in 2015 before embarking on a successful career on the PGA Tour.
Anirban Lahiri. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“You know I got off to a really good start. I kind of found my rhythm yesterday and today so that was nice. Yeah, a little upset not to make maybe one or two in the last four holes which are very gettable. So yeah, great week, but it’s disappointing. I’ve had so many seconds now I need to break this habit of mine.”
The Indian star heads to the LIV Golf Adelaide event next week before LIV Golf Singapore
“Excited to take this form into the next few weeks. I think it is going to be an important stretch over the next month, month and a half. You know, you get into the meat of the season. And very exciting to go to Australia. I’ve been to Adelaide and I’m hearing great things about the venue, about the people and the anticipation, the buzz is great. I’m expecting it to be one of the best events of the year actually, for LIV. So yeah, you know, we’ll be off tomorrow and the show goes on.”
The Asian Tour heads to Korea next for the GS Caltex Maekyung Open, which will be played at its regular home Nam Seoul County Club from May 4-7. Korean Bio Kim is the defending champion.
Japan’s Takumi Kanaya opened up a three-shot lead after the penultimate round of the US$2 million International Series Vietnam today, showing the skill and composure that helped him record a breakthrough victory in the International Series Oman in February.
The 24 year old from Hiroshima carded a six-under-par 66, for an impressive tournament total of 17 under, with Australian Kevin Yuan and Jazz Janewattananond from Thailand in second place, on the Greg Norman-designed championship course at KN Golf Links.
Yuan also returned a 66, while Jazz, the overnight leader, carded a 71.
Zimbabwean Kieran Vincent is in solo fourth after a 71, four behind the Japanese frontrunner.
This week is Kanaya’s first Asian Tour event since Oman, where he became the maiden player from Japan to win an International Series event and the first from his country to claim an Asian Tour event outside of Japan in 13 years.
Jazz Janewattananond. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“Yeah, I’m feeling so great right now,” said Kanaya, a three-time winner on the Japan Tour, with his most recent coming in 2021 at the Token Homemate Cup.
“Today the greens were very firm and bouncy, the conditions were difficult but still my shots were good, and I was putting really well, so I’ll just keep going tomorrow.
“I’ll do my best tomorrow, just focus shot by shot and just do it.”
Yuan is in the form of his life having made the cut in all eight events on the Asian Tour this season, highlighted by a fifth place finish in the International Series Thailand.
He said: “I’d say the biggest thing would just be improving my ball striking, not shooting too many high numbers when I don’t really have my game together. You know, there’s so many good Asian Tour players, it is always very competitive. So, it gives me a lot of confidence to keep making cuts when I’m not playing my best.
“I felt good out there, like on the driving range I was hitting the shots that I wanted, seeing the ball flights that I wanted, and it continued throughout the round. So, I felt it was a pretty stress free, bogey free round today.”
Yuan has also been seeing the same coach as Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho, Jonathan Wallett. Kho hit the headlines three weeks ago when he triumphed in the World City Championship in Hong Kong.
“Taichi winning has really motivated me to do better because he’s such a good player, just seeing his game and stuff like that,” said the Australian.
Kevin Yuan. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“And after Hong Kong, just going back to Australia working on a few things and it’s good to see that I’m also heading in the right direction. John’s been really helpful, like very supportive, whenever I need him he is there. You know, we talk every day, text every day, so it’s been very good.”
Jazz led with Kanaya for much of the day but a poor back nine, which he played in one over including a bogey on 18, saw him slip back.
“Just got really bad momentum on the back nine you know, just couldn’t get it back,” said the seven-time Asian Tour winner.
“But all in all, I’m still in the game, I didn’t lose it completely. I almost lost it completely but not totally out of it yet so still have a chance. Just got to go out there and get some good breaks, hopefully get that momentum going again.”
Thailand’s Pawin Ingkhapradit (64) and Pavit Tangkamolprasert (68), Chinese amateur Ding Wenyi (67), the 2022 US Junior Amateur champion, and Hong Kong’s Matthew Cheung (67) are equal fifth, five off the lead.
American Andy Ogletree, presently ahead on both the Asian Tour and International Series Order of Merits, returned a 70, to go to minus eight.
England’s Paul Casey, who fought his way into contention with a second round 64, shot a 72 today and is six under.
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