The International Series to support people in need in Khan Hoa province, Vietnam
Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond shot an inspired course record 10-under-par 62 to take the lead at the halfway mark of the International Series Vietnam today at KN Golf Links, in Cam Ranh, on the south-central coast of Vietnam.
Eight birdies, an eagle, and his second successive bogey-free round saw him move to 13 under par for the US$2 million event, which gave him a one-shot advantage over Kieran Vincent from Zimbabwe.
Vincent, younger brother of Scott Vincent, last year’s International Series Order of Merit winner returned a 65, while Japan’s Takumi Kanaya (64), Chapchai Nirat (65) from Thailand, Filipino Miguel Tabuena (67), Korea’s Taehee Lee (68), and overnight leader Bai Zhengkai (69) from China are one shot further back.
Kieran Vincent. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
England’s Paul Casey, the event’s marquee player, shot a 64, 10 shots better than his frst round, to get back in contention on six under for the tournament.
“I mean, it passes by pretty quick when you’re playing good,” said Jazz, who won the International Series Morocco last November for his first Asian Tour win in three years.
“I hit most of the fairways, most of the greens and holed some putts, that’s about it. I mean, this golf course is a risk and reward golf course, right? If you don’t miss the fairways, it’s not gonna punish you that bad. I only missed a couple of so far, so that’s why the score reflects that. I had a couple of close calls with the bogeys but managed to have some good putts and hole some big pars.”
The 27 year old’s performance is yet further evidence that his best form is returning, especially coming off the back of two joint sixth place finishes in the previous two Asian Tour events.
He said: “I mean, it’s close, right? Like finishing sixth or anywhere in the top 10 is so close to breaking through to the win. It’s just a very fine line to just jump across, so hopefully this is the week I jump across.”
Takumi Kanaya. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
The seven-time Asian Tour winner started his round on the 10th and caught fire starting from the 14th making three birdies and then an eagle, before also touring the front nine in 31 with five birdies.
Vincent, in only his second year in the professional game, was also bogey free, and after beginning on the first he made the turn in three under before a fantastic finish saw him birdie four of his last five holes, including 17 and 18.
He said: “It was good. It was enjoyable, had a good group out there. Just remained patient and just enjoyed my time, so it was a great day. Love being out here in Vietnam, first time here so just soaking it in.
“Obviously, you know, you look to start off fast but it’s all about the finish. And you know, that’s kind of the way I try and picture it, you know, a good strong start can get you in position but it’s the way you finish is how you’re going to actually finish up there on the leaderboard. So, I was just thankful that we had some good numbers, and we were able to kind of hit the targets that we aimed at, so lucky for that.”
The Zimbabwean made a brilliant birdie on par four last, getting up and down from a bunker 50 yards from the putting surface.
Paul Casey. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“It came out a little bit better than I expected,” he said.
“The ball was a little bit below the feet but lucky enough that it just kind of checked up on the green there, and actually ended up lipping out. So got a little lucky with the way it kind of panned out. But, you know, luckily, we were able to practice those. The green near the practice bunker here is about 40 yards, so I was lucky enough to get a decent amount of practice in before this.”
Takumi is making his first appearance on the Asian Tour since winning the International Series Oman in February – which saw him become the first player from his country to win on the Asian Tour.
“From playing in Oman and coming into this week, my overall game has felt great,” said the Japanese star.
“I’m really happy with my play over the last couple of days. Playing on the Asian Tour has been a fantastic experience, and I’m really looking forward to the weekend.
“Winning in Oman was the spark that gave me the confidence coming into this week, so winning again with a field as strong as this week’s will give me a lot of confidence going into the rest of the season.”
American Andy Ogletree, the current leader of the Asian Tour and International Series Order of Merit, carded a 68 and, like Casey, is six under, in a tie for 25th, with the tournament wide open heading into what will be an exciting weekend.
China’s Bai Zhengkai, a graduate from this year’s Asian Tour Qualifying School, made a flying start on the opening day of the inaugural International Series Vietnam today shooting an unblemished eight-under-par 64.
Korean Taehee Lee, helped by two dazzling eagles in his last five holes, India’s Honey Baisoya and Lee Chieh-po from Chinese-Taipei also began brightly carding 65s to sit in second place – in what is the Asian Tour’s first event in Vietnam for seven years.
Filipino Miguel Tabuena, still in fine form after an outstanding start to the season highlighted by victory in The DGC Open presented by Mastercard last month, carded a 66, along with Jaco Ahlers from South Africa, Thai Gunn Charoenkul, China’s Chen Guxin, American Michael Maguire and Douglas Klein from Australia.
The US$2 million event is being played on a Greg Norman-designed links-style layout at KN Golf Links, in Cam Ranh, Khanh Hoa Province, in the south-central coast region of Vietnam.
Lee Taehee finished with two eagles in his last five holes. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“Feels nice, had a good round today,” said Bai, whose 64 set a new course record.
“Off the tee was great. I had a lot of wedges into the greens, so I was able to attack a lot of the pins. Made a few putts, it was pretty good.
“The course is kind of open, so I was able to hit some drivers off the tee.”
He was in danger of dropping a shot on his last hole, a par four, and had to lay up with his second but managed to get up and down for what he described as his best hole of the day.
Taehee Lee has won once before on the Asian Tour, having claimed the GS Caltex Maekyung Open in 2019 on home soil.
But any chance of contending this week appeared highly likely for the Korean at the start of the week.
He said: “Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, wind was strong, I played bad, very bad, but today the wind is nothing. Course was easy today, many players low score.”
Two birdies on the front nine and another birdie on 10 laid the foundation for what was to come, as he eagled the par-five 14th, dropped his only shot of the day on 16, before another eagle followed on the par-five 17th. He then signed off in the perfect manner with a birdie on the last.
“I didn’t make any mistakes, there was no wind, so the course played easy,” he added.
Honey Baisoya is making a habit of shooting low rounds. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Baisoya’s round will come as no surprise to many as the Indian has shot some stunning low rounds so far this season. A 62 at the International Series Thailand and a 65 at The DGC Open put him in the running in both events, although he was unable to keep that going. He tied for 34th in Thailand and equal sixth at The DGC Open.
“It was a very good round,” said Baisoya, who impressively made nine birdies, including four in a row from the sixth, but recorded two bogeys.
“I hit my ball well off the tee, my approach shots were good, and I made many putts but then I missed a lot of putts so it could have been better, but I’ll take it.”
The Indian sensationally holed out from a greenside bunker on 18 for a birdie three.
Lee Chieh-po had the distinction of going bogey free, with five of his birdies coming on the back nine.
“The course is very similar to my home course in Taiwan, the design, the green speed. I am feeling great, very comfortable,” said the Chinese-Taipei golfer, who finished second behind Australian Travis Smyth in the Yeangder TPC last year for his best Asian Tour result.
India’s Anirban Lahiri, the Asian Tour number one in 2015 and a seven-time winner on the Tour, carded a 69, current Asian Tour and International Series Order of Merit leader Andy Ogletree from the United States returned a 70 while Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat, the Tour’s top player in 2013, fired a 71.
Lee Chieh-po had the distinction of going bogey free. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho, winner of the World City Championship last month, came in with a 72, England’s Paul Casey a 74.
Korean Taehee Lee made two dazzling eagles in his last five holes to shoot a seven-under-par 65 and take a share of the clubhouse lead today at the inaugural International Series Vietnam.
India’s Honey Baisoya and Lee Chieh-po from Chinese-Taipei matched his fine effort, to set the pace early on day one after the morning session with half the field still on course – in what is the Asian Tour’s first event in Vietnam for seven years.
Filipino Miguel Tabuena, still in fine form after an outstanding start to the season highlighted by victory in The DGC Open presented by Mastercard last month, carded a 66, along with Jaco Ahlers from South Africa.
The US$2 million event is being played on a Greg Norman-designed links-style layout at KN Golf Links, in Cam Ranh, Khanh Hoa Province, in the south-central coast region of Vietnam.
Honey Baisoya is making a habit of shooting low rounds this year . Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Taehee Lee is the only one of the frontrunners to have won before on the Asian Tour, having claimed the GS Caltex Maekyung Open in 2019 on home soil.
But any chance of contending this week appeared highly likely for the Korean at the start of the week.
He said: “Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, wind was strong, I played bad, very bad, but today the wind is nothing. Course was easy today, many players low score.”
Two birdies on the front nine and another birdie on 10 laid the foundation for what was to come as he eagled the par-five 14th, dropped his only shot of the day on 16, before another eagle followed on the par-five 17th. He then signed off in the perfect manner with a birdie on the last.
“I didn’t make any mistakes, there was no wind, so the course played easy,” he added.
Baisoya’s round will come as no surprise to many as the Indian has shot some stunning low rounds so far this season. A 62 at the International Series Thailand and a 65 at The DGC Open put him in the running in both events, although he was unable to keep that going. He tied for 34th in Thailand and equal sixth at The DGC Open.
“It was a very good round,” said Baisoya, who impressively made nine birdies, including four in a row from the sixth, but recorded two bogeys.
Lee Chieh-po had the distinction of going bogey free today. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“I hit my ball well off the tee, my approach shots were good, and I made many putts but then I missed a lot of putts so it could have been better, but I’ll take it.”
The Indian sensationally holed out from a greenside bunker on 18 for a birdie three.
Lee Chieh-po had the distinction of going bogey free, with five of his birdies coming on the back nine.
“The course is very similar to my home course in Taiwan, the design, the green speed. I am feeling great, very comfortable,” said the Chinese-Taipei golfer, who finished second behind Australian Travis Smyth in the Yeangder TPC last year for his best Asian Tour result.
Two of Thailand’s leading golfers Nitithorn Thippong and Phachara Khongwatmai shot 67s and are in a tie for sixth with four other players.
India’s Anirban Lahiri, the Asian Tour number one in 2015 and a seven-time winner on the Tour, carded a 69, while Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat, the Tour’s top player in 2013, fired a 71.
Indian golf legend Anirban Lahiri has heaped praise on the Asian Tour and The International Series for the ‘phenomenal job’ they are doing ‘accelerating the growth of golf in Asia.’
The seven-time Asian Tour winner joins his LIV Golf League teammate Paul Casey at KN Golf Links, in Cam Ranh, this week for the International Series Vietnam, in which 156 golfers from 28 nations will compete for the US$2million total prize purse.
It will be the former Olympian’s second International Series event after the 35-year-old teed up, and finished runner-up, in 2022’s season-ending Indonesian Masters – an event Lahiri won in 2014, the year before he claim the Asian Tour Order of Merit title.
Lahiri said: “I think golf has always been a very big sport in Asia – it’s huge for professional golf. It is probably even bigger for tourism in terms of industry. Because of that there is infrastructure and a lot of golfers being produced.
Anirban Lahiri and Jeev Milkha Singh catching up in Vietnam . Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“Now with The International Series and LIV Golf coming to Asia, growing the game here has really become one of the main agendas and bringing so many of the best golfers to play in this region is going to have a huge impact. I won’t say ‘change’ but that’s where the boost is going to come from. It’s there, it’s growing, and I think The International Series is doing a phenomenal job of accelerating that.”
With multiple wins in Asia, Lahiri can be considered an authority on golf in the world’s biggest continent, and he added: “If you ask the majority of golfers in Asia, or on this side of the world, they’re going to say, ‘I want to play on LIV’, and now there’s a pathway to get there.
“Even outside of that, you’ve got 10 tournaments [The International Series], which you’re playing for pretty much US$2million every time, which is a really good prize for that many events in Asia. It’s a huge leap.”
Joined by 13 fellow Indians in the International Series Vietnam field this week, Lahiri, who was born in the city of Pune, 150km east of Mumbai, is excited to compete alongside the players he looked up to growing up, his peers as well as up-and-coming stars.
“Jeev [Milka Singh], Jyoti [Randhawa] and S.S.P. [Chawrasia] laid the foundation before I started coming through about 15 years ago. I’m in my mid-thirties but the guys coming through now are in their early twenties, so you have 30 years of age variance among those of us here this week.
Lahiri and his caddie pictured during the Pro-Am ahead of the International Series Vietnam . Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“I learned a lot from the likes of Jeev and Arjun [Atwal]. I can see that same transference happening with the roles reversed to some extent and I enjoy that as well.”
Having won in India, Indonesia, Macau and Malaysia, Lahiri has his eyes set on a maiden Vietnam victory this week: “I’ve been playing well in patches and I’m just looking to put four good rounds together and get that win off my chest. It’s been a while coming and I feel like I’m close. That’s definitely the main purpose of being here. I’d love to get that W.”
Paul Casey, the winner of 21 tournaments around the world, is looking to add to his impressive trophy cabinet this week at the International Series Vietnam – being played on the Greg Norman-designed KN Golf Links in Cam Rahn.
The US$2 million event will tee off tomorrow and will be the fourth event on the International Series this season and the eighth stop on the Asian Tour with many players battling it out for the top spot on The International Series Order of Merit and duly winning a place in next year’s flourishing LIV Golf League.
Casey who has never played in Vietnam says his goal this week is to triumph in what is the biggest and most lucrative golf tournament ever staged in the country: “The goal is always, when you get on a plane at any event around the world is, to win. I’ve won I think a couple of times on the Asian Tour but never on The International Series and never won in Vietnam, never played golf in Vietnam, so that’s the goal this week.
“We’ve got some great players in Ogletree and Ormsby playing this week and Anirban is playing this week, I’ve got to keep my head down and try to play some great golf on a great golf course and see what happens.”
L-R- Anirban Lahiri of India, Michael Tran of Vietnam, Paul Casey of England and Wade Ormsby of Australia pictured with the winner’s trophy at a press conference on Wednesday. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
The 45 year old has previously won twice on the Asian Tour with both victories coming in China in 2005, at the TCL Classic and the Volvo China Open. Most recently Casey has found success on the LIV Golf League winning the team event with Crushers GC at LIV Golf Mayakoba, where he also finished fourth individually.
Speaking of his LIV Golf experience, he said: “It was my second time on a podium, first team victory so that was quite cool. I guess that is the interesting thing about LIV now, I’m a guy who played college golf, I played with, believe it or not, Pat Perez, Matt Jones and there’s other guys who went to the famous Sun Devils (Arizona State University) – Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm. I’ve sent Jon Rahm a lot of texts this year saying congratulations, I just copy and paste now!”
Casey alluded to the innovative initiative that is The International Series and recognises how important it is to have the newly formed enterprise as part of the Asian Tour.
“I think it is very important now. I’ve played sporadically on the Asian Tour and coming back and playing a couple of them you can feel the vibe, you can actually feel that things have been elevated, there’s a clear pathway now for guys who play well on the Asian Tour,” he said.
“You can feel that there is a different level to everything but yet it’s got the same warm feeling that the Asian Tour has always had, the people are so nice, the staff are amazing. I’m really happy with this, where it’s at and it’s going to get better and better and better and a great reward for the guys that play well, so The International Series is real.”
Casey played the Pro-Am on Wednesday. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
The Englishman will tee it off at 11:50am local time alongside the previous winner on The International Series stage, Wade Ormsby who triumphed in Thailand last month, and Taichi Kho who was victorious in latest Asian Tour event, the World City Championship.
Casey has his family here supporting this week, and is looking forward to the all-round experience in Vietnam for both himself and his children: “It’s great fun, it’s nice to bring the kids somewhere around the world and wonderful they get to see Vietnam a little bit, it’s an experience. It’s not just living in your neighbourhood, wherever that happens to be around the world, you’ve got to see the world a little bit and this is something that is very different to what they experience at home.”
The Asian Tour is set to make history by staging an event for the first time in Scotland at the much-acclaimed Fairmont St Andrews on 24-27 August 2023.
The inaugural St Andrews Bay Championship will take place at the venue’s Torrance Course, a 7,320-yard layout set among 520 acres of stunning Scottish coastline with views of St Andrews Bay. Designed by former Ryder Cup and golfing legend Sam Torrance, the course is marked by its deep revetted bunkers, large greens and links design. Less than five miles from the Home of Golf, where there is recorded evidence of golf being played as long ago as 1552, Fairmont St Andrews has previously staged many notable international events including on the DP World Tour, the European Seniors Tour, on six occasions between 2009 and 2014, as well as Open Qualifying.
Fairmont St Andrews owners Caleb Chan and Dr Peter Lam both hail from Hong Kong and their decision to host the event comes off the back of the inspired recent victory of Taichi Kho – who became the first Hong Kong player to win on the Asian Tour in just his third professional start on Tour. His victory in the World City Championship also earned him a berth in his first Major championship, this summer’s Open.
Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner & CEO of the Asian Tour, Caleb Chan and Dr Peter Lam pictured on Sunday at the World City Championship in Hong Kong. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Callum Nicoll, Head of Golf and Estates at Fairmont St Andrews, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be staging another world class event at Fairmont St Andrews, and to be making history as the first Scottish host for the distinguished Asian Tour. The Torrance course offers a challenging test for the players this summer, blending the principles of links golf with a more modern style. Contouring the hotel and set against the backdrop of the picturesque east coast of Fife, the Torrance will test the short and long game whilst the risk-reward design provides numerous options both off the tee and for approach shots to the green.
“The elevated nature of The International Series with generous purses, strong international fields, and the reward of a place for the Series winner in next year’s LIV Golf League all makes for a very exciting tournament in the summer.”
Following immediately after the International Series England in an Asian Tour ‘UK summer swing’, the 156-strong field will compete for a minimum of US$1.5m prize purse on the modern links layout in the sixth installment of The International Series 2023 schedule.
Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner & CEO of the Asian Tour, said: “There are few greater experiences in golf than playing in Scotland. It is widely known that Scotland’s golf fans are among the most knowledgeable fans anywhere in the world and our players are really looking forward to teeing it up at a venue that is linked to the origins of the game as we know it. It is a true privilege.
“This is testament to the global vision of The International Series, and we are grateful to the dedicated team behind the scenes which has enabled the Asian Tour to grow from strength to strength over a short period of time.”
The Asian Tour’s elite-level International Series comprises of 10 events, featuring elevated prize funds, staged at iconic venues and welcoming top golfers from every continent and tour.
Rahul Singh, Head of The International Series, said: “The St Andrews Bay Championship will provide The International Series with an incredible opportunity to visit the ultimate golfing destination, St Andrews, Scotland, and we thank Fairmont St Andrews for helping to make this possible.
“The chance to stage an event at the Home of Golf so early on in our journey will be truly inspirational for our players and everyone involved in The International Series.
“We are an ambitious initiative that aims to travel and go beyond our traditional borders to help grow the game and there can be no better place to play one of our events than where the game originated.”
Three weeks ago Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho recorded an historic and life-changing victory on the Asian Tour but ahead of the International Series Vietnam, which starts Thursday at KN Golf Links, he remains typically grounded and level headed.
“It would be easy to get carried away with such an exceptional week,” said Kho, who won the World City Championship at the Hong Kong Golf Club last month to become the first player from his country to win on the Asian Tour.
“I have been trying to get back to the regular routine of training and practice. I am trying to get back to normal prep and getting one per cent better every day and get ready.”
This week is his first tournament back since that stunning victory, which was only his third start as a professional having made it through the Tour’s Qualifying School in January.
L-R – Miguel Tabuena of the Philippines, Michael Tran of Vietnam, Taichi Kho of Hong Kong and Chikkarangappa S. of India pose with the International Series Vietnam trophy on Tuesday. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“It was the highlight of my career so far, and to perform well in front of my family and friends was truly really special, just having the hometown support,” he added.
“I felt like a lot of momentum was on my side because so many people were supporting me. On top of that playing such good golf was why I was able to have such a good week.”
This week is the fourth International Series event of the season, after Qatar, Oman and Thailand, and the eighth leg of the Asian Tour.
An outstanding field has entered the US$2million event including England’s Paul Casey, Anirban Lahiri from India and Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat.
He said: “A win here would be incredible. The International Series always poses an incredible challenge in terms of quality of field and the courses. To get a win here would be incredible.”
His very first tournament as a professional was in fact in an International Series event, in Thailand, and he showed signs there of what was to come starting with an opening round 66 at Black Mountain before tying for 34th.
Kho pictured on Tuesday during an official practice round. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Two events later the impressive young golfer triumphed by two shots in Hong Kong from New Zealand’s Michael Hendry to fittingly celebrate the week he was announced as an ambassador of the Hong Kong Golf Club and the return of international tournament golf to the Special Administrative Region of China for the first time in 38 months.
His success also meant he secured one of the four spots up for grabs in this year’s Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in July. That will mark his first appearance in a major championship.
And his win, worth US$180,000, moved him into sixth place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, setting up him for an outstanding first season that has put him in pole position to secure the Asian Tour Rookie of the Year Award.
Playing on The International Series has brought the best out of Travis Smyth, following recent qualification for The Open at Royal Liverpool, and he is hoping his consistent form of late can continue at this week’s inaugural International Series Vietnam.
The Australian has enjoyed a blistering start to the 2023 season on the Asian Tour, recording three top-10 finishes at the PFI Saudi International powered by Softbank Investment Advisers, International Series Qatar and most recently at the World City Championship presented by the Hong Kong Golf Club.
The 28 year old stated that: “If there was one word to describe the start of the season so far it would be fight, I feel like I fought really well.”
His third-place finish at the World City Championship saw him secure one of the four spots available in The Open in July as the event had the honour of being part of The Open Qualifying Series, but speaking of his LIV Golf experience last year Smyth said: “It might be controversial, but I feel like I’ve played three majors already with the three LIV events that I have already played.”
Bio Kim, Taichi Kho, Travis Smyth, and Michael Hendry secured their places in The Open at the World City Championship recently. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Smyth played in those LIV Golf events by virtue of finishing second in the International Series England last year, which at the time was his best performance on the Asian Tour. But he bettered that by the only way possible later in the year by winning the Yeangder Tournament Players Championship, for his maiden Asian Tour victory.
He admits that he is now fueling his confidence tournament-by-tournament.
“I’ve knocked off a number of top 10s on the Asian Tour now and I’ve had a win last year, so I am starting to get really comfortable at this level of competition.
“It has been really good for my confidence to play well in Saudi against all the LIV players and even at all The International Series events now we’re getting a handful of LIV players competing every time. When you start to beat those guys, you do get a little chip of confidence!”
The International Series Vietnam, which starts Thursday, will be held at the Greg Norman-designed KN Golf Links, situated on the south-central coast in Cam Rahn, and is set to be the biggest and most lucrative golf tournament ever staged in Vietnam.
Smyth shared his excitement for the week ahead, and said: “I can’t wait, I looked at the photos online and I’ve spoken to a couple of the guys who have played there, and they said it’s amazing, so I’m really looking forward to it.
“I’ve heard it’s really good, Vietnam has blown up in terms of resort golf and they’re definitely trying to push it.”
Smyth claimed the Yeangder TPC last year, for his maiden win on the Asian Tour. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
The Sydney native is enjoying the opportunities that The International Series provides, allowing him to develop as a player and play in different parts of the world where there are many similarities to his home city.
“It’s been amazing! I am loving that aspect, getting out to other parts of Asia and other parts of the world and learning and competing to play in all different types of conditions, it can only improve us as players if you look at it the right way.
“When you turn up to those countries and it’s harsh weather these are climates and conditions that I am used to coming from Sydney because we kind of get all four seasons in a day almost.”
The US$2 million Vietnam event is the fourth tournament on The International Series this season and the eighth stop on the Asian Tour.
By Joy Chakravarty in Augusta, Contributing Editor – Asian Tour.
The 87th Masters hasn’t even teed off and Joohyung ‘Tom’ Kim, one of the Asian Tour’s greatest graduates, made sure that a childhood dream was realised.
The Korean star played nine holes with five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods, the 1992 winner Fred Couples and the yet-to-be-jacketed Rory McIlroy on the first official practice day on Monday.
It was an experience that money can’t buy, and something that took Couples – enamoured by the massive game, character and attitude that the boy wonder exhibited during the Presidents Cup last year – only a couple of phone calls to fix.
Tom Kim (L), Tiger Woods (second from L), Rory McIlroy (second from R) and Fred Couples (R) all try to ‘skip’ their tee shots onto the 16th green during a practice round on Monday. Picture by David Cannon/Getty Images.
“I did not put the group together,” said Kim, winner of the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit at the end of the COVID-19 hit 2020-2022 season.
“That’s impossible for me. But Fred was telling me ever since the Presidents Cup, let’s play a practice round together. Just a couple of weeks ago, I got a text: ‘Hey, it’s going to be you, me, Tiger, Rory’. I was like, ‘okay, cool’.
“I think my first memory of just watching golf was the Masters and Tiger winning it, and for me to be able to share my first official practice round with him was a dream come true, really. And to not just play with Tiger but to have Fred Couples and Rory join us, it was, as I said, a dream.”
It turned out to be a long nine holes – almost three hours – but Kim insists every minute spent with the threesome was worth its weight in gold.
“It was really cool to see just the amount of work Tiger does around the greens – to pick which chip shots he was hitting and stuff like that. The positions he put himself in, was really cool to pick as well. I walked the back nine again after we played it and I got to kind of see where he pitched from. He has years and years of knowledge here and some success, so I’m pretty sure there’s a reason why he’s there,” said the 20 year old.
Couples helped set up the dream practice round. Picture by David Cannon/Getty Images.
“You don’t really need to talk to them and ask for advice. You can just see it and think to yourself, why are they hitting those shots to those pins? Why are they chipping from that particular spot? I guess they leave themselves that.
“Obviously, game plans are different because our games are different, but you can have an idea of how the course plays during tournament weeks and why they are chipping or putting.”
One of the oft-repeated comments about Augusta National is how cruel the golf course can be to first timers. The only Masters debutant (if you do not count the inaugural edition in 1934) to win the Green Jacket was Fuzzy Zoeller in 1977.
Kim is eager to change that particular Masters stat.
“I hope so, that I can change that. I got some really good work done, and this course actually does suit my eye a little bit. So, I’m trying to prepare really well. Obviously, some of the guys have been here a lot more than I have, but I have to adjust and adapt quickly,” said Kim.
“If I win, it would exceed expectations, for sure. But everyone wants to win the Masters. Everyone wants to park in the champions parking lot. Everyone wants to go to the Champions Dinner. Everyone wants to fight for it and I’m the same way. Hopefully, I’ll just be able to have a chance on Sunday. That would be a dream.”
Kim tees off at the iconic 18th. Picture by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images.
As important as his two wins on the PGA Tour late last year were to muscle into the global golfing spotlight, Kim is in no doubt that his formative years in Asia played a huge role in his success story.
Three rapid-fire victories on the Asian Development Tour in 2019 earned him an instant promotion to the Asian Tour that year, and he duly celebrated by winning the Panasonic Open India, to become the second youngest professional to win an Asian Tour event, aged 17 years and 149 days. And after the global pandemic briefly halted his meteoric rise, he wrapped up the Tours’ Order of Merit title at the beginning of 2022, helped by victory in the season’s penultimate event, The Singapore International.
“I turned pro a lot earlier than what a lot of people do. I didn’t have a plan to go to college or play college golf. Obviously, back in Asia, it is allowed. I spent time there and I felt like it was a great time for me to adjust faster. Of course, I always wanted to be on the PGA Tour as early as possible,” said Kim, now ranked 19th in the world.
“Those times that I spent traveling and adjusting to the new courses, adjusting to new countries, eating different food…it helped me adjust quicker when I got here because I was so used to new conditions and adapting. Those three, four years, spending time on different tours in Asia definitely made my foundation really strong.
“Every single golfer wants to win the Masters, but for an Asian golfer to win is going to be a lot more impactful, because of how far all this feels growing up in Asia.
“Hopefully, this week, whether it’s me or any other Asian golfer, we will have a chance to win on Sunday and inspire the generations coming up.”
Kim has been paired with McIlroy and the in-form Sam Burns for the first two rounds.
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