Australia’s Scott Hend, a 10-time winner on the Asian Tour, moved into a strong position in the New Zealand Open presented by SKY SPORT today after shooting a seven-under-par 64 on day two to sit in third place, two behind the leader Christopher Wood.

First-round leader Wood from Australia fired a 69 and is 12 under at Millbrook Resort, while his compatriot Shae Wools-Cobb is one back following a 64.

Jaewoong Eom, a fresh graduate from this year’s Asian Tour Qualifying School, is in a share of fourth, three off top spot after returning a 66 with three other players, that includes Australian John Lyras, another player to make it through the school, who fired a brilliant 62.

Thailand’s Gunn Charoenkul, in second place at the start of the day, came in with a 69 and is just four off the lead.

Two courses are being used this week in an event that also has a Pro-Am component with Hend, the 2016 Asian Tour Order of Merit winner, on the Remarkables Course, unlike the two players ahead of him who played the Coronet Course.

Christopher Wood. (Picture by Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz).

Hend and Lyras played together in an incredibly low scoring group that saw them both eagle their opening hole the par-five 10^th.

Hend then birdied his next three holes, and made the turn in four under, as did Lyras before the latter edged ahead on the second nine, helped by another eagle on five, narrowly failing to match Wood’s opening day course record 61.

“We just enjoyed each other’s company,” said Hend.

“It wasn’t a hassle playing with each other so that leads to, usually, better scoring. And when you’re both scoring at the rate we were, hopefully you can jump on the back of someone else.”

Korea’s Eom played on the Coronet Course and made six birdies and dropped just one shot.

He finished joint 14^th at the Qualifying School in January, having won one of the pre-qualifiers, and is making his first start of the year on the Asian Tour.

“My heart is at peace today. I played very well,” said Eom, who added the Pro-Am part has contributed to his great start.

“I was helped by being able to play in a group with my Korean friends,” he said.

“I heard the weather might not be so good tomorrow. I may need to change to a jumper or jacket. It is important for me to rest well tonight. My expectations are not so high, but I will try.”

The Korean is looking for a season that matches his best year so far, which was in 2018 when he won what is to date his only victory on the Korean Tour, the Huons Celebrity Pro-Am, finished fifth in the Australian PGA Championship, and fifth in the Korea Open – his best finish on the Asian Tour.

Gunn, second in the International Series Qatar two weeks ago, was not able to match his bogey free 66 yesterday but birdied 15 and 18 to give him a chance of a first Asian Tour victory at the weekend.

Another Asian Tour player who enjoyed a fine Friday is Chinese teenager Chen Guxin.

The 19 year old, playing on the Asian Tour this season thanks to finishing in the top-10 on last year’s Asian Development (ADT) Tour Order of Merit, carded a 68 and is seven under, in a tie for 12^th.

Chen won twice on the ADT and finished fifth on the Merit.

Jaewoong Eom. (Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour).

He became the maiden player from his country to win an ADT event when he tasted victory in the Blue Canyon Classic, before winning the BRG Open Golf Championship – the first time an ADT event had been played in Vietnam.

This week’s event is joint sanctioned with the PGA Tour of Australasia, in partnership with the Japan Golf Tour.

The final two rounds will both be played on the Coronet Course.

Gunn Charoenkul’s revival continued unabated today in the New Zealand Open presented by SKY SPORT when he shot a six-under-par 65 in the first round to sit in a tie for second, four behind the leader, Australian Christopher Wood.

Despite a misbehaving driver, Gunn put together a flawless bogey-free round on the Remarkables Course at Millbrook Resort making three birdies on each nine.

New Zealand veteran Steve Alker and his compatriot Kit Bittle, Australian Thomas Power Horan, and Japan’s Yosuke Asaji and Tomoyo Ikemura also came in with 65s – in a Pro-Am format event that sees each professional paired with an amateur partner.

Gunn finished second in the International Series Qatar two weeks ago for his best result in three years on the Asian Tour, having been hampered by a persistent degenerative thumb injury for most of that period.

And that form continued today on a beautiful sun-drenched summer’s day at Millbrook in Queenstown, where stunning mountainous scenery encircles the course.

“Great result but I didn’t really drive it great today,” said Gunn.

“I hit a lot of drives right into the rough, but I managed to get away with good lies. So, I was able to get on the green and give myself some chances. I didn’t play the par fives great as well, only made birdie on one of them today.

“My iron game was on point though, I put myself within 15 feet on a lot of occasions. I pretty much holed all the putts, so overall I am pretty pleased with my round.”

Christopher Wood. (Picture by photosport.nz)

A 45-foot birdie putt on hole two was his shot of the day, for which he was able thank his amateur partner, Aris Agung Budiman.

He said: “My partner Aris had the same putt, I said I would be a good student and sure enough I holed it!”

In Qatar, the 30 year old heaped praised on his coach Sam Cyr who caddied for him there and there is no doubt he is missing his presence this week.

“My confidence is not as high as Qatar because I don’t have my coach Sam on the bag, like I did there,” said Gunn.

“I did have a lot of doubts out there as I really wasn’t driving it great. I kept telling myself to trust it, because I have just been missing one way, straight right. But I love being here in Queenstown, it’s stunning and you might as well enjoy it whatever happens.”

After a brilliant 2019 when he was playing the best golf of his life, regularly challenging on both the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour, he has been battling to recapture his form, and the signs are clearly there that he is starting to turn the corner.

Currently in fourth place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, he is yet to win on the Tour, where he has finished second three times.

Wood, playing in the final pairing on the Remarkables layout, was in inspired form making an eagle and eight birdies for a sensational course-record 61.

“It’s only round one,” said Wood.

“It’s obviously great to get off to a good start so hopefully get out there early in the morning and keep going.

“I’ve been playing average but the last tournament back in Australia I played pretty decent the last three rounds. I knew the game was coming around nicely.”

Alker, who hit the big-time on the Champions Tour last year winning four times including a Senior’s Major the Senior PGA Championship, carded seven birdies and a solitary bogey, also on the Remarkables layout.

He was most happy with his putting, apart from one three putt.

“I got a nice solid start, birdied the first couple of holes, so kind of settled down and got into a bit of a groove. I kind of felt like I just left a little bit out there because there wasn’t much wind today and I didn’t get the par fives on my back nine, the front nine,” he said.

Steve Alker. (Picture by Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz)

“Overall the score was good, I just kept my nose clean, I think I had a three putt in there but apart from that it was pretty good.”

New Zealand amateurs Sam Jones, Jayden Ford, and Kazuma Kobori, and Australians Lawry Flynn and Dimitrios Papadatos all came in with 66s.

On day two those who played on the Remarkables today will switch to the Coronet Course, and vice versa.

It is fair to say Gunn Charoenkul tees-off in the New Zealand Open presented by SKY SPORT tomorrow revitalised and relieved thanks to his fine second place finish in the International Series Qatar two weeks ago – which was his best result on the Asian Tour in three years – and also because he says last year he was close to giving up the game.

“I was really stressed-out last year, and was thinking I should quit,” said the Thai star this week at Millbrook Resort, venue for the 102^nd staging of New Zealand’s national Open.

An injury to his left thumb has derailed his career over the past three years, which was in stark contrast to a brilliant 2019 when he was playing the best golf of his life, regularly challenging on both the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour.

He added: “This was my third time getting injured. First time was a cyst in my left wrist, then the joint in my right hand, and now the left thumb. As it goes on, it wears you down.

“I told my wife if I don’t really secure my card then I will probably play on a local tour for a couple of years, and then just call it a day. That’s golf though, you are on the verge of quitting but then you suddenly play well again and that kept the fire going.”

Gunn Charoenkul and coach/caddie Sam Cyr celebrate a fine result in Qatar.  Picture By Ian Walton/Asian Tour.

A stunning eagle on the par five closing hole at Doha Golf Club, venue for the International Series Qatar, saw him secure solo second at the crunch and earned him a cheque for US$275,000, the biggest of his career.

The much-welcomed winnings meant he was able to regain his Asian Tour, as he was playing on a medical exemption.

Gunn has a degenerated thumb injury which he picked up three years ago while trying to swing the club hard and fast like American Bryson Dechambeau.

“It’s also because my swing is very narrow on the downswing which puts pressure on the thumb,” said Gunn.

“I take shots three times a year to fix it, just joint fluid not cortisone. And I have to do a lot of physio work on it. I felt the pain early 2020, I pushed it to October but then I was out for four months. Played again in Singapore in 2021, but then I was out until August again, and then I was out again last year for the first five months.”

Gunn praised his coach and ex-player Sam Cyr for his success in Qatar, where Cyr also caddied for him.

“I met Sam six months ago, on Instagram. I got COVID in Korea, so had the week off in the room the whole week and made contact. He was working with Tom Kim,” said Gunn.

“After two months of working with him I didn’t really see the results, but we started working really hard from there. Qatar week was the first time he came on Tour, and we worked really hard. He was a huge help on the greens. He was doing all the work. And we stuck to our process throughout the week, concentrate on that and the results will come.

“Everyday is like a practice round for me but I try to get better after each round. Made some small swing changes, just a little bit of everything. Sam introduced me to a fitness coach as well, who is based in Dallas, we have been doing face time. We work on flexibility and better pivoting, working on areas of my body I have not used before.”

Since turning professional in 2011, Gunn has been a prolific winner of titles on some of the region’s small tours. He has claimed 12 titles in total, including six in Thailand and three on the China Tour.

And that outstanding 2019 saw him register 10 top-10 finishes in Japan, while he also had three top five finishes at the end of the year on the Asian Tour in the space of a month.

He was rewarded for that impressive run of form with a place on the Thailand Olympic team with Jazz Janewattananond.

Gunn in action in Qatar. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

After his storming finish in Qatar, after which he said about his coach and himself, “we’re looking up, and it’s not just here, and he wants me to look forward to like, up there, top 10, maybe number one in the world”, perhaps Gunn’s renaissance has begun and the region can look forward to seeing one of Thailand’s most gifted young golfers finally fulfil his potential.

Young Korean superstar Tom Kim was the joint third-round leader here in New Zealand when the event was last played in 2020, and eventually finished fourth, so he has set the bar for Gunn, currently fourth on the Asian Tour Order of Merit (OOM), with ambitions to finish first on that Merit list and the International Series OOM.

New Zealander and Asian Tour regular Ben Campbell should definitely be on everyone’s radar at this week’s 102^nd New Zealand Open presented by SKY SPORT – which tees off at Millbrook Resort in Queenstown on Thursday.

He nearly won the event here in 2017, before losing in a sudden-death play-off, and as well as living in Queenstown, his home course is Millbrook – where the Remarkables and Coronet Courses will be used for this week’s Pro Am-style event.

The 31 year old also recently returned from a five-month lay-off caused by back ailment and showed promising signs of a quick return to form this month when he tied for the 13^th in the International Series Qatar.

Five years ago, he came agonizingly close to winning his national Open. In a thrilling finish on the par-three 18th his compatriot Michael Hendry triumphed in a play-off that also included Australian Brad Kennedy. Campbell and Kennedy both found water off the tee, while Hendry made par and lifted the Brodie Breeze Trophy to become the first Kiwi to win the event in 14 years.

Campbell credits his local knowledge of the course as a big help to his success in 2017, that will also serve him well when the event gets underway.

“Yeah, it’s one of those courses that, the more you play it you just learn a few little things,” said Campbell.

“I think definitely, having it as my home course, it’s just makes you feel a lot more comfortable out there. You know where you can miss it and where you can’t, and also leading up to it, I don’t really have to play too much. I can play nine holes on Monday, nine holes on Tuesday and that’ll probably be about it for me [for practice rounds]. I think having that comfort going into the week, it’s quite nice.”

Ben Campbell at the International Series Thailand last year. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

The convenience of being able to stay at home during tournament week is a huge benefit.

“It’s always nice being able to sleep in your own bed and play at your home course, the course is looking great,” said Campbell, who was ranked as high as sixth on the World Amateur Golf Ranking before he turned professional in 2012.

“It’s been very dry down here, but yeah, looking forward to it, the course should be great.”

After successful campaigns on the Asian Tour in 2018 and 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Campbell came back in 2022 to a hot start, finishing eighth at the SMBC Singapore Open and followed it up a few weeks later with a runner-up finish at the Vic Open on the PGA Tour of Australasia, which earned him a first ever start in a Major, at the 150^th Open at St. Andrews, in July.

In May, he was also the joint third-round leader in the Asia Pacific Open Golf Championship Diamond Cup – an event jointly sanctioned by Asia and Japan – before tying eighth.

However, the back issue meant his season came to a premature end in September and he only returned to the Asian Tour this month at the International Series events in Oman and Qatar.

“Yeah, it’s good, I hadn’t played much for six months,” he said.

“I was obviously on a medical so pretty much missed a lot last year. Oman and Qatar were the first events back, but yeah, hitting the ball really well. In Qatar I didn’t putt overly great, but I think it’s great to have a week off after. I came home to tidy a few things up and yeah, I’m really looking forward to this week.”

While his injury kicked in in Q4 it actually reared its ugly head months before that.

Ben Campbell. Picture by Thananuwat Srirasant/Asian Tour.

“About five weeks before the British Open I was in the gym and I picked up a weight, and I just felt a ping in my back. I played the International Series England on the Asian Tour and then played the British Open, and yeah, got some scans and didn’t really realize it was quite as bad as it was.

“I had a bulged disc at L3 and L4, and after that healed, I still had a lot of nerve damage. Just the nerve pain wouldn’t go away. I ended up getting a nerve ablation done on my side joint, and it seems to be doing the trick so far,” says Campbell.

“Now it’s feeling really good, so it’s going to be nice going forward. I’ve had a week at home to see the physio so the body should be nice and raring to go for the Open.”

The New Zealand Open was last played in 2020 and was won by another Asian Tour regular Australian Brad Kennedy – who this week will attempt to win the prestigious event for a third time.

Total prizemoney is NZ$1,650,000 (approx. US$1,017,300) and the event is co-sanctioned by the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia and the Asian Tour, and held in partnership with the Japan Golf Tour.

The field will be split across the two courses for the first round of competition with all players alternating to the other course for the second round.

After the second round the top 60 and ties among the professionals will continue to the final two rounds at Millbrook Resort.

For the Pro-Am teams, the top 40 pairings will progress to compete in round three, before a third-round cut will see the top 10 Pro-Am teams progress to the final round.

England’s Paul Casey and Jason Kokrak from the United States shot six-under-par 65s to share the first-round lead of LIV Golf Mayakoba, the season-opening event of the new LIV Golf League.

Casey’s Crushers GC lead the team competition at El Camaleon Golf Course by three strokes with a collective 10 under. Kokrak’s Smash GC and defending team champions 4Aces GC share second at seven under.

Asian Tour member Casey, who teed off on the sixth hole, rolled in a 60-foot birdie putt at the 16th hole and was cruising with a bogey-free five under through his first 14 holes. He then suffered his only bad swing of the day, a poor tee shot at the par-four second that found the penalty area, leading to a double bogey.

“I’ve never played here before,” said the 45-year-old Casey. “I’m used to desert golf, when you’ve got that feeling of two hazards either side of the fairway. This place just puts you on edge … There are so many difficult tee shots that kind of get your attention. They kind of make you a bit nervous, to be honest, in this wind.”

But after quickly dropping off the lead, the Englishman responded by finishing his round with three consecutive birdies to climb back to the top.

“Maybe I was in the zone for the last three,” Casey laughed. “It was a really good day. A blemish is a blemish, but it is what it is. I’d be surprised if anyone gets through this tournament this week without making some kind of error like that.”

Abraham Ancer, winner of the Asian Tour’s season-opening PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers, opened with a 70.  (Photo by Juan Luis Diaz/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images).

Kokrak didn’t have any bogeys in his round, but that doesn’t mean it was a completely error-free day. An errant tee shot at the 14th hole forced him to scramble, but he saved par by chipping in from off the green. He also used his putter from off the green at the second hole to drain a long birdie putt.

The 37-year-old Kokrak started his calendar year with two top-20 finishes in the Middle East and was particularly pleased with his driver in that stretch. But on Sunday while working in a simulator before leaving for Mexico, the face of his driver popped out. That has forced him to use his backup driver this week at El Camaleon.

He said the backup isn’t exactly identical, and described his first practice day on the range this week as “horrific, hitting it left.”

He spent the next two days tweaking his backup driver. Other than the 14th hole, he was solid off the tee, hitting 10 of 14 fairways.

“I knew I was hitting it well because all the other golf clubs I was hitting were right on target and quality golf shots, so I knew it wasn’t the golf swing,” Kokrak said. “It was just something small with the driver. Hopefully we have that figured out and we’ll drive it good for the rest of the week.”

Reigning International Series Order of Merit champion Scott Vincent came in with a 71. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images).

The closest pursuers to the co-leaders are Carlos Ortiz (Fireballs GC), Peter Uihlein (4Aces GC) and Talor Gooch (RangeGoats GC). Ortiz and teammate Abraham Ancer, who each represented Mexico in the Olympics, received huge support Friday from their fellow countrymen.

“I love when I play in front of my family and friends and just Mexicans overall or Latins,” Ortiz said. “… I just tried to find a way to make things happen.”

Mexico’s Abraham Ancer, winner of the Asian Tour’s season-opening PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers, opened with a 70, and is equal 12th.

Zimbabwean Scott Vincent, who is playing the LIV Golf League by virtue of winning the International Series Order of Merit list last year, fired a 71 and is tied for 18^th.

American Sihwan Kim, winner of the 2022 Asian Tour Order of Merit, had a poor day and carded an 82 and will be hoping for a repeat of his amazing turnaround performance at last year’s LIV Golf Invitational – Boston when he showed his never-say-die attitude.

After a bout of COVID-19 he had low energy levels and erratic driving led to a nightmarish opening-round 87. It would have knocked the wind out of most players, but Kim responded in spectacular fashion – making an eagle and seven birdies in a brilliant seven-under par 63 second round for a 24-shot turnaround!

Text courtesy of LIV Golf.

In an outstanding development for golf in the region two events on the Asian Tour, the inaugural World City Championship Presented by Hong Kong Golf Club and the long-standing Kolon Korea Open, have both been included in The Open Qualifying Series (OQS) this year, following an announcement by The R&A this week.

The exciting new Hong Kong event, to be played at the Hong Kong Golf Club from March 23-26, will see the four leading players not otherwise exempt earn a place in The 151st Open – which will be held at Royal Liverpool Golf Club, from July 20-23.

At Korea’s national Open, which will be staged at Woo Jeung Hills Country Club from June 22-25, two places will be up for grabs in the game’s eldest Major.

“This is great validation of the strength of the players who compete week in and week out on the Asian Tour,” said Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner & CEO, Asian Tour.

“Playing in Major championships is undoubtedly one of the goals that every player sets at the beginning of each season. Having the opportunity to qualify on two separate occasions on the Asian Tour gives our members a prime opportunity to achieve this.

Sadom Kaewkanjana of Thailand looks on during Day Three of The 150th Open at St Andrews Old Course on July 16, 2022 in St Andrews, Scotland. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

“Sadom Kaewkanjana’s 11th place finish in The Open last year and the ascendancy of Tom Kim at that same event are prime examples of players taking advantage of The Open Qualifying Series in the Asian region.”

The news is a boon for the organisers of the World City Championship, an event being staged to celebrate the opening up of Hong Kong after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Hong Kong Golf Club is renowned by players and fans alike for its historic atmosphere, natural beauty, and challenging Composite Course, we welcome The R&A awarding of the World City Championship with The Open Qualifying Series status,” said Andy Kwok, Captain, the Hong Kong Golf Club.

“With four places at golf’s original Major on offer, Hong Kong galleries can look forward to another top-flight field assembling in Fanling.

“For our part, we look forward to once again hosting the top players in the game, visitors from around the world, and thousands of members of the Hong Kong public, as we open what promises to be a milestone season of international events at the Hong Kong Golf Club in 2023.”

In total 15 events in nine countries make up the OQS for 2023, which started at the Joburg Open and will be end at the Genisis Scottish Open.

A total of 34 places are available through the events being played on the PGA TOUR, DP World Tour, Asian Tour, Japan Golf Tour, PGA Tour of Australasia and Sunshine Tour.

Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, Executive Director – Championships at The R&A, said: “We have created an exciting schedule of events which takes in many regions around the world and provides the chance for golfers to earn a place in The Open at Royal Liverpool. We are grateful to our colleagues at the professional Tours for their support and look forward to seeing who emerges from each event to book a sought-after place in the Championship this year.”

Burning with ambition, Gunn Charoenkul heads to New Zealand next week determined to build on his best Asian Tour finish.

The 30-year-old Thai delivered a spectacular eagle-three finish in last week’s International Series Qatar at Doha Golf Club to claim runners-up spot.

He now aims to maintain momentum with a strong showing in the 102nd New Zealand Open presented by SKY SPORT from March 2-5.

Returning to the schedule after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the event at Millbrook Resort is co-sanctioned by the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia and the Asian Tour, and held in partnership with the Japan Golf Tour.

Thanks to his strong performance in Qatar, Gunn enters the fourth leg of the 2023 Asian Tour season in fourth place on the Order of Merit and 415th in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), a rise of 106 spots from the previous week and his highest position for almost two years.

Brad Kennedy pictured winning the New Zealand Open in 2020. He also won in 2011.  

For a man, though, who was as high as 126th in the OWGR in January 2020, there’s a long way still to go as he seeks to make up for lost time following a series of injuries which stalled his career.

Despite the setbacks he’s endured, Gunn is once more in a positive frame of mind and displaying an ambition to stamp his mark on the game and fulfil the promise and potential that his coach, Sam Cyr, believes he has.

“You know, we’re looking up,” said Gunn, following the International Series Qatar. “He (Cyr) wants me to look forward … to top-10, maybe number one in the world. It’s a little crazy right now, but hopefully we get there.”

Joining Gunn as part of the 30-strong Asian Tour contingent in New Zealand, where a purse of NZ$1.65 million (about US$1 million) is on offer, are five players from the top-20 on last year’s Order of Merit.

Leading the way is Korean Bio Kim, runner-up to Sihwan Kim in the 2022 Merit standings, and Chinese Taipei’s Chan Shih-chang (sixth).

Also making the trip to New Zealand are Australian Todd Sinnott, South African Ian Snyman and American Jarin Todd.

Former Asian Tour Order of Merit champion Scott Hend is also in the starting line-up along with fellow-Australian Brad Kennedy, who is setting his sights on a third New Zealand Open crown, having won the event in 2011 and 2020.

The tournament will include a field of up to 156 amateurs and 156 professionals playing alongside one another. The professional golfers will compete for the New Zealand Open title whilst simultaneously a pairing of one professional and one amateur will play a best-ball format for the New Zealand Open Pro-Am Championship.

The field will be split across two courses at Millbrook Resort for the first round of competition with all players alternating to the other course for the second round.

After the second round the top 60 and ties among the professionals will continue to the final two rounds at Millbrook Resort.

For the Pro-Am teams, the top 40 pairings will progress to compete in round three, before a third-round cut will see the top 10 Pro-Am teams progress to the final round.

American Andrew Ogletree became the first player to win two International Series events when he recorded a convincing victory today in the US$2.5 million International Series Qatar, at Doha Golf Club.

The impressive 24 year old from Mississippi closed with a one-over-par 73 to finish on seven under and win by three shots from Thailand’s Gunn Charoenkul, who fired a 68, helped by an eagle on the par-five 18^th.

Thailand’s Suradit Yongcharoenchai finished one shot back in third following a 72, while his compatriot Phachara Khongwatmai returned a 67 to claim fourth, another stroke behind.

Ogletree, who won the International Series Egypt in November and has two wins in just nine starts on the Asian Tour, started the day with a five-shot lead and was never really challenged, when for the fourth day in a row strong wind were unrelenting.

Andy Ogletree celebrates on the 18th green. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

At the turn his lead was six and while a double bogey on hole 10, where he was unable to get up and down after an errant second shot went long and left, briefly offered some hope to his pursuers, he proceeded to steady the ship with seven pars and a birdie on the last.

“I think it just comes from all the work that I’ve put in,” said Ogletree, who won US$450,000.

“I’ve worked really hard this offseason post Egypt, and just have a lot of confidence because I work so hard. I don’t think anyone wants it more than me. I want to keep giving myself more opportunities and this is the route that I can do that. So, I’m really focused, and trying to win the Order of Merit out here is my number one goal this year, and that’s all I’m really focused on. And you got to win to do that, so this feels great.”

Ogletree moved to the top of the Asian Tour Order of Merit (OOM) and International Series OOM thanks to an outstanding start to the season. He finished ninth in the season-opening PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers and tied for seventh in last week’s International Series Oman.

“I mean, confidence wise, I don’t know how I could get a lot higher. My last five starts internationally, four top-10s and two wins, so I think I’m playing really good golf,” he said.

“I’m executing my game plan really well and kind of eliminating some of the silly mistakes. I had a couple today, but throughout the week this week it was really good tee to green.

“Eliminating three putts, eliminating short-sided iron shots, eliminating bogeys with wedges and eliminating bogeys on par fives is just kind of the goal. So that’s how I define how I’m playing, if I’m doing those things, and I’ve done that really well the last few weeks.”

Gunn Charoenkul.  Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

It’s all a far cry for a player who, hindered by a hip injury, struggled to make an impact when he turned professional in 2020 following a stellar amateur career.

The former Georgia Tech college golf star reached the pinnacle of the amateur game in 2019 when he won the US Amateur, and that same year was part of the victorious United States team at the Walker Cup.

He said: “Yeah, I mean, obviously, just being able to play pain free is awesome. I’ve had a really good run the past few months, my body has felt great. I’ve never lost my confidence mentally. But now that I’m getting some reassurance from my body, it’s gaining even more confidence. So super pleased to be champion here. It’s unbelievable.

“What a great test we had this week. It was really hard. The course got really firm and fast, there was so much wind. I grew up playing in no wind, so super proud to win a golf tournament in wind like this.”

A storming finish allowed Gunn to snatch second at the very end. He birdied 13 and 14, dropped a shot on the next before making birdie on 16 and an eagle on 18.

It’s his best finish on the Asian Tour since he came third in the Hong Kong Open at the beginning of 2020. He has also been struggling with injuries over the past few seasons.

“I don’t know what to say, it’s been a while since I started playing well again and could say that all the credit goes to my coach Sam Cyr who is here,” said Gunn, who has been playing on a medical exemption.

“We’ve been working really hard for the past six months and this has been the first time that he’s come out here and working with me. We really did grind it out during the practice days, and he put me in the present moment throughout the weekend, encouraged me throughout the whole day and you know, don’t put my head down.

Suradit Yongcharoenkul.  Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

“This is my biggest cheque I’ve received so far, and I mentioned that to Sam as well. And, you know, we’re looking up, and it’s not just here, and he wants me to look forward to like, up there. Top 10, maybe number one in the world. It’s a little crazy right now, but hopefully we get there.”

The next event on the Asian Tour is the New Zealand Open presented by SKY SPORT, which will be played at Millbrook Resort from March 2 to 5.