Inaugural Players Championship to make pioneering trip to Angkor Golf Resort
Da Nang an 80-kilometre stretch of coastline on Vietnam’s eastern shores is home to seven wonderful golf courses – with two of them, Laguna Golf Lăng Cô and Legend Da Nang Golf Resort, Asian Tour Destination venues. Jonathan Ponniah reports on the dunes, paddy fields and beaches of this prime strip of golfing neverland.
1: Vast Variety
Variety, they say, is the spice of life. The same is true for a golf getaway – and Da Nang, in central Vietnam, serves up a delectable mix of golf that whets the appetite and satisfies all cravings.
There are currently no less than seven golf courses in greater Da Nang, along an 80-kilometre coastal stretch from Lăng Cô in the north to Hoi An in the south, with more set to open over the next few years.
From rugged links style courses to parkland layouts and even a highland course, there’s something to suit all preferences in the area known collectively as the Vietnam Golf Coast.
Lady golfer teeing off at the Legend Da Nang Golf Resort’s Norman Course
2: World-Class Designers
Headlining the Da Nang golf portfolio are two Asian Tour Destinations venues, offering layouts designed by three of the biggest names in golf – Laguna Golf Lăng Cô’s Sir Nick Faldo Signature Course, and the Greg Norman and Jack Nicklaus 18s of the Legend Da Nang Golf Resort.
The beachside par-four 9th hole of Laguna Golf Lăng Cô
Laguna Golf Lăng Cô’s par-71 layout challenges golfers with sprawling waste areas, massive boulder outcrops and huge, undulating greens, while paddy fields and a beach-fronting stretch midway through add stunning visual aesthetics.
The Legend Da Nang’s links-style Norman Course is reminiscent of traditional Scottish links golf and the sand-belt courses of Norman’s native Australia, featuring wide, rolling fairways, sculptured bunkers, heavily contoured greens and sandy dunes.
The water-laden 18th hole of the Nicklaus Course at Legend Da Nang Golf Resort
The fully floodlit Nicklaus Course plays to a total par of 73, with five par-fives on the scorecard, and has a distinctly Floridian look with lush, tree-lined fairways and scenic water hazards bordered by wooden bulkheads.
Close to The Legend Da Nang is Montgomerie Links Golf Club and its linksy 18 holes designed by Scottish legend Colin Montgomerie, while about half an hour’s drive inland is Luke Donald’s Ba Na Hills Golf Club set in scenic highlands. Da Nang’s current golf inventory is rounded off by two relatively new courses to the south of Hoi An Ancient City – Robert Trent Jones Jr II’s Hoiana Shores and Vinpearl Golf Nam Hoi An.
3: Amazing Hospitality
The central Vietnamese are naturally friendly folk, and they take whatever they do for a living very seriously.
Whichever course you play, the golf experience is enhanced by this trademark efficiency and hospitality. From the reception staff to the well-trained caddies, there is a genuine warmth and an infectious enthusiasm for even the most mundane of services.
Service with a smile at Laguna Golf Lăng Cô
Laguna Golf Lăng Cô’s Director of Golf, Stephen Banks, noted: “What makes Laguna Golf Lăng Cô really special is the people, the gentle nature and hospitality of the associates who work here. You go into the locker room, you go to the bag drop area, it’s just very warm, welcoming and accommodating,” noted Banks.
4: Fabulous Facilities
Complementing the world-class golf are excellent facilities, with each club offering the full range of services and amenities. For those who wish to hit a few balls and hone the short game before teeing off, the practice areas and driving ranges are also of the highest standards.
The Legend Da Nang’s 4,000 square metre clubhouse is one of the best in the region, with a well-thought flow and full sports, leisure and conferencing facilities.
Legend Da Nang Golf Resort’s massive pro-shop
Laguna Golf Lăng Cô has a compact and charming clubhouse, enhanced by full resort facilities and bespoke accommodation as it forms part of Laguna Lăng Cô Resort.
If you’re in Da Nang without your golf set, fret not as branded rental clubs are readily available. The well-stocked pro-shops offer the latest equipment and accessories, along with club logo merchandise items which make great souvenirs or gifts.
5: Culinary Delights
Nothing works up an appetite quite like a round of golf and, to satisfy the palettes and fill the tummies of hungry golfers, the cuisine served at every clubhouse in Da Nang is absolutely lip-smacking.
Enjoy a hearty bowl of Phở Bò (beef soup noodles) after a round!
From traditional Vietnamese favourites such as Phở Bò (beef soup noodles) and Cơm Gà (chicken rice) to Western staples, you can expect and enjoy a sumptuous and ample meal to fuel up for the next round.
For coffeeholics, each meal can be perfectly rounded off with the robust local drip brew. Those who prefer something a little more intoxicating can down a few of the local lagers such as Larue and 333!
6: Off Course
If you’re thinking of bringing non-golfing family or friends to Da Nang, rest assured that there’s much more to see and experience than golf. Straddling the mouth of the Han River as it empties into the sea, the vibrant city offers something for everyone with its sumptuous cuisine, bustling markets and street coffee culture.
Rustic Hoi An makes for a great day outing
Excursions are also easily arranged to popular tourist spots such as the Son Tra Peninsula, Ba Na Hill Station and Hoi An. If you only have time for one, opt for Hoi An Ancient City which is less than half an hour away. Beautifully conceived and crafted, the former port city has a colourful history reflected in its rustic mix of old Chinese shophouses, stately French colonial building, colourfully lit canals and ornate bridges.
For golfers though, golf is and always will be the main course!
Main picture: Postcard par-three – Laguna Golf Lăng Cô’s 8th hole
Ryder Cup legend Ian ‘The Postman’ Poulter is set to return to his homeland for International Series England, and is one of a number of marquee names to be confirmed in the field at Foxhills Club & Resort from 8-11 August, 2024.
It is the second time that Poulter will play the Asian Tour’s enhanced event on British soil – he finished runner-up in last year’s edition.
The co-captain of Majesticks GC will be joined by a host of other LIV Golf League stablemates at the event which will be played in the heart of Surrey golf country.
Graeme McDowell, the 2010 US Open champion representing Smash GC, has also been confirmed along with Harold Varner III of 4Aces GC, Anirban Lahiri from Crushers GC, and Branden Grace from South African Stinger GC. Richard Bland of Cleeks GC and English compatriot Sam Horsfield of Majesticks GC will also feature.
Poulter has an impressive international pedigree with three tournament victories on the PGA Tour and 12 on the DP World Tour, including two wins in co-sanctioned Asian Tour events – the Barclays Singapore Open in 2009 and UBS Hong Kong Open in 2010.
Graeme McDowell in action at last year’s International Series England. Picture By Ian Walton.
He was also a phenomenal Ryder Cup Team Europe player. His total of 16 points helped Team Europe win five of the seven Ryder Cups he appeared in. It was his emotionally charged clutch putts that stayed long in the memory, earning him the nickname ‘The Postman’ because he always delivered on the greens.
At International Series England in 2023, the Lee Westwood Colt Course at Close House was Poulter’s playground. He shot 14 birdies and one eagle to finish runner-up, as 2023 International Series Rankings winner and now HyFlyers GC team member Andy Ogletree from the United States took the title.
On his return to International Series England for 2024, he said: “Playing in England has and always will be very special for me. Having home crowds and family and friends supporting is always awesome.
“I’m very much looking forward to playing the International Series event at Foxhills. For me to be back home is going to be a truly special summer.
“Foxhills is a course that is only one hour 20 from my front door, but it is a course I have not played yet. I am looking forward to getting there and playing a few practice rounds and getting a look at the venue, and then really giving it a good go.”
Anirban Lahiri pictured at the International Series Oman. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
A host of stars from the Asian Tour have also been confirmed as they seek invaluable points in the season-long race for The International Series Rankings title, with the champion securing a place on the LIV Golf League and over 30 places available for the season-ending LIV Golf Promotions event.
John Catlin will be one of the favourites. The in-form American recently completed back-to-back tournament wins, clinching the Saudi Open presented by PIF following his thrilling play-off win over David Puig from Spain at the International Series Macau presented by Wynn.
Two-time Hong Kong Open champion Australian Wade Ormsby, 11-time Asian Tour champion Gaganjeet Bhullar of India, and talented Thai newcomer Denwit Boriboonsub, who won three consecutive tournaments at the tail end of the 2023 season, are also among the Asian Tour talent confirmed to tee it up at Foxhills.
Poulter expects more LIV Golf League stars and Asian Tour heavyweights to sign up. He said: “With the scheduling that the Asian Tour has done, it enables a few of the LIV Golf players to compete on The International Series, which is fantastic. I think you will see a lot of guys play events like this to get that extra competition and also gain valuable world ranking points.
“It is fantastic for everyone, it boosts the competition and gives the Asian Tour those stronger fields and higher purses, and that provides a great stepping stone for those players striving to get onto the LIV Golf League, which is potentially life changing.
“It gives them a fantastic opportunity and with that you are seeing better competition, stronger international fields and great golf generally.”
Harold Varner III competing in this year’s International Series Macau presented by Wynn. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
International Series England is the ninth stop on the Asian Tour and the fourth tournament on the calendar of 10 elevated events. Next up is International Series Morocco from 4-7 July at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, with six events still to take place after International Series England.
Tickets for International Series England are now on sale, with an Early Bird offer giving a generous 15% discount on standard pricing until 28 May.
Standard pricing day passes start at £15 for Thursday, £20 for Friday and £30 for Saturday or Sunday, with a four-day pass at £75. Hospitality packages start at £185 for Thursday or Friday, and £250 for Saturday or Sunday, with a four-day pass also available for £620.
Tickets can be purchased here.
April, 2024: There’s something about KFC
Asian Tour star Denwit Boriboonsub was well and truly on the road in April, competing in Saudi and Korea before heading to Japan. In his April diary he talks about how the defence of his title in Saudi went, and the experience of playing in the GS Caltex Maekyung Open for the first time, where he also watched his first baseball game. Denwit was speaking to Asian Tour contributor and former Tour player Olle Nordberg
Since the last edition of my diary, the first event I played in was the Saudi Open presented by PIF in Riyadh where I was defending champion – and it was a great experience.
Being the defending champion on the Asian Tour for the first time felt special, there were a lot of media and attention.
Unfortunately, I didn’t play that well, particularly in round three. But overall, it was pretty good, I finished tied 17th in the end, on seven under par for the week.
I wasn’t nervous teeing it up as the defending champion, not really, but I guess I was struggling with my game a bit before the first round. My driver wasn’t sharp, my irons were pretty poor, and my wedge game was really bad, my putting too. The game just wasn’t good enough in the first three days. I didn’t make any birdies, as I didn’t get close with my wedges, and I didn’t really get the ball up and down around the greens much either.
Denwit (back right) went to watch a baseball game in Korea with a group of friends during the week of the GS Caltex Maekyung Open.
The third round was really a struggle, I shot 76. When you can’t make birdies with your wedges, and when your driving isn’t good, it’s difficult. Plus, in that round the wind was pretty strong compared to the other rounds.
But I just managed to figure it out in the last round. When I won last year I ate KFC every night, and so I had KFC for dinner on Friday night, and on Saturday I went out and crushed it, carding a 63, which is eight-under. Yeah, it was quite amazing. I just tried to be patient out there, I had an early tee time too so there wasn’t much wind out there, and I stayed patient. And the putting just took care of it all.
I didn’t do anything much after coming back from Saudi. I just came back on Sunday and rested the whole week and didn’t play much golf. Like the whole week I didn’t do anything much because the weather in Thailand is just super-hot this time of year, so I didn’t want to go outside to play.
We then headed to Korea for the GS Caltex Maekyung Open, and it was really nice to get to some cooler weather. I started off the week on Tuesday by going to see Richard T. Lee’s coach Jack Kim at 88 Country Club outside of Seoul. The lesson was great, we just changed a little bit on my address position and a bit on the wrists in the backswing, and yeah, I think it’s going to be better than before. For now maybe it was just a one-time visit, but we’ll see later how it works.
A 63 on the final day in the Saudi Open presented by PIF saw him tie for 17th.
We also had a bit of fun on Tuesday night when we went to a baseball game at the Seoul Olympic Stadium to watch the DooSan Bears against the Samsung Lions – two of the Korean professional baseball league teams. It was fun, the stadium was quite crowded with about 20,000-25,000 fans there, and it was a great experience. It was my first time watching baseball and I didn’t really understand much about the game and rules, but the atmosphere was very nice.
Playing the legendary tournament course Namseoul Country Club for the first time, the course is really tough. Honestly it doesn’t suit me much, because I’m not used to playing on tight courses and the fairways are pretty tricky. You can get an uneven lie anywhere and the greens have a lot of undulations and are very fast too.
I think the most difficult thing about Namseoul is the narrow fairways and the fairways are like a first cut of rough and easy to get fliers. The greens are also tricky, but you can still hole putts because they are almost perfect.
I felt a bit rusty earlier in the week after my practice round, but I’m ok with the result in the end finishing tied 37th because it’s my first time playing in this tournament. This course is quite difficult, but I think I could do better.
I was a bit disappointed with the final round shooting four over, but the conditions were very difficult with rain all day. The greens there are tricky, but with the rain on them, they were even trickier than before. It was just so difficult to play.
After Maekyung I stayed in Seoul for a few days with my manager Tom Su and other people from my management company. We did some sightseeing and did some stuff in Gangnam. After that we headed to Japan for two weeks, in Osaka, to prepare for and play in the US Open qualifier at Hino Golf Club on May 20th.
I’m really looking forward to playing in the US Open qualifier. Last year there were around 30 guys playing for only three spots, so it will not be easy to get through. But it’s a great opportunity for me. I’m already qualified for The Open after finishing tied third in the Malaysian Open, so it would be awesome to play in two Majors this year. I’ll let you know how that went next time!
Current Korean PGA Tour number one Guntaek Koh and Chanming Jung, the defending champion at this week’s GS Caltex Maekyung Open, both say they are determined to convert their fine form on home soil to success overseas on the Asian Tour.
Koh won three times in Korea last year to top the local rankings – including the Asian Tour sanctioned Shinhan Donghae Open following a play-off against Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai – and has also been victorious once this year, while Jung tasted victory twice, most noticeably in last year’s GS Caltex Maekyung Open, which is also part of the Asian Tour schedule.
Both players have started to travel more and more in order to advance their careers, with Koh showing more promise having made the cut in all three events he has travelled to in 2024, in Malaysia, Macau and Saudi.
“First of all, it’s fun to take on a global tour,” said Koh, who won the KPGA Founders Cup with Hanmac CC last month.
Guntaek Koh winning last year’s Shinhan Donghae Open. Picture supplied by the Korean PGA Tour.
“Playing at various golf courses and competing with many players seems to be a great help to my golf growth. When I have the opportunity to go overseas I take it as I want to continue to challenge myself and move forward.”
Koh has been paired in today’s first round, and tomorrow’s second round, with Jung and American John Catlin – the hottest player on the Asian Tour at the moment having won the past two events.
Explains Koh: “The level of the Korean, Japanese, and Asian Tours seem to be somewhat similar. There seems to be a difference in the appearance of the courses, but I think the fairways are a little narrower in Korea as we have a lot of out of bounds.
“However, this is advantageous, as you need to hit it accurately in events, whether domestically or overseas. Rather than finding a place that suits me, I am trying to improve my golf skills so that I can play well on any tour or golf course.”
Koh, who like Jung is 25 years old, has been a professional since 2018 and has held off doing his national service in order to capitalise on his recent exceptional form.
Mission accomplished for Chanming Jung at last year’s GS Caltex Maekyung Open.
“By postponing my military service I have the opportunity to challenge myself and play more overseas to increase my golf skills and experience. Winning again recently definitely effected this decision.”
The Korean says his success is the result of making a concerted effort to work harder and prepare more.
“Like last year I really worked on my physical conditioning during the winter. I’m constantly working on my game and fitness and thankfully the results have come,” he said.
Jung has played much more than Koh overseas, particularly last year after winning the GS Caltex Maekyung Open. Unlike Koh, making it through to the weekend has been a struggle but he is determined to find a solution.
“I think I’m trying to adjust quickly to the Asian Tour,” said Jung.
“It’s a different environment than Korea, such as weather, courses, and food, so I think I spend a lot of time adapting to it. The next Asian Tour events for me will probably be in Morocco in July and England in August.”
Chanmin Jung at last year’s Saudi Open presented by the Public Investment Fund. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
His success has been built on power from the tee. Currently ranked seventh in driving distance on the Korean PGA Tour with an average drive of 305.7 yards he’ll be looking to end the year top of the list, as he did in 2022 with an average of 317.1 yards.
“I think last year’s season was a little busy. Playing in England and Scotland was a great experience but very different. There is a lot for me to learn but I am determined to do so.
“Winnin here last year was my turning point. I was glad that I was able to let Korean golf fans know about me.”
As both Koh and Jung looked to make their mark on the international stage, they need look no further than their playing partner Catlin for guidance.
The American, who leads the Asian Tour Order of Merit, is attempting to become the first player to win three tournaments on the trot on the Asian Tour and has won six times on the Asian Tour.
Asian Games gold medallists Jang Yu-bin and Cho Woo-young will reach another important milestone in their blossoming careers this week when they play in the GS Caltex Maekyung Open – one of their country’s premier tournaments – for the first time as professionals.
Both players tied for eighth as amateurs here last year at Namseoul Country Club – in an event that has traditionally been a testing ground for the nation’s leading amateurs as it is organised by the Korean Golf Association – in part helping to earn their places in the four-man Korean team that competed in the Hangzhou Asian Games in October.
They combined with PGA Tour stars Kim Si-woo and Im Sung-jae to win the team gold medal, for the first time since 2010, and turned professional immediately afterwards.
The duo have not disappointed in the play for pay game, with this week being another important part of their progression.
Jang Yu-bin.
Said Jang: “At the beginning of this year, we selected three competitions that we really wanted to win, and one of them was the GS Caltex, because it is a place with special memories of being an amateur and a national team player.”
In the Hong Kong Open, soon after the Asian Games and in his first event overseas as a professional, he shot a stunning closing round seven-under-par 63 to finish solo fifth.
And in the early season events on the Korean Tour he has also been in the running: finishing fourth, joint sixth and tied 24th.
The transition to the paid ranks has not been a difficult one, which he feels is the result of the experience and pressure involved in the build up to the Asian Games.
“We played in a lot of professional events, as part of the amateur team, getting ready for the Asian Games. So I think I am ready for this next stage of my career, and I am going to enjoy life as a professional,” said Jang, who also won on the Korean Tour as amateur early last season.
“Since winning the Asian Games I think I have many fans. There have been many requests for autographs and photos at tournaments. I am very grateful and surprised. “
Cho Woo-young.
Cho has finished in top-15 in the opening three Korean Tour event so far this season and is revelling the opportunity to compete this week.
“I have been improving since the start of the season,” said Cho, also a winner as an amateur on the Korean Tour last year.
“I have practiced and trained at Namseoul so much as amateur, so I think it’s a tournament that I want more than any other tournament.
“I turned around with a gold medal on my neck in October last year, and I’m already in my seventh month as a professional. I’m enjoying life on tour so much, with so much passionate support.”
Like Jubin, Cho says the experience of being on the same team as Kim Si-woo and Im Sung-jae, who have a combined six victories on the PGA Tour, is something that he will never forget.
He said: “The Asian Games awards ceremony was amazing, but I think what I remember the most is just chatting with Sung-jae and Si-woo and Yubin in the same room, as we shared accommodation. My older brothers told me a lot about the PGA Tour. I received a lot of advice. It is a happy and precious memory.”
The GS Caltex Maekyung Open starts Thursday and is the sixth event of the season on the Asian Tour. Total prizemoney is KRW1,300,000,000 (approximately US$939,000).
Reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit champion Andy Ogletree will arrive at this week’s LIV Golf Singapore brimming with confidence following a breakthrough performance on the LIV Golf League at the weekend.
The American finished in joint third place individually at LIV Golf Adelaide yesterday for his best performance by far on the multi-million-dollar franchise – that also helped his HyFlyers GC side secure third place in the team competition.
Ogletree’s team-mate Brendan Steele from the United States won the individual title on 18-under, with Ogletree finishing two shots back, after playing some of the best golf of his career, shooting rounds of 65-70-65, at the Grange Golf Club.
Andy Ogletree of HyFlyers GC (Left) congratulates winner Brendan Steele during LIV Golf Adelaide at the Grange Golf Club on April 28, 2024 in Adelaide, Australia. Picture by Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images.
The all-Australian team of Ripper GC, featuring Cam Smith, Marc Leishman, Matt Jones and Lucas Herbert, claimed the team event in a play-off.
The Adelaide event, which once again saw huge crowds flock to watch the action, was making its second appearance on the LIV Golf schedule, as will be the case with LIV Golf Singapore.
Former US Amateur champion Ogletree is playing on the LIV Golf League this season thanks to topping last year’s International Series Rankings, helped by wins in International Series events in Qatar and England.
He will be joined at Sentosa Golf Club, venue for LIV Golf Singapore, by fellow Asian Tour regulars Scott and Kieran Vincent from Zimbabwe.
Scott Vincent, who won the 2022 International Series Rankings, will be looking for another good week in Singapore having claimed fourth place last season, which included a brilliant 62 on day two.
LIV Golf Singapore begins on Friday and will feature all the stars from the LIV Golf League, including defending champion Talor Gooch from the United States, and Spaniard Sergio Garcia, whom he beat in a play-off last year, as well as Major Champions Smith, Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed, and Louis Oosthuizen.
LIV Golf Adelaide team winners’ Ripper GC (L to R) Cam Smith, Marc Leishman, Lucas Herbert and Matt Jones. Picture by Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images.
Sentosa Golf Club welcomes LIV Golf Singapore at an important time as the famous venue is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Sentosa is the home of the Asian Tour, with its main office located on Singapore’s idyllic holiday island.
Henrik Stenson has highlighted the importance of LIV Golf players competing on the Asian Tour, and the incredible impact it continues to have on the region’s professional golfers.
Speaking ahead of this week’s Saudi Open presented by PIF, the fifth leg of this year’s Asian Tour, which starts today, the Swede specifically pointed to The International Series – 10-elite level events that are integrated into the Asian Tour schedule – and the key role it plays in raising standards.
“Many of the LIV Golf players play two or three throughout the year. That elevates The International Series and the Asian Tour on those weeks,” said the 48-year-old.
“It’s important to have a measuring stick and that is what happens during The International Series when you have the LIV Golf players and big strong names coming to play. They raise the standard and that is what the other guys are striving to beat.
Henrik Stenson of Sweden pictured during the Pro-Am event on Tuesday April 16, 2024, ahead of the Saudi Open presented by PIF. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“You have seen it with David Puig who has two wins in the past nine months. He comes in, plays solid, wins tournaments and the other guys realise they have to up their game if they’re going to want to get to the next level and compete with the best players in the world. That has been a huge opportunity for the Asian Tour to have that influx and have a stronger competition.”
The Swede is more than qualified to speak on the matter as he is one such golfer who has played a part in this, not only as a LIV Golf player but also through having been a regular visitor to Asia for the past two decades.
His second-place finish in the Saudi Open presented by PIF last year, when he made a valiant late run making four consecutive birdies from the 12th and another on 17 before eventually finishing three shots behind the champion Denwit Boriboonsub from Thailand, being a fine example of his influence.
He added: “I enjoyed the week last year. I came in rather late and threw myself into action. We managed to finish second with a good finish on Sunday on the back nine in particular.
“Now, as we’re on our way down to Adelaide and Singapore for the next two LIV Golf events, it made good sense to break up the journey and get the reps in. I’m trying to get the 2024 season going because it’s been halted a bit due to some health issues in the early part of the year, so I hope I can put that behind me and stay healthy for the remainder of the season. Hopefully I will play a solid week here in Riyadh again.”
Henrik Stenson. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Stenson has been paired with Puig and Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho in the first two rounds here at Riyadh Golf Club – two more of the Asian Tour most exciting young golfers.
“There are so many more players catching the eye on the Asian Tour,” he added.
“I didn’t see much of Denwit play, but if you’re good enough to go out and win a pretty big event on the Asian Tour, like he did last year, you have game. He is part of that new generation and it’s fun to see new and upcoming players go out and play freer than you do after 20 years on tour.
“We see the game growing all over Asia and one of my observations is that Thailand seems to have developed a lot of players. There are a lot of Thai players on the Asian Tour, more than I remember 10/15 years ago. Certain countries are making strides, and it seems like Thailand has produced a lot of players lately.”
The Asian Tour is delighted to announce that a team of seven referees recently completed The R&A’s new Level 4 Advanced Referees Certification.
Led by Jittisak Tamprasert, Director of Rules & Competitions, Asian Tour, they successfully made it through a six-month course for what is The R&A’s highest level of refereeing.
Set up last year, the Level 4 certification process focuses on seven key areas of competency: refereeing, course marking, course set-up, pace of play management, course notes for referees, local rules and managing suspension/resumption of play.
Jittisak, who has worked for the Tour for the past 22 years, said: “I wish to express my gratitude to The R&A for our on-going close working relationship and the opportunity for our referees to go through this process and be recognised as Level 4 Advanced Referees. I am very proud of our team in attaining this highest recognition.”
A close up view of The R&A Level 4 Advanced Referee Qualification certificate awarded to first group of Asian Tour referees, pictured on Tuesday April 16, 2024, ahead of the Saudi Open presented by PIF. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Jittisak is pictured today with four other officials who earned the certificate: Idtiphat Silasuwan (Todd), Phutthisarn Sricharuviphat (Kong), Adnan Othman and Jayson Cheok. Their colleagues, Krirkchai Boonprasert and Henry Arabelo, not in attendance, also received the certificate.
The COO of the Asian Tour, David Rollo congratulated the team, adding: “This accomplishment by our top referees in reaching the highest R&A qualification is a source of pride to the Asian Tour. We look forward to working closely with The R&A to provide additional referees this opportunity in the future and support our ambitions to deliver the highest standards in competition management”.
They are the first group of Asian Tour referees to earn this accolade, which rewards individuals who have set the bar at the highest level in officiating at Tour level.
Qualification for the summer Olympics in Paris this year is well and truly underway with a host of Asian Tour members in contention. In the first of a series of articles in the run up to the XXXIII Olympiad, Asian Tour contributor Joy Chakravarty spoke to 10-time Asian Tour winner Scott Hend from Australia about his memories of Rio in 2016, and the allure of the Olympics.
At the age of 50, and in the shortage of Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points in events he is playing, Scott Hend realises that a second appearance in the Olympics is almost non-existent, but he takes as much pride in representing Australia and being a part of golf’s return at 2016 Rio Games, as any of his 16 international victories.
“That’s something that nobody can ever take away from you. You don’t have to be a medalist to be called an Olympian and it’s always nice to say to yourself that you are one,” said Hend, who showed he can still compete against the youngsters by finishing second last month in the 103rd New Zealand Open, presented by Sky Sport.
“I mean, it would have been great to win a gold, silver, or a bronze, but what I experienced as a competitor, as part of the team that included Marcus Fraser and Ian Baker Finch as our captain, and our caddies, it was one of my proudest career moments. Golf was returning to the Olympics, and we were part of history.”
Scott Hend. Picture by Scott Halleran/Getty Images.
Asked how much it would mean to him if he got a chance to play in another Olympics, Hend quipped: “Is there a senior Olympics?!
“But seriously, I haven’t played well enough to be in the team. In saying that, the way the World Ranking system is these days, it makes it very hard for someone who isn’t playing on the PGA Tour to be looked at for the Olympics.
“Forget about me, I’m not even sure who are the two guys that qualify for Australia. With my sensible boots on, I would think Cam Smith should be one of the guys because he is our best player. Of course, that may not happen because LIV Golf do not get world rankings.
“Both Jason (Day) and Min Woo Lee are playing great golf, but I would like Cam to be one of the players. He’s an amazing golfer and he is a great representative for Australia.”
Men’s Olympic golf is limited to a field of 60, with qualifications based on the OWGR. The top-15 players are automatically eligible, but the number is limited to a maximum of four golfers from a single country.
Thereafter, the Olympic Golf Rankings (OGR) come into play. It consists of a maximum of the top two eligible players per country.
Scott Hend. Picture by Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images.
The current OGR (as of April 1) is being led by world number one Scottie Scheffler from United States. Three other Americans Wyndham Clark, Xander Schauffele, and Patrick Cantlay, all ranked in the top-15 on the OWGR, are currently holding qualification places. Schauffele won the gold medal at Tokyo 2020.
Day and Lee are leading the way for Australia while there are a total of 13 Asian players from seven countries – China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand and Chinese Taipei – that are currently inside the qualification line.
Indians Gaganjeet Bhullar and Shubhankar Sharma, Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Phachara Kongwatmai and Malaysian Gavin Green are among the top-60.
The cut-off date for qualification is June 17, with the men’s event due to be played at Le Golf National in Guyancourt from August 1-4.
Hend insists the Olympics must be a goal for every young golfer to qualify for. It’s not just what happens inside the ropes that is incredible, but the whole atmosphere is electric and motivating.
“We golfers are lucky…we get rewarded every week for all the hard work that we put in. But for some of the athletes in the Olympics, that’s the only thing they are working towards for four years,” said Hend, who finished tied 39th in Rio.
“We had a house in Rio, and we’d go to the village, and we went into Australia House. We ate in the cafeteria with all the Olympians and went to the gym to check out how these people work out. We watched a basketball game. It was an amazing experience and something that every athlete and every fan must experience. Just to see how tough and how rewarding sports can be.”
Hend named sprinters Usain Bolt and Michael Johnson and swimmer Michael Phelps as his favourites, while decathlon was the one discipline he loves to watch.
Xander Schauffele after winning the gold medal at Tokyo 2020. Picture by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images.
“One Olympic moment I will never forget was when Ben Johnson won the gold with that record run in Seoul (1988), and then got disqualified because of using performance-enhancing drugs,” said Hend, going down memory lane.
“And that is why I have the greatest respect for what Bolt, Michael Johnson and Phelps achieved. These are just ridiculous disciplines when you think how hard they have to train to become the best in the world. What I really love, probably because of the disappointment with Ben Johnson, is that with all the drug testing they have these days, those guys did all that and were clean as well.
“Having said that, my favourite disciple to watch is decathlon, because they put themselves through absolute hell. They have to be all-round athletes, and it is fun to see them go through all those 10 different disciples and also try to plan and take advantage of what they are good at, like a big guy who’s good at javelin and trying his best to compete in the 1,500 meters.”
As for his own event, Hend said once he fell behind a bit at the halfway stage, all he did was fire at every pin.
“I just went for broke on the weekend, because, unlike our regular golf tournaments, only 1-2-3 matters in Olympics. Fraser had the course record going for a while and I remember walking with him and finish the round,” recalled Hend.
“My round fell apart when I hit a footprint on the 10th hole and continued to hit a couple of other footprints and ended up making a nine or a 10. It was that type of a golf course where you got a little bit offline, and you got punished badly.
“And yet, the honest truth is, I enjoyed every moment of wearing the Aussie colour and be a part of Rio 2016.”
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