Published on February 6, 2023

The reopening of Hong Kong to international travellers will be celebrated with the staging of the World City Championship presented by Hong Kong Golf Club.

To be held over the Tournament Composite Course at the Hong Kong Golf Club’s (HKGC) world-acclaimed Fanling venue from March 23-26, the event will act as the seventh leg of the 2023 Asian Tour and carry a prize pot of US$1 million.

It will be the first international golf tournament in the Special Administrative Region of China for 38 months.

It was in the second week of January 2020 that Australian Wade Ormsby triumphed in the Hong Kong Open. Within two months the spread of COVID-19 prompted the imposition of travel bans and the cessation of sporting gatherings.

However, with the widespread recent lifting of pandemic-related restrictions, Hong Kong is once more ready to showcase itself as ‘Asia’s World City’ and a hub for major sporting events.

Cho Minn Thant, Asian Tour Commissioner & Chief Executive Officer, said: “We’re all excited to be able to return to Hong Kong and the iconic Hong Kong Golf Club, one of the world’s most historic golfing establishments and a perennial favourite among Asian Tour members.”

Hong Kong Golf Club Captain Andy Kwok said: “Staging international events is very much part of the Club’s fabric and history, so to welcome back world-class golfers and spectators to the fairways of Fanling after three long years is something we are all very excited about.

“Through the inaugural World City Championship, the Club is putting Hong Kong firmly back on the international golfing map, whilst at the same time providing a platform for talented young Hong Kong players to showcase their skills in front of a global audience.

“We definitely believe that Hong Kong golfers have what it takes to compete at the highest level and their confidence and development will only grow from experiences such as this. The Club has long been the training ground to nurture local golfing talent and we cannot wait to get the event underway.”

Founded in 1889, the HKGC inaugurated the Hong Kong Open in 1959 and has hosted every edition since. In addition, the club staged the inaugural Johnnie Walker Classic in 1990, won by then world number one Sir Nick Faldo, the Alfred Dunhill Masters, the Alfred Dunhill Cup Asia-Pacific qualifying and the Hong Kong Ladies Open.

The World Amateur Team Championships for the Eisenhower Trophy (men) and Espirito Santo Trophy (women) took place at the HKGC in 1984 while the Queen Sirikit Cup Asia-Pacific Ladies Invitational Team Championship has been held at the club on three occasions (1990, 2001 and 2015).

The World City Championship presented by Hong Kong Golf Club will take place the week before the Hong Kong Sevens – making it a great time for sports fans to visit Hong Kong.

 

Published on February 5, 2023

Abraham Ancer became the first player to win the US$5 million PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers from start to finish today after closing with a two-under-par 68 to finish on 19 under and beat American Cameron Young by two shots.

The highly rated 31-year-old Mexican conducted a masterclass in front running, at the Asian Tour’s season-opening event, to add the title to the other significant victory of his career, the 2021 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational.

Young also returned a 68 at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, while Australian Lucas Herbert carded a 65 to finish third, two shots further back.

Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana re-iterated his position as one of the Asian Tour’s most exciting young players when he fired a 66 to secure fourth, another stroke behind.

“That was my first ever wire-to-wire win,” said Ancer, whose steadiness at the helm was made possible by a solid, repeatable golf swing and sound putting stroke.

“I just didn’t think about where I was on the leaderboard. I just felt like I just want to do that again. I played really good the first round, and I just felt like I wanted to keep that going.

“I kept telling myself, just imagine if I was in like 20th place and just got to go out there and shoot a low one. It worked out. I stayed in the moment. Didn’t really think too much about the previous shots or what was coming after. So, I’m really happy with my frame of mind during these four rounds.”

Ancer led by two from Young at the start of the day and was caught by the American on the seventh but by the turn he had moved one ahead.

A closely fought contest was then expect over the closing holes but surprisingly Young made a bogey on the par-four 13^th, where he found the water with his approach shot, before he made Ancer’s life much easier when he doubled the par-four 15^th, after he chipped short and three putted.

It meant Ancer was four ahead with three to play and while Young rallied with birdies on 16 and 18 it was not enough to stop the Asian Tour witnessing only its second ever Mexican winner, after Carlos Espinosa’s success in the 1995 Canlubang Classic in the Philippines.

Remarkably, despite persistent windy conditions during the week Ancer only dropped two shots over the four rounds: on the ninth today and the 17^th on day two.

It didn’t quite match the spectacular finish of last year when American Harold Varner III triumphed by holing a 92-foot eagle putt on the last but Ancer did also match the lowest winning total of 19 under set by American Dustin Johnson in 2019.

The Mexican, who turned professional a decade ago, earned a cheque for US$1 million.

The result means Young has now recorded eight top-three finishes since last year, which includes finishing second in The Open, and joint third in the PGA Championship

“It’s disappointing but I think I played pretty well, and I’m playing a bunch the next few weeks. So, I think I’m in a nice place moving forward,” he said.

“He [Ancer] played some really nice golf. He just didn’t make really any mistakes. I think he maybe made two bogeys this whole week, and with the wind blowing as hard as it was, that’s, one, tremendous control of your golf ball, and two, I think just a lot of mental toughness.

“I’m proud of all those finishes. There’s nothing I’ve thrown away, I don’t think. If one or two of them was a four-shot lead that I didn’t finish off, that’s a bummer, but I’ve been beat a lot. I haven’t thrown any of them away.”

Sadom stormed through the front nine going out in five under to try and catch Ancer and Young.

He said: “I started pretty good, I made two birdies on the first and second hole and I tried to keep the momentum to play well today. I played well on the front nine and on the back nine I think I hit my irons pretty good but couldn’t read the greens.

“I think pushed a bit more harder than yesterday because I didn’t play in the final group, I played in the second last, so I tried to hit more to the pin and today I hit pretty good irons.

“I thought I can do my best on the back nine but my putter was not good enough. I’m very happy today. Very happy it’s the first event for me for this year, and I will try to keep this momentum for the whole year.”

Published on February 4, 2023

Mexico’s Abraham Ancer holds the lead at the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers for the third consecutive day after posting a flawless six-under-par 64 to impressively progress to 17 under for the US$5 million event.

American Cameron Young shot a 65 to sit in second place, two strokes back, while his compatriot Matthew Wolff (63), Lucas Herbert from Australia (67) and Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana (68) are a distant seven behind the leader in a tie for third.

Ancer, the diminutive golfer with the big game, is bidding to become the first player to win this tournament wire to wire and took another important step towards that today with an accomplished round, devoid of dropped shots.

Three birdies on the front and three on the back, including on the 18^th, allowed him to keep his big hitting playing partner Young at bay.

Said Ancer: “Another very solid round. Happy with no dropped shots. That’s always my goal. On a golf course like this where it’s blowing pretty good, I’m really, really happy.

“My ball striking has definitely been on, and I’ve been rolling it really nice all week. Yeah, extremely happy. Not really focused on what everybody else is doing. Just trying to play the same game I’ve been playing the past three days.”

Surprisingly he missed the cut last week in Dubai but was far from being concerned.

“Back home, I’ve been practicing quite bit leading up to Dubai, and I felt really good back home. Then on the way over here, it always takes a little bit of time to get adjusted to the time change and all that stuff. And definitely tournament golf is different than just playing back home,” said Ancer, who during a 10-year professional career has recorded two significant victories, the 2018 Australian Open, and WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational in 2021.

“So, I played worse than I was expecting on my first round, and then I played nicely in my second round, missed the cut by one. But I knew I was in a good spot, and I felt like a couple things were clicking towards the end of the round there.

“So just brought that over here. Not surprised, just playing my game. It’s nice to see my name up there. Can’t really focus on that. Just got to do it again.”

A fascinating two-horse race is set for tomorrow between a pair who have completely contrasting styles, which was so clearly evident on the par-five 18^th today. Ancer laid up to about 100 yards but nailed his approach to five feet and holed out, while Young airmailed the green with his second shot, using an iron, but was only able to make par.

Despite that finish the American has no intention of holding back tomorrow.

“Yeah, very much the same. Hit a lot of drivers and try to make a bunch of birdies,” he said.

“I think I’ve played really solidly. Obviously, Abe’s playing some really nice golf. So I think tomorrow will be fun.  I think pretty much the same. I think, if the wind is similar to today, it will probably take 62 or 3 or 4 because I don’t see Abraham shooting anything bad.”

Wolff’s joint best round of the week (Ancer also shot 63 on Thursday) was set up by a front nine of six-under-par 29 and the American was in buoyant mood after the round, suggesting he senses an outside chance on Sunday.

“It felt easy,” said 23 year old, who tied sixth here last year.

“It felt like I’m finally starting to hit my driver the way I’m looking to. It’s such a weapon on this golf course when I’m hitting it where I want to. I’m having short clubs in and I can kind of attack these flags. I felt really good with every part of my game.

“But I think it was the putting. I made quite a few putts out there today and didn’t the first couple of days. I think that was definitely the difference. It seemed like it all came together nicely for me today.”

Sadom, who played in the final pairing with Ancer and Young, was in contention for much of the day and was looking in control until he bogeyed 14 and made double on 16.

“I thought today was tough for me, and I think to play the course under par is a good result. Tomorrow, I think I can get a better score than today,” he said.

He made five birdies in a row on the front side to mount a challenge before the wheels came off.

Added the Thai star, who won last year’s SMBC Singapore Open: “I putted pretty good, five birdies in a row so I hit my irons good also. I had a good momentum on the front nine, but the back nine was tough for me because it was windy on holes 14 to 17.”

 

Published on

Kiradech Aphibarnrat managed to pull off a miracle shot on the 17^th hole of Augusta National during the 2019 Masters, but the resulting tumble and the injury caused by that exaggerated hook still haunts him after nearly four years. Story by Joy Chakravarty.

The injury, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, has taken a heavy toll on the Thai magician. It has prevented him from reaching the sublime levels we all know he is capable of. He has lost his PGA Tour card and needed to go to the Qualify School to secure his playing privilege on the DP World Tour.

Physical healing will take some more time, but the 33 year old from Bangkok, who loves his big watches and big cars, can already feel mentally recharged as he returns to the Asian Tour this year at this week’s season-opening PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Advisers at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club this week.

“Whenever I play on the Asian Tour, I just feel happier. These last few days, I have had so much fun with the other Thai boys. I also enjoy the comfort factor in Asia. Somehow, I seem to play better when I am in this part of the world,” said Kiradech, who has slipped to No326th in the OWGR, after rising to as high as 29^th the week after the 2018 US Open.

“PGA Tour is a great place to play golf, but I did not like how lonely it felt on the Tour. We Thai people tend to stick together, and there are lots of group dinners and laughter. That is one of the main reasons I love coming back and playing on the Asian Tour whenever possible.

“I have decided that I will play as many tournaments in Asia as possible. It’s good for my confidence, and it is good for my mental well-being.”

Kiradech is delaying a surgery to repair the torn meniscus at the back of his right knee because the specialists have not been able to give him 100 percent assurance that it would work.

“If it gets any worse, I will have to resort to surgery as the last option. I am just trying to manage it for now. I tape it, and I ice it every day. I am okay hitting most shots, but I get sharp pain sometimes when hitting from a downhill lie. And because I am unable to generate ground force with my right leg, I am losing my distance,” said Kiradech.

“The injury, COVID…it was all connected. Honestly, I was going into a depression. I spoke a lot to Baan (Anirban Lahiri), and I knew he too was facing similar issues. And when COVID hit and it became such a big issue to travel, it was the worst moment. The quarantine protocols were horrible for me. There was a protracted period of time when I could not get back to Thailand, just because I did not know whether I would be able to get back to the US when I needed to.

“Sometimes, all these things get hidden under the carpet if you are playing good golf. But if you are not, it can be very tough when you have a bad day on the golf course and have nobody to come back to and share what went wrong. Just being able to talk to someone about your mistakes can lighten the weight on your mind.”

Kiradech says if he manages to get back on the PGA Tour, he’d do two things differently. One, plan a schedule that includes events for 4-5 weeks, and then return to Thailand for a couple of weeks. And, two, beg his best friend Prom Meesawat, a multiple winner on the Asian Tour, to caddie for him.

“I know Prom has his own ambitions as a golfer and is good enough to win for many years, but I will try my hardest to get him there with me. He is my best friend, and he knows how I think and what would cheer me up,” said Kiradech.

Thailand golf is probably enjoying its best phase, and Kiradech is eager to play a role in making his country a global superpower. Young players like Athaya Thitikul, Ratchanon ‘TK’ Chantananuwat, Sadom Kaewkanjana and Phachara Khongwatmei are constantly in news.

On Friday, after a second straight 66 in blustery conditions and getting to the top of the leaderboard at that time, Sadom revealed how a short session with Kiradech helped him play better in the wind.

“It was a very small thing that I showed him, but what was great was how quickly Sadom picked it up. And I really enjoyed doing that for him,” said Kiradech.

“That is something I want to do more in my career now. I want to be a mentor. When I was growing up, we had players like Boonchu (Ruangkit), who was just amazing in not only playing great golf, but also for being a guide for all other players as we started playing on the Asian Tour.

“Then came Prayad (Marksaeng) and he is a legend in Japan and has helped Thai players become comfortable there. Thongchai played a similar role on the European Tour, and I am so grateful to him for showing me the ropes.

“I have spent a lot of time on the PGA Tour. I think I can help these young players as they try and find their feet in the United States.”

 

Published on

The Asian Tour has announced the implementation of a points-based system to determine its season-long Order of Merit rankings.

The points-based system is being introduced and implemented to reduce the disparity of prize funds on offer and create a less biased ranking system which will be beneficial for those who perform consistently well across the entire season.

The switch comes at a time when the Tour is steadily increasing its prize funds and attracting new talent from across the globe.

Cho Minn Thant, Asian Tour Commissioner & CEO, said: “After an extensive review of previous seasons and modelling over 2022, the Tournament Players Committee gave the green light to implement a points-based system. The premise for this switch is to place a premium on playing solid golf over the entire year rather than players taking advantage of a hot-streak of form across a few of our highly-lucrative events.”

Since the inception of the Asian Tour in 2004, player performance has been based on prize money.

However, in 2023 and beyond, the Order of Merit ranking will be based on points earned according to the player’s finish in each event.

“The Tour has grown tremendously over the past season, and we felt the time was right to make this change. Over the years, there have been instances where a player would have a great week at a particular event and secure his card for the next season. We want to ensure that those cases are minimized and members who play well across the entire season are rewarded.” said Angelo Que, Chairman of the TPC and 20-year veteran of the Tour.

The points will vary based on prize money and the status of each event and will feature five tiers.

Tier	Event Status	Multiplier	Winner’s Points
Tier 1	Asian Tour events, prize funds up to US$750,000	(Base points x 1.0)	350 points
Tier 2	Asian Tour events, prize funds from US$750,000 to US$4,999,999	(Base points x 1.5)	525 points
Tier 3	International Series Events	(Base Points x 2)	700 points
Tier 4	Asian Tour events, prize funds of US$5 million and above	(Base points x 2.5)	875 points
Tier 5	Majors	(Base points x 3.5)	1,225 points

Apart from The Open, US Open and the Saudi International, there will only be a 2:1 disparity of point distributions in events across the 2023 schedule.

Cho added: “This new points system will ultimately benefit the majority of our membership and encourage our higher profile players playing overseas to come back and play more often on the Asian Tour. Ultimately, the stronger fields will  be great for our fans and sponsors.”

The Asian Tour has kicked off its 2023 season in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia this week with a blockbuster field having assembled for the PIF Saudi International powered by Softbank Investment Advisors.

The Tour then continues in the Middle East region with stops in Oman and Qatar before heading to New Zealand and back to Asia. 25 events are projected for the 2023 season with prize money in excess of US$35 million.

The International Series Order of Merit will continue to operate on a money list as there is minimal prize money disparity between events.

The Asian Development Tour Order of Merit will also continue to operate on a money list.

Published on February 3, 2023

Mexico’s Abraham Ancer added a four-under-par 66 to his opening 63 to keep his lead in the US$5 million PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers today at the halfway mark.

His tournament total of 11 under par at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, in Jeddah, is one better than American Cameron Young, who shot 65.

Australian Marc Leishman (64), Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana (66) and Louis Oosthuizen (67) from South Africa are tied for third, three behind the leader, in the star-studded season-opening event on the Asian Tour.

Thailand’s amateur sensation Ratchanon ‘TK’ Chantananuwat carded a 66 and is a stroke further behind with Australian Lucas Herbert, who came in with a 65.

Ancer, aged 31, looks to be in complete control of his game and full of confidence ahead of the weekend.

He shot five birdies and made a bogey on 17 – his only dropped shot in two days.

“I’m very pleased the way I’ve been rolling it and hitting it off the tee,” said the Mexican.

“Also, my iron play has been pretty good, so I’m happy with my game. Having that bogey on 17 from a very scorable spot kind of burns a little bit and dropping the first shot of the tournament, but extremely happy with my play and the way my body feels, the way my swing feels. Yeah, extremely happy.”

Windy conditions for much of the day have made low scoring a challenge but the Mexican, whose biggest win to date is the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational in 2021, has been able to comfortably master the conditions to this point.

He said: “You’ve just got to trust your starting lines out here, and I feel like the wind really moves the ball here, so you’ve got to trust it. You’ve got to trust that you’re going to be aiming pretty far away from the pin, and you’ve just got to hit a good shot at one little spot, pick your target and just flush one right at that.”

Young is playing here for the first time and went round bogey free, a commendable effort in the wind.

“Yeah, it’s been great. I think it’s been a lot of fun in the wind. We have to hit a bunch of shots, and I’ve played really nicely,” said Young, who impressed in the Majors last year, finishing second in the Open, and joint third in the PGA Championship.

“I’d say I think my iron play has been very good. I’ve driven it nicely, too, but I haven’t been in every fairway, but I think I’ve controlled my ball really well kind of into the greens and given myself probably more opportunities for birdie than most guys have had out here.”

Sadom, and Leishman, were able to make the most of this morning’s calm conditions.

Said Sadom: “I’m happy. Yesterday afternoon it was so windy, but I played solid. Today I’m happy to play in the morning in the second group. So, everything’s good. My tee shot, my iron, all good. I hope to do more tomorrow and the last days same as the first two days.”

The Thai is a two-time winner on the Asian Tour, the most significant being last year’s SMBC Singapore Open. In July last season he also brilliantly finished joint 11th in the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews, which is the best result by a Thai in the event.

“This year my distance is better than last year, so it’s easier for me to play the course because it’s longer than last year. So that is the key for me this week,” said the 24 year old.

Leishman holed his second on the par-four 10^th for an eagle to help build the foundations of an impressive round.

“Yeah, really happy,” said Leishman.

“Yesterday to have two under in that weather was pretty pleasing. Then to come out this morning and to put a low one on the board in more benign conditions was pretty satisfying as well. Happy with the start.”

Fifteen-year-old amateur star Ratchanon is threatening to capture more headlines this week after another fine round, where he could have been even closer to the lead if not for dropped shots on 15 and 17.

He said: “I think one of the reasons I played really well today was — the past two days I had no expectations and not looking at the leaderboard, and ironically as soon as I started looking at the leaderboard on eight and when the cameras came, that’s when I started not being as sharp. I think I’m just going to try and shut myself off tomorrow, Sunday, as well, keep my head down.”

At last year’s Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup in Thailand on the Asian Tour he became the youngest male player to win on one of the game’s major Tours.

Defending champion Harold Varner III from the United States made a strong move carding a 66 and is six back from Ancer.

Malaysian rookie Ervin Chang, the recent recipient of the Kyi Hla Han Future Champions Programme Award, bravely birdied his final hole to finish right on the cut line, made at even par.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LN68qzOz2vw[/embedyt]

Published on February 2, 2023

Mexico’s Abraham Ancer made an impressive start to the US$5 million PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers today shooting a first-round seven-under-par 63 to take the lead, here at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club.

Columbian Sebastian Munoz returned a 64 while Spain’s Sergio Garcia, South African Louis Oosthuizen and Cameron Young from the United States shot 65s – in the star-studded opening event of the season on the Asian Tour, which features 12 Major winners and eight current Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) top-50 players.

Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent, last year’s International Series Order of Merit winner, Sadom Kaewkanjana from Thailand and another Asian Tour regular Ian Snyman from South Africa came in with 66s.

Defending champion Harold Varner III from the United States started well with a 69, with a group of players tied 30th.

Ancer was in imperious form; he started on the 10^th and made four birdies on the back nine, including three on the trot from hole 13, and then carded three ‘birds’ on the front side.

Said Ancer: “Obviously very happy. I felt like I was in control for the most part of the golf ball. Took advantage at the beginning where there was very little wind.

“And on the turn it [the wind] started pumping pretty good. Once it starts getting that way, you try to hold on, and being able to make a couple birdies coming in was definitely nice.”

The 31 year old, a professional for a decade, won the Australian Open 2018, and the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational in 2021 and is looking for his third big win in the game.

His chances of success will be helped by the fact he has an impressive track record at Royal Greens, where he has played 15 times before and is 23 under par in total.

“I feel like you have to be very accurate. It’s a golf course you can get in a lot of trouble if you’re not in the fairway. I feel like you don’t necessarily have to hit it that far, but definitely being in the fairway is a premium.  Like in the past I’ve been pretty good at keeping the ball in play. I think that’s the big key.”

This is the first time that Munoz, who was paired with Garcia and Vincent, has competed in the Saudi International and he hadn’t even seen the course in any shape or form before his arrival.

“It’s really good,” said Munoz, a winner on the PGA Tour in 2019 at the Sanderson Farms Championship.

“Coming in, I didn’t know what to expect. Never been here. Never seen photos of it.  It’s beautiful. I liked it. The setup was nice, and the course was good.”

He also started on the back nine and went bogey free.

He added: “I felt like this morning it wasn’t blowing a lot, so it was there for the taking. I got myself a couple of birdie opportunities, and then on the front nine I played really good. So happy.”

Garcia, the winner of 36 titles globally, also enjoyed the slightly easier conditions at the start.

“It was actually calmer than I thought at the beginning,” said the 2017 Masters champion.

“Then obviously got windy like it always happens here. I think I made a great second shot on that first hole. I don’t know, I feel like I played well, gave myself a lot of good chances, a lot of good patience because on the front nine, which was 10 to 18 for me, I had some good opportunities that didn’t go in, good putts that didn’t go in. But I kept my patience, and then on the back nine I was able to make a couple of nice putts for birdie and a couple of decent saves. Very happy with the round.”

Vincent was delighted with his start considering it has been two months since his last tournament.

He said: “Yeah, it’s a fantastic start to the year. We’ve had, what, almost two months off, so to come back and try to get back into the routines and get some good practice in, you never quite know where the game’s going to be.

“But that’s irrelevant. You just come in and hit your routines, hit your balls, and today was great. We did a lot of things really well.”

The Zimbabwean was also buoyed by the fact that over the break he was able to take his baby girl Zoey home to Zimbabwe for the first time.

“It was nice to just have some good quality time with family. So that was just really good,” he added.

Thailand’s amateur star Ratchanon ‘TK” Chantananuwat once again revelled playing on the big stage and fired a 67.

American Dustin Johnson, winner of this event in 2019 and 2021, unfortunately had to withdraw ahead of the first round after tweaking his back.

Published on February 1, 2023

By Joy Chakravarty, Contributing Editor – Asian Tour

Now that he is hale and hearty, Shiv Kapur can afford to crack a joke or two about the injuries that ravaged his 2022 season.

“I made plantar fasciitis famous. Tiger just copied me!” quipped the 41-year-old Indian as he prepared to start his 19^th season as a professional golfer with this week’s US$5 million PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers, at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club.

That was the first injury of the season. Kapur suddenly developed pain in his right foot, and by the time he played the International Series England in Newcastle in June, he was finding it hard to just walk the fairways. It was the same condition that forced Tiger Woods to withdraw from his Hero World Challenge in December.

 It resulted in a two-month layoff. When he came back and played for a few weeks, still with a slight pain, he reckons his body tried to compensate for the discomfort and that led to a cracked rib that kept him out of the game for three months.

 “When you are young, you don’t realise what a toll golf takes on your body all these years. I’ve never had to worry about major injuries or small niggles. I don’t know if it’s something about the magic number 40, but the minute I hit it, all kinds of issues seem to crop up,” said Kapur, winner of four titles on the Asian Tour.

The two injury layoffs were more frustrating than painful. Throughout his career, Kapur has ramped up his performances in the latter half of the year. Even his first Asian Tour win, the 2005 Volvo Masters of Asia, was in November.

“I guess I’m a bit of a diesel engine that takes time to warm up and get into the groove of things,” said Kapur. “But seriously, I think it’s more the courses we play towards the end of the year. I have historically had a good track record in places like Indonesia, Thailand and Hong Kong. So, I think it has more to do with my performance on courses rather than the time of the year.

“At the same time, I look at it from a broader perspective. When your career spans over a period of time, you’re going to have good and bad and some injuries. I think the thing that I’m very proud of is that for 19 straight seasons, I managed to finish in the top 60 in the Asian Tour and held my card and I managed to do it again despite the tournaments I missed.

“I give myself another couple of years and I want to give it everything that I have in this game. After that, who knows? But the goal, for now, is to be fully fit.”

As with everything else, you can trust Kapur to find a silver lining in the darkest of clouds.

“It’s not all bad. It also gave me time to assess some of the business opportunities that I’m looking to explore and the things that I’m doing. It gave me time to set those things up. I spent a lot of time with my daughter. It’s given me new perspectives,” he added.

“It’s made me work on different things in my game. Like, all I could do for two months was putting, so that’s all I did. I remember Martin Kaymer when he had his go-karting accident, he said, he came back with a goal of being the best putter in the world. And he went on to become number one in the world. I managed to do a lot of short game work than I normally would, and I feel like my short game is in the best shape it has ever been. Sometimes these things are a blessing in disguise.”

Kapur has shifted his family and has been living in Dubai for the past few years, and it’s one of the reasons he is excited about his chances this week in the Saudi International. He had started brilliantly with a 65 on the opening day of this tournament last year, before he slipped to tied 68^th place over the weekend.

“I think moving to Dubai has really helped me play in the Middle East conditions and desert courses. Initially, when I used to come out to play desert courses, it was a bit of a shock to the system. It wasn’t a style of golf I was used to,” explained Kapur.

“I grew up on a tree-lined golf course with bushes all around. You come to the desert, and the greens are different in the way the ball reacts, and the breeze is different. You think you have the widest fairways in the world, and you just hit it as hard as you can. I would be out of my natural rhythm.

“But you got to have good control over your ball flight. And now, I just try and hit sections of the fairways, rather than looking at it as one big expanse. I wasn’t used to desert courses visually. I am also more used to playing in the wind now. I have worked on some shots, like hitting a nine-iron from 120 yards or a five-iron to 160 yard, which you don’t normally practice.

“I think I’ve been able to get some good work in and I think from a preparation point of view, with three weeks in Saudi, Oman and Qatar, I feel as ready as I ever have starting a season. Obviously, my body is still healing, but I’m excited about the challenge, and the new season.”

 

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The crème de la crème of the Asian Tour are competing in the Tour’s season-opening PIF Saudi International powered by Softbank Investment Advisers at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club.

Reigning Asian Tour number one Sihwan Kim from the United States, Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent, winner of last year’s International Series Order of Merit (OOM), and the top 30 players from the 2022 Asian Tour OOM have all entered along with invites, such as amateur star Ratchanon ‘TK’ Chantananuwat.

Twelve Major winners and eight current Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) top-50 players are competing as well as.

The US$5 million tournament tees-off on Thursday.

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Harold Varner III defends his PIF Saudi International powered by Softbank Investment Advisers this week and as expected needs no reminding about the outrageous 92-foot eagle putt on 18 that won him the title.

“I don’t think I’ve walked on this side of this golf course without anyone telling me about it,” said the American.

“I don’t think I’ve forgotten about it either. I have great memories. I like this place. It’s in unbelievable shape.

“I just want to play well. I don’t care where we play. We can play in the desert out there if we had to. You want to win. You want to compete. And that’s why you play.”

The US$5 million event is once again the season-opener on the Asian Tour and features the strongest field in the history of the circuit.

World number four Australian Cameron Smith, two-time winner Dustin Johnson from the United States, his countrymen Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, and Bubba Watson, South African Louis Oosthuizen, England’s Lee Westwood and Spain’s Sergio Garcia are just some of the big names playing.

Twelve Major winners and eight current Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) top-50 players are competing as well as reigning Asian Tour number one Sihwan Kim from the United States, Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent, winner of last year’s International Series Order of Merit (OOM), and the top 30 players from the 2022 Asian Tour OOM have all entered.

Last year third-round leader Varner saw his hopes of the biggest pay-day of his career seemingly dissipate when he followed a double-bogey at 14 here at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club with another dropped stroke at 16.

Meanwhile, three groups ahead of him, two-time Masters champion and close friend Watson rolled home a 15-foot eagle putt on the par-five last to post what appeared to be a winning aggregate of 12-under-par 276.

But Varner, whose only previous victory had come at the Australian PGA Championship in 2016, was not done.

He picked up a shot at 17, meaning he needed another birdie at the final hole to tie Watson and force extra time.

Although he reached the green in two, left facing a devilish 92-foot putt, the consensus was that a three-putt par was on the cards.

Astonishingly, however, Varner defied all odds, judging the putt to perfection. As his ball disappeared below ground to match Watson’s eagle and record a one-stroke triumph, amazement and unconfined joy poured out. It was a shot heard and seen around the world.

“I played the best [last year]. Like I think all around I was the best player. I was very in control. It was super windy like today. Opposite direction, but I just was in control,” said Varner.

“The only thing that got me, I guess, was 14 and 16. It rattled me a little bit. And then everyone talks about the putt. The best shot was the drive on 17, in my opinion, because it gave me a chance on 18 to not have to make eagle.

“When it’s blowing like that, it’s almost hard to swing because the wind is moving the club. Only good thing is I can only take it to my knee because my swing’s so short. So, I can only move so much.”

Having played in the LIV Golf Invitationals last year this week marks the first time he as played in a four-round tournament since the Open Championship last July.

“Yeah, super thrilled to get going. I just want to compete. I know I’m a little rusty. So, I just want to get in the fire. It’s the best feeling in the world,” he said.

“I am not playing that often. Not tournament golf. I guess last year [before winning] I played two or three tournaments before. I missed both of those cuts, so I guess I wasn’t playing great according to the scores.  But I’m fairly cocky. I think I’m playing well.”

He has been paired in the first two rounds with Watson and Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond.