Awesome amateur Sampson cooking up a real challenge at International Series Oman
Highly rated Chinese amateur Sampson Zheng is in a strong position going into round three of the International Series Oman today, and the renowned amateur chef is confident he has the right ingredients for success at Al Mouj Golf, here in Muscat.
Sampson, who regularly cooks for his University of California Berkeley team-mates, put together a sweet second round on Friday, and his three-under round of 69 took him to joint seventh on seven-under, four behind leader Mito Pereira from Chile, who plays on the LIV Golf League for Torque GC.
Starting on 10, he carded four birdies in his first eight, before dropping a shot on nine. On the front nine, he traded two birdies and two bogeys with an unfortunate three putt on the last. Despite the disappointing finish, he is optimistic, and believes more difficult conditions could be the secret sauce for a big push this weekend.
Sampson Zheng. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Sampson said: “Talking to my caddie after the round, I was definitely happy with how I played. But I think there was much more out there, and that makes me exciting for the weekend. My front nine (the back nine) I was cruising. I had birdie putts inside 20 feet on every hole and I just missed a couple.
“The front nine was more of a struggle. I didn’t have many opportunities really. I had one tough break where my ball hit the sprinkler head and landed in the rough. But other than that I missed two greens all day so that was good. The bogey on the last was bittersweet, not the best aftertaste, but it will make me come back stronger.
Regarding his chances of progress over the next two rounds, Sampson is hoping that the wind picks up and Al Mouj bares its teeth. He said: “Typically I play well in tough conditions. The greens are firm here and it is quite windy, so if that picks up I think it will suit me.”
The International Series Oman got underway on Thursday 22 February, and runs until Sunday. It is the opening event on The International Series and the second event on the Asian Tour calendar.
The International Series is a set of elevated tournaments on the Asian Tour that provide an open pathway for golfers from all over the world onto the LIV Golf League.
The International Series Oman has given local and regional talent an incredible opportunity to learn from some of the best players in the world, with an elite-level field taking on the iconic Al Mouj Golf course this week.
The International Series is renowned for providing a pathway for golfers from all round the world onto the LIV Golf League. The set of 10 elevated events on the Asian Tour also offer a real platform for emerging local talent to gain valuable experience and develop, in each of the territories visited over the course of the season.
At the International Series Oman, local amateurs Azzan Al Rumhy and Ahmed Al Wahaibi were in the field this week alongside the Saudi quartet of Othman Almulla, Saud Al Sharif (main picture), Faisal Salhab and Khalid Walid Attieh.
Promising Dubai-based youngster Joshua Grenville-Wood also started with Jordanian-English Shergo Al Khurdi and the Moroccan duo of Ayoub Lguirati and Ayoub Id-Omar.
Ahmed Al Wahaibi of Oman, Othman Almulla of Saudi Arabia, and Azaan Al Rumhy of Oman pictured after a press conference on Wednesday, February 21, 2024 ahead of the International Series Oman. Picture By Ian Walton/Asian Tour.
The home hopes and talented regional players had the chance to rub shoulders with the top names on the Asian Tour, and global golf superstars including Joaquin Niemann, who received a special invite to this year’s first Major, The Masters at Augusta National, just before the first round in Oman.
Other heavyweights in the field include major winners Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen, and LIV Golf League stars such as Fireballs GC youngster David Puig, the winner on the Asian Tour last week at the IRS Prima Malaysian Open.
Azzan, who also competed in the event last year, said: “I am delighted that we are hosting this interesting event in our home, Oman, I can’t be happier and prouder than this. This event had given me the chance to meet with local and international colleagues from the same field. I am looking forward to being involved in such events locally and internationally.
“Also, hosting the International Series in Oman is significant in elevating the golf reputation among Omanis.”
Al Wahaibi, who is making his debut this year, added: “These events are very important for Omani sport in general and golf in particular. The International Series shows how Oman can host world-class events, and also gives us the opportunity to practice and play with international golfers from around the world.”
Al Mulla, who has competed in all events on two seasons of The International Series, hopes the involvement of local and regional golfers can help raise the profile of the sport in Oman and further afield.
He said: “Golf is not a very common sport in the region. But International Series Oman, and other regional events on The International Series will help to raise the profile of the sport by bringing the very best in the world here. For golf fans and local players alike it is a wonderful opportunity.
“It is a chance for fans to watch the very best at the top of their game, and it is an opportunity for aspiring local players to learn from the very best, whether on the driving range or practice areas, or by playing alongside them.”
Well-travelled American golfer Manav Shah got off to a great start in his International Series debut in Muscat yesterday, with a sensational opening four birdies helping him to a five-under round of 67 to sit two shots off leader David Puig from Spain.
A graduate from UCLA in political science with experience on the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica and PGA TOUR Canada as well as the Korn Ferry Tour, Shah secured his Asian Tour card at Qualifying School in January, and had hit the ground running with a joint 22nd finish at the IRS Prima Malaysian Open at The Mines Resort and Golf Club in Kuala Lumpur last week.
Starting on 10, he birdied his first four before picking up another shot on the par-five 16th. Another birdie on three had Shah right up there alongside second-placed Joaquin Niemann, one off Puig, but a bogey on 17 brought him back to five under, in equal third alongside Mito Pereira, Carlos Ortiz and Kevin Yuan
Manav Shah passed through this year’s Asian Tour Qualifying School and has made a fine start to the season. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
The 31-year-old American of Indian descent from Mumbai, Shah felt the time was right for a crack at the Asian Tour. He said: “I have wanted to play in Asia for so long and it is really exciting. It feels right, I know a few of the guys here and the courses are great and the Asian Tour does a great job of setting up everything.
“There’s a lot of opportunity if you play well out here.
“A 67 felt good out there. I was a little anxious to get going, coming off a good week in Malaysia, and having to come Monday Tuesday Wednesday to prepare for a brand-new course is pretty tough. I caught the red eye Sunday, and played 18 on Monday, and I think I did a pretty good job of seeing the course and getting some rest in at the same time.
“The course is absolutely beautiful, it is my first time playing golf in the Middle East and Al Mouj Golf has certainly set a high bar.”
He tees-off in the morning session today at 8.35am local time.
The name DiMarco will resonate with golf fans of a certain vintage after that epic Masters duel between Chris DiMarco and Tiger Woods in 2005 that ultimately went the way of the Tiger – after a first-hole play-off at Augusta National gave the golfing phenomenon a fourth Green Jacket.
For sports fans following the Asian Tour and The International Series, there is a real chance they could see more of the name again, with Chris’ son Cristian DiMarco making his debut at the International Series Oman which starts today.
The 28-year-old tees it up at Al Mouj Golf alongside the cream of the Asian Tour and a host of LIV Golf League stars, thanks to a tournament invite.
DiMarco, who has been playing on the Canada and Americas PGA Tours for the past four years, explained: “It is kind of a funny story, I was actually playing at Old Memorial in Tampa and Graeme McDowell was also playing. He is good buddies with my Dad, and we were chatting, and he asked what my plan was. I said I don’t actually know this year until summer, and he mentioned the Asian Tour and I was all ears!”
Chris DiMarco talks over his tee shot with his son and caddie Cristian at the Reno-Tahoe Open in 2013. Picture by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images.
So, is DiMarco hoping to follow in the footsteps of his compatriot Andy Ogletree, who graduated to the LIV Golf League, and a lucrative spot on Phil Mickelson’s HyFlyers GC, after winning The International Series Ranking last season?
He’s remaining philosophical.
“Yes and no,” he said. “Good golf takes care of itself. It is cool that if you play really good golf you can get on that tour. That’s awesome. That tour is sweet – a little more unorthodox than I grew up watching, but I still think it is great golf and the money is great. I’m over here as a one off and excited to see what is going on. I’m excited for the opportunity and see how far that takes me.
“If I go home with nothing that’s fine too, I’m just over here to play golf. I view it as a chance to play against great players, and I will always take that chance. The golf landscape has changed so much and got truly global. I don’t know what opportunities will arise, but I will take any I can.”
So, what does his father, Chris think about a stint on the other side of the world?
“For him, he just wants me to have that opportunity. He knows I’m close – whether that’s this week or a week down the road. Just keep signing up and playing where you can play and see what happens.”
It’s not just the name that will be of interest to golf enthusiasts. DiMarco is a rare breed; a leftie who putts with his natural right hand.
He explains: “When I could stand up and walk, Dad gave me a club that went both ways. For some reason, I always swung lefty. He tried to turn me around and go righty at one point but the left version was always better.
“For putting, I guess Dad always had putters lying around and so I just got used to it. I have never owned or used a left-hand putter, it’s the best part of my game.”
DiMarco senior, a three-time PGA Tour winner, could arguably have had much more success in the game. Prior to his narrow miss at Augusta in 2005, he had lost out at another play-off, this time to Vijay Singh, in the 2004 US PGA Championship at Whistling Straights.
A year after that Masters moment, he finished runner up in the 2006 Open at Royal Liverpool, losing out once again to an imperious Woods.
Cristian DiMarco during an official practice round at the International Series Oman. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
It’s no surprise how much of an inspiration he is to DiMarco junior.
“Watching him play I always wanted to do it, because you always want to do what your Dad does – it just so happened my Dad was playing in the Masters against Tiger Woods! But yes, that’s when I knew what I wanted to do, in 05 was when I began to really feel that and know what it was that I really wanted to do.”
He tees-off today at 1.05pm local time.
The International Series Oman, the opening event on this year’s International Series which starts this Thursday, marks the first time that two full LIV Golf League teams tee it up alongside one another on one of the Asian Tour’s elevated events.
Torque GC’s South American stars (main picture) Joaquin Niemann, Sebastian Munoz, Mito Pereira and Carlos Ortiz have all been confirmed in a star-studded field along with Stinger GC’s South African quartet of Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace and Dean Burmester on the testing Al Mouj Golf from 22-25 February.
International Series Oman is the first of 10 elevated events on the Asian Tour calendar which offer bigger purses, world-class destinations and an open pathway to the LIV Golf League for players from all over the world.
Like several events on The International Series schedule this season, it also offers something invaluable for the stars of the LIV Golf League – aside from the prize money.
Jaoquin Niemann. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
The first date of the 2024 season takes place a week before the LIV Golf Jeddah event at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, offering the perfect opportunity for a team tune-up and world ranking points.
In-form Niemann, the team captain at Torque GC and winner of the season-opening LIV Golf Mayakoba event in Mexico, has a number of reasons for wanting to compete at Al Mouj Golf, where he finished joint fifth last season behind Japanese star Takumi Kanaya.
The Chilean, who shot a stunning 59 on his way to victory in Mexico, and also won the ISPS Handa Australian Open earlier in the season, said: “The International Series events are big for me right now. It will be a lot of help to play good there, get some points, and try to get into the Majors.
“The events are great. They run like first-class tournaments, and they are always at really nice venues and great golf courses. I can only say great things about those tournaments. I’ve played in two or three of them, and it’s been unbelievable. Each one of them.
“It will be nice to have the whole team playing on The International Series. I think as a team, we’re not only obviously competing together during the LIV Golf season, but we’re going to try to play almost every tournament we can together.
“With all The International Series, we’re going to try to fly together. It will be nice to be playing against each other at Oman for the first tournament, we’re looking forward to it. Hopefully, we get a nice Sunday where we’re going to all play together. It’ll be cool,” added the Chilean.
Team Torque GC. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Mexican team-mate Ortiz added: “It’s great, we’ve always been a team, we always like to play the same events and went to the same places together, so it just makes sense continuing the season there.”
Stinger GC skipper Oosthuizen explained the thinking behind the decision to enter the whole team this year. The 2010 Open champion said: “We’re excited because after that we have got LIV Golf Jeddah and Hong Kong, so we decided to do a whole trip. We can warm up in Oman, but also I played there last year and I loved the golf course. It is a good track and a good way to start the international ‘swing’ for us.
“You can definitely work out a good schedule to play before the LIV events, to play yourself into a little bit of form. I think those are very important to have, those one or two extra events just to get ready for the season.”
2011 Masters champion Schwartzel agreed with the assessment. “Oman’s a great place, I went there last year, so I managed to convince everybody to come and join. We are really excited about playing in The International Series.
“Some guys can get away with playing very little golf, while some guys really need to play in tournaments. I am one of those guys – I like to get tournament fit, so playing an event like International Series Oman before a LIV event, definitely helps me get fine-tuned.”
Burmester, who finished tied third in LIV Golf’s season opener in Mexico at the start of February added: “It’s special. We spoke about it when the schedule came out and all of us were excited to go back to Al Mouj and Oman, it’s a great golf course.
“We’re always really, really well looked after there, so we’re excited to head there and to have all four of us. Hopefully, one of us can compete or lift the trophy.”
The 34-year-old is keen to add further dates on The International Series into his diary, as he explained: “Last year I played back-to-back events in Scotland and England, and this year, I am looking to widen my horizon and see where they fit into the schedule.
“We’ve got some exciting places, Morocco, and Macau, we’ve got so many beautiful places to go and play those events and then come back to LIV Golf sharp and ready to compete.”
The event is the second leg of the season on the Asian Tour, following last week’s IRS Prima Malaysian Open – which was won by Spain’s David Puig, who played for Fireballs GC on the LIV Golf League. He is also playing this week.
The Philippine’s ace golfer Miguel Tabuena clearly means business this year.
Off the back of an outstanding 2023 – when he finished second on the Asian Tour Order of Merit and won The DGC Open presented by Mastercard – the 29-year-old has even bigger plans for the new season.
Speaking at this week’s IRS Prima Malaysian Open, the Asian Tour’s season opener, the Filipino talked off boot camp, winning the Order of Merit, LIV Golf League qualification, and, probably the most important of all, his new baby daughter Paloma.
“It is nice to be playing again this week,” said Tabuena, who is in contention this week, after opening rounds of 66 and 65 put him two off the lead.
“I played a local event in the Philippines when I wasn’t in any kind of form, but I am pretty happy because we had a daughter last December, her name is Paloma.
Miguel Tabuena. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“It has been so much fun, such an experience, I miss her everyday and it makes golf a bit easier. Even the bad days are as good as the good days.
“I actually have a picture of her in the back of my yardage book. It just keeps everything in order.”
That new-found feeling of fatherhood seems to have given the talented young golfer extra incentive to have an even better season this year, with some lofty objectives and intensive planning.
His lack of golf over December and January because of Paloma’s arrival meant he decided to do an 11-day boot camp a few weeks ago at his home club, The Country Club in Manila, in order to get ready for 2024.
He worked out twice a day, did a lot of conditioning, and played a lot of golf.
“I just worked really hard with the team on and off the course and we set some goals, not just for me but for everyone in the team. It also helped with some chemistry as well as goals,” explained Tabuena.
“First goal this year is to win the Order of Merit but there are smaller goals to that, play well in all the Asian Tour events, especially The International Series tournaments.
“And my team will be with me at all International Series events, it’s me, my caddie, my coach and I have a chiropractor, and a strength conditioning coach.”
His first priority is The International Series Ranking, the Tour’s pathway to the LIV Golf League.
Miguel after winning last year’s The DGC Open presented by Mastercard at Delhi Golf Club. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Winning the ranking, which he is more than capable of doing, will secure him a place on the multi-million-dollar franchise which has taken the game by storm but he also wants to ensure a top-eight finish which will allow him to by-pass round one of the LIV Golf Promotions event.
“It is going to be a lot of travel this year,” he added.
“I am looking forward to it but it’s nice to have a different approach this year, with this team, and a daughter as well.”
He is also fully aware that a top-three finish this week will earn him a place in the Open Championship at Royal Troon in July. He hasn’t played in the event before, so that’s also on his long list of goals for 2024.
John Catlin did what he does best today play his best golf in Asia after he fired his second successive six-under-par 65 in the US$1 million IRS Prima Malaysian Open.
The American made light work of the golf course at The Mines Resort and Golf Club going bogey free and nailing six birdies.
He is in second place after the morning flights came in on day two, here in Kuala Lumpur.
Australian Kevin Yuan has the clubhouse lead on 13-under following a 64, one ahead of Catlin.
After a poor season by Catlin’s high standards last year on the DP World Tour – he finished 151st on their rankings – today’s round was an encouraging performance by a player who first made his name on the Asian Tour.
John Catlin. Picture by Khalid Redza/Asian Tour.
He said: “Nice to go bogey free, just had one bogey yesterday. It is always nice when you can keep bogeys off the scorecard. Made a 12-footer on the last to stay bogey free. It felt nice. I am just glad all the work that I am putting in is starting to pay off and I am starting to play better golf, starting to get back in the mix.”
The 33 year old from California won three-times on the Asian Tour in 2018, when he was voted the Player’s Player of the Year, and also triumphed once the following season. That success came off the back of two Asian Development Tour (ADT) victories.
He chose to play mainly in Europe soon after, and once again he was on the victory trail securing two titles there in 2020, back-to-back, and another in 2021.
He was the one of the game’s most in-form players, expected to keep on topping up his trophy cabinet.
However, 2022 in Europe also did not go well for him as he ended 90th on the rankings, and not being able to play the required quota of events on the Asian Tour last year meant he had to return to the Qualifying School last month in Hua Hin, Thailand.
As expected, he comfortably claimed his card finishing 19th – helped by the fact that Hua Hin is his second home as he rents a place there, just down the road from Springfield Royal Country Club, venue for the final round of the Qualifying School.
And now on the shoulder of the leader in the Asian Tour’s season-opening event, John Catlin’s name on the leaderboard is turning more than a few heads.
“Despite a difficult few years, I have kept very positive. I have learned a lot from that. I don’t think anyone goes through golf without ups and downs. It is not a linear curve to the top. It’s peaks and valleys but I feel stronger now than I did before,” he added.
John Catlin. Picture by Khalid Redza/Asian Tour.
“Me and my coach have been putting in hard work on my swing just to try to continue to get better. That’s kind of what we have done for 10 years now.”
This week’s event is also part of The Open Qualifying Series, meaning the top three finishers not otherwise exempt, make it through to the game’s oldest Major at Royal Troon Golf Club in July.
Catlin has already played in the event twice, missing the cut in 2021 and 2022, and would dearly love to have another crack at it by capitalising on his love of Asia this week.
He said: “I feel very comfortable out here. Four wins and a lot of good finishes. I lived here for five years. I feel comfortable on this grass, I am pretty good at reading grain, And I think that’s a big part of it out here.”
So, could this be the week the Catlin-gun breaks back into the winners’ circle again? He looks hungry for it, with a number of factors working in his favour.
Malaysia has been good to him as he won the Sarawak Championship in 2018 on the Asian Tour and the 2017 EurAsia Perak Championship on the ADT; he has a liking for National Opens, as he claimed the Thailand Open in 2019, also on the Asian Tour; and he is doing what he loves to do the most, playing golf on the fairways of the Far East.
It looks like Khavish Varadan’s decision to return to Malaysia having lived in the United States for nearly nine years was the right choice to make.
The highly regarded Malaysian shot a fine seven-under-par 64 today in the first-round of the US$1million IRS Prima Malaysian Open at The Mine Resort and Golf Club to sit in joint fourth position.
Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond and Indian Veer Ahlawat have the lead after shooting sizzling 62s – in the first event of the season on the Asian Tour.
Varadan, the joint leading Malaysian along with his decorated compatriot Gavin Green, only turned professional at the Asian Tour Qualifying School last month, having opted not to complete the final year of his degree at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
“I am actually really enjoying being a professional as I like to do things on my own,” said Varadan, who was unable to secure a card at qualifying school and will focus on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) and Malaysia’s local circuit.
Khavish Varadan. Picture by Khalid Redza/Asian Tour.
He bogeyed the first hole today but recovered with four birdies in a row from the third, and another on nine. Later, he made four birdies on the second nine and one bogey.
Said the 23-year-old: “I bogeyed the first today but better to bogey the first on the first day than the last on the last day.
“The first day you must always put yourself into position, but I am normally not that good on the first days, and I am always catching up the last couple of days. The goal is to keep myself in position and that’s what I did.”
His golfing career State side was hampered by a damaged nerve in his neck which lasted three years and forced him to sit out six months in 2022.
“I think things are now slowly coming together,” he said.
“I hit the ball really well at Q School, but I have been struggling with my putter as it’s taking time to adapt to the greens in Asia.”
This week’s event is part of The Open Qualifying Series meaning the leading three, not otherwise exempt, will earn a place in this summer’s Open Championship at Royal Troon.
Being able to play in a Major is one of the goals he has set himself in his rookie year, but it’s not just a top-three finish he is eyeing.
He said: “The thing is I have really high expectations of myself, I would love to tee up in a Major this year. But I am trying to win this week, my goal is to win every time I tee it up whether it is the Masters, or a local event.”
Fortunately the confident young golfer is also able to draw on the experience of Iain Steel – a close friend and formerly one of Malaysia’s top golfers, who played on the Asian Tour, and won two ADT events.
Explained Varadan: “Iain said ‘the ball is not going to listen to you, just take your opportunities over there when you can, and you will do well’, he has been a really big help.”
Teeing off in the first group out today he is clearly wasting no time in heeding Steel’s advice.
To quote the Rolling Stones, Gaganjeet Bhullar Can’t Get No Satisfaction.
Winner of 11 titles, which makes him the third most successful player in the history of the Asian Tour, the 35-year-old Indian has now set his sights firmly on winning the Asian Tour Order of Merit.
His craving to become the sixth Indian player to end the year as number one just got more intense after a fantastic 2023, in which the Chandigarh-based professional finished third behind Andy Ogletree and Miguel Tabuena.
It would only be a natural progression for Bhullar, who finished number six in 2009, improved to fifth place in 2012 and 2013, then bettered it to a fourth place in 2018, before the third-place last year.
As he starts a new season at the IRS Prima Malaysian Open this week, Bhullar revealed some of the goals he has set for himself in 2024.
“It’s absolutely a top goal for me,” said Bhullar, winner of the BNI Indonesian Masters presented by TNE last year, following which he also won the season-ending TATA Steel Tour Championship on the domestic Indian Tour. “So many of my friends have done that, and I am very eager to join that club.
Gaganjeet Bhullar of India pictured with the winner’s trophy on Sunday, November 19, 2023, after the BNI Indonesia Masters, presented by TNE at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club, Jakarta, Indonesia. The Asian Tour event has a prize fund of US$ 1.5 million and is being held from November 16-19, 2023. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“When I won in Indonesia, the field was stacked as it was an International Series event. I played with Patrick Reed, who is a major champion, on Saturday. Winning that tournament has given me a different outlook. I personally feel that I’m ready to step up the game and I’m ready to go for the Order of Merit.”
A by-product of that, even though it involves him doing well on The International Series Order of Merit, would be his other goal of making it to LIV Golf in 2025. The number one player on International Series is guaranteed a spot in the LIV Golf League.
“Ever since I turned pro 17 years ago, I have always made goals for the year. These days, you must be very specific. It’s like you need to know exactly which flight are you taking? Which hotel are you staying in? How do you get there? If you have planned before, things become a lot easier,” said Bhullar, who made it to the final stage of the LIV Promotions event last year, but faltered on the final day.
“We all are very aware of the situation golf is in. The lack of world ranking points on the Asian Tour, and other Tours, is shocking. I won the PGTI Tour Championship, and I got just 1.4 points for it, whereas it used to be seven points in previous years. The Asian Tour has decided to go the Saudi way, the LIV way. So, making it to LIV Golf is another big goal. I keep watching my friend Anirban (Lahiri) playing with all these top stars, and to be able to play with guys like Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka really inspires me.”
Bhullar, one of the straightest hitters of the golf ball, has also set his sights on some stats-related goals.
“In 2021 and ’22, I struggled a bit with my driving. Even though I was playing well and the stats were still saying that I was hitting a lot of fairways, I was just not happy with my driving accuracy. I worked a lot on my driver last year and the result was that I won the driving accuracy on the Asian Tour. I think I achieved close to 82 per cent fairway,” said Bhullar.
“Once you are on the fairway, you don’t have much pressure. You know that whatever happens, I’d end up making a par for sure. That is one of my goal this year that I’m going to be consistent in my use of driver. Also, last year I was quite good with my putting inside eight feet. To continue doing that is on top of my agenda. The years I’ve performed well in driving and putting, I have won and contended in tournaments.
“Scrambling is one stat I would love to improve. I thought that’s where I failed a bit last two seasons (he was 72nd in the scrambling in 2023 at 54 per cent).”
Gaganjeet pictured after round four with the winner’s trophy on Sunday August 7, 2022 of the Mandiri Indonesia Open 2022 at the Pondok Indah Golf Course, Jakarta, Indonesia. The US$500,000 Asian Tour event is staged from August 4-7, 2022. Picture by Graham Uden / Asian Tour.
Bhullar hasn’t played much golf in his six weeks of off-season, instead focusing on his body and mind.
“I mostly stayed away from golf. Spent a lot of time with family. But through this time off, I’ve been working a lot on my fitness, because I won’t get much time from February all the way until May or June. So, I worked the last five weeks on my body – my balance, the core and the glutes,” said Bhullar.
“I reckoned this was the time to do it and get the body in shape. Once the tournament starts, you want to focus on how you practice, what you eat and how you travel. The fitness level will go down over the next 4-5 months, so I need it to be high up at the start of the season.”
Working on his mental strength has been an ongoing process for the Indian.
“I don’t have a swing coach right now. I personally give more importance to the mental side. I’ve worked with several psychologists and self-hypnosis experts in the past. I feel once you have achieved that calmness in your mind, the swing, the short game and the timing, everything finds its own route… everything comes back into the game,” he explained.
“The last three years, I’ve been working with Dr Tarun Jain. We have been brainstorming on a lot of things, like how my body reacts under pressure. What I need to do better under pressure? How my body reacts in summer weather, and how is it different from the winters. I give a lot of data to him, and we try to come up with a good masterplan for each week.”
A refreshed Bhullar can’t wait to return to the golf course, the excitement heightened by the fact that the IRS Prima Malaysian Open is being played at Mines Resort, a golf course he loves.
“I was talking to my mum and dad a couple of days ago. They were there in Malaysia 12 years ago, when I played at the Mines and I had a top-10 finish in the CIMB Championship against all the PGA Tour stars. It was a long time ago, but still feels like as if it was part of last year’s schedule,” he reminisced.
“The golf course really suits my eye. I played well on it back in the day, and I’m hoping that I will play even better now.”
The Asian Tour’s season-opening IRS Prima Malaysian Open marks the latest milestone in Taichi Kho’s stunning rise to fame.
On the first anniversary of his debut as a professional golfer, the 23-year-old Hong Kong player could be forgiven for reflecting proudly on a remarkable 12 months.
But befitting a young man whose stock continues to soar, Kho’s main focus and energy is on what lies ahead of him – starting at The Mines Resort & Golf Club from February 15-18.
Ahead of his maiden appearance of 2024, Kho said: “I’ve been working hard this off-season to stay on the path that I’ve been on … not changing too much, just refining a few things.
HONG KONG- L-R- Victor Kho, father of Taichi Kho of Hong Kong hugs his son after his win on the 18th green on Sunday March 26, 2023 during Round Three of the World City Championship presented by the Hong Kong Golf Club, at Hong Kong Golf Club, Fanling, Hong Kong. The US$ 1 million Asian Tour event was reduced to a 54 hole event due to the weather delays. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“I’m not looking to become a new golfer in 2024, but just to be a little bit better every day across all parts of my game.”
If he achieves that, then Kho will be set fair for a second successive memorable year among the ranks of the professionals.
To say that the University of Notre Dame graduate’s first season on the Asian Tour was spectacular would be a huge under-statement.
In winning the World City Championship last March, he became the first Hong Kong golfer to taste victory on the Asian Tour. In October, he brought further glory to the Special Administrative Region of China when claiming the individual gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
Not too bad for a player who began 2023 as an amateur and who was listed as 1,357th in the Official World Golf Ranking. By the end of the year he was the little matter of 970 places better off in 387th spot.
With four other top-10 finishes to go with his famous Hong Kong Golf Club win, Kho placed ninth in the Asian Tour’s 2023 Order of Merit standings. In so doing, he clinched the Asian Tour Rookie of the Year accolade.
He said: “It (2023) was an incredible rookie year for me and to win the Asian Tour Rookie of The Year was a true honour.
Taichi with his 2023 Asian Games gold medal. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“I am grateful to the Asian Tour for providing a platform for me and many others to showcase our golfing talents around the world. I have made so many great experiences thanks to them.
“The Asian Tour, along with The International Series, helped me see what world-class golf is like and it definitely inspired me to improve myself every day.
“There are so many people I want to thank for the successes of last year, most notably my parents – Yoko Kikuchi and Victor Kho – my coaches Jonathan Wallett and Mark Mossip, my trainer Leo Tong, my management team at Octagon, and, of course, everyone at the Asian Tour.”
Although there was much to celebrate during 2023, it says much about Kho’s character and mindset that the most important lesson he learned all year just happened to be his most high-profile ‘failure’.
By virtue of his World City Championship win, Kho qualified for the 151st Open Championship. But his Major debut didn’t turn out as planned.
On the opening day at Royal Liverpool, he ran up seven bogeys in his opening nine holes followed by a quintuple-bogey 10 on the 18th that added up to a 12-over-par 83 and left him propping up the 156-man field.
Despite a six-stroke improvement on day two, it was a chastening week for Kho – but one which he now believes was a crucial part in his golfing education.
Reflecting on the highs and lows of 2023, Kho said: “Winning the World City Championship is something that I’ll remember forever. To win in front of my parents, friends, and local support was more than I have ever dreamed of.
“But I think the most valuable experience from last year would have to be the Open Championship. I wasn’t playing my best golf leading up to the tournament, and had a tough performance that week.
“But just being in that atmosphere and learning from the world’s best really helped me progress as a golfer. From then on, I was able to really apply my learnings and had a great second half of the year, highlighted by the Asian Games win.”
Taichi during the SJM Macao Open. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Given what transpired at Royal Liverpool, Kho is keen for an opportunity to return to The Open Championship as soon as possible.
With this week’s IRS Prima Malaysian Open being afforded Open Qualifying Series Asia status by The R&A, you can be sure that Kho will be eyeing a top-three finish which would secure him a starting spot at Royal Troon in July for the 152nd Open Championship – and a shot at redemption.
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