Maekyung Open and Diamond Cup make triumphant return
Two of the region’s most established and prestigious events, the 41st GS Caltex Maekyung Open in Korea and the Asia Pacific Open Golf Championship Diamond Cup in Japan, will make a triumphant return to the Asian Tour schedule this year following a two-year break caused by the pandemic.
The former event will take place at its traditional home Namseoul Country Club from May 5-8 and will boast prizemoney of KRW1,200,000,000 (approximately US$989,164) while the latter will be staged at Oarai Country Club, the following week, from May 12-16, and offer a purse of JPY100,000,000 (approximately US$841,875).
The Maekyung Open tournament was last played as part of the Asian Tour in 2019 when Korean Taehee Lee lifted the trophy. He successfully defended his title the following year when due to COVID-19 the event could only be played as part of the Korean PGA Tour. The same applied last year when Inhoi Hur was victorious.
The tournament, which is known for attracting big crowds, was first sanctioned by the Asian Tour in 1999 although it was first played in 1982 and quickly established itself as one of the ‘major’ tournaments in Korea.
Notable winners include: Bio Kim (2012), Kyungtae Kim (2007 and 2011), Sangmoon Bae (2009), Mark Calcavecchia (2004), Namsin Park (1993 and 1996) and Frankie Minoza (1988).
The Diamond Cup was also last played on the Asian Tour in 2019 when Japan’s Yosuke Asaji took top spot.
The event wasn’t played in 2020 but returned solely as a Japan Tour event in 2021 when Rikuya Hoshino triumphed.
The event was first jointly sanctioned with the Asian Tour in 2014, but inaugurated in 1969.
The easing of COVID-19 restrictions has paved the way for the return of both events – long considered part of the strong back bone of the Asian Tour schedule.
Some protocols are however in place including the need for players from certain countries to serve a minimum of three days quarantine in Japan.
Ends.
Golf in India and the Delhi Golf Club go hand in hand. The first-ever international professional event to be staged in India was at the tree-lined challenging course back in 1964, when the Indian Open was introduced onto what was then loosely called the Asian Golf Circuit.
Since then, a plethora of Indian golfers, spanning a few generations have had success there and some even more than once, writes V Krishnaswamy.
Yet, when The DGC Open presented by Mastercard is played there next week it will be an old favourite with the promise of a new experience.
The inaugural event will be the first tournament to be held on the new layout there designed by the legendary Gary Player.
It is no secret that every sponsor wants their tournament at the Delhi Golf Club, which is also called the ‘Lungs of Delhi’ because of its location in the heart of the Indian capital, New Delhi.
And now, The DGC Open presented by Mastercard will join the long list of illustrious Asian Tour events to be held at the famous venue.
Since 1964 no other club in India has hosted as many international events as the Delhi Golf Club. It is also the favourite of most Indian players despite the challenges of narrow fairways and the bushes, which gobble up stray shots, and the bunkers, which can be very penal.
(Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
“The DGC”, as it is fondly called, has fetched Jyoti Randhawa, now 49 years old, four wins; Anirban Lahiri, second in last week’s The Players Championship, also has won four times; while SSP Chawrasia has triumphed there on three occasions.
Chawrasia says: “There is something very comforting about DGC. It is a big challenge and I love it. I have done it in the past (in 2008, 2014 and 2016) and would love to add more trophies from the DGC.”
After one of his many wins at the Club, Randhawa had said: “I have great memories of this course and every time I get here, I keep that in mind and it helps. I guess I have won a few times, so I know what the course is.”
Four-time Asian Tour winner Shiv Kapur says: “I have spent more time there than anywhere else except my home and at times even more than at home. In recent times after the new Gary Player layout was inaugurated, I have played time and again with my buddies, Gaurav Ghei, Chiragh Kumar and Arjun Singh, who also have great memories of what is our home course. So, naturally I am looking forward to The DGC Open presented by Mastercard.”
Kapur and Chiragh Kumar, who call the Club their home course, Rashid Khan, who was a product of the junior programme there, veteran Mukesh Kumar, who won his first and only Asian Tour title at the Club, and Khalin Joshi, who broke through with a win at the Club at the Panasonic Open India in 2018 all call it their favourite course.
Before them, veteran and experienced stars like Ali Sher, Gaurav Ghei, Vijay Kumar, Arjun Atwal, Digvijay Singh and others, too, have had international wins at the Club.
The erstwhile course is a huge favourite for all, but not everyone has had success.
While Randhawa and Chawrasia would like more, two other superstars, Jeev Milkha Singh, India’s best-known golfer, and Gaganjeet Bhullar, the most successful Indian on the Asian Tour with nine wins, are still in search of their first-ever wins there.
“Maybe the new layout will bring me success,” said Bhullar, who played the new design when it was opened in mid-2020. “I did get a taste of the new course at a charity event. But now it is match time.”
Shiv Kapur fondly remembers the time he came off the Delhi Golf Club course one day, gloating about his score: a 116.
No, please don’t blink your eyes. You read that right. That is 44-over par 116!
And then there was also the time when he felt rather disappointed with a Sunday round of 10-under-par 62 – his best effort in a competition on the fabled golf course. That 62 still wasn’t enough to secure a win at the 2007 AIS Golf Open on the PGT of India Tour, writes Joy Chakravarty.
And in between the 62 and 116, there have been thousands of rounds – some wildly exhilarating, some downright depressing – but Kapur’s love story with Delhi Golf Club has remained rock-steady through all the tribulations and triumphs.
So, it’s no wonder that the Indian ace – a three-time winner on the Asian Tour (four, if you count the 2017 Royal Cup, which is now deemed as a ‘special event’) – is looking forward to the US$500,000 The DGC Open, an Asian Tour sanctioned event scheduled next week.
The 39-year-old Shiv Kapur, a Purdue graduate and the 2002 Asian Games gold medalist, played a key role in conceptualising the tournament along with the late Siddharth Shriram, the former President of the club, who passed away last year.
“This tournament was really the dream of Mr Shriram. And I think this is absolutely the perfect thing to do in his memory. It was always his dream that Delhi Golf Club has its own standalone event. He was also instrumental in bringing Gary Player to come and redesign the course. And we all know what a magnanimous supporter he has been for Indian golf,” said Kapur.
“He always wanted to have a tournament that belongs to the club – a regular, annual stop on the Tour. Just like the Hong Kong Golf Club has the Hong Kong Open, or the Augusta National Golf Club has the Masters. He loved going to the Masters every year, and probably, that’s why he wanted to call it the DGC Masters.
“I spent a lot of time with him discussing how the event should be. We talked about the field make up and what kind of traditions we could introduce. Things have moved on since and committees come and go in golf clubs, but we are lucky to have the tournament. I think it’s public knowledge now that MasterCard is supporting it, which is fantastic. To have a brand like MasterCard support the event adds to the stature of the event.”
Shiv Kapur, obviously, loves Delhi Golf Club. This was the place where he’d follow his father every day as a child, and his perseverance was rewarded when one day, he was handed a cut-down 2-iron and given the go-ahead to start hitting balls. As the Indian ace remembers, it was love at first sight.
“We had a car sticker back then that said: ‘Delhi Golf Club is my second home’. And I’d always think that was so wrong. I spent more time in the golf club than at home,” he said.
“That round of 116…I think it was the most fun I ever had on the golf course. It was about 8-9 months after I started playing and came in the first round of an Asia-Pacific Juniors event. I honestly did not care about my score. I went strutting around the clubhouse, proudly telling members that I shot a 116.
“It is a very special place for me. I think I know every caddie and every serving staff by their first names, and I would definitely not be here talking to you if not for the DGC.”
Even though the golf course went under Gary Player’s scalpel a couple of years ago and got a serious facelift, it has not made the slightest difference to Kapur’s appreciation for the golf course. In fact, he loves the new challenge even more.
“For most Asian Tour players, this would be the first look at the ‘new’ DGC,” said Shiv Kapur. “This is going to be the first major test on this golf course after the redesign. It’s a completely different beast, with the way the green complexes are now.
“Back in the day, Delhi Golf Club was about hitting the fairway and the job was half done. Finding fairways is still paramount, but at the same time, the new green design makes it that much harder.
“This is especially true for the par fives. Like the first and the 18th holes, once you hit the fairway, you pretty much knew you had a good birdie opportunity. But now they’ve built these humps and hollows and crowns, like all modern golf courses. And it’s made it that much harder. You have a lot more options for pin positions, and you can tuck a lot of them and make it quite tricky. Also, because they’re relatively new greens, they’re much firmer. So, I think it’s going to be a tougher test of golf.”
A tougher test of golf it may well be but surely not as tough as the day he shot 116!
With the hosting of last week’s inaugural International Series Thailand, a proud new chapter in the history of Black Mountain Golf Club has been written.
Sculpted by Pacific Coast Design’s Phil Ryan and opened for play in 2007, the Hua Hin property has underlined its status as one of Asia’s most prolific tournament venues.
“To get the honour to host the Asian Tour’s first International Series event was fantastic,” said Harald Elisson, General Manager at Black Mountain, the first club in Thailand to become part of the Asian Tours Destinations network.
“We had our first Asian Tour event, the Black Mountain Masters, in 2009. Since then we’ve frequently hosted professional tournaments,” added Elisson, whose tenure has also coincided with the staging of the Thailand Classic, King’s Cup and Royal Trophy.
He said: “We’ve been working with the Asian Tour for 12 or 13 years now and we have a great relationship.
“We hadn’t hosted a big tournament for a while, so we were very excited about the International Series Thailand – and for us to be the first host venue.
“It was exciting for us to show Black Mountain from its absolute best side – both on and off the course. Then there was everything else that goes on around a tournament. We tried to make it a bit special.”
A bit special it certainly was with Sihwan Kim scorching to a winning aggregate of 26-under-par 262, including an opening 62 and a closing 63. Elisson said: “The golf course was in perfect condition. Without the strong winds we often have, it was ideal for low scoring. We were expecting some low scores, but nine-under and 10-under … that’s amazing!”
Since the club’s inauguration, Black Mountain has never stood still, always looking ahead to the next addition or challenge. Celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, more progress is on the way.
Elisson said: “I love the aspect that we keep growing all the time. We keep changing. We keep evolving, both on the course and off the course.
“We always try to make the course better. We always try to get more facilities around the area. We have a school on site now and a lot of other facilities. We also keep growing because more and more people are choosing to stay here, either as a second home or permanently.
“Black Mountain has become a fantastic golfing community with a great mix of people from all around the world – Europeans, Scandinavians, Australians, as well as Thais and other Asians. We have a great mix of nationalities and people.”
Golf’s history books will record that the International Series Thailand was a landmark week for the Asian Tour.
The first event in the eagerly-awaited new initiative proved a resounding success on numerous fronts – outstanding venue and outstanding scoring being the most glaringly obvious.
With a prize purse of US$1.5 million and the promise of nine more events of similarly elevated status on the calendar for 2022, no wonder there were smiles on the faces of participants at the Black Mountain Golf Club.
Among those watching over proceedings and admiring the birdie-fest was Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner and CEO of the Asian Tour.
After the roller-coaster ride he’s been through the past two years plotting the Asian Tour’s path out of the Covid-19 pandemic, Cho would have been entitled to reflect with quiet satisfaction on the achievements of the past four months.
“Coming out of Covid, we definitely did not expect to be in this position. It’s very fortunate for us to come out of the pandemic in such a strong position,” said Cho, referring to the 21-month hiatus the Asian Tour endured.
HUA HIN-THAILAND- Sihwan Kim of the USA pictured with the winner’s trophy on Thursday March 6, 2022 after the final round of the International Series Thailand at Black Mountain Golf Club, Prachaubkhirikhan, Thailand. The US$ 1.5 million Asian Tour event is staged between March 3 – 6, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
For Cho and the Asian Tour management team, the 84-week absence of tournaments did not mean they were able to take a break. Far from it.
Cho said: “It was a time for us to go back to the drawing board, explore options, talk to different sponsors, and look at ways to come back bigger and stronger. So we’re happy that we’re able to do that.
“The proof is in the pudding … and everyone’s happy. Everyone’s playing competitive golf for decent prize money. Finally, hopefully, the level of competition goes up and up and up.”
One of the main sources of Cho’s contentment is the backing of LIV Golf Investments, which is enabling the Asian Tour to provide more playing opportunities for its members, along with significantly greater prize money.
Over a 10-year period, LIV Golf has committed to investing US$300 million via the International Series, consisting of 10 events each year with prize funds of US$1.5 million to US$2 million.
Cho said: “I feel like the International Series is where the Asian Tour belongs. For decades, it’s what we’ve been waiting for … and it’s the new standard for the Asian Tour.
“In the past, the Asian Tour was a collection of small prize money events with the odd $1 million or $2 million events scattered in there. But now the standard for the Asian Tour is going to be $1 million-plus, high level events, great destinations and locations, and it’s going to be a lot more competitive.”
Across the International Series, there will be considerable focus on player experience.
Cho said: “For the golfers, we want to make them feel special. We want to make them feel like the International Series are major events.
“So, you’ll see a barber shop; you’ll see a smoothie bar; you’ll see foot massage; you’ll see more physiotherapy; you’ll see a club fitting area for guys to adjust loft and change the grips on their clubs; you’ll see a fully kitted out gym; you’ll see a players’ lounge. We want to increase the whole professionalism of the Tour. And this is where it starts.”
By offering increased purses and a better player experience, Cho is convinced events will attract stronger fields and competition levels will improve. It will also encourage more of the young up-and-coming players to remain in the region rather than touring the globe in search of tournaments in which to play.
In particular, that applies to those who hold dual membership of the Asian Tour and either DP World Tour or Japan Tour Golf Organisation.
Cho said: “One of the major differences that the fans are going to see with the International Series is that the bigger names, who are traditionally dual members, will come back and play these tournaments.
“Usually they’d have to go to Europe or to Japan for bigger prize money and to play a fullish schedule. But now that we’ve got a guaranteed 10-event series with good prize money, it’s going to be very competitive and bring those guys back home to Asia.
HUA HIN-THAILAND- Phachara Khongwatmai of Thailand pictured in action on Thursday March 3, 2022, during day one of The International Series Thailand at Black Mountain Golf Club, Prachaubkhirikhan, Thailand. The USD$ 1.5 million Asian Tour event is staged between March 3 – 6, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“Now there’s a ways for them to stay in Asia, compete at the highest level, and not have to travel abroad to make a good pay cheque. Hopefully, they stay over here, they groom their games, go and play Majors, World Golf Championships and move up the ranks.
“The way we improve players in Asia is giving them better competition or tougher competition … and a full schedule of 25 to 30 events.”
With domestic Tours expanding in countries such as Thailand, India, Taiwan and Indonesia and the Asian Development Tour and Asian Tour in sound shape, Cho says there’s now a ladder system and proper career pathway. There’s more competition and more depth.
“There’s a hunger among players to play better. That’s all we can ask for,” said Cho.
Laguna Golf Phuket in Thailand and Indonesia’s Parahyangan Golf are the latest award-winning golfing venues to become part of Asian Tour Destinations network.
They are the 10th and 11th golf clubs to join Asian Tour Destinations, which was re-launched in 2020 as an affiliate network of premier golfing properties in the region that have direct ties with the Asian Tour.
“We’re delighted to welcome Laguna Golf Phuket and Parahyangan Golf to the expanding Asian Tour Destinations family,” said Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner and CEO of the Asian Tour.
“We look forward to working with both clubs and further developing the strong ties that we’ve built with them through the staging of tournaments,” added Cho.
Laguna Golf Phuket hosted the inaugural Laguna Phuket Championship late last year as the Asian Tour resumed play following the Covid-19 pandemic, and also staged the Singha Phuket Open on the Asian Development Tour in 2017.
PHUKET-THAILAND- Hole No 7, left and Hole No 6, right, at Laguna Phuket on Phuket Island, Thailand. The Asian Tour Laguna Phuket Championship will be held at the Laguna Phuket from December 2-5, 2021. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Parahyangan Golf was the venue for the Asian Development Tour’s Combiphar Players Championship in 2019.
In recent years, both clubs have also had the distinction of being voted as the Best Golf Course in their country by the World Golf Awards.
Set within Laguna Phuket Resort – Asia’s first fully integrated destination resort with a variety of hotel options, including Banyan Tree Phuket – the Laguna Golf Phuket course is an idyllic golfing paradise.
Darren Robson, Director of Golf at Laguna Golf Phuket, said: “Revitalised in 2015, the layout offers an enjoyable challenge for golfers of all abilities, whether you’re just setting out on your golfing journey … or you’re an Asian Tour professional! We’re delighted to partner with the Asian Tour to become an official Asian Tour Destinations venue”
Laguna Golf Phuket is a sister club of Laguna Golf Lăng Cô, the first Vietnam club to join Asian Tour Destinations.
Meanwhile, Parahyangan Golf is the first Indonesian club to sign up with the network.
Situated within the eco-city of Kota BaruParahyangan, the golf course is set amidst a dramatic mountain and valley landscape.
Easily accessible from the Padalarang toll gate on the Cipularang toll road, Parahyangan Golf, sculpted by JMP Golf Design Group’s Bob Moore, is located less than 10 miles west of Bandung, Indonesia’s third-largest city, and home to the seat of the West Java Provincial Government.
Club Manager Yulius Ardiansyah said: “At our five-star golf course and clubhouse, nature guides the experience – whether you’re being challenged by the golf landscape, enjoying a traditional Javanese massage or dining on Sundanese cuisine overlooking rice paddies.
“We’re honoured to become the first club from Indonesia to join Asian Tour Destinations and look forward to hosting another Asian Tour event in the not too distant future.”
Sentosa Golf Club was the first establishment to become part of Asian Tour Destinations. The Singapore venue has since been joined by Angkor Golf Resort in Siem Reap, Cambodia; Black Mountain Golf Club in Hua Hin, Thailand; Classic Golf & Country Club in New Delhi, India; Kota Permai Golf & Country Club and Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club, both in Malaysia; Laguna Golf Lăng Cô in Vietnam; and Japan’s Sapporo Country Club and The North Country Golf Club.
Asian Tour Destinations will be adding other prominent venues from the Asia-Pacific region to its portfolio in the near future.
Thailand’s golfing phenom TK Ratchanon, as he’s popularly known, has been getting plenty of attention since he played in his first Asian Tour event late last year.
And at the weekend he again performed with distinction claiming 11th place at the International Series Thailand at Black Mountain Golf Club, which was the first of the ground-breaking new 10-event International Series.
It is easy to forget Ratchanon Chantananuwat is still an amateur and so the question is how much would he have earned if he had been competing as a member of the play for pay ranks.
After two solid events in Phuket in late November and early December 2021, he nearly won The Singapore International in January having held the lead early on the back nine on Sunday. He would eventually finish solo-third for his best Asian Tour event to date.
Last week the teen titan was sitting in tied-eight position after a nine-under-par 63 in the third round before narrowly missing out on recording his second Asian Tour top-10 by one shot.
HUA HIN-THAILAND- Ratchanon Chantananuwat pictured on Friday March 4, 2022, during round two of the International Series Thailand at Black Mountain Golf Club, Prachaubkhirikhan, Thailand. The US$ 1.5 million Asian Tour event is staged between March 3 – 6, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
So, based on the six events TK Ratchanon has competed in his earnings would have been:
Blue Canyon Phuket Championship: tied 15th , US$12,670
Laguna Phuket Championship: tied 30th, US$7,925
The Singapore International: third, US$63,000
SMBC Singapore Open: tied 34th, US$8,625
PIF Saudi International Powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers: 71st , US$10,500
International Series Thailand: tied 11th,US$23,145
The hypothetical total earnings of US$125,865 in four months would be impressive by anyone’s standards, but quite incredible for a player that just turned 15 three days ago.
We are sure to see a lot more of “TK” in the coming months and years, but one thing is for sure it is not his winnings that will count for his growing legion of fans but rather the joy his genius is bringing to the game and the Asian Tour.
American Sihwan Kim finally secured his first victory as a professional after over a decade long wait when he claimed the International Series Thailand at Black Mountain Golf Club today.
The in-form 33 year old, who has been in the final pairing on Sunday at three of the last six Asian Tour events, fired an inspired nine-under-par 63 to beat Thailand’s great hope of the future Phachara Khongwatmai by two strokes.
Phachara, the overnight leader chasing his second Tour victory, had no answer to Kim’s round and shot a 68.
South African Ian Snyman and Itthipat Buranatanyarat from Thailand finished two shots further back tied for third after rounds of 64 and 67 respectively.
Sihwan Kim, who turned professional in 2011, has recorded eight top-four results on the Asian Tour since 2018, including two runner-up finishes.
Today’s victory is the culmination of a fine run of form recently which has seen him finish joint fourth at the Blue Canyon Phuket Championship, fourth in the SMBC Singapore Open, and tied second in the Royal’s Cup last week.
HUA HIN-THAILAND- Phachara Khongwatmai of Thailand pictured on Sunday March 6, 2022 during the final round of the International Series Thailand at Black Mountain Golf Club, Prachaubkhirikhan, Thailand. The US$ 1.5 million Asian Tour event is staged between March 3 – 6, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
And he has also finished second four times on the Challenge Tour, since 2012.
“To get that monkey off your back is more of a relief, and happiness, I guess. I know I had it in me, but I guess I just stayed diligent throughout my career, and here I am,” said Kim, who earned a cheque for US$270,000 and moved to the top of the Asian Tour Order of Merit.
“It definitely helped [being in the penultimate group]. When you get off to hot start and when the leaders see your name going up the leader board it kind of puts pressure on the leaders. Obviously because you should make birdies and when it doesn’t come it kind of gets frustrating, so it definitely helped to be in the second from last group.
“It just felt like I was going to make everything today. I was swinging it really freely. I was just reading the lines really well, felt like I was going to make everything.”
Sihwan Kim started the day three shots adrift of Phachara but took charge of the tournament with the most remarkable run of holes seen on the Asian Tour.
He made seven birdies in row from the second – which was two short of Austrian Bernd Wiesberger’s record at the 2017 Maybank Championship.
By the halfway mark he had a one-shot lead over Phachara before another birdie on 10 saw him move two ahead. A three-putt bogey on 14 gave Phachara a glimmer of hope before the American restored his two-shot advantage by sensationally holing his third shot from the bunker on 15 for a birdie.
HUA HIN-THAILAND- Ian Snyman of South Africa pictured on Sunday March 6, 2022 during the final round of the International Series Thailand at Black Mountain Golf Club, Prachaubkhirikhan, Thailand. The US$ 1.5 million Asian Tour event is staged between March 3 – 6, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
That left him with a three-stroke lead but again Kim gave Phachara a chance by missing a 10 foot par putt on 16 after finding sand with his second. Phachara proceeded to birdie 16 to close the gap to one before Kim made birdie on 17 to restore a two-shot advantage that would remain until the end.
Phachara won his first title on the Asian Tour at the Laguna Phuket Championship in December and was the hot favourite to prevail today.
He said: “Today, I was aiming to shoot four or five under to win, but Sihwan played very well, he was eight under after only 10 holes, which really affected my game. I am still proud of my performance, and I’m satisfied. I kept fighting until the very end.”
Asian Tour rookie Snyman was one of the surprise performers on the last day coming through to register the best finish of his career.
“Today was a big mental breakthrough. Being able to put together four rounds like that is incredible,” said Snyman.
HUA HIN-THAILAND- Itthipat Buranatanyarat of Thailand pictured on Sunday March 6, 2022 during the final round of the International Series Thailand at Black Mountain Golf Club, Prachaubkhirikhan, Thailand. The US$ 1.5 million Asian Tour event is staged between March 3 – 6, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“I loved it, love every moment. I had to remind myself the whole time to keep pushing. Don’t go into defence mode. Overall, I am very, very pleased. It’s a relief making that final putt on the last.”
The Asian Tour heads to The DGC Open next. The inaugural event is being played at Delhi Golf Club from March 24 to 27.
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