Stars set for Saudi!
Jeddah: The Asian Tour will present the strongest field in its history when the 2022 Saudi International powered by Softbank Investment Advisers takes place at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club, near Jeddah, from 3-6 February 2022.
The landmark occasion will bring together household names across recent generations of the global game, as well as future stars of Asian golf, to compete for an increased prize purse of $5 million and one of the highest Official World Golf Ranking point totals in international golf.
Players confirmed so far for the 2022 Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers include:
The leading lights of the Asian Tour will also have a significant presence with the inclusion of the top 30 ranked players at the end of the 2020/21 season within the Saudi International field. The final 30 will be confirmed in January following a season-ending double-header in Singapore, with the likes of Jazz Janewattananond, Scott Hend, Gavin Green, John Catlin, Shiv Kapur, Wade Ormsby and Joohyung Kim already having participated in the Asian Tour’s returning event, the Blue Canyon Phuket Championship 2021, won by Chan Shih-chang of Chinese Taipei. Click here to view the current Order of Merit.
Golf Saudi is a staunch supporter of men’s and women’s professional golf and continues to view the participation of the world’s best players in Saudi-based events as a key driver of interest amongst residents and growth of the sport’s popularity throughout the country.
Majed Al-Sorour, CEO and Deputy Chairman of Golf Saudi and the Saudi Golf Federation, said: “The 2022 edition of The International is the strongest yet, but we are still only in the formative years of our vision for golf in the Kingdom.
“We are seeing great progress in participation with boys and girls through our national grass roots and schools’ programs, and are enjoying a significant uptick in demand from men and women throughout The Kingdom. We are also enjoying a rich vein of form with our national amateur teams.
“Whilst this is a product of many factors, there is no denying the massive impact the best players in the world can have on creating multi-generational interest in the sport. This is why we place such importance on securing the strongest field possible, each and every year.”
The recently announced partnership with the Asian Tour, which included a 10-year sanction of the Saudi International from 2022, has created widespread interest but also great benefit within the sport. After an 18-month suspended season, it will contribute to the Asian Tour’s reemergence and generate new opportunities for players across the global golf landscape.
Al-Sorour added: “While we do not allow ourselves to be distracted from our long-term objectives by any external voices, we have been encouraged by strengthening discussions around the importance of fresh competition and innovation in the professional game.
“We are strong advocates for this, as we see it as the only way to achieve golf’s true global potential and realize the game’s considerable untapped value. All we will say is it is better for the sport if the competition remains healthy and respectful, as opposed to hostile, as all parties look at new ways to benefit this great game.”
The Saudi International field will include a broad spectrum of exemption categories that will see new competitors visit Saudi Arabia for the first time. This means new opportunities for many of the Asian Tour’s best performers to try their luck over the Royal Greens course.
Teenager, Joohyung Kim, currently 3rd on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, said: “The Saudi International will give us a new opportunity to compete against the world’s best, something many Asian Tour players have never been afforded. Given the way events and ranking points are weighted on different tours, it was historically more challenging for players rising through the Asian Tour to find their way into the biggest events.
“But the Asian Tour’s talent pool runs deep and, as we see every week, players from a diverse cross section of nationalities are more than capable of competing at the highest level. More big events will help to create a more prosperous Asian Tour and, without doubt, create new talent that can compete on the biggest stage, giving the sport in Asia and around the world a very welcome shot in the arm.”
PHUKET-THAILAND- Joohyun Kim of Korea pictured on Wednesday, November 24, 2021 during the Pro-am event ahead of the Asian Tour’s Blue Canyon Phuket Championship 2021 at the Blue Canyon Country Club, (Canyon Course), with a prize fund of US$ 1 Million. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
CEO of the Asian Tour, Cho Minn Thant said: “With a new showpiece event and a field of such outstanding caliber lined-up for the Saudi International in 2022, there can only be positives for the game as a whole. We are extremely optimistic about how these new opportunities will encourage emerging talent, expose a broader base of players to elevated competition and attract a deeper and more engaged fan base.
“History will reflect upon how developments like the Saudi International and Golf Saudi’s partnership with the Asian Tour helped see in a new era in the professional game. With the right guidance, it’ll be the sport that benefits most, with more top athletes from across a wider geographical spectrum present at the very top level and more interest from a more diverse and committed group of stakeholders.”
For more information about the Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers, visit
Chinese-Taipei’s Chan Shih-chang put himself into position to win on the Asian Tour for the first time in five years after taking the third-round lead in the Blue Canyon Phuket Championship today along with American Sihwan Kim, who is looking for his first victory.
They both carded four-under-par 68s on the Canyon Course at Blue Canyon Country Club to move to 14 under par for the US$1million event, that marks the resumption of the Asian Tour following a 20-month break caused by Covid.
Overnight leader Sadom Kaewkanjana from Thailand shot 72 to lie in third place two behind, while a further shot back are Australian Scott Hend (65), Joohyung Kim from Korea (69) and American John Catlin (72).
“Happy to put myself in a good position for Sunday. I haven’t played in the final group since 2016,” said Chan.
Chan has two Asian Tour titles to his name, which both came in 2016 first in the King’s Cup, here in Thailand, and then the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup in Japan. He is also a six-time winner on the Asian Development Tour ‒ the last of those coming in 2018.
PHUKET-THAILAND- Sihwan Kim of the USA pictured on Saturday, November 27, 2021 during round three of the Asian Tour’s Blue Canyon Phuket Championship 2021 at the Blue Canyon Country Club, (Canyon Course), with a prize fund of US$ 1 Million. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
He held the outright lead for much of the back nine but made a bogey on 16 ‒ which was his first dropped shot in 51 holes.
“Feels like how it was back then when I won the King’s Cup in 2016. That was also in Thailand. Thailand is my lucky country. But I won’t think so much for tomorrow. Just keep doing what I have been doing.”
Kim has been playing in Europe this year and is enjoying the warmer conditions this week.
“It feels kind of weird playing in this weather, being so humid and hot, but yeah I was looking forward to this,” he said.
“Tomorrow I just need to keep it in the fairway and make some putts. Being in the fairway is key on this golf course. If I can do that, my irons are pretty good right now, it will be good.”
Sadom has now not shot over par in 19 consecutive rounds ‒ he has won four times on the All Thailand Golf Tour over the past two months ‒ but he came close to breaking his streak today.
He made the turn in three over and looked to be falling away but bounced back with three birdies in the last five holes.
PHUKET-THAILAND- L-R -Sadom Kaewkanjana of Thailand and Chan Shih-chang of Chinese Taipei shake hands on the 18th green on Saturday, November 27, 2021 during round three of the Asian Tour’s Blue Canyon Phuket Championship 2021 at the Blue Canyon Country Club, (Canyon Course), with a prize fund of US$ 1 Million. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Said Sadom: “I didn’t hit my driver good on the front nine today, but it got better on the back. But the turning point came on 13. I gave myself a chance for birdie on that hole and I made it. I felt confident again from there. Nice to go on and birdie 15 and 16. Felt great to fight back to even-par. I still have a chance tomorrow.”
Ratchanon Chantananuwat, Thailand’s 14-year-old golf phenom, continued to impress by returning a 68 to move up into a tie for 33rd. Yesterday he became the third youngest player to make the cut on the Asian Tour.
Saudi Arabia’s Othman Almulla, part of a strong contingent of players from the Middle East making their debut on the Asian Tour this week in Phuket, has more than just playing golf on his mind.
“I have been playing for Saudi all around the world and representing the flag and trying to help grow the game,” said the 34 year old at Blue Canyon Country Club today, where he has been competing in the Blue Canyon Phuket Championship ‒ the Tour’s first event back following a 20-month break caused by the pandemic.
“It’s just an unbelievably good feeling to be here and competing. This is not just about playing golf.”
Almulla is Saudi Arabia’s only professional golfer and has been joined this week by three of his nation’s leading amateurs Abdulrahman Al Mansour, Saud Al Sharif and Faisal Al Salhab. All four are representing Golf Saudi and playing on the Asian Tour for the first time.
Also competing are four players from the MENA Tour: Jordanian Shergo Al Kurdia, David Langley and Curtis Knipes from England, and Scotland’s Ryan Lumsdan.
PHUKET-THAILAND- Abdulrahman Al Mansour of Saudi Arabia, amateur, hits the first ball for the restart of the Asian Tour after a 20 month Covid pandemic suspension, pictured on Thursday, November 25, 2021, during round one of the Asian Tour’s Blue Canyon Phuket Championship 2021 at the Blue Canyon Country Club, (Canyon Course), with a prize fund of US$ 1 Million. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Al Kurdia is also the first player from Jordan to play on the Tour.
Almulla shot rounds of 76 and 72 to miss the cut but relished the opportunity to compete again.
“It feels great to be competing and we have been welcomed by the Asian Tour, we love that. It’s just great to have somewhere to play. It’s been so hard since I turned professional in 2019. I had one full year and then it’s been super difficult to find places to play,” added Almulla, whose home club is Rolling Hills Golf Club in Saudi Arabia.
“And this week has been so well run. It’s 20 months since the Asian Tour was played. I played in the Asian Tour Qualifying School about 10 years ago and it’s great to see how big it’s grown and see such big names in the field.”
First tee shot on Tour in 20 months 😃⛳👏🏻#BCPC2021 #whereitsAT pic.twitter.com/7iTIAOqJzU
— Asian Tour (@asiantourgolf) November 25, 2021
Al Mansour actually had the honour of hitting the first tee shot on Thursday morning to mark the Tour’s resumption and also signify the Tour’s strengthening of ties with the Middle East.
Adds Almulla: “To see our amateurs come out and hit a lot of good shots, make some birdies, and lose the rustiness has been great. And we get to go again in a couple of days. And I am looking forward to seeing what they can do.”
PHUKET-THAILAND- Shergo Al Kurdi of Jordan pictured on Thursday, November 25, 2021, during round one of the Asian Tour’s Blue Canyon Phuket Championship 2021 at the Blue Canyon Country Club, (Canyon Course), with a prize fund of US$ 1 Million. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Plans are also being put in place for the Tour’s feeder circuit, the Asian Development Tour, to work closely with the MENA Tour ‒ which will lead to more opportunities for developing players.
Next week the Tour heads to the Laguna Phuket Championship at Laguna Golf Phuket ‒ where all the representatives from the Middle East will once again compete.
Thailand’s in-form young star Sadom Kaewkanjana equaled Australian Greg Norman’s course record on the Canyon Course at Blue Canyon Country Club today with an imperious eight-under-par 64, and although it could not be counted as an official record because preferred lies were played he still stormed to the top of the leaderboard at the US$1million Blue Canyon Phuket Championship.
Eight brilliant birdies ‒ three on the front, five on the back ‒ saw him move into the lead on 12 under par by a stroke from American John Catlin, the first-round leader, who shot 68.
Korean Sihwan Kim and Chinese-Taipei’s Chan Shih-chang are a stroke further behind after rounds of 66 and 68 respectively ‒ in an event that marks the resumption of the Asian Tour’s 2020-21 season, following a 20-month hiatus caused by the pandemic.
“My game today is pretty good,” said 23-year-old Sadom, whose round also matched South African Anton Haig’s 64 from the 2007 Johnnie Walker Classic.
“Especially iron play and putting. I hit close to the pin and made many birdies. And I have only missed one fairway this week.”
Sadom has claimed four titles on the All Thailand Golf Tour in the past two months including the Thailand Open and looks like being the man to beat this week, along with Catlin.
He added: “Initially this week I was just focusing on making the cut, but I am changing my game plan for tomorrow and looking to go further.”
PHUKET-THAILAND- John Catlin of the USA pictured on Friday, November 26, 2021 during round two of the Asian Tour’s Blue Canyon Phuket Championship 2021 at the Blue Canyon Country Club, (Canyon Course), with a prize fund of US$ 1 Million. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Catlin carded a sublime 65 to take the first-round lead yesterday and stayed in the hunt today thanks to six birdies and just two dropped shots.
“I played well today but need to go to the range and work on a few things,” said Catlin.
“It was a very early start today. I was up at 4.30am and we didn’t get back until late last night, so I basically went straight to bed. But it’s great to be in this position and have a chance at the weekend.”
Joohyung Kim, the 19-year-old Korean star, came in with a 67 and is four off the lead.
Australian Wade Ormsby, the current leader of the Asian Tour Order of Merit, shot a 69 and is six off the pace, while Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond ‒ the reigning Merit list champion ‒ returned a 72 to surprisingly miss the cut, made at one under, by four.
Thailand’s 14-year-old golf prodigy Ratchanon Chantananuwat signed for a 72 to become the third youngest player to make the cut on the Asian Tour. He’s on one under par and as the only amateur to survive the halfway cut has secured the low amateur award.
PHUKET-THAILAND- Ratchanon Chantananwat of Thailand, amateur, pictured on Friday, November 26, 2021 during round two of the Asian Tour’s Blue Canyon Phuket Championship 2021 at the Blue Canyon Country Club, (Canyon Course), with a prize fund of US$ 1 Million. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“I am capable of playing better but I scrambled well. It’s my first Asian Tour event and I have basically loved being here since Monday,” said the youngster.
In 2010 Jazz became the youngest player, at age 14 years 71 days, to make the cut in an Asian Tour event at the Asian Tour International in Bangkok, as an amateur.
This week’s Blue Canyon Phuket Championship will be followed by the Laguna Phuket Championship next week at Laguna Golf Phuket.
Both Phuket events boast prizemoney of US$1million and will be followed by two events being planned in Singapore in January that will bring to a conclusion the 2020-21 season.
Jazz Janewattananond is finally back home in Thailand, properly ‒ to compete in the Asian Tour Phuket Series ‒ having been away for nearly two years, with the exception of two quick pitstops when he was mainly in quarantine, and nothing could make him happier.
“It’s really good to be back in Thailand!” said Jazz, at Blue Canyon Country Club today ‒ where he is competing in this week’s US$1million Blue Canyon Phuket Championship.
“I haven’t been back here to spend proper time in a while. This has been a real nice change. I am just very grateful to be back on home soil, speaking the language.”
Jazz flew in from Dubai where he tied for fourth in the AVIV Dubai Championship on the DP World Tour and is hoping to become the first player to successfully defend the Asian Tour Order of Merit crown, having claimed the Merit title in 2019. This week’s event is one of four tournaments that will bring to a conclusion the 2020-21 season.
“I did a couple of quarantines but didn’t spend much time here, just doing some things like pick up my passport. I finished quarantine and left straight away. I was in the hotel then left basically. It’s not like I stayed at home or anything,” added Jazz, who is currently fifth on the Order of Merit.
Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
The last occasion he spent time in Thailand was before the Dubai Desert Classic last year.
He added: “It’s been a long road. It’s been a tiring two years. I am going to use this time to take a break and fresh. Since I got back to Thailand it’s been about spending time with family, eating food, enjoying the culture again, enjoying the people.”
He has been grouped with Scott Hend from Australia ‒ a 10-time winner on the Asian Tour ‒ and Malaysian number one Gavin Green for the first two days. They will tee-off tomorrow on the 10th tee at 7.15am.
Jazz, who celebrates his 26th birthday on Friday, is a six-time winner on the Asian Tour ‒ four of which came in 2019.
The Asian Tour Phuket Series events starts with this week’s Blue Canyon Phuket Championship and is followed by next week’s Laguna Phuket Championship, from December 2-5.
Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Thailand’s latest golf prodigy, 14-year-old Ratchanon Chantananuwat, will make his debut on the Asian Tour this week at the Blue Canyon Phuket Championship ‒ being played on the Canyon Course at Blue Canyon Country Club ‒ with his “full attention” on golf while carefully balancing a busy schedule of online classes.
“I did some online physics and English classes on Tuesday morning as I played 18 on Monday and had to miss a double English session,” said the amateur star, who is doing his IGCEs at Shrewsbury International School in Bangkok.
“Obviously it should be 50/50 for the most part but at certain times I have to focus on one thing or another depending what is more important at the time. For example, right now I have to pretty much put my full attention on these two events, therefore I am prioritising golf and practice way more than school.”
He is also playing in next week’s Laguna Phuket Championship at Laguna Golf Phuket ‒ both Asian Tour Phuket Series events mark the resumption of the Tour’s 2020-21 season, after a 20-month hiatus caused by the pandemic.
“TK”, as he is nicknamed, has taken the All Thailand Golf Tour (ATGT) by storm this year, particularly when the Tour visited the same two Phuket venues a few months ago.
PHUKET-THAILAND – Ratchanon Chantananuwat of Thailand pictured with his father / caddy Tara, during an official practice round on Tuesday, November 23, 2021, ahead of the Asian Tour’s Blue Canyon Phuket Championship 2021 at the Blue Canyon Country Club, (Canyon Course), with a prize fund of US$ 1 Million. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
He was second in the Singha Laguna Phuket Open, at Laguna Golf Phuket, and joint fifth in the Singha All Thailand Championship here on the Canyon Course.
The talented youngster was also the leading amateur in the Thailand Open last month, after finishing in a tie for 16th; he’s actually finished as the top amateur in six successive ATGT events.
He is also the youngest player to make the cut on the ATGT at 13 years, four months and 18 days.
However, despite all the success and attention he has stayed grounded and remained focused on his school work.
“I know if I spend a bit of time revising and talking to my teachers I can catch up. Depending on my tee times this week, if early or late, I can slot in a period to study,” he added.
PHUKET-THAILAND – Ratchanon Chantananuwat of Thailand pictured during an official practice round on Tuesday, November 23, 2021, ahead of the Asian Tour’s Blue Canyon Phuket Championship 2021 at the Blue Canyon Country Club, (Canyon Course), with a prize fund of US$ 1 Million. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“My game is ok. I just want to make sure I am dialled in because if I want to do well then the driver’s got to be on point, hitting has to be on point, I have to make the putts, put my irons close, everything has to be as good as possible.”
Of note, he was the third-round leader at the Singha All Thailand Championship so he knows all about the Canyon Course.
“Obviously, this is my first Asian Tour event, I am aware that the players are really good, there’s a lot of top players here, so I am just mainly focusing on myself. I have played well at these clubs at the recent ATGT events,” said Ratchanon, whose father Tara will caddie for him.
“It feels really good to finish as best amateur six times in a row, I am just trying to go for the big one now.”
Miguel Tabuena has returned from a long stint in the United States to compete in this week’s Blue Canyon Phuket Championship and says he is aiming to be in contention on Sunday despite limited playing opportunities this year.
The two-time Asian Tour winner has been camped in Washington for much of the year and has just got back to the region for a tournament that marks the resumption of the Asian Tour’s 2020-21 season.
“I have recovered from a bit of jetlag,” said the Filipino.
“Today was the first time this week I didn’t wake up before three, which was pretty good.”
He has been starved of playing opportunities because of the pandemic, but when he has competed he has seized the opportunity, including winning an event in September run by the PGA of America.
“The game is there. I’ve been seven or eight months away from this heat. I am just trying to preserve my body as well as I can although I am pretty used to it and I know what to expect,” added the 27-year-old, who has been practicing regularly with PGA Tour player Cam Davis from Australia while in the States.
“I have to hydrate a bit more this week. So, this week is more about maintaining my body.”
PHUKET-THAILAND – Miguel Tabuena of the Philippines pictured during an official practice round on Tuesday, November 23, 2021, ahead of the Asian Tour’s Blue Canyon Phuket Championship 2021 at the Blue Canyon Country Club, (Canyon Course), with a prize fund of US$ 1 Million. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour
The second of his Asian Tour wins actually came in Thailand at the Queen’s Cup in 2018 so he is in a good space this week.
“I know the game is there, hopefully it shows up. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t matter, it’s good to be back playing again especially in Thailand. Hopefully I can contend, I always play to contend,” he said.
“I want to be in a situation where I can win on Sunday but if the situation is not there its just to improve every week.”
Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond, Scott Hend from Australia, American John Catlin, Malaysian Gavin Green and teenage Korean star Joohyung Kim are just some of big names competing.
PHUKET-THAILAND – L-R – Miguel Tabuena of the Philippines pictured next to the Tiger Woods plaque on the 13th hole during an official practice round on Tuesday, November 23, 2021, ahead of the Asian Tour’s Blue Canyon Phuket Championship 2021 at the Blue Canyon Country Club, (Canyon Course), with a prize fund of US$ 1 Million. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour
The Asian Tour Phuket Series, as its has been named, starts with the Blue Canyon Phuket Championship on Thursday, followed the week after by the Laguna Phuket Championship. The two US$1 million tournaments are part of the 2020-21 season ending events, with two final ones planned for Singapore in January.
We have put together 10 things you need to know ahead of the Asian Tour’s long-awaited resumption at the Blue Canyon Phuket Championship this week!
PHUKET-THAILAND- Blue Canyon Country Club, Phuket, Thailand. The Asian Tour Laguna Blue Canyon Championship will be staged at the Blue Canyon Country Club from November 25-28, 2021. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
- The inaugural Blue Canyon Phuket Championship will mark the resumption of the Asian Tour’s 2020 season following a 20-month hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The US$1 million full-field event is part of the Asian Tour Phuket Series and will mark the first event of the two-week swing.
- A total of 144 players from 27 countries will be vying for top honours at the highly acclaimed Blue Canyon Country Club’s Canyon course, where golf legends Tiger Woods and Greg Norman have triumphed at the 1998 and 1994 Johnnie Walker Classic respectively.
- Greg Norman reclaimed his world number one status following his victory in 1994 where he beat Nick Faldo and set the course record with his final round 64.
- Tiger Woods defeated Ernie Els in a play-off to stage a great comeback in 1998. The 13th hole nicknamed “The Tiger Hole” became a signature hole of the course after Tiger drove the green from 270 yards.
- The Blue Canyon Phuket Championship will see players from Jordan and Saudi Arabia making their first ever starts on the Asian Tour.
- Reigning Order of Merit champion Jazz Janewattananond will return to Thailand for the Asian Tour Phuket Series. Place fifth on the current Order of Merit, Jazz will be vying to become the first player to successfully retain the Merit crown in back-to-back seasons on Tour.
- American John Catlin, highest-ranked player at 123rd place on the OWGR, will also feature in the inaugural event. He claimed his fourth victory at the Thailand Open in 2019 and has gone one to win three events on the European Tour since.
- Thai hotshots Sadom Kaewkanjana and Phachara Khongwatmai, who have both won multiple titles on their domestic circuit this year, will be part of the 56-man strong local challenge vying for top honours at the Blue Canyon Phuket Championship.
- 14-year-old Amateur Ratchanon Chantananuwat, who has been making waves in the local golf scene, will make his Asian Tour debut at the Blue Canyon Phuket Championship. The Thai prodigy become the youngest ever player to make the cut on the All Thailand Golf Tour in 2020. Should he make the halfway cut in Phuket, he will become the third youngest player to achieve the feat on the Asian Tour, following record-holder Jazz and second-placed Kuang Yang.
PHUKET-THAILAND- Tiger Woods longest drive on the 18th plaque at Blue Canyon Country Club, Phuket, Thailand. The Asian Tour Laguna Blue Canyon Championship will be staged at the Blue Canyon Country Club from November 25-28, 2021. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Blue Canyon Country Club will stage on of its biggest tournaments next week when the Blue Canyon Phuket Championship is played there from November 25-28, and no one is more excited than the club’s Chairman Mr. Praphant Asava-aree.
“We are proud that Blue Canyon has a long history and legacy with international competition,” said Mr Praphant.
“And we are trying to bring that back so that Blue Canyon can be the most iconic course in Thailand. So, we are extremely proud to host an Asian Tour event to help us achieve our goals.”
The US$1million tournament, to be played on the Canyon Course, marks the restart of the Asian Tour following a 19-month break because of COVID-19.
A stellar field has entered including reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit champion Jazz Janewattananond from Thailand, Australia’s Scott Hend, who has claimed 10-titles on the Asian Tour, John Catlin from the United States ‒ a three-time winner on the European Tour ‒ Malaysian number one Gavin Green, and a host of other marquee names.
The unmistakable 18th at Blue Canyon. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“Referring to the Sandbox initiative by the local government, this was key in allowing players to come here and compete without quarantine. This was a huge plus for Phuket,” added Mr Praphant.
“We have to thank the people of Phuket, the Governor and the Tourism Authority of Thailand for the bold decision they made to open up Phuket. I think in this pandemic Phuket has been doing quite well since the Sandbox started in July, and now we have opened up more since November 1. And we are confident things will get better.”
The club hosted back-to-back events on the All Thailand Golf Tour and Thailand PGA Tour in September but next week will mark the first time it has hosted an international event since the 2007 Johnnie Walker Classic – an Asian Tour, European Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia tri-sanctioned tournament won by Anton Haig from South Africa.
“The golf club has been doing well. The local events we staged were very successful and we have been happy with how things have developed,” said the Chairman.
“We closed down for one-month last year following government regulations. But we have used this whole period of downtime to improve the quality of the course and its playing surfaces. We renovated everything on the Canyon Course: fairways, tee boxes, everything. We have been working very hard on the greens to get them ready for the tournament. Four days rain, three days sun has meant it has not been easy to get the greens prepared but we have been working on it slowly and patiently.”
The Club, which celebrated its 30th anniversary last month, also hosted the Johnnie Walker Classic in 1994 when Australian great Greg Norman beat Fred Couples from the United States by a shot; and, also in 1998 the year that American Tiger Woods defeated South Africa’s Ernie Els in a memorable sudden-death play-off.
The famous penultimate hole at Blue Canyon. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
The Asian Tour was also there in 1996 for the Honda City Invitational, won by Australian Steve Elkington, and in 2005 for the Thailand Open, where New Zealand’s Richard Lee took the title.
Added Mr Praphat: “We are planning more events, and we are discussing this with a lot of organisers, and of course we hope that Asian Tour will come back!”
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