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OWGR Watch: The road to Augusta


Published on March 13, 2019

By Olle Nordberg, Former Asian Tour and European Tour professional

March 13: With lucrative events such as World Golf Championships (WGC), Majors and the Players Championship looming, the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) becomes all important. Here, we follow the Asian Tour players that are making a charge up the rankings and their quest to play their way into these events via the OWGR.

Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat, currently ranked number 39 on the OWGR, will already be eligible for all the above events.

Kiradech and India’s Anirban Lahiri both have a huge week coming up at this week’s US$12,500,000 Players Championship in Jacksonville, Florida. It has arguably the strongest field in golf and regarded by many as the “fifth major”. Kiradech and Lahiri have a much-coveted opportunity to challenge for the 80 OWGR points and perks that go to the winner of the Players Championship.

The fringe benefits of winning this event are staggering in the world of professional golf:

  • Five-year PGA TOUR exemption
  • Three-year Masters exemption
  • Three-year U.S. Open exemption
  • Three-year Open Championship exemption
  • Three-year U.S. PGA Championship exemption

Plus, a large share of one of the biggest purses in golf.

Last week’s Commercial Bank Qatar Masters saw a number of Asian Tour members competing on the weekend, and a big make move up the ranking list was, of course, made by the champion, two-time Asian Tour winner, Justin Harding.

Harding won his maiden European Tour event by finishing in style with birdies on his last two holes for a closing 6-under-par 66, continuing his incredible Sunday scoring run in 2019. Since the start of the year, his round four scores have been: 70 (-1) at the SMBC Singapore Open, 63 (-9) Omega Dubai Desert Classic, 63 (-7) Saudi International, 68 (-4) Vic Open and 66 (-6) last week in Qatar. An enviable average of 66 or -5.4 under par.

For winning the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, Harding collected 24 OWGR points and rose 22 positions in the rankings all the way up to 52nd place. This means he has now secured a place in the WGC Dell Matchplay in Austin, Texas at the end of march for the top 64 available on the OWGR, even if the deadline is not until March 18.

He is also very close to the magic number 50 needed for an invitation to the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia that is happening from April 11 to 14. The deadline to get into the top-50 is March 31, and one more top finish before then could see Harding book his first Masters Tournament appearance.

Harding is scheduled to play in the Magical Kenya Open in Nairobi this week on the European Tour.

With a tied-20th place in Qatar, Kurt Kitayama remains at number 105 in the OWGR rankings and is still within striking distance of the top-100 needed for a special exemption into the U.S. PGA Championship at Bethpage Black in New York that is happening from May 16 to 19.

Kitayama is not playing this week and will return to action in next week’s Maybank Championship in Kuala Lumpur.

Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond did not play last week and dropped a couple of spots on the OWGR to 77 from 75, but he is still well positioned for a special invitation to the U.S. PGA Championship.

With two big co-sanctioned events coming up on the schedule, the Maybank Championship and Hero Indian Open, the Masters Tournament is also within reach, although a tall order. A win in Malaysia and a high finish in India the week after could see Jazz follow in Shubhankar Sharma’s footsteps from last year.


Published on March 11, 2019

March 11: It was another week to remember for South Africa’s Justin Harding in Qatar. After setting the Asian Tour alight with two back-to-back victories in Indonesia and Thailand last year, Harding is now taking the European Tour by storm with his breakthrough in the Middle East.

Former Asian Tour and European Tour professional, Olle Nordberg breaks down Harding’s latest win and recaps the performances of our Asian Tour stars from Qatar to Orlando. – All in this week’s edition of Overseas Watch.

By Olle Nordberg, Former Asian Tour and European Tour professional

European Tour- Commercial Bank Qatar Open

It was a breakthrough European Tour win for South Africa’s Justin Harding at the Commercial Bank Qatar Open yesterday. Firing a final round six-under-par 66 on Sunday, Harding beat nine players in tied second place to take home the trophy by two shots with his winning total of13-under-par 275. In a round that included eight birdies and two bogeys, Harding birdied his last two holes, and three out of his last four.

With the victory also comes 24 very important Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points which propelled Harding to 52nd place. What this means is that he now has a lock on a start in the WGC Dell Matchplay in Austin, Texas at the end of March, and is closing in on the OWGR top 50 and an invitation the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia in April.

The winner of the Oman Open on the European Tour a couple of weeks ago, American Kurt Kitayama closed the week with an even-par 72 and a tie for 20th place together with fellow Asian Tour players Jake McLeod (73) and Masahiro Kawamura (71) after signing off with a four-day total of seven-under-par 281.

Malaysian number one and 2017 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion Gavin Green finished the week tied for 31st with a one-under-par 71 and a five-under-par total, a score that he also shared with Gaganjeet Bhullar (68) of India.

Also making the weekend in Qatar was Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee who settled on a one-over-par total and tied 72nd place.

Kiradech finishes tied-23rd at Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard

Over in the United States, Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat wrapped up his week in Orlando with a one-under-par 71 that included three birdies against two bogeys.

Kiradech, who is the first player from Thailand to gain full membership from Thailand, finished in a share of 23rd place after closing with a four-day total of four-under-par 284.

In the field at Bay Hill was also India’s Anirban Lahiri, who after making the cut, had to endure a rough weekend at the difficult course and eventually finished in tied-69th place after he signed off with a one-over-par 73 for an eight-over-par 296 total.

The event was won by Italy’s Francesco Molinari who posted a bogey-free eight-under-par 64 to finish two shots clear of overnight leader Matthew Fitzpatrick on 12-under-par 276.


Published on

March 11: Justin Harding of South Africa closed with a six-under-par 66 to win his maiden European Tour title by two shots at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters on Sunday.

The 33-year-old Harding had a three-shot deficit going into the final round, but he closed the gap early in the day on the overnight leader, England’s Oliver Wilson, by sinking three birdies in his opening four holes at the Doha Golf Club.

Even though he dropped shots on the sixth and seventh, Harding recovered brilliantly by responding with birdies on the 10th and 12th. With the wind in his sails, two-time Asian Tour winner birdied three out of his last four holes before signing for a 13-under-par 275 total.

At that juncture, Harding took over the clubhouse lead from Korean Jinho Choi, who set the early target of 11-under-par after carding the day’s best score of 64. The South African then had to endure a long, agonising wait, with 15 golfers still yet to finish their rounds.

An hour later, he was conferred the winner. He joins Ernie Els, Darren Fichardt, Retief Goosen and Branden Grace as South African winners of the Mother of Pearl trophy.

“I didn’t quite think it was enough, I thought there might be a play-off but I’m happy to get over the line eventually. I’ve been knocking on the door a little recently. It’s rewarding seeing the hard graft and change in mindset, seeing what’s involved and what’s going on. I’m really happy,” he said.

Harding has been in supreme form since winning the Indonesia Open and Royal Cup in quick succession last year. He went on to secure four more top-10 finishes to emerge third on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings.

He carried his momentum to 2019, evident from his results on the European Tour. His victory in Qatar earned him 24 Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points, which elevated him from 74th to 52nd.

With WGC-Dell Technologies Matchplay spots reserved for the top-64 available golfers on the OWGR as of March 18, Harding will be packing his bags for Austin, Texas, United States in a few weeks’ time.

Prom wins second Singha Thailand Masters title

Thailand’s Prom Meesawat also enjoyed a celebratory weekend, as he shot an even-par 72 to win the Singha Thailand Masters by one shot on Sunday.

Prom started the day with a one-shot lead and even though he could not get his round going, trading five birdies against five bogeys, the Big Dolphin hung on for the victory at the All Thailand Tour event after signing for a 13-under 276 at the Santiburi Country Club.

The 34-year-old Prom credited his win to World Cup teammate and friend, Kiradech Aphibarnrat, who helped him improve his game during the off-season.

Said Prom: “We practised together and he gave me good tactics and also equipment before leaving for the United States. I want to thank him for that.

“This is a big event and everyone wants to play here. I had good memories of playing here and so, winning here again is very special.”

Prom, a three-time Asian Tour winner, earned seven OWGR points, and he has risen more than a hundred places from 407 to 301 on the world rankings.

Khan continues his resurgence with a win at the City Bank American Express Chittagong Open 

India’s Rashid Khan was miles ahead of the field as he shot a final-day nine-under-par 63 for a seven-shot, wire-to-wire victory at the City Bank American Express Chittagong Open.

His winning total of 24-under-par 264 is a new record for the lowest-ever winning score achieved at Bangladesh’s Bhatiary Golf and Country Club.

Khan, who had a two-shot cushion at the start of the day, tightened his grip on the lead after shooting four birdies on the front nine. His lead was virtually unassailable after sinking three consecutive birdies on the 10th, 11th and 12th.

His victory in Bangladesh was his 11th professional win and his second one in four months.

In December last year, Khan ended his two-year title drought by emerging victorious at the CG Open 2018, a tournament on the PGTI.

Said that two-time Asian Tour winner: “The putts rolled in for me today and I also capitalised on the par-fives. My week can be summed up by the fact that I dropped only one bogey in the whole tournament. It’s great to win two events in quick succession. I feel my confidence and game are back on track.”

Khan earned five OWGR points, which pushed him up from 867 to 581 on the world rankings.


Published on March 6, 2019

By Olle Nordberg

With lucrative events such as WGCs, Majors and the Players Championship looming, the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) becomes all important. Here we follow the Asian Tour players that are making a charge up the rankings and their quest to play their way into these events via the OWGR.

Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat, currently ranked number 38 on the OWGR, will already be eligible for all the above events.

Last week’s OWGR counting events, the co-sanctioned 100th New Zealand Open on the Asian Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia, Oman Open (European Tour) and Honda Classic (PGA Tour) saw a few of our members make important moves up the ranking list.

  • Kurt Kitayama– With a clutch finish in Oman birdieing the 16th and 17th holes to win by one shot, having overcome a quadruple bogey, bogey, bogey start in round three, Kitayama moves up to number 105 on the OWGR. Having made huge strides in the last 15 months to move up from 1187th position at the start of the 2018 Asian Tour season, he’s now within striking distance on the top 100 which should be enough for a special exemption into the US PGA Championship at Bethpage Black in New York from May 16 to 19.

He is scheduled to play next week’s Qatar Masters on the European Tour, and a top finish there could also put him in contention for the top-64 on the OWGR at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play (as of March 18). Last year’s edition of the tournament saw the entry list drop down to number 70 because of some players choosing not to enter the event.

  • Jazz Janewattananond– We have gotten used to Jazz playing great golf the last few months, and last week in Queenstown did not disappoint. In tied-12th place after three rounds, Jazz fired an eight-under-par 64 in the last round that included two eagles and one birdie in his last six holes. A tied-fourth finish meant gaining three spots on the OWGR to move to a career high of 75.

Jazz is not scheduled to play again until the Maybank Championship after the deadline of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, so he will need to rely on other players not entering to get into that event.

  • Justin Harding– Uncharacteristically missing the cut in the difficult sand-storm plagued Oman Open saw Harding lose a few spots on the OWGR from 71 to 74. He is scheduled to play the next two weeks European Tour events in Qatar and Kenya, so he will have a chance to improve on his ranking before the deadline. A high finish in either of the next two weeks events could see him secure a spot in Austin.

For the three players above, the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia held from April 11 to 14 is still within reach, although it might be a much tougher task. Being inside the top-50 on the OWGR as of March 31st would land them with an invitation to Augusta and follow in Shubhankar Sharma’s footsteps from last year following his win at the Maybank Championship.


Published on February 26, 2019

Queenstown, New Zealand, February 26: Olle Nordberg provides his insights from the front lines ahead of the storied New Zealand Open, which has attracted more than 30 Asian Tour champions and 13 past winners to its 100th edition this week.

By Olle Nordberg. 

This week’s New Zealand Open in Queenstown may be a recent event on the Asian Tour only making its first appearance on the schedule in 2018, but the event certainly has a long history going all the way back to 1907 and making this year the 100th edition of the championship.

This is the second consecutive event that is co-sanctioned with the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia and like in 2018, it will be played over two courses, Millbrook Resort and The Hills, in a Pro-Am format.

These two courses have hosted the event since 2014 and have produced some spectacular scoring and champions such as Daniel Nisbet (2018), Michael Hendry (2017), Mathew Griffin (2016), Jordan Zunic (2015) and Dimitrios Papadatos (2014).

Especially the 2018 edition provided some fireworks in the last round, when Nisbet shot a final round of 62 (-9) to overtake Terry Pilkadaris and win the title by two shots with a total of 27 under par 258.

The defending champion Daniel Nisbet seems poised for a strong defence this week, coming off a six-shot win at last week’s Coca Cola QLD Championship in Toowoomba.

In addition to the recent past winners gathered at the New Zealand Open this week, other challengers to the title may come from the following players who are enjoying a recent run of good form:

  • Ryan Fox – Winner of the ISPS Handa World Super 6 Perth two weeks ago, and the highest ranked player on the OWGR in the field this week at 68th place. By winning in Perth, he also managed to jump high enough on the OWGR to get into the WGC-Mexico Championship last week.

Being played in a Pro-Am format, the course setup may be a bit kinder than the average Asian Tour event, with the rough not quite as thick and pin positions not as tricky as usual. For example, if we compare the GIR stat numbers from this event last year to the GIR average of the Top 100 Asian Tour players in 2018, we can see a noticeable difference.

In 2018, the players that made the cut at New Zealand Open had a GIR average of 81.1%, while the Top 100 Asian Tour players averaged 67.8% for the 2018 season. The highest-ranked player in this category last year was Paul Peterson with a 74.5% GIR. Based on this and Top 10 statistics from last year’s event, it may suggest that putting will be even more important than usual, and that the winner and top finishers might be found among the players that rank highly in this statistic.


Published on February 15, 2019

Sentosa, Singapore, February 15: Chikkarangappa S. and Danthai Boonma have both become landmark champions on their home Tours. Not only have they won their respective season openers, but they have gone down in history as the first winners to have received Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points following their victories on the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) and All Thailand Golf Tour (ATGT)

This is the first time the Tours’ where their tournaments are awarded world ranking points following the OWGR’s decision to include the PGTI and AGTI into the OWGR system.

The OWGR is used to determine eligibility to lucrative events such as Major championships, World Golf Championship tournaments, the World Cup, Olympic golf tournament and several other high-profile events worldwide.

With these domestic Tours attaining OWGR points, golfers will have more opportunities to earn points and work their way up the rankings.

India’s Chikkarangappa claimed a two-shot victory at the Golconda Masters 2019 Powered By Telangana Tourism & Incredible India, the season-opening event on the PGTI. The 26-year-old received five OWGR points, which lifted him from 461 to 357 on the world rankings.

Danthai Boonma of Thailand

Thailand’s Danthai Boonma was dominant at the Singha E-San Open 2019 as he finished the tournament five shots ahead of the field. He earned seven points and rose from 395 to 315 on the OWGR.

Chikkarangappa and Danthai are regular competitors on the Asian Tour, which has worked closely with the PGTI and ATGT in developing professional golf in the region.

In 2018, the Asian Tour co-sanctioned the Hero Indian Open, TAKE Solutions Masters and the Panasonic Open India with the PGTI. The year also saw the emergence of India’s Shubhankar Sharma, who started his professional career on the PGTI.

The All Thailand Golf Tour (ATGT) has nurtured the likes of two-time Asian Tour winner Jazz Janewattananond and three-time Asian Tour Order of Merit champion Thongchai Jaidee.

The Asian Tour has been in close collaboration with the ATGT over the last 20 years.

This week the Asian Development Tour (ADT) is holding a joint-sanctioned event in Lopburi at the home of Thai Legend Thongchai Jaidee. Last year, the Asian Tour worked with the ATGT to put together two events on the ADT, the Singha Laguna Phuket Open and the Betagro Championship.

The top five golfers on the respective Order of Merit lists at the end of the season will receive spots at the Final Stage of the Asian Tour Qualifying School, with the top-ranked player earning playing rights on Asia’s premier circuit.

Said Cho Minn Thant, Asian Tour Chief Operating Officer: “The Asian Tour would like to congratulate Chikkarangappa S. and Danthai Boonma for winning their respective tournaments. It’s great to see two of our members victorious and boosted their positions on the world rankings.

“The PGTI and ATGT have reached a significant milestone with their inclusion into the OWGR system. The Asian Tour will continue to collaborate with local golf bodies to collectively develop the game of golf in the region.”


Published on February 12, 2019

By Olle Nordberg, founder of golf equipment survey company, Northmountain International. 

Perth, Australia, February 12: As the saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The modified format that mixes both stroke play and match play will be used at the 2019 ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth for the third consecutive year, proving that it has gained acceptance among golf aficionados.

Perhaps, it’s the unpredictability and excitement of the format.

Case in point: Brett Rumford and Kiradech Aphibarnrat won the 2017 and 2018 editions of the tournament in a vastly different manner.

Rumford was the leading player after three days of stroke play in 2017 at 17-under-par. He went on to win the knock-out match play rounds on Sunday.

Aphibarnrat, on the other hand, barely managed to squeeze through the first three rounds of stroke play at five-under-par for a tied-17th place, before emerging victorious in the Sunday match play. In a normal 72-hole stroke play format, a five-stroke deficit after three rounds would have been more challenging to overcome.

Neither Rumford (who is out injured) or Aphibarnrat (playing on the PGA Tour) will be in the field this week at Lake Karrinyup Country Club in Perth, but there’s a good chance that some of the following players in strong form will be in with a chance to win on Sunday afternoon

Justin Harding

Arguably the hottest player in the field, coming off a fourth-place finish in last week’s Vic Open on the European Tour and Australasian PGA Tour, as well as tied-11th at the Saudi International and tied-seventh at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic on the European tour. He is the highest ranked player on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) in the field at 65th.

Jazz Janewattanond

He is already a winner this year at the SMBC Singapore Open, and in doing so, broke into the top-100 on the OWGR. Jazz finished the 2018 Asian Tour season very strongly by finishing third at the Queen’s Cup Hosted by Jaidee Foundation, and 2nd at the BNI Indonesian Masters. He’s also pretty adept at match play, evident from his performance at the Friendship Cup between Thailand and Japan in late December, where he won all his five matches. He was in tied-10th going into the last round at the Vic Open last week, before falling back a bit in the last round.

Lucas Herbert

Herbert has had top-10 finishes in this event the last two years by finishing third in 2018 and tied-ninth in 2017. Both years, he finished tied-second after the stroke play rounds. Recently, he finished tied-seventh at the star-studded Omega Dubai Desert Classic in late January. Recent form and previous performances at the ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth put him in good stead.

A Numbers Game

From the statistics from the last few years, players who can hit Greens-In-Regulation (GIR) will have an edge at the Lake Karrinyup Country Club, at least, for the stroke play rounds. A couple of very strong players that ranked highly in this statistic on the 2018 Asian Tour should also be good picks for a possible victory this week:

Scott Vincent

The Zimbabwean finished fifth on the 2018 Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings, racking up nine top-10s during the season including three second-place finishes. Vincent was ranked third in GIR on the Asian Tour last with 73.8 per cent. He is very much due for a breakthrough win in 2019, evident from his solid statistics across the board last year. In addition to his GIR, he was also ranked commendably in Stroke Average (69.84, third on Tour), Putts per GIR (1.74, 12th), birdies (306, first), as well as Birdies per Round (4.43, third).

Jake McLeod

McLeod is the reigning Australasian PGA Tour Order of Merit Champion. In his rookie season on the Asian Tour, McLeod hit 70.7 per cent of his GIR (ranked 16th on Tour), and even more impressive was his Birdies per Round at 4.78 (second).

OWGR Watch

With lucrative events such as the World Golf Championships (WGC), Majors and the Player’s Championship looming, players will be jostling for top positions on the OWGR. Two members making a significant charge up the rankings are Harding and Jazz. They could make some big strides with some high finishes in the weeks to come.

Of course, Kiradech Aphibarnrat will already be eligible for all of the above.

In Harding’s case, he is currently 65th on the OWGR and is very close to qualifying for the Dell Technologies Match Play in Austin, Texas at the end of March, where the top-64 available players get a spot. The cutoff date is still five weeks away, but another top finish in Perth this week could put him inside this number. The U.S. PGA Championship at Bethpage Black in New York on May 16 to 19 will usually give a Special Exemption to players ranked within the top-100 of the OWGR. Harding earned one of these spots last year after winning the Bank BRI Indonesia Open and Royal Cup consecutively in 2018.

Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand

Jazz, now in 77th place on the OWGR, will need to do a bit more to get inside the top-64 for a spot at the Dell Technologies Match Play. However, a couple of high finishes in Perth or at the upcoming New Zealand Open could edge him over the line. Jazz is also currently in line for one of the Special Exemption spots into the U.S. PGA Championship.

For both players, what’s more desirable is sure the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia. Although, it will be a tough task.  To get an invitation to the year’s first Major, they have to be inside the top-50 on the OWGR as of March 31st.

The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass from March 14 to 17 in Jacksonville, Florida is another event that gives exemptions to the top-50 on the OWGR. The cutoff is coming up soon on March 4 after the New Zealand Open, and a huge move up the rankings would require some stellar play in the three weeks ahead.


Published on February 8, 2019

By PGA Tour

February 8: India’s Shubhankar Sharma can’t wait to return to the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship later this month.

A year ago, the 22-year-old prospect took the world by storm, grabbing the second- and third-round leads against a star-studded field at Club Golf de Chapultepec before finishing T9.

While disappointed he failed to cross the finish line first, Sharma’s valiant run in Mexico propelled him to global fame and set him off on an adventure of a lifetime where he featured in all four World Golf Championships plus the majors, won the Asian Tour Order of Merit title and was afforded the Arjuna award which is one of the highest sporting accolades conferred in India.

Sharma believes his 2018 campaign will form the building blocks as he pursues greater success in his burgeoning career, which presently includes two victories in Asian Tour-European Tour sanctioned tournaments achieved in South Africa and Malaysia.

He has so far endured a subdued start to 2019 with two missed cuts from three tournaments but a timely return to the tree-lined and tricky Chapultepec course from February 21 to 24 will get his adrenaline rushing again.

“I’m looking forward to going back to Mexico. Obviously, I’ve got lots of special memories and feelings from last year’s tournament. I really like the golf course where you have to be sharp with your game. I’ll be giving my best for sure. You never know what can happen … golf is funny game. I wasn’t able to win it last year and I’ll keep trying,” he said.

Sharma, who grew up watching major golf events with his father during the wee hours of mornings in their Chandigarh home, shot rounds of 65, 66 and 69 to turn the spotlight on himself before closing with a 74. It marked a magical week which included an amusing encounter with eventual winner Phil Mickelson, who had brushed Sharma away when the Indian approached him on the practice putting green as the American though he was a journalist looking for an interview.

“It (Mexico) was definitely a highlight in 2018. I couldn’t finish it off, but it was a turning point for me. It showed I could play against best in the world in what was my first WGC of my career. Having a chance to win at this stage of my career was a good experience, and upon my return home, I received a lot of support and a lot of kids now look up to me and they also believe they can play at the highest stage,” said Sharma.

“Mexico was a really big stage and I had a chance to win which was huge. Hopefully I’ll get more opportunities.”

In October, he reinforced his growing credentials by taking the co-third round lead in the CIMB Classic in Malaysia before finishing T10 with a final round 72. He believes he can eventually break through and earn the right to compete full time on the PGA TOUR.

“You always learn something new, there’s a lot of pressure and the body can react differently. In Mexico and CIMB, I learned a lot. It’s more of the mental approach, getting more comfortable playing in the lead groups. I’m comfortable playing in the lead but at the highest stage, it’s a different level. I think you just have to tell yourself it’s golf. That’s what I’ll try to do,” he said.

In all, Sharma featured in 33 tournaments around the globe in 2018 and he hopes to trim his schedule this season to ensure his mind and body are fresh whenever he tees it up.

“I played a lot of big events. A lot of good things happened and it raised my confidence that I could play against the best,” he reflected. “It was a long season and I got to learn about my body. I’m learning to get over jet lags and getting rested up. The body and mind react differently when you play so much and it’s something I’m learning to manage. I’m hoping to get the scheduling right, make a proper schedule and stick to it. I was also playing on new courses on most weeks and hopefully it becomes easier when I get back to those places that I’ve been to.”

His goals for 2019 are quite clear– he intends to join the International Team for the Presidents Cup at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club in December and also challenge for a PGA TOUR card through the non-member category.

“I’m aiming for more consistency, more top-10s, top-15s,” Sharma said. “Winning will be great but I’m looking for more top results in a consistent manner.

“Getting into the Presidents Cup team … that’s right up there. I really want to be part of the team. The PGA TOUR is a goal but I’m not going to push it too hard. I’ve got Mexico and The Open on my schedule right now which counts towards the PGA TOUR so hopefully I can have some good results and see where it takes me.”


Published on January 31, 2019

Melbourne, Australia, January 31: Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond has emerged as a surprise but legitimate contender for a place in the International Team for the Presidents Cup against the United States at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club later this year.

The 23-year-old claimed his third and biggest career victory yet on the Asian Tour two weeks ago when he won the SMBC Singapore Open which featured several of the game’s leading stars including Paul Casey, Sergio Garcia and World Golf Hall of Famer Davis Love III, all winners on the PGA TOUR.

It was his sixth top-10 finish over his last eight starts stretching back to September which has helped the slender Thai strike the right notes and launch an early challenge for a place in Captain Ernie Els’s International Team where he is presently ranked 12th on the team rankings for the biennial competition which takes place from December 9-15, 2019.

“I saw on Twitter recently that said I had a chance to qualify for the International Team,” said Jazz. “It’s a long-term goal of mine as when you look at the rankings, there are so many top (International) players. If I can continue to play good golf and make it there, it will be a big bonus.”

Jazz recalls watching the 2009 Presidents Cup on TV when Ryo Ishikawa of Japan made the International Team as one of captain Greg Norman’s picks and he knows only too well the lone International victory in the series was secured at Royal Melbourne in 1998 when another Japanese star, Shigeki Maruyama emerged as one of the International Team’s heroes with his 5-0 winning record.

“The Americans are really strong in this format and I want to see the International players beating the Americans this year, and I’ll always be rooting for the International Team,” said Jazz, who is currently ranked 75th in the world.

With his father, who is a judge in Thailand, being an avid golfer, Jazz started hitting golf balls when he was eight. He started competing in one-day tournaments and won age-group events by 10. He turned professional before he was 15 years old after deciding it was a career he wanted to pursue. “When I was four, I was introduced to swimming and everyone outgrew me. I’m this scrawny kid and I then started playing football (soccer) at six and I was horrible at it. Maybe that’s why I changed to golf and I got really good at 12 and when I was 14, I became the youngest golfer to make the cut in an Asian Tour event (2010 Asian Tour International in Bangkok),” he said.

Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand

Jazz comes from a family of scholars, with his sister and cousins studying medicine or are already doctors or judges. “Almost 10 of my family members are doctors or judges … except me, I’m the weird one. I guess I always liked spending time outdoors, though I was pretty good in school too. Golf has turned out pretty good. When I turned pro before turning 15, my parents were fully supportive. It’s my job, my life now and I enjoy it. I’m going to do this for rest of my life and hopefully I can be a regular on the PGA TOUR sometime soon,” added the Thai, whose real name is Atiwit but switched to Jazz in 2013 which is the nickname given by his father who is fan of jazz music.

Currently, three Asian players – Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama (4th), Haotong Li of China (5th) and Shugo Imahira of Japan (6th) – are featuring in the top-eight of the International Team rankings for automatic qualification into the International Team. Jazz’s countryman Kiradech Aphibarnrat, who is competing in his first full season on the PGA TOUR, is presently 29th.

Making his first-ever start in the Farmers Insurance Open, Australia’s Adam Scott finished solo second at Torrey Pines and made the biggest move in the International Team Presidents Cup standings from No. 67 to No. 11. A berth in the 2019 Presidents Cup would make Scott the first player to make nine appearances on the International Team, eclipsing Vijay Singh and 2019 Team Captain Ernie Els who have eight appearances.

The Presidents Cup will return to Melbourne, Australia and The Royal Melbourne Golf Club for the third time, December 9-15, 2019, when the International Team, led by Captain Els, will take on the U.S. Team led by Captain Tiger Woods.

Making his fourth start of the 2018-19 PGA TOUR Season, Scott’s runner-up finish was his second top-10 and first since he closed with a 63 on Sunday at the CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES to finish T10 last October. The flat stick proved vital for Scott’s success in San Diego, where the 38-year-old finished 14th in Stroked Gained: Putting after making a putter switch ahead of the tournament. Scott went on to need just 28 putts in each of his four rounds.

While Scott finished two back of eventual champion Justin Rose, two other International Team veterans cracked the top 5 at Torrey Pines: Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama (T3) and Australia’s Jason Day (T5).

A two-time champion at the Farmers Insurance Open, Day bookended his tournament with matching 67s for his second top-5 finish of the season and a spot inside the top 10 in the International Team Presidents Cup standings, where the four-time International Team member jumped from No. 13 to No. 9.

Matsuyama vaulted from No. 8 to No. 4 in the standings after notching his first top-5 finish of the season as he looks toward a potential fourth appearance on the International Team. Elsewhere on the leaderboard, Cameron Smith (T9) recorded a 7-under 65 on Sunday to finish with the low round of the day and return to No. 2 in the International Team standings. Marc Leishman remains atop the International Team standings after a T43 finish at the Farmers Insurance Open.

On the U.S. side, Xander Schauffele’s T25 in his hometown event earned him enough FedExCup points to reclaim the top spot from Bryson DeChambeau, who was victorious in Dubai on the European Tour.

The top 15 players in the International and U.S. Presidents Cup Team Standings as of Jan. 28, 2019 are listed below:

INTERNATIONAL

Rank    Player                          Country                       Points
1.         Marc Leishman             Australia                       104.20

  1. Cameron Smith            Australia                       82.71
  2.         Louis Oosthuizen          South Africa                  81.03
  3. Hideki Matsuyama        Japan                            72.10
  4.         Abraham Ancer             Mexico                         71.15
  5. Haotong Li                   China                           59.57
  6. Shugo Imahira              Japan                            54.17
  7. Shaun Norris                South Africa                  52.96
  8. Jason Day                     Australia                       51.38
  9.        Emiliano Grillo             Argentina                     51.21
  10. Adam Scott                   Australia                       50.99
  11. Jazz Janewattananond    Thailand                       50.81
  12. Adam Hadwin              Canada                         44.74
  13.        Lucas Herbert               Australia                       42.43
  14. Yuki Inamori                Japan                            41.77

UNITED STATES

Rank    Player                                      Points

  1. Xander Schauffele                     4,194
  2. Bryson DeChambeau                4,160
  3. Justin Thomas                           3,934
  4. Brooks Koepka                         3,591
  5. Dustin Johnson                         3,470
  6. Tony Finau                               3,133
  7. Gary Woodland                        2,997
  8. Matt Kuchar                             2,979
  9. Webb Simpson                         2,747
  10.        Patrick Cantlay                         2,697
  11. Charles Howell III                    2,536
  12.        Phil Mickelson                         2,321
  13. Patrick Reed                            2,228
  14. Andrew Putnam                        2,164
  15. Bubba Watson                          2,126

International Team eligibility criteria

The top eight (8) international players (excluding those eligible for the European Ryder Cup team) from the Presidents Cup International Team Points List which shall be Official World Golf Ranking points accumulated in the time period from August 27, 2018 (Dell Technologies Championship) through August 25, 2019 (TOUR Championship).

Four Captain’s selections will be made at a to-be-determined later date.

U.S. Team eligibility criteria

The top eight (8) U.S. PGA TOUR members who have earned the most FedExCup points from September 11, 2017 (2017 BMW Championship) through 2019 TOUR Championship, weighted as follows:

(a) 2017 BMW Championship through 2018 TOUR Championship: 1 FedExCup point = 1 point

(b) First event of the 2018-2019 season through 2019 TOUR Championship: 1 FedExCup point = 2 points

Four Captain’s selections will be made at a to-be-determined later date.

The return to Melbourne, Australia, will mark the third time in the biennial event’s 25-year history it has been held at the renowned Sandbelt course, as the event was previously held in Melbourne in 1998 and 2011 at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club.

The 2019 Presidents Cup will bring the very best for fans interested in world-class team competition with the top 12 players from the United States taking on the top 12 from across the globe, excluding Europe. While golf fans can expect an incredible atmosphere and unmatched access to the competition, the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne will be a social, lifestyle and business gathering that will bring all backgrounds and interests together to enjoy a week-long festival atmosphere. On the course, players from across the world will be celebrated for their achievements, sportsmanship and love of the game. Off the course, fans will be able to find culinary options from around the world as well as hospitality and fan venues to match all levels of spectating and socializing, all while enjoying the very best in Australian culture.

The oldest golf club in Australia, The Royal Melbourne Golf Club was founded in 1891 and moved to its current location in 1926, becoming the anchor of what is now known as the Sandbelt. The gem of Australian golf, The Royal Melbourne Golf Club has two courses, both ranked in the World’s Top 100, which were designed by the legendary Alister MacKenzie. In 1959, in order to host the first of many international tournaments, 12 holes of the West Course and six from the East Course were combined to create what is known as the Composite Course, which also hosted the 2013 World Cup of Golf, won by Jason Day and Adam Scott.

About the Presidents Cup

The Presidents Cup is a unique golf event in that there is no purse or prize money.  Players are not paid for their participation, but each competitor allocates an equal portion of the funds generated to charities of his choice.  Since the event’s inception, more than $49.1 million has been raised for charity from event proceeds, as well as contributions made on behalf of the Presidents Cup, including a record charitable donation of $10.7 million from the 2017 event alone.

For more information, or to learn more about the Presidents Cup, information on travel packages, or get their names added to find out about ticket sales visit www.presidentscup.com, Join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thepresidentscup, Twitter and Instagram at @presidentscup and sign up for the Presidents Cup e-newsletter.

Cit and Rolex are the exclusive Global Partners of the Presidents Cup.

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