Published on February 26, 2022

Chan Shih-chang continued to shoot the lights out in the Royal’s Cup today after carding a five-under-par 67 to lead the Asian Tour event on 19 under.

American Sihwan Kim is a stroke behind after firing a 66 at Grand Prix Golf Club, while Sadom Kaewkanjana from Thailand is two shots further back following a 67.

Yesterday, Chan finished with a hole in one on 16 and an eagle on 18 to open up a two-shot advantage and he was equally as ruthless today on the front nine going out in four under to lead by four at the turn from Kim. However, the American rallied with a strong back nine to ensure Chan did not start to run away with the US$400,000 event.

“My front nine was really solid today,” said 35-year-old Chan Shih-chang.

“I knew I was leading by four after the turn. Heading into the back nine, I was just thinking to make more birdies so that I can widen the lead. If I can do that, it will be more comfortable for me tomorrow. But still leading by one now, not thinking much to be honest. I just want to continue playing like how I did so far and see how it goes tomorrow.”

The Chinese-Taipei golfer won the Blue Canyon Phuket Championship at the end of last year for his third win on the Asian Tour. He is also a six-time winner on the Asian Development Tour with the last of those coming in 2018 on home soil.

Chan Shih-chang has actually missed the cut in three out of the four events played since Blue Canyon so victory on Sunday will be an impressive turnaround in form.

Kim is in search of his first win as a professional and is going about it in the right way having not dropped a shot in the tournament yet.

“I am enjoying playing this course and I’m playing really well but there is still one more day to go,” said Kim, a former top amateur having won the 2004 US Junior before later attending the prestigious Stanford University, at the same time as American Michelle Wie.

“Made some nice putts on the back nine so just need to keep that going tomorrow.”

The American was in contention in both Phuket and the SMBC Singapore Open before recording top four finishes, and has not missed a cut on the Asian Tour since its restart after COVID-19 late last year.

Sadom will no doubt be a threat tomorrow having claimed Singapore’s National Open last month.

Said the 23 year old: “[On being 16 under] It is pretty good to play this course many under par. It was a pretty strong wind today and the greens are very difficult if you miss them, so I’m very happy with the result. I think today was windier than the first two rounds.

“In the first two rounds my driving was very good, I only missed one fairway for two days. Today it was not good, and I hit only eight fairways. But my putting was good today and it helped me a lot. I feel good, just focusing on my game and try to play my best.”

Korean Bio Kim returned a 68 and is in sole possession of fourth place six behind Chan, in what is the second event of the season on the Asian Tour.

Published on February 25, 2022

Chinese-Taipei’s Chan Shih-chang sensationally took the halfway lead in the Royal’s Cup today after acing the par-three 16^th and eagling the closing hole, a par five, at Grand Prix Golf Club.

The three-time Asian Tour winner, who led after day one with an eight-under-par 64, fired a 66 to lead on 14 under by two from Thailand’s Jakraphan Premsirigorn and American Sihwan Kim, who shot 62 and 65 respectively.

Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana, winner of the SMBC Singapore Open last month, is a stroke further back after shooting 67, in the second event of the season on the Asian Tour.

Chan started poorly and went out in one over, seemingly out of the running, before his phenomenal closing stretch of holes which also included birdies on 14 and 15.

The 35 year old holed out with a seven iron from 173 yards on the 16^th, for which he won a Toyota Camry 2.5 HEV Premium. It’s the second time he has made a hole in one in a professional tournament. He says on the first occasion in Chinese-Taipei many years ago he won a watch, and added it’s the seventh time he has made an ace.

“I really wasn’t expecting to ace the 16th,” said Chan.

“I did hit it to within one foot on the par-three 12th for birdie but my tee shots haven’t been that straight today. So, I really wasn’t expecting it. I didn’t see the ball go in. I heard a sound and I thought it just hit the flagstick but then I heard Berry’s [Henson] group and the caddies cheering on the 17th tee. This back nine 29 is my new personal best. Also, 14-under for two days is my lowest so far.”

He won the Blue Canyon Phuket Championship in November, which was the Asian Tour’s first event back after a 20-month break caused by the pandemic, but he’s struggled to find his form until this week.

Chan Shih-chang eagled the 18^th after two brilliant shots to reach the green was followed by an eight foot putt.

He added: “The turning point came heading into the back nine. It was less windy in the afternoon too so that was an advantage. I was just aiming to shoot two under today because I didn’t start well and I wasn’t confident with my putting. Didn’t expect the ball to go in on 16, really.”

Jakraphan shot the lowest round of the week so far after making nine birdies and one eagle. Preferred lies were played so it could not stand as a course record.

“My putting was really great today,” said the Thai golfer, a winner on the Asian Development Tour in 2013 in Malaysia.

“When I hit the ball on the green, I made every birdie putt and when I missed the green, I can still make par. I had a backache coming into this week so today is very satisfying.”

Kim has come close to winning over the past few months, including finishing fourth in the Blue Canyon event and tied fourth in Singapore’s National Open.

But he says he’s not putting pressure on himself to claim what will be his first win as a professional.

“I try not to think about. I try and go day by day, shot by shot. Playing pretty well right now so hopefully that will continue on and hope for the best,” said the American.

‘In golf you have just got to be patient. You could be three or four behind, but catch a hot back nine on the last day, so you can’t get frustrated.”

Sadom says he has put his win in Singapore well and truly behind him as he focuses on winning more titles.

“I have changed already, now is a new season, I think only about the present now,” said the 23 year old, who is familiar with the Grand Prix course as he practised here with the Thailand national squad several years ago.

“You really have to play well off the tee to score well here and I did that today. It feels good.”

He moved into contention again thanks to six birdies and just one bogey.

“I have missed only one fairway over the first two days. I had a lot of chances to make birdie even though this course is difficult,” he added.

Published on February 24, 2022

Chan Shih-chang took the lead on day one of the Royal’s Cup today, recapturing some of the form that saw the Chinese-Taipei golfer win the Blue Canyon Phuket Championship at the end of last year.

Chan fired an eight-under-par 64 at Grand Prix Golf Club, in Kanchanaburi province, to lead from Justin Quiban from the Philippines, who shot 65.

Sweden’s Bjorn Hellgren plus Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana and Thitipan Pachuayprakong, returned 66s, in the second event of the season on the Asian Tour.

“I found back the same feeling I had when I played well in Phuket last year, which was nice,” said Chan.

“I hope it stays that way in the next few rounds. I haven’t been home since going to Singapore [in mid-January]. Went to Dubai to practice for a week after the events in Singapore, and then headed to the Saudi International, went back to Dubai again after Saudi before coming here. It’s been a long stretch on the road but looking to finish it off with a good result these two weeks in Thailand.”

The 35 year old is a three-time champion on the Asian Tour and a six-time winner on the Asian Development Tour.

Chan’s first win on the Asian Tour came here in Thailand at the King’s Cup in July of 2016 before he claimed the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup Golf in Japan, two months later.

His victory in the Blue Canyon Phuket Championship last November is arguable the most significant for the Chinese-Taipei golfer as the event was the Asian Tour’s first event back after a 20-month hiatus caused by COVID-19.

Chan began his round today on the 10^th and went out in five under and reached eight under for 13 holes before making his only bogey of the day on hole five. However, a birdie on his final hole saw the Chinese-Taipei golfer restore his impressive total.

Quiban turns 26 on Saturday and celebrated early with a fine round today.

“I just followed my game plan from the beginning. Tried to hit as many greens as I can. I was actually rolling my putts real good, reading the greens real good. Even the speed,” said the Filipino.

He nailed eight birdies and dropped one shot.

He added: “Ever since I played in the States last year for eight months just doing mini tours my game has been great, even when I played in the Asian Tour Phuket Series last year, played well, made both cuts.”

Hellgren, who attended Florida State University and roomed with American Brooks Koepka for two years, went round bogey free with four birdies on his front nine and two on his back, on the last two holes.

The Swede is playing his first season on the Asian Tour having played predominantly on the Challenge Tour in Europe.

He’s not missed the cut in all five events since the Asian Tour restarted at the end of last year.

“I played some interesting golf today. Made a couple of good saves. It was fun out there, I liked it,” said the 31 year old.

Having played in the wind for the past few weeks the Swede said he had started hitting a low fade as opposed to his normal draw, which he finally went back to today

He said: “I think my form has not been very good over the past few weeks, but I have managed to play the weekends. The last two weeks after Saudi we sat down and said we need to change things up, we need to start hitting the ball straight again, maybe even a draw. I have been playing a full fade for the past six weeks.”

The “we” he refers to includes his coach Robert Ericsson, who is currently at Black Mountain Golf Club in Hua Hin, venue for next week’s International Series Thailand.

Hellgren has been attached to the club since winning an event there in 2014.

“I love it there, play there every winter. Normally two or three months every year but now I am going to have Black Mountain as my base as I want to focus on the Asian Tour,” he added.

Asked if he keeps in touch with four-time Major winner Koepka he said: “Still keep in touch, he sent me some messages when I was in Saudi.”

Newly crowned Asian Tour Order of Merit champion Joohyung Kim from Korea and American John Catlin, a four-time Asian Tour winner, were in a large group of players who returned 67s.

Catlin, back in Asia after three events on the DP World Tour, produced a typically accomplished round.

“I have tightened a few things up and it went well today. Off to a good start, three more days to go,” said the American, a three-time winner in Europe since 2020.

“I like playing in Asia, I like my chances of playing better and winning here. It’s a lot of travelling but it’s kind of a necessary evil.  It’s part of the job I signed up for, you just go wherever the events are.”

Catlin’s most recent win on the Asian Tour was the 2019 Thailand Open.

Published on February 23, 2022

Shiv Kapur says his preparations for this week’s Royal’s Cup in Thailand, the second event of the season on the Asian Tour, have been impressive if a little different: he’s been skiing in Bulgaria!

“I am quite relaxed actually,” said Shiv Kapur ahead of this week’s US$400,000 event, which tees-off tomorrow at Grand Prix Golf Club, in Kanchanaburi province.

“I have had unusual preparation; I went skiing last week, and it could not have been different weather. I had a pretty hectic start to the year so I thought it would be nice to kick back and relax and come in with a different mindset.”

Shiv Kapur has a second home in Bulgaria, part owns a bar there at Lighthouse Golf & Spa Resort and has been doing a Pro Am in the country for the past five years.

“Bulgaria is like a second home for me,” he adds.

The Indian star has been in excellent form since the Asian Tour restarted at the end of last year and he has not missed the cut in five starts.

However, he is still looking for his first Asian Tour victory since winning an earlier version of this week’s tournament at the very end of 2017. It was called the Royal Cup and as it featured only 30 Asian Tour players it did not count towards the Order of Merit.

Like this week, the trophy back then was bestowed by the King and Kapur is fully aware of its significance.

“Any time when you win the Kings’ trophy in Thailand, it’s very special. I remember having my whole family there, my daughter was quite young, and my parents were also there that week,” said the 40 year old.

“I remember having a battle with Prom [Meesawat] down the stretch. I was lucky to come out on top that time. We have had some great battles in the past from my junior days to my amateur days and to come out on top was pretty special, and it was a great way to end that 2017 season for me.”

That proved to be the finest season of his career so far as he also won the Yeangder Heritage in Chinese-Taipei and the Panasonic Open India.

He now has four Asian Tour titles to his name and is determined to add to that total this year.

Said Kapur: “I put in a lot of effort during the time off. I have been in the gym, even though it may not show, trying to get fitter and stay injury free. I have done some pretty good work on my game. Haven’t had the wins, put myself in position, but not been able to close at the weekend, that would be something I would like to change. I am treating this week like it’s a new season, that’s why the break last week. It’s important to feel mentally fresh as well.”

He also has his coach Shane Gillespie caddying for him this week, as he will for next week’s International Series Thailand, and The DGC Open in New Delhi later in March

“I am feeling mentally refreshed, recharged batteries and ready to go again,” said Kapur.

“I am feeling good about my game. I think there is a lot of good work we have put in already in the last 24 hours. And I am quite excited for the week.”

Published on

Thailand’s Rattanon Wannasrichan credits the enforced break caused by COVID-19 and help from former Asian Tour player turned coach Annop Tangkamolprasert for his dramatic turnaround in form this year.

Rattanon starts as a potential contender in this week’s Royal’s Cup at Grand Prix Golf Club, the second event of the season on the Asian Tour, after an impressive start to 2022 which included narrowly losing to Korean Joohyung Kim in a dramatic sudden-death play-off at The Singapore International last month.

It’s been a delight to see the 26 year old back in full flight after two torrid years when he feels the problem was more psychological than physical.

And any athlete that has experienced a mental block that hinders performance at the highest level will probably admit that these are more difficult to overcome than a technical one.

“It’s not that it wasn’t good, I could not hit them,” Rattanon says, particularly about when things started to go awry in 2019.

He is not the kind of player you would expect to have these issues: he claimed the Thailand Open in 2017 while collecting three other top-five finishes and finishing 37th on the Asian Tour Order of Merit with over US$131,000 in earnings. And 2018 results were very similar with two top-five finishes in big events and a 36th place on the Merit list.

But the 2019 season would prove to be much more difficult.

“In 2019 I made the cut in only five Asian Tour events. I played many tournaments that year because I was also playing Japan Tour, but I lost my confidence to play and lost my mental capacity. I couldn’t hit my irons; I admit that I couldn’t hit the ball in 2019,” he adds.

So, what turned things around?

Firstly, while the hiatus forced by the pandemic was a testing time for a lot of players, it proved to be a much-needed clean break for Rattanon.

He said: “During the pandemic I didn’t practice very much, and I think that was good for me. When I didn’t play golf for a while, it made me forget about the bad shots”.

And, at the end of 2021, he started working with his friend Annop – brother of two-time Asian Tour winner Pavit Tangkamolprasert – and this collaboration proved promising after only a few weeks.

“I wasn’t confident in any shot for a year-and-a-half before going to Singapore. I practiced with Annop for a month in the end of last year, and he helped me a lot and improved my swing.  He changed my grip and the swing a little bit,” said Rattanon.

It was a fourth-place finish in the Trust Golf Mixed event in Thailand at the end of December that gave him the confidence to travel to The Singapore International, which was played on the impressive but punishing Tampines Course at Tanah Merah Country Club.

Armed with a new belief in his ability, Rattanon performed beautifully in what was the penultimate event of the 2020-21 season.

Having held the overnight lead after both rounds two and three by two shots, he was eventually caught by Kim in the last round after shooting an even-par 72 to Kim’s 70. The play-off was decided on the first extra hole with a birdie from Kim while Rattanon’s effort slid by the hole.

“The conditions at Tanah Merah were very difficult and it was windy. My iron shots were not very good but my chip-shots and putting was great. Although I lost in the play-off I’m satisfied. It made me feel more confident,” said Rattanon.

Importantly, the runner-up finish in Singapore secured his playing rights for the 2022/23 Asian Tour season, and he started the new season with an impressive tied-46^th placing against a world-class field at the Saudi International at the beginning of February.

“It’s really great to see the Asian Tour come back strongly. There are many tournaments to play this year, especially starting the season with a very big tournament like the Saudi International, and this week’s Royal’s Cup,” said the Thai golfer.

“My plan for this year is just to enjoy my game. I don’t want to expect too much because I don’t want to put pressure on myself like I did in the past. As you know, I played well in 2017 but a year later I practiced too hard and expected too much. When it didn’t work, I lost my confidence so from now on I will try to not think too much about the results. Just take it easy and concentrate on my game.”

Published on February 17, 2022

Reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit champion Joohyung Kim from Korea, Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond – the 2019 Tour number one – four-time Asian Tour winner John Catlin from the United States and defending champion Shiv Kapur from India lead a stellar line-up of players for next week’s Royal’s Cup.

The US$400,000 event, hosted by Grand Prix International Public Company Limited, will be played at Grand Prix Golf Club in Kanchanaburi from February 24-27, and is the second event of the season on the Asian Tour.

Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanchana, who hit headlines when he claimed the SMBC Singapore Open in January, his countryman Phachara Khongwatmai, who won his first Asian Tour title at the end of last year at the Laguna Phuket Championship, and Australian Scott Hend, a 10-time winner of the Asian Tour, will also compete in the inaugural event.

Kim, Catlin and Sadom are the highest ranked players in the field on the Official World Golf Ranking at 82, 150 and 153 respectively. With such an impressive entry list the tournament boasts one of the strongest fields of the year in Thailand.

Due to COVID-19 protocols the Royal’s Cup tournament will be held behind closed doors, but it is being broadcast live on True Vision Channel, reaching over 20 million households.

Dr. Prachin Eamlumnow, Chairman of Grand Prix International Group, said: “This tournament aims to promote Thailand as a world-class golfing destination and provide great opportunities for Thai professional golfers to participate on the international stage alongside well-known golf pros from around the world. This tournament is also focused on enhancing the development of the golf industry in Thailand and making golf an even more popular sport in Thailand as well as helping to generate income and stimulate the national economy and tourism. Furthermore, the event is also held in honour of His Majesty the King and to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Grand Prix International in 2020.”

Mr. Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Asian Tour, said: “This will be a great year for us and we’re happy to be bringing a world-class field to Thailand. We are confident that this will be an exciting competition and well worth the wait caused by the pandemic. The collaboration between Grand Prix International Public Company Limited and the Asian Tour will help leverage the standard of this tournament, attract top players and golf fans alike from all corners of the world. We are proud that this tournament will be standout event in 2022.”

Apart from a total purse of US$400,000, the winner of this prestigious golf tournament will have the honour of receiving the Royal’s Cup, bestowed by King Rama X for the first time in Thailand.

In addition, there will be a prize for the first player to achieve a Hole-In-One on one of the par three (holes 3, 5, 12, and 16), as well as a prize for the first Albatross on holes 2, 14, and 18. The winners will drive home in one of the event sponsors latest model vehicles, which are: Toyota (Camry 2.5 HEV Premium), Mitsubishi (OUTLANDER PHEV GT-Premium), Mazda (MazdaCX-3), MG (ALL NEW MG5 X), Isuzu (Isuzu D-MAX X-Series Hi-Lander 4-Door 1.9 Ddi Z A/T), and Volkswagen (Caravelle Touring MNC)

Published on February 14, 2022

More than 50 Asian Tour winners and six Order of Merit champions will form part of an elite 144-man field who will tee up at Black Mountain Golf Club for the highly anticipated International Series Thailand from March 3 to 6.

Reigning Asian Tour number one Joohyung Kim of Korea, four-time Asian Tour champion John Catlin of the United States, as well as Thai aces Jazz Janewattananond, Sadom Kaewkanjana and Phachara Khongwatmai are among the notable names slated to play.

Tour veterans Thaworn Wiratchant and Prayad Marksaeng of Thailand, Australia’s Scott Hend, India’s Jyoti Randhawa and Jeev Milkha Singh and Singapore’s Mardan Mamat, boasting a collective total of 57 titles on Tour, will also add to the collection of star-power in the US$1.5million event.

Hend, hailed as the most successful international player on Tour with 10 victories, including three that were secured in Thailand, is the last player on Tour to triumph at the award-winning Black Mountain Golf Club when he won the Thailand Classic in 2016.

England’s Steve Lewton, who leads the 2022/23 Order of Merit following a solid tied-fourth place finish at the season-opening Saudi International last week, will also compete as well as American Berry Henson, a proud brand ambassador and resident of Black Mountain Golf Club.

Thai amateur Ratchanon Chantananuwat, who has been hogging the limelight since the Asian Tour’s resumption in Phuket last November, will make another appearance having received a sponsors’ invitation.

The 14-year-old prodigy has not missed a single cut in his last five starts on the Asian Tour. The teen sensation even came close to winning in Singapore last month before settling for third at The Singapore International.

Asian Tour Commissioner and CEO Cho Minn Thant lauded the impressive line-up, saying: “This is the first of our International Series events and it is no surprise to see the cream of the Tour has entered. This will be a ground-breaking tournament.

“It’s been six years since we last played at Black Mountain Golf Club. They have been a wonderful host in the past and I am sure they will be once again. We are looking forward to a special week there.”

Other leading players in the impressive field include Chan Shih-chang of Chinese Taipei, India’s Shiv Kapur, Japan’s Ryosuke Kinoshita and Hideto Tanihara, Wade Ormsby of Australia and Bio Kim of Korea.

The tournament is the first of 10 International Series events that will take place this year along with the Asian Tour’s traditional strong backbone of established events.