Jazz happy to be home
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.”
Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana will look to capitalise on a brilliant purple patch, which has seen him win four times in two months, when he competes in this week’s US$1million Blue Canyon Phuket Championship ‒ in what is the Asian Tour’s first event back after a 19-month hiatus because of the pandemic.
Two wins on the All Thailand Golf Tour in October and two this month ‒ including the Thailand Open ‒ have propelled the 23-year-old into the spotlight but further success is far from the rising star’s thoughts at the moment.
“I felt a lot of pressure when I won the tournaments over the past four months,” said Sadom.
“So, I don’t want to feel like that this week. I just want to make the cut first. I just focus on enjoying the game and don’t think about the result.”
Sadom is already a winner on the Asian Tour having claimed the Bangabandhu Cup Golf Open in 2019 ‒ having made it through Qualifying School that year he became the fastest graduate to win on Tour ‒ but victory this week in a tournament featuring an impressive line-up would be a huge step up.
PHUKET-THAILAND – Sadom Kaewkanjana of Thailand pictured during an official practice round on Tuesday, November 23, 2021, ahead of the Asian Tour’s Blue Canyon Phuket Championship 2021 at the Blue Canyon Country Club, (Canyon Course), with a prize fund of US$ 1 Million. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour
Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond, Scott Hend from Australia, American John Catlin, Malaysian Gavin Green and teenage Korean star Joohyung Kim are just some of the leading players competing.
He added: “I don’t think about winning or anything like that because that puts a lot of pressure on me.”
Apart from some slight adjustments to his short game he’s not able identify exactly why his form has peaked recently.
“I don’t really know why I have been playing so well. I am just trying to enjoy the game, each tournament, every round. I just focus on my game, shot by shot. I haven’t really changed anything, but just improved my short game,” he said.
“Last year my short game was so so but this year I had more time to practice my short game. I just changed my set up a little bit and I am more confident.”
The Blue Canyon Phuket Championship tees-off on Thursday on the Canyon Course at Blue Canyon Country Club, while the Laguna Phuket Championship will be staged the following week at Laguna Golf Phuket.
Sadom won at both of those venues in October, although his win at Blue Canyon came on the Lakes Course.
PHUKET-THAILAND – Sadom Kaewkanjana 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
When he claimed the Thailand Open earlier this month he became only the sixth player from Thailand to lift the famous trophy.
Both Phuket events boast prizemoney of US$1million and will be followed by two events being planned in Singapore in January that will bring to a conclusion the 2020-21 season.
Miguel Tabuena has returned from a long stint in the United States to compete in this week’s Blue Canyon Phuket Championship and says he is aiming to be in contention on Sunday despite limited playing opportunities this year.
The two-time Asian Tour winner has been camped in Washington for much of the year and has just got back to the region for a tournament that marks the resumption of the Asian Tour’s 2020-21 season.
“I have recovered from a bit of jetlag,” said the Filipino.
“Today was the first time this week I didn’t wake up before three, which was pretty good.”
He has been starved of playing opportunities because of the pandemic, but when he has competed he has seized the opportunity, including winning an event in September run by the PGA of America.
“The game is there. I’ve been seven or eight months away from this heat. I am just trying to preserve my body as well as I can although I am pretty used to it and I know what to expect,” added the 27-year-old, who has been practicing regularly with PGA Tour player Cam Davis from Australia while in the States.
“I have to hydrate a bit more this week. So, this week is more about maintaining my body.”
PHUKET-THAILAND – Miguel Tabuena of the Philippines pictured during an official practice round on Tuesday, November 23, 2021, ahead of the Asian Tour’s Blue Canyon Phuket Championship 2021 at the Blue Canyon Country Club, (Canyon Course), with a prize fund of US$ 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!”
The Asian Tour has announced that its current membership exemption categories will remain in place for 2022 as only eight events will have been played by the end of the 2020-21 season, following two pandemic-affected years.
This means no Qualifying School will be required for the new season ‒ which commences with the US$5million Saudi International powered by SoftBank Advisers in February and is expected to be the biggest season in its history.
The next Qualifying School ‒ which is normally held annually and attracts aspiring golfers from across the globe ‒ will likely be held at the end of 2022 for the 2023 season.
‘This is only fair and right,” said Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner & CEO, Asian Tour.
“Our members have had to endure an extremely difficult couple of years because of COVID-19, but they have been very patient and understanding as we have tried to work our way back. And they are now going to be rewarded with an opportunity to hit the reset button in 2022 and compete on what will be a new-look Tour.”
The Tour was forced to suspend play following the Bandar Malaysian Open last March due to the pandemic, but it is now set for resumption with the Asian Tour Phuket Series.
That starts with the Blue Canyon Phuket Championship from November 25-28 on the Canyon Course at Blue Canyon Country Club, followed by the Laguna Phuket Championship the following week at Laguna Golf Phuket.
Both 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.
Players will have everything to play for when the current season resumes as they will not only be vying to improve their playing status on Tour but also trying to finish into the top-30 on the Final Order of Merit which will allow them to earn a place in the Saudi International ‒ to be played at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club from February 3-6.
The last version of the Asian Tour Qualifying School, held in Thailand in 2020, saw Zimbabwean Benjamin Follett-Smith top the class following a gruelling 90-hole battle in the Final Stage. He was among the 35 graduates who successfully secured their cards after finishing inside top 35 and ties.
Former Tour winners Malcolm Kokocinski of Sweden, Scott Strange of Australia, Natipong Srithong of Thailand and Japan’s Masanori Kobayashi as well as Filipino veteran Antonio Lascuna and Korea’s Bio Kim, who won on the KPGA Tour last week, also came through the qualifying school in 2020.
Over the years, the Asian Tour Qualifying School has witnessed the emergence of many top players in the region. Successful graduates include Thai stars Thongchai Jaidee (1999) and Kiradech Aphibarnrat (2009), Australian Scott Hend (2007), Korea’s Yikeun Chang (2016), as well as the American duo Kurt Kitayama (2018) and John Catlin (2018). PGA TOUR champions Kevin Na (2002) and Daniel Chopra (2015) are also part of the illustrious Asian Tour Qualifying School alumni.
Details on the 2023 Asian Tour Qualifying School will be provided in due course on www.asiantour.com.
Ends.
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