Matthew Fitzpatrick (Eng) Second round 67 (-5) Total 133 (-11)

On the back-nine I struggled with the driver a little coming in. But I putted fantastic, as good as I’ve putted all year. I think the way this golf course is, if you’re on the wrong side, it makes a difficult up-and-down. The rough is tough. The greens are firm. They are slopey as well. So, it was definitely more difficult today. It’s so important to hit the fairways here, because you miss them, you’ve either got a terrible lie and hacking it out or you’ve got a good lie and getting a flyer. It’s a big key to hitting fairways around here and if you can keep doing it, you’ll give yourself more chances.

Rory McIlroy (Nir) Second round 67 (-5) Total 134 (-10)

I’m delighted with the first two rounds. To put myself right in contention going into the weekend is something that I wanted to do. It’s something that I haven’t done a lot of over the last few weeks. I’ve sort of had bad starts and then clawed my way back into a good position at the end, but to be right in the tournament after two days, I’m excited. My short game has been really good, which takes the pressure off your long game, so I can be a little more free with my long game, have a  go at a few more pins and be a little more aggressive and because of that, I’m hitting it closer and giving myself plenty of chances for birdies. If I do miss, I’ve got my short game to ball back on and rely on and I’ve been able to get the ball up-and-down very well the last few months. All of that combined with the second shots, and confidence if I do miss a green, that’s been a key to shooting some of these low scores.

Li Haotong (Chn) Second round 72 (Even) Total 136 (-8)

My driver wasn’t working very well today and I hit into the rough many times. So to be fair, it was a fair result at the end of the day. But I’m still in there. I’m going to work on my game a little bit on the driving range later and hopefully I’ll be able to hit it straight again and smash the course. I think I just need to stay patient over the next few days and I will be good. It means a lot for a Chinese to win this week. I’ve always been dreaming about it and hopefully I can do that.

Jazz Janewattananond (Tha) Second round 69 (-3) Total 139 (-5)

The course played a bit tougher than yesterday. I left a couple out there, but all in all, still a pretty good round. I’ve put myself in a good position to move up the leaderboard for sure. It’s a good start to a really good week. I love it (maiden WGC event). It’s my first time and I really enjoy it. I’m looking forward to play more in the future. Even though there’s no cut, you want to finish high up the leaderboard. You’re playing against the best players and you just want to prove to yourself that you can match up to them too. I’m just trying to get my game to the next level and work on the stuff I’m not really that good. For now, putting is a big key to improve my game, so that’s what I’ve been working on.

Shanghai, October 31: China’s Li Haotong fired a spectacular eight-under-par 64 to become the first ever Chinese to hold the opening round lead at a World Golf Champions event when the WGC HSBC Champions got underway on Thursday.

With a passionate home crowd backing him at the Sheshan International Golf Club, Li did not disappoint them as he mixed his card with seven birdies, one eagle and a bogey to take a one-shot advantage over France’s Victor Perez.

Li gave his fans a lot to cheer about when he opened with two birdies on 10 and 11 in his back-nine 10.

After making three more birdies on holes 14, 17 and 18, he dropped his only shot of the day on the par-four first before providing one of the loudest cheers of the day with his eagle on the second hole.

The Chinese then added two more birdies on the third and eighth hole to stake his place atop the leaderboard after the first round.

Perez, who is making his WGC debut after claiming his maiden European Tour victory in Scotland last month, carded two eagles en route to a 65 while defending champion Xander Schauffele of the United States was tied for fourth with Korea’s Sungjae Im, Australia’s Adam Scott and England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick.

Asian Tour Order of Merit leader, Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand signed for a 70 to start his maiden WGC appearance in tied-26^th place, six shots back of Li.

Did you know?

• Li Haotong is the first player ever from China to hold a lead or co-lead after any round in a World Golf Championships event
• Li’s previous best in 24 prior rounds at Sheshan International Golf Club was a six-under 66 in the first and third round in 2015.
• Li is the highest ranked Chinese players on the Official World Golf Rankings at number 59
• He finished tied-seventh at the 2015 WGC-HSBC Champions to become the first Chinese player ever to finish in the top-10 at a WGC event.
• Xander Schauffele led the field in birdies in the first round with nine.
• He needed only 24 putts in the opening round, tied for second best in the field
• Schauffele played the par-fours in five-under-par, two shots better than any player in the field in the first round.
• He won his first World Golf Championships event at the 2018 WGC-HSBC Champions with birdies on the 71st and 72nd holes to force a playoff with Tony Finau, which he won with a birdie on the first extra hole.
• Jazz Janewattananond posted a tied-65th and 57th finish in Korea and Japan respectively prior to his arrival in Shanghai.
• Jazz broke into top-100 on the OWGR after winning his third Asian Tour title in Singapore in January and marked his career-best ranking when he rose to 52nd position following his fourth victory in Korea in June.

Li Haotong (Chn) First round 64 (-8)

It was pretty good start today and it will be absolutely great for Chinese golfers and Chinese golf fans to have a Chinese player winning the WGC HSBC Champions here in China. But for the next three days, anything can happen. I don’t want to think too much about it. I just want to focus and concentrate on the upcoming three days because anything can happen. I just want to do a good job to keep this momentum going for the next three days. It’s always good feeling to know that you are leading a tournament. I wasn’t really playing that well before the start of this tournament. And so, it was a nice surprise to have such a great round. Actually, in the first few holes, I already made some good putts which made me feel more confident. Then when I birdied 17 and 18, two in a row, I knew I had gained that momentum and would end up with a a good finish.

Victor Perez (Fra) First round 65 (-7)

This is my first WGC event and I’m just very excited with this start. I think being around here and going down the fairway with some of the best players in the world is quite amazing. It’s really enjoyable. Obviously you just try to make the most out of it and it worked out to be a great day for me. I’m very pleased with how I played. I think I did a lot of things well today and I’m obviously in a great position after day one.

Xander Schauffele (Usa) First round 66 (-6)

It was nice especially when I made a few 35 and 40-footers today. I felt like I was going to make anything. The greens are perfect. My whole goal was to keep it out of the rough and hit it anywhere on the green and kind of get into my round. I didn’t have any practice. I didn’t play the Pro-Am. I didn’t play any practice round. I was just trying to ease my way into the round and luckily I did. Maybe I should just keep my flu going and if I can rattle off a 66 every day, I think that would be enough. I think with a couple more nights of sleep, I’ll be in better shape. But it was a dream start with what things are looking like.

Jazz Janewattananond (Tha) First round 70 (-2)

Yeah, it’s a better start than the last two events I had. I’m pretty happy with my round. Just a couple mistake, but it’s the first time playing this golf course. So we’ll learn and we’ll adapt. Now that I’ve played this course, I’ve an idea of how to play it better tomorrow and for the rest of the week. It’s a tough course and it’s demanding, so it’s going to be fun. My A game’s not yet here but I feel it’s coming. I hope it comes this week but I’m on the right track in getting there. I just need to hit a lot of greens. The rough’s pretty high here, so I just need to hit a lot of fairways. I managed to get a good couple up-and-down and made some good birdies. I’ll take that as a positive and use it for the next three rounds.

Sentosa, Singapore, October 30: Sentosa Golf Club, home to Singapore’s iconic Serapong and New Tanjong golf courses, has further underlined its position as a world-class destination by claiming top spot as the ‘World’s Best Golf Club’ at this year’s World Golf Awards.

Beating fierce competition from a number of other famous golf clubs around the world, the award recognises the central role Sentosa Golf Club has played in strengthening Singapore’s position as a hub for international tourism, showcasing the city’s worldwide appeal and growing the game as a vital sporting facility.

The newly crowned ‘World’s Best Golf Club’ has had an unprecedented amount of success recently, hosting no fewer than six globally televised golf events in just over 12 months – two SMBC Singapore Open’s, two HSBC Women’s World Championships, along with the Men’s Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship and Women’s Amateur Asia Pacific Championship.  This is an achievement unmatched by any other golf club in the world.

The ‘World’s Best Golf Club’ award was judged by an internal panel of experts who considered a broad spectrum of factors that combine to create a club of outstanding excellence.

Sentosa was also recognised for the quality of the club as a whole, including the standard of both course designs, a pioneering commitment to environmental sustainability through its #KeepItGreen campaign, the staging of the high profile professional and amateur events, and overall ability to present two championship golf courses in first class condition all year round. 

The presentation was made in front of the golf industry’s biggest names in Abu Dhabi, as the World Golf Awards introduced the new award to recognise one club in the world for its outstanding quality across the board. 

Overall, it was a hugely successful night at the World Golf Awards for Sentosa Golf Club with its very own Serapong Course claiming the title of ‘Singapore’s Best Golf Course’ for the second year in a row, rounding off another great year for a club at the very top of its game. Other notable golf courses picking up awards included 2018 Open Championship venue, Carnoustie Golf Links and 2017 U.S. Open Venue, Erin Hills.

On Sentosa Golf Club receiving the awards, Sentosa Golf Club General Manager and Director of Agronomy Mr Andrew Johnston commented: “It is a huge honour for Sentosa to be recognised by The World Golf Awards as the ‘World’s Best Golf Club’ and once again as ‘Singapore’s Best Golf Course’. By being bestowed with such honours, it is testament to all the hard work and dedication that goes into achieving the club’s standards and maintaining two championship courses that impress both professional and amateur players from all around the world. It is achievements like this that allow Sentosa Golf Club to continually develop year on year and remain at the very top. We are very grateful to the World Golf Awards for humbling us with such an accolade.”

Singapore Tourism Board Chairman Mr Chaly Mah said:“Our primary goal is to ensure Singapore remains an attractive business and leisure destination where possibilities can be realised and passion made possible. From F1 to the great golf tournaments Sentosa hosts, it’s events like these that help to put Singapore in the spotlight and enhance our tourism products. And to have Sentosa Golf Club recognised with such a prestigious accolade is further recognition for this great city. Thank you to all the team at Sentosa Golf Club for their passion and hard work, which has not only made us proud, but can inspire us to reach for extraordinary new heights in trying to achieve our goals.”

Sentosa Development Corporation Chairman Mr Bob Tan said: “It is an honour for Sentosa Golf Club to receive two awards at this year’s World Golf Awards. We are very proud of the dedicated and hardworking team of passionate people who continually strive to make our golf courses amongst the best in the world. In doing so, Sentosa’s position within the top global tourist destinations, for both local and overseas visitors, is appreciably enhanced. Congratulations and well done Sentosa Golf Club.”

Singapore Golf Association President Mr Ross Tan said: “As the national governing body of golf here in Singapore, we are privileged to have the support of Sentosa Golf Club to help us develop and nurture the talent of local golfers for the future. Through a dedicated sponsorship programme, by allowing our junior golfers access to the best practice facilities Asia has to offer, as well as two championship golf courses in tournament ready conditions, Sentosa Golf Club is helping us give local golfers the best possible chance to compete on the world stage. It is no surprise to us that they have been recognised with these awards, given how committed they are to promote and develop the sport in Singapore, and all the hard-working team at Sentosa must take a lot of credit for the latest accolades.”

R&A Asia Pacific Director Mr Dominic Wall said: “We have a strong association and partnership with Sentosa Golf Club and Singapore. As our Asia Pacific HQ it plays a key role in our efforts to support the development of golf, which is a specific aim of ours both in Singapore and throughout the region.  Through The Open Qualifying Series at the SMBC Singapore Open, the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship and the Women’s Amateur Asia Pacific – events hosted on Sentosa’s courses, we’ve seen Asian players benefit from such platforms to play in major championships and experience what it feels like to rub shoulders with the world’s best in tournaments such as The Open,  Masters and AIG Women’s British Open. Receiving an accolade of this nature is an acknowledgement that the club deserves simply for its commitment to grow the game.”

This year the Serapong Course once again played host to the SMBC Singapore Open, which was won by Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond. Next year’s tournament will return in January (16^th – 19^th) and is set to be one of the most memorable to date, with all three current Olympic medallists, Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson and Matt Kuchar, all confirmed to attend.

The Serapong Course was designed by the world-famous golf course design firm Golf Plan and Ronald Fream, and was opened in 1982. Since then, the layout of the course has been re-altered by the Bates Golf Design Group and was the assignment of golf course architect and the club’s current General Manager, Andrew Johnston. Today, its trademark contours, extended stone-lined lakes and the breath-taking Singapore harbour backdrop, make for an exquisite game that means the course is currently ranked in Golf Digest’s ‘World’s Greatest Golf Courses’. The New Tanjong was also recently named by Golf Digest as the second-best golf course in Singapore, behind the Serapong at number one.

The World Golf Awards are voted for by leading golf tourism professionals as well as hundreds of thousands of golf consumers worldwide, serving to recognise and celebrate commitment to excellence in golf tourism.

Ends.

Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, October 29: The Asian Tour will return to Malaysia for the third time this season for the Sabah Masters which will take place at the Sutera Harbour Golf and Country Club from November 21 to 24.

The Sabah Masters will be the ninth full-field event on the Asian Tour this season and offers a prize purse of US$300,000.

The new event is supported by Tourism Malaysia which aims to boost tourism in Sabah, a Malaysian state located on the northern portion of Borneo. The event is also featured as part of the 2019 PGM Tour calendar.

The Sabah Masters will provide the region’s leading players, along with professionals from Malaysia, the opportunity to vie for top honours at the full-field Asian Tour event.

Asian Tour winner Ben Leong of Malaysia, lauded the staging of the event, saying it is a privilege for him to play an Asian Tour event in his home state.

“It’s going to be awesome playing an Asian Tour event at home. We have played in Sabah on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) but this is the first time in 20 years that we are playing an Asian Tour event here. It will be a great boost for Sabah,” said the Sabahan.

“I am sure all the players will have a great time in Sabah. The food is great here and everything is close by. Sutera Harbour is a modern resort golf course. It can play fairly straightforward or difficult, depending on how the officials set it up,” added Leong.

Cho Minn Thant, Asian Tour Commissioner and CEO, said: “I would like to thank Tourism Malaysia and Sutera Harbour for their support. I am sure this event will help promote Sabah as a tourist destination through the Tour’s global coverage via its digital media channels and television platform. I look forward to a successful staging of the Sabah Masters next month.”

Rick Blackie, General Manager of the Sutera Harbour Golf and Country Club, also expressed his excitement, saying: “We are very pleased to see the Sabah Masters return to its spiritual home at Sutera Harbour Resort for the 2019 running of the tournament.

“Now that the event is flying under the banner of the one of the world’s major tours, the Asian Tour; it will great to showcase our course and the Resort to the best golfers in the region and see how they fare.”

Designed by leading golf course designer Graham Marsh, the Sutera Harbour Golf and Country Club boasts 27 holes for day and night golfing and has garnered various awards of distinction.

It is located on the island of Borneo where the golf course is finished with Bermuda grass and strategically challenging bunkers. It is beautifully landscaped with undulating terrain and numerous waterways, providing a challenge for both amateurs and top professionals alike.

The Asian Tour last visited Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah state, when it held the 2008 Qualifying School in multiple locations in December 2007. Leong topped the class in front of his home supporters that year for his second straight Qualifying School win.

Ends.