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WGC-HSBC Champions Rd 3: What they said


Published on November 2, 2019

Rory McIlroy (Nir) Third round 67 (-5) Total 201 (-15)

Yeah, it was nice. It’s funny, I was on the phone to my manager, Sean, last night, and I just shot two 67s and he said another two 67s and should get the job done. I’m halfway there for that. I think if I can go out tomorrow and play similar to how I did today, I should have a good chance to win. But I probably played the best today that I’ve played all week. I drove the ball well. Hitting my irons pretty good for the most part. I feel like I didn’t quite get as much out of the round as I could have but I’m not going to complain. I’m in the lead going into tomorrow, so I just need to rest and try to get out there and play another good, solid round of golf.

I mean, right now, the game feels pretty simple. I know that it’s not going to feel like that all the time, but when it does, you have to take advantage of that feeling. I’ve given myself another opportunity to win a very big golf tournament, a tournament that I’ve never won before.

So I want to go out there and be committed, play aggressively, and shoot a good number. I took a lot from the win in Canada earlier this year. I went out tied for the lead, and I just said from the start, I’m going to keep my foot down and I’m going to go for everything. It was a good lesson that when you do have something right there, in front of you, a tournament to win or something to achieve, you just have to grab it with both hands, and that’s what I’ll do tomorrow.

Jazz Janewattananond (Tha) Third round 69 (-3) Total 208 (-8)

It was a pretty easy three-under. I missed a lot of putts but I’m happy with the way I’m swinging it so hopefully I continue to hit it like this tomorrow and make more putts. I just didn’t take advantage of it, but still a pretty good round and a pretty good score. I’m going to try to finish as high as I can and you know, try to grind it out. My goal is to end the year inside the top-50, so this is going to be a good opportunity to put myself closer to that goal. I hit a lot of greens and had a lot of chances.

Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) Third round 65 (-7) Total 202 (-14)

It’s been getting better every round. I struggled the first two rounds with my driver. A little bit better today. Still a few wayward ones there in the middle of the round, but you know, I’m hitting my irons very good and I’m rolling the ball nicely, so that helps. You need to drive it good here. If you drive it good around this golf course, with the greens being the way they are, you can score low. You can have a low score because it’s like I said before, I think it’s the best I’ve seen the greens before. I played with Rory the last two rounds last week. He’s absolutely striping it. I need to play really good golf tomorrow.

SHANGHAI, CHINA – NOVEMBER 02: Xander Schauffele of United States of America lines up a putt on the 18th green during Day Three of the WGC HSBC Champions at Sheshan International Golf Club on November 02, 2019 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)

Xander Schauffele (Usa) Third round 68 (-4), Total 203 (-13)

It was weird, I don’t think I’ve ever birdied the first three holes and the last three. Kind of a stall-out in the middle of the round. Yeah, I’m happy, right here in the mix with one day to go. I was hitting it much better than I did the first two days. I have a chance with 18 holes. I played with Rory every day. He’s hitting it nice and putting well. It will be a fun final day. My strength is coming back a little bit. Still a little off. I was laughing with my caddie. I had trouble carrying a bunker at 280, which for me is normally, you know, it doesn’t matter how I hit it. Normally I swing fast enough — just take what I can get throughout the day, and it was nice. I don’t think I’ve ever birdied the first three and the last three. So it was a weird day.

Ends.


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Chachoengsao, Thailand, November 2: The Thailand Open is primed for a compelling week of top-notch golf action when it returns to the Thai Country Club for its third consecutive edition on the Asian Tour next week.

The US$300,000 full-field event, co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Thailand Golf Association, will feature a talented field of 144 players from 20 countries with no fewer than 65 local players and 40 Tour champions vying for top honours.

American John Catlin, who claimed three victories in 2018, will aim for more glory when he returns for his first event on the region’s premier Tour since May. He will headline the Kingdom’s National Open alongside defending champion Panuphol Pittayarat of Thailand.

Newly crowned Asian Tour champion Suradit Yongcharoenchai will also be part of the 65-man strong local contingent who will be challenging to become the sixth Thai player to lift the coveted trophy on home soil.

Panuphol won by one shot for his second Asian Tour title last year and became the fifth Thai player after Suthep Meesawat (1991), Boonchu Ruangkit (1992 and 2004), Prayad Marksaeng (2013) and Rattanon Wannasrichan (2017) to win the prestigious tournament.

The 28-year-old Catlin, who was named the 2018 Players’ Player of the Year thanks to his outstanding breakout year, said: “I am excited to get back to the Asian Tour. Thailand has been my home for three years now so to be back for the National Open feels awesome. It’s been a great year for me, earning starts on the PGA TOUR and the European Tour.

“I have gained a lot of confidence from the halfway cuts that I made. There are a lot of great players on the Asian Tour and to win three times last year showed me that the work my coach and I have put in over the last five years is the right stuff,” he added.

Other notable players set to feature in the 2019 Thailand Open include India’s S.S.P. Chawrasia and Shiv Kapur, who claimed his first Asian Tour victory at the Thai Country Club in 2005, as well as Indonesia’s Rory Hie and Miguel Carballo of Argentina, who have both secured their maiden wins on Tour this season.

Players will have added motivation to do well at the Thailand Open as the event will kick start the 2019/20 Panasonic Swing, which is a ranking based on an aggregate point race that spans five events with the final top-three players chasing a share of a lucrative bonus pool.

Past champions of the Thailand Open include India’s Jyoti Randhawa, China’s Liang Wen-chong and Chinese Taipei legends Hsieh Min-nan and Lu Liang-huan.

The Thailand Open is the seventh full-field event on the 2019 Asian Tour schedule. It is also the Tour’s first stop in Thailand this season.

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Published on November 1, 2019

Shanghai, November 1: Asian Tour Order of Merit leader Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand rallied back with a three-under-par 69 to move within six shots of second round leader Matthew Fitzpatrick of England at the WGC HSBC Champions on Friday.

The Thai opened with a 70 in his maiden World Golf Championships event but held his own in the company of several of the world’s best players by signing for a two-day total of five-under-par 139.

Jazz is among a group of nine players which includes Major winners Bubba Watson of the United States and England’s Justin Rose who will head into the weekend tied for 11th.

Fitzpatrick will take a one-shot lead over world number two Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland after he signed for a 67 at the Sheshan International Golf Club.

The 25-year-old is looking to extend an impressive record of having won in every season since he graduated from the European Tour Qualifying School in 2014 and is also chasing his first victory in a World Golf Championships event.

Li Haotong, who became the first ever Chinese to hold the opening round lead, slipped to a share of sixth place after a 72.

SHANGHAI, CHINA – NOVEMBER 01: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland is pictured on the 18th green during Day Two of the WGC HSBC Champions at Sheshan International Golf Club on November 01, 2019 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

Did you know?

  • 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.
  • At the age of 23 years 6 months and 27 days, Jazz becomes the youngest ever player to achieve four wins on Tour.
  • Matthew Fitzpatrick has made four previous appearances in the WGC HSBC Champions with two top-10s – tied-seventh in 2015 and tied-ninth in 2017
  • Fitzpatrick has made 15 WGC appearances so far with his best finish coming at the 2019 WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational where he finished tied-fourth.
  • Rory McIlroy made four successive birdies from holes three to six and closed out his round with an eagle on 18.
  • In his seven previous appearances at the WGC HSBC Champions, McIlroy has five top-10s. He finished tied-54 last year.

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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.


Published on October 31, 2019

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-26th place, six shots back of Li.

SHANGHAI, CHINA – OCTOBER 31: Xander Schauffele of United States of America makes a putt on the 9th green during Day one of the WGC HSBC Champions at Sheshan International golf club on October 31, 2019 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)

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.

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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.


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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 (16th – 19th) 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.

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Published on October 30, 2019

Shanghai, October 30: World number two Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland is looking forward to closing the gap on the world rankings as he makes his eighth appearance at the WGC HSBC Champions which starts on Thursday.

Fresh off a tied-third finish in Japan last week, McIlroy will return to action, paired together with defending champion Xander Schauffele of the United States and England’s Justin Rose who won the WGC HSBC Champions in 2017 in the opening two rounds.

With world number one Brooks Koepka forced to withdraw from the year’s final World Golf Championships event due to injury, McIlroy knows he has every opportunity to push himself closer towards the summit of the Official World Golf Ranking with good result this week.

Schauffele will be hoping to recover in time and deliver another standout performance at the Sheshan International Golf Club.

The American fell sick in Japan last week and is still trying to shake off its effects, opting to withdraw from the day’s pro-am as a precaution.

Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond is hopeful that being in elite company this week will help him rediscover his best form.

The current Asian Tour Order of Merit leader is making his debut at the WGC HSBC Champions and is expected to spearhead the Asian charge this week.

SHANGHAI, CHINA – OCTOBER 30: Xander Schauffele of United States of America talks to media during a Pro-Am ahead of the WGC HSBC Champions at Sheshan International Golf Club on October 30, 2019 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)

Did you know?

  • The WGC-HSBC Champions will feature 35 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking.
  • Rory McIlroy is making his eighth appearance at the WGC-HSBC Champions. His best finish at the WGC-HSBC Champions is fourth in 2009.
  • McIlroy has two career World Golf Championships victories- 2014 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational and 2015 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.
  • He started the year at world number eight and moved up to number two through his three victories, including The Players Championship and Tour Championship, along with runner-up finishes in two World Golf Championships.
  • Schauffele defeated Tony Finau on the first playoff hole with a two-putt birdie for his first career World Golf Championships victory
  • He birdied the final two holes on his way to the lowest round of the day in the final round at the 2018 WGC-HSBC Champions with a four-under 68 to force a playoff with Finau after entering the day three shots back.
  • Schauffele remains the only player in the field in 2018 to shoot in the 60s in both the third and final round (69-68)
  • Schaueffle is making his third career start at the WGC-HSBC Champions. He finished tied-46th in his maiden appearance in 2017.
  • 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.
  • Jazz’s tied-14 finish at the 2019 PGA Championship, which was his second Major start, was the best-ever result by a Thai player in that Major tournament.
  • There are seven Chinese players are in the field. They are Bai Zhengkai, Dou Zecheng, Li Haotong, Liang Wenchong, Wu Ashun, Carl Yuan, Zhang Xinjun.
  • Seven past champions of the WGC-HSBC Champions are in the field this week. They are Phil Mickelson (2009), Francesco Molinari (2010), Ian Poulter (2012), Bubba Watson (2014), Hideki Matsuyama (2016), Justin Rose (2017), Xander Schauffele (2018).


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Rory McIlroy (Nir)

It’s always good to be back. Sheshan has become probably one of the best venues and courses that we come to every year. I’ve always enjoyed playing here. I’ve played well. I feel like the course suits my game and I like this tournament ever since I started coming here in 2009.

It has been 10 years and the course and the tournament have kept on improving and progressing. It has turned into one of the better events that we play every year, so I’m excited to be back. I didn’t play so well last year here, so I’ve got a good opportunity to play well this week. There’s quite a bit to play for until the end of the year. I want to get as many World Ranking points as I possibly can and try to close that gap on the number one. So you know, I’m pretty motivated coming into the week. I feel like this year went very well. I played very consistently. I think last week in Japan was my 17th top-10 of the year, so I’ve played consistent golf and I’ve won a few times, as well. It was great to get the win at THE TOUR Championship and win the FedExCup. I started this year maybe like 8th or 9th in the world, so to see that progress and to play so well and get myself back up to number two with a chance of closing that gap. If I play well the next few weeks, you know, I’ll have a great platform going into next year. I’ve achieved most things that I’ve wanted to this year and once I end this calendar year, I’m going to take a couple months off in December and January, and  thenreset goals and assess where I’m at and then go again.

SHANGHAI, CHINA – OCTOBER 30: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland talks to media during a Pro-Am ahead of the WGC HSBC Champions at Sheshan International Golf Club on October 30, 2019 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)

Jazz Janewattananond (Tha)

I’ve been trying to make the best of this Asian swing but it has not turned out the way I wanted. But it’s all good as it’s a brand new week and I can reset and do better this week. This is my first WGC event and it’s always a good experience to play against the best players in the world. I’m just very excited about this week. It’s always good each time you get a chance to step up your game and I’m just looking forward to tomorrow.

Xander Schauffele (Usa)

It’s very special to be back. Obviously with my family ties, mom being from Chinese Taipei and having family all over Asia, it’s the biggest tournament (win) of my career, and it was a great confidence booster. It has allowed me to gain self-belief and that I do belong out here. I’m about to go to the range after this and we’ll see how fast I can swing on TrackMan. My family is my closest team. They make me feel very comfortable, especially, for example, at a time right now when I’m sick. I don’t want to do a whole lot. My family will step in and take care of a lot of things for me. Besides that, my dad has been with me since I was very young, every step of the way, same as my mom, supporting from home when she couldn’t come out. For both of them to be here now and sharing this experience with me on the road and trying to win tournaments is very special for all of us.

Li Haotong (Chn)

It’s a good feeling coming back to play at the WGC-HSBC Champions. I prepare for this tournament the same way as how I do for every other events. In terms of the golf course, it seems to be more challenging this year with the thicker rough and faster greens. Chinese players have been playing well in recent years and I feel we are beginning to close the gap with some of the best players in the world. We just need more exposure to the various golf courses around the world. As for myself, I’m hoping for a breakthrough this week especially at this event which has lots of world ranking points. It was really nice to see Tiger win again last week, considering what he has gone through and his comeback is legendary.

Justin Harding (Rsa)

It’s absolutely nice to be back in Shanghai and getting the chance to play in this event again. I got the opportunity to play in it last year due to my success on the Asian Tour. I’m looking forward to having another good week and try to finish the year with a bang. It has been a strange year to be honest. I had a good run of form and then it kind of took a slight dip in the middle. I felt like I was always playing my way into the next week and there was no real opportunity to take a break. And when I did have the chance to take a break, it was completely away from golf. It was not something I was used to. Normally when I take breaks, I usually practise a bit or have an odd round or two. It has been a learning curve. I didn’t really think I was going to continue that kind of form and posting those kind of results on a consistent basis. But I’m hoping I’m now out of my little rut and see if I can have some good finishes to round off the year.

Scott Hend (Aus)

It’s a great golf course and event with lots of great players here this week. It’s obviously important to play well this week as the event’s jampacked with lots of world ranking points and I need that to move up the ladder and get back to the position where I feel like I should be. With the strength of the field this week, you cannot get away by playing average golf and expect to finish top-20 or something. You got to play really well. My season in the last four months have been pretty average because of a few club changes I have made. I’m trying to get back and play solid golf again.


Published on October 29, 2019

Shanghai, October 29: China’s Li Haotong is ready to carry the hopes of the country as he spearheads its charge at the WGC HSBC Champions which starts on Thursday.

The world number 59 is under no illusion it will be an easy task with the star-studded field glittered by 10 of the world’s top-20 players at the Sheshan International Golf Club this week.

However, Li believes that with many Chinese players making several eye-catching performances worldwide recently, it is possible to harbour bold ambitions and make that breakthrough at the season’s final World Golf Championships event which is also the only WGC event to be staged in Asia.

South Africa’s Justin Harding is meanwhile hoping to recover from his mini slump where he has missed the cut in three of his last five events.

Harding, a two-time Asian Tour winner, started the year promisingly with a win in Qatar followed by a creditable tied-12 finish at The Masters Tournament where he was making his debut.

However, the South African’s form has been erratic in the last few months which he now hopes to correct and end the year on a high note.

Like Harding, Australia’s Scott Hend is also looking for consistency after lifting his 10th Asian Tour title in Malaysia earlier this year.

Hend has not reached similar heights since his success in March, struggling to lift his game since making changes to his game.

SHANGHAI, CHINA – OCTOBER 29: A general view of the ‘Old Tom Morris Cup’ during a practice round prior to the WGC HSBC Champions at Sheshan International Golf Club on October 29, 2019 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)

Did you know?

  • Li Haotong is making his seventh appearance at the tournament with his best finish coming in 2010 where he finished a tie for seventh.
  • Li turned professional in 2011 and captured his first title in 2014 at the Jianye Tianzhu Henan Open.
  • The Chinese has three top-10 finishes, including a tied ninth place finish at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play this year.
  • Justin Harding made his WGC-HSBC Champions debut last year where he finished tied-46th.
  • He started the year strongly with a win at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters in March, followed by a tied-second finish in Kenya the following week.
  • Harding posted a tied-12th result in his debut at the Masters Tournament.
  • Justin Harding won his first Asian Tour title in his first start on the 2018 Asian Tour season with his win in Indonesia in July last year. He immediately took up the Tour membership after his victory.
  • Harding later claimed a six-shot victory in Thailand to become the first player since 2011 to win back-to-back titles on the Asian Tour.
  • The South African ended his 2018 Asian Tour season in third place on the Order of Merit.
  • Scott Hend won his 10th Asian Tour title at the Maybank Championship in March.
  • He is the first Australian to win the Asian Tour Order of Merit title in 2016
  • All of Hend’s wins have come in Asia.
  • Hend is the fourth player after Thailand’s Thaworn Wiratchant, Thongchai Jaidee and Prayad Marksaeng to obtain 10 wins or more on the Asian Tour.
  • Hend held the number one spot on the Asian Tour Order of Merit for 13 weeks before being dislodged by Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond after the Thai won the Kolon Korea Open in June.
  • Hend’s best result at the WGC-HSBC Champions is tied-19th in 2015.
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