Randhawa reaches career milestone at the Panasonic Open India
Gurgaon, India, November 13: India’s Jyoti Randhawa will hit his career milestone on the Asian Tour when he tees up for his 300th event on Tour at the US$400,000 Panasonic Open India which starts on Thursday.
Randhawa turned professional in 1994 and has since gone on to win eight titles on the Asian Tour.
One of Randhawa’s finest seasons came in 2002 when he topped the Asian Tour Order of Merit to be crowned Asia’s number one then.
While Randhawa’s last Asian Tour victory dates back almost a decade ago, the 47-year-old is still feeling the fire in his belly and holds the belief that he can return to the winner’s circle again.
Bangladeshi Siddikur Rahman, who finished runner-up on three occasions at the Panasonic Open India, remains ever hopeful of making it count at the Classic Golf and Country Club this week.
Argentina’s Miguel Carballo will be seeking his second win of the season following his breakthrough in Indonesia in September.
The Argentinian believes his growing confidence has given him the belief that he can tackle the challenging demands of the new host venue of the Panasonic Open India.
Did you know?
- Jyoti Randhawa once reached a career high of 70th place on the Official World Golf Ranking in March 2008
- Out of his eight Asian Tour victories, five of them have come from home. Randhawa has also captured the titles of five National Opens, with three Indian Opens, one Thailand Open and one Singapore Open.
- Randhawa enjoyed his best finish of 2019 in Thailand last week when he finished tied-14th.
- Randhawa enjoyed a memorable year in 2004 when he won the season finale Volvo Masters of Asia and finished second on the Order of Merit with US$351,709.
- Siddikur Rahman enjoyed his best result of the year so far at the recent Mercuries Taiwan Masters where he finished tied-fifth.
- Twice a winner on the Asian Tour, his first win came at the 2010 Brunei Open and he followed it up three years later with another win at the Hero Indian Open.
- Siddikur also has 10 second or tied-second finishes on the Asian Tour, three of which has come at the Panasonic Open India (2012, 2015 and 2018).
- The Bangladeshi’s best year on the Asian Tour was in 2013 when he finished fourth on the Order of Merit with over US$495,000 in earnings, and he was also in the top-ten in 2010 and 2011 when he finished seventh and eight respectively.
- Miguel Carballo of Argentina won his first Asian Tour title at the Bank-BRI Indonesia Open in September this year.
- He also has two recent wins on the Asian Development Tour (ADT): the Singha Laguna Phuket Open in May this year and the Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament presented by Panasonic in 2018.
- Before joining the Asian Tour Carballo also notched two wins on the Korn Ferry Tour and one on the European Challenge Tour.
Ends.
By Olle Nordberg, Former Asian Tour and European Tour professional
The Tournament
The Panasonic Open India was inaugurated in 2011 and is the longest running full-field Asian Tour event in India. This year marks the ninth edition of the US$400,000 tournament and Indian players have dominated the event so far, winning seven out of the last eight years.
The first edition of the tournament in 2011 also turned out to be Indian star player Anirban Lahiri’s first career Asian Tour title, and he has since gone on to collect six more wins and an Order of Merit crown in 2015.
The other Indian winners of the event are Digvijay Singh (2012), S.S.P. Chawrasia (2014), Chiragh Kumar (2015), Mukesh Kumar (2016), Shiv Kapur (2017) and Khalin Joshi (2018). The lone exception to local rule was in 2013 when Wade Ormsby of Australia took the title by a shot over Thai legend Boonchu Ruangkit.
Last year’s event was played at Delhi Golf Club, with Khalin Joshi birdieing four out of the last five holes, including the last two, to beat Siddikur Rahman by a single shot.
The Course
Designed by the legendary Jack Nicklaus, Classic Golf and Country Club will play as a par-72 and 7,114 yards from the championship tees.
The course opened for play in 1998 and though this is the first time that Panasonic Open India is played at Classic, the course has hosted four Tour events previously: the 2000 and 2001 Wills Indian Opens, the 2009 SAIL Open and the 2019 Classic Golf and Country Club International Championship in September this year when Rory Hie of Indonesia claimed his maiden Asian Tour title.
Eight-time Asian Tour winner Jyoti Randhawa of India won here in a play-off against South African Sammy Daniels in 2000, while Thai star Thongchai Jaidee claimed the 2001 edition by a single stroke over Ross Bain of Scotland.
The most notable event held at Classic was the 2009 SAIL Open, when Chapchai Nirat of Thailand recorded the lowest ever score to par after 72 holes in a major golf tournament, 32-under-par to win by 11 shots. This record still stands in the Guinness World Records today.
The Contenders
Khalin Joshi
The defending champion will be trying to reproduce the magic from last year, and with his winner’s category expiring at the end of the year he needs to have some good results in the remaining events.
Currently in 98th place on the Order of Merit with close to US$24,000, Joshi will likely need to make another US$45,000 to be assured of keeping his card for the 2020 season. A high finish this week could go a long way towards reaching that goal.
Suradit Yongcharoenchai
At number nine on the Order of Merit with just over US$237,000, Suradit is the highest ranked player in the field this week.
The winner of the Mercuries Taiwan Masters has had a solid season with two top-10’s in September at the Yeangder TPC and Classic Golf and Country Club International Championship, and finished a creditable tied-11th in Thailand last week.
Shiv Kapur
Almost got his fifth Asian Tour victory last week in Thailand when he was one of the three players in the playoff won by John Catlin. Kapur had a spectacular back-nine on Sunday where he made five birdies and an eagle on holes 10-16 to get himself into contention.
Although it was not enough to get him the win in the end, the week spent with his coach on the bag should have his game in good shape for the remainder of the season.
Pavit Tangkamolprasert
Having come close to winning his second Asian Tour title at Thai Country Club last week where he was one of the three players in the playoff, Pavit looks to be in great form.
The 2016 Venetian Macao Open champion has secured his playing rights for the 2020 season with the tied-second last week, and should be able to play stress-free golf the rest of the year.
Rory Hie
Posting his breakthrough Asian Tour win at the Classic Golf and Country Club International Championship only two months ago, Hie should be very comfortable around the course.
Even though he is not the defending champion of this particular event this week, having won here so recently should have him playing with a lot of confidence.
Viraj Madappa
Playing in his second season on the Asian Tour Madappa has posted a tied-ninth at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters as his best finish of the year and is currently enjoying a solid stretch of events.
Including the top-10 in Taipei, he has also finished inside the top-25 in seven out of his last eight events and has not missed a cut since August. It would not be surprising to see Madappa have a top finish this week.
Ajeetesh Sandhu
The Indian has come close to winning twice this season with a second at the Bangabandhu Cup in April, and a tied-second at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters where only an untimely double-bogey on the 70th hole derailed his bid for a victory.
He also won the Jeev Milkha Singh Invitational presented by TAKE Solutions on the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) two weeks later and had a good tournament in Thailand last week where he finished tied-11th.
Rashid Khan
The two-time Asian Tour winner in 2014 has had a great season while playing on a country exemption after losing his card in 2018.
Khan has posted four top-10’s in only seven starts on the Asian Tour, plus two wins back home on the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI).
His best Asian Tour result of the year came at this course only two months ago, a tied-second at the Classic Golf and Country Club International Championship where he finished two shots behind the winner Hie.
Jyoti Randhawa (Ind)
Well you know what, it doesn’t seem that long. I remember my first tournament and 300 feels a long time, but it doesn’t feel that long. I’m just feeling great and having played so many events. It’s surprising to me also. I didn’t realize it. The highlights? Winning the Indian Opens was good, because you know, you’re a local boy and you are able to win in your own country. I won three of them actually. First one was special, this golf course it was. Then after it was Singapore, Japan, Thailand. So yeah, it’s been it’s been a long, long time. This week I just need to hit it long and putt straight. This is what this golf course needs. So, hit as far as you can and make those putts. The best years on the Asian Tour was when I won the Order of Merit in 2002, and also in 2000. I won two events, I won the Singapore Open and the Indian Open in the same year, 2000, and then I won the Order of Merit in 2002 I think if I’m not off. Yeah, those were the good years. I have a lot of good memories.
Siddikur Rahman (Ban)
I always have fond memories of the Panasonic Open India. This is a very good golf course. I’m really excited and ready for this. I know this golf course very well as I’ve played here several times since my amateur days. I’ve many good results here. This is not a very long golf course and since my accuracy is quite sharp lately, I feel I can take advantage of it. I just want to play well this week and hope for the best. Hopefully, it’ll be my week and I don’t end up finishing second again.
Miguel Carballo (Arg)
I feel like it’s easier to play this course than six weeks ago when we were here. The rough were thicker the last time but the conditions are better now. I’m not really bothered by the weather. I’m okay. Life has been good since that win in Jakarta. I’m playing in bigger and more events now and the confidence has been growing. I’m just trying to juggle the logistics of flying all the way to Asia from Argentina and maybe looking at possibility of making my base in either Thailand or Malaysia.
Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind)
I’ve never won so far in India and last year was really good when I got my first European Tour win in Fiji. This year I started off really well but the second half on the European Tour was not as good as I was expecting. But right now I’m feeling good, the body is feeling good and I’m hitting the ball well. I’m playing on this golf course after a gap of 10 years. Last time I played here, I shot 22-under and I lost the tournament by ten shots! It is a great golf course and I’m feeling confident to play well this week.
Shiv Kapur (Ind)
I’ve had a lacklustre season thus far. Last week, was at a golf course where I’ve had success in the past. Two years ago Gaganjeet and I tied for second place there and obviously I had my first Asian Tour win there. So anytime you go to a golf course where you’ve had some success, it gives you a lot of confidence. And hopefully, I can carry that confidence that I gained last week into this week. It was obviously disappointing not to win but standing on the 14th tee in the final round, I was five or six shots back. So, didn’t really think I had a shot. So to even get into the playoff was a bonus.
Khalin Joshi (Ind)
I haven’t had the best of the year so far. But finally, I’m finding some form in my game. The win last year at the Panasonic Open obviously helped me. I have to every event this year but haven’t really capitalised on all the opportunities, but looking forward to starting it from this week. The game is feeling good so looking forward to having a good week and finishing the year on a high. I have played well on this golf course throughout my career – be it junior, amateur or professional, so I have good memories of this course. I really like the track so I’m looking forward to gaining some confidence. Overall this course really suits my game.
Rory Hie (Ina)
I really enjoy being in India, interacting with the people here and the culture. I love learning from players like Gaganjeet, Shiv, Jeev. I feel I have been learning a lot since my win here. I have got into events that I normally wouldn’t have gone into without the win and getting to play with good golfers and good courses. The course is definitely playing different than six weeks ago. You can now actually see the ball from fifty yards out and it seems to be a really good condition.
Gurgaon, India, November 12: India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar returns home for his first competitive start since March, ready to show why he is one of the country’s best golfers when the ninth edition of the US$400,000 Panasonic Open India starts on Thursday.
With nine Asian Tour titles, Bhullar holds the most number of victories by an Indian golfer on the Asian Tour and is also the player with the most number of victories in the field.
Bhullar has been playing primarily in Europe this season following his win in Fiji last year. While it has been a season of mixed fortunes, the 31-year-old hopes to turn the corner with his first Asian Tour victory on home soil this week.
Shiv Kapur narrowly missed out on his fifth Asian Tour title in a play-off defeat in Thailand last week and is hoping to bounce back and reclaim the Panasonic Open India title which he won in 2017.
The 2019 edition will see five of the eight previous winners return to the event with defending champion Khalin Joshi hoping to become the first to successfully retain his title at the Panasonic Open India which tees off at a new venue at the Classic Golf and Country Club this year.
Rory Hie will be hoping to break local hearts and its dominance again when he returns to his winning venue again after two months.
Hie became the first Indonesian to win a title on the Asian Tour and he did so in spectacular fashion with his wire-to-wire victory at the Classic Golf and Country Club International Championship in September.
Did you know?
- Gaganjeet Bhullar picked up golf at the age of four from his father. He grew up at Kapurthala Golf Club, in a city located north of India.
- Bhullar was India’s number one amateur in 2004 and 2006 and claimed a silver medal in the team event at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha. He also won the World Junior Masters Championship in 2005.
- Kapur won the first edition of the 2017/2018 Panasonic Swing thanks to his Panasonic Open India win and his tied-second place finish at the Thailand Open in 2017.
- Kapur’s best year on the Asian Tour was 2005 when he finished fourth on the Order of Merit. He was also crowned the rookie of the year that season.
- The 2017 season was also one to remember for Kapur as he won three Asian Tour events: Yeangder Heritage, Panasonic Open India and the Royal Cup.
- Seven of the eight winners going back to 2011 have been Indian, but no one has been able to repeat the success.
- Five of the eight past Panasonic Open India champions are in the field this week. They are Khalin Joshi, Shiv Kapur, Mukesh Kumar, Chiragh Kumar and Digvijay Singh.
- Rory Hie is the first Indonesian to win a title on the Asian Tour. His wire-to-wire victory at the Classic Golf and Country Club International Championship sealed his place in the winner’s circle in September.
- The Classic Golf and Country Club is hosting the Panasonic Open India for the first time since it was inaugurated in 2011.
- The Panasonic Open India is the second leg of the third edition of the Asian Tour’s 2019/20 Panasonic Swing, which is a ranking based on an aggregate points race that spans five events with the final top-three players chasing a share of a lucrative bonus pool.
Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, November 11: The region’s rising stars, led by new winners Yikeun Chang of Korea and Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana, will showcase their talents once again when they tee off for the inaugural Sabah Masters next week.
The Asian Tour has celebrated a fantastic 2019 season so far, welcoming a total of 12 first-time winners with five of them aged below 30 years old. Chang (25) and Sadom (21), who claimed their breakthroughs in Chinese Taipei and Bangladesh respectively, are among this gifted group to emerge.
Joining the likes of Indonesia’s Rory Hie, Thailand’s Panuphol Pittayarat, American Micah Lauren Shin and homegrown talent Ben Leong, they will head to the highly acclaimed Sutera Harbour Golf and Country Club for the US$300,000 event which will take place from November 21 to 24.
Asian Development Tour (ADT) Order of Merit leader Joohyung Kim of Korea will also feature in the 144-man field. The talented 17-year-old has enjoyed a superb run on the ADT, having won three titles this year to earn his Asian Tour card for the remainder of the 2019 season.
The Sabah Masters, which is the ninth full-field event on the Asian Tour and the Tour’s third stop in Malaysia this season, is supported by Tourism Malaysia with an aim to boost tourism in Sabah, a Malaysian state located on the northern portion of Borneo.
The highly anticipated event also features on the 2019 calendar of the PGM Tour, whom the Asian Tour shares an outstanding partnership with, having sanctioned numerous events together on a yearly basis.
Cho Minn Thant, Asian Tour Commissioner and CEO, said: “On behalf of the Asian Tour and our players, I would like to express our gratitude to Tourism Malaysia and Sutera Harbour for their strong support of the event.
“We hope that our global media outreach will stimulate the tourism sector of Sabah and highlight the outstanding golf on offer in the East Malaysian state through the staging of this event,” Cho added.
Rick Blackie, General Manager of the Sutera Harbour Golf and Country Club, expressed his excitement, saying: “We can’t wait to welcome the Asian Tour and its players to the Sutera Harbour Golf and Country Club. I’m confident it will be an exciting and action-packed week with the top quality golf on show as the players tackle our course.”
Datuk Ahmad Shah Hussein Tambakau, Chairman of the Tourism Malaysia, also lauded the staging of the Sabah Masters. “We are pleased to be supporting the Asian Tour with the staging of the Sabah Masters in efforts to boost tourism in Sabah and Malaysia.
“We hope to showcase the unique wonders, attractions and cultures in Sabah and thereby promoting Malaysia as an outstanding tourist destination,” said Datuk Ahmad Shah Hussein Tambakau.
Designed by leading golf course designer Graham Marsh, the Sutera Harbour Golf Club boasts 27 holes for day and night golfing and has garnered various awards of distinction. The tournament will be held on the Lakes and Heritage courses.
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.
Chachoengsao, Thailand, November 10: American John Catlin secured his fourth Asian Tour victory in style after his spectacular approach on the first play-off hole yielded a birdie and saw him defeat India’s Shiv Kapur and local hotshot Pavit Tangkamolprasert at the Thailand Open on Sunday.
The 28-year-old Catlin, who claimed three victories over a span of five months in 2018, had missed a birdie chance by an inch on the 72nd hole after chipping from off the green to settle for a closing four-under-par 67 at the Thai Country Club.
Catlin, who is based in Hua Hin, Thailand, had to go the distance with Kapur and Pavit, who returned with matching 65s, after they were all tied at the top on 11-under-par 273 total in regulation play at the US$300,000 full-field event.
The sudden death play-off, which was held on the par-four, 466-yard 18th hole, saw Catlin finding the fairway on the left side with his tee shot while Kapur and Pavit hit into the left and right rough respectively.
Kapur sent his second shot through the trees and onto the green but left himself a long birdie putt from about 80 feet which he did not manage to convert. Pavit’s second shot found the left bunker, where he hit a 35-yard shot from there to about 12-feet.
Despite failing to pip Catlin to the title, Kapur and Pavit took pride with their runner-up finishes in the Kingdom’s National Open, which would mark their best results yet on the Asian Tour so far this season.
American Trevor Simsby recorded a hole-in-one on the par-three 11th hole after his seven-iron from 176 yards found the bottom of the cup. He would sign for an eventual 63 to match the course record set earlier by Kapur in the second round of the tournament.
Catlin takes home a winner’s prize purse of US$54,000 following his victory and propels to 31st place on the latest Order of Merit.
He will also lead the 2019/20 Panasonic Swing, which is a ranking based on an aggregate point race that spans five events starting with the Thailand Open this week.
Did you know?
- John Catlin claimed three victories on the Asian Tour in 2018 to finish in a career-best sixth place on the final Order of Merit. He was the only player to achieve the feat last year.
- Catlin was also named the Players’ player of the year in 2018, thanks to his breakout season. Apart from the three wins on the Asian Tour, he has also won the Singha Chiang Mai Open on the All Thailand Golf Tour last September.
- The 28-year-old, who hails from Sacramento, California, is playing in his fourth Asian Tour event this season and first since May. Prior to this week, he has also had two top-10 finishes on the All Thailand Golf Tour.
- Catlin started playing in Asia in 2015. Prior to his Asian Tour breakthrough in China last year, Catlin has won twice on the Asian Development Tour (ADT).
- Catlin has based himself in Hua Hin, Thailand since 2017.
- Shiv Kapur has had success at Thai Country Club in the past, winning the 2005 Volvo Masters of Asia and finishing tied-second at the Thailand Open in 2017.
- Kapur soared with a birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie run from the 13 before returning with two straight pars on 17 and 18. He holed out for an eagle on the par-five 14 but three-putted on the 17.
- Kapur’s best year on the Asian Tour was 2005 when he finished fourth on the Order of Merit. He was also crowned the rookie of the year that season.
- The 2017 season was also one to remember for Kapur as he won three Asian Tour events: Yeangder Heritage, Panasonic Open India and the Royal Cup.
- Before this week, Kapur only one top-10 finish where he secured at the Bank BRI Indonesia Open with a tied-10th result.
- Kapur won the first edition of the 2017/2018 Panasonic Swing thanks to his Panasonic Open India win and his tied-second place finish at the Thailand Open in 2017.
- Pavit Tangkamolprasert is a one-time winner on the Asian Tour and a six-time champion on the Asian Development Tour (ADT), where he was crowned the Order of Merit champion in 2014.
- He entered the week in 49th place on the 2019 Asian Tour Order of Merit, having secured a tied-sixth finish in Indonesia earlier. The 30-year-old would move up to 35th place following his joint runner-up finish this week.
- Enjoyed his career-best season yet on the Asian Tour in 2016 where he finished 12th on the Order of Merit.
- Pavit had claimed a tied-13th place finish at the Thailand Open last year.
Chachoengsao, Thailand, November 10: Read what players have to say following the final round of the Thailand Open on Sunday.
John Catlin (USA) – Final round 67 (-4), Total 273 (-11) – won on first play-off hole
This win means a lot to me. It means a lot to me winning in Thailand. I have lived here for three years. The people here has been so kind and this place is starting to feel like a second home to me. To win the National Open here means the world to me. It’s like a dream come true.
I kept telling myself these guys are so good out here. I am very proud of myself for keeping it going and getting the job done. That chip on 18th in regulation play, I really thought it was going in. I was pretty nervous getting into the play-off but I am glad I still won it in the end.
It starts over again once you know you’re in the play-off. You got to go out there and play like your backs against the wall. I was able to hit a good tee shot down that left-hand side of the fairway on the play-off hole. Didn’t have the best of angles there but I had just a great yardage. I trusted my swing and it came off perfect, locked it in there and made the putt.
Those three birdies on the front nine in regulation play got my game going. They kind of kick started the good run. I knew I had a chance, but until you kind of get in that lead you never know when it’s going to happen so once I kind of got in the lead, I felt it was a familiar situation.
I was obviously nervous but to hit that second shot from 200 yards on the play-off hole was just incredible especially when it was tucked into the wind that was howling left to right. It just means the world to hit that shot. Winning three times last year definitely gave me a lot of confidence.
That experience helped. Playing against some of the best players in the world gave me the confidence I needed to. I think I have learnt to play smarter over the last one year or so. I know when I can take a shot on and when not. I think that just comes from experience.
Shiv Kapur (Ind) – Final round 65 (-6), Total 273 (-11)
It was a good round. No fireworks early on, just started pretty steady on the front. I actually made a pretty soft bogey on the ninth, that was little disappointing and I got to the 10th and said to my coach who’s on the bag this week, I said let’s just start firing at some flags.
And I went on to make birdie on 10 and 11 and then got stuck in a divot on 12 and made bogey there. But then after that I made a really good birdie out of the rough on 13. And on 14 I had a wedge in my hands and holed it, and you know not until I got to, when I holed that putt on 15 that I started thinking, oh now I have a chance to go for the title in this tournament.
At that point I was just trying to keep making birdies and go as low as I can. And then once I got to the 16th it looked like I had a good chance at it. A little disappointing to have three putted 17, but you know I hit two really good shots, had a great second shot to the back of the green. I didn’t think I had a bad putt but it was so quick coming down.
I was just trying to shoot as low as I can at that stage and I came close to making birdie on the 18th as well. I gave it a good run. I had a fantastic back nine. This course has always been very kind to me. It’s just one of the courses that suits my eyes and it’s always good to come to a course where you had some success before.
Lots of positive vibes here. Like I mentioned earlier, I had a lacklustre season prior to this week so this result will give me a lot of confidence heading into the remainder of the season. It’s a great boost for sure.
Pavit Tangkamolprasert (Tha) – Final round 65 (-6), Total 273 (-11)
I am very happy with my result this week. I didn’t expect myself to play so good and give myself a chance to win the tournament for my country by getting into the play-off. I am pleased with the way I played even though I didn’t win.
I knew the last hole was pretty tough. I thought making par would be good enough. Hats off to John (Catlin) really. That second shot into 10 feet was just incredible. This result should boost my Order of Merit ranking quite a bit and take some pressure off my back now.
The wind was calmer than the last three days I thought. It’s slightly easier but the pin positions were tough. My putting was very good today. I managed to hole some putts and that helped me a lot.
I have played a lot on this course before. On the front nine, I was just aiming to hit the safe sides of the greens out there and give myself some easy putts. I wasn’t able to hit my irons close because the greens are pretty firm today. My caddy and I read the greens really well today.
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