Muto makes fast start to secure lead at Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship
Kobe, Japan, September 28: Japan’s Toshinori Muto rode on a fast start to mark the day’s best score with a seven-under-par 64 and grab the outright lead by one shot following the penultimate round at the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship on Saturday.
Starting the day with a two-shot deficit, Muto got off to a strong start with three birdies in his opening four holes. He dropped a shot on the sixth but would recover brilliantly with four straight birdies from the seventh before picking up another birdie on the last.
Muto, who had held a share of the opening round lead, regained his place atop the leaderboard with a three-day total of 14-under-par 199 while countryman Shugo Imahira takes second place, thanks to a closing eagle which helped him sign for a 66 at the Higashi Hirono Golf Club.
Asian Tour Order of Merit leader Jazz Janewattananond put himself in the title mix after bouncing back from a slow start to post a 66 at the ¥150,000,000 (approx. US$1,338,067) event, co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO).
The 23-year-old Thai stumbled with two bogeys in his opening five holes but rolled in seven birdies in his last 10 holes to grab a share of third place with Argentina’s Miguel Carballo (66) on matching 201s in the popular tournament, which is celebrating its 10th edition this week.
Apart from chasing for his fifth Asian Tour victory and a third win this season, Jazz is also in the running to top the 2018/19 Panasonic Swing, where he sits in third place with 2340.93 points. He needs at least a tied-fourth place finish at the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship to have a chance to pip current leader Poom Saksansin to the title.
The Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship is the concluding leg of the 2018/19 Panasonic Swing. The Panasonic Swing is based on an aggregate point ranking earned by players at the following five tournaments – 2018 Thailand Open, 2018 Panasonic Open India, 2018 Indonesian Masters, 2019 Maybank Championship (Malaysia) and 2019 Panasonic Open Golf Championship (Japan).
The top-three finishers upon the conclusion of the 2019 Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship will share a bonus pool of US$150,000 where they will earn US$70,000, US$50,000 and US$30,000 respectively via the reward scheme.
Did you know?
- Toshinori Muto started playing golf when he was a kid. His family from his mother side owned a driving range back then.
- The 41-year-old Muto turned professional in 2001 and is a six-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour. His last victory was the 2015 ISPS HANDA Global Cup, and he recorded his career-biggest win at the 2011 Dunlop Phoenix.
- Muto is currently ranked 519th on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). His career-best position was 102nd at the end of 2012.
- Muto missed only two greens in his solid round of 64 today.
- Shugo Imahira topped the Merit rankings on the Japan Golf Tour in 2018. He was a former member of the Asian Tour in 2016 and 2017.
- He sits in 72nd place on the latest Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) as the second highest-ranked Japanese. The 26-year-old, who hails from Saitama, is the highest-ranked Japanese in the 132-man field this week.
- Imahira sank a four-footer for eagle on the last hole 18th to sign for a 66 and grab second place. He dropped only three shots so far this week.
- Jazz Janewattananond is the only player to have won more than once on the Asian Tour so far this season. He claimed his third title at the season-opening Singapore Open in January and secured his fourth victory at the Kolon Korea Open in June.
- Jazz needed only 11 putts on back 9, where he only missed 1 green, in his solid round of 66.
- At the age of 23 years 6 months and 27 days, Jazz becomes the youngest ever player to achieve four wins on Tour. India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar held the record previously after he won his fourth title in 2012 at the age of 24.
- Jazz is the highest-ranked player in the talented 132-man field this week. He leads the current Asian Tour Order of Merit and is ranked 60th on the latest Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).
- Apart from the two victories, Jazz has also notched five top-10 finishes on the Asian Tour this season.
- Jazz also enjoyed a tied-14th place finish at the PGA Championship in June which was the best-ever result achieved by a Thai player at the PGA Championship.
- Miguel Carballo claimed his Asian Tour breakthrough at the Indonesia Open one month ago. Prior to that victory, he has never made the cut in six starts on the Asian Tour this season.
- Carballo is the second Argentinian to win on the Asian Tour following Angel Cabrera’s victory at the 2007 Barclays Singapore Open.
- Carballo won the Asian Development Tour (ADT) Order of Merit in 2018 to secure a card for this year’s Asian Tour season.
- A two-time champion on the ADT, Carballo won the Singha Laguna Phuket Open in 2019 and the Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament in 2018.
- Carballo is playing in Asia for the second year running. It is his first trip to Japan this week. He dropped only two shots so far this week.
- Since turning pro in 2002 the 40-year-old Argentinian has also won twice on the Korn Ferry Tour, the 2007 Movistar Panama Championship and the 2011 Children’s Hospital Classic.
- His best year on that Tour was in 2011 when he finished 10th on the Money List securing a card for the 2012 PGA Tour, where he also played in 2014 and 2016-2017.
- The lowest winning score of the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship was set by Japan’s Masanori Kaboyashi with a 17-under-par 267 total in 2012 at the Higashi Hirono Golf Club.
Kobe, Japan, September 27: India’s Rahil Gangjee turned up the heat in his title defence at the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship after posting a bogey-free round of an eight-under-par 63 to seize a one-shot halfway lead on Friday.
The 40-year-old Indian, who closed with an eagle for his opening 70, picked up from where he left off as he fired eight birdies to move atop the leaderboard with a nine-under-par 133 total at the ¥150,000,000 (approximately US$1,338,067) event.
Japanese heartthrob Ryo Ishikawa bounced back brilliantly from his opening 72 as he sizzled with a course record-tying 62 to grab a share of second place with countryman Shugo Imahira (69), Korea’s Sanghee Lee (67) and Lu Wei-chih (69) of Chinese Taipei at the Higashi Hirono Golf Club.
Order of Merit leader Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand battled to a 69 to lurk two shots off the pace in sixth place alongside a host of players, including Ajeetesh Sandhu of India, who produced the shot of the day when he aced the 11th hole with a six-iron from 191 yards.
Gangjee is chasing to become the first player to successfully defend his title at the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship, which is celebrating its 10th edition on the Asian Tour and the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO) this week.
The Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship is the concluding leg of the 2018/19 Panasonic Swing. The Panasonic Swing is based on an aggregate point ranking earned by players at the following five tournaments – 2018 Thailand Open, 2018 Panasonic Open India, 2018 Indonesian Masters, 2019 Maybank Championship (Malaysia) and 2019 Panasonic Open Golf Championship (Japan).
The top-three finishers upon the conclusion of the 2019 Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship will share a bonus pool of US$150,000 where they will earn US$70,000, US$50,000 and US$30,000 respectively via the reward scheme.
Did you know?
- Rahil Gangjee ended a 14-year title drought when he won his second Asian Tour title at the 2018 Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship last year.
- He became only the second foreigner, following Australian Brendan Jones in 2010, to win the prestigious event.
- In his solid round of 63, Gangjee missed only three greens in regulation, found 10 fairways and needed only 25 putts.
- Gangjee finished second on the 2017/18 Panasonic Swing, thanks to his victory at the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship last year.
- Gangjee first won on the Asian Tour in 2004 in China where he beat a top field that included Europe’s Ryder Cup heroes Phillip Price, Ian Woosnam and Nick Faldo.
- He had several close finishes since then, most notably at the 2014 Panasonic Open India in 2014 when he lost in a play-off to S.S.P. Chawrasia.
- Gangjee enters the week in good form, having secured his first top-10 finish on the Japan Golf Tour two weeks ago and a top-20 finish in Korea last week, which is his best result on the Asian Tour so far this season.
- Lu Wei-chih is a four-time winner on the Asian Tour. All of his victories on the Asian Tour have come from home soil in Chinese Taipei.
- In 2012, Lu underwent brain surgery to remove a non-malignant tumour which put him out of action for close to a year.
- Although he posted only one top-10 in the subsequent seasons upon his return, Lu was simply relieved he could compete again after his major health scare.
- He secured his first top-10 result this season at the Diamond Cup in Japan earlier in May. Apart from that, he had made only two cuts in eight other starts on Tour. He sits in 63rd position on the Order of Merit.
- Ryo Ishikawa won his first Japan Golf Tour event, the Munsingwear Open KSB Cup, when he was only 15 years 8 months and 3 days old.
- The 28-year-old Ishikawa was playing that event as an amateur in his first Japan Golf Tour start, and winning the tournament made him the youngest winner ever on the Japan Golf Tour.
- Ishikawa turned professional in 2008 and by the end of the year he had become the youngest ever player to reach the top 100 of the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR), ending the year ranked 60th.
- After a few years on the PGA Tour, Ishikawa returned to play full time on the Japan Golf Tour in 2018.
- Following a lean spell with no victories in 2017-18, Ishikawa won this year’s Japan PGA Championship and Shigeo Nagashima Invitational SEGASAMMY Cup in consecutive starts on the Japan Golf Tour.
- He is currently leading the Japan Golf Tour Money Ranking and has climbed to 110th on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) after being ranked 300th at the end of June this year, which was his lowest position since 2008.
- Ishikawa tied the course record with his sizzling 62. The record was previously shared by Yuta Ikeda and Masanori Kobayashi who shot matching 62s in the opening round and the final round respectively at the 2012 Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship.
- Shugo Imahira topped the Merit rankings on the Japan Golf Tour in 2018. He was a former member of the Asian Tour in 2016 and 2017.
- He sits in 72nd place on the latest Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) as the second highest-ranked Japanese. The 26-year-old, who hails from Saitama, is the highest-ranked Japanese in the 132-man field this week.
Kobe, Japan, September 27: Read what players have to say following the second round of the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship on Friday.
Rahil Gangjee (Ind) – Second round 63 (-8), Total (-9)
It wasn’t an easy day yesterday. It was very trying on my patience. The whole of yesterday I just didn’t make any putts but I fought really hard. I wanted to finish under-par and dreams came true on the last hole ninth where I made an eagle to finish one-under par.
It was a good feeling coming back today. I know the birdies are out there, it’s just that I haven’t holed anything. When I did that today, it just kept coming. It was good. Putting was the main difference but I hit it pretty good too. I did make a lot of putts, anything from between 10 to 20 footers. It was a good putting day.
Everything was just mundane today. Hit the fairways, greens and then make putts. I actually left like four putts out there. It could have been a lot more under-par. But I’m not complaining. The greens are playing better in the morning too.
No thoughts right now. I just want to go out there and control the golf ball. I have been trying to do that for the last couple of years. It’s settling in now so that is what I will do for the next two rounds.
It’s always difficult to defend because everyone is looking at you. I need to stay away from that. I try to stay away from that and don’t think about it. I just want to go and play golf. The whole of last year has been a big learning curve for me in Japan because all the courses I played were new to me.
It’s also a different mindset because I am just trying to know about the courses and remembering the shots I hit out there. It has got nothing to do with score. Even though I don’t know the golf course well this week, that same mindset comes in and that matters to scoring and going deep.
When you don’t think about scores, just hit the ball, find it and hit again, I think the score takes care of itself.
Lu Wei-chih (Tpe) – Second round 69 (-2), Total 134 (-8)
I missed a few fairways today. I couldn’t really attack the pins as well. But I just try to get it on the green and give myself opportunities to make birdies. Nothing really stood out today. It was a pretty steady round for us.
Still in a good position but there are a lot more golf to play. We will see what happens. Nothing changes for the weekend. I just want to stay focused, stick to my game plan and play it shot by shot. If I can do that, I believe the score will take care of itself.
Ryo Ishikawa (Jpn) – Second round 62 (-9), Total 134 (-8)
I hit some solid iron shots today and made some long putts. I been trying to improve my iron shots before coming here, I’m glad it’s paying off. It was nice to finish with an eagle on 18. I was trying to avoid the water, hit a solid four-iron to four feet there and made that putt.
I played with Sergio Garcia and Jazz (Janewattananond) earlier in the year in Singapore and I learned that their iron-shot accuracy is almost twice better than me. This means they were able to hit it close to the pins, so to reduce the distance of the putts I have on the greens, I have to work on my iron-play.
I have been working on that all year and I’m glad the results are showing. I couldn’t control the ball well yesterday. But I did it better today. That made a lot of difference as I was able to attack from the fairways.
I am glad that I made it to the weekend here at Higashi Hirono Golf Club (laughs). After finishing one-over yesterday, I told myself I have to play my own game. I have to play without any distractions and just concentrate on golf.
Whenever I make mistakes, I will keep thinking about it after the round and adjust it on the practice range. I will put down a list of mistakes I made too. I will think about it even during interviews or in the car going back to hotel and then write them down when I am alone in my room.
Shugo Imahira (Jpn) – Second round 69 (-2), Total 134 (-8)
I had a hard time playing the front nine but I stayed very patient out there. I am glad I recovered on the back nine. I couldn’t control the ball like I did yesterday, but glad that I finished on eight-under.
I was watching Ryo Ishikawa today and felt that if he starts well, he will shoot a low score. He hit some really solid shots today.
With the way I played today, I am still tied with Ishikawa. That’s not too bad. I will try to put up a good score tomorrow and give myself a chance to contend for the title on Sunday.
Jazz Janewattananond (Tha) – Second round 69 (-2), Total 135 (-6)
I just started off really shaky. I missed a lot of putts so it was good to get it back. Made some stupid mistakes at the start and then had some unlucky breaks on a couple of holes. It’s good to see that I can come back from that. Hopefully the next two rounds will be a bit smoother.
I’m just trying to figure out which putting technique works for me, and to be honest, I didn’t putt that great today. I had two three putts on the card, so that’s not a good look. But I’ll keep it in play for the last two days.
I misread the eagle putt on the last but it’s still a good birdie. Ryo (Ishikawa) made an eagle there. It’s good to see him play really well today.
Kobe, Japan, September 26: Read what players have to say following the opening round of the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship on Thursday.
Lu Wei-chih (Tpe) – First round 65 (-6)
I hit driver really well today. My iron-play was solid too. I managed to hit a lot of fairways. The only bogey I had today was on 16. I hit it into the rough and there was a pond right in front. I had to chip it to about 100 yards from the pin and hit the green with my third shot. Two-putted there for bogey. That was the only blemish today.
Overall, I hit it really good off the tee and was able to hit it close to the pins and give myself opportunities for birdies. My putting was good too. I struggled with putting last week. I am glad I managed to get back the feel this week.
I know what my shortcomings were before coming this week so I have been working on it and I am happy to see the efforts pay off. I had some good results in Japan before but I was feeling the same coming into this week. I think if my game is good, it doesn’t matter where I play.
Just nice, I made some good adjustments before coming here and the result is showing. I haven’t played well the last couple of months to be honest. I have been working on a lot coming into this week.
It’s my first time playing here. The conditions are great. Accuracy off the tees are key this week. You can’t really afford to hit it into the rough. If you do so, you can only chip it out.
Shugo Imahira (Jpn) – First round 65 (-6)
I hit the driver good today. I missed a few greens but was able to save par with a good short game. It was a good relief to birdie the first hole, especially on a difficult course like this. I chipped it in for birdie with my sand wedge.
I hit it into the bunker on sixth but managed to save par there as well. It’s been awhile since I last played with Ryo Ishikawa. We got lots of spectators today. Felt good that they cheered my birdies too.
This course needs straight tee shots. If I can hit straight, then I will have chance to score low.
Toshinori Muto (Jpn) – First round 65 (-6)
Overall, my shots were good. A couple of unsteady shots off the tees which went into the rough but luckily, I got good lies. I think my iron-play was what helped me to my good score today. I remember last time I played this course; I was really tired.
This time of the year, I used to play too many events and got myself physically very tied. I like the layout here. You need to play good irons to score low. It’s just the first round, but it’s a good beginning.
Jazz Janewattananond (Tha) – First round 66 (-5)
It’s quite hot out there. I think I have played with Shugo Imahira for more than 10 times already. So I know what is his game like and I know Ryo Ishikawa’s as well. There was a huge crowd supporting Ryo today and it’s nice to see.
All the birdies I made today were similar. Nothing really stood out. I changed my putting technique to arm lock again and it’s working well so far. So we’ll see. The course is playing tough today actually so I am happy with my five-under.
I’m just one shot back right now. It’s good to get off to a good start. We played in Korea last week and the roughs are pretty much two times higher than we have here. I’m happy to see that the roughs are shorter this week actually!
I just went out there and tried to get my game back. I have been struggling a bit. I have been hitting weird shots out there but it’s moving in the right direction again. Seems like I’m back in form but will see if I can do the same for all four days.
I’m not thinking so much about the Order of Merit chase actually. I just told myself to keep playing good and not make any stupid mistakes but golf is a game that you can’t perfect so you just have to keep fixing it and not stop where you are. I’ve been working on my game. I’m glad it’s paying off.
Yikeun Chang (Kor) – First round 66 (-5)
I hit a pretty good drive. I had a six-iron in my hand and I hit a perfect shot. My goal was to hit it a little right and a little short. I did that and went on to hole like a 15-footer. It was nice to hole that eagle putt on the last.
I started really bad today. I was three over after six holes. I made a double-bogey on the fifth and a bogey on the sixth. But I managed to pull myself together. I know my game is still good. I just need to hang in there and start hitting the fairways and greens.
I made a lot of putts after that and was like eight-under in my last 10 holes. I am just riding on the good momentum. I have been playing well. Winning in Chinese Taipei gave me a lot of confidence. I felt really good in Korea last week too.
I’m hitting the ball good and putting well. There are still three more days to go. You never know what will happen. My game plan is to keep hitting fairways and greens. The course is in a superb condition. It can’t get any better. The wind was swirling a little but wasn’t much of a concern.
Kobe, Japan, September 26: Chinese Taipei’s Lu Wei-chih wielded a hot putter to grab a share of the opening round lead with Shugo Imahira and Toshinori Muto of Japan as the trio signed for matching six-under-par 65s at the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship on Thursday.
Lu, who played in the final group that started from the 10th today, traded two birdies against a bogey to turn in 35 but picked up five more birdies on his way home to seize a share of the lead at the prestigious Higashi Hirono Golf Club.
The 40-year-old Lu would match the efforts of Imahira and Muto, who both returned with bogey-free rounds highlighted by six birdies in the ¥150,000,000 (approximately US$1,338,067) event that is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO).
Order of Merit leader Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand also signed for a blemish-free card as he registered a 66 to trail by one shot in fourth place alongside Korea’s Yikeun Chang and Kazuki Higa of Japan, who claimed their respective breakthroughs on the Asian Tour and the Japan Golf Tour earlier this month.
Australian Brendon Jones, one of the five past champions of the tournament in the field this week, closed with two straight birdies to settle two shots off the pace in seventh place with three other players, including Argentinean Miguel Carballo, who won his first Asian Tour title recently in Indonesia.
The Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship will be the concluding leg of the 2018/19 Panasonic Swing. The popular event is celebrating its 10th edition on the Asian Tour this week and is returning to the Higashi Hirono Golf Club following a seven-year lapse.
Did you know?
- Lu Wei-chih is a four-time winner on the Asian Tour. All of his victories on the Asian Tour have come from home soil in Chinese Taipei.
- In 2012, Lu underwent brain surgery to remove a non-malignant tumour which put him out of action for close to a year.
- Although he posted only one top-10 in the subsequent seasons upon his return, Lu was simply relieved he could compete again after his major health scare.
- Lu navigated his way around the greens in only 26 putts. He hit eight fairways and missed only four greens in his round of 65.
- He secured his first top-10 result this season at the Diamond Cup in Japan earlier in May. Apart from that, he had made only two cuts in eight other starts on Tour. He sits in 63rd position on the Order of Merit.
- Shugo Imahira topped the Merit rankings on the Japan Golf Tour in 2018. He was a former member of the Asian Tour in 2016 and 2017.
- He sits in 72nd place on the latest Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) as the second highest-ranked Japanese. The 26-year-old, who hails from Saitama, is the highest-ranked Japanese in the 132-man field this week.
- Imahira missed three fairways and five greens and needed only 25 putts in his round of 65.
- Toshinori Muto started playing golf when he was a kid. His family from his mother side owned a driving range back then.
- The 41-year-old Muto turned professional in 2001 and is a six-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour.
- Jazz Janewattananond missed eight greens but found 10 fairways and needed only 23 putts in his commendable round of 66.
- Sitting in 60th place on the OWGR, Jazz is the highest-ranked player in the field this week. He also leads the Asian Tour Order of Merit with a current haul of US$769,297.
- Jazz is the only player to have won more than once on the Asian Tour so far this season. He claimed his third title at the season-opening Singapore Open in January and secured his fourth victory at the Kolon Korea Open 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. India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar held the record previously after he won his fourth title in 2012 at the age of 24.
- Yikeun Chang claimed his Asian Tour breakthrough in Chinese Taipei three weeks ago.
- Despite stumbling with a double-bogey on fifth and a bogey on sixth, Chang managed to bounce back strongly with six birdies and an eagle to sign for a 66.
- Kazuki Higa is an Asian Tour member and a two-time winner on the Asian Development Tour (ADT).
The Tournament
The Panasonic Open Golf Championship is co-sanctioned with Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO) and this year will be the 10th edition of the event. The tournament has been played since 2008, with a two-year break in 2014-15, and has during this period been mostly seen Japanese winners.
Australian Brendan Jones won the event in 2010, and after a string of Japanese winners we saw Rahil Gangjee of India clinch the title by one shot last year.
Korean player Junggon Hwang playing in the second-last group had already posted -13 after a final round of five-under-par 66, and Gangjee, tied for the lead playing the last, needed a birdie to go one better.
After leaving himself a long bunker-shot for his third from the greenside bunker on the par-five 18th, Gangjee played a brilliant shot to two feet to secure a birdie and his first win in 14 years.
The purse this year is ¥150,000,000 or approximately US$1,338,067, and the winner will take home ¥30,000,000 or roughly US$267,613.
The Course
The Higashi Hirono Golf Club outside of Kobe is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and has previously hosted the Panasonic Open Golf Championship in 2012 when Masanori Kobayashi won the title.
The immaculately manicured course has some of the best fairways anywhere on Tour, and players will be well advised to keep the ball in the short stuff off the tee. The thick rough can be quite penalizing in certain spots, and the hilly course can give players a lot of uneven lies after wayward shots.
Not an overly long par-71 course at 7,020 yards, it will reward good ball-strikers as it will not be an easy course to scramble your way around. When the event was last held here Kobayashi’s winning score was 17-under-par, and it required one-under-par to make the halfway cut.
The Contenders
Rahil Gangjee
The last few weeks has seen defending champion Gangjee returning to the form that won him this title in April last year, with a tied-18th at last week’s Shinhan Donghae Open and a tied-10th at the Fujisankei Classic the previous week.
When asked about his thoughts on being defending champion this week, Gangjee said he was done being defending champion and ready to be a champion again. A confident answer from the 40-year-old Indian.
Jazz Janewattanaond
While Thai star Jazz is coming off two events that are a bit off the high standards he set early in the year, the impeccable ball-striking he has displayed this year should be a huge asset this week if he can find his touch on the greens again.
With two wins this season at the SMBC Singapore Open and the Kolon Korea Open, and 11 top-10s in all events he’s played, the Asian Tour Order of Merit leader is always a threat to win when his putter gets hot.
Scott Vincent
Having come close to winning the Shinhan Donghae Open yet again last week after finishing third, Vincent is obviously in good form.
With a win on the AbemaTV Tour in japan earlier this year and six other top-10s this season, the Zimbabwean will be looking for a breakthrough first Asian Tour title this week.
Having spent much of this season on the Japan Golf Tour, Vincent should also be well prepared for the course conditions this week.
Ryo Ishikawa
After a couple lean years without a victory, Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa is on the rise again with two wins on the Japan Golf Tour.
Ishikawa won the Japan PGA Championship and Shigeo Nagashima Invitational SEGASAMMY Cup in consecutive starts and has since posted a fifth and a tied-sixth in his last two tournaments.
He is currently leading the Japan Golf Tour Money Ranking and has climbed to 110th on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) after being ranked 300th in the end of June this year, his lowest position since 2008.
Chan Kim
Coming back from being out with an injury the whole 2018 season, the 2013 Asian Q-School medalist Kim seems to have had no problem picking up where he left off in 2017 when he won three times and finished third on the Japan Golf Tour Order of Merit.
Since May he has recorded seven top-10s in all events played, including second place finishes in the Gateway to The Open Mizuno Open and last week’s Shinhan Donghae Open.
Kim will be aiming to go one better this week and seeing him return to the winner’s circle this week would not be a surprise.
Kobe, Japan, September 25: Australian Scott Hend will be looking to navigate his way out of a recent slump when he resumes his chase for a second Asian Tour Order of Merit crown at the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship which starts on Thursday.
The 46-year-old Hend claimed his 10th Asian Tour title in Malaysia earlier this year but has yet to replicate that fine form as he struggles to find the right set of clubs over the last few months. Hend has uncharacteristically missed eight cuts in 14 starts worldwide since his victory.
By switching back to an old set of clubs this week, which include the same irons that helped him to his victory in March, Hend is hoping to rediscover some of his best form when he gets his campaign underway at the prestigious Higashi Hirono Golf Club.
American Micah Lauren Shin, placed ninth on the Order of Merit, will be banking on a feel-good factor when he challenges for top honours at the ¥150,000,000 (approximately US$1,338,067) event. He came close to securing his second Asian Tour title in Japan in May before finishing in tied-second place.
Taehee Lee, the highest-ranked Korean in third place on the Merit rankings, is eyeing a good showing as it will ensure that he stays inside top-four at the end of next week to earn a coveted spot at the upcoming World Golf Championships – HSBC Champions.
Yikeun Chang, who broke through in Chinese Taipei two weeks ago, has set his sights on more successes when he tees off for the 10th edition of the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship. The 25-year-old Korean believes he still has an outside chance to qualify for the WGC-HSBC Champions should he put up noteworthy performances these two weeks.
The race to finish inside top-three on the Panasonc Swing will also heat up this week as the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship is the concluding leg of the 2018/19 edition.
The Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship is the fourth event to be sanctioned by both the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO) this season. The tournament is also returning to the Higashi Hirono Golf Club this week following a seven-year lapse.
Did you know?
- Scott Hend of Australia claimed his 10th Asian Tour title at the Maybank Championship in March and became only the second player on Tour, following Thai star Thongchai Jaidee, to break US$5 million in career earnings.
- Hend topped the Merit rankings previously in 2016. He is the first Australian player to achieve the feat. He trails leader Jazz by about US$240,000 in second place on the current money list.
- All of Hend’s wins have come in Asia but he has never won in Japan.
- 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 played the tournament when it was first held at the Higashi Hirono Golf Club in 2012. He signed for rounds of 70 and 73 to miss the halfway cut by two shots then.
- Micah Lauren Shin sits in ninth place on the Order of Merit, thanks to two top-three finishes in Japan and Malaysia so far this season.
- He won his maiden Asian Tour title at the 2017 Resorts World Manila Masters after he triumphed on the first play-off hole. The victory came after he called a ruling on himself and was penalised two strokes for having 15 clubs in the bag in the final round.
- He was named the rookie of the year that season after finishing 12th on the 2017 Order of Merit.
- Taehee Lee sits in third place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, thanks largely to his breakthrough win on home soil in May.
- Lee enjoyed a solid season on his domestic circuit in 2018, claiming one victory and four top-10 finishes. He claimed his first career victory in 2015.
- Lee will qualify for the WGC-HSBC Champions if he can stay inside top-four on the money list till the end of next week, which is the qualifying cut-off.
- Yikeun Chang is the second Korean, following Lee, to win on Tour this season. He won his maiden Asian Tour title in Chinese Taipei two weeks ago.
- Prior to his breakthrough, Chang has enjoyed runner-up finishes at the 2017 Yeangder Heritage tournament in Chinese Taipei, the 2018 GS Caltex Maekyung Open and the 2019 Bank BRI Indonesia Open.
Kobe, Japan, September 25: Read what players have to say ahead of the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship, which starts on Thursday.
Rahil Gangjee (Ind) – Defending champion
I think I’m done being the defending champion. I think it’s time to be champion again. I am really looking forward to it. It’s coming together for me the last few weeks. I’m getting used to playing in Japan too. Last year, I was playing new courses in Japan every week.
I started from just making the cuts to finishing midway and then top-20 and top-10 two weeks ago. It’s been a great progress. It’s nice to be back defending my title this week. I still remember that bunker shot which was a surprise to me.
I didn’t expect to hit that good bunker shot. But luckily, I did. And it was perfect. It’s another great opportunity to play in a place where golf courses are awesome. Japan is a really nice country to be in anyway. I think I’m privileged to be able to spend time here.
I went to my coach, maybe two three months ago. And what we worked on a few things that has kind of set in now. I wouldn’t say I’m 100% now but I’m getting there. So it’s a work in progress, but I’m really comfortable now.
Scott Hend (Aus)
I have been struggling with my game the last couple of months. I have been changing clubs and fiddling around with it. I changed back to an old set of clubs this week and hopefully get back to ground zero and start over again.
It will definitely be nice to win another Order of Merit. Jazz has got a fairly big lead obviously. I can’t play as many events as he did. So I have to take advantage of every opportunity I can when I play and try to play well.
But on the other hand, like I said I am struggling with my game a little bit. It will be difficult to try and chase him. The only way I can chase him if I play well and he don’t play very good at all. He’s in a good position right now and we’ll see at the end of the year.
After I won the Maybank Championship, I had to change my clubs because they were all worn out. I have used like seven sets of new clubs in six tournaments now. Really struggling to find anything. I have tried like four different brands of drivers as well. So basically just trying to get back to where we were.
I am not having a practice round this week. Still trying to recover from jet lag. I took three flights to get here so I just want to reserve some energy by not playing any practice round. I played here in 2012 and I remember this is a course where you can make a lot of birdies but you can also get into troubles out there.
It’s a course where you need to keep the ball in play from tee to green in order to give yourself opportunities for birdies.
Micah Shin (USA)
It’s nice to be back in Japan. I had a good finish the last time I came here. I am definitely hoping for a good week again. I am feeling alright. The game is good too. I really like it here in Japan. The course is in beautiful condition. It’s really nice.
I played the course yesterday and I was like ‘Can it get better than this?’. You can’t really afford to miss the fairways and greens out there. The greens are not easy too. You got to hit it straight out there.
The season’s been kind of like a roller coaster for me. It’s been up and down. I had good results and bad results. It’s been two years since I last won. I was injured last year so I wasn’t expecting much. This year, I had a few disappointing finishes. They were good finishes but disappointing because I was close to winning.
This week I just want to play steady. I don’t want to play too aggressively. I have not set any targets for myself. I just want to focus on my game and see how it goes.
Taehee Lee (Kor)
The course is in a really good shape. The weather is nice too. I feel good coming to play here. There are a lot of good players here but I will try to have fun this week. I’m sitting inside top-five on the Order of Merit now thanks to my win on home soil a few months ago.
I will focus more on the
Asian Tour now and hopefully seal up my spot in the upcoming WGC-HSBC Champions.
Since winning, I have gone to play in India and Chinese Taipei for the first
time. It’s been a good experience. The course in India is nice and the hotel is
great. But the weather was too hot that week and I struggled with that.
The course in Chinese Taipei needs more time to get used to. The grass is
different and it’s difficult if you’re playing there for the first time. It’s been
a good learning curve. I am sure it will be better the next time I go.
Yikeun Chang (Kor)
I am still feeling very good with my game, even though I didn’t play well last weekend. Winning in Chinese Taipei two weeks ago has given me a lot of confidence in my game. I am looking forward to this week.
The condition of the fairways here is one of the best that I have seen in my whole life. It’s that good. I love this course but you need to hit the fairways too. The roughs are pretty long as well. You have to hit the fairways and the greens. If you can do that, you will get rewarded.
The mindset for every tournament is still the same, even though I have won. I know my game is in good shape right now. If I play my own game, I feel I can win. My next goal, however, is to try and qualify for the WGC-HSBC Champions next month.
I have this week and next week to try and boost my rankings before the cutoff date. It’s two big events so it’s important for me to play well. I should have a good chance if I can finish inside top-two. That’s my current goal.
Jazz Janewattananond (Tha)
It’s nice to be back in Japan. The course is looking good. It’s my first time playing this course. I am getting used to playing in Japan now. It’s different grass here and the people you play with here are different too. It’s been good. It’s a good learning curve for me.
Apart from the language barrier, everything else is good. Golf is still the same for me. You still try to play your best out there and tackle different courses every week. But in Japan, it seems like putting is always the key. Whoever putts better will win.
Every golf course I arrive to in Japan is pretty much a new course to me. I have to learn every week but for the other guys out here, they might be playing the course for years already. It has been a good experience though.
This week, I hope to get back on track, back to the form I was in earlier this year. I haven’t had a good finish for awhile so hopefully this will be a good week. I will try to find back my good form and post a good finish this week.
Rory Hie (Ind)
It’s been quite surreal, being able to play in big events like this week’s Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship now and seeing my name in the winners’ category on the entry lists. It certainly is something I was hoping will happen one day and when it happens, it’s amazing.
I haven’t had time to celebrate my win back home. I just went home to sort out my visas and then straight to Korea last week and Japan this week. There have been a lot of positive responses back home. Everyone has been congratulating me.
I haven’t really met them in person but my social media have been overwhelmed with their messages. It’s the same mindset again this week. I am just trying to get my mind busy with the golf course, like I did in India. I was pretty much on top of it with my course management.
I am going to try and replicate that this week. I feel like I have figured out the formula that is going to work for me for the rest of the season so will stick with it no matter how I play. I played this course back in 2012 and it’s nice to be back. It’s one of the nicest courses that I have played in Japan. It’s beautiful here.
Zach Murray (Aus)
It’s been really good for me since I won in New Zealand. Had a little bit of time off right in the middle of the year but the last three events have been pretty good overall. I played well in Indonesia and last week in Korea.
The course is looking good here. It’s in great condition. It’s penalizing at the same time but it should suit most players. I enjoy playing in Asia. It’s nice and easy to get around. Not much of a challenge for me in Asia to be honest.
I am just trying to manage my time better and make sure I’m playing enough golf to keep myself in form and yet remain rested and all. It’s the same for me every week. It’s just about playing well and give myself a chance to go for the win on Sunday.
Kobe, Japan, September 24: In-form Rahil Gangjee of India is hopeful of putting up a strong title defence when the 10th edition of the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship gets underway at the prestigious Higashi Hirono Golf Club on Thursday.
Gangjee sensationally ended a 14-year title drought when he claimed his second Asian Tour title at the tournament last year. The 40-year-old plans to dominate the field again, albeit on a different course, when he tees off for the ¥150,000,000 (approx. US$1,338,067) event.
Gangjee will spearhead the 132-man field alongside Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand, Australian Scott Hend, Yosuke Asaji of Japan and Korea’s Taehee Lee, who are the leading four players on the current Asian Tour Order of Merit.
More than 50 Asian Tour winners will feature in the talented field and they include Zach Murray of Australia and Rory Hie, who became the first Indonesian player to win on the Asian Tour when he triumphed in India two weeks ago.
The Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship is the fourth event to be sanctioned by both the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO) this season. The tournament is also returning to the Higashi Hirono Golf Club this week following a seven-year lapse.
The race to finish inside top three on the Panasonic Swing series will also heat up this week with the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship being the concluding leg of the 2018/19 edition.
The Panasonic Swing is based on an aggregate point ranking earned by players at the following five tournaments – 2018 Thailand Open, 2018 Panasonic Open India, 2018 Indonesian Masters, 2019 Maybank Championship (Malaysia) and 2019 Panasonic Open Golf Championship (Japan).
The top-three finishers upon the conclusion of the 2019 Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship will share a bonus pool of US$150,000 where they will earn US$70,000, US$50,000 and US$30,000 respectively via the reward scheme.
Thailand’s Poom Saksansin leads the current rankings with 2,919 points while countrymen Panuphol Pittayarat lurks in second and Jazz in third.
Did you know?
- Rahil Gangjee ended a 14-year title drought when he won his second Asian Tour title at the 2018 Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship last year.
- He became only the second foreigner, following Australian Brendan Jones in 2010, to win the prestigious event.
- Gangjee finished second on the 2017/18 Panasonic Swing, thanks to his victory at the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship last year.
- Gangjee first won on the Asian Tour in 2004 in China where he beat a top field that included Europe’s Ryder Cup heroes Phillip Price, Ian Woosnam and Nick Faldo.
- He had several close finishes since then, most notably at the 2014 Panasonic Open India in 2014 when he lost in a play-off to S.S.P. Chawrasia.
- Gangjee enters the week in good form, having secured his first top-10 finish on the Japan Golf Tour two weeks ago and a top-20 finish in Korea last week, which is his best result on the Asian Tour so far this season.
- Jazz Janewattananond is the only player to have won more than once on the Asian Tour so far this season. He claimed his third title at the season-opening Singapore Open in January and secured his fourth victory at the Kolon Korea Open 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. India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar held the record previously after he won his fourth title in 2012 at the age of 24.
- Jazz is the highest-ranked player in the talented 132-man field this week. He leads the current Asian Tour Order of Merit and is ranked 60th on the latest Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).
- Apart from the two victories, Jazz has also notched five top-10 finishes on the Asian Tour this season.
- Jazz also enjoyed a tied-14th place finish at the PGA Championship in June which was the best-ever result achieved by a Thai player at the PGA Championship.
- Rory Hie became the first Indonesian winner on the Asian Tour when he won wire-to-wire in India two weeks ago.
- After earning First Team All American golf honors at Cerritos High in California, Hie played college golf as a freshman and sophomore at University of Southern California 2006-2008 before turning pro in 2009. Hie was ranked as high as sixth as an amateur before he turned professional.
- Prior to his breakthrough, Hie’s best finish in 2019 had been a tied-fifth at the OB Golf Invitational on the Asian Development Tour (ADT). He was poised for a top-10 finish at the Bank BRI Indonesia Open last month being tied-fourth after 54 holes, but a final round 74 dropped Hie to tied-22nd.
- Hie made his debut at the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship in 2012, when the tournament was last held at the Higashi Hirono Golf Club.
- Zach Murray secured his 2019 Asian Tour card at the Qualifying School last December after finishing fourth in the 90-hole event.
- The 22-year-old Australian, who hails from Victoria, won his first professional victory at the New Zealand Open earlier in March. It was only his third start on the Asian Tour.
- Murray led from start to finish when he won the Nexus Risk TSA Group WA Open (an event on the PGA Tour of Australasia) as an amateur golfer in October 2018. One month later, he made his professional debut at the Australian Open.
- Prior to joining the play-for-pay ranks, Murray was ranked as high as 19th on the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
Muto makes fast start to secure lead at Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship
By - Serene Loh
[addtoany]
Japan’s Toshinori Muto rode on a fast start to mark the day’s best score with a seven-under-par 64 and grab the outright lead by one shot following the penultimate round at the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship on Saturday.
Kobe, Japan, September 28: Japan’s Toshinori Muto rode on a fast start to mark the day’s best score with a seven-under-par 64 and grab the outright lead by one shot following the penultimate round at the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship on Saturday.
Starting the day with a two-shot deficit, Muto got off to a strong start with three birdies in his opening four holes. He dropped a shot on the sixth but would recover brilliantly with four straight birdies from the seventh before picking up another birdie on the last.
Muto, who had held a share of the opening round lead, regained his place atop the leaderboard with a three-day total of 14-under-par 199 while countryman Shugo Imahira takes second place, thanks to a closing eagle which helped him sign for a 66 at the Higashi Hirono Golf Club.
Asian Tour Order of Merit leader Jazz Janewattananond put himself in the title mix after bouncing back from a slow start to post a 66 at the ¥150,000,000 (approx. US$1,338,067) event, co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO).
The 23-year-old Thai stumbled with two bogeys in his opening five holes but rolled in seven birdies in his last 10 holes to grab a share of third place with Argentina’s Miguel Carballo (66) on matching 201s in the popular tournament, which is celebrating its 10th edition this week.
Apart from chasing for his fifth Asian Tour victory and a third win this season, Jazz is also in the running to top the 2018/19 Panasonic Swing, where he sits in third place with 2340.93 points. He needs at least a tied-fourth place finish at the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship to have a chance to pip current leader Poom Saksansin to the title.
The Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship is the concluding leg of the 2018/19 Panasonic Swing. The Panasonic Swing is based on an aggregate point ranking earned by players at the following five tournaments – 2018 Thailand Open, 2018 Panasonic Open India, 2018 Indonesian Masters, 2019 Maybank Championship (Malaysia) and 2019 Panasonic Open Golf Championship (Japan).
The top-three finishers upon the conclusion of the 2019 Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship will share a bonus pool of US$150,000 where they will earn US$70,000, US$50,000 and US$30,000 respectively via the reward scheme.
Did you know?
- Toshinori Muto started playing golf when he was a kid. His family from his mother side owned a driving range back then.
- The 41-year-old Muto turned professional in 2001 and is a six-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour. His last victory was the 2015 ISPS HANDA Global Cup, and he recorded his career-biggest win at the 2011 Dunlop Phoenix.
- Muto is currently ranked 519th on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). His career-best position was 102nd at the end of 2012.
- Muto missed only two greens in his solid round of 64 today.
- Shugo Imahira topped the Merit rankings on the Japan Golf Tour in 2018. He was a former member of the Asian Tour in 2016 and 2017.
- He sits in 72nd place on the latest Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) as the second highest-ranked Japanese. The 26-year-old, who hails from Saitama, is the highest-ranked Japanese in the 132-man field this week.
- Imahira sank a four-footer for eagle on the last hole 18th to sign for a 66 and grab second place. He dropped only three shots so far this week.
- Jazz Janewattananond is the only player to have won more than once on the Asian Tour so far this season. He claimed his third title at the season-opening Singapore Open in January and secured his fourth victory at the Kolon Korea Open in June.
- Jazz needed only 11 putts on back 9, where he only missed 1 green, in his solid round of 66.
- At the age of 23 years 6 months and 27 days, Jazz becomes the youngest ever player to achieve four wins on Tour. India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar held the record previously after he won his fourth title in 2012 at the age of 24.
- Jazz is the highest-ranked player in the talented 132-man field this week. He leads the current Asian Tour Order of Merit and is ranked 60th on the latest Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).
- Apart from the two victories, Jazz has also notched five top-10 finishes on the Asian Tour this season.
- Jazz also enjoyed a tied-14th place finish at the PGA Championship in June which was the best-ever result achieved by a Thai player at the PGA Championship.
- Miguel Carballo claimed his Asian Tour breakthrough at the Indonesia Open one month ago. Prior to that victory, he has never made the cut in six starts on the Asian Tour this season.
- Carballo is the second Argentinian to win on the Asian Tour following Angel Cabrera’s victory at the 2007 Barclays Singapore Open.
- Carballo won the Asian Development Tour (ADT) Order of Merit in 2018 to secure a card for this year’s Asian Tour season.
- A two-time champion on the ADT, Carballo won the Singha Laguna Phuket Open in 2019 and the Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament in 2018.
- Carballo is playing in Asia for the second year running. It is his first trip to Japan this week. He dropped only two shots so far this week.
- Since turning pro in 2002 the 40-year-old Argentinian has also won twice on the Korn Ferry Tour, the 2007 Movistar Panama Championship and the 2011 Children’s Hospital Classic.
- His best year on that Tour was in 2011 when he finished 10th on the Money List securing a card for the 2012 PGA Tour, where he also played in 2014 and 2016-2017.
- The lowest winning score of the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship was set by Japan’s Masanori Kaboyashi with a 17-under-par 267 total in 2012 at the Higashi Hirono Golf Club.
India’s Rahil Gangjee turned up the heat in his title defence at the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship after posting a bogey-free eight-under-par 63 to seize a one-shot halfway lead on Friday.
Kobe, Japan, September 27: India’s Rahil Gangjee turned up the heat in his title defence at the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship after posting a bogey-free round of an eight-under-par 63 to seize a one-shot halfway lead on Friday.
The 40-year-old Indian, who closed with an eagle for his opening 70, picked up from where he left off as he fired eight birdies to move atop the leaderboard with a nine-under-par 133 total at the ¥150,000,000 (approximately US$1,338,067) event.
Japanese heartthrob Ryo Ishikawa bounced back brilliantly from his opening 72 as he sizzled with a course record-tying 62 to grab a share of second place with countryman Shugo Imahira (69), Korea’s Sanghee Lee (67) and Lu Wei-chih (69) of Chinese Taipei at the Higashi Hirono Golf Club.
Order of Merit leader Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand battled to a 69 to lurk two shots off the pace in sixth place alongside a host of players, including Ajeetesh Sandhu of India, who produced the shot of the day when he aced the 11th hole with a six-iron from 191 yards.
Gangjee is chasing to become the first player to successfully defend his title at the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship, which is celebrating its 10th edition on the Asian Tour and the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO) this week.
The Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship is the concluding leg of the 2018/19 Panasonic Swing. The Panasonic Swing is based on an aggregate point ranking earned by players at the following five tournaments – 2018 Thailand Open, 2018 Panasonic Open India, 2018 Indonesian Masters, 2019 Maybank Championship (Malaysia) and 2019 Panasonic Open Golf Championship (Japan).
The top-three finishers upon the conclusion of the 2019 Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship will share a bonus pool of US$150,000 where they will earn US$70,000, US$50,000 and US$30,000 respectively via the reward scheme.
Did you know?
- Rahil Gangjee ended a 14-year title drought when he won his second Asian Tour title at the 2018 Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship last year.
- He became only the second foreigner, following Australian Brendan Jones in 2010, to win the prestigious event.
- In his solid round of 63, Gangjee missed only three greens in regulation, found 10 fairways and needed only 25 putts.
- Gangjee finished second on the 2017/18 Panasonic Swing, thanks to his victory at the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship last year.
- Gangjee first won on the Asian Tour in 2004 in China where he beat a top field that included Europe’s Ryder Cup heroes Phillip Price, Ian Woosnam and Nick Faldo.
- He had several close finishes since then, most notably at the 2014 Panasonic Open India in 2014 when he lost in a play-off to S.S.P. Chawrasia.
- Gangjee enters the week in good form, having secured his first top-10 finish on the Japan Golf Tour two weeks ago and a top-20 finish in Korea last week, which is his best result on the Asian Tour so far this season.
- Lu Wei-chih is a four-time winner on the Asian Tour. All of his victories on the Asian Tour have come from home soil in Chinese Taipei.
- In 2012, Lu underwent brain surgery to remove a non-malignant tumour which put him out of action for close to a year.
- Although he posted only one top-10 in the subsequent seasons upon his return, Lu was simply relieved he could compete again after his major health scare.
- He secured his first top-10 result this season at the Diamond Cup in Japan earlier in May. Apart from that, he had made only two cuts in eight other starts on Tour. He sits in 63rd position on the Order of Merit.
- Ryo Ishikawa won his first Japan Golf Tour event, the Munsingwear Open KSB Cup, when he was only 15 years 8 months and 3 days old.
- The 28-year-old Ishikawa was playing that event as an amateur in his first Japan Golf Tour start, and winning the tournament made him the youngest winner ever on the Japan Golf Tour.
- Ishikawa turned professional in 2008 and by the end of the year he had become the youngest ever player to reach the top 100 of the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR), ending the year ranked 60th.
- After a few years on the PGA Tour, Ishikawa returned to play full time on the Japan Golf Tour in 2018.
- Following a lean spell with no victories in 2017-18, Ishikawa won this year’s Japan PGA Championship and Shigeo Nagashima Invitational SEGASAMMY Cup in consecutive starts on the Japan Golf Tour.
- He is currently leading the Japan Golf Tour Money Ranking and has climbed to 110th on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) after being ranked 300th at the end of June this year, which was his lowest position since 2008.
- Ishikawa tied the course record with his sizzling 62. The record was previously shared by Yuta Ikeda and Masanori Kobayashi who shot matching 62s in the opening round and the final round respectively at the 2012 Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship.
- Shugo Imahira topped the Merit rankings on the Japan Golf Tour in 2018. He was a former member of the Asian Tour in 2016 and 2017.
- He sits in 72nd place on the latest Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) as the second highest-ranked Japanese. The 26-year-old, who hails from Saitama, is the highest-ranked Japanese in the 132-man field this week.
Catch up on all the highlights from round 2 of the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship.
Read what players have to say following the second round of the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship on Friday.
Kobe, Japan, September 27: Read what players have to say following the second round of the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship on Friday.
Rahil Gangjee (Ind) – Second round 63 (-8), Total (-9)
It wasn’t an easy day yesterday. It was very trying on my patience. The whole of yesterday I just didn’t make any putts but I fought really hard. I wanted to finish under-par and dreams came true on the last hole ninth where I made an eagle to finish one-under par.
It was a good feeling coming back today. I know the birdies are out there, it’s just that I haven’t holed anything. When I did that today, it just kept coming. It was good. Putting was the main difference but I hit it pretty good too. I did make a lot of putts, anything from between 10 to 20 footers. It was a good putting day.
Everything was just mundane today. Hit the fairways, greens and then make putts. I actually left like four putts out there. It could have been a lot more under-par. But I’m not complaining. The greens are playing better in the morning too.
No thoughts right now. I just want to go out there and control the golf ball. I have been trying to do that for the last couple of years. It’s settling in now so that is what I will do for the next two rounds.
It’s always difficult to defend because everyone is looking at you. I need to stay away from that. I try to stay away from that and don’t think about it. I just want to go and play golf. The whole of last year has been a big learning curve for me in Japan because all the courses I played were new to me.
It’s also a different mindset because I am just trying to know about the courses and remembering the shots I hit out there. It has got nothing to do with score. Even though I don’t know the golf course well this week, that same mindset comes in and that matters to scoring and going deep.
When you don’t think about scores, just hit the ball, find it and hit again, I think the score takes care of itself.
Lu Wei-chih (Tpe) – Second round 69 (-2), Total 134 (-8)
I missed a few fairways today. I couldn’t really attack the pins as well. But I just try to get it on the green and give myself opportunities to make birdies. Nothing really stood out today. It was a pretty steady round for us.
Still in a good position but there are a lot more golf to play. We will see what happens. Nothing changes for the weekend. I just want to stay focused, stick to my game plan and play it shot by shot. If I can do that, I believe the score will take care of itself.
Ryo Ishikawa (Jpn) – Second round 62 (-9), Total 134 (-8)
I hit some solid iron shots today and made some long putts. I been trying to improve my iron shots before coming here, I’m glad it’s paying off. It was nice to finish with an eagle on 18. I was trying to avoid the water, hit a solid four-iron to four feet there and made that putt.
I played with Sergio Garcia and Jazz (Janewattananond) earlier in the year in Singapore and I learned that their iron-shot accuracy is almost twice better than me. This means they were able to hit it close to the pins, so to reduce the distance of the putts I have on the greens, I have to work on my iron-play.
I have been working on that all year and I’m glad the results are showing. I couldn’t control the ball well yesterday. But I did it better today. That made a lot of difference as I was able to attack from the fairways.
I am glad that I made it to the weekend here at Higashi Hirono Golf Club (laughs). After finishing one-over yesterday, I told myself I have to play my own game. I have to play without any distractions and just concentrate on golf.
Whenever I make mistakes, I will keep thinking about it after the round and adjust it on the practice range. I will put down a list of mistakes I made too. I will think about it even during interviews or in the car going back to hotel and then write them down when I am alone in my room.
Shugo Imahira (Jpn) – Second round 69 (-2), Total 134 (-8)
I had a hard time playing the front nine but I stayed very patient out there. I am glad I recovered on the back nine. I couldn’t control the ball like I did yesterday, but glad that I finished on eight-under.
I was watching Ryo Ishikawa today and felt that if he starts well, he will shoot a low score. He hit some really solid shots today.
With the way I played today, I am still tied with Ishikawa. That’s not too bad. I will try to put up a good score tomorrow and give myself a chance to contend for the title on Sunday.
Jazz Janewattananond (Tha) – Second round 69 (-2), Total 135 (-6)
I just started off really shaky. I missed a lot of putts so it was good to get it back. Made some stupid mistakes at the start and then had some unlucky breaks on a couple of holes. It’s good to see that I can come back from that. Hopefully the next two rounds will be a bit smoother.
I’m just trying to figure out which putting technique works for me, and to be honest, I didn’t putt that great today. I had two three putts on the card, so that’s not a good look. But I’ll keep it in play for the last two days.
I misread the eagle putt on the last but it’s still a good birdie. Ryo (Ishikawa) made an eagle there. It’s good to see him play really well today.
Read what players have to say following the opening round of the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship on Thursday.
Kobe, Japan, September 26: Read what players have to say following the opening round of the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship on Thursday.
Lu Wei-chih (Tpe) – First round 65 (-6)
I hit driver really well today. My iron-play was solid too. I managed to hit a lot of fairways. The only bogey I had today was on 16. I hit it into the rough and there was a pond right in front. I had to chip it to about 100 yards from the pin and hit the green with my third shot. Two-putted there for bogey. That was the only blemish today.
Overall, I hit it really good off the tee and was able to hit it close to the pins and give myself opportunities for birdies. My putting was good too. I struggled with putting last week. I am glad I managed to get back the feel this week.
I know what my shortcomings were before coming this week so I have been working on it and I am happy to see the efforts pay off. I had some good results in Japan before but I was feeling the same coming into this week. I think if my game is good, it doesn’t matter where I play.
Just nice, I made some good adjustments before coming here and the result is showing. I haven’t played well the last couple of months to be honest. I have been working on a lot coming into this week.
It’s my first time playing here. The conditions are great. Accuracy off the tees are key this week. You can’t really afford to hit it into the rough. If you do so, you can only chip it out.
Shugo Imahira (Jpn) – First round 65 (-6)
I hit the driver good today. I missed a few greens but was able to save par with a good short game. It was a good relief to birdie the first hole, especially on a difficult course like this. I chipped it in for birdie with my sand wedge.
I hit it into the bunker on sixth but managed to save par there as well. It’s been awhile since I last played with Ryo Ishikawa. We got lots of spectators today. Felt good that they cheered my birdies too.
This course needs straight tee shots. If I can hit straight, then I will have chance to score low.
Toshinori Muto (Jpn) – First round 65 (-6)
Overall, my shots were good. A couple of unsteady shots off the tees which went into the rough but luckily, I got good lies. I think my iron-play was what helped me to my good score today. I remember last time I played this course; I was really tired.
This time of the year, I used to play too many events and got myself physically very tied. I like the layout here. You need to play good irons to score low. It’s just the first round, but it’s a good beginning.
Jazz Janewattananond (Tha) – First round 66 (-5)
It’s quite hot out there. I think I have played with Shugo Imahira for more than 10 times already. So I know what is his game like and I know Ryo Ishikawa’s as well. There was a huge crowd supporting Ryo today and it’s nice to see.
All the birdies I made today were similar. Nothing really stood out. I changed my putting technique to arm lock again and it’s working well so far. So we’ll see. The course is playing tough today actually so I am happy with my five-under.
I’m just one shot back right now. It’s good to get off to a good start. We played in Korea last week and the roughs are pretty much two times higher than we have here. I’m happy to see that the roughs are shorter this week actually!
I just went out there and tried to get my game back. I have been struggling a bit. I have been hitting weird shots out there but it’s moving in the right direction again. Seems like I’m back in form but will see if I can do the same for all four days.
I’m not thinking so much about the Order of Merit chase actually. I just told myself to keep playing good and not make any stupid mistakes but golf is a game that you can’t perfect so you just have to keep fixing it and not stop where you are. I’ve been working on my game. I’m glad it’s paying off.
Yikeun Chang (Kor) – First round 66 (-5)
I hit a pretty good drive. I had a six-iron in my hand and I hit a perfect shot. My goal was to hit it a little right and a little short. I did that and went on to hole like a 15-footer. It was nice to hole that eagle putt on the last.
I started really bad today. I was three over after six holes. I made a double-bogey on the fifth and a bogey on the sixth. But I managed to pull myself together. I know my game is still good. I just need to hang in there and start hitting the fairways and greens.
I made a lot of putts after that and was like eight-under in my last 10 holes. I am just riding on the good momentum. I have been playing well. Winning in Chinese Taipei gave me a lot of confidence. I felt really good in Korea last week too.
I’m hitting the ball good and putting well. There are still three more days to go. You never know what will happen. My game plan is to keep hitting fairways and greens. The course is in a superb condition. It can’t get any better. The wind was swirling a little but wasn’t much of a concern.
Chinese Taipei’s Lu Wei-chih wielded a hot putter to grab a share of the opening round lead with Shugo Imahira and Toshinori Muto of Japan as the trio signed for matching six-under-par 65s at the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship on Thursday.
Kobe, Japan, September 26: Chinese Taipei’s Lu Wei-chih wielded a hot putter to grab a share of the opening round lead with Shugo Imahira and Toshinori Muto of Japan as the trio signed for matching six-under-par 65s at the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship on Thursday.
Lu, who played in the final group that started from the 10th today, traded two birdies against a bogey to turn in 35 but picked up five more birdies on his way home to seize a share of the lead at the prestigious Higashi Hirono Golf Club.
The 40-year-old Lu would match the efforts of Imahira and Muto, who both returned with bogey-free rounds highlighted by six birdies in the ¥150,000,000 (approximately US$1,338,067) event that is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO).
Order of Merit leader Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand also signed for a blemish-free card as he registered a 66 to trail by one shot in fourth place alongside Korea’s Yikeun Chang and Kazuki Higa of Japan, who claimed their respective breakthroughs on the Asian Tour and the Japan Golf Tour earlier this month.
Australian Brendon Jones, one of the five past champions of the tournament in the field this week, closed with two straight birdies to settle two shots off the pace in seventh place with three other players, including Argentinean Miguel Carballo, who won his first Asian Tour title recently in Indonesia.
The Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship will be the concluding leg of the 2018/19 Panasonic Swing. The popular event is celebrating its 10th edition on the Asian Tour this week and is returning to the Higashi Hirono Golf Club following a seven-year lapse.
Did you know?
- Lu Wei-chih is a four-time winner on the Asian Tour. All of his victories on the Asian Tour have come from home soil in Chinese Taipei.
- In 2012, Lu underwent brain surgery to remove a non-malignant tumour which put him out of action for close to a year.
- Although he posted only one top-10 in the subsequent seasons upon his return, Lu was simply relieved he could compete again after his major health scare.
- Lu navigated his way around the greens in only 26 putts. He hit eight fairways and missed only four greens in his round of 65.
- He secured his first top-10 result this season at the Diamond Cup in Japan earlier in May. Apart from that, he had made only two cuts in eight other starts on Tour. He sits in 63rd position on the Order of Merit.
- Shugo Imahira topped the Merit rankings on the Japan Golf Tour in 2018. He was a former member of the Asian Tour in 2016 and 2017.
- He sits in 72nd place on the latest Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) as the second highest-ranked Japanese. The 26-year-old, who hails from Saitama, is the highest-ranked Japanese in the 132-man field this week.
- Imahira missed three fairways and five greens and needed only 25 putts in his round of 65.
- Toshinori Muto started playing golf when he was a kid. His family from his mother side owned a driving range back then.
- The 41-year-old Muto turned professional in 2001 and is a six-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour.
- Jazz Janewattananond missed eight greens but found 10 fairways and needed only 23 putts in his commendable round of 66.
- Sitting in 60th place on the OWGR, Jazz is the highest-ranked player in the field this week. He also leads the Asian Tour Order of Merit with a current haul of US$769,297.
- Jazz is the only player to have won more than once on the Asian Tour so far this season. He claimed his third title at the season-opening Singapore Open in January and secured his fourth victory at the Kolon Korea Open 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. India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar held the record previously after he won his fourth title in 2012 at the age of 24.
- Yikeun Chang claimed his Asian Tour breakthrough in Chinese Taipei three weeks ago.
- Despite stumbling with a double-bogey on fifth and a bogey on sixth, Chang managed to bounce back strongly with six birdies and an eagle to sign for a 66.
- Kazuki Higa is an Asian Tour member and a two-time winner on the Asian Development Tour (ADT).
A look ahead to this week’s Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship.
The Tournament
The Panasonic Open Golf Championship is co-sanctioned with Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO) and this year will be the 10th edition of the event. The tournament has been played since 2008, with a two-year break in 2014-15, and has during this period been mostly seen Japanese winners.
Australian Brendan Jones won the event in 2010, and after a string of Japanese winners we saw Rahil Gangjee of India clinch the title by one shot last year.
Korean player Junggon Hwang playing in the second-last group had already posted -13 after a final round of five-under-par 66, and Gangjee, tied for the lead playing the last, needed a birdie to go one better.
After leaving himself a long bunker-shot for his third from the greenside bunker on the par-five 18th, Gangjee played a brilliant shot to two feet to secure a birdie and his first win in 14 years.
The purse this year is ¥150,000,000 or approximately US$1,338,067, and the winner will take home ¥30,000,000 or roughly US$267,613.
The Course
The Higashi Hirono Golf Club outside of Kobe is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and has previously hosted the Panasonic Open Golf Championship in 2012 when Masanori Kobayashi won the title.
The immaculately manicured course has some of the best fairways anywhere on Tour, and players will be well advised to keep the ball in the short stuff off the tee. The thick rough can be quite penalizing in certain spots, and the hilly course can give players a lot of uneven lies after wayward shots.
Not an overly long par-71 course at 7,020 yards, it will reward good ball-strikers as it will not be an easy course to scramble your way around. When the event was last held here Kobayashi’s winning score was 17-under-par, and it required one-under-par to make the halfway cut.
The Contenders
Rahil Gangjee
The last few weeks has seen defending champion Gangjee returning to the form that won him this title in April last year, with a tied-18th at last week’s Shinhan Donghae Open and a tied-10th at the Fujisankei Classic the previous week.
When asked about his thoughts on being defending champion this week, Gangjee said he was done being defending champion and ready to be a champion again. A confident answer from the 40-year-old Indian.
Jazz Janewattanaond
While Thai star Jazz is coming off two events that are a bit off the high standards he set early in the year, the impeccable ball-striking he has displayed this year should be a huge asset this week if he can find his touch on the greens again.
With two wins this season at the SMBC Singapore Open and the Kolon Korea Open, and 11 top-10s in all events he’s played, the Asian Tour Order of Merit leader is always a threat to win when his putter gets hot.
Scott Vincent
Having come close to winning the Shinhan Donghae Open yet again last week after finishing third, Vincent is obviously in good form.
With a win on the AbemaTV Tour in japan earlier this year and six other top-10s this season, the Zimbabwean will be looking for a breakthrough first Asian Tour title this week.
Having spent much of this season on the Japan Golf Tour, Vincent should also be well prepared for the course conditions this week.
Ryo Ishikawa
After a couple lean years without a victory, Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa is on the rise again with two wins on the Japan Golf Tour.
Ishikawa won the Japan PGA Championship and Shigeo Nagashima Invitational SEGASAMMY Cup in consecutive starts and has since posted a fifth and a tied-sixth in his last two tournaments.
He is currently leading the Japan Golf Tour Money Ranking and has climbed to 110th on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) after being ranked 300th in the end of June this year, his lowest position since 2008.
Chan Kim
Coming back from being out with an injury the whole 2018 season, the 2013 Asian Q-School medalist Kim seems to have had no problem picking up where he left off in 2017 when he won three times and finished third on the Japan Golf Tour Order of Merit.
Since May he has recorded seven top-10s in all events played, including second place finishes in the Gateway to The Open Mizuno Open and last week’s Shinhan Donghae Open.
Kim will be aiming to go one better this week and seeing him return to the winner’s circle this week would not be a surprise.
Australian Scott Hend will be looking to navigate his way out of a recent slump when he resumes his chase for a second Asian Tour Order of Merit crown at the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship which starts on Thursday.
Kobe, Japan, September 25: Australian Scott Hend will be looking to navigate his way out of a recent slump when he resumes his chase for a second Asian Tour Order of Merit crown at the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship which starts on Thursday.
The 46-year-old Hend claimed his 10th Asian Tour title in Malaysia earlier this year but has yet to replicate that fine form as he struggles to find the right set of clubs over the last few months. Hend has uncharacteristically missed eight cuts in 14 starts worldwide since his victory.
By switching back to an old set of clubs this week, which include the same irons that helped him to his victory in March, Hend is hoping to rediscover some of his best form when he gets his campaign underway at the prestigious Higashi Hirono Golf Club.
American Micah Lauren Shin, placed ninth on the Order of Merit, will be banking on a feel-good factor when he challenges for top honours at the ¥150,000,000 (approximately US$1,338,067) event. He came close to securing his second Asian Tour title in Japan in May before finishing in tied-second place.
Taehee Lee, the highest-ranked Korean in third place on the Merit rankings, is eyeing a good showing as it will ensure that he stays inside top-four at the end of next week to earn a coveted spot at the upcoming World Golf Championships – HSBC Champions.
Yikeun Chang, who broke through in Chinese Taipei two weeks ago, has set his sights on more successes when he tees off for the 10th edition of the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship. The 25-year-old Korean believes he still has an outside chance to qualify for the WGC-HSBC Champions should he put up noteworthy performances these two weeks.
The race to finish inside top-three on the Panasonc Swing will also heat up this week as the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship is the concluding leg of the 2018/19 edition.
The Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship is the fourth event to be sanctioned by both the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO) this season. The tournament is also returning to the Higashi Hirono Golf Club this week following a seven-year lapse.
Did you know?
- Scott Hend of Australia claimed his 10th Asian Tour title at the Maybank Championship in March and became only the second player on Tour, following Thai star Thongchai Jaidee, to break US$5 million in career earnings.
- Hend topped the Merit rankings previously in 2016. He is the first Australian player to achieve the feat. He trails leader Jazz by about US$240,000 in second place on the current money list.
- All of Hend’s wins have come in Asia but he has never won in Japan.
- 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 played the tournament when it was first held at the Higashi Hirono Golf Club in 2012. He signed for rounds of 70 and 73 to miss the halfway cut by two shots then.
- Micah Lauren Shin sits in ninth place on the Order of Merit, thanks to two top-three finishes in Japan and Malaysia so far this season.
- He won his maiden Asian Tour title at the 2017 Resorts World Manila Masters after he triumphed on the first play-off hole. The victory came after he called a ruling on himself and was penalised two strokes for having 15 clubs in the bag in the final round.
- He was named the rookie of the year that season after finishing 12th on the 2017 Order of Merit.
- Taehee Lee sits in third place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, thanks largely to his breakthrough win on home soil in May.
- Lee enjoyed a solid season on his domestic circuit in 2018, claiming one victory and four top-10 finishes. He claimed his first career victory in 2015.
- Lee will qualify for the WGC-HSBC Champions if he can stay inside top-four on the money list till the end of next week, which is the qualifying cut-off.
- Yikeun Chang is the second Korean, following Lee, to win on Tour this season. He won his maiden Asian Tour title in Chinese Taipei two weeks ago.
- Prior to his breakthrough, Chang has enjoyed runner-up finishes at the 2017 Yeangder Heritage tournament in Chinese Taipei, the 2018 GS Caltex Maekyung Open and the 2019 Bank BRI Indonesia Open.
Read what players have to say ahead of the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship, which starts on Thursday.
Kobe, Japan, September 25: Read what players have to say ahead of the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship, which starts on Thursday.
Rahil Gangjee (Ind) – Defending champion
I think I’m done being the defending champion. I think it’s time to be champion again. I am really looking forward to it. It’s coming together for me the last few weeks. I’m getting used to playing in Japan too. Last year, I was playing new courses in Japan every week.
I started from just making the cuts to finishing midway and then top-20 and top-10 two weeks ago. It’s been a great progress. It’s nice to be back defending my title this week. I still remember that bunker shot which was a surprise to me.
I didn’t expect to hit that good bunker shot. But luckily, I did. And it was perfect. It’s another great opportunity to play in a place where golf courses are awesome. Japan is a really nice country to be in anyway. I think I’m privileged to be able to spend time here.
I went to my coach, maybe two three months ago. And what we worked on a few things that has kind of set in now. I wouldn’t say I’m 100% now but I’m getting there. So it’s a work in progress, but I’m really comfortable now.
Scott Hend (Aus)
I have been struggling with my game the last couple of months. I have been changing clubs and fiddling around with it. I changed back to an old set of clubs this week and hopefully get back to ground zero and start over again.
It will definitely be nice to win another Order of Merit. Jazz has got a fairly big lead obviously. I can’t play as many events as he did. So I have to take advantage of every opportunity I can when I play and try to play well.
But on the other hand, like I said I am struggling with my game a little bit. It will be difficult to try and chase him. The only way I can chase him if I play well and he don’t play very good at all. He’s in a good position right now and we’ll see at the end of the year.
After I won the Maybank Championship, I had to change my clubs because they were all worn out. I have used like seven sets of new clubs in six tournaments now. Really struggling to find anything. I have tried like four different brands of drivers as well. So basically just trying to get back to where we were.
I am not having a practice round this week. Still trying to recover from jet lag. I took three flights to get here so I just want to reserve some energy by not playing any practice round. I played here in 2012 and I remember this is a course where you can make a lot of birdies but you can also get into troubles out there.
It’s a course where you need to keep the ball in play from tee to green in order to give yourself opportunities for birdies.
Micah Shin (USA)
It’s nice to be back in Japan. I had a good finish the last time I came here. I am definitely hoping for a good week again. I am feeling alright. The game is good too. I really like it here in Japan. The course is in beautiful condition. It’s really nice.
I played the course yesterday and I was like ‘Can it get better than this?’. You can’t really afford to miss the fairways and greens out there. The greens are not easy too. You got to hit it straight out there.
The season’s been kind of like a roller coaster for me. It’s been up and down. I had good results and bad results. It’s been two years since I last won. I was injured last year so I wasn’t expecting much. This year, I had a few disappointing finishes. They were good finishes but disappointing because I was close to winning.
This week I just want to play steady. I don’t want to play too aggressively. I have not set any targets for myself. I just want to focus on my game and see how it goes.
Taehee Lee (Kor)
The course is in a really good shape. The weather is nice too. I feel good coming to play here. There are a lot of good players here but I will try to have fun this week. I’m sitting inside top-five on the Order of Merit now thanks to my win on home soil a few months ago.
I will focus more on the
Asian Tour now and hopefully seal up my spot in the upcoming WGC-HSBC Champions.
Since winning, I have gone to play in India and Chinese Taipei for the first
time. It’s been a good experience. The course in India is nice and the hotel is
great. But the weather was too hot that week and I struggled with that.
The course in Chinese Taipei needs more time to get used to. The grass is
different and it’s difficult if you’re playing there for the first time. It’s been
a good learning curve. I am sure it will be better the next time I go.
Yikeun Chang (Kor)
I am still feeling very good with my game, even though I didn’t play well last weekend. Winning in Chinese Taipei two weeks ago has given me a lot of confidence in my game. I am looking forward to this week.
The condition of the fairways here is one of the best that I have seen in my whole life. It’s that good. I love this course but you need to hit the fairways too. The roughs are pretty long as well. You have to hit the fairways and the greens. If you can do that, you will get rewarded.
The mindset for every tournament is still the same, even though I have won. I know my game is in good shape right now. If I play my own game, I feel I can win. My next goal, however, is to try and qualify for the WGC-HSBC Champions next month.
I have this week and next week to try and boost my rankings before the cutoff date. It’s two big events so it’s important for me to play well. I should have a good chance if I can finish inside top-two. That’s my current goal.
Jazz Janewattananond (Tha)
It’s nice to be back in Japan. The course is looking good. It’s my first time playing this course. I am getting used to playing in Japan now. It’s different grass here and the people you play with here are different too. It’s been good. It’s a good learning curve for me.
Apart from the language barrier, everything else is good. Golf is still the same for me. You still try to play your best out there and tackle different courses every week. But in Japan, it seems like putting is always the key. Whoever putts better will win.
Every golf course I arrive to in Japan is pretty much a new course to me. I have to learn every week but for the other guys out here, they might be playing the course for years already. It has been a good experience though.
This week, I hope to get back on track, back to the form I was in earlier this year. I haven’t had a good finish for awhile so hopefully this will be a good week. I will try to find back my good form and post a good finish this week.
Rory Hie (Ind)
It’s been quite surreal, being able to play in big events like this week’s Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship now and seeing my name in the winners’ category on the entry lists. It certainly is something I was hoping will happen one day and when it happens, it’s amazing.
I haven’t had time to celebrate my win back home. I just went home to sort out my visas and then straight to Korea last week and Japan this week. There have been a lot of positive responses back home. Everyone has been congratulating me.
I haven’t really met them in person but my social media have been overwhelmed with their messages. It’s the same mindset again this week. I am just trying to get my mind busy with the golf course, like I did in India. I was pretty much on top of it with my course management.
I am going to try and replicate that this week. I feel like I have figured out the formula that is going to work for me for the rest of the season so will stick with it no matter how I play. I played this course back in 2012 and it’s nice to be back. It’s one of the nicest courses that I have played in Japan. It’s beautiful here.
Zach Murray (Aus)
It’s been really good for me since I won in New Zealand. Had a little bit of time off right in the middle of the year but the last three events have been pretty good overall. I played well in Indonesia and last week in Korea.
The course is looking good here. It’s in great condition. It’s penalizing at the same time but it should suit most players. I enjoy playing in Asia. It’s nice and easy to get around. Not much of a challenge for me in Asia to be honest.
I am just trying to manage my time better and make sure I’m playing enough golf to keep myself in form and yet remain rested and all. It’s the same for me every week. It’s just about playing well and give myself a chance to go for the win on Sunday.
In-form Rahil Gangjee of India is hopeful of putting up a strong title defence when the 10th edition of the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship gets underway at the prestigious Higashi Hirono Golf Club on Thursday.
Kobe, Japan, September 24: In-form Rahil Gangjee of India is hopeful of putting up a strong title defence when the 10th edition of the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship gets underway at the prestigious Higashi Hirono Golf Club on Thursday.
Gangjee sensationally ended a 14-year title drought when he claimed his second Asian Tour title at the tournament last year. The 40-year-old plans to dominate the field again, albeit on a different course, when he tees off for the ¥150,000,000 (approx. US$1,338,067) event.
Gangjee will spearhead the 132-man field alongside Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand, Australian Scott Hend, Yosuke Asaji of Japan and Korea’s Taehee Lee, who are the leading four players on the current Asian Tour Order of Merit.
More than 50 Asian Tour winners will feature in the talented field and they include Zach Murray of Australia and Rory Hie, who became the first Indonesian player to win on the Asian Tour when he triumphed in India two weeks ago.
The Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship is the fourth event to be sanctioned by both the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO) this season. The tournament is also returning to the Higashi Hirono Golf Club this week following a seven-year lapse.
The race to finish inside top three on the Panasonic Swing series will also heat up this week with the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship being the concluding leg of the 2018/19 edition.
The Panasonic Swing is based on an aggregate point ranking earned by players at the following five tournaments – 2018 Thailand Open, 2018 Panasonic Open India, 2018 Indonesian Masters, 2019 Maybank Championship (Malaysia) and 2019 Panasonic Open Golf Championship (Japan).
The top-three finishers upon the conclusion of the 2019 Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship will share a bonus pool of US$150,000 where they will earn US$70,000, US$50,000 and US$30,000 respectively via the reward scheme.
Thailand’s Poom Saksansin leads the current rankings with 2,919 points while countrymen Panuphol Pittayarat lurks in second and Jazz in third.
Did you know?
- Rahil Gangjee ended a 14-year title drought when he won his second Asian Tour title at the 2018 Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship last year.
- He became only the second foreigner, following Australian Brendan Jones in 2010, to win the prestigious event.
- Gangjee finished second on the 2017/18 Panasonic Swing, thanks to his victory at the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship last year.
- Gangjee first won on the Asian Tour in 2004 in China where he beat a top field that included Europe’s Ryder Cup heroes Phillip Price, Ian Woosnam and Nick Faldo.
- He had several close finishes since then, most notably at the 2014 Panasonic Open India in 2014 when he lost in a play-off to S.S.P. Chawrasia.
- Gangjee enters the week in good form, having secured his first top-10 finish on the Japan Golf Tour two weeks ago and a top-20 finish in Korea last week, which is his best result on the Asian Tour so far this season.
- Jazz Janewattananond is the only player to have won more than once on the Asian Tour so far this season. He claimed his third title at the season-opening Singapore Open in January and secured his fourth victory at the Kolon Korea Open 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. India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar held the record previously after he won his fourth title in 2012 at the age of 24.
- Jazz is the highest-ranked player in the talented 132-man field this week. He leads the current Asian Tour Order of Merit and is ranked 60th on the latest Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).
- Apart from the two victories, Jazz has also notched five top-10 finishes on the Asian Tour this season.
- Jazz also enjoyed a tied-14th place finish at the PGA Championship in June which was the best-ever result achieved by a Thai player at the PGA Championship.
- Rory Hie became the first Indonesian winner on the Asian Tour when he won wire-to-wire in India two weeks ago.
- After earning First Team All American golf honors at Cerritos High in California, Hie played college golf as a freshman and sophomore at University of Southern California 2006-2008 before turning pro in 2009. Hie was ranked as high as sixth as an amateur before he turned professional.
- Prior to his breakthrough, Hie’s best finish in 2019 had been a tied-fifth at the OB Golf Invitational on the Asian Development Tour (ADT). He was poised for a top-10 finish at the Bank BRI Indonesia Open last month being tied-fourth after 54 holes, but a final round 74 dropped Hie to tied-22nd.
- Hie made his debut at the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship in 2012, when the tournament was last held at the Higashi Hirono Golf Club.
- Zach Murray secured his 2019 Asian Tour card at the Qualifying School last December after finishing fourth in the 90-hole event.
- The 22-year-old Australian, who hails from Victoria, won his first professional victory at the New Zealand Open earlier in March. It was only his third start on the Asian Tour.
- Murray led from start to finish when he won the Nexus Risk TSA Group WA Open (an event on the PGA Tour of Australasia) as an amateur golfer in October 2018. One month later, he made his professional debut at the Australian Open.
- Prior to joining the play-for-pay ranks, Murray was ranked as high as 19th on the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
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