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The 35th Shinhan Donghae Open: Round 2 Highlights


Published on September 20, 2019

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Scott Vincent (Zim) Second round 67 (-4) Total 134 (-8)

It was just really solid round, I played great. Obviously, I started on the tougher nine in my eyes, the back nine, and got to three under that side so it was just like the best way I could have started.

Then things were a little shaky on the back nine (course front nine), but I held it together and shot one under that side so yeah, just a nice solid day. On the back nine there’s just not that many birdie chances, so you have to hit some really good shots but yeah, it’s a good course and it’s playing tough. I like the way it [the course] sets up. I don’t feel that uncomfortable too often out there. You know, I feel fairly free so for me it’s just the way it sets up. The way it maybe follows my game, it just it just feels right. I think having a bit of distance here definitely helps. You know, the rough is tough so the further up you can be, the less club in. And it makes a huge difference.

You know if you’re trying to get out of this with a seven or six-iron, good luck. You need you need a pitching wedge or nine iron.

Jbe Kruger (Rsa) Second round 67 (-4) Total 136 (-6)

It is unexpected to say the least. You know, like always say I haven’t said it for a long time because I haven’t been in contention. You know, the Lord Jesus knows what he’s doing. And that’s about all I can say. I’ve liked the golf course from the first day. You know, it’s designed by Jack Nicklaus which is the same as my own course. So it’s, it looks familiar to me. It’s the anticipation of things to come and fighting to be in contention is definitely in my blood. It’s the process of coming back into contention and I literally have to take it step by step.

Paul Peterson (Usa) Second round 68 (-3) Total 136 (-6)

I felt like I stayed patient out there all day. My iron game wasn’t quite as spot on as it was yesterday, but I still managed to take advantage of the opportunities that I had today. I’m very pleased to be able to bounce back with a birdie each time I bogeyed. That kind of helped me to keep the momentum. It was a little bit cooler today and but the course definitely played a lot longer in the morning than it did yesterday. So yeah, I felt like it played maybe a little bit more difficult with some of the pin locations. And then obviously having a couple more clubs into some of the par-fours, but I was still able to put together nice round. I feel like my game has been heading in a positive direction for a while now. It’s just putting together four good rounds and getting the results. I feel like my short games got a lot better last four or five months and just got to continue to drive the ball well and stay aggressive with iron shots.

Pavit Tangkamolprasert (Tha) Second round 68 (-3) Total 138 (-4) I’m very happy with my game today. I just had one bad hole which I hit into the water twice from the tee and that caused me four shots on the fourth hole. But overall, my driver was very good. Most of my shots landed on the fairway and I was able to attack the pins better today. I’ve to stick closely to my game plan and continue to keep the ball on the fairway and avoid the rough this weekend. I have been playing well since Sarawak, so I’m very confident with my game right now.


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Incheon, Korea, September 20: Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent continued to show why he is one of the tournament favourites when he signed for another four-under-par 67 to take the second round lead at The 35th Shinhan Donghae Open on Friday.

The Zimbabwean, who has never finished outside the top-three in his last three outings at the Bear’s Best Cheongna Golf Club was ready for another battle- one which he hopes he can emerge victorious this time around.

Vincent demonstrated his intent of winning when he raced towards the turn in 32 after marking his card with three birdies. He then birdied the par-five second before dropping his only shot of the day at the next hole.  

Another birdie on the sixth hole before finishing his round with three straight pars for a two-day total of eight-under-par 134 would eventually give him a two-shot cushion over a quartet of players.

They include American Paul Peterson, Korea’s Hyungjoon Lee, Japan’s Shugo Imahira and South Africa’s Jbe Kruger, who are tied for second with their 136 total.

Peterson is also making his push towards the winner’s circle again after he returned with a 68 while Kruger believes he could likely end his seven-year drought on the Asian Tour with some divine help at  at The 35th Shinhan Donghae Open which is being tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, Korean PGA and Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO).

Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert also displayed his return to form when he signed for a 68 to end into the weekend rounds in tied-10th place, four shots back of Vincent.

The Thai has only missed the cut twice out of 10 starts on the Asian Tour and was seemingly in control until a quadruple bogey and bogey on the fourth and fifth holes respectively marred an otherwise perfect card.

The weekend cut was set at one-over 143 with 65 players making it into the final two rounds.

Ends.

Did you know?

  • Scott Vincent, the only Zimbabwean member on Tour, has never finished outside the top-three in his last three outings at the Shinhan Donghae Open.
  • He finished tied-second in 2016, tied-third in 2017 and second last year.
  • Vincent claimed his first international win at the Landic Challenge 7 held on the Japan Challenge Tour in June.
  • He notched four top-10s in Australia, Japan, Korea and Malaysia to sit in ninth place on the latest Asian Tour Order of Merit. He has not missed a single cut in eight starts so far this season.
  • Vincent was crowned the Asian Tour Rookie of the Year in 2016 after ending his season in 28th place on the Order of Merit.
  • Jbe Kruger has won once on the Asian Tour in the 2012 Avantha Masters in India, a tournament that was co-sanctioned by the European Tour.
  • Hailing from Northern Cape province in South Africa, he has also recorded four career wins on the Sunshine Tour. The latest title coming at the Sun Carnival City Challenge in 2017.
  • The 33-year-old got his nickname Jbe from the initials in his full name, James Barry Kruger.
  • Paul Peterson secured his maiden Asian Tour title when won the Leopalace21 Myanmar Open in 2018 by two shots.
  • He also won the D+D Real Czech Masters on the European Tour in 2016.
  • This year the American has split his time between the Asian Tour, Japan Golf Tour and European Tour, with a tied-13th in the 100th New Zealand Open as his best result.
  • The 31-year-old Peterson’s best year on the Asian Tour was in 2015 when he finished fifth on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, posting six top-10s with earnings totaling US$289,870.
  • Pavit Tangkamolprasert had his breakthrough year in 2016 when he won the Venetian Macau Open, his lone Asian Tour victory to date.
  • This was also his best season on the Asian Tour so far, finishing 12th on the Order of Merit and keeping his Tour card for the first time.
  • The 30-year-old Thai is a six-time winner on the Asian Development Tour (ADT), including four wins in the 2014 season when he topped the ADT Order of Merit by a mere US$250.

Ends.


Published on September 19, 2019

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Incheon, Korea, September 19: Korean-American Chan Kim took advantage of his booming drives to share the first round lead with Japan’s Shugo Imahira after signing for a five-under-par 66 at The 35th Shinhan Donghae Open on Thursday.

Kim, a former Asian Tour member, currently leads the driving distance on the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO) and powered ahead after overcoming a nervy start where he dropped four shots in his opening four holes at the Bear’s Best Cheongna Golf Club.

Imahira, who is the highest ranked Japanese in the field this week, also underlined his credentials by marking his card with six birdies and one bogey to share the morning’s spotlight with Kim.

The Japanese is making his first competitive start in Korea this week and did not display any sign of nerves, showing composure with his shot accuracy on the opening day.

Zimbabwean Scott Vincent found himself in familiar position on the leaderboard again as he signed for a 67 to stay in the mix, one shot off the lead in a share of third place with Korea’s Taehee Lee and Australia’s Wonjoon Lee at the Shinhan Donghae Open title which is being tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, Korean PGA and JGTO.

Ends.

Shugo Imahira

Did you know?

  • Chan Kim is a former member of the Asian Tour. He topped the Asian Tour Qualifying School in 2013.
  • He finished third on the JGTO money list in 2017, thanks to three wins.
  • Kim came in second at the Gateway to The Open Mizuno Open on the Japan Golf Tour in July where he earned his spot to The Open.
  • He is currently leading the driving distance stats category (320.34) on the JGTO.
  • Shugo Imahira won the 2018 Order of Merit on the Japan Golf Tour and ended last year in 53rd place on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) last year.
  • He is ranked 75th on the OWGR and is coming into the week on the back of two top-10s in his last two weeks on the JGTO.
  • Taehee Lee trained under Korean legend Sangho Choi, who is the third oldest winner on the Asian Tour, having won the Maekyung Open at the age of 50 years and 145 days.
  • The Korean immediately took up an Asian Tour membership after winning The 38th GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship in May.
  • Lee won the Genesis Championship in 2018 for his second professional victory. That win earned him two starts on the PGA Tour – The CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges last October and the Genesis Open in February earlier this year.
  • He enjoyed a solid season in 2018, claiming one victory and four top-10 finishes on his domestic circuit.
  • Lee also claimed his first career victory in 2015.
  • Scott Vincent, the only Zimbabwean member on Tour, has never finished outside the top-three in his last three outings at the Shinhan Donghae Open.
  • He finished tied-second in 2016, tied-third in 2017 and second last year.
  • Vincent claimed his first international win at the Landic Challenge 7 held on the Japan Challenge Tour in June.
  • He notched four top-10s in Australia, Japan, Korea and Malaysia to sit in ninth place on the latest Asian Tour Order of Merit. He has not missed a single cut in eight starts so far this season.
  • Vincent was crowned the Asian Tour Rookie of the Year in 2016 after ending his season in 28th place on the Order of Merit.

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Shugo Imahira (Jpn) First round 66 (-5)

I was very accurate with my shots today. I hit most of them onto the fairways. Although this is my first time playing competitively in Korea, I feel like home, like in Japan, I’m very comfortable here. I’m very happy with my position now. I don’t have too much of a strategy, to be honest. I don’t want to complicate the process. I just want to focus on each shot, see where they land and then approach it from there. To me, this is another tournament, which I’ll approach in the same manner as the others.

Chan Kim (Usa) First round 66 (-5)

It was tough in the beginning, but my birdie on 13 changed things. The winds died down and I managed to regain my momentum. It became more of a mental game for me at that point. The winds were working to my advantage and I had a great feel of my putter each time I lined up for my putts. That really helped today. The rough are really thick this week and it favours the long hitters like me as it gives you a higher chance to hit it further and put the ball on the green. I’ve got a good feeling about my game and hopefully, this could be my week.

Scott Vincent (Zim) First round 67 (-4)

I got some good history here and got back into the mix again. I hit the ball very nicely today and I hope to carry this form forward to the next three days. It was important for me to get off to a good start and I’m glad I managed to do that today. There were a few shots that I could have done better but overall, it was still a solid round and I’m happy. There have been a lot of changes since last year. The rough feels very much the same but actually it’s thicker out there. The speed on the greens has picked up from yesterday and I’m sure it’s going to be like that again the next three days.

Taehee Lee (Kor) First round 67 (-4)

The course is very challenging and I’m pleasantly surprised how I managed to return with such a good score. I used to put a lot of pressure on myself to excel, sometimes too much. I missed the cut in India last week, and that somehow put things into perspective for me. Sometimes even when I try so hard, I still miss the cut, I knew I was putting too much pressure on myself and maybe sometimes have to take a step back a bit. You’ve to hit fairways to give yourself chances here. Even if I missed with my tee shots, I was still able to recover and put the ball back onto the fairway with my second shot. Since taking up membership with the Asian Tour, it has been a good experience traveling to the different countries. I’ve learnt a lot about myself too. I enjoy the comforts of home this week. It’s a steep learning curve for me especially with the food, weather and culture. But as a professional, I’ve got to learn how to play outside my comfort zone too.

Ends.


Published on September 18, 2019

Incheon, Korea, September 18: Korea’s Sanghyun Park has ruled out being a shoo-in to successfully defend his Shinhan Donghae Open title when the event which is being tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, Korean PGA and Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO) starts on Thursday.

Fresh off another victory on the Japan Golf Tour a fortnight ago, Park is brimming with confidence ahead of his title defence at the Bear’s Best Cheongna Golf Club.

However, he is not taking anything for granted, insisting his task is now made tougher by the quality field from the three Tours.

The 36-year-old had a season to remember last year when he won twice and capped another three top-10s to finish second on the Asian Tour Order of Merit and crowned the Rookie of the Year.

Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond is ready to put up a challenge befitting of his status as the current Asian Tour Order of Merit leader.

Jazz’s rise, which he credited to his country’s elder statesman like Thongchai Jaidee, has been well documented with his victories in Singapore and Korea this year and for this week’s 35th Shinhan Donghae Open, the 23-year-old will turning to Zimbabwean Scott Vincent  for advice given the latter’s impressive record at the tournament.

Japan’s Shugo Imahira, who is the highest ranked Japanese this week, will be hoping to make it a memorable week in what is going to be his first competitive start in Korea.

Imahira’s distinguished  career has seen him win twice on the Japan Golf Tour and topping their money list last year.

Did you know?

  • Sanghyun Park’s winning score of a 22-under-par 262 in 2018 would be the record lowest in the tournament history if not for the preferred lies ruling in play.
  • Park was the best-placed Asian player when he finished in tied-16th place at The 148th Open in July.
  • Park won twice on the Asian Tour last year. Finished second on the Order of Merit and was crowned the Rookie of the Year.
  • Jazz Janewattananond is making his first return to Korea after winning their National Open in July.
  • That win was his second victory this season and fourth Asian Tour title.
  • At the age of 23 years 6 months and 27 days, Jazz becomes the youngest ever player to achieve four wins on Tour.  
  • In his last two starts on the Asian Tour, Jazz has finished tied-sixth on both occasions in Malaysia and Indonesia.
  • 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.
  • Shugo Imahira received a special invitation to play at The Masters Tournament this year. It was his first appearance at The Masters where he would unfortunately missed the cut.
  • Imahira won the 2018 Order of Merit on the Japan Golf Tour and ended last year in 53rd place on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) last year.
  • He is ranked 75th on the OWGR and is coming into the week on the back of two top-10s in his last two weeks on the JGTO.

Published on September 17, 2019

Incheon, Korea, September 17: Zimbabwean Scott Vincent is hopeful of another good showing at The 35th Shinhan Donghae Open as he returns to one of his favourite golf courses where he has never finished outside the top-three.

Korea’s Seungyul Noh is also resuming action for the first time after completing his mandatory two-year military service in Korea.

It will be the 2010 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion’s first competitive start since he fulfilled his military commitments a fortnight ago.

With a proud track record at the Bear’s Best Cheongna Golf Club and a consistent run of form, Vincent is optimistic of his breakthrough on the Asian Tour since earning his Tour card at Qualifying School in 2016.

Vincent believes his work ethics and affinity for the course will give him the added advantage at the event which is the first in Korea to be tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, Korean PGA and Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO).

Meanwhile, Noh will be hoping to calm his own nerve as he steps up to the tee again after almost two years. While the 28-year-old is excited about making his comeback to professional golf, he also conceded he is feeling the pressure ahead of the event which starts on Thursday.

Korea’s Yikuen Chang, who lifted his maiden Asian Tour title in Chinese Taipei a fortnight ago, is determined to repay the faith with another winning performance.

Chang is the second Korean to win on the Asian Tour this season and hopes he can achieve similar glory at the 35th Shinhan Dongahe Open which is backed by his sponsor.

JEJU, SOUTH KOREA – OCTOBER 21: Seung-Yul Noh of South Korea plays his second shot on the 3rd hole during the third round of the CJ Cup at Nine Bridges on October 21, 2017 in Jeju, South Korea. (Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)

Did you know?

  • Scott Vincent, the only Zimbabwean member on Tour, has never finished outside the top-three in his last three outings at the Shinhan Donghae Open.
  • He finished tied-second in 2016, tied-third in 2017 and second last year.
  • Vincent claimed his first international win at the Landic Challenge 7 held on the Japan Challenge Tour in June.
  • He notched four top-10s in Australia, Japan, Korea and Malaysia to sit in ninth place on the latest Asian Tour Order of Merit. He has not missed a single cut in eight starts so far this season.
  • Vincent was crowned the Asian Tour Rookie of the Year in 2016 after ending his season in 28th place on the Order of Merit.
  • Since securing his Asian Tour card in his first attempt at the Qualifying School in 2016, Vincent has come close to claiming his maiden win on multiple occasions.
  • In 2018, Vincent secured a total of nine top-10 finishes, including three runner-up results, to finish in a career-high fifth place on the money list.
  • Vincent also represented Zimbabwe alongside compatriot Benjamin Follett-Smith for the first time at the ISPS HANDA Melbourne World Cup of Golf the same year.
  • He sits in 177th place on the latest OWGR and is currently the highest ranked player from Zimbabwe.
  • Seungyul Noh is the youngest player to win the Asian Tour Order of Merit in 2010.
  • The Korea is also the third youngest player to win on the Asian Tour after Thailand’s Chinnarat Phadungsil and Korea’s Kim Dae-sub when he won the Midea China Classic in 2008 at 17 years and 143 days.
  • In 2014, he won the 2014 Zurich Classic of New Orleans on the PGA TOUR.
  • Yikeun Chang is the second Korean after Taehee Lee, to win on the Asian Tour this season.
  • Prior to his breakthrough victory at the Yeangder TPC a fortnight ago, Chang 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.
  • Chang won twice on his domestic circuit in 2017, including his National Open, which earned him a coveted spot at The Open at Royal Birkdale, where he made his Major debut that year.
  • He topped the Asian Tour Qualifying School in 2016 in his second attempt. He missed the mark in his first attempt in 2014. Chang, however, did not manage to keep his card for 2017 as he finished 101st on the 2016 Order of Merit.
  • The Korean regained his card at the 2017 Qualifying School after finishing tied-eighth. He ended the season in 48th place on the Merit rankings and kept his card for 2018.

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Sanghyun Park (Kor)

It’s obviously great to be back in a tournament which I’ve won before and returning as the defending champion.  felt I was lucky with my low winning score last year. Everything worked in my favour then. As a tri-sanctioned event with the Asian Tour, KPGA and JGTO, all the best players from the region will be here and that makes my title defence tougher. Over the years, I’ve grown in confidence and maturity. It’s not just about my golf skills anymore, but also all of these attributes that make me a better player. It was a good win in Japan a fortnight ago and I’m feeling very good about my game. My ball control is good and I’m confident. Having said that, I’m not taking anything for granted as this golf course is very challenging and I believe it’ll be a level playing field for everyone. Nobody will have an advantage and all of us will start off equal.

Jazz Janewattanond (Tha)

I haven’t had much success at this tournament in the past. My best finish was tied-31st last year but I’ve returned as a better player now. My ball striking has been better and that is important especially when we are playing such a long course like this. I probably have to ask Scott Vincent for advice on how to do well here. (laughs) It’s nice to know that this event is being tri-sanctioned as we’re able to benchmark ourselves against the best players from the three different Tours and ultimately improve as a region together. Like K.J. Choi and Y.E. Yang who have been the role models for the younger generation of Korean golfers, we have players like Thongchai Jaidee in Thailand to look up to as well. Every country needs players like them so that they can guide the younger generation and continuously develop the game in the country.

Shugo Imahira (Jpn)

This is my first time playing in Japan and from what I’ve seen so far, this golf course is very challenging. I’ll just have to do my best. Lots of Koreans play on the Japan Golf Tour so I see many familiar faces here which makes me feel very comfortable here. It’s good that the Shinhan Donghae Open is a tri-sanctioned event as this will make it very competitive.

Scott Vincent (Zim)
I’ve some great results from this tournament and I’ve always played well here. From what I’ve seen, the course looks similar and is in great shape. Hopefully my form is still there and I can go even better than what I did in the past. Hard work , more than anything has contributed to this great form that I’m having now. I’m getting more comfortable with my game and where I’m at with it at the moment. My wife plays a great part in that and makes me feel as comfortable as I can, have little distractions so that I can perform well on the golf course. And obviously as you get older and more mature, you understand your game a lot more and that shows in your results. There’s no guarantee this week but I’m hoping for a good one and putting together four good rounds. I’m very comfortable with the layout of this course as it suits my game. I’ve done really well on the greens in the past and I’m hoping to make more good putts like what I’ve done.

Seungyul Noh (Kor)
It’s an interesting situation because I’ve never been in a position like this where I had such a long break away from competitive golf. I miss playing professional game having been in the military for the last two years. Physically, I’m good but I’m feeling nervous and the pressure that comes with it. I still had the chance to practise my golf every day as I was in a non-combat position and that allowed me to go home where I can leave the camp at 6pm, have my dinner at home and go to the gym and driving range. But it’s different from playing competitive golf. Military life is different from life on Tour but it was a good experience. This is my first competitive event since being discharged from army and to be honest, I’m feeling the pressure. Hopefully, it will be okay as the week goes on.

Yikuen Chang (Kor)
I wanted to regain my feel of the game and that’s why I decided to play in Jakarta and Taiwan. I did so well, finishing second in Jakarta and then winning my first Asian Tour title in Taiwan the next week. This week is very important too as Shinhan is my sponsor and I want to play well to justify their faith in me. As a tri-sanctioned event, a win this week would also do wonders as you get to play on three different Tour after that. I’ve prepared for this tournament, the same way as what I did the last two tournaments. I finished tied-19th last year and hopefully I can do better this week. I took two days off after my win in Taiwan but began practising for this tournament after that.


Published on

By Olle Nordberg, Former Asian Tour and European Tour professional

The Tournament

The Shinhan Donghae Open has been played since 1981 and part of the Asian Tour schedule since 2016 when it was first co-sanctioned by Asian Tour and Korean PGA Tour (KPGA). This is the first year that Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO) is also a sanctioning partner in the now tri-sanctioned event.

It is considered one of the Korean Majors and has been won by many of Korea’s best players such as Sangho Choi (3), KJ Choi (2), Sangmoon Bae (2) and Byeonghun An, and also international stars such as Paul Casey who won the title in 2011.

Last year, the title was won by Sanghyun Park who fired a tournament low round of eight-under-par 63 on Sunday, a round that was highlighted by six birdies on the front-nine, to beat runner-up Scott Vincent by five shots.

The purse this year is KRW 1,200,000,000 or approximately US$990,000, while the first prize is KRW 216,000,000 or approximately US$178,000.

The Course

Designed by the legendary Jack Nicklaus, Bear’s Best Cheongna golf Club on the outskirts of Seoul is a Par-71 playing to 7,238 yards from the championship tees and has hosted the tournament since 2015.

In 2018 the front-nine played as the easiest nine, 0.32-under-par, compared to 0.28-over-par for the back nine.

The most difficult holes on the course were numbers 10 (+0.32) and 16 (-0.21), while holes two (-0.49) and six (-0.21) were the easiest.

Top Contenders

Sanghyun Park

Defending champion Park should definitely be considered as one of the favorites, as he is currently in fine form.

Park won the Fujisankei Classic two weeks ago on the Japan Golf Tour, and has also posted top-10s in the Shigeo Nagashima Invitational SEGASAMMY Cup where he finished ninth and the Gate Way to The Open Mizuno Open where he finished tied-third.

That last event qualified him for The Open at Royal Portrush where Park finished in a creditable tied-16th place, his career best finish in a Major.

Jazz Janewattanaond

Current Asian Tour Order of Merit leader Jazz’s record this year speaks for itself and he remains a top contender in every tournament he plays in my book.

Winning the Japan Tour co-sanctioned season opener in Singapore, Jazz has continued the season on a torrid pace by also winning the Kolon Korea Open in June and has so far racked up two wins and 11 top-10s in all events played.

He also had an unforgettable week at the PGA Championship at Bethpage Black where he finished tied-14th after being in tied-second place after 54-holes.

Scott Vincent

Zimbabwean Vincent has come close to winning the Shinhan Donghae Open every time he has teed up at this event. He has never finished outside the top-three in the past three editions.

His closest call coming in 2016 when he finished tied-second just one stroke behind Gaganjeet Bhullar, but he was also second to Sanghyun Park last year and tied-third in 2017.

Having won his first professional event this year on the AbemaTV Tour in Japan, Vincent has also posted top-10s in six other events this season. He is due for a breakthrough victory on the Asian Tour, and he obviously likes this course.

Yosuke Asaji

Having won his first professional title at the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup in May, which qualified the Asaji for The Open at Royal Portrush, he did not have to wait long for his second career victory.

In last week’s ANA Open Asaji closed with a final round  65 to join a five-man play-off and emerged victorious after making a three-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole.

Having just won a tournament last week, Asaji will likely be in great form. However, this will be his first time playing this course which may be a disadvantage compared to the other favorites mentioned above.

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