Dates confirmed for historic Hong Kong Open
The Hong Kong Open, the celebrated tournament at the core of the Asian golf calendar for over six decades, will be played from November 21-24 this year – at the fabled Hong Kong Golf Club (HKGC), Fanling.
Offering lucrative prizemoney of US$2 million, the event will play a pivotal role in shaping the conclusion of the Asian Tour season.
For the second year in succession, it will also form part of The International Series – 10 elevated events that are integrated into the Asian Tour schedule providing a pathway to the LIV Golf League.
“This year marks the 63rd staging of the Hong Kong Open, and the Hong Kong Golf Club is excited to see it once again positioned as one of the season-ending tournaments, when there is so much to play for,” said Andy Kwok, Captain, HKGC – who are celebrating their 135th anniversary this year.
Cam Smith in action last year. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“We are looking to build on last year’s successful tournament, boosting the event and the club’s stature in the game by welcoming back a wonderful selection of world-class golfers and fans from right across the Greater Bay Area and beyond.”
A world-class line up of players will return and will gradually be unveiled over the next few months, for a tournament that is one of only two events in the history of the game to be hosted at the same venue for over six decades – alongside The Masters Tournament at Augusta.
Said Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner & CEO, Asian Tour: “At the end of last year we were delighted to announce our initial schedule for 2024, which featured the Hong Kong Open – being able to confirm the dates today allows us to take a step another closer to completing the jigsaw.
“The Hong Kong Open and the Hong Kong Golf Club are woven into the fabric of the Asian Tour, and so it is always key to our success to have all aspects of the event confirmed early on. The Club’s iconic course was voted by our members as the joint best course of the year last season, and I am sure more accolades await this year. We thank the Club, their captain Andy Kwok and Ian Gardner the General Manager, plus the Golf Association of Hong Kong China for their ongoing support and commitment.”
New Zealander Ben Campbell (main picture) raised the trophy last November after a gripping finish. He wrote his name into Hong Kong Open folklore with a gutsy victory, draining a 15-foot birdie putt on the final green to defeat playing partners Cam Smith from Australia and Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai. Campbell had not led at any stage of the tournament until that brilliant last putt.
The Asian Tour currently boasts 21 events visiting 13 countries with a significant number of important tournaments to be added.
Once finalised it is expected that the schedule will surpass last year– which saw 23 events staged with aggregate prize money of US$35 million.
The International Series Oman, the opening event on this year’s International Series which starts this Thursday, marks the first time that two full LIV Golf League teams tee it up alongside one another on one of the Asian Tour’s elevated events.
Torque GC’s South American stars (main picture) Joaquin Niemann, Sebastian Munoz, Mito Pereira and Carlos Ortiz have all been confirmed in a star-studded field along with Stinger GC’s South African quartet of Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace and Dean Burmester on the testing Al Mouj Golf from 22-25 February.
International Series Oman is the first of 10 elevated events on the Asian Tour calendar which offer bigger purses, world-class destinations and an open pathway to the LIV Golf League for players from all over the world.
Like several events on The International Series schedule this season, it also offers something invaluable for the stars of the LIV Golf League – aside from the prize money.
Jaoquin Niemann. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
The first date of the 2024 season takes place a week before the LIV Golf Jeddah event at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, offering the perfect opportunity for a team tune-up and world ranking points.
In-form Niemann, the team captain at Torque GC and winner of the season-opening LIV Golf Mayakoba event in Mexico, has a number of reasons for wanting to compete at Al Mouj Golf, where he finished joint fifth last season behind Japanese star Takumi Kanaya.
The Chilean, who shot a stunning 59 on his way to victory in Mexico, and also won the ISPS Handa Australian Open earlier in the season, said: “The International Series events are big for me right now. It will be a lot of help to play good there, get some points, and try to get into the Majors.
“The events are great. They run like first-class tournaments, and they are always at really nice venues and great golf courses. I can only say great things about those tournaments. I’ve played in two or three of them, and it’s been unbelievable. Each one of them.
“It will be nice to have the whole team playing on The International Series. I think as a team, we’re not only obviously competing together during the LIV Golf season, but we’re going to try to play almost every tournament we can together.
“With all The International Series, we’re going to try to fly together. It will be nice to be playing against each other at Oman for the first tournament, we’re looking forward to it. Hopefully, we get a nice Sunday where we’re going to all play together. It’ll be cool,” added the Chilean.
Team Torque GC. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Mexican team-mate Ortiz added: “It’s great, we’ve always been a team, we always like to play the same events and went to the same places together, so it just makes sense continuing the season there.”
Stinger GC skipper Oosthuizen explained the thinking behind the decision to enter the whole team this year. The 2010 Open champion said: “We’re excited because after that we have got LIV Golf Jeddah and Hong Kong, so we decided to do a whole trip. We can warm up in Oman, but also I played there last year and I loved the golf course. It is a good track and a good way to start the international ‘swing’ for us.
“You can definitely work out a good schedule to play before the LIV events, to play yourself into a little bit of form. I think those are very important to have, those one or two extra events just to get ready for the season.”
2011 Masters champion Schwartzel agreed with the assessment. “Oman’s a great place, I went there last year, so I managed to convince everybody to come and join. We are really excited about playing in The International Series.
“Some guys can get away with playing very little golf, while some guys really need to play in tournaments. I am one of those guys – I like to get tournament fit, so playing an event like International Series Oman before a LIV event, definitely helps me get fine-tuned.”
Burmester, who finished tied third in LIV Golf’s season opener in Mexico at the start of February added: “It’s special. We spoke about it when the schedule came out and all of us were excited to go back to Al Mouj and Oman, it’s a great golf course.
“We’re always really, really well looked after there, so we’re excited to head there and to have all four of us. Hopefully, one of us can compete or lift the trophy.”
The 34-year-old is keen to add further dates on The International Series into his diary, as he explained: “Last year I played back-to-back events in Scotland and England, and this year, I am looking to widen my horizon and see where they fit into the schedule.
“We’ve got some exciting places, Morocco, and Macau, we’ve got so many beautiful places to go and play those events and then come back to LIV Golf sharp and ready to compete.”
The event is the second leg of the season on the Asian Tour, following last week’s IRS Prima Malaysian Open – which was won by Spain’s David Puig, who played for Fireballs GC on the LIV Golf League. He is also playing this week.
David Puig’s stock went up once again today after he claimed the US$1 million IRS Prima Malaysian Open – for his second victory on the Asian Tour in four months.
Big things are expected of the young Spaniard who plays on the LIV Golf League, and he showed why by firing his second successive nine-under-par 62 for a spectacular tournament total of 23-under and a two-shot win.
On a day of incredibly low scoring at The Mines Resort and Golf Club, in the first event of the season on the Asian Tour, Korean Jeunghun Wang returned a 61 to finish second, while Thailand’s Denwit Boriboonsub came in with the same score to tie for third with John Catlin from the United States, who shot a 66.
As preferred lies were played no records were officially set, including Denwit’s back nine of eight-under-par 28 which matched the Asian Tour record.
The three Open qualifiers. Picture by Khalid Redza/Asian Tour.
As the event is part of The Open Qualifying Series, Puig, Wang and Denwit have all made it through to The Open at Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland, from July 18-21. Only the leading three go through with Catlin denied a place as Denwit’s world ranking is higher.
Said 22-year-old Puig: “It feels great, weird feeling for sure. We almost missed the cut. I was kind of playing good, but I kind of messed up. We actually finished round two good, and the weekend was just insane man. I mean 18 birdies, no bogeys, in 36 holes was unbelievable. And getting that Open spot is super cool, I came here for that.”
He started the final round three behind overnight leader Jared Du Toit from Canada but quickly moved into contention when he made the turn in five under with birdies on two, three, four, six and seven. It put him in share of the lead with Wang on 19-under.
Puig then took over at the top when he made birdie on 10, and then proceeded to birdie the next two for a two-shot gap.
Both Wang and Denwit were playing further ahead of Puig, so the Spaniard had to stay fully focused and in control on the homeward stretch. A birdie on 17 did much to help his cause.
“I had to be careful on those last four or five holes,” he said. “Even holes before that, there is a lot of water on the back nine. You have to keep being steady because birdies can come very fast but so can big numbers. “
Jeunghun Wang. Picture by Khalid Redza/Asian Tour.
He becomes the first Spaniard to win the tournament and it was a far closer affair compared to his win at the International Series Singapore last October when he blazed his way to a five-shot triumph.
His name will be engraved on the trophy, named The Seagram Trophy, alongside some giants of the game including: Lee Westwood, Vijay Singh, Louis Oosthuizen, and Thongchai Jaidee.
Wang and Denwit both shot the lowest rounds of their careers – an appropriate time to do that with The Open qualifications at stake.
“I have not been playing well lately, so this is a really good result for me, and a great start for me. I am working on trying to repeat my old swing and that worked today,” said Wang, a three-time champion on the DP World Tour, and a winner on the Asian Tour.
“I started really well on the first three holes and from there I got really confident. After that all my shots were going at the flags. I didn’t miss a single shot or putt.”
Wang actually regained his Asian Tour card at the Qualifying School last month.
For Denwit it was yet another stunning week of golf coming off the back of a sensational finish to 2023 when he won in three successive weeks: the Saudi Open, the final Asian Tour event of 2023, which came after winning the Thailand Open on the All Thailand Golf Tour, and the Aramco Invitational on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) the week before that.
“Today was amazing golf,” said 20-year-old Denwit.
“The first nine was a bit of a struggle but then I told my caddie lets have some fun on the back nine. I was four shots back from the lead and I started holing putts from everywhere. I chipped in and everything happened.
“I am just not think about it, just hitting it as hard as I can and trying to make putts.”
Both Puig and Denwit will be making their debuts in The Open, while Wang has played in it twice before, in 2016, when it was also staged at Royal Troon, and 2017.
Du Toit shot a 71 to tie for seventh, six behind Puig, while Khavish Varadan, the joint leader at the halfway mark, ended as the leading Malaysian after closing with a 68. He finished in equal 13th, on 15-under.
Thailand’s Ratchanon ‘TK’ Chantananuwat was the top amateur, after signing off with a 66, to end in a tie for 40th. He was the only amateur to make it through to the weekend.
Denwit Boriboonsub. Picture by Khalid Redza/Asian Tour.
Malaysia’s National Open was also notable for the fact that 17 graduates from last month’s Asian Tour Qualifying School survived the cut as did five players from the top-10 of last year’s ADT Order of Merit – an indication of the increasing number of playing opportunities that the Tour offers.
The Asian Tour sets course for the middle next week for the US$2 million International Series Oman. The first of 10 International Series events to be played this year – it will be held at Al Mouj Golf from February 22-25. Last year Al Mouj was voted by the Asian Tour membership as the course of the year, along with the Hong Kong Golf Club.
Canadian Jared Du Toit is wasting no time in taking advantage of the playing opportunities afforded to him by graduating from the Asian Tour Qualifying School last month.
He shot a fine nine-under-par 62 to take the third-round lead in the US$1million IRS Prima Malaysian Open at The Mines Resort and Golf Club, in Kuala Lumpur.
His tournament total of 17-under gives him a one-stroke lead from joint-overnight leader Australian Kevin Yuan, who fired a 68, the same score as John Catlin from the United States, who is one shot further back – in the curtain raiser for the Asian Tour’s 2024 season.
Spain’s David Puig fired a 62 and is tied for fourth place, three off the lead, with Korean Bio Kim and Deyen Lawson from Australia, who both shot 66s, and England’s Steve Lewton, in with a 68.
The other co-leader at the start of the day Khavish Varadan from Malaysia slipped back with 72 and is five off the pace, along with compatriot Ervin Chang, who carded a 69.
Kevin Yuan. Picture by Khalid Redza/Asian Tour.
“You know everything was working, just one of those,” said 28-year-old Du Toit, from Alberta – who made 10 birdies, including four in succession from the ninth and three on the trot from the 15th, and one bogey.
“Got off to a nice start, made a nice birdie on the first hole, and just kind of kept it going. Hit a lot of quality shots on the smart side of the hole, and the putter got hot for me, and I made a couple.
“Probably the hole of my tournament was the bogey on 14, the par-three. I hit it in the water, did not hit a great wedge shot but made an 18 footer. That kept the momentum going. Just all in all a great day.”
The Canadian also played the Korn Ferry Qualifying School and is delighted to be finally playing for money in a tournament.
Du Toit, who won on the PGA Tour Canada in 2021, added: “I am loving being in Asia. It’s only my second time here, I was in Thailand for the Q School. I love Asian food, so it’s been pretty seamless there.
“I chose Asia as I wanted kind of a promotion for lack of better words. Played Canadian and Latin tours for a while and I heard great things about Asia, all the events, places you get to travel. It really excited me, so I signed up, and I was lucky enough to make it through Q School and now we are here.”
Tomorrow he will be hoping to emulate Rick Gibson’s victory in this event in 1991, which saw him become the only Canadian to win Malaysia’s National Open.
Yuan, chasing his first Asian Tour win, went out in one over but recovered well with a four-under homeward half.
He said: “It was a fun day out there, the pins were a little bit tougher, so I played a little bit more safe today. Overall, I am pretty happy with how I played, not too many huge mistakes. I am just looking forward to tomorrow.”
Catlin is attempting to make it win number five on the Asian Tour and will be one of the favourites tomorrow.
He dropped a shot on the last missing a nine footer, and made a double on the par-four fifth where he found water off the tee but he was content with his days work.
“I am happy, excited to be in this position,” he said.
“I made a couple of mistakes but even that missed putt on 18 was so, so close. The putter feels good in my hands, and it’s been a while since that’s been the case. It’s a matter of going through the same processes tomorrow, nothing changes.”
John Catlin. Picture by Khalid Redza.
The week marks the 55th staging of Malaysia’s National Open.
The event is part of The Open Qualifying Series and will see the leading three players, not otherwise exempt, qualify for The Open at Royal Troon Golf Club July 18-21.
The Philippine’s ace golfer Miguel Tabuena clearly means business this year.
Off the back of an outstanding 2023 – when he finished second on the Asian Tour Order of Merit and won The DGC Open presented by Mastercard – the 29-year-old has even bigger plans for the new season.
Speaking at this week’s IRS Prima Malaysian Open, the Asian Tour’s season opener, the Filipino talked off boot camp, winning the Order of Merit, LIV Golf League qualification, and, probably the most important of all, his new baby daughter Paloma.
“It is nice to be playing again this week,” said Tabuena, who is in contention this week, after opening rounds of 66 and 65 put him two off the lead.
“I played a local event in the Philippines when I wasn’t in any kind of form, but I am pretty happy because we had a daughter last December, her name is Paloma.
Miguel Tabuena. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“It has been so much fun, such an experience, I miss her everyday and it makes golf a bit easier. Even the bad days are as good as the good days.
“I actually have a picture of her in the back of my yardage book. It just keeps everything in order.”
That new-found feeling of fatherhood seems to have given the talented young golfer extra incentive to have an even better season this year, with some lofty objectives and intensive planning.
His lack of golf over December and January because of Paloma’s arrival meant he decided to do an 11-day boot camp a few weeks ago at his home club, The Country Club in Manila, in order to get ready for 2024.
He worked out twice a day, did a lot of conditioning, and played a lot of golf.
“I just worked really hard with the team on and off the course and we set some goals, not just for me but for everyone in the team. It also helped with some chemistry as well as goals,” explained Tabuena.
“First goal this year is to win the Order of Merit but there are smaller goals to that, play well in all the Asian Tour events, especially The International Series tournaments.
“And my team will be with me at all International Series events, it’s me, my caddie, my coach and I have a chiropractor, and a strength conditioning coach.”
His first priority is The International Series Ranking, the Tour’s pathway to the LIV Golf League.
Miguel after winning last year’s The DGC Open presented by Mastercard at Delhi Golf Club. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Winning the ranking, which he is more than capable of doing, will secure him a place on the multi-million-dollar franchise which has taken the game by storm but he also wants to ensure a top-eight finish which will allow him to by-pass round one of the LIV Golf Promotions event.
“It is going to be a lot of travel this year,” he added.
“I am looking forward to it but it’s nice to have a different approach this year, with this team, and a daughter as well.”
He is also fully aware that a top-three finish this week will earn him a place in the Open Championship at Royal Troon in July. He hasn’t played in the event before, so that’s also on his long list of goals for 2024.
Young Malaysian rookie Khavish Varadan continued his dream debut in the US$1million IRS Prima Malaysian Open today when he took a share of the halfway the lead with Australian Kevin Yuan.
Varadan, who only turned professional last month, fired a six-under-par 65 for a tournament total of 13-under, while Yuan returned a 64 – at The Mines Resort and Golf Club, Kuala Lumpur.
American John Catlin is one shot further back following a 65 – in the Asian Tour’s season opener.
Remarkably, this event also marks the first time that 23-year-old Varadan has played in a professional event as a professional – discounting his appearance in last month’s Asian Tour Qualifying School.
He failed to earn his Tour card there, but his playing opportunities will certainly open up extensively should he become the first Malaysian to win this event on Sunday.
Kevin Yuan. Picture by Khalid Redza/Asian Tour.
“It went according to plan today,” said Varadan, who rather disconcertingly bears a resemblance to Indian Arjun Atwal, who won this event here at The Mines in 2003.
“It wasn’t the easiest of rounds as the wind was swirling a little bit today. I was struggling with the numbers but was striking the ball really good.
“I stayed patient and I tried to birdie one in every three holes and I did exactly that. It’s great to be in contention and to win your National Open is like winning a Major.”
He was bogey-free with three birdies on each half.
Adding to what is an exciting and emerging story Varadan only recently returned to Malaysia having lived in the United States for nearly nine years. He opted not to complete the final year of his degree at the University of Alabama at Birmingham to try and make a name for himself in Asia, something that is going according to plan exceptional quickly.
Yuan, 26, is another young player looking to breakthrough into the big time, especially after an impressive 2023 when finished 31st on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, helped by a joint second place result in the International Series Vietnam, and a fifth place result in the International Series Thailand.
He said: “Just stuck to the game plan. Had a good round yesterday. Things obviously worked, just kept on trying to do the same things. A few things went my way, had a chip in for an eagle on the second – about 12 metres.
John Catlin. Picture by Khalid Redza/Asian Tour.
“My game has been a bit up and down to be honest. I had a pretty good off season, I finished fourth in a local Aussie tour event, the Heritage Classic, but then I missed two cuts after that, so it’s been a bit up in the air. So, it’s good to see my form is coming back again. I am starting to piece it together.”
His was more a rollercoaster round compared with his co-leader. He made an eagle, seven birdies and two bogeys.
Just like Varadan he has ambitious plans for the season.
“A win would be sick this year, every tournament is so competitive,” he said.
“I did compete for a win a few times last year, which was a great experience to play in the final group, to be under the pump. I want to be in those positions more this year.
“My game has been a work in progress, in golf the results show so slowly. I have been working on the same things and aim to be as disciplined as I can.”
Lurking ominously heading into the weekend is four-time Asian Tour winner Catlin, whose game has been out of sorts of late but seems to be on the mend.
“Nice to go bogey free, just had one bogey yesterday,” said the American.
“It is always nice when you can keep bogeys off the scorecard. Made a 12-footer on the last to stay bogey free. It felt nice. I am just glad all the work that I am putting in is starting to pay off and I am starting to play better golf, starting to get back in the mix.
“I feel very comfortable out here. Four wins and a lot of good finishes. I lived here for five years. I feel comfortable on this grass, I am pretty good at reading grain, and I think that’s a big part of it out here.”
Korean Guntaek Koh (65), winner of last year’s Shinhan Donghae Open in Korea, Filipino Miguel Tabuena (65), and England’s Steve Lewton (66) are tied for fifth, on 11 under.
Malaysian Ervin Chang also helped make it a day to remember for Malaysia when he shot the best round of the day, and his career, a 62. Two eagles, six birdies and a bogey moved him to 10 under, along with four other players.
Overnight leaders Jazz Janewattananond from Thailand and Indian Veer Ahlawat were unable to repeat their stunning opening 62s. The former carded a 70 and is one of those on 10 under, while the latter fired a 71 and is a shot further back.
Ervin Chang. Picture by Khalid Redza/Asian Tour.
Malaysian number one Gavin Green surprisingly missed the cut, which was made at five under. He had opened with a 64 yesterday but crashed to a 76 today to end on two under.
The week marks the 55th staging of Malaysia’s National Open.
The event is part of The Open Qualifying Series and will see the leading three players, not otherwise exempt, qualify for The Open at Royal Troon Golf Club July 18-21.
John Catlin did what he does best today play his best golf in Asia after he fired his second successive six-under-par 65 in the US$1 million IRS Prima Malaysian Open.
The American made light work of the golf course at The Mines Resort and Golf Club going bogey free and nailing six birdies.
He is in second place after the morning flights came in on day two, here in Kuala Lumpur.
Australian Kevin Yuan has the clubhouse lead on 13-under following a 64, one ahead of Catlin.
After a poor season by Catlin’s high standards last year on the DP World Tour – he finished 151st on their rankings – today’s round was an encouraging performance by a player who first made his name on the Asian Tour.
John Catlin. Picture by Khalid Redza/Asian Tour.
He said: “Nice to go bogey free, just had one bogey yesterday. It is always nice when you can keep bogeys off the scorecard. Made a 12-footer on the last to stay bogey free. It felt nice. I am just glad all the work that I am putting in is starting to pay off and I am starting to play better golf, starting to get back in the mix.”
The 33 year old from California won three-times on the Asian Tour in 2018, when he was voted the Player’s Player of the Year, and also triumphed once the following season. That success came off the back of two Asian Development Tour (ADT) victories.
He chose to play mainly in Europe soon after, and once again he was on the victory trail securing two titles there in 2020, back-to-back, and another in 2021.
He was the one of the game’s most in-form players, expected to keep on topping up his trophy cabinet.
However, 2022 in Europe also did not go well for him as he ended 90th on the rankings, and not being able to play the required quota of events on the Asian Tour last year meant he had to return to the Qualifying School last month in Hua Hin, Thailand.
As expected, he comfortably claimed his card finishing 19th – helped by the fact that Hua Hin is his second home as he rents a place there, just down the road from Springfield Royal Country Club, venue for the final round of the Qualifying School.
And now on the shoulder of the leader in the Asian Tour’s season-opening event, John Catlin’s name on the leaderboard is turning more than a few heads.
“Despite a difficult few years, I have kept very positive. I have learned a lot from that. I don’t think anyone goes through golf without ups and downs. It is not a linear curve to the top. It’s peaks and valleys but I feel stronger now than I did before,” he added.
John Catlin. Picture by Khalid Redza/Asian Tour.
“Me and my coach have been putting in hard work on my swing just to try to continue to get better. That’s kind of what we have done for 10 years now.”
This week’s event is also part of The Open Qualifying Series, meaning the top three finishers not otherwise exempt, make it through to the game’s oldest Major at Royal Troon Golf Club in July.
Catlin has already played in the event twice, missing the cut in 2021 and 2022, and would dearly love to have another crack at it by capitalising on his love of Asia this week.
He said: “I feel very comfortable out here. Four wins and a lot of good finishes. I lived here for five years. I feel comfortable on this grass, I am pretty good at reading grain, And I think that’s a big part of it out here.”
So, could this be the week the Catlin-gun breaks back into the winners’ circle again? He looks hungry for it, with a number of factors working in his favour.
Malaysia has been good to him as he won the Sarawak Championship in 2018 on the Asian Tour and the 2017 EurAsia Perak Championship on the ADT; he has a liking for National Opens, as he claimed the Thailand Open in 2019, also on the Asian Tour; and he is doing what he loves to do the most, playing golf on the fairways of the Far East.
Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond and Indian Veer Ahlawat shot sparkling nine-under-par 62s to take the first-round lead in the US$1million IRS Prima Malaysian Open today – both crediting the much-needed off-season downtime for their strong showings.
Canadian Richard T. Lee fired a 63, while Malaysians Gavin Green and Khavish Varadan shot 64s at The Mines Resort and Golf Club, in the Asian Tour’s first event of the year.
“Really good start to the week and the year as well. A good long break seems to have done me some good. I got a lot of rest and played some golf,” said seven-time Asian Tour winner Jazz.
“I went to Korea to work with new coaches, BFG Korea – that’s a golf school. It did me a lot of good. Head coach there is Si Woo Lee. I have just been working on my balance, getting my balance back. I was with them for three weeks.”
The 28-year-old is also determined to right the wrongs of the past few years when his game failed to fire far too often.
Veer Ahlawat. Picture by Khalid Redza/Asian Tour.
He added: “I just want to be playing well this year. I don’t want a repeat of last year or the year before. I just want to be teeing up and feeling confident. I want to be in contention, I don’t like fighting to make the cuts, and I don’t like being left behind, and not playing for anything. To be on the golf course is good, but I would rather be on the golf course playing well. That’s my goal.”
He made seven birdies today and putted from off the edge of the green on 11 for an eagle.
Ahlawat, still looking for first Asian Tour win, dropped his only shot of the day on 18.
He said: “Really solid round, I drove the ball well and hit some really good second shots. Hitting them to seven, eight feet and holing them. Just dropped that shot on 18, where I got the wind direction wrong.”
He played his first full season on the Asian Tour in 2022, when he finished equal fifth in the Singapore Open – which remains his best result to date.
“My game has been feeling very good, just like my putting has been very good,” he said.
“I really worked on my body during the break. I tried to gain some yardage and I think I did gain a little bit but not much to be honest. My goal is to finally get a win this year and then have a lot of top 10s!”
As preferred lies were being played their 62s could not count as official course records, meaning American Tiger Woods’ 63 at the World Cup of Golf in 1999 is still the mark the beat.
Green, the Asian Tour number one in 2017, was bogey-free, with an eagle and five birdies.
“Not many big mistakes, I gave myself a lot of chances. I hit it good enough,” he said.
“I missed a couple of putts but the main thing is it is consistent. It is something that I am looking for and it’s something that is on path that me and my coach are working on.
“Other than that, we gave ourselves a lot of looks. Hit a lot of greens and made a nice eagle on 17th.”
Chinese-Taipei’s Lee Chieh-po returned a 65 along with Australian Kevin Yuan, England’s Steve Lewton, Filipino Justin Quiban, Korean Lion Park, John Catlin from the United States and Thai Danthai Boonma.
Gavin Green. Picture by Khalid Redza/Asian Tour.
American Trevor Simsby, who won this event when it was last played in 2020 just before the global pandemic stopped play on the Tour, fired a 71.
Australian Wade Ormsby, a four-time winner on the Asian Tour, came in with a 69, thanks to a hole-in-one on the par-three 165-yard second hole. He used a seven iron but sadly no prize is on offer there, unlike the par-three 16th – where an ace will earn you a Titoni Master Series luxury watch.
The week marks the 55th staging of Malaysia’s National Open.
The event is part of The Open Qualifying Series and will see the leading three players, not otherwise exempt, qualify for The Open at Royal Troon Golf Club July 18-21.
It looks like Khavish Varadan’s decision to return to Malaysia having lived in the United States for nearly nine years was the right choice to make.
The highly regarded Malaysian shot a fine seven-under-par 64 today in the first-round of the US$1million IRS Prima Malaysian Open at The Mine Resort and Golf Club to sit in joint fourth position.
Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond and Indian Veer Ahlawat have the lead after shooting sizzling 62s – in the first event of the season on the Asian Tour.
Varadan, the joint leading Malaysian along with his decorated compatriot Gavin Green, only turned professional at the Asian Tour Qualifying School last month, having opted not to complete the final year of his degree at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
“I am actually really enjoying being a professional as I like to do things on my own,” said Varadan, who was unable to secure a card at qualifying school and will focus on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) and Malaysia’s local circuit.
Khavish Varadan. Picture by Khalid Redza/Asian Tour.
He bogeyed the first hole today but recovered with four birdies in a row from the third, and another on nine. Later, he made four birdies on the second nine and one bogey.
Said the 23-year-old: “I bogeyed the first today but better to bogey the first on the first day than the last on the last day.
“The first day you must always put yourself into position, but I am normally not that good on the first days, and I am always catching up the last couple of days. The goal is to keep myself in position and that’s what I did.”
His golfing career State side was hampered by a damaged nerve in his neck which lasted three years and forced him to sit out six months in 2022.
“I think things are now slowly coming together,” he said.
“I hit the ball really well at Q School, but I have been struggling with my putter as it’s taking time to adapt to the greens in Asia.”
This week’s event is part of The Open Qualifying Series meaning the leading three, not otherwise exempt, will earn a place in this summer’s Open Championship at Royal Troon.
Being able to play in a Major is one of the goals he has set himself in his rookie year, but it’s not just a top-three finish he is eyeing.
He said: “The thing is I have really high expectations of myself, I would love to tee up in a Major this year. But I am trying to win this week, my goal is to win every time I tee it up whether it is the Masters, or a local event.”
Fortunately the confident young golfer is also able to draw on the experience of Iain Steel – a close friend and formerly one of Malaysia’s top golfers, who played on the Asian Tour, and won two ADT events.
Explained Varadan: “Iain said ‘the ball is not going to listen to you, just take your opportunities over there when you can, and you will do well’, he has been a really big help.”
Teeing off in the first group out today he is clearly wasting no time in heeding Steel’s advice.
To quote the Rolling Stones, Gaganjeet Bhullar Can’t Get No Satisfaction.
Winner of 11 titles, which makes him the third most successful player in the history of the Asian Tour, the 35-year-old Indian has now set his sights firmly on winning the Asian Tour Order of Merit.
His craving to become the sixth Indian player to end the year as number one just got more intense after a fantastic 2023, in which the Chandigarh-based professional finished third behind Andy Ogletree and Miguel Tabuena.
It would only be a natural progression for Bhullar, who finished number six in 2009, improved to fifth place in 2012 and 2013, then bettered it to a fourth place in 2018, before the third-place last year.
As he starts a new season at the IRS Prima Malaysian Open this week, Bhullar revealed some of the goals he has set for himself in 2024.
“It’s absolutely a top goal for me,” said Bhullar, winner of the BNI Indonesian Masters presented by TNE last year, following which he also won the season-ending TATA Steel Tour Championship on the domestic Indian Tour. “So many of my friends have done that, and I am very eager to join that club.
Gaganjeet Bhullar of India pictured with the winner’s trophy on Sunday, November 19, 2023, after the BNI Indonesia Masters, presented by TNE at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club, Jakarta, Indonesia. The Asian Tour event has a prize fund of US$ 1.5 million and is being held from November 16-19, 2023. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“When I won in Indonesia, the field was stacked as it was an International Series event. I played with Patrick Reed, who is a major champion, on Saturday. Winning that tournament has given me a different outlook. I personally feel that I’m ready to step up the game and I’m ready to go for the Order of Merit.”
A by-product of that, even though it involves him doing well on The International Series Order of Merit, would be his other goal of making it to LIV Golf in 2025. The number one player on International Series is guaranteed a spot in the LIV Golf League.
“Ever since I turned pro 17 years ago, I have always made goals for the year. These days, you must be very specific. It’s like you need to know exactly which flight are you taking? Which hotel are you staying in? How do you get there? If you have planned before, things become a lot easier,” said Bhullar, who made it to the final stage of the LIV Promotions event last year, but faltered on the final day.
“We all are very aware of the situation golf is in. The lack of world ranking points on the Asian Tour, and other Tours, is shocking. I won the PGTI Tour Championship, and I got just 1.4 points for it, whereas it used to be seven points in previous years. The Asian Tour has decided to go the Saudi way, the LIV way. So, making it to LIV Golf is another big goal. I keep watching my friend Anirban (Lahiri) playing with all these top stars, and to be able to play with guys like Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka really inspires me.”
Bhullar, one of the straightest hitters of the golf ball, has also set his sights on some stats-related goals.
“In 2021 and ’22, I struggled a bit with my driving. Even though I was playing well and the stats were still saying that I was hitting a lot of fairways, I was just not happy with my driving accuracy. I worked a lot on my driver last year and the result was that I won the driving accuracy on the Asian Tour. I think I achieved close to 82 per cent fairway,” said Bhullar.
“Once you are on the fairway, you don’t have much pressure. You know that whatever happens, I’d end up making a par for sure. That is one of my goal this year that I’m going to be consistent in my use of driver. Also, last year I was quite good with my putting inside eight feet. To continue doing that is on top of my agenda. The years I’ve performed well in driving and putting, I have won and contended in tournaments.
“Scrambling is one stat I would love to improve. I thought that’s where I failed a bit last two seasons (he was 72nd in the scrambling in 2023 at 54 per cent).”
Gaganjeet pictured after round four with the winner’s trophy on Sunday August 7, 2022 of the Mandiri Indonesia Open 2022 at the Pondok Indah Golf Course, Jakarta, Indonesia. The US$500,000 Asian Tour event is staged from August 4-7, 2022. Picture by Graham Uden / Asian Tour.
Bhullar hasn’t played much golf in his six weeks of off-season, instead focusing on his body and mind.
“I mostly stayed away from golf. Spent a lot of time with family. But through this time off, I’ve been working a lot on my fitness, because I won’t get much time from February all the way until May or June. So, I worked the last five weeks on my body – my balance, the core and the glutes,” said Bhullar.
“I reckoned this was the time to do it and get the body in shape. Once the tournament starts, you want to focus on how you practice, what you eat and how you travel. The fitness level will go down over the next 4-5 months, so I need it to be high up at the start of the season.”
Working on his mental strength has been an ongoing process for the Indian.
“I don’t have a swing coach right now. I personally give more importance to the mental side. I’ve worked with several psychologists and self-hypnosis experts in the past. I feel once you have achieved that calmness in your mind, the swing, the short game and the timing, everything finds its own route… everything comes back into the game,” he explained.
“The last three years, I’ve been working with Dr Tarun Jain. We have been brainstorming on a lot of things, like how my body reacts under pressure. What I need to do better under pressure? How my body reacts in summer weather, and how is it different from the winters. I give a lot of data to him, and we try to come up with a good masterplan for each week.”
A refreshed Bhullar can’t wait to return to the golf course, the excitement heightened by the fact that the IRS Prima Malaysian Open is being played at Mines Resort, a golf course he loves.
“I was talking to my mum and dad a couple of days ago. They were there in Malaysia 12 years ago, when I played at the Mines and I had a top-10 finish in the CIMB Championship against all the PGA Tour stars. It was a long time ago, but still feels like as if it was part of last year’s schedule,” he reminisced.
“The golf course really suits my eye. I played well on it back in the day, and I’m hoping that I will play even better now.”
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