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Published on July 26, 2019

July 29: South Africa’s Justin Harding did not have the finish he wished for at the World Golf Championship – FedEx St Jude Invitational as he signed for a disappointing four-over-par 74 to end his campaign in tied-43rd place on Sunday.

The 33-year-old Harding, a two-time winner on the Asian Tour in 2018, had started the day trailing by eight shots in tied-18th position, thanks to a superb third-round 64 at TPC Southwind.

Harding, however, struggled to continue his hot form as he slipped down the leaderboard after marking his card with five bogeys against a birdie to finish 16 shots back of winner Brooks Koepka on even-par 280.

Japan’s Kodai Ichihara battled to a 70 to finish in tied-55th place on 286 while compatriot Mikumu Horikawa and Thailand’s Poom Saksansin settled for shares of 58th place on 290 following respective rounds of 72 and 74.

Overseas Watch: Harding surges with brilliant 64 at WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational

July 28: South Africa’s Justin Harding marked his best round so far by firing a bogey-free six-under-par 64 to move 29 spots up to a share of 18th place at the WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational on Saturday.

The two-time Asian Tour winner posted rounds of 72,70 and 64 for a three-day total of four-under-par 206 to remain eight shots back of Rory McIlroy, who leads the third round after a sensational 62 at the TPC Southwind.

Thailand’s Poom Saksansin and Japan’s Kodai Ichihara both returned with matching 75s to take a share of 56th in the penultimate round of the WGC event.

Japan’s Mikumu Horikawa posted a 66 to remain in 61st place.

Ends.

Overseas Watch: Ichihara makes move at WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational

July 27: Japan’s Kodai Ichihara bettered his opening round efforts by carding an even-par 70 to move nine places up the leaderboard to take a share of 36th place after the second round of the WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational on Friday.

The Japanese, who carded a 71 in his first round at the WGC event, is among the 11 players that includes Thailand’s Poom Saksansin bunched in 36th place after compiling a two-day total of one-over-par 141.

He is 10 shots back of English leader Matthew Fritzpatrick who takes pole position after carding rounds of 67 and 64

Saksansin slipped after mixing his card with four bogeys, a double-bogey and three birdies for a 73 while South Africa’s Justin Harding signed for a 70 to take tied-47th place.

Japan’s Mikumu Horikawa returned with a 77 for a share of 61st place.

Ends.

Overseas Watch: Poom’s off to an encouraging start at WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational

July 26: Thailand’s Poom Saksansin got his campaign at the World Golf Championships- FedEx St Jude Invitational off to an encouraging start after he posted a first round two-under-par 68 on Thursday.

The three-time Asian Tour winner, who earned his place at the WGC event after winning the Indonesian Masters last year, mixed his card with three birdies and one bogey to take a share of 18th place and trail Spanish leader Jon Rahm by shots back.

Japan’s Kodai Ichihara, who qualified for the event after winning the 2018 Dunlop Phoenix Tournament on the Japan Golf Tour, opened with a 71 to stay nine shots off the lead in tied-45th place.

South Africa’s Justin Harding posted a 72 for a tied-47th place while Japan’s Mikumu Horikawa returned with a 75 for 60th place after day one at the TPC Southwind.

Ends.

Published on July 23, 2019

Sentosa, Singapore, July 23: Korea’s Sanghyun Park moved up eight rungs to 11th place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit following his fine performance at The 148th Open, where 50% of the prize money earned by members were counted towards the money list.

A two-time Asian Tour winner in 2018, Park showed great resilience under testing conditions at Royal Portrush en-route to capping a tied-16th place finish in what is his second straight appearance at the year’s fourth and final Major.

The 36-year-old Park, who was named the 2018 Rookie of the Year after ending his season in second place on the Merit rankings, recorded rounds of 69, 72, 68 and 73 to settle for a two-under-par 282 total, some 13 shots back of winner Shane Lowry of Ireland.

Park secured his place at golf’s original championship for the second time after finishing in a tie for third place at the Mizuno Open, which was part of The Open Qualifying Series and held on the Japan Golf Tour in June.

Park, who enjoyed a fourth-place finish at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open on home soil in April, took home a prize purse of US$126,312 after emerging as the best-placed Asian player at The 148th Open.

“I’m delighted to have made Asia and Korea proud. It was not easy playing under such wet and windy conditions as we are generally not used to that. But I managed to hang in there all week and I’m glad my efforts paid off,” said Park.

A total of five Asian Tour members made their Open debuts last week and Japan’s Yosuke Asaji was the only one to make the halfway cut. He signed for a closing 76 to end his campaign in tied-67^th position, which earned him US$25,087.

The result also moved him up one spot on the Order of Merit, where he sits in third place with a current haul of US$285,181. The 26-year-old Japanese had claimed his Asian Tour breakthrough at the Asia-Pacific Open Diamond Cup held on home soil in May.

Despite missing the halfway cut for the second straight year at The Open, Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond continued to dominate the Merit rankings as he leads by more than US$200,000 over second-placed Scott Hend of Australia.

Asian Tour Order of Merit (Top-10)

Published on July 22, 2019

Portrush, Northern Ireland, July 21: Korea’s Sanghyun Park took home the honours of being the best-placed Asian player after posting a final round two-over-par 73 to sign off from The 148th Open in tied-16th place on Sunday.

Ireland’s Shane Lowry swept aside all his closest rivals by closing with a 72 to lift his first Major title in front of the thousands of adoring Irish fans at Royal Portrush.

“It was amazing. It’s just hard to believe. I think there were a lot of people from where I’m from, I spotted a few people in the crowd, and I think a lot of people made the last-minute journey up here this morning because I was leading. And it was just was great out there today.

“Portrush have just been incredible. Obviously I’ve had success here in the past in amateur events. But to be able to win and celebrate with local people is obviously very nice,” said Lowry.

Lowry’s winning total of 15-under-par 269 saw him edge out England’s Tommy Fleetwood by a commanding six-shot after the Englishman posted a 74 to finish outright second.

Tony Finau of the United States closed with a 71 to take third place while world number one Brooks Koepka of the United States and England’s Lee Westwood shared fourth place with their 278 total.

PORTRUSH, NORTHERN IRELAND – JULY 21: Sang Hyun Park of Korea plays his shot from the first tee during the final round of the 148th Open Championship held on the Dunluce Links at Royal Portrush Golf Club on July 21, 2019 in Portrush, United Kingdom. (Photo by Warren Little/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)

Park, who finished second on the Asian Tour Order of Merit in 2018, capped a memorable week at Royal Portrush as he surpassed the likes of Major champions such as Louis Oosthuizen, Henrik Stenson and Jordan Spieth with his final position on the leaderboard.

Starting the day tied for 19th place, the Korean traded two bogeys and a birdie on a cold and wind-swept day to close with a 282 total at Royal Portrush, where the year’s final Major was making its return to after 68 years.

“I’m delighted to have made Asia and Korea proud today. It was not easy playing under such wet and windy conditions and we are generally not used to that. But I managed to hang in there all week and I’m glad my efforts paid off,” said Park.

It was a remarkable turnaround for the 36-year-old as he had missed the cut in his Carnoustie debut last year.

Park ensured he would prolong his stay in his second appearance at The Open by accustoming himself to the weather conditions by playing at the Irish and Scottish Opens prior to his arrival to Royal Portrush.

“Although I missed the cuts in those two events, it was a very good learning experience. I got to learn how to hit my balls better into the wind and all the different aspects of controlling the ball better,” said Park.

Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat signed off with his best round at The Open with a 67 to take tied-32nd place while South Africa’s Justin Harding posted a 76 to take a share of 41st place.

India’s Shubhankar Sharma, who is the reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit champion, marked his best performance at a Major championship by closing with a 68 to finish tied-51st while Japan’s Yosuke Asaji closed with a 76 to share 67th place with American JB Holmes, Spain’s Sergio Garcia and Belgium’s Thomas Pieters.

Ends.

Published on July 21, 2019

Portrush, Northern Ireland, July 21: Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat signed off with his best round at The Open after carding a four-under-par 67 at The 148th Open on Sunday.

Despite struggling with a knee injury and playing through the pain barrier all week, the 2013 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion showed grit and determination by ending the week on a high note.

“I managed myself really well today. I conserved my energy and managed to play in the wind. It was one of my best rounds at The Open.

“I’ve never had a good track record at The Open so it’s nice to have a 67 on my card today. My job has been done for the week and I got a few weeks off to rest my knee,” said Kiradech.

The Thai had only made the cut once in his previous five appearances before he teed up at Royal Portrush this week.

He started his week encouragingly with a bogey-free 68 but could not replicate his opening round efforts when he posted a 73 on the second day.

Kiradech continued to endure the nagging pain felt throughout the week and settled for a third round 77 before a final round 67 saw him close with a four-day total of one-over-par 285 at the world’s oldest Major.

“It was not fun playing with the pain all week. I tried to force myself, executing the full golf swing but it didn’t work. I tried to hit it harder but the body is not 100% fit and ready.

“But today, I changed my strategy by hitting the ball softer. When the wind is strong, you have to hit it softer which helps with the swing,” said Kiradech.

Ends.

Published on July 17, 2019

Kuching, Malaysia, July 17: The Sarawak Championship will return for its second straight edition on the Asian Tour from August 15-18 next month.

To be staged at the Arnold Palmer-designed Damai Golf and Country Club located in Kuching, the capital of Sarawak, the Sarawak Championship will once again offer a prize purse of US$300,000 this year.

Supported by the Sarawak State government, the Sarawak Championship will offer the region’s leading players, along with talented professionals from Malaysia, the opportunity to vie for top honours at the full-field Asian Tour event.

It will also be the second event to be sanctioned by the Asian Tour in Malaysia after the Maybank Championship that took place earlier in March.

As part of its efforts to promote tourism in Sarawak through the staging of the Sarawak Championship, the Sarawak State Government will be able to leverage on the Tour’s global coverage via its digital media channels and television platform to achieve that objective.

Cho Minn Thant, Asian Tour Commissioner and CEO, credited the strong support and commitment of the Sarawak State government for the return of the Sarawak Championship and is confident of raising the stature of the event even further.

“The return of the Sarawak Championship to the Asian Tour’s schedule is made possible because of the vision and commitment of the Sarawak State government. We are grateful for their support and we look forward to strengthening this partnership for many years to come.

“We are also confident of delivering another exciting week of world-class golf to the local galleries and global audience through our media platforms,” said Cho.

American John Catlin sank a clutch birdie putt on the last hole to win by one shot for his second Asian Tour title at the inaugural Sarawak Championship last July.

He would go on to claim his third title in Chinese Taipei three months later and become only the 10th player in the Tour’s history to win three titles in a single season.

Catlin’s outstanding breakout year also saw him clinch the Players’ Player of the Year award at the end of the 2018 Asian Tour season.

Placed 186th on the latest Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), Catlin is set to headline the talented 150-man field from 18 countries when he defends his title at the Sarawak Championship next month.

Other notable players who will feature in the Sarawak Championship include Thai hotshots Sadom Kaewkanjana, Poom Saksansin and Prom Meesawat, as well as India’s Khalin Joshi and Ajeetesh Sandhu, all proven winners on the Asian Tour.

Ends.

Published on

By The Round Golf Podcast

From a family of scholars, Jazz Janewattanond calls himself the weird one.They, no doubt, call him the talented one. This is a player, who at the time of release, is the number one player on both the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour and is pushing for a spot on the President’s Cup team.

He may be in his early twenties but having turned pro just before his 15th birthday, the Thai has gone though some amazing experiences. There’s a glimpse into Thai culture, as Jazz goes into detail of his spell in a monastery and how it helped lift him from his most difficult period as a golfer.

Having made his mark in his first major in the USA, Jazz reveals some of the different ways he has heard his name, why meeting coach Pete Cowen has been so important in his rise up the world rankings and there’s the message he has for the President’s Cup captain Ernie Els.

Not forgetting the Round at the start of the year, where he took on two Ryder Cup stars in Singapore and walked away with the trophy.

Published on July 16, 2019

With the year’s fourth and final Major set to tee off at Royal Portrush this week, the Asian Tour revisits some of the past glories by luminaries who had put Asia on the world golfing map at the world’s oldest Major.

No Asian player has yet won The Open in its long and illustrious history. Legendary Chinese Taipei player Lu Liang-huan, also known as “Mr. Lu” was the closest to have done so when he finished solo second at Royal Birkdale in 1971, only one shot behind winner Lee Trevino. Mr. Lu would also go on to record a tied-fifth place finish three years later at Royal Lytham & St. Annes in 1974.

In 1976, Norio Suzuki would finish tied-10^th at Royal Birkdale and although he won 16 tournaments on the Japan Tour in the 70’s and 80’s, this would be his best finish in a Major.

Big hitter Masahsi “Jumbo” Ozaki is a name that most golfers would be familiar with, and perhaps one of the game’s most storied players in the 80’s and 90’s.

Ranked inside the top-10 on the OWGR for nearly 200 weeks during that time, Ozaki won 94 events in Japan and the Japan Tour Money Ranking a record 12 times.

Ozaki’s best Open appearance was in 1979 when he finished tied-10^th at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, and he also posted a tied-sixth in the 1989 U.S. Open and a tied-eight in the 1973 Masters Tournament as his best Majors.

Masahiro “Massy” Kuramoto was also a famous player during the same time as Ozaki, recording 30 tournament wins on the Japan Tour.

He also had a great Open in 1982 at Royal Troon, finishing tied-fourth only two shots behind the winner Tom Watson.

Perhaps none on the Japanese stars had a better chance to win The Open than Tsuneyuki “Tommy” Nakajima at Royal St. George’s back in 1986.

Trailing the leader Greg Norman by four shots after two rounds and only one after three, Nakajima’s final round of seven-over-par 77 dropped him back into a tied-eight place at the end of the championship.

Except for Lu, the Japanese duo of Isao Aoki and Shigeki Maruyama are the only other Asian players with multiple top-10’s in the championship, with Aoki recording three (1978, 1979 and 1988) and Maruyama two (1997 and 2002).

Aoki’s best chance to win an Open Championship came in 1978 at The Old Course, when he held the lead through the first two rounds and was one shot back with 18 holes to play.

A final round of one-over-par 73 meant Aoki would finish in tied-seventh, four strokes behind the winner Jack Nicklaus.

In 2002 at Muirfield, Maruyama, known as “the smiling assassin”, also held the lead after the first two days.

A four-over-par 75 in the third round left him three behind the leader Ernie Els, and although he fired a 68 in the final round, it was one too many to join the four-man play-off. The tied-fifth finish would be the best Open in Maruyama’s career.

Japan’s Hideto Tanihara made a run for the Claret Jug at Royal Liverpool in 2006, with a third round of six-under-par 66 to sit three shots behind the leader Tiger Woods.

After a final round of 71 and an unstoppable Woods winning the event, Tanihara finished in a creditable tied-fifth place.

Korean players are on the leaderboards across all tours today, but it’s no secret that K.J. Choi is the one that paved the way among the men.

The winner of more than 20 events worldwide and eight on the PGA TOUR, including the 2011 Players Championship, he is Korea’s most successful male golfer in history.

At Carnoustie in 2007, Choi recorded his best finish in The Open by finishing tied-eighth, a position he has bettered in the other three Majors.

Japanese star Hideki Matsuyama has featured on the leaderboard during several recent Opens, but only once managed to clinch a top-10 after four rounds.

Having just turned professional in April of 2013, Matsuyama turned in his best Open performance to date by finishing tied-sixth at Muirfield, a month after also posting a top-10 in the U.S. Open in his rookie season.

China’s number one Haotong Li stormed home with a closing seven-under-par 63 at Royal Birkdale in 2017.

Starting the final round in tied-29^th place, shooting the low round of the day on Sunday meant Li finished in solo-third place six shots behind winner Jordan Spieth, and vaulted him into the top-100 on the OWGR for the first time in his career.

Ends.

Published on July 5, 2019

Sentosa, Singapore, July 5: The Asian Tour has appointed Charlie Tingey, formerly a Director of EurAsia Cup Sdn Bhd, as its new Director of Partnerships.

In his new role, Tingey will be responsible for maintaining and generating tournament opportunities for the Asian Tour across the region as well as managing the commercial assets of the Tour.

Tingey will also be fulfilling a joint commercial role as part of the Strategic Alliance with the European Tour.

Tingey has more than two decades of experience working in the sports marketing industry both in Europe & Asia.

Over the past nine years with the Asian Tour and European Tour joint venture entity, the U.K national played a pivotal role in the realisation and management of the EurAsia Cup, a Ryder Cup style match-play event which brought together the best players from Asia & Europe and staged in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2014, 2016 & 2018.

Tingey said: “I’ve worked closely with the Asian Tour since 2011 and I’m excited to be part of the Tour’s new management team. I am looking forward to working with existing partners whilst also exploring new ways to unlock the commercial potential of the Asian Tour combined with maintaining the longstanding partnership with the European Tour.”

Tingey will be based in the Asian Tour’s operations office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and will report directly to Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Asian Tour.

“Charlie’s deep understanding of the golf industry in region coupled with his wealth of experience will add a lot of value to our commercial and operations strategy. We are delighted that Charlie is part of the management team,” said Cho.

Ends.

About Asian Tour

As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of professional golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. The Tour is officially recognised by the Official World Golf Rankings and provides its events with valuable ranking points for participants to be recognised on the world stage. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), Habitat for Humanity (Official Sustainable Development Partner), Titleist (Official Web Partner), FootJoy (Supplier), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore, Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur. The Tour is an affiliate of The R&A.

Published on July 4, 2019

Melbourne, Australia, July 4: With seven weeks remaining until the top 8 players on each team officially qualify for the 2019 Presidents Cup, four Asian players – Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, China’s Haotong Li, C.T. Pan of Chinese Taipei and Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond – are in the running to automatically qualify for the International Team.

Thailand’s Jazz has moved into position at No. 8 in the International Team standings after a successful June highlighted by his win at the Kolon Korea Open two weeks ago. His fourth career Asian Tour victory along with top-5 finishes in three Japan Tour events also vaulted the 23-year-old to a career-high 52^nd in the Official World Golf Ranking.

The Presidents Cup will return to Melbourne, Australia and The Royal Melbourne Golf Club for the third time, from December 9-15, 2019, when the International Team, led by Captain Ernie Els, will take on the U.S. Team led by Captain Tiger Woods.

The golf world was introduced to Jazz at the PGA Championship in May, where he stood up to the brutal test of Bethpage Black to finish T14 in just his second major championship appearance. He had entered the final round in T2 position. A Presidents Cup bid would mark Jazz’s debut in the event and make him just the second Thai player after Thongchai Jaidee (2015) to compete in the Presidents Cup.

“For sure I have a chance,” said Jazz, whose triumph in Korea was his second win of 2019. “I would love to be in the team and I need to work hard. It’s not easy as the events I play in have smaller world ranking points but I will try to get the job done. I’m playing better golf and I’ve got lucky. I’ve worked on everything and there has been improvements and it’s adds up into top-10s or a win.”

The slender Thai has enjoyed a stellar past 12 months since hooking up with renowned swing coach Pete Cowen, who also coaches the likes of recent major champions Gary Woodland and Brooks Koepka, the world No. 1.

“When I was younger, I heard about Pete. And then Kiradech (Aphibarnrat) started to work with him and introduced me to him. It’s been a perfect combination so far. I want to continue working with him and be the best that I can be. I think he can help me do that. He teaches you to fix your own swing. He’s helped me a lot,” said Jazz.

Matsuyama is seeking his fourth successive appearance in the Presidents Cup and lies fourth on the team points list, thanks largely to his consistent form primarily on the PGA TOUR where he has not missed a single cut since qualifying began last August. The 27-year-old has accumulated six top 10s, including three top fives and 10 other top-25s.

China is poised to celebrate its first representative in the Presidents Cup with the highly talented Li, 23, lying in fifth place on the team standings. Strong performances in the World Golf Championships where he has finished T9, T19 and T11 have put him within touching reach of getting into Els’ team.

“It’ll be special to play for Ernie. He’ll be a good captain. It’s going to be a huge honour, and hopefully I can get on the team and win the event,” said Li, who is a two-time European Tour winner.

Likewise, Pan is fighting hard to ensure he becomes the first golfer from Chinese Taipei to feature in the Presidents Cup. A maiden PGA TOUR win at the RBC Heritage in April has kept him in the automatic qualifying bracket where he currently lies in sixth position.

“We’ve not had a player on the Presidents Cup team and I want to make history by being the first one,” said Pan. “The Ryder Cup sparks great enthusiasm amongst the fans and that’s something I want to do for golf fans in Chinese Taipei. Our fans don’t have a team to root for … I want to make the team for the fans.”

There have been two occasions previously in 2011 and 2015 when the International Team featured four Asian golfers.

The rest of the top 8 in the International Team standings include Marc Leishman who remains atop the standings, followed by Presidents Cup veterans Louis Oosthuizen, Adam Scott and Jason Day.

On the U.S. Team, Chez Reavie collected his second career PGA TOUR victory and first in 11 years at the Travelers Championship to move up to No. 13 in the U.S. Team standings. The win came one week after Reavie found himself in contention at the U.S. Open, where he eventually finished T3 following an even-par final round. Reavie, 37, is in search of his first Presidents Cup appearance.

At last week’s Rocket Mortgage Classic, Nate Lashley collected his first PGA TOUR title by six strokes to move from outside the top 100 in the standings into the top 50 at No. 47. Elsewhere on the U.S. Team standings, Patrick Reed and Brandt Snedeker both finished T5 in Detroit and each moved up two spots to Nos. 20 and 21, respectively.

The top 8 for the U.S. Team remained steady, with Brooks Koepka sitting at No. 1 the standings. U.S. Captain Woods, who will make his next start in two weeks at The Open Championship, sits at No. 12 in the standings.

Click here for the full Presidents Cup standings.

International Team eligibility criteria

The top eight (8) international players (excluding those eligible for the European Ryder Cup team) from the Presidents Cup International Team Points List which shall be Official World Golf Ranking points accumulated in the time period from August 27, 2018 (Dell Technologies Championship) through August 18, 2019 (BMW Championship).

Four Captain’s selections will be made at a to-be-determined later date.

U.S. Team eligibility criteria

The top eight (8) U.S. PGA TOUR members who have earned the most FedExCup points from September 11, 2017 (2017 BMW Championship) through 2019 BMW Championship, weighted as follows:

(a) 2017 BMW Championship through 2018 TOUR Championship: 1 FedExCup point = 1 point

(b) First event of the 2018-2019 season through 2019 BMW Championship: 1 FedExCup point = 2 points

Four Captain’s selections will be made at a to-be-determined later date.

Published on

July 3: Reigning champion Xander Schauffele will join the world’s top four ranked players, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose in Shanghai later this year to compete for the coveted World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions title.

Tickets to the 15^th edition of Asia’s biggest tournament, which takes place from October 31 to November 3, 2019 at Sheshan International Golf Club go on sale today. It is set to be the ‘must attend’ event of the season with tournament organisers anticipating one of the strongest fields in its history as the world’s best players compete for an increased prize fund of US$10.25 million.

Title holder Schauffele has gone from strength to strength since last year’s victory, winning the Sentry Tournament of Champions on the PGA TOUR, tying second at the 2019 Masters Tournament and third at last month’s U.S. Open.

Schauffele, an American whose Chinese-speaking mother accompanied him to Shanghai last year, has since risen to as high as ninth on the Official World Golf Rankings. He said: “Winning my first World Golf Championships at the HSBC Champions last year in front of my family was amazing! Coming through such a world class field definitely gave me the confidence to know that I can deliver in the big pressure moments so I am really looking forward to attempting my first successful title defence in Shanghai in a few months. It was an unbelievable field last year but I think this year sounds like it is going to be even stronger with the announcement that all of the world’s top four will be there.”

World No. 1 Koepka won his fourth major earlier this season at the PGA Championship, and, with second place finishes at both the 2019 Masters and the 2019 U.S. Open, his current position at the top of the game is undisputed.

The American star said: “I am delighted to confirm I will be returning to Shanghai to play in the biggest event in Asia. I finished tied second at Sheshan in 2017 so I know the course suits me well. I love the vibe and energy that the Chinese crowds bring to the course each year. I think the scheduling changes with the majors has made the WGC-HSBC Champions an even more important event for us this year. With no majors scheduled after July, everyone will be targeting winning the final World Golf Championships of the year.”

World No. 3 McIlroy has already won twice, including THE PLAYERS Championship, this year on the PGA TOUR, and having finished in the top five on three previous occasions, will be looking to finally add this prestigious trophy to his trophy cabinet while World No. 4 and the 2017 WGC-HSBC Champion Rose added a 10^th PGA Tour victory to his CV earlier this year at the Farmers Insurance Open.

Jonathan Castleman, HSBC’s Global Head of Brand Partnerships, said: “We are thrilled to announce the world’s current four top ranked golfers will join our defending champion Xander Schauffele at the WGC– HSBC Champions later this year. As our flagship event in global golf, such early announcement of the world’s best players is testament to this tournament which has earned the reputation of ‘Asia’s Major’. While Brooks Koepka heads the world golf rankings currently, the WGC-HSBC Champions is likely to play a crucial role in deciding who will finish the year at World No. 1. We look forward to welcoming golf fans and the world’s best players to Shanghai in October.”

During July, fans can purchase tickets for the biggest golf event in Asia at a special early bird rate with discounts of up to 40% off. As well as hosting the strongest player field in the region, organisers continue to grow golf in China with juniors. As such, those aged 18 years and under can enter for free when accompanied by a ticketed adult. Additional discounts are also available for students and families. Ticket holders will have the opportunity to get autographs and take pictures with the world’s best players through complimentary entry to the Pro Am played on October 30.

For more details on the WGC-HSBC Champions and all ticket information, please visit https://www.hsbcgolf.com/mens or follow the official WeChat Mini Program: HSBCChampions

South Africa’s Justin Harding signed for a disappointing four-over-par 74 to end his campaign in tied-43rd place at the WGC – FedEx St Jude Invitational on Sunday.

The 33-year-old Harding, a two-time winner on the Asian Tour in 2018, had started the day trailing by eight shots in tied-18th position, thanks to a superb third-round 64 at TPC Southwind.

Overseas Watch: Harding surges with brilliant 64 at WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational

Thailand’s Poom Saksansin and Japan’s Kodai Ichihara both returned with matching 75s to take a share of 56th in the penultimate round of the WGC event.

Japan’s Mikumu Horikawa posted a 66 to remain in 61st place.

Ends.

Overseas Watch: Ichihara makes move at WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational

He is 10 shots back of English leader Matthew Fritzpatrick who takes pole position after carding rounds of 67 and 64

Saksansin slipped after mixing his card with four bogeys, a double-bogey and three birdies for a 73 while South Africa’s Justin Harding signed for a 70 to take tied-47th place.

Japan’s Mikumu Horikawa returned with a 77 for a share of 61st place.

Ends.

Overseas Watch: Poom’s off to an encouraging start at WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational

Japan’s Kodai Ichihara, who qualified for the event after winning the 2018 Dunlop Phoenix Tournament on the Japan Golf Tour, opened with a 71 to stay nine shots off the lead in tied-45th place.

South Africa’s Justin Harding posted a 72 for a tied-47th place while Japan’s Mikumu Horikawa returned with a 75 for 60th place after day one at the TPC Southwind.

Ends.

Korea’s Sanghyun Park moved up eight rungs to 11th place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit following his fine performance at The 148th Open.

Park, who enjoyed a fourth-place finish at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open on home soil in April, took home a prize purse of US$126,312 after emerging as the best-placed Asian player at The 148th Open.

Asian Tour Order of Merit (Top-10)

Korea’s Sanghyun Park took home the honours of being the best-placed Asian player after posting a final round two-over-par 73 to sign off from The 148th Open in tied-16th place.

Ireland’s Shane Lowry swept aside all his closest rivals by closing with a 72 to lift his first Major title in front of the thousands of adoring Irish fans at Royal Portrush.

“Portrush have just been incredible. Obviously I’ve had success here in the past in amateur events. But to be able to win and celebrate with local people is obviously very nice,” said Lowry.

Lowry’s winning total of 15-under-par 269 saw him edge out England’s Tommy Fleetwood by a commanding six-shot after the Englishman posted a 74 to finish outright second.

Tony Finau of the United States closed with a 71 to take third place while world number one Brooks Koepka of the United States and England’s Lee Westwood shared fourth place with their 278 total.

It was a remarkable turnaround for the 36-year-old as he had missed the cut in his Carnoustie debut last year.

Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat signed off with his best round at The Open with a 67 to take tied-32nd place while South Africa’s Justin Harding posted a 76 to take a share of 41st place.

Ends.

Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat signed off with his best round at The Open after carding a four-under-par 67 at The 148th Open