Bhullar starts strong in Kenya
By V. Krishnaswamy, one of India’s leading sports writers, who has covered over 20 Majors and 250 international golf tournaments. Follow him on Twitter via @Swinging_Swamy.
Ponte Vedra, Florida, March 14: Anirban Lahiri will tee off late in the afternoon on the first day and he goes out on the first two days with old Asian Tour colleague, Kiradech Aphibarnrat, who has now followed him onto the PGA Tour and has already achieved a great deal of success including Tied-3rd at WGC-Mexico. The third player in the pairing is little-known American Ryan Blaum.
Lahiri and Kiradech have both come up from the Asian Tour, where they are still members and make frequent appearances, but for now the focus is all on what is the first big event of the season apart from the Majors and WGCs.
Lahiri, whose last win came at Hero Indian Open in 2015, is hoping to move past his three missed cuts while Kiradech knows he has it to join the likes of KJ Choi (2011) and Si Woo Kim (2017) as Asian winners of this storied event. He was in line for a Top-10 before a quadruple bogey ended those hopes on the final day last year.
Lahiri needs to make quick points and rack up good finishes on a Tour, which has been his home for the last four years.
Meanwhile, there are a lot of personal goals and career achievements in focus this week.
With the tournament shifting from its May date to March, Tiger Woods tees up as the only March and May winner of the tournament. Adam Scott (2004) is the only other player to have won in March in this field.
Dustin Johnson has not finished in Top-10 even once in past 10 starts and his resume shows that this is the only event he has played 10 times or more and not had a Top-10 finish.
Henrik Stenson, who played and finished Tied-3rd in his only appearance in March, won in May in 2009 and marks the 10th anniversary of that win. He also revealed that the day he won, he received a speeding ticket whole getting back home from Ponte Vedra to Orlando. “But I could live with it,” said Stenson, displaying his amazing sense of humour.
Vijay Singh, who despite his 56 years, has been doing well on the PGA Tour while winning on Seniors, marks his 25th appearance at the Players, which he has never won.
Reigning FedExCup champ Justin Rose is World No. 2 but his 15 starts here have yielded just one top-10 finish, T-4 in 2014.
Bubba Watson has 11 PLAYERS starts without a top 10 while World No. 3 Brooks Koepka doesn’t have a top-10 in four starts.
Phil Mickelson won in 2007 when it first moved to May but he has not had a top 10 since. In 25 career starts, he has just three top 10s.
Jason Day has a win in 2016, two other top 10s and three missed cuts.
So, there really are no favourites and anyone can walk away with the Trophy – just as Webb Simpson did last year ending a four and a half year title drought.
So why doesn’t TPC Sawgrass have any favourites? David Duval, who won the title in 1999 when the conditions were brutal on the final day, is now a Golf Channel analyst. He said, “All the notables in the game now are a reflection of what is going on in the game; they’re the bombers, they hit it forever. That’s not a necessity here.”
He added, “I think also that a lot of the modern players seemingly like to bully a golf course into submission with length. This golf course doesn’t not allow that. You have to play the golf course as it was built and designed (by Pete Dye) and you can get around that way.”
Rose’s final verdict: “This golf course allows everybody that chance to win, which is I think appropriate for the PLAYERS Championship.”
Ends.
By V.Krishnaswamy, India’s leading sports writer, who has covered more than 20 Majors and 250 international golf tournaments. Follow him on Twitter via @Swinging_Swamy.
Ponte Vedra Beach, March 13: Anirban Lahiri has never needed a good result like he does in these next few weeks. The PLAYERS Championships this week has not been good to him in the past three starts, but the Indian ace reckons he is close to setting that right. A good result this week could bring back confidence and set him back on the rails.
If Lahiri is upset with his last three starts, all of which ended after 36 holes, Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat wants to erase memories of a quadruple-bogey seven at the 17th last year. That Island Green took away the chance he had of a Top-10.
Lahiri, who is working on some technical changes in his swing feels the ‘rectification work’ is beginning to click. Lahiri hopes and feels becoming a father for the first time last month and the shifting in the date of the PLAYERS Championships to March away from its previous slot in May, could change his fortunes, too.
Lahiri, who till recently used to be seen as a good putter, has been suffering on the greens. On Monday, he was there till late and was in fact the last to leave the practice green at the TPC Sawgrass. ‘The putter needs to work once again,” he said.
“I’m having one super-destructive round at every event of late,” said Lahiri. “I am making technical changes to my swing which is why there is some inconsistency. Some days I hit it great, some days I don’t. I’ve also been inconsistent on the greens. In the 80 that I shot last week, I lost six shots on putting which is not me. I’m going to be spending a lot of time on the greens this week.”
He took a fair amount of time off golf as he was with his wife, Ipsa, in India, while waiting for the arrival of their daughter Tisya early last month.
Soon after Lahiri married Ipsa in mid-2014, he went on to win four times on the Asian Tour and European Tour and secured his PGA TOUR card as well. He is now hoping the arrival of Tisya will change his luck, too.
“Physically I feel good, mentally I feel good and I personally think I’ve turned the corner as far as my golf swing is concerned,” he said. “Ipsa has been my lady luck and hopefully Tisya can bring me more luck which I could do with some right now.”
On the event as such, which every PGA Tour player calls as ‘theirs’ he called it an amazing event.
He said, “It’s an amazing event. Anyone who comes here realises the stature of the event, the amazing way it’s run, the big crowds and TPC Sawgrass, it’ just amazing. I’m looking forward to this date, maybe it’ll bring a change in fortune as I’ve not had success here in May for whatever reason. Maybe this new wind and these new conditions might turn it around for me.”
Kiradech wants to erase memories of 2018
At last year’s PLAYERS, Kiradech launched a brilliant final day campaign, getting to eight-under for the day before a quadruple-bogey 7 at the Island Green at par-3 17th signature hole sank his hopes. He still had a round of 67.
But for that quad, Kiradech would have got his full exempt status straight away instead of waiting till later. Earlier in the week he had a double at the same hole. But for those six shots, he could potentially have been Tied-second but instead finished T-30th.
This year he is in fine form again. Earlier this month, Kiradech was T3 finish at the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship. “I’m confident with my golf swing. I had a good week in Mexico and last week (Arnold Palmer Invitational) was also a good week (he finished T23).”
On last year’s 17th, Kiradech, ranked 39th in the world, recalled, “Just one hole I didn’t play good. I’ve forgotten already what I did last year and it’s a new tournament. The course is always in good shape, it’s a fantastic week. It’s in perfect condition and the fans are out to support us. I don’t think the course is different with the date change (from May). The wind is always difficult around here as it swirls from every direction. On 17, it can be tough as the grandstands block the winds so you can’t see what happens up in the air. It’s all up to me, and I want to put myself in the right position and keep it in play.”
Since he is playing mostly in the US, Kiradech has shifted to Orlando with his wife Tunyatorn Chaiyarat.
This week Webb Simpson is the defending champion and will face a stellar field which features two-time PLAYERS champion Tiger Woods, current FedExCup number one Xander Schauffele and world number one Justin Rose.
By Olle Nordberg, Former Asian Tour and European Tour professional
March 13: With lucrative events such as World Golf Championships (WGC), Majors and the Players Championship looming, the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) becomes all important. Here, we follow the Asian Tour players that are making a charge up the rankings and their quest to play their way into these events via the OWGR.
Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat, currently ranked number 39 on the OWGR, will already be eligible for all the above events.
Kiradech and India’s Anirban Lahiri both have a huge week coming up at this week’s US$12,500,000 Players Championship in Jacksonville, Florida. It has arguably the strongest field in golf and regarded by many as the “fifth major”. Kiradech and Lahiri have a much-coveted opportunity to challenge for the 80 OWGR points and perks that go to the winner of the Players Championship.
The fringe benefits of winning this event are staggering in the world of professional golf:
- Five-year PGA TOUR exemption
- Three-year Masters exemption
- Three-year U.S. Open exemption
- Three-year Open Championship exemption
- Three-year U.S. PGA Championship exemption
Plus, a large share of one of the biggest purses in golf.
Last week’s Commercial Bank Qatar Masters saw a number of Asian Tour members competing on the weekend, and a big make move up the ranking list was, of course, made by the champion, two-time Asian Tour winner, Justin Harding.
Harding won his maiden European Tour event by finishing in style with birdies on his last two holes for a closing 6-under-par 66, continuing his incredible Sunday scoring run in 2019. Since the start of the year, his round four scores have been: 70 (-1) at the SMBC Singapore Open, 63 (-9) Omega Dubai Desert Classic, 63 (-7) Saudi International, 68 (-4) Vic Open and 66 (-6) last week in Qatar. An enviable average of 66 or -5.4 under par.
For winning the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, Harding collected 24 OWGR points and rose 22 positions in the rankings all the way up to 52nd place. This means he has now secured a place in the WGC Dell Matchplay in Austin, Texas at the end of march for the top 64 available on the OWGR, even if the deadline is not until March 18.
He is also very close to the magic number 50 needed for an invitation to the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia that is happening from April 11 to 14. The deadline to get into the top-50 is March 31, and one more top finish before then could see Harding book his first Masters Tournament appearance.
Harding is scheduled to play in the Magical Kenya Open in Nairobi this week on the European Tour.
With a tied-20th place in Qatar, Kurt Kitayama remains at number 105 in the OWGR rankings and is still within striking distance of the top-100 needed for a special exemption into the U.S. PGA Championship at Bethpage Black in New York that is happening from May 16 to 19.
Kitayama is not playing this week and will return to action in next week’s Maybank Championship in Kuala Lumpur.
Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond did not play last week and dropped a couple of spots on the OWGR to 77 from 75, but he is still well positioned for a special invitation to the U.S. PGA Championship.
With two big co-sanctioned events coming up on the schedule, the Maybank Championship and Hero Indian Open, the Masters Tournament is also within reach, although a tall order. A win in Malaysia and a high finish in India the week after could see Jazz follow in Shubhankar Sharma’s footsteps from last year.
March 11: It was another week to remember for South Africa’s Justin Harding in Qatar. After setting the Asian Tour alight with two back-to-back victories in Indonesia and Thailand last year, Harding is now taking the European Tour by storm with his breakthrough in the Middle East.
Former Asian Tour and European Tour professional, Olle Nordberg breaks down Harding’s latest win and recaps the performances of our Asian Tour stars from Qatar to Orlando. – All in this week’s edition of Overseas Watch.
By Olle Nordberg, Former Asian Tour and European Tour professional
European Tour- Commercial Bank Qatar Open
It was a breakthrough European Tour win for South Africa’s Justin Harding at the Commercial Bank Qatar Open yesterday. Firing a final round six-under-par 66 on Sunday, Harding beat nine players in tied second place to take home the trophy by two shots with his winning total of13-under-par 275. In a round that included eight birdies and two bogeys, Harding birdied his last two holes, and three out of his last four.
With the victory also comes 24 very important Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points which propelled Harding to 52nd place. What this means is that he now has a lock on a start in the WGC Dell Matchplay in Austin, Texas at the end of March, and is closing in on the OWGR top 50 and an invitation the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia in April.
The winner of the Oman Open on the European Tour a couple of weeks ago, American Kurt Kitayama closed the week with an even-par 72 and a tie for 20th place together with fellow Asian Tour players Jake McLeod (73) and Masahiro Kawamura (71) after signing off with a four-day total of seven-under-par 281.
Malaysian number one and 2017 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion Gavin Green finished the week tied for 31st with a one-under-par 71 and a five-under-par total, a score that he also shared with Gaganjeet Bhullar (68) of India.
Also making the weekend in Qatar was Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee who settled on a one-over-par total and tied 72nd place.
Kiradech finishes tied-23rd at Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard
Over in the United States, Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat wrapped up his week in Orlando with a one-under-par 71 that included three birdies against two bogeys.
Kiradech, who is the first player from Thailand to gain full membership from Thailand, finished in a share of 23rd place after closing with a four-day total of four-under-par 284.
In the field at Bay Hill was also India’s Anirban Lahiri, who after making the cut, had to endure a rough weekend at the difficult course and eventually finished in tied-69th place after he signed off with a one-over-par 73 for an eight-over-par 296 total.
The event was won by Italy’s Francesco Molinari who posted a bogey-free eight-under-par 64 to finish two shots clear of overnight leader Matthew Fitzpatrick on 12-under-par 276.
March 11: Justin Harding of South Africa closed with a six-under-par 66 to win his maiden European Tour title by two shots at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters on Sunday.
The 33-year-old Harding had a three-shot deficit going into the final round, but he closed the gap early in the day on the overnight leader, England’s Oliver Wilson, by sinking three birdies in his opening four holes at the Doha Golf Club.
Even though he dropped shots on the sixth and seventh, Harding recovered brilliantly by responding with birdies on the 10th and 12th. With the wind in his sails, two-time Asian Tour winner birdied three out of his last four holes before signing for a 13-under-par 275 total.
At that juncture, Harding took over the clubhouse lead from Korean Jinho Choi, who set the early target of 11-under-par after carding the day’s best score of 64. The South African then had to endure a long, agonising wait, with 15 golfers still yet to finish their rounds.
An hour later, he was conferred the winner. He joins Ernie Els, Darren Fichardt, Retief Goosen and Branden Grace as South African winners of the Mother of Pearl trophy.
“I didn’t quite think it was enough, I thought there might be a play-off but I’m happy to get over the line eventually. I’ve been knocking on the door a little recently. It’s rewarding seeing the hard graft and change in mindset, seeing what’s involved and what’s going on. I’m really happy,” he said.
Harding has been in supreme form since winning the Indonesia Open and Royal Cup in quick succession last year. He went on to secure four more top-10 finishes to emerge third on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings.
He carried his momentum to 2019, evident from his results on the European Tour. His victory in Qatar earned him 24 Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points, which elevated him from 74th to 52nd.
With WGC-Dell Technologies Matchplay spots reserved for the top-64 available golfers on the OWGR as of March 18, Harding will be packing his bags for Austin, Texas, United States in a few weeks’ time.
Prom wins second Singha Thailand Masters title
Thailand’s Prom Meesawat also enjoyed a celebratory weekend, as he shot an even-par 72 to win the Singha Thailand Masters by one shot on Sunday.
Prom started the day with a one-shot lead and even though he could not get his round going, trading five birdies against five bogeys, the Big Dolphin hung on for the victory at the All Thailand Tour event after signing for a 13-under 276 at the Santiburi Country Club.
The 34-year-old Prom credited his win to World Cup teammate and friend, Kiradech Aphibarnrat, who helped him improve his game during the off-season.
Said Prom: “We practised together and he gave me good tactics and also equipment before leaving for the United States. I want to thank him for that.
“This is a big event and everyone wants to play here. I had good memories of playing here and so, winning here again is very special.”
Prom, a three-time Asian Tour winner, earned seven OWGR points, and he has risen more than a hundred places from 407 to 301 on the world rankings.
Khan continues his resurgence with a win at the City Bank American Express Chittagong Open
India’s Rashid Khan was miles ahead of the field as he shot a final-day nine-under-par 63 for a seven-shot, wire-to-wire victory at the City Bank American Express Chittagong Open.
His winning total of 24-under-par 264 is a new record for the lowest-ever winning score achieved at Bangladesh’s Bhatiary Golf and Country Club.
Khan, who had a two-shot cushion at the start of the day, tightened his grip on the lead after shooting four birdies on the front nine. His lead was virtually unassailable after sinking three consecutive birdies on the 10th, 11th and 12th.
His victory in Bangladesh was his 11th professional win and his second one in four months.
In December last year, Khan ended his two-year title drought by emerging victorious at the CG Open 2018, a tournament on the PGTI.
Said that two-time Asian Tour winner: “The putts rolled in for me today and I also capitalised on the par-fives. My week can be summed up by the fact that I dropped only one bogey in the whole tournament. It’s great to win two events in quick succession. I feel my confidence and game are back on track.”
Khan earned five OWGR points, which pushed him up from 867 to 581 on the world rankings.
Sentosa, Singapore, March 4: It is never easy adapting to a different competitive environment, but if you are as immensely talented as Australian Zach Murray, then turning professional is simply a walk in the proverbial park.
In fact, Murray not only adapted well to being a full-time golfer, but he has also excelled in it. Last week, the 21-year-old bested a talented field to win the 100th edition of the storied New Zealand Open.
During the tournament, he exhibited his outstanding skills by opening with a flawless eight-under-par 63 as well as his steady composure by pulling away from a fast-chasing pack in the final round to win by two shots.
Murray managed the tournament like a grizzled veteran, so it may come to a surprise to some that he joined the play-for-pay ranks less than six months ago.
He made his professional debut at his National Open in November last year on the back of a successful amateur career.
A month later, he earned an Asian Tour card at the Qualifying School by finishing strongly in fourth place.
The victory in Queenstown came after only his third start on Asia’s premier circuit.
“Starting my career like this is so huge. No words can describe my feeling right now,” said Murray, upon winning the New Zealand Open.
Murray took home a winner’s cheque of AUD$211,724 and received a total of 15 Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points. He has also earned a two-year exemption on the Asian Tour.
He added: “I look forward to playing full time in Asia. This victory means a lot to me. I am loving the game at the moment and I just want to keep playing well and capitalise on this win.
“I really like Asia. It’s pretty close to home. My family and friends can come out and support if I do well. I have friends who played in Asia before telling me that the people are nice and supportive in Asia, so I am looking forward to it!”
Murray has risen from tied-20th to second on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings. Ahead of him is Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond, who has enjoyed a splendid start to his 2019 season.
Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand
Jazz signed off with a solid 66 to finish in fourth place in New Zealand. It was his third top-10 result in as many tournaments following his win at the SMBC Singapore Open and a tied-ninth finish at the end of the stroke play rounds at the ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth.
The Asian Tour will be heading next to the US$3,000,000 Maybank Championship, which will be happening from March 21 to 24 at the Saujana Golf and Country Club.
Top players on the Habitat for Humanity Standings
Pos Player Order of Merit (US$)
1. Jazz JANEWATTANANOND (THA) $239,800.44
2. Zach MURRAY (AUS) $172,040.71
3. Scott VINCENT (ZWE) $63,595.03
4. Ben CAMPBELL (NZL) $41,648.48
5. Prom MEESAWAT (THA) $40,618.10
6. Panuphol PITTAYARAT (THA) $37,869.98
7. Doyeob MUN (KOR) $37,150.00
8. Gareth PADDISON (NZL) $36,327.27
9. Berry HENSON (USA) $28,189.96
10. Gunn CHAROENKUL (THA) $26,500.00
11. Andrew DODT (AUS) $24,663.56
12. Yuta IKEDA (JPN) $24,535.51
13. Kodai ICHIHARA (JPN) $23,945.45
14. Travis SMYTH (AUS) $23,220.31
15. Paul PETERSON (USA) $20,539.20
16. Jarin TODD (USA) $19,316.67
17. Yikeun CHANG (KOR) $19,095.67
18. Miguel TABUENA (PHI) $17,457.17
19. Poom SAKSANSIN (THA) $16,684.08
20. Shiv KAPUR (IND) $15,253.59
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