Published on June 19, 2024

Seungsu Han did not start the 65^th Kolon Korea Open on anyone’s radar but he really should have. Story from the 2023 Asian Tour Yearbook.

He’d won big before, at the Casio World Open in Japan in 2017, and the 2020 LG Signature Players Championship on the Korean PGA Tour.

And although it was some years ago, he had also been a serious player in the amateur game, attending the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and winning the 2006 Porter Cup – a long-standing, prestigious amateur event in the United States won by some of the game’s biggest names, including Phil Mickelson, David Duval and Ben Crenshaw.

So, when he claimed the jewel in the crown of Korean golf after recording an astonishing start-to-finish victory it perhaps should not have been such a surprise.

For the fourth day on the trot, hot and sunny conditions prevailed at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club, but the 36-year-old stayed cool and handled the pressure of front running from the-get-go to close with an even-par 71 for a six-under-par winning total and a commanding six-shot triumph over Korea’s Kyungnam Kang, who also carded a 71.

Last year Seungsu Han became the 12th wire-to-wire winner of the event.

Korean Seungbin Choi claimed third, a shot further back, after shooting a 68 – the best round of the day, and one of only two sub-70 rounds – on the fantastic but formidable Woo Jeong Hills track, just over an hour outside of the capital Seoul.

Han’s magnificent triumph also allowed him to secure one of the two spots on offer for The Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in July. Kang, an 11-time winner on the Korean PGA Tour, took the other place.

Any doubts that Han, who started Sunday with a slim one-shot lead over Korean Jaekyeong Lee, would succumb to the pressure were soon put to rest on the front nine when he made the turn with a five-shot lead.

It was just the cushion he was looking for despite an up-and-down front nine, consisting of three birdies and two bogeys. His lead was seven at one point on the back nine with the rest of the field going backwards while he was coasting.

He averted potential disaster on the par-four 15th after a wayward tee-shot left saw his ball finish in a terrible lie – in long, thick grass. Bravely opting not to take a drop he hit an explosive recovery shot back into play, reached the green with his third and to the roar of the crowd holed a 30-footer for an astonishing par save – affirming this was most certainly his week, and the greatest of his career at that point.

Han and Kyungnam Kang both made it through to The Open.

His lead was cut to six on the ensuing hole after a bogey and by the 18th he was five ahead; he put the icing on the cake by holing a six-foot birdie putt on the testing par-five final hole, which was surrounded by huge, patriotic galleries.

“This is such a great honour,” said Han, whose western name is Steve.

“I was really struggling with foot pains and my throat wasn’t good either, so it was tremendously challenging.  I hardly looked at the scores, maybe a few times. I didn’t look at it on purpose. It was about being mentally strong and my putting was great, I holed some long ones.

“I first started playing golf in Korea when I was 13, so the Korea Open means a lot to me. I think it is the best tournament in Korea.”

Born in Incheon, Korea, he moved to the United States when he was 13. He still lives there and first started to play in Asia back in 2010, enjoying most of his success in Japan.

Remarkably he was the only player to finish under par, and for his fine effort he earned a cheque for US$222,222.

He became the 12th wire-to-wire winner of the tournament, and the seventh American to win after Ricky Fowler (2011), Edward Loar (2004), John Daly (2003), Mike Cunning (1994), Scott Hoch (1990 and 1991), and Orville Moody, who won the first three editions of the event starting in 1958.

Han’s six-shot winning margin also matched the record set by Fowler, based on records going back to 1996.

Making it through to The Open marked the second time he had played in a Major. He missed the cut there, unlike at the PGA Championship in 2018.

Seungsu Han.

Defending champion Minkyu Kim of Korea returned a 73 to tie for fourth on two-over-par with countrymen Dongmin Lee, Jaekyeong Lee and Junghwan Lee, and Australian Brendan Jones – winner of the New Zealand Open earlier in the season.

Published on June 18, 2024

Tournament info

• Tournament: Kolon Korea Open presented by ELORD
• Date: June 20-23, 2024
• Leg: seventh event of 2024 season
• Edition: 66th (Asian Tour 1998-2004, 2006-2008, 2018- 2023, no event due to Covid in 2020)
• Venue: Woo Jeong Hills Country Club, Cheonan, Korea
• Course designer: Perry Dye & Dye Design Inc.
• Year opened: 1993
• Course record: eight-under-par 63. Rickie Fowler (2011), Kyungnam Kang (2006)
• Par/Yards: 71 / 7,326
• Purse: KRW1,400,000,000 (approx. US$1.013 million)
• Field: 144
• Format: 72-hole stroke play
• Cut made after two rounds for the leading 60 players and ties including amateurs
• Social Media Hashtags: #KolonKoreaOpen #whereitsAT

Seungsu Han at the winner’s press conference last year.

Field breakdown

• Order of Merit winners: Sihwan Kim (US) 2022, Jazz Janewattananond (THA) 2019
• Nationalities: 15
• Past winners of the tournament in the field: Jazz Janewattanond (THA), Seungsu Han (USA), Junseok Lee (AUS), Minchel Choi (KOR), Minkyu Kim (KOR), Yikeun Chang (KOR), Seunghyuk Kim (KOR), Sangmoon Bae (KOR)
• Defending champion: Seungsu Han (US). Winning score at same venue was six under. He won by six strokes over Korean Kyungnam Kang in 2023
• Top contenders: Hongtaek Kim (KOR), Richard T. Lee (CAN), Takahiro Hataji (JPN), Younghan Song (KOR), Yubin Jang (KOR)
• Highest ranked player on OWGR: Takahiro Hataji (JPN) #222
• Highest ranked player on 2024 Asian Tour Order of Merit: Hongtaek Kim (KOR) #4
• Amateurs: 8
• Korean players in the field: 96

Two places in The Open are up for grabs this week.

Tournament notes:

• The tournament is part of the Open Qualifying Series (OQS). The leading two players, not already exempt, will gain exemption into the 152nd Open Championship to be held at Royal Troon in July.
• Defending champion Seungsu Han won on the Korean PGA Tour last month at the KB Financial Live Championship. 2022 Korea Open champion Minkyu Kim won the week after at the 14th Descent Korea Match Play.
• With the top three players on the Order of Merit not playing this week joint fourth place players Takahiro Hataji and Hongtaek Kim will have a chance to move up to third in the rankings with a win.
• Hataji captured his first Asian Tour victory at the 103rd New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sport in early March this year, and also won the Kansai Open Golf Championship on the Japan Golf Tour in May for his second professional victory.
• When Hongtaek Kim won the GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship in a playoff against Thailand’s Chonlatit Chuenboonngam in early May, it was his first Asian Tour victory and second as a pro since he won the 2017 Caido Series Donga Membership Group Dynamic Busan Open.
• Canadian Richard T. Lee is off to a good start to his season and narrowly missed the play-off with Hongtaek Kim and Chonlatit Chuenboonngam at the GS Caltex Maekyung Golf Championship. He has also posted an eighth-place finish at the International Series Macau presented by Wynn, a third place at the SK Telecom Open and a tied seventh at the 67th KPGA Championship With A-One CC, the latter two events part of the Korean PGA Tour.
• Yubin Jang from Korea is the current leader of the Genesis Point Ranking on the Korean PGA Tour with a runner up placing and three other top 10s so far this season, one of those being a tied fourth at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship.
• Korean Changsang Han won this tournament a record seven times, between 1964-1972. The only year he didn’t win in that period was in 1969. Of current players in the field, only Sangmoon Bae has won the tournament more than once, in 2008 and 2009.
• The tournament, inaugurated in 1958, has been played at Woo Jeong Hills since 2003.

 

Yubin Jang was the leading amateur last year, finishing tied 28th. He starts as one of the favourites this week having turned professional last year. He currently leads the Korean PGA Tour money list.

 

Published on

The Asian Tour will be strongly represented at this summer’s Paris Olympics after the final list of entrants was confirmed from the Olympic Golf Ranking (OGR) yesterday.

The top-60 from the OGR made it through to the men’s event, and it features four past Asian Tour Order of Merit (OOM) champions: Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Gavin Green from Malaysia, India’s Shubhankar Sharma and Tom Kim from Korea.

In addition, Asian Tour tournament winners Carlos Ortiz from Mexico, Spaniard David Puig, India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar, plus Phachara Khongwatmai from Thailand, have also qualified.

Chile’s Joaquin Niemann is one of seven current Asian Tour members who will be in action; the others are Puig, Ortiz, Kiradech, Green, Bhullar, and Phachara.

The men’s event is scheduled to take place at Le Golf National on the outskirts of Paris from August 1-4.

Puig, winner of this year’s Malaysian Open and currently second on the Asian Tour OOM, was one of the last to qualify thanks to playing all four rounds in the US Open last week.

Ortiz’s qualification continues his remarkable season: he currently leads The International Series Rankings, having won the International Series Oman, while he also triumphed at LIV Golf Houston.

Impressively, this will be Green’s third successive Olympics having been at the Rio and Tokyo games, while Kiradech competed in Rio. Both Ortiz and Niemann took part in Tokyo. The others will be making their debuts.

American Scott Scheffler topped the OGR, while Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy was second and Xander Schauffele third. American Schauffele won the Gold Medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

The United States will be represented by the powerful quartet of Scheffler, Schauffele, Wyndham Clark, and Collin Morikawa

McIlroy and Shane Lowry will play for Ireland in Paris.

Published on June 11, 2024

The final list of entrants for the Olympics men’s golf tournament will be confirmed next week, on Monday, June 17. Ahead of that Asian Tour contributor Joy Chakravarty updates us on who is in the running, and spoke to seven-time Asian Tour winner Anirban Lahiri about his Olympic experiences and on not making it through for his third Olympic appearance.

Anirban Lahiri is one of only nine men’s golfers who can call himself a double Olympian. That run for the Indian ace, Asian Tour Order of Merit champion in 2015, is about to come to an end despite his intense desire to not just add to that tally, but also to his country’s medals tally at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

With no tournament offering Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points until the cut-off date of June 17, Lahiri’s chances are all but over. The only contracted Indian player on LIV Golf, he has no points to show for all his heroics in the League over the past two years – including four runners-up finishes against some of the best players in the world. He has fallen to No519 in the rankings and is behind four Indians – Shubhankar Sharma (218), Gaganjeet Bhullar (254), Veer Ahlawat (412) and Karandeep Kochhar (475) – in the race for a spot in Paris.

“There are a few of us who’ve been fortunate enough to be at both Rio and Tokyo. And once you are part of the Olympics, you always want to be there again and again,” said the 36-year-old.

“Being in Paris was definitely one of my goals at the start of the year and it does become a task when you’re not playing for a lot of our ranking points. I have also been a bit unlucky with my health. I wanted to play the International Series Macau presented by Wynn, but had to pull out as I wasn’t well. I then carried that sickness and had a terrible Hero Indian Open and missed the cut.

“So, there wasn’t really a lot of opportunities, but still enough for me to kind of make a jump. But I did not play my best golf in the weeks that counted.”

Men’s Olympic golf is limited to a field of 60, with qualifications based on the OWGR. The top-15 players are automatically eligible, but the number is limited to a maximum of four golfers from a single country. Thereafter, the Olympic Golf Rankings (OGR) come into play and a maximum of top two players are eligible per country.

The current OGR (as of June 11) is led by world No1 Scottie Scheffler from the United States. Three other Americans, Xander Schauffele, Wyndham Clark, and Collin Morikawa, are ranked inside the top-15 and currently holding qualification places. Schauffele won the gold medal at Tokyo 2020.

There are a total of 13 Asian players from seven countries – China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand and Chinese Taipei – that are currently inside the qualification line, including Sharma, Bhullar, Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Phachara Kongwatmai and Malaysian Gavin Green.

The men’s event is scheduled at Le Golf National in the outskirts of Paris from August 1-4.

Apart from the Olympic atmosphere, Lahiri will also miss playing at one of his favourite golf courses – Le Golf National.

“Le Golf National is a golf course that I really liked playing. It’s a ball strikers golf course and I feel I could have challenged for a medal realistically. I think those things matter… the opportunities that you get, if they suit your game style, and you feel comfortable,” said a disappointed Lahiri.

“I played there a couple of times. It’s not a chip-and-putt kind of golf course like Rio was. Tokyo was almost a little too long for me at times. It makes a difference. The Olympics happen once every four years. So, if you feel like the golf course sets up for you, then you feel a little more confident in your ability.”

Olympics and India

Lahiri is also very aware what an Olympic medal would mean to India, the world’s most populous nation. In a recent interview, he equated the impact of a podium finish for the people back home to winning a couple of major golf championships.

“It’s just how people look at the Olympics and how they respond to medals. An Olympic medal is not a joke and it’s understandable how difficult it is for someone who’s in track and field to be an Olympic medalist,” explained Lahiri.

“That is not necessarily the case for us golfers. I think a major victory would probably still trump an Olympic medal personally, just looking at the quality of the field and the history, etc. But the Indian population don’t quite understand the nuances of that. Whereas, everybody understands what an Olympic medal is and how it can change the attitude of the government, the people.

“That was one of the main reasons why it was very important for me personally. I wanted to see that change, and be a part of that change.

“We saw quite a massive impact in the whole shooting infrastructure after (Abhinav) Bindra, and before that (Rajyavardhan Singh) Rathore won their medals. Or, what our badminton stars like Pullela Gopichand and PV Sindhu have done. If you look at winning the All England versus an Olympic medal, they will tell you a similar thing to what I’m saying.”

Easy motivation

Swimming legend Michael Phelps is Lahiri’s all-time favourite Olympian, but having experienced being a part of everyone aspiring to climb the Mount Everest of their sport in the last two Games, he has a huge amount of respect for every participant of them who goes through the grind.

“You see all the elite sportspersons in the world, and you just try to soak in the environment. The energy is palpable. Everyone is so focused, almost laser-like. For a lot of these athletes, it’s a culmination of four years of hard work, perseverance, planning and preparation. I greatly appreciate and respect what each one of them must go through.

“Phelps will always be at the top of everyone’s list, just what he’s done, the sheer numbers, the time duration over which he dominated his sport. It’s mind-boggling actually.

“But there is a lot of motivation and inspiration just observing other athletes. You don’t need to meet a Phelps or (Usain) Bolt, to get inspired. You see unknown names, thousands of them, preparing with a similar intensity. Every single one of them has a story that people don’t know, or don’t understand.

“Just meeting these athletes, and hearing the stories that got them there, what they had to overcome on the way, how they did it despite the systems… I used to think I’ve come from nothing, and that’s true in a lot of ways, but I was very fortunate to have been exposed to the game being an army brat. After listening to the stories of some of these athletes, I feel that I’m very fortunate compared to them. It’s very easy to get motivated at the Olympics.”

Lahiri does not have any outstanding personal memories of his own participation, but he was full of praise for Aditi Ashok, who led the field on Friday in Rio and heartbreakingly finished one shot outside the medals in Tokyo.

“For me, personally, my golf was substandard. I was injured during Rio and I didn’t play my best in Tokyo. To be quite honest, it was at the end of a five, six-week grind and I ran out of gas. So, there’s not that much that I’ve remembered of my golf,” said Lahiri, who finished 57th in Rio and improved to tied 42nd in Tokyo.

“But from golf’s perspective, seeing how people rallied behind Aditi, and what she did that week, it was a sneak peek into what an Olympic medal can do for Indian golf. She was amazing and got really close in Tokyo. I hope she gets it done this year, because I know she’s a lock for Paris.”

Published on June 10, 2024

The US$5million PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers will take place December 4-7 this year – moving into the coveted season-ending position for both the Asian Tour and The International Series.

The tournament will make its debut at Riyadh Golf Club after five successful years at the acclaimed Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City.

Opened in 2005, Riyadh Golf Club is the capital’s premier golf course. Its championship course, which will be played as a par-71 for the tournament, is set across 7,434-yards of undulating fairways and has played host to many of the Kingdom’s leading tournaments, including the Saudi Open presented by PIF, the Aramco Team Series Riyadh, and the Aramco Saudi Ladies International.

The first players to be confirmed for the December event are defending champion Abraham Ancer, 2022 champion Harold Varner III, winner in 2019 and 2021 Dustin Johnson, and 2022 Open Champion Cameron Smith.

Smith, who finished runner up to Mexican star Ancer in 2023, commented: “I am really looking forward to visiting Riyadh for the first time. From what I have read, there is so much going on there with some great sports facilities for grassroots and professionals being put in place. We have also heard lots of good things about the Championship course at Riyadh Golf Club. Looking at the design and reputation of the course, I reckon it is going to provide us with a real test as we try to stay both out of the water and out in front of what will be another world-class field at the PIF Saudi International.”

The PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers is now firmly established on the global golf stage. The move to the season end of both the Asian Tour and The International Series has only added to the tournament’s stature, which has grown significantly since its inception. For the first time this year, the PIF Saudi International presented by SoftBank Investment Advisers  will finish on the Saturday in order to align with the final two days with the weekend in the Kingdom as players take aim on the US$1million first prize and what is considered the most prestigious title on the Asian Tour.

The tournament is the last of 10 International Series events on the Asian Tour calendar that offer a direct pathway for players from all over the world onto the LIV Golf League.

The champion of the season-ending International Series Rankings will secure a spot on the 2025 LIV Golf League roster.

In 2023, over 30 players at the top of The International Series Rankings were also eligible to play in the innovative LIV Golf Promotions event, where an additional three players qualified for the LIV Golf League. The same will apply for this year, with the 2024 PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers being the last opportunity for players to qualify for the LIV Golf Promotions event and, therefore, for LIV in 2025.

Additionally, the 2024 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion will be guaranteed a place within the top four of the OWGR Federation Ranking, a system used by the PGA Championship and The Open.

Golf Saudi CEO, Noah Alireza said: “We are delighted to be taking this prestigious event to Riyadh Golf Club. Securing this key date and being positioned as the finale to the Asian Tour and The International Series adds to the significance of the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers as we see it grow in stature with each edition.”

Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner & CEO, Asian Tour, added: “This new date gives the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers the key position and prominence it deserves as the climax to our season. We believe Riyadh Golf Club will provide an excellent stage to showcase the culmination of our year and, with so much on the line, it should make for a dramatic and must-watch ending to our 2024 season.”

The PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers moved to the Asian Tour circuit in 2022 as part of a new partnership.

Published on

Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz, winner of this year’s International Series Oman on the Asian Tour and current leader of The International Series Rankings, has claimed his maiden individual title on the LIV Golf League after winning LIV Golf Houston at the weekend.

Torque GC’s Ortiz, who has celebrated four team victories but never an individual LIV Golf victory, shot a final-round five-under 67 to finish at 15-under, one stroke ahead of the Cleeks’ Adrian Meronk from Poland.

Spain’s David Puig, winner of this year’s Malaysian Open who is currently second on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, finished in fourth place, two behind the winner. He closed with a 69, having started the final round sharing the lead.

For Ortiz, it’s his second win in Houston, as he won the Houston Open on a different course in 2020.

“I love playing here,” Ortiz said. “Obviously Texas treats me well. It’s my adopted home state. I’m just happy to get it done again in Houston.”

After gaining separation from the rest of the pack, Ortiz and Meronk found themselves in a duel for most of the back nine. Tied going into the par-four 15th, Ortiz birdied the hole while Meronk bogeyed it after finding trouble off the tee and having to take a penalty drop.

Ortiz bogeyed the 18th hole after missing his only green of the day, but Meronk’s birdie attempt slipped past the cup.

“He played unbelievable, and he put pressure all the way to the end,” Ortiz said of Meronk. “It was a good battle.”

“He played really great,” Meronk said of Ortiz. “He really deserved it. I hope I can get him next time.”

Cleeks GC – consisting of Meronk, Martin Kaymer from Germany, England’s Richard Bland, and Kalle Samooja from Finland –  took the team title by two from Smash GC.

They started the final round five shots off the lead. But during the final nine holes, the team collectively caught fire. Kaymer birdied five of six holes. Samooja birdied three of five holes. Meronk birdied three consecutive holes. Bland birdied two straight.

Published on

The Yeangder Group are reinforcing their commitment to the development of professional golf in Chinese-Taipei by staging the Ambassador ADT on the Asian Development Tour.

To be played at Hsin Feng Golf Country Club (main picture) from November 7-10, the event will boast prizemoney of US$100,000, and will be sanctioned by the local PGA.

It is part of a three-year commitment by the Yeangder Group, who are the promoter of the Yeangder TPC – one of Chinese-Taipei’s most prominent events on the Asian Tour.

Its Chairman Emmet Hsu, who is also on the Asian Tour’s Board of Directors, said: “Presently, three Asian Tour events are staged in Chinese-Taipei, including the Yeangder TPC. This is excellent for golf in our country, but we also want to create even more playing opportunities for Chinese-Taipei’s rising stars which is why the ADT is the perfect platform for growth.”

“The ADT focuses on cultivating the next generation of Asia’s golfers and we saw this last year when Chinese-Taipei’s Ho Yu-cheng won the PKNS Selangor Masters. That helped him finish in the top-10 on the ADT Order of Merit which earned him his Asian Tour card. The ADT provides a pathway to propel the careers of the region’s up-and-coming players and we would like to be a part of this.”

Hsu’s son Bryan has recently started to participate in and organise tournaments – providing further impetus for the Yeangder Group to help the development of the game in a country that has produced so many of the region’s finest players.

The Ambassador ADT will feature a field of 126 players, 66 coming from the ADT, 56 from the local PGA, plus four invites.

Said Ken Kudo, General Manager, ADT: “Last year the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open was elevated from the ADT to the Asian Tour with great success. It also meant there were no ADT events in Chinese-Taipei, so we are delighted that the Yeangder Group have now seized the opportunity to add the Ambassador ADT to the schedule, as part of a multi-year deal.”

As one of the season-ending events on the ADT, the event will play a decisive role in helping to shape the final Order of Merit and determine who finishes in the top-10 to secure passage onto the 2025 Asian Tour season.

Hsin Feng Golf Country Club is 27-hole golfing complex located in Hsinchu city in Northern Chinese-Taipei.

 

Published on June 4, 2024

May, 2024: searching for the spark

The month of May saw Denwit Boriboonsub spend two weeks in Japan preparing for a U.S. Open qualifier. It didn’t quite go his way but it’s all part of the learning process for 20-year-old star, who now has his sights set on making his first appearance in the Kolon Korea Open. Denwit was speaking to Asian Tour contributor and former Tour player Olle Nordberg.

Hello again! After last month’s diary I spent two weeks in Japan for a U.S. Open qualifier. I was in Osaka for a week and had a weekend in Omi Hachiman. I had a great time in Osaka, but I was only able to practice in a simulator for five days. I only got to practice outside when I got to Omi Hachiman – which was more in the countryside and where the qualifier was held.

It was a really hard two weeks. I don’t have an international driver’s license so I couldn’t rent a car. It was like the worst two weeks that I’ve had. I mean, I had to change my hotel to wait for an Australian friend to get a ride to the golf course for the qualifier, because it was so hard to find a taxi.

So, if I had to do it all over again, in-between the GS Caltex Maekyung Open and the U.S. Open qualifier, I would rather come back home than go early to Japan.

But playing the qualifier was a great experience. The chance to qualify for the three spots was really quite good, and the course that we played was quite easy. But I didn’t play that well, and it was a bit of a disappointing result for the 36 holes. I was even par for two rounds, some way short of the mark, which was eight under. Thirty-four players were competing for the three spots.

I mean, the game was solid the whole week, I had a practice round before the tournament rounds, and I played pretty well. But when it came to the tournament rounds, I just couldn’t make it. I couldn’t get my putts to drop. But overall, it was pretty good. It was more of a putting issue and stuff like that. Also, the course was pretty wide open, the greens were soft, and it was pretty short. I just couldn’t take advantage of that.

After Japan I came back to Thailand and hung out in Bangkok for a week and had a nice relaxing time.

Now I have a few weeks before the Kolon Korea Open, and I will have more of a strict practice schedule. I will also play the Singha All Thailand Championship on the All Thailand Golf Tour at Suwan Country Club before Korea. I’m a past champion of the event on that course, having won in 2022 . Yeah, I like that course a lot, so hopefully it will be like a confidence booster before going into Korea Open week.

I feel good about my game though. If I drive it well I think there’s nothing much to worry about because my irons are ok and my putting is good. It’s just like some days are good, and some days are not. I guess I am just searching for the spark.

If I can put it in the fairway off the tee, it’s gonna get me into contention. I got a new driver after Maekyung last month that I really like. I think the old one drew a little more than I wanted to, but the new one is good.

The driver I’m using now is a Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond with 9+ degrees of loft, NS sleeve settings, a Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei 1K Orange 60 TX shaft and the Golf Pride MCC Align grip.

I also got a new three wood because I think the old one cracked in Korea. I just heard something weird in the hosel or sleeve, and the ball just started hooking on every shot. So, I called Callaway while I was in Japan and they brought a new one to Osaka, that was great service from Callaway. For my three wood I’m using a Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond 15 degrees with a Fujikura Ventus TR Black 7 X shaft.

It will be my first time playing in the Kolon Korea Open. I’ve heard a lot about Woo Jeong Hills Country Club and how difficult it is but I’m really looking forward to the challenge. My countryman Jazz Janewattananond won the tournament there in 2019 so I would love to add my name to the trophy!

 

 

Published on June 3, 2024

The Indonesia Pro-Am presented by Combiphar & Nomura, which made its debut appearance on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) last year, featuring a unique team format, will make a popular return to the calendar this September.

The tournament, which is managed by OB Golf – the country’s leading golf promoter – will once again be held at Gunung Geulis Country Club and be played from September 11-13.

It will boast prizemoney of US$125,000 for the individual category – one of the ADT’s most lucrative purses – with an additional US$25,000 up for grabs in the team competition.

Jimmy Masrin from OB Golf, and Chairman of the Asian Tour, said: “OB Golf are thrilled to be in position to confirm the return of the Indonesia Pro-Am presented by Combiphar & Nomura.

“OB Golf are at the forefront of the professional game in Indonesia, and we were delighted that the success of this event in 2023 helped facilitate its return this season. The tournament will again play an important role in adding to an already strong Asian Development Tour schedule.”

 

Kevin Akbar.

Indonesia’s Kevin Akbar (main picture) triumphed last year; no doubt inspired by playing with the owner of Gunung Geulis Country Club Agung Budiman in the team event, which is a three-day best-ball format that sees professionals partnered with local amateurs.

Two courses will be used at Gunung Geulis Country Club, the East and West, as per last year, with a field of 106 professionals participating along with 100 amateurs.

Ken Kudo, General Manager, ADT, said: “We are delighted to continue our partnership with OB Golf in staging the Indonesia Pro-Am presented by Combiphar & Nomura. Indonesia is always a very popular destination amongst the ADT membership and as a collective we are excited to be heading back once again.

“We remember with great fondness Kevin Akbar winning the Indonesia Pro-Am presented by Combiphar & Nomura in front of patriotic home support; there was a wonderful atmosphere that is synonymous with events in the Indonesian archipelago. Further schedule updates will be provided in due course.”

Gunung Geulis Country Club is located in Bogor – south of the capital Jakarta.

The ADT’s season got underway at the Lexus Challenge in Vietnam in March. Pakistan’s Ahmad Baig claimed the title at The Bluffs Grand Ho Tram, for his first international victory.

Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert triumphed in the most recent event, the Singha Laguna Phuket Open last month, for his eighth victory on the ADT – the most by any player. The event was played at Laguna Golf Phuket – a member of Asian Tour Destinations.

Published on May 29, 2024

Newly crowned Senior PGA Championship winner Richard Bland, Ryder Cup legend Graeme McDowell and defending champion Jazz Janewattananond are among the big names set to tee up in a star-studded field at International Series Morocco.

The US$2million tournament takes place at the iconic Royal Golf Dar Es Salam Red Course in Rabat from July 4-7, and will feature a host of LIV Golf League stars and the cream of the Asian Tour.

Bland, the 51-year-old member of Cleeks GC on the LIV Golf League, shot a final-round eight-under-par 63 on Sunday to finish at 17-under for a three-stroke victory at Harbor Shores Resort in Michigan, in what is a Major championship in the senior’s game. Remarkably, it was his debut appearance on the Champions Tour.

McDowell, a Ryder Cup hero for Europe and a member of Brooks Koepka’s Smash GC team, was crowned US Open champion at Pebble Beach in 2010, becoming the first European to win the coveted Major since Tony Jacklin 40 years previously.

Thai golfer Jazz, a seven-time Asian Tour winner, produced a brilliant eagle-birdie finish to claim the International Series Morocco trophy by one shot from Richard T Lee of Canada in the 2022 edition.

Other big names include South Africa’s Stinger GC star Branden Grace and Spanish youngster Eugenio Chacarra of Fireballs GC, the 2023 St Andrews Bay Championship winner.

Zimbabwean Kieran Vincent, last season’s International Series Vietnam champion and a winner at the KitKat Cash & Carry Pro-Am on the Sunshine Tour in South Africa at the weekend, is also confirmed.

The LIV Golf League newcomer earned a place on Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII team through the LIV Golf Promotions event in December, and he will line up alongside team-mate Caleb Surratt and Range Goats GC player Peter Uihlein.

In-form American John Catlin, the current Asian Tour Order of Merit leader and International Series Rankings No.2 after completing remarkable back-to-back victories earlier this season, will also play in the fourth of 10 dates on The International Series that form the Asian Tour-sanctioned pathway onto the LIV Golf League.

The 33-year-old carded an historic 59, a first ever for the Asian Tour, on his way to a thrilling sudden-death play-off victory over David Puig in the International Series Macau presented by Wynn in March, before roaring to a seven-shot victory in the Saudi Open presented by PIF the following month.

He will be joined by Gaganjeet Bhullar, an 11-time winner on the Asian Tour, and International Series Thailand 2023 champion Wade Ormsby, with Thai stars Sarit Suwannarut and Sadom Kaewkanjana – both multiple Asian Tour champions – also confirmed.

Mustapha Zine, first Vice President of the Royal Moroccan Golf Federation, commented: “We are delighted to welcome back The International Series to Morocco. Royal Golf Dar Es Salam is a golf club steeped in tradition and heritage, the perfect location to welcome the cream of the Asian Tour, the LIV Golf League stars and also the best Moroccan talent.”

Rahul Singh, Head of The International Series, said: “Our return to Morocco is another example of the important role The International Series plays in the global golf ecosystem.

“The International Series offers players the chance to compete for a big-money purse at a wonderful destination, while also providing a pathway to the LIV Golf League that has already proved life-changing for a number of Asian Tour players.

“We also provide a golden opportunity for the region’s best talent to mix with some of the biggest names in world golf.

“In the 2022 edition, Ayoub Lguirati from Morocco finished T28, and another nine amateurs and professionals from the country gained invaluable experience playing in a field of elite-level golfers from around the world. We are confident we will see similar returns this year.”

Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner & CEO of the Asian Tour, said: “Royal Golf Dar Es Salam has a rich tradition in golf. The 2022 tournament was a wonderful success, and this is another wonderful opportunity to bring elite-level golf to the country, and generate further interest in the sport across the wider region.”

International Series Morocco takes place from July 4-7 at the Royal Dar Es Salam Red Course in Rabat. It is the eighth event of the Asian Tour season.