Melbourne, November 21: Indian hotshots Anirban Lahiri and Gaganjeet Bhullar will be looking to turn their friendly rivalry into a formidable partnership when they battle for their country’s honour at the ISPS HANDA Melbourne World Cup of Golf on Thursday.

Bhullar and Lahiri, who turned professional in 2006 and 2007 respectively, have been spurring each other on with their individual achievements throughout the years. Their successes also served as a motivation for each other to reach greater heights in their careers.

Having known each other since they were 11 years old, the Indian pair, who has won a combined total of 16 titles on the Asian Tour, is confident they can produce the right chemistry and combine effectively for a great showing at The Metropolitan Golf Club.

Lahiri and Bhullar are part of the six two-man Asian teams in the 56-man field hoping to hoist the famous trophy at the US$7 million event, won previously by many legends of the games.

Japan (1957 and 2002) and Chinese Taipei (1972) remain the only two Asian nations to have won the prestigious event since its inception in 1953.

In the 59th staging of the World Cup of Golf this week, the first and third days of competition will be four-ball (best ball) format while the second and final days are foursomes (alternate shot) play.

Did you know?

• Anirban Lahiri and Gaganjeet Bhullar are making their second appearances in the World Cup of Golf this week. Lahiri first partnered Bhullar in the team event which was held at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club in 2013.
• Lahiri and Bhullar hold a combined total of 16 victories on the Asian Tour, which includes three co-sanctioned wins on the European Tour.
• Lahiri, now a regular player on the PGA Tour, is a two-time International team member of the Presidents Cup. He is also the Asian Tour Order of Merit champion in 2015.
• Lahiri, 31, and Bhullar, 30, have represented India together in numerous team competitions since their amateur days. They featured in the Eisenhower Cup, Nomura Cup and Asian Games, delivering a team silver in 2006, before venturing almost at the same time into the play-for-pay ranks where they also represented Team Asia in the inaugural EurAsia Cup in 2013.
• Bhullar holds the most number of victories by an Indian player on the Asian Tour after claiming his ninth career triumph at the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways in August.
• For Bhullar, being picked by Lahiri offers him an opportunity for redemption as he finished last in the field in the 2013 edition when the tournament was played under a different format. Players competed individually and both scores contributed towards the team’s score back then.
• India’s best finish of ninth place in the event was achieved by Arjun Atwal and Jyoti Randhawa in Portugal in 2005.

Players’ quotes:

Anirban Lahiri (Ind)

We’re both very excited. The last time we were here in Melbourne was five years ago and both of us played as well although it was a different format. I think that’s the most exciting matter of being back. Also, playing this golf course, which is amazing. In an event like this, it’s important to have the right kind of chemistry.  We’ve had a lot of team events since our junior days. We’ve had a lot of success together. It helps because we understand each other’s games and we understand each other’s strengths.

More than anything else, it’s also about understanding the way each of us think on the golf course. Both of us are aggressive players and we’ve had more than 23 years of professional playing experience between us, so we’re both matured in that sense. We both need to play our best in order to be there in the hunt on Sunday afternoon.  That’s the focus for both of us. I think the main thing that we wanted to focus on was the wind.  It’s going to be a windy week, it’s going to be a cold week, so you want to be able to control the golf ball. I think I’m going to be playing the odds, Gagan’s going to be playing the evens.

We have a great opportunity to leave our mark here. Golf is an individual sport and we play for ourselves most of the time. There are only a few opportunities in between where you have the World Cup or you have a Presidents Cup or you have the Olympics.  There’s not a lot of events like that. I think playing in Sydney last week has almost no bearing on this week, not for me at least.  Obviously, I wanted to do well in Sydney, but it’s nice to get to the venue on the Sunday before and not having to adjust to the new place.  I feel much better, my body feels much better.

Gaganjeet’s a really positive guy on and off the course.  It’s great to be part of this team environment. It’s much easier to pick yourself up if you’re down because both of us are going to be egging each other on to play our best. I think the only kind of rivalry you have at 11 years old is who gets to eat the yummier food and, you know, simple things like that.  When we think back to when we were juniors, life was easy; it was all about getting away from school and just having fun.

But no, I think we’ve spurred each other on in both our careers.  I mean, Gaganjeet was definitely an exceptional junior and my career kind of picked up a little later once I left school because education was very important to my family as well. It’s always about trying to be the best golfers we can be.  I think that’s one common factor between both of us.  We were both very focused with what we want to do with our golf, and we still are.

It’s a great energy to feed off because there’s a great commonality.  We both want to push ourselves further and further and get better and better, and I think it’s very healthy for both of us, at least I feel that way. I’ve definitely seen him kind of, when we were kids, he kind of got away from the pack because he got that much better and that pushed me to work hard. I’m sure that it will continue and it’s a good healthy cycle.

Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind)

This is the first time we’re playing in this kind of format.  We played yesterday and the day before. The golf course is in a great shape. We’re still working on our strategy but we are really excited and looking forward to play this format.

The game’s pretty good. I have been playing well over the last five to six months. The victory in Fiji actually gave me a lot of confidence.  Now I’m riding high on confidence and really excited to place myself in Europe next year.  As I said, I am feeling very positive this week.

I met Anirban for the first time when we were like 11 years old.  We were in the junior team, we represented India as an amateur, we were together in the 2006 Asian Games and then the World Cup, and roomed so many times together on tour.

Yeah, I guess we know each other really well on and off the golf course, which is really important in this format, especially the format on Friday and Sunday.  It’s very important to know your partner and to know each other’s game.  I think that factor will definitely help us better.

Golf in India right now is picking up and we need a few guys to go out there on the PGA TOUR, we need more faces on the European Tour. We need guys like Anirban, Shubhankar or myself to win on the PGA TOUR.

It will be huge for Indian golf because a lot of new golf courses are coming up.  The government of India has actually started planning a lot of initiatives in and around golf, a lot of public golf courses are under development. A good performance here will definitely mean a lot for Indian golfing fans.

Hong Kong, November 21: Korea’s Sanghyun Park is ready to step up his chase for pole position on the Habitat for Humanity standings when he tees off at the HONMA Hong Kong Open presented by Amundi which starts on Thursday.

The Korean has occupied second place on the standings since his dominant win on home soil in September. Trailing India’s Shubhankar Sharma by slightly more than US$130,000, Park believes he has a fighting chance to overtake his Indian rival as the winner’s purse is worth US$333,330 this week.

Park has already lifted two Asian Tour titles at home this year and is also determined to prove his worth outside Korea as he continues to play regularly on the Asian Tour.

India’s S.S.P. Chawrasia hopes to expunge bitter memories from last year’s final day meltdown as he takes another stab at glory at the Hong Kong Golf Club this week. Chawrasia led for three rounds before a disappointing final day 72 saw him end the week tied for seventh place.

Chinese Taipei’s Lin Wen-tang is delighted to be back in Hong Kong almost a decade after his famous victory in 2008.

The 44-year-old is best remembered for hitting an amazing shot from behind tightly bunched trees to the green and going on to defeat Rory McIlroy in an enthralling play-off that year.

Co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European and the Hong Kong Golf Association, the HONMA Hong Kong Open will welcome a stellar field that includes Masters Tournament champions, Patrick Reed, Sergio Garcia and world number nine Tommy Fleetwood of England.

Players’ Quotes:

Sanghyun Park (Kor)

I’m going to play in another three more tournaments on the Asian Tour to give myself a chance of winning the Order of Merit. I’m in second place at the moment and I feel really good about my game. I have been playing really well in Japan lately and throughout the season I’ve constantly been inside the top-five on many occasions and have also won a few times in Korea. I feel great about my swing and everything is good, so I do expect good things to happen for me this week. It is a big honour to have won the most prize money in Korea this season. I won the highest career earnings in Korea and I want to turn my attention to the Asian Tour standings and try to win it now.

S.S.P. Chawrasia (Ind)

Yes, I’ll always remember what happened last year. I was playing very well even until mid-way through the final round. I made a couple of bad shots after that and fell out of contention. But I still have a lot of good memories here. I’m playing well and this golf course really suits me. It reminds me of Royal Calcutta which is very similar. Tree-lined and you got to hit it straight. I’m mentally stronger now and all I can wish for is a good week.

Lin Wen-tang (Tpe)

Each time the Hong Kong Open comes around, I’ll always be asked the question of that win 10 years ago. I always tell people that’s so long ago already and the tress would probably have grown taller now. But that’s really the best moment in my career. I remembered my mind was blank at first but I tried to keep calm and I told myself the winner won’t be decided until I made my final shot. I just tried to hit the ball onto the green and I think God might have helped me because I made it.

Did you know?

·       Sanghyun Park is coming into this week on the back of another good result in Japan where he finished tied-fourth last week.

·       Park has been victorious at the two Asian Tour events in Korea this year. He won the GS Caltex Maekyung Open in May and was outstanding again at the 34th Shinhan Donghae Open in September.

·       The Korean reached a career-high of 116th on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) in September this year.

·       S.S.P. Chawrasia would have been the first wire-to-wire champion of the Hong Kong Open had he won last year.

·       He is a six-time winner on the Asian Tour and his only victory outside India came at the Resorts World Manila Masters in 2016.

·       His best result this season is finishing tied-sixth at the TAKE Solutions Masters held in Bengaluru in August.

·       Lin Wen-tang hit a sublime recovery shot from the trees to set-up a four feet birdie putt to stay alive in the play-off with Rory McIlroy at the Hong Kong Open in 2008.

·       He then sealed victory at the second extra hole, pitching an exquisite approach shot to a foot for the winning birdie.

Ends.

Hong Kong, November 20: Major winner Patrick Reed of the United States believes his title challenge at Hong Kong’s oldest professional sporting event will depend on his ability to fend off the stiff challenge from the elite field that includes Asia’s leading players when the HONMA Hong Kong Open presented by Amundi starts on Thursday.

Reed is making his third appearance at the Hong Kong Open, finishing tied third (2015) and tied-43th (2016) in his last two visits.

The American is enjoying a solid season having made his Major breakthrough that saw him prevail in an enthralling final day battle to win the coveted green jacket at the Masters Tournament in April.

However, Reed knows it will not be a stroll in the park at the Hong Kong Golf Club where more than 30 Asian Tour champions from over 15 countries including defending champion Wade Ormsby of Australia are expected to vie for top honours, too.

From left: Sergio Garcia of Spain, Patrick Reed of USA, Wade Orsmby of Australia, Tommy Fleetwood of England and Steven Lam of Hong Kong

England’s Tommy Fleetwood, who relinquished his European number one crown in Dubai last week, is looking forward to getting his season off to a flying start again.

Spain’s Sergio Garcia is also hoping to ink his place in the record books of the Hong Kong Open which has a rich history of former winners including 11 Major champions, who have won 30 Major championships between them.

Did you know?

• Patrick Reed held off a charging Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth to make his Major breakthrough in April this year when he won the coveted Green Jacket after a dramatic final day at Augusta National.
• Sergio Garcia, the 2017 Masters champion, finished tied-19th in his debut at the Hong Kong Open last year.
• Tommy Fleetwood, the 2017 Race to Dubai champion, will make his third appearance at the tournament. He finished in sixth place last year and third in 2016.
• Wade Ormsby’s earned his 2012 Asian Tour card at the Qualifying School in Thailand. He had his first Asian Tour victory in India the following year.
• After 264 starts of the European Tour last year, Ormsby finally also won his first European Tour title at the 2017 Hong Kong Open.
• The Hong Kong Open has a rich history of former winners, including 11 Major winners, who have won 30 Major championships between them. Peter Thomson (1960, 65, 67), Kel Nagle (1961), Orville Moody (1971), Greg Norman (1979, 83), Ian Woosnam (1987), Bernhard Langer (1991), Tom Watson (1992), Jose Maria Olazabal (2002), Padraig Haarrington (2004), Rory McIlroy (2011) and Justin Rose (2015).
• The lowest 18 hole score 60 (-10) was recorded by England’s Ian Poulter in 2010.

Players Quotes

Patrick Reed (Usa)

It has been a great year.  It’s one of those years that you always dream of.  You always dream of winning your first major, and then to just kind of play consistently and solid throughout the entire year, and to finish the season off correctly and going into Dubai and playing some really solid golf.  I was in in a position to win a golf tournament there but could not quite get it done. But to finish second in The Race to Dubai means a lot. The strength, depth and talent all around the world just show how deep golf is nowadays. I’ve gone up against a lot of guys from Asia who are just solid from top to bottom in all aspects of the game. I can’t single out anyone in particular. So whoever plays well this week will have a good chance of winning the tournament. I’m really excited to play at the Honma Hong Kong Open. It’s a fantastic week and an incredible city. The people are friendly and so hospitable, it makes for such a great experience for players. Hong Kong Golf Club is such a great golf course, I really enjoyed playing it in my previous two visits and I hope to play really well, have some fun and be in the mix late on Sunday.

Sergio Garcia (Esp)

I think obviously this season had its up and downs. I had a very good start and a great finish on the year.  So I’m very excited about that. That’s where I stand right now with top-10s in my last four or five tournaments.  So that’s obviously a positive, and you know, I’m hoping to finish the year on the same manner, kind of start the season in the same manner, and then take a nice, well deserved rest.  It’s great to be back in Hong Kong.  I came last year for the first time and had a great time. The golf course is amazing and it’s really strong test for us.  So you know, I’m excited to be back here and hopefully I can play nicely and give myself a chance.

Tommy Fleetwood (Eng)

I’ve really enjoyed playing the Hong Kong Open in the past two years. It is definitely a course that suits my eye. I feel really comfortable in my game there and hopefully I can go a couple better after the decent results I’ve had the last two years. The Hong Kong Golf Club is a great course and I’ve got a good record here. For me, I’ve always enjoyed coming here and I love the challenges the course presents.

Wade Ormsby (Aus)

It’s always good to come back to a golf course where you have won before. It really meant a lot to me. The greatest thing for me is that I have the belief to win on Tour and that changes your mindset on how you approach the week. Having played a lot of golf in Europe and around the world, it was amazing to get my first win at such a prestigious event, and I’m really excited to defend my title in the coming months.

Ends.

Hong Kong, November 16: India’s Viraj Madappa is ready to show his mental toughness when he comes up against several of the world’s best players at the HONMA Hong Kong Open presented by Amundi next week.

Co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European and the Hong Kong Golf Association, the HONMA Hong Kong Open will welcome a stellar field that includes Masters champion, Patrick Reed, Ryder Cup stars Tommy Fleetwood and Sergio Garcia to the Hong Kong Golf Club from November 22-25.

The young Indian is relishing the opportunity to endure himself to the Hong Kong crowd, having made a similar impression on home soil when he became the youngest Indian, at the age of 20 years and nine months, to win on the Asian Tour in August.

“I’ve been getting into a lot more tournaments with better field. It has been exciting playing against some of these top professionals from Asia. It allows me to see where my game stands,” said Madappa.

A graduate from Qualifying school in January, Madappa is also the first rookie and youngest player to win on Tour this season.

While he may have missed three consecutive cuts since his maiden win, Madappa bounced back with a fourth-placed in Chinese Taipei followed by a tied-39th finish at home last month.

“I feel like my game is there physically but got to work on my mental strength which was lacking the last few weeks. If my mental strength is strong, I can work my way up the leaderboard.

Madappa may be the new kid on the block but he knows he has a close circle of good friends whom he can count on when the pressure builds up on Tour.

“I’m really close to a couple of guys like Rahil Gangjee and S.S.P. Chawrasia. I’ve got close to other Indians like Shiv Kapur and Gaganjeet Bhullar who have really helped me throughout the year.

“They have helped me with my mental state and they have played a big part in helping me feel comfortable on Tour,” said the Indian.

More than 30 Asian Tour champions from over 15 countries are also expected to tee up at the US$2 million event with the battle to top the Habitat for Humanity standings heating up.

India’s Shubhankar Sharma leads the Habitat for Humanity standings by slightly more than US$130,000 over second-placed Sanghyun Park of Korea and with the winner’s purse worth US$333,330, the claim for pole position is still wide open.

Tickets are available to purchase at https://www.ticketflap.com/honmahongkongopen2018

The tournament is free to attend on Thursday 22 and Friday 23 November for all. Under 21s go free and in a celebration of the tournament’s 60th anniversary, all visitors aged 60 years and over will be granted free access for all days of the tournament.

The HONMA Hong Kong Open is supported by the Hong Kong Tourism Board which is instrumental in enabling the tournament attract some of the world’s best players.

The HONMA Hong Kong Open has also been recognized as an “M” Mark event to help enhance the image of Hong Kong as Asia’s sports event capital. “M” Mark is awarded by the Major Sports Events Committee, symbolizing an intense, spectacular and signature event in the territory’s sports calendar.

Ends.

Beau Champ, Mauritius, November 14: American John Catlin will be chasing for more glory when he makes his debut appearance at the prestigious AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open in a fortnight.

Catlin, a former Asian Development Tour (ADT) standout, showed true grit on the Asian Tour when he became the first player to win three times on the region’s premier Tour this season. He is the 10th player to have achieved the remarkable feat in Tour history.

Placed seventh on the Habitat for Humanity Standings, Catlin will spearhead the Asian Tour cast alongside countryman David Lipsky, South African Justin Harding and Merit leader Shubhankar Sharma of India at the picturesque Four Seasons Golf Club Mauritius at Anahita.

Sweden’s Malcolm Kokocinski, Adilson Da Silva of Brazil, India’s Viraj Madappa and Khalin Joshi, who had all won for the first time on the Asian Tour this season, are also set to feature in the €1 million (approx. US$1.23 million) event which gets underway from November 28 to December 2.

After making a career breakthrough at the Asia-Pacific Classic in China in May, Catlin went on to win the Sarawak Championship in Malaysia two months later. He emerged victorious again at the Yeangder Tournament Players Championship in Chinese Taipei in October.

He is looking to build on his success and focusing on putting together another winning performance at the AfraAsia Bank Mauritius Open.

“I am a firm believer that once you have accomplished one goal, it is time to move on to the next one. My next goal is to win on the European Tour and this tournament in Mauritius will provide me with an opportunity to do just that,” explained Catlin.

John Catlin of the United States

The 27-year-old Catlin signalled his arrival in Asia when he made the mark in his first attempt at the Asian Tour Qualifying School in 2015. After failing to keep his card for two consecutive seasons, Catlin worked his way back through the region’s secondary circuit where he finished third on the 2017 ADT Order of Merit to secure his playing rights on the premier Tour this season.

“The tournament has always looked so beautiful. The venue looks very challenging but fair on television. I’m looking forward to seeing it for myself and constructing my game plan. I’m sure there will be challenges and I am confident that I can figure it out.

“I always go out and give it my all from the very beginning to the very end. Every tournament means a lot to me and it is my biggest objective every week,” enthused Catlin.

Catlin will be part of an elite 156-man field, including defending champion Dylan Frittelli of South Africa and 2016 winner Jeunghun Wang of Korea, vying for top honours at the world-famous holiday isle.

The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, which was inaugurated in 2015, is the first tournament in international golf to be tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and the Sunshine Tour.

Hong Kong, November 9: The race to become Asia’s number one golfer is set to heat up when the HONMA Hong Kong Open presented by Amundi gets underway at the Hong Kong Golf Club from November 22-25.

With more than 30 Asian Tour champions from over 15 countries expected to tee up at the US$2 million event, the fierce battle for supremacy on the Hong Kong Golf Club’s composite Championship Course in Fanling is poised to be a highly charged one.

India’s Shubhankar Sharma leads the Habitat for Humanity standings by slightly more than US$130,000 over second-placed Sanghyun Park of Korea and with the winner’s purse worth US$333,330, the claim for pole position is still wide open.

Sharma, who finished tied-10th at the Hong Kong Open last year, is ready to cement his position atop the standings after enjoying an outstanding season which has seen him win his second Asian Tour title in Malaysia in February and posting several impressive results globally.

Sharma also played in all four Majors this year and finished tied-ninth at the World Golf Championships in Mexico, having led in the second and third rounds.

“This year has been a huge learning curve for me. I’ve played in some of the biggest events I could ever imagine and learned a lot.

“I’ll be playing Hong Kong and the next few events after that. So I’m looking forward to playing well now. It’s high time.  It’s the end of the year now and I feel like I’ve to do my best to have a chance to win the Order of Merit and I’ll try and do that,” said the Indian.

Sharma will have to fend off the challenges of several of his closest rivals including South Africa’s Justin Harding, who has also enjoyed a standout season with two wins and two top-five finishes in only six starts on the Asian Tour.

“It has been a nice year, casually moving up and up as I continue to put together some nice results. I guess I can say I’ve been going places.

“I didn’t really expect this when I played my first event out here. I can’t really explain it. It’s a matter of taking each round as it comes and giving myself chances come Sunday.

“It’s just a matter of trying to minimise mistakes throughout the year. You have your weeks when you make a couple more than most. I manage to minimize that,” said Harding.

The HONMA Hong Kong Open is tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and the Hong Kong Golf Association. It also marks the start of the European Tour’s 2019 Race to Dubai.

The tournament will welcome the return of defending champion Wade Ormsby of Australia and also feature reigning Masters champion Patrick Reed, 2017 Green Jacket winner Sergio Garcia as well as world number 10 Tommy Fleetwood of England.

Ends.