Madappa aims to break mental barrier at HONMA Hong Kong Open presented by Amundi
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.
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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.
Jakarta, November 7: Sweden’s Henrik Stenson is the latest marquee player to confirm he will compete in this year’s Indonesian Masters, organisers announced today.
And in other outstanding news, Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) have become the title sponsor, while Bank Tabungan Negara (BTN), PT.Lautan Luas.Tbk and Bank Mandiri have been unveiled as presenting sponsors.
The eighth edition of the prestigious BNI Indonesian Masters presented by Bank Tabungan Negara (BTN), PT.Lautan Luas.Tbk and Bank Mandiri will be played from December 13-16 at its traditional home, Royale Jakarta Golf Club.
And for the second year in a row it will be the season-ending flagship event on the Asian Tour.
Asian Tour Chairman Jimmy Masrin (middle) along with other VIPs at the press conference today.
Stenson is a phenomenal addition to the U$750,000 tournament, where he will compete for the first time.
In an incredibly exciting prospect for fans in Indonesia he joins England’s Justin Rose ― who recently announced he will also play in the tournament and with whom he forged an unbeatable partnership at the Ryder Cup in September.
The duo also fought a memorable battle at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, where Stenson won the silver medal finishing two strokes behind gold medalist Rose.
Stenson is the first male Swedish Major champion, having won the 2016 Open Championship at Royal Troon.
And in 2013, Stenson claimed the U.S. PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup and the European Tour’s Race to Dubai ― becoming the first player to win both, and to do so in the same season.
He was also the European Tour’s number one in 2016.
“This represents an incredibly exciting opportunity to end my season playing somewhere new and in an event with a great reputation,” said 42-year-old Stenson.
“It will also be great to be there with Justin (Rose) and judging by the way he played there last year, and indeed this year … he will be the man to beat.”
Stenson and Rose, paired together, won both their Foursomes matches in the Ryder Cup while the Swede also triumphed in his Singles game to go undefeated and help Europe reclaim the Cup.
“Bank Negara Indonesia is delighted to be sponsoring the Indonesian Masters once again,” said Tambok P. Setyawati, Director of Retail Banking Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI).
“The tournament is one of the country’s premier international sporting competitions and the perfect event for us to be associated with.”
Last year Rose recorded a commanding eight-shot victory that captured headlines around the world and after a great 2018 season – which saw him recently regain the world number one spot – expectations are high that the Englishman will again be at his best.
“The line-up of star players this year, with Henrik Stenson joining Justin Rose, is outstanding and we at Bank Mandiri feel privileged to be part of such a world-class golf tournament,” said Maristella Tri Haryanti, Vice President Corporate Communication Bank Mandiri.
And Sahat Sihombing, Senior Vice President Bank Tabungan Negara (BTN) added: “This year’s Indonesian Masters promises to be another great end to the season in Asia with two of the best players in the game, in Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson, and a quality field.”
Many of the world’s best players have competed in the Indonesian Masters, which was launched in 2011. England’s Lee Westwood has claimed the title a record three times (2011, 2012 and 2015) while Anirban Lahiri of India, who now plays primarily on the US PGA Tour, lifted the trophy in 2014.
“Henrik Stenson is a wonderful addition to the Indonesian Masters, along with Justin Rose – who we announced last month. Henrik is a world class player who has been a great ambassador for the game of golf and we look forward to welcoming him to our tournament,” said Jimmy Masrin, Founder of the Indonesian Masters and Chairman of the Asian Tour.
The Habitat for Humanity Standings (the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit) champion will also be crowned at the Indonesian Masters and the winner of this year’s tournament will earn a spot in the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational next July.
The tournament also forms the third leg of the 2018/19 Panasonic Swing, further adding to its pulling power. The Panasonic Swing is an aggregate points race that spans five events with Asian Tour players chasing a share of a lucrative bonus pool.
New Delhi, November 1: Habitat for Humanity, the global housing non-profit organisation and Asian Tour, the official sanctioning body of golf in Asia, joined hands once again to champion the cause of affordable housing and sanitation for underprivileged, low-income families in India.
At the recently-concluded Panasonic Open India, a Pro-Am tournament was played in support of Habitat for Humanity India on October 23 at the Delhi Golf Club.
The event witnessed a cross-section of professional golfers such as Miguel Carballo (Argentina), Lionel Weber (France), former Indian cricketers Murali Kartik and S Badrinath and business leaders like R. Gopal (Managing Director – Goodrich-Maritime), Arjun Nohwar (Head – Asia Pacific – Uber for Business, Uber) and Yvo Metzelaar (Managing Director – Pressto India) who came together to support Habitat for Humanity India.
“It was not just another game of Golf, this was an opportunity to transform the lives of people who lack basic amenities such as a decent home or access to a toilet. We enjoyed playing this Pro-Am in support of Habitat for Humanity India,” said Murali Kartik, former Indian National Cricketer, who played in the Habitat for Humanity Pro-Am.
On the same day, Habitat for Humanity India hosted a silent auction of golf-related memorabilia and unique experiences. The attendees made bids for golf clubs signed by professional golfers like Justin Thomas, Keegan Bradley and Xander Schauffele, who won the WGC-HSBC Champions last week.
The proceeds from the auction will help Habitat India build decent shelter and sanitation for vulnerable communities such as the farmers’ widows, families affected by the Kerala floods, families living disabilities and diseases like HIV AIDS.
“The need for safe and affordable housing for families is particularly pressing in Asia, especially with immense population growth amidst limited city space. The Asian Tour trusts that through this partnership, Habitat for Humanity will be able to expand their brand awareness and garner support from the golfing community to help more families increase their access to affordable housing. In addition, our staff and selected Asian Tour players will volunteer our time on-site in some of the communities we host tournaments to help Habitat activate the partnership first hand. We are proud to support and share the philosophy that through shelter, we can empower,” said Cho Minn Thant, Chief Operating Officer of the Asian Tour.
Khalin Joshi with the kids from RC Golf academy at the Golf clinic held in support of the Habitat for Humanity India.
Prior to winning his first Asian Tour title at the Panasonic Open India, India’s Khalin Joshi contributed to Habitat’s mission in a unique way by imparting leadership and life lessons that are engrained in the sport of golf to Habitat India’s 11 youth leaders through a Golf clinic held on October 27 at the Delhi Golf Club.
On October 29, Asian Tour Golfers Udayan Mane, Koh Deng Shan along with Cho Minn Thant, Chief Operating Officer of the Asian Tour and the Asian Tour staff partnered with Habitat India to build a home for Sheela Devi and Shabnam Khaled in Begumpur, New Delhi
“I am deeply moved by the efforts taken by all our guests today. This home is our dream and these eminent personalities are helping us realise our dream,” said Sheela Devi. Widowed ten years ago, Sheela lives in a dilapidated house with her two sons and one daughter. Her battle with HIV AIDS does not weaken her resolve to build a better future for her children. Shabnam who is deaf and hard of hearing is also determined to build her own home to improve her children’s lives. She currently lives with her daughter and son in her sister’s house.
“It was humbling to build homes for my fellow Indians who do not have basic necessities like shelter. I hope the golfing community continues to make a difference to the lives people like Sheela and Subnum,” said Udayan Mane.
“It was a very special experience for me to build homes in partnership with Habitat for Humanity. I admire the work they are doing in India and was happy that I could contribute in my own way,” said Koh Deng Shan, the Singaporean golfer.
Speaking on the occasion, Rajan Samuel, Managing Director, Habitat for Humanity India said: “Since last 35 years, Habitat India has been relentlessly working towards building decent, affordable housing and improved sanitation for the underprivileged families across the country. The Pro-Am tournament, the subsequent auction and the Build with Habitat India are integral to our vision of building a world where everyone has a decent place to live. We are grateful towards Asian Tour, the entire golfing community and all the business leaders who came out to support Habitat for Humanity.”
Shanghai, October 28: Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat enjoyed his best-ever finish at a World Golf Championships by signing off with a one-under-par 71 to end his week in tied-fourth place at the WGC-HSBC Champions on Sunday.
The US$10 million event also welcomed a new champion in American Xander Schauffele after he defeated compatriot Tony Finau with a birdie in the first play-off hole to lift the Old Tom Morris Cup at the Sheshan International Golf Club.
Schauffele, who celebrated his 25th birthday on Thursday, closed with 68 to finish with a 14-under-par 274 total for the tournament.
On his second trip back to the 18th for the play-off, Schauffele found the green in two and duly sank his short birdie putt.
He was confirmed as the newest champion of the WGC-HSBC Champions when Finau’s birdie putt from the edge of the green stopped just short of the hole.
Defending champion Justin Rose of England had to settle for third place after two bogeys in his last four holes saw him finish four shots back of Schauffele and Finau on 72.
China’s Li Haotong justified his position as the country’s best golfer when he posted a 70 to share 11th place with Australia’s Jason Day and Bill Horschel of the United States while India’s Shubhankar Sharma, who leads the Asian Tour’s Habitat for Humanity standings, signed for another 72 and will turn his attention towards strengthening his pole position on the money list now.
Did you know?
- Kiradech Aphibarnrat hit 32/56 fairways and 36/72 greens the entire week. He made a total of 25 putts on the final day.
- The Thai was playing in his fourth WGC-HSBC Champions. His previous results include T55 (2013), T30 (2015), T24 (2017).
- His tied-fourth finish at this week’s WGC-HSBC Champions is his best result in a WGC event and also the best ever finish by a Thai.
- He is the first player from Thailand to gain full-time membership on the PGA TOUR.
- Prior to his win at the WGC-HSBC Champions, Xander Schauffele’s best result at WGCs was a tied-13th finish at the 2017 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.
- Schauffele was the only player in the field to shoot in the 60s in both of the third and fourth rounds.
- The playoff was the second in the event’s history as a World Golf Championship. Bubba Watson defeated Tim Clark with a birdie on the first extra hole in 2014.
Players’ Quotes
Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Tha) Fourth round 71 (-1) Total 280 (-8)
I’m really happy with the score because of the way I played. It was terrible. I only hit seven greens in regulation all day. That’s really terrible golf for my standards. I holed a lot of putts, a lot of par saves today but overall one-under par is the best golf I can do today. I think it’s one of the good results for me, but I know I can do better than this, if I can strike the ball better. My iron play was not on form, not at all. I did not have my A Game, even for one day this week. But I managed to keep the score low under such tough conditions especially with the wind. My putting was good and that was the key. I really love to come back and play on the Asian Tour. Everyone knows that I’m born and started from here. I just got to manage my schedule but I’m sure I’ll come back.
Xander Schauffele (Usa) Fourth round 68 (-4), Total 274 (-14)
This win means a lot. Last season, I really wanted to win in my rookie year and wasn’t able to do that. I felt like I was playing great all day. Besides that first tee shot on one, where I pulled it right of the tree, I felt like I was in control of my ball. We kept our heads down. I didn’t even know when I was signing my card, I was like, Oh, wow, I actually went birdie, birdie to get in the playoff. I was just in my own world out there. My whole family is here with me this week and it means a lot. You know, it was my birthday this week. A lot of guys talk about the Asian stretch, and to have my family out here, especially with the win, it’s really special.
Tony Finau (Usa) Fourth round 71 (-1) Total 274 (-14)
I definitely feel like I let this one get away. But Xander played incredible golf today. It was playing tough out there. He posted a number and made birdie on a playoff hole when it counted. Hats off to him. He played nicely today and deserved to win. It seemed like we kind of separated ourselves with nine holes to play. Kind of a three-man tournament. So I definitely felt that way coming down the stretch, and it was cool to have a chance to win, a real chance to win, and you know, I’ll definitely learn from this and keep moving forward.
Shubhankar Sharma (Ind) Fourth round 72 (Even) Total 304 (+16)
I’m happy that I competed against the best players in the world this week. Even though I didn’t have my best game this week, I think you always learn when you play against such a world class field. I’m very comfortable now. In the beginning obviously I was a bit starry-eyed playing in this field and looking at all the players. But now I know it’s just all about me playing and playing against the course, which good. I feel like it will help me in the future.
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. And this week again, I think I learnt a lot. I played decent over the weekend and could have gone lower than what I did the first two days. But I felt like the game was better than the first two days, and that’s good enough for me to take into the next few weeks. I’ll be playing Hong Kong and the next few events after that. So looking forward to playing well now. It’s high time. It’s the end of the year now and I feel like I have to do my best to have a chance to win the Order of Merit and I’ll try and do that.
Leading Scores after round 4 of the WGC – HSBC Champions being played at the par 72, 7261 Yards Sheshan International Golf Club course (am – denotes amateur):
274 – Xander SCHAUFFELE (USA) 66-71-69-68, Tony FINAU (USA) 66-67-70-71.
278 – Justin ROSE (ENG) 69-67-70-72.
280 – Kiradech APHIBARNRAT (THA) 68-71-70-71, Andrew PUTNAM (USA) 70-71-67-72.
281 – Keegan BRADLEY (USA) 69-70-70-72.
283 – Patrick CANTLAY (USA) 70-68-73-72, Thorbjorn OLESEN (DEN) 75-69-67-72, Tommy FLEETWOOD (ENG) 68-68-72-75, Patrick REED (USA) 64-72-70-77.
284 – LI Haotong (CHN) 73-72-69-70, Billy HORSCHEL (USA) 68-72-71-73, Jason DAY (AUS) 71-70-69-74.
285 – Rafa CABRERA BELLO (ESP) 68-73-73-71, Emiliano GRILLO (ARG) 70-69-74-72.
286 – Brooks KOEPKA (USA) 72-74-71-69, Paul CASEY (ENG) 73-68-74-71.
287 – Adam SCOTT (AUS) 69-73-72-73, Alex NOREN (SWE) 74-69-71-73, Thomas PIETERS (BEL) 75-64-74-74.
New Delhi, October 28: India’s Khalin Joshi produced a dramatic finish when he fired four birdies in his closing five holes to sign for a four-under-par 68 and clinch his maiden Asian Tour title by one shot at the US$400,000 Panasonic Open India on Sunday.
Despite dropping two bogeys in this opening three holes, the 26-year-old Joshi withstood stifling pressure to bounce back with six birdies on his way home, including a seven-footer on the last to hold off the challenge of Bangladeshi Siddikur Rahman, at the Delhi Golf Club.
Joshi, who held a share of the overnight one-shot lead thanks to a superb third-round 64, would match the lowest winning score of the tournament with his four-day total of 17-under-par 271 in the event, which celebrated its eighth edition on the Asian Tour this week.
Delhi expert Siddikur fell short of his title bid after missing a 10-footer birdie putt on the last to settle for a par and a closing 69. He ended the week in second place on his own to mark his best result so far this season.
Young Thai talent Suradit Yongcharoenchai and Ajeetesh Sandhu of India shared third place on 274 following respective rounds of 69 and 70 while Aman Raj, also of India, recorded his career-best result on the Asian Tour after carding a 69 to settle a further shot back in fifth.
Joshi will take home a winner’s prize purse of US$72,000 courtesy of his victory, which saw him become the fifth Indian to win on the region’s premier Tour this season. He is also the 13th player to win for the first time on the Asian Tour in 2018.
The Panasonic Open India is sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) and is the second leg of the 2018/19 Panasonic Swing, which is an aggregate points race that spans five events – in Thailand, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Japan.
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Did you know?
- Khalin Joshi became the fifth Indian, following Shubhankar Sharma, Rahil Gangjee, Viraj Madappa and Gaganjeet Bhullar, to win on the region’s premier Tour this season. He is also the 13th player to win for the first time on the Asian Tour in 2018.
- Joshi, who hails from Bengaluru, kept the trophy on home soil after becoming the seventh Indian to win the popular event, which was inaugurated in 2011. Australian Wade Ormsby, who won in 2013, remains the only foreign winner of the event.
- It was Joshi’s first ever victory at the Delhi Golf Club, despite having played numerous tournaments on the course since his junior days.
- Prior to his breakthrough, Joshi has come close to winning his maiden title on several occasions. His previous best result on the Asian Tour was a runner-up finish at the 2017 TAKE Solutions Masters, which was held on his home course in Bengaluru. He has also enjoyed two top-10 finishes this season prior to his win.
- Joshi, who turned professional in 2013, recorded his personal best 18-hole score at the Delhi Golf Club with his third-round 64. It was also the best score of the week.
- Joshi matched the lowest winning score of the tournament, set by compatriot Shiv Kapur in 2017, with his four-day total of 17-under-par 271.
- With this victory, Joshi moved up to 16th place on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings and second place on the Panasonic Swing rankings.
- Siddikur Rahman was left to rue a missed opportunity on ending his five-year title drought. It was his third time finishing runner-up/joint runner-up in the event. He came in tied-second in 2012 and 2015.
- Siddikur holds an impeccable track record at the Delhi Golf Club. He won his second Asian Tour title in 2013, finished inside top-10 in four of his five attempts at the Panasonic Open India and has secured six top-10s in other Asian Tour events there.
- Siddikur entered the week in 97th place on the money list.His runner-up result would propel him to 53rd place on the latest Merit rankings, where he needs to stay inside top-60 at the end of the season to keep his Asian Tour card for 2019.
- Siddikur enjoyed his career-best season in 2013 when he came in fourth on the Asian Tour Order of Merit. He has not finished outside top-60 on the money list in his last eight consecutive seasons on Tour since 2010.
- The 33-year-old Siddikur wrote a slice of history in 2010 when he became the first player from Bangladesh to win on the Asian Tour at the Brunei Open.
- Suradit Yongcharoenchai marked his third and second straight top-five result on the Asian Tour this season with his tied-third finish. He came in joint runner-up at the TAKE Solutions Masters in India in August and finished tied-fifth in Pakistan two weeks ago.
- He joined the play-for-pay ranks at a tender age of 16. He turned 20 years old today.
Players’ quotes:
Khalin Joshi (Ind) – Final round 68 (-4), Total 271 (-17)
I have no words honestly. It’s a huge monkey off my back. I think I played really well. Kept my nerves and played really solid coming in. The last four holes were key for me. Like all night I was thinking about the 16th hole tee shot because that tee shot has haunted me for awhile now.
You know I am really relieved and really happy. I don’t know if it was nerves but just poor decision making I guess, starting off with two bogeys. But I still knew that there was a lot of golf to be played. I was playing well and it was just a matter of time.
You know the birdie I made on eighth gave me a lot of confidence that I am not very far away and I got to keep sticking to my game plan, I got to keep playing aggressive. You know like that’s all I did. Then again, I hit the driver on 18th and I played very aggressive and that’s what paid off.
This year I played very different from the previous years. I have seen many of the past champions going for it in two on the par fives. but I have been hitting 3 irons in the past. You know it was just believing in myself and playing aggressive golf. That was key for me this week.
Siddikur made a birdie on the 17th and I made a birdie on the 17th as well. I just knew I had the advantage because he didn’t have a driver. I just knew that I had to keep it in play. But he had a great putt. You know he made a great putt on top of me, which is unbelievable but I just believed in myself. I played aggressive and I got a bad bounce just in the rough. But hitting it in the fairways keeping it out of the bush is key over here.
Winning my first Asian Tour event here means the world to me. Winning anyway was great but winning at Delhi Golf club was unbelievable. All the spectators and crowd over here were very supportive. I have a bunch of friends over here, it means a lot and hopefully I gave them a good show.
I have four big weeks coming up after this. I am going to go back work on my game and come back fresh for Hong Kong. It just gives me a sense of satisfaction for sure. I have come close a few times, a bunch of my friends have won. All of my close friends have won.
I told Rahil at the start of the week that I am leaving Bangalore, I hope I can be the Panasonic Open India champion and here I am standing with the trophy. Just very happy with the way I played all week, it has obviously given me a great sense of satisfaction.
Siddikur Rahman (Ban) – Final round 69 (-3), Total 272 (-16)
I played better than I did yesterday actually. Khalin played really well coming down the stretch but I thought I did well too. Overall, it wasn’t bad. I am very happy with my result and I am proud of myself that I am able to put up a good fight for the title.
I just played my game and enjoy the moment out there. I felt a little bit of pressure at the beginning but I didn’t let that get into me. I really enjoyed every single moment this week. It’s my best result after a long time.
I have been trying to get the win to get my card for next year. It’s been on the back of my mind. Although I didn’t win, I put in a better position to finish inside top-60 on the Habitat for Humanity Standings now.
A lot of positives to take from this week and I’m sure it will help me a lot.
Suradit Yongcharoenchai (Tha) – Final round 69 (-3), Total 274 (-14)
It’s still a good finish for me. I am happy with the result. I didn’t putt well today but it’s alright. I was trying to eagle the last hole. I hit it to right of the green and wanted to chip in but it went over the green and I missed the birdie putt.
Overall, it has been a good week. I am really happy with another top-five result. This season has been great for me. This week will give me a lot of confidence as well. I will take the next few weeks off and come back stronger in Hong Kong.
Scores after round 4 of the Panasonic Open India being played at the par 72, 6935 Yards Delhi GC course (am – denotes amateur):
271 – Khalin Joshi (IND) 71-68-64-68.
272 – Siddikur Rahman (BAN) 67-66-70-69.
274 – Suradit Yongcharoenchai (THA) 66-67-72-69, Ajeetesh Sandhu (IND) 67-67-70-70.
275 – Aman Raj (IND) 70-68-68-69.
276 – Jazz Janewattananond (THA) 68-67-73-68, Kshitij Naveed Kaul (IND) 72-66-70-68, Matt Stieger (AUS) 70-69-68-69.
277 – Settee Prakongvech (THA) 70-67-70-70.
278 – Jack Harrison (ENG) 69-68-74-67, Mukesh Kumar (IND) 71-67-72-68, Steven Jeffress (AUS) 71-71-68-68, M. Dharma (IND) 70-67-70-71, Yutaka Araki (JPN) 70-67-70-71.
280 – Karandeep Kochhar (IND) 69-76-67-68, Sachin Baisoya (IND) 70-70-67-73.
281 – Kapil Kumar (IND) 69-72-71-69, Peradol Panyathanasedh (THA) 68-74-70-69.
282 – Om Prakash Chouhan (IND) 72-74-68-68, Mithun Perera (LKA) 73-72-68-69, Tapy Ghai (IND) 67-72-72-71, Prom Meesawat (THA) 71-69-71-71, Chikkarangappa S. (IND) 71-69-71-71.
283 – Shiv Kapur (IND) 70-70-71-72, Chiragh Kumar (IND) 72-71-68-72, Jbe Kruger (RSA) 71-70-68-74.
Shanghai, October 27: Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat will be hoping to overcome his ball striking woes on the day that matters most after carding a third round two-under-par 70 at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions on Saturday.
The world number 41 ended day three of the US$10 million event in tied-seventh place, six shots back of American leader Tony Finau, who stamped his authority at the Shanghai showpiece by being the only player to birdie the last three holes to lead with his three-day total of 13-under-par 203.
Defending champion Justin Rose, who is seeking to become the only player other than Tiger Woods to defend a World Golf Championships title, returned with a 70 to share second place with Americans Patrick Reed and Xander Schauffele.
While a maiden WGC win at the Sheshan International Golf Club is still within sights, the Thai prefers to play down expectations and just focus on getting off to a fast start so that he chase Finau down on the final day.
Kiradech birdied two of his opening three holes before dropping a shot on six. He recovered quickly with another birdie on the next hole but suffered another bogey on the eight hole.
The Thai then marked his card with another pair of birdies on 13 and 14 before another bogey on 15 dropped him back to two-under for the round.
Like Kiradech, Finau is also eyeing his breakthrough at a WGC event and is hopeful of getting the job done provided he continues to maintain his composure as he is wary of the host of world class players ready to capitalise on any of his mistakes he may make on the final day.
Did you know?
- Kiradech Aphibarnrat hit 9/14 fairways, 7/18 greens and took 21 putts today.
- The Thai is playing in his fourth WGC-HSBC Champions. His previous results include T55 (2013), T30 (2015), T24 (2017).
- He is the first player from Thailand to gain full-time membership on the PGA TOUR.
- Tony Finau is playing in the fifth World Golf Championships event of his career and he has never finished worse than T27 at a WGC.
- Finau finished T11 at last year’s WGC-HSBC Champions in his only previous start at the event.
- Justin Rose is bidding to become first golfer to successfully defend at WGC-HSBC Champions.
- He came from eight shots back to win last year, the third largest comeback in WGC history.
- Xandere Schauffele is looking for his first top-10 finish in a World Golf Championships event.
- In his past five starts at WGCs, Schauffele’s best finish is a T13 at the 2017 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational.
Players’ Quotes
Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Tha) Third round 70 (-2) Total 209 (-7)
I got off to a good start, hit solid shots and rolled the putts well but towards the end of the day, I didn’t strike the ball as well as I could have. It’s the same every day, my iron game isn’t sharp enough to make it. I think so far I hit like seven greens in regulation, which is like so low. Accuracy is quite key around this course because when the wind picks up and it’s very windy around here, the golf course gets more difficult. I still have to work hard on my game to get everything back. I have to get off to a very hot start and just keep it going. I really need a low number to have a chance but finishing top-five is the goal for me this week.
Tony Finau (Usa) Third round 70 (-2) Total 203 (-13)
It was great to birdie the last three. It’s always a nice way to finish no matter what position you’re in. I didn’t have a lot going my way, kind of for the first half of the day, and Rosey was making his run. I was just really pleased I was able to finish that way and get some momentum going into tomorrow. I will just continue to take it a shot at a time. I’ve been doing a good job of that this week. You’ve got to still just stay in the present. You can’t look too far ahead, and learn just kind of from maybe some of the mistakes that I’ve made. I feel like I hit a lot of good golf shots. My speed on the greens were a little off, so you know, I missed quite a few putts because of that. But I knew I was right there. I was still in the golf tournament, very much in the golf tournament and if I could just finish the way I know I can, put me in good position going into tomorrow. There was no need to panic. Just play some good golf coming down the stretch and I was able to do that. I’ve got a world-class field chasing after me. This is the position you want to be in and you know, I’ll be looking to close out my first tournament in this position, which is exciting for me. Whether it happens or not, it’s an experience that you learn from and you continue to move forward.
Justin Rose (Eng) Third round 70 (-2) Total 206 (-10)
I’m playing well, so I’ve got to go out tomorrow. Shoot maybe something in the mid 60s and see if I can chase Tony down. Obviously there’s three guys at 10-under who are all going to be chasing pretty hard but nothing to lose tomorrow. It’s going to take a good round. I’m playing well, feeling good. Just got to put that last couple holes behind me and come out a little bit angry tomorrow.
Xander Schauffele (Usa) Third round 69 (-3), Total 206 (-10)
I think I’ll probably have a word with my caddie tonight. Try and stick to whatever process we come up with and try and slow down what I do. There’s a lot of decisions to be made out here on the golf course with the wind swirling. If we can stay in each shot and not get ahead of ourselves, I think that will be the key to success.
Leading scores after round 3 of the WGC – HSBC Champions being played at the par 72, 7261 Yards Sheshan International Golf Club course (am – denotes amateur):
203 – Tony FINAU (USA) 66-67-70.
206 – Xander SCHAUFFELE (USA) 66-71-69, Justin ROSE (ENG) 69-67-70, Patrick REED (USA) 64-72-70.
208 – Andrew PUTNAM (USA) 70-71-67, Tommy FLEETWOOD (ENG) 68-68-72.
209 – Keegan BRADLEY (USA) 69-70-70, Kiradech APHIBARNRAT (THA) 68-71-70.
210 – Jason DAY (AUS) 71-70-69.
211 – Thorbjorn OLESEN (DEN) 75-69-67, Billy HORSCHEL (USA) 68-72-71, Patrick CANTLAY (USA) 70-68-73.
212 – Andrea PAVAN (ITA) 72-71-69.
213 – Thomas PIETERS (BEL) 75-64-74, Emiliano GRILLO (ARG) 70-69-74.
214 – LI Haotong (CHN) 73-72-69, C.T. PAN (TPE) 68-76-70, Alex NOREN (SWE) 74-69-71, Adam SCOTT (AUS) 69-73-72, Rafa CABRERA BELLO (ESP) 68-73-73, Ian POULTER (ENG) 69-71-74.
215 – Satoshi KODAIRA (JPN) 72-73-70, Alexander BJORK (SWE) 70-75-70, Paul CASEY (ENG) 73-68-74, Ryan FOX (NZL) 70-70-75.
New Delhi, October 27: Indian talent Khalin Joshi fired a superb eight-under-par 64 to turn a six-shot deficit into a one-shot lead alongside Bangladeshi hero Siddikur Rahman following the penultimate round of the US$400,000 Panasonic Open India on Saturday.
The 26-year-old Joshi, who is bidding for a maiden Asian Tour title, produced a near-perfect card which included nine birdies and a lone bogey. His three-day total of a 13-under-par 203 would match the efforts of Siddikur, who signed for a battling 70, at the Delhi Golf Club.
Ajeetesh Sandhu of India remained in third place after carding a 70 while overnight joint-leader Suradit Yongcharoenchai of Thailand slipped two shots off the pace to fourth following a 72 in the event, which is celebrating its eighth successive editions on the Asian Tour this week.
Siddikur, a two-time Asian Tour winner, got off to a fast start with three straight birdies before dropping two bogeys on the fourth and ninth hole to turn in 35. He would regain a shot on the 11th hole to remain one shot ahead of the chasing pack.
Joshi has enjoyed a superb season thus far, capping two top-10 finishes to sit in 23rd place on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings. Having virtually secured his playing rights for the 2019 season, Joshi will take aim at securing a breakthrough victory on Sunday.
Sandhu, who traded three birdies against a bogey, remained hopeful of a successful redemption at the Panasonic Open India, where he came in joint-second last year. He is chasing for a second victory and first on home soil on the region’s premier Tour.
The Panasonic Open India is sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) and is the second leg of the 2018/19 Panasonic Swing, which is an aggregate points race that spans five events – in Thailand, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Japan.
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Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh
Did you know?
- Khalin Joshi has come close to winning his maiden title on several occasions. His best result on the Asian Tour was a runner-up finish at the 2017 TAKE Solutions Masters, held on his home course in Bengaluru.
- Joshi’s low round of a 64 was three shots better than the rest of the field on moving day at the Panasonic Open India. It was his personal best 18-hole score at the prestigious course and the lowest round of the tournament so far this week.
- The last time he shot a 64 was during the third round of the TAKE Solutions Masters two months ago. He was trailing by one heading into the final round where he would eventually finish in tied-sixth position.
- Joshi, who turned professional in 2013, enjoyed a tied-fifth place finish at the lucrative Maybank Championship in Malaysia earlier in February to virtually secure his Asian Tour card for the 2019 season.
- Joshi missed only three greens and four fairways in his solid round of 64. He needed only 26 putts around the greens.
- Siddikur Rahman holds an impeccable track record at the Delhi Golf Club. He won his second Asian Tour title in 2013, finished inside top-10 in four of his five attempts at the Panasonic Open India and has secured six top-10s in other Asian Tour events there.
- Siddikur did not play in the last two editions of the Panasonic Open India. In his last appearance in 2015, Siddkur came in tied-second.
- Placed 97th on the money list, Siddikur needs a strong showing to boost his rankings and hopefully break into top-60 by the end of the season to keep his Asian Tour card for 2019.
- Siddikur enjoyed his career-best season in 2013 when he came in fourth on the Asian Tour Order of Merit. He has not finished outside top-60 on the money list in his last eight consecutive seasons on Tour since 2010.
- The 33-year-old Siddikur wrote a slice of history in 2010 when he became the first player from Bangladesh to win on the Asian Tour at the Brunei Open.
- Ajeetesh Sandhu enjoyed a superb season in 2017 where he claimed his maiden Asian Tour win at the Yeangder TPC in Chinese Taipei. He followed up with a play-off win on the Japan Challenge Tour the week after.
- His good form continued in the following weeks at the Macao Open and the Pansonic Open India where he finished joint runner-up. Also enjoyed a tied-eighth place finish at the season-ending Indonesian Masters to finish in 21st position on the final 2017 Order of Merit.
- The 30-year-old Sandhu sits in a current 34th place on the Habitat for Humanity Standings, thanks to two top-10 finishes in Japan and Korea.
- Suradit Yongcharoenchai is seeking for his maiden Asian Tour title this week. He turned professional at a tender age of 16 and will be celebrating his 20th birthday on Sunday.
- Suradit sits in 40th place on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings, thanks to two top-five finishes in India and Pakistan. He came in joint runner-up at the TAKE Solutions Masters in India in August and finished tied-fifth in Pakistan two weeks ago.
Players’ quotes:
Siddikur Rahman (Ban) – Third round 70 (-2), Total 203 (-13)
I got off to a great start with three birdies in a row. Dropped a few shots after that but all in all, it wasn’t too bad. I had some doubts here and there about my game during the round but I managed to control myself and told myself not to think about what will happen.
I think I managed myself very well today. I thought I played really well on the last five holes but the putts didn’t drop. I hit a good drive on the 14th hole although I missed a three-footer for birdie. Missed birdie again on the next hole and hit a good three-wood on 16th but missed birdie as well.
I hit a good drive on the 17th again. I played a three-wood off the tee but unfortunately it went a little left. I still had a chance there and I made a good up and down. I kept myself in it. I wasn’t frustrated although I didn’t play as good today compared to the last two rounds.
One more day to enjoy out there so I am really looking forward to it. It’s good that I played in the leader group today. It’s been some time since I last played in the leader group. I think I have overcome the nerves today already so I should be fine for tomorrow.
It will be a fearless day tomorrow. I have a lot of experiences playing in the leader group before so that won’t be a matter to me. It’s always good to have a one-shot lead. I think the back nine is slightly tougher. The last few holes are very tight and it can be really challenging under pressure.
There won’t be anything exceptional tomorrow. Everything will be the same. I will head back to the hotel later, freshen up, get a good sleep tonight and come back tomorrow!
Khalin Joshi (Ind) – Third round 64 (-8), Total 203 (-13)
I got off with a par, I birdied second, made a good par on the third. Birdied fourth, birdied fifth, birdied eighth. Parred 9. Birdied 10,11. Made a bad bogey on 13th, I was just in the rough, flew over the green. Great chip, about 4ft missed the puyt. Birdied 14, 15 and 18.
Overall, I am very happy with the way I played, pretty solid. I mean I hit pretty well of the tee. I am putting pretty good, so overall the game is in good shape. I am just happy with the way I am playing.
I have been playing pretty solid all week. I just didn’t finish well on the first day. Finished with two bogeys. But other than that I have been playing well. Giving myself more birdie chances, which is key over here.
And I have always struggled to hit fairways in the golf course in the past. You know I have worked on my driving, I am playing more aggressive this year. I am hitting drivers in few holes. I am just comfortable with the swing, the way I am playing. Looking forward to tomorrow.
I felt really good in Bangalore two months ago as well, but never really close that off. I feel I have been hitting the ball pretty well. Worked on my game the last two weeks, just comfortable with the way I am playing. Looking forward to tomorrow.
It’s always good to give yourself a chance. I have a fair chance on Sunday and hopefully tomorrow I will be up there all throughout the game.
It doesn’t really matter who I play with. I have always been a scoreboard watcher, I will just try to play my best.
I think all of my birdies today were pretty good. I got pretty close, I made two good putts. I think the putt I made on 11 was about 15-17 Feet. Other than that, all my putts were pretty close, within 10 feet.
I hit a great drive on the 18th, about 330 yards to the middle of the fairway but had a bad four- iron to the left of the green. Hit a great chip there which lipped out to about two feet and yeah it became a birdie.
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Ajeetesh Sandhu of India
Ajeetesh Sandhu (Ind) – Third round 70 (-2), Total 204 (-12)
I am disappointed with my score because I played a lot better than that. Just missed a lot of putts. But still I’m just one back so that doesn’t mean anything, there are still 18 holes to go.
I have hit it the best that I have for the last three days, in fact for the last few months actually. On this course, you have to patient. Even if you get a good start, you still have a lot of holes to play.
The back nine here can get a bit tricky, especially the stretch of 11, 12 and up till 16. If you play well, you can make a few birdies but you can drop a few shots as well. So it does not really depend on the start, you just have to patient through all the 18 holes.
Suradit Yongcharoenchai (Tha) – Third round 72 (even), Total 205 (-11)
I think I just wasn’t lucky today. I hit good shots but got some unlucky bounces. I made a good birdie on the third after sinking a 20-footer. That gave me some confidence heading into the round.
It’s going to be my second time playing in the final group in the final round tomorrow. The first time was in Myanmar earlier this year. I am just two shots behind. I think I still have a good chance tomorrow.
I will focus on hitting more fairways tomorrow and see how it goes. I am looking forward to it.
203 – Khalin Joshi (IND) 71-68-64, Siddikur Rahman (BAN) 67-66-70.
204 – Ajeetesh Sandhu (IND) 67-67-70.
205 – Suradit Yongcharoenchai (THA) 66-67-72.
206 – Aman Raj (IND) 70-68-68.
207 – Sachin Baisoya (IND) 70-70-67, Matt Stieger (AUS) 70-69-68, Yutaka Araki (JPN) 70-67-70, Settee Prakongvech (THA) 70-67-70, M. Dharma (IND) 70-67-70.
208 – Kshitij Naveed Kaul (IND) 72-66-70, Jazz Janewattananond (THA) 68-67-73.
209 – Jbe Kruger (RSA) 71-70-68.
210 – Steven Jeffress (AUS) 71-71-68, Angad Cheema (IND) 70-70-70, Mukesh Kumar (IND) 71-67-72.
211 – Jyoti Randhawa (IND) 70-74-67, Chiragh Kumar (IND) 72-71-68, Shiv Kapur (IND) 70-70-71, Chikkarangappa S. (IND) 71-69-71, Prom Meesawat (THA) 71-69-71, Tapy Ghai (IND) 67-72-72, Jack Harrison (ENG) 69-68-74.
Ends.
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