Chinese Taipei, September 25: Rising star Shubhankar Sharma of India will resume his chase for the coveted Asian Tour Order of Merit crown when he tees off for the US$850,000 Mercuries Taiwan Masters on Thursday.

Sharma, who will be receiving the prestigious Arjuna Award from the President of India in Delhi today, is determined to put up a fine performance this week to extend his lead on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings.

The 22-year-old Sharma will spearhead the elite 123-man field from 23 countries at the fabled Taiwan Golf and Country Club, the traditional home of the Mercuries Taiwan Masters which is celebrating its centennial year in 2018 as the oldest club in the country.

South African Justin Harding, highest-ranked player in 97th place on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), will also feature in the storied event alongside Korea’s Sanghyun Park and Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe, all placed inside the top-10 on the Habitat for Humanity Standings.

The Mercuries Taiwan Masters is the longest-running full-field event on the Asian Tour. Inaugurated in 1987, the event has been held annually on the region’s premier Tour since 2004.

Players will be vying to boost their Merit rankings as the top 10 and top four players (not otherwise exempt) on the Habitat for Humanity standings will qualify for the US$7 million CIMB Classic and US$10 million WGC-HSBC Champions staged in Malaysia and China respectively.

The Mercuries Taiwan Masters will be the penultimate event for players to try and boost their rankings on the Habitat for Humanity Standings before the cut-off date on October 7.

Did you know?

• Shubhankar Sharma, a two-time Asian Tour winner, currently leads the Habitat for Humanity Standings with a season’s haul of US$603,156.
• Sharma won his first Asian Tour title at the Joburg Open last December. He went on to claim his second victory two months later at the Maybank Championship and broke into top-100 on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) for the first time in his career.
• He continued his remarkable rise at the World Golf Championships in Mexico where he came in top-10 in his first attempt.
• Sharma played in all four Major championships this year. He is the youngest Indian and third overall to achieve the feat following Jeev Milkha Singh in 2007 and Anirban Lahiri in 2015 and 2016.
• Sharma will receive the award from the President of India in a ceremony to be conducted at the Rashtrapati Bhavan (President’s House) in Delhi today.
• Other Indian golfers who have won the Arjuna Award include: Ali Sher (1991), Amit Luthra (1996), Harmeet Kahlon (1997), Jeev Milkha Singh (1999), Shiv Kapur (2002), Jyoti Randhawa (2004), Arjun Atwal (2007), Gaganjeet Bhullar (2013), Anirban Lahiri (2014) and S.S.P. Chawrasia (2017).
• Justin Harding is playing in only his sixth start on the Asian Tour this week. He has claimed two victories and a runner-up finish so far.
• Harding broke into top-10 on the money list following his second-place result in Japan last week. He sits in a current eighth position and is in the running to qualify for the WGC-HSBC Champions in November.
• The 32-year-old Harding won his first Asian Tour title in his first start on Tour this season at the BANK BRI Indonesia Open in July. He later claimed a six-shot victory at the Royal Cup to become the first player since 2011 to win back-to-back titles on the region’s premier Tour.
• Prior to his campaign this week, Scott Vincent has notched a total of eight top-10 results this season. He has missed only two cuts in 17 starts so far. He is chasing for a breakthrough win on the Asian Tour this week.
• The 26-year-old Vincent came in joint runner-up when he played in his first attempt at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters last year.
• Vincent is leading the total against par rankings where he is 106-under-par in 59 rounds this season. He is incredibly 31 shots to-par better than anyone else in the ranking.
• Vincent, placed fourth on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings, will have his wife Kelsey on the bag again this week.
• Vincent, the only Zimbabwean member on Tour, was named the Rookie of the Year in 2016. He came through the Qualifying School in his first attempt earlier that year.

Players’ quotes:

Shubhankar Sharma (Ind)

I am really excited to be coming back to play in Asia. This is my third time playing in the Mercuries Taiwan Masters. I am looking forward to seeing all my friends again and it will be nice to catch up with all of them this week.

I’ve played the course before so I know what mistakes I should avoid. I’ll make sure I come up with a good game plan and hopefully play well this week. The aim is also to build some good momentum before heading to the CIMB Classic in Malaysia.

I’m looking forward to play in the CIMB Classic as well. It’s one of the biggest events in Asia and I’m very happy to qualify for that. I have never played at the TPC KL before. I have been very lucky to get a few starts on the PGA Tour as well this year so I am very excited.

The chase for the Asian Tour Order of Merit crown has been on my mind since the start of the season. I’ve been leading the Habitat for Humanity Standings since winning the Maybank Championship in February. I’m lucky to still be in the lead even though I haven’t played much in Asia.

I will try my best to play well these two weeks and hopefully extend my lead at the top of the money list. It’s not going to be easy but I’m in the best position that anyone can be in. It will be a great honour if I can join the list of Indian players who have won the prestigious Asian Tour Order of Merit crown.

I am really happy to receive the Arjuna award today as well. It’s a great honour. Many great golfers in India, like Jeev Milkha Singh, Arjun Atwal, Anirban Lahiri and Gaganjeet Bhullar, have won the award so to be able to join that illustrious list really mean a lot to me. My whole family will be there at the ceremony with me today so I am really excited.

Justin Harding (Rsa)

This is my first time in Chinese Taipei. It’s the first time for me just about everywhere at the moment but I’m looking forward to the week. It’s good to be coming into the week with some good form, after finishing runner-up in Japan.

I felt like it was a sneaky result last week because I thought I was just walking through the course for three days and then managed to make a couple of putts on Sunday to put myself in good position.

Everyone was trying to grab a share of second place because Yuta (Ikeda) had a phenomenal week. I was just trying to make birdies out there and it turned out that I was second alone and that was awesome.

It has obviously put me in a good position on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings as well, which is nice with the big events coming up. I know I can’t always feel my way around. I need to put three good rounds together and give myself a chance come Sunday.

I will try and figure out the course these two days and learn what kind of strategies I need, hopefully make as few bogeys as possible. I’ve enjoyed playing in Asia so far. It’s been a long time coming. I have been wanting to play here for awhile but it didn’t quite work out with my scheduling, especially with the big events back home in South Africa.

I have made a couple of friends here, obviously the guys whom I have been playing with. The tour staff and everyone else have been fantastic. They made me feel very welcomed. This is only my sixth event so I am still very new.

I’ve got Shaun Norris with me this week. We’re staying together. Scott (Vincent) and I get along very well and I’m pretty close to Jbe Kruger and Adilson Da Silva as well. I don’t feel as lonely actually. It’s a nice experience and learning curve for me overall so I’m hoping to keep it going.

I think bidding for a spot in the WGC-HSBC Champions is at the back of everyone’s mind right now. A couple of us are pretty close and anyone who plays well these two weeks has a chance to grab one of the four spots. It’s going to be a grind all the way down the stretch. We’ll see what happens.

I have had a good year so far. I was in some good run of form when I won in Thailand and Indonesia. It seems like it’s happening again now and I am going to try and ride on that good momentum for as long as I can.

Scott Vincent (Zim)

I played well here last year. I had a good week and I remembered playing some really good golf here. I am looking forward to keep that going for this week.

There are some really tricky holes out there, like the ninth hole. The drives are so important out here. The greens here are tricky too and you will need a bit of quick adjustments, especially coming from places where the greens are rolling fast.

This is one of those weeks where you know it’s going to be tough, especially when you understand what you’re going into. You just need to be ready for those things. It’s good to be coming back here with some good form.

A few things on the back of my mind as well. I hope to play well this week and seal up my spot in the upcoming WGC-HSBC Champions. Looks like I have locked up my spot in the CIMB Classic already so that’s great. I’m hoping for a really good week.

It could be a bonus week. I could get my first win here but that’s something I will leave till Sunday. Right now, I just have to focus on the days leading up to Sunday. Got to get some good work in today and tomorrow and be ready to go on Thursday.

Ends.

Sentosa, Singapore, September 24: South African Justin Harding’s foray into the Asian Tour has been fantastic so far, but he is not done yet.

The 32-year-old has broken into the top-10 of the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings following his second-place finish at the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup on Sunday,

With that, Harding is now in a commanding position to qualify for two of the most lucrative events on the Tour schedule in 2018 and he aims to secure his spot over the next two weeks.

“Hopefully, this result will help with my chances to qualify for the CIMB Classic and the WGC-HSBC Champions. It will be tight on the Habitat for Humanity Standings and we’ve got a fortnight left, so by no means I’m done and dusted. I still have to grind,” said Harding, who is currently eighth on the money list.

Harding won the Indonesia Open and the Royal Cup earlier in the season, becoming the first golfer to win twice in his first two starts on Asia’s premier circuit.

“It has been a whirlwind on the Asian Tour. Everything is new to me but I’m enjoying it and having a lot of fun. I’m looking to continue my form throughout the year,” added Harding.

John Catlin of the United States

American John Catlin is also setting his sights on securing a spot in Malaysia and China. He has improved his chances significantly after a tied-ninth finish in Japan.

“I had a chance to win a golf tournament but I couldn’t get the putts to fall. I hit it beautifully, but my putter let me down,” explained Catlin.

On the race to the CIMB Classic, he said: “It is going to be an exciting next two weeks. It will come down the wire and it will be a good challenge for me.”

The top-10 and top-four players (not otherwise exempt) on the Habitat for Humanity standings will qualify for the US$7million CIMB Classic and US$10 million WGC-HSBC Champions staged in Malaysia and China respectively.

The cut-off date for both events will be upon the conclusion of the Yeangder Tournament Players Championship in Chinese Taipei on October 7.

This week, the Asian Tour heads to the Taiwan Golf and Country Club for the US$850,000 Mercuries Taiwan Masters, which is celebrating its 32nd edition this year.

Ends.

Top-20 players on the Habitat for Humanity Standings

Pos       Player   Order of Merit (US$)

1            Shubhankar SHARMA (IND) $603,155.55

2            Sanghyun PARK (KOR) $535,524.07

3            Matt WALLACE (ENG) $446,660

4            Scott VINCENT (ZIM) $391,142.6

5            Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND) $390,226.53

6            Kiradech APHIBARNRAT (THA) $372,480.89

7            Yuta IKEDA (JPN) $338,671.47

8            Justin HARDING (RSA) $338,097.88

9            Rahil GANGJEE (IND) $296,888.5

10          Sihwan KIM (USA) $279,623.77

11          Minchel CHOI (KOR) $271,340.97

12          John CATLIN (USA) $247,372.18

13          Paul PETERSON (USA) $241,148.57

14          Jazz JANEWATTANANOND (THA) $224,414.8

15          Shaun NORRIS (RSA) $179,715.32

16          Prom MEESAWAT (THA) $165,838.63

17          Danthai BOONMA (THA) $165,252.19

18          Berry HENSON (USA) $164,560.6

19          Kurt KITAYAMA (USA) $152,723.69

20          Daniel NISBET (AUS) $151,883.64

Saitama, Tokyo, September 23: Yuta Ikeda of Japan won his 20th career title in sensational style after shooting a final round three-under-par 68 at the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup on Sunday.

The 32-year-old Ikeda romped to an impressive six-shot victory after ending his campaign on 15-under-par 269 at the JP¥150 million (approximately US$1.35 million) event sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour Organization.

The in-form Justin Harding of South Africa, who claimed two titles in his first two starts on the Asian Tour in 2018, registered a 66 to finish in second place at the Musashi Country Club, Sasai Course.

Ikeda, who held an overnight one-shot lead, bogeyed the first hole but steadied ship with birdies on holes two, four and six. As his closest challengers faded, Ikeda marked his card with another birdie on 15 to cruise to a comfortable victory.

Ranked 98th on the Official World Golf Ranking, Ikeda secured his first title in 2018 to continue an impressive winning record where he has won every season since 2009.

The 32-year-old Harding produced the round of the day but it was not enough to challenge the impeccable Ikeda. Despite settling for second place, he moved to eighth position on the Habitat for Humanity Standings.

The leading 10 players on the Habitat for Humanity Standings on October 8 will qualify for the lucrative CIMB Classic next month.

Did you know?

• This is Ikeda’s 20th victory on the JGTO and second on the Asian Tour. He is now the eighth player to win 20 titles in Japan alongside Graham Marsh, Toru Nakamura and Toru Taniguchi. Masashi ‘Jumbo’ Ozaki holds the record of most wins in Japan with 94 titles.
• Ikeda is the only player to finish the tournament in double digits. His six-shot win equals the largest winning margin on the Asian Tour this year. He is also the first Japanese player to win on the region’s premier Tour in 2018.
• He started the tournament slowly when he opened with a 69 but showed his class in round two when he shot a 66 in raining conditions followed by another 66 in the penultimate round.
• Ikeda will earn 15 Official World Golf Ranking points for the victory which also includes a cool prize purse of US$266,514. A member on the Asian Tour, he will move to seventh position on the Habitat for Humanity Standings.
• He is now five victories from earning a lifetime membership on the JGTO.
• Ikeda was one of the star performers for Team Asia against Team Europe in the biennial EurAsia Cup. Despite Team Asia’s defeat, Ikeda was unbeaten and helped his team secure three points.
• Harding made a huge move from his overnight 16th placing. He played under-par for three rounds except the second day where he struggled in the rain to return with a 74.
• He is enjoying the form of his life at the moment. He won back-to-back titles in his first two starts on the Asian Tour, in addition to his two victories on the Sunshine Tour earlier this year.

Player quotes:

Yuta Ikeda (Jpn) – Final Round 68 (-3), Total 269 (-15)

I started with a bogey so it wasn’t a good start but it didn’t affect me that much because my game felt good. I’m glad I was able to recover from that bogey.

This is my 20th victory and I didn’t expect to win so many in my career. It is a step forward for me and now I’m looking at winning five more titles and that motivates me more. Obviously I’m proud to have won so many times.

Nobody was doing anything and after my birdie on the sixth hole, I felt like I had a good chance to win. I’m really happy I’m able to win by such a big margin. My rounds on Friday and Saturday were important. Those were really good rounds.

You need to keep the ball on the fairway on this course but it is a difficult golf course and you can’t always keep it on the fairways. Having the ability to recover when you get into the rough was the difference between me and the other players this week

I want to build on this win and for the remainder of the season. I’ve won every year since 2009. Earlier in my career, I played with the pressure of trying to win every year. Now I don’t have that pressure anymore.

Justin Harding (Rsa) – Final Round 66 (-5), Total 275 (-9)

I had the easiest putt (birdie) on the last hole and left it short! I played nicely. I battled on Friday in the rain and didn’t have a good day. I find myself putting my round together a little bit better in the weekend. I felt like I was burning edges for three days in a row and finally I made a couple today.

I looked at the scoreboard a few times and nobody seemed to be running away except for the leader. A second place was definitely up for grabs. I gained some momentum with a birdie on nine but threw it away on the 10th hole. At the end of the day I’m happy with the result.

Friday was a tough day for everybody barring for one or two guys. The golf course is hard if you miss the fairways. Currently there’s only one guy who is double digits and that shows that the course has some meat to it.

Scores after round 4 of the Asia-Pacific Open Golf Championship Diamond Cup being played at the par 71, 7060 Yards Musashi GC course (am – denotes amateur):

269 – Yuta IKEDA (JPN) 69-66-66-68.

275 – Justin HARDING (RSA) 67-74-68-66.

276 – Hiroshi IWATA (JPN) 65-69-71-71.

277 – Kenichi KUBOYA (JPN) 67-70-70-70, Shaun NORRIS (RSA) 70-69-68-70, Rikuya HOSHINO (JPN) 69-70-68-70, Sanghyun PARK (KOR) 68-71-68-70, Kurt KITAYAMA (USA) 67-70-68-72.

278 – Prayad MARKSAENG (THA) 66-73-72-67, John CATLIN (USA) 69-72-66-71, Yuki INAMORI (JPN) 65-72-69-72, Adilson DA SILVA (BRA) 69-70-67-72.

279 – Ben LEONG (MAS) 73-69-68-69, Scott VINCENT (ZIM) 67-74-66-72.

280 – Yosuke ASAJI (JPN) 68-73-70-69.

281 – Shugo IMAHIRA (JPN) 68-71-72-70, Ryosuke KINOSHITA (JPN) 69-70-71-71, Masahiro KAWAMURA (JPN) 67-71-69-74, Danthai BOONMA (THA) 65-74-68-74, Yikeun CHANG (KOR) 70-68-64-79.

Saitama, Tokyo, September 22: Japanese star Yuta Ikeda put himself in contention for a 20th career victory after shooting a third round five-under-par 66 at the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup on Saturday.

Ikeda, the world number 98th, has won every year since 2009 and is now in position to secure his first title in 2018 after totalling 12-under-par 201 at the Musashi Country Club, Sasai Course.

He will have to fend off the challenge from Korean rising star Yikeun Chang, who eagled the 17th hole from 12 feet to trail by a single shot at the JP¥150 million (approximately US$1.35 million) event sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO).

Overnight leader Hiroshi Iwata slipped to a share of third place despite recording a hole-in-one on the par-three ninth hole. He returned with a 71 to tie with Tour rookie Kurt Kitayama (68) on matching 205s, four shots back of the leader.

Ranked 42nd on the Asian Tour’s Habitat for Humanity Standings, the 32-year-old Ikeda opened with a birdie before surging ahead with four straight birdies from the 12th hole.

Ikeda, who was unbeaten at the EurAsia Cup earlier this year, took full advantage of his sharp approach shots, missing only one green-in-regulation.

Chang, the 2016 Asian Tour Qualifying School winner, put in a resolute performance under the watchful eye of his father, whose putting tip earlier in the week has given him an extra spring in his step.

Did you know?

• Ikeda produced his first bogey-free round in 54 holes. He has won 19 times in Japan, one of which was a co-sanctioned event with the Asian Tour in 2016.
• His iron play has been his strongest part of his game as he has missed only nine greens-in-regulation so far this week.
• Ikeda was ranked 37th at the end of the 2017 season after winning three times on the JGTO.
• He was one of the star performers for Team Asia against Team Europe in the biennial EurAsia Cup. Despite Team Asia’s defeat, Ikeda was unbeaten and helped his team secure three points.
• Chang is searching for his first victory on the Asian Tour. His best result so far this year is a tied second place at The 37th GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship on home soil.
• He won his National Open last year and one more tournament on home soil. He earned an Asian Tour card after winning the 2016 Asian Tour Qualifying School.
• Kitayama eagled the 17th hole from six feet which put him in contention for a first Asian Tour title.
• He is playing competitively for the first time in Japan. His parents are Japanese but he was born in the United States. He occasionally visits family in Japan but does not speak the language.
• Former PGA Tour player and overnight leader Iwata aced the 207-yard par-three ninth hole. It was the week’s first hole-in-one.

Player quotes:

Yuta Ikeda (Jpn) – Third Round 66 (-5), Total 12-under-par 201

If I win tomorrow, it will be number 20 but I would like to play without thinking about it. I do not want to put too much pressure on myself. I’m obviously very satisfied with my score and performance so far. I just kept giving myself good opportunities and went on to play the next hole without putting too much give myself expectations.

Yikeun Chang (Kor) – Third Round 64 (-7), Total 11-under-par 202 

It was fantastic. On the back nine, I had 12 putts and I holed all of it. I told myself to keep the ball in play because it will be very hard if you miss the fairway here. On the back nine, I happened to hole everything and that made things easier.

I’m lucky my tee shots went straight today (laughs). If I do the same tomorrow, then I have a good chance to get the trophy. Coming into this week, I fixed something with my dad and now I’m rolling it perfectly. He told me to release the putter and I’m putting great right now.

Throughout my career, my dad has taught me golf. I have a coach in the United States but my dad knows me very well so it is nice to have him here with me. If the weather stays like this and if you can find the fairways, you will have a lot of birdie opportunities.

Eagle on 17: I hit the perfect drive and it is a difficult fairway to find. I had about 250 yards to the pin and hit my hybrid to about 12 feet.

Kurt Kitayama (Usa) – Third Round 68 (-3), Total eight-under-par 205

It was a solid round. I had one loose driver on 11 but for the most part, I felt really good. That eagle on 17 was good. I hit a good drive there and I was in a good spot to hit my four iron to six feet which I converted. That will give me something nice to think about in my room.

I didn’t have many good looks even though I wasn’t hitting it close. On the front nine, I had two tap in birdies and I hit it close on 17. Other than that, I didn’t have good opportunities. Maybe I was trying to force myself to hit it closer to the hole.

Scores after round 3 of the Asia-Pacific Open Golf Championship Diamond Cup being played at the par 71, 7060 Yards Musashi GC course (am – denotes amateur):

201 – Yuta IKEDA (JPN) 69-66-66.

202 – Yikeun CHANG (KOR) 70-68-64.

205 – Kurt KITAYAMA (USA) 67-70-68, Hiroshi IWATA (JPN) 65-69-71.

206 – Adilson DA SILVA (BRA) 69-70-67, Yuki INAMORI (JPN) 65-72-69.

207 – Scott VINCENT (ZIM) 67-74-66, John CATLIN (USA) 69-72-66, Tomoharu OTSUKI (JPN) 72-68-67, Sanghyun PARK (KOR) 68-71-68, Rikuya HOSHINO (JPN) 69-70-68, Shaun NORRIS (RSA) 70-69-68, Danthai BOONMA (THA) 65-74-68, Masahiro KAWAMURA (JPN) 67-71-69, Kenichi KUBOYA (JPN) 67-70-70.

209 – Justin HARDING (RSA) 67-74-68.

210 – Johannes VEERMAN (USA) 71-72-67, Ben LEONG (MAS) 73-69-68, Ryosuke KINOSHITA (JPN) 69-70-71, Daijiro IZUMIDA (JPN) 63-75-72.

Chinese Taipei, September 28: Adilson Da Silva of Brazil renewed his love affair with the Tamsui course after carding a two-under-par 70 to grab a share of the halfway lead at the wind-swept Mercuries Taiwan Masters on Friday.

Silva, who holds an impeccable track record in the storied event, fired four birdies against two bogeys under blustery conditions to take his place atop the leaderboard alongside Australian Maverick Antcliff (72), South African Justin Harding (73) and Lionel Weber (73) of France.

The quartet leads by one shot on three-under-par 141 total in the US$850,000 Asian Tour event held at its traditional home at the fabled Taiwan Golf and Country Club, which is celebrating its centennial year in 2018.

Korea’s Heungchol Joo produced the highlight of the day when he stuck an ace on the par-three eighth hole after hitting a four-iron from 172 metres. It was the second time he sank a hole-in-one during a professional tournament.

Local veterans Lin Wen-tang and Tsai Chi-huang signed for respective rounds of 72 and 71 to share fifth place with Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond (72) at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters, which is celebrating its 32nd edition this week.

The halfway cut was set at four-over-par 148 with a total of 53 players, including one local amateur, advancing to the next two rounds.

Chinese Taipei, September 21: Zimbabwean Scott Vincent believes patience will be the key when he continues his search for his maiden Asian Tour victory at the prestigious Mercuries Taiwan Masters next week.

The 26-year-old Vincent, who was named the Asian Tour Rookie of the year in 2016, established himself as one of the most consistent players on Tour after notching eight top-10 finishes in 15 starts this season.

Placed fifth on the latest Habitat for Humanity Standings, Vincent will spearhead a talented cast of players at the US$850,000 event, which will be celebrating its 32nd edition at the Taiwan Golf and Country Club from September 27 to 30.

His dream of making a breakthrough on the Asian Tour received a further boost when he came in runner-up, for the third time this year, in Korea last week. He will be looking to reproduce that good form when he returns to the storied event, where he came in tied-second 12 months ago.

Despite missing out on his breakthrough win on several occasions, Vincent believes his chance will come again as long as he keeps knocking on the door.

“I’m feeling good. There are a lot of good things about my game. I’m absolutely happy with my season so far. It’s opening up a lot of doors. I locked up a chance to play in the CIMB Classic now and I’m also in for a chance to qualify for the WGC-HSBC Champions.

“It bothers me a little bit but I don’t get too caught up in that because I do a lot of right things. I seem to come across someone who is just better that week. I can’t control if I’m going to win or not but I’ll have more opportunities if I keep doing what I’ve been doing,” said Vincent.

Vincent, the only Zimbabwean member on Tour, is also leading the total against par rankings where he is 101-under-par in 55 rounds this season. He is incredibly 27 shots to-par better than anyone else in the ranking.

“I know that with hard work and some luck, my win will come one day. I just have to be patient,” added Vincent, who will be making his debut appearance at the ISPS HANDA Melbourne World Cup of Golf in November.

Held annually on the region’s premier Tour since 2004, the Mercuries Taiwan Masters is the longest-running full-field event on the Asian Tour.

Over the years, it has welcomed many worthy winners such as local heroes Lu Wei-chih, Lin Wen-tang, Australian Scott Hend, Malaysia’s Danny Chia and reigning Order of Merit champion Gavin Green.

This year’s edition will also mark a significant milestone as the regular host venue, the Taiwan Golf and Country Club, which is the oldest club in Taiwan, celebrates its centennial year in 2018.

The Mercuries Taiwan Masters, which is celebrating its 15th consecutive edition on the region’s premier Tour this year, will be the first of the two back-to-back Asian Tour events held in Chinese Taipei this season.

The top 10 and top four players (not otherwise exempt) on the Habitat for Humanity standings will qualify for the US$7 million CIMB Classic and US$10 million WGC-HSBC Champions staged in Malaysia and China respectively.

The Mercuries Taiwan Masters will be the penultimate event for players to try and boost their rankings on the Habitat for Humanity Standings before the cut-off date on October 7.

Ends.

Saitama, Tokyo, September 21: Hiroshi Iwata of Japan battled to a two-under-par 69 in persistent rain to seize the halfway lead at the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup on Friday.

The rainy conditions made it tricky for players on day two but Iwata stood firm as he led on eight-under-par 134 at the JP¥150 million (approximately US$1.35 million) event sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour Organization.

EurAsia Cup star Yuta Ikeda, who has won 19 titles in Japan, fired the second round’s low score of 66 to trail Iwata by one shot at the Musashi Country Club, Sasai course.

The big-hitting Kurt Kitayama of the United States grinded to a hard-fought 71 to sit in tied third place alongside Kenichi Kuboya (70) and Yuki Inamori (72) on 137s.

After dropping his first shot of the tournament on hole 14, former PGA Tour player Iwata bounced back superbly with three straight birdies to hold a narrow edge over a fast-charging Ikeda.

Currently placed 98th on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), Ikeda lived up to his billing as the second highest ranked player in the elite field when he fired three birdies in each half against a single bogey.

Tour rookie Kitayama kept up his chase for a first Asian Tour victory after struggling off the tees where he found eight out of 14 fairways. He returned with four birdies against three bogeys to give himself a fight chance on the weekend.

A total of 66 players made the cut which was set at two-over-par 144.

Did you know?

• Iwata has only dropped one shot in 36 holes. He dropped his only bogey on the 431-yard par-4 14th hole despite finding the fairway.
• He has won twice on the JGTO in 2014 and 2015.
• Iwata is a former PGA Tour player. He earned his 2016 PGA Tour card at the 2015 Web.com Tour finals.
• Other than his victories, Iwata’s other career highlight was finishing tied third at the 2014 WGC-HSBC Champions in China.
• Ikeda is the second highest ranked player at the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup after Shugo Imahira, who is ranked 86th in the world.
• He is one of the most prolific players in Japan. He has tasted victory on the JGTO every single year since 2009.
• Ikeda was one of the star performers for Team Asia against Team Europe in the biennial EurAsia Cup. Despite Team Asia’s defeat, Ikeda was unbeaten and helped his team secure three points.
• He is currently ranked 40th on the Asian Tour’s Habitat for Humanity Standings.
• Kitayama is playing in his first year on the Asian Tour after finishing third at Qualifying School. This is his first competitive tournament in Japan.
• He is one of the most consistent players on the Asian Tour where he has yet to miss a single cut in nine appearances and is ranked 28th on the Habitat for Humanity Standings.
• His parents are of Japanese heritage but Kitayama does not speak the language. He occasionally visit his family in Japan.

Player quotes:

Hiroshi Iwata (Jpn) – Second Round 69 (-2), Total 134 (-8)

Obviously my round wasn’t as good as yesterday because my iron and putter were not as sharp as it should be. On the positive note, my tee shot was better.

My bogey on 14 was very disappointing because I was on the fairway but I was able to recover with three straight birdies and that’s very satisfying and good for me. I didn’t really think about the bogey or didn’t get irritated by it so that’s good.

It was raining the whole day but it wasn’t too bad. It only got worst towards the end. I have extra motivation to play here because if you win, I can play in more tournaments outside of Japan. However, it is only the second day and I don’t want to think too much. I just have to prepare and keep improving.

Yuta Ikeda (Jpn) – Second Round 66 (-5), Total 135 (-7)

It was a very good day because I kept hitting fairways. Even in such difficult conditions, I’m able to give myself a lot of birdie opportunities so I’m very happy. The best birdie has to be on the third hole because it led to five other birdies. I only made a mistake on hole number nine but I stayed calm. Obviously I’m thinking of winning because I’m hoping to win in every tournament I play in.

Kurt Kitayama (Usa) – Second Round 70 (-1), Total 137 (-5)

It was an up-and-down round because of the rain and I grinded it out to a one-under. My scrambling really helped especially on my last few holes where I made important up-and-downs. That gives me some momentum heading into tomorrow. It was really tough out there.

I need to drive better. I didn’t hit it very well and missed a few fairways which made it really tough. I need to focus more tomorrow. I’ve got the length off the tees so that helps if I can find the fairways because I can get a wedge in. But if I’m in the rough, it is very difficult. Maybe I won’t hit the driver on every hole but try to find more fairways.

Scores after round 2 of the Asia-Pacific Open Golf Championship Diamond Cup being played at the par 71, 7060 Yards Musashi GC course (am – denotes amateur):

134 – Hiroshi IWATA (JPN) 65-69.

135 – Yuta IKEDA (JPN) 69-66.

137 – Yuki INAMORI (JPN) 65-72, Kenichi KUBOYA (JPN) 67-70, Kurt KITAYAMA (USA) 67-70.

138 – Masahiro KAWAMURA (JPN) 67-71, Daijiro IZUMIDA (JPN) 63-75, Yikeun CHANG (KOR) 70-68.

139 – Adilson DA SILVA (BRA) 69-70, Danthai BOONMA (THA) 65-74, Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND) 67-72, Kazuhiro YAMASHITA (JPN) 67-72, Shaun NORRIS (RSA) 70-69, Rikuya HOSHINO (JPN) 69-70, Shugo IMAHIRA (JPN) 68-71, Prayad MARKSAENG (THA) 66-73, Sanghyun PARK (KOR) 68-71, Ryosuke KINOSHITA (JPN) 69-70.

140 – Tomoyo IKEMURA (JPN) 68-72, Tomoharu OTSUKI (JPN) 72-68, Junggon HWANG (KOR) 70-70, Kazuki HIGA (JPN) 71-69.

Saitama, Tokyo, September 20: Danthai Boonma took advantage of a hot start as he fired an opening six-under-par 65 to trail the leader Daijiro Izumida by two shots at the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup on Thursday.

The bubbly Thai started with four straight birdies before adding five more birdies against three bogeys to stay hot on the heels of home talent Izumida who produced a superb 63 at the Musashi Country Club.

Danthai, a winner on the Asian Tour, shared second place alongside Yuki Inamori and Hiroshi Iwata while Thai veteran Prayad Marksaeng was a further shot back in fifth place at the JP¥150 million (approximately US$1.35 million) event sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO).

In-form players Gaganjeet Bhullar of India, Justin Harding of South Africa and Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe were among nine players bunched in sixth place on matching 67s.

The story of the day belonged to the 25-year-old Izumida, who continued his momentum following his career’s first victory on the JGTO last month. He superbly turned in 30 on the front nine and returned three birdies against one bogey to set the pace.

Danthai was on track to challenge Izumida’s morning target but the Thai struggled to maintain his charge after his tee shots on holes 14, 18 and four landed in the thick rough which resulted in bogeys.

Prayad, a 10-time Asian Tour champion and multiple winner in Japan, traded six birdies against one bogey to give himself a chance of winning the tournament for the second time since 2008.

Did you know?

• Izumida birdied his opening two holes before adding four straight birdies from the 14th hole. The superb start gave him a confidence boost after feeling anxious in the practice round.
• He won his first JGTO title at the RIZAP KBC Augusta last month. The victory came after missing three straight cuts in Japan.
• Izumida totalled 24 putts which included seven straight one putts from his opening 10th hole.
• Danthai is known for his happy-go-lucky character. He wielded a hot putter and negotiated around the greens in 22 putts as he launched his search for a second Asian Tour win.
• He has two runner-up results so far in 2018 and is currently ranked 16th on the Habitat for Humanity Standings. He needs to break and stay inside the top-10 of the rankings before the cut-off date on October 7 to qualify for the CIMB Classic in October.
• After making his Major debut at The Open in July, Danthai said the experience has helped him to become a better player.
• He hopes to follow in the footsteps of countryman Thanyakorn Khrongpha who won in Japan two weeks ago.
• At the age of 52, Prayad rolled back the years with a commendable performance among the younger players. He has won five titles on the Japan Seniors Tour in 2018 and will be looking to add a second Diamond Cup trophy following his win in 2008.
• The Asian Tour’s in-form players are lurking closely behind the leader. Bhullar, who won his ninth Asian Tour title last month, is four shots back alongside last week’s runner-up Vincent and Harding, who won twice in his first two starts on the Asian Tour this year.

Player quotes:

Daijiro Izumida (Jpn) – First Round 63 (-8)

It was almost a perfect round because of my ball striking and putting. I didn’t have high expectations. During the practice round I was a bit anxious but it turned out really well.

Making two birdies really got me going and it helped me feel comfortable. I haven’t done anything special since my win. I’m playing with more confidence and the win has helped me to be more aggressive.

The course is not too long so there are some holes where I won’t need to hit a driver. I’ll try to use a two or three-iron. I do dream to play outside of Japan. If I win this tournament or get a good result it will open up many doors for me and that’s my motivation.

Today was much better than I expected. There will be times when I will need to stay patient especially when I put the ball in the rough. On those occasions I need to stay patient.

Danthai Boonma (Tha) – First Round 65 (-6)

I played very good because of my putting. I started with four birdies in a row and that gave me a lot of confidence. My tee shots weren’t that good and the three bogeys today came after I hit it in the thick rough.

Yes, after those birdies I thought it will be a very good day but I kept myself calm and not get ahead of myself. I had fun and kept smiling. Hole number two was good because I hit a nice approach to 15 feet and I holed it.

Playing at The Open has helped me a lot in my career. After The Open I returned and trained harder. I think that has really helped me.

Prayad Marksaeng (Tha) – First Round 66 (-5)

This is my first time playing on this golf course. The rough is very thick here so you need to hit good tee shots. Luckily it isn’t a long golf course. I’ve won five times on the senior Tour but this is different. I’m usually more relaxed on the senior Tour because there’s no rough but here I have to more focus. My body feels good and I won this tournament before in 2008 but on a different golf course.

Scores after round 1 of the Asia-Pacific Open Golf Championship Diamond Cup being played at the par 71, 7060 Yards Musashi GC course (am – denotes amateur):

63 – Daijiro IZUMIDA (JPN).

65 – Yuki INAMORI (JPN), Danthai BOONMA (THA), Hiroshi IWATA (JPN).

66 – Prayad MARKSAENG (THA).

67 – Masahiro KAWAMURA (JPN), Kenichi KUBOYA (JPN), Justin HARDING (RSA), Kurt KITAYAMA (USA), Scott VINCENT (ZIM), Atomu SHIGENAGA (JPN), Shingo KATAYAMA (JPN), Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND), Kazuhiro YAMASHITA (JPN).

68 – Yosuke ASAJI (JPN), Rahil GANGJEE (IND), Poom SAKSANSIN (THA), Shugo IMAHIRA (JPN), Sanghyun PARK (KOR), Keith HORNE (RSA), Tomoyo IKEMURA (JPN).

69 – Anthony QUAYLE (AUS), Takashi OGISO (JPN), Angelo QUE (PHI), Keita NAKAJIMA (am, JPN), John CATLIN (USA), Ajeetesh SANDHU (IND), Daisuke MATSUBARA (JPN), Hosung CHOI (KOR), Rikuya HOSHINO (JPN), Ryosuke KINOSHITA (JPN), Yuta IKEDA (JPN), Jbe KRUGER (RSA), Adilson DA SILVA (BRA), Travis SMYTH (AUS), Masanori KOBAYASHI (JPN), CHAN Shih-chang (TPE).

Saitama, Tokyo, September 19: Indian star Gaganjeet Bhullar will be aiming to reach double digits in Asian Tour victories at the Asia-Pacific Open Golf Championship Diamond Cup which starts on Thursday.

The in-form Bhullar won his ninth Asian Tour title in Fiji last month and he will be hoping to continue his purple patch at the JP¥150 million (approximately US$1.35 million) event sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour Organization.

The 30-year-old, currently ranked fourth on the Habitat for Humanity Standings, will be among the top contenders which include Scott Hend of Australia, Shugo Imahira, ranked 86th on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) and Korea’s Sanghyun Park, who won his second Asian Tour title last week.

Bhullar has won in six different countries in his young career and will be looking to add Japan to his list this week. He is one victory from joining Prayad Marksaeng of Thailand as a 10-time Asian Tour winner, behind Thongchai Jaidee (13) and Thaworn Wiratchant (18).

Another player searching for victory this week is Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent, who claimed his third runner-up result in Korea last week. Vincent is arguably the most consistent player in 2018 and has established himself as a genuine contender each time he tees up in an event.

Poom Saksansin of Thailand finished tied second in this event last year, albeit on a different golf course, but he is aimingto go one position better at the par-71 Musashi Country Club, Sasai Course.

Did you know?

• In his nine Asian Tour victories, Bhullar has won in Indonesia (three times), Thailand, Chinese Taipei (twice), Macao, Korea and Fiji.
• He admits that he struggles to play his best in Japan, a country where his best result was tied 51st place in 2009.
• Ranked fourth on the Habitat for Humanity Standings, Bhullar has sealed his place in the CIMB Classic next month but he still needs to fight for a place in the WGC-HSBC Champions. The leading four players (not otherwise exempt) on October 7 will qualify for the tournament in China.
• Bhullar holds the most number of victories by an Indian golfer on the Asian Tour. His next big goal is to win the Habitat for Humanity Standings. He currently trails countryman Shubhankar Sharma by US$116,404.
• Vincent is ranked first in the total against par rankings where he is -101 in 2018. He is incredibly 27 shots to-par better than anyone else in the ranking.
• He has yet to win on the Asian Tour but is edging closer after notching three runner-up results and five other top-10 finishes.
• Poom is a two-time Asian Tour winner. He was in contention at the Asia-Pacific Open Golf Championship Diamond Cup last year before a final round 73 dashed his title hopes.
• The result helped him finish in a career-high eighth position on the Merit rankings and earned a maiden appearance at the 2018 EurAsiaCup where he represented Team Asia.

Player Quotes:

Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind)

You can only get better. Normally the second half of the season is packed up with tournaments and everybody including myself starts to gain momentum. All these tournaments are important towards the Habitat for Humanity Standings. The goal is to keep repeating what I’ve been doing in the last six or seven months and give your 100%.

My caddy and I talked about this at the start of the week. I’ve won in Korea and in other countries but Japan is still new to me! I’m trying to figure out a new game plan here. The golf course looks really nice. The course is in great shape but the only struggle will be if you miss the fairway. The rough is up so you have to hit lots and lots of fairways.

I’m trying to minimise my errors when playing in this part of the world. Hopefully I will play well this week. To be honest, I don’t know why Japan is different for me. I’ve had some good rounds in the past but it is about putting the rounds together. This course suits my eye so this could be a good week for me.

The goal is to reach double digits of victories on the Asian Tour. Before that, I have to remember that I need to continue working hard and the win will come.

Scott Vincent (Zwe)

I’m feeling good. Last week was great because there were a lot of good things about my game. I’m looking forward to this week. The course is tough. It is going to be the kind of week where who can hit it the straightest wins. I’m excited for the challenge ahead.

Yes, I’m absolutely happy with the season. It is opening up a lot of doors and I locked up a chance to play at the CIMB Classic. I’m also in with a chance to qualify for the WGC-HSBC Championship.

It bothers me a little bit (on winning his first Asian Tour title). I don’t get too caught up in that because I do a lot of right things. I seem to come across someone who is just better that week. I’m playing good golf. I can’t control if I’m going to win or not but I’ll have more opportunities if I keep doing what I’ve been doing.

Poom Saksansin (Tha)

The course is very tight and the rough is thick. Last year the course was playing easier. This course is short so it will be good for me but I’m very worried about my driving. I played well in the last few events because my putting was good.

I can hit a draw shot now but sometimes I do it a bit too much. I practised my draw shots at the driving range yesterday and hit a car… So now I’m only using a three wood and hybrid at the range. When I get nervous, my swing is fast. Now I hit it slower and close my clubface.