Prague, August 27:  Reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit champion Gavin Green of Malaysia enjoyed a second runner-up finish after closing with a three-under-par 69 at the D+D REAL Czech Masters on Sunday.

The 24-year-old Green, a one-time Asian Tour winner, returned with a bogey-free round highlighted by three birdies to finish on a 17-under-par 271 total, five strokes behind Italy’s Andrea Pavan at the Albatross Golf Resort.

“I played solid today and gave myself a lot of looks, unfortunately some putts didn’t drop on the back nine. I made some putts in the middle but it is what it is and it was a very positive week,” said Green, who had held a share of the opening round lead and took the halfway lead on his own.

“I’m really happy and proud with how I handled myself out there. It was fun playing with Scott (Jamieson), we both had no dropped shots. I knew I had a bit of a cushion in third place so I wanted to go for the pin at 18th and it came up a little short. I hit a really good putt and it was nice to finish like that.

“It was fun to have my dad on the bag and some of my buddies are here so we hung out a lot and it’s nice to have a top three from the week,” added the big-hitting Green, highest-ranked Malaysian in 177th place on the Official World Golf Rankings.

The talented Malaysian also earned for himself a year’s supply of beer after powering his tee-shot 358 yards on the par-five ninth hole at the Albatross Golf Resort. The prize was on offer for the longest drive on that hole on Sunday.

India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar, who claimed his ninth Asian Tour title at the Fiji International earlier this month, fired a 66 to finish in tied-seventh position while Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai battled to a 72 to end his campaign in tied-ninth place on 276.

Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent settled 11 shots back in tied-18th place following a 71 while Soomin Lee of Korea carded a 73 to grab a share of 29th place on 279.

Ends.

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.

Did you know?

• Adilson Da Silva has an impeccable track record at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters. He has not finished outside top-three in his last three starts in the storied event. In his debut appearance in 2012, he also enjoyed a tied-ninth place finish.
• Prior to this week, Silva has made only three cuts in 11 starts this season. He claimed a tied-ninth place result in Japan last week to propel to 65th place on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings. Needs a strong performance this week to break into top-60 and retain his card for the 2019 season.
• Last year, Silva came in joint runner-up after finishing two shots back of winner Gavin Green of Malaysia.
• Silva enjoyed a career high in 2016 when he was given the honour of striking the first tee shot at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro when golf made a return into the programme after 112 years.
• Silva has won multiple times on the Sunshine Tour but is still searching for a first win on the Asian Tour.
• Silva started playing extensively in Zimbabwe from between 1996 to 2003, winning more than 30 titles and five Zimbabwean Order of Merit crowns. Played in the British Open in 2000 and 2007.
• Maverick Antcliff secured his Asian Tour card at the Qualifying School after finishing tied-seventh. He missed only two cuts in 11 starts this season and his best result was a tied-ninth place finish at the Indonesia Open in July.
• The 25-year-old Antcliff came in tied-fourth when he made his Asian Tour debut at the 2017 Asian Golf Championship in China last November.
• Antcliff, who turned professional in 2016, is playing the Mercuries Taiwan Masters for the first time in his career.
• Lionel Weber graduated from the 2013 Asian Tour Qualifying School and is searching for his maiden victory on the region’s premier Tour.
• Weber has been struggling to find his form all-season, missing eight cuts in 15 starts with his best result being a tied-21st place finish in Myanmar earlier in January.
• The 28-year-old Weber found only seven fairways but missed just four greens in regulation in his solid round of 68. He amassed 28 putts in total.
• Justin Harding is playing in only his sixth start on the Asian Tour this season. He has claimed two victories and a runner-up finish so far.
• Harding navigated his way around the greens with only 26 putts in his round of 68.
• Harding broke into top-10 on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings following his second-place result in Japan last week. He sits in a current eighth position.
• 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.
• Harding is the higest-ranked player in the field in 97th place on the latest Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).

Players’ quotes: 

Adilson Da Silva (Bra) – Second round 70 (-2), Total 141 (-3)

I had a good round although I didn’t finish well. It was tough out there. The wind was swirling. I hit a lot of fairways and gave myself a lot of chances to go for the pins. I just kept it in play. I didn’t do anything that special.

I made a couple of putts in the beginning but made a few three-putts coming back. Other than that, I played solidly. The past experiences have helped definitely. I am pretty familiar with the course and the conditions out there.

Sometimes when the winds are swirling, it’s hard to think about your strategy so I must say the past experiences have helped. This is probably one of the toughest conditions that I have played here.

I would like to win this tournament for sure. It’s a very special tournament to me. I really like playing here and I enjoyed the tournament every time I come back here. The people are friendly and the sponsors are very nice too.

The top-10 finish last week has definitely given me some good form coming here. I hope to keep riding on that good form. I am putting better and I am hitting the ball a lot better too so we’ll wait and see.

Maverick Antcliff (Aus) – Second round 72 (even-par), Total 141 (-3)

It was tough out there. It was quite windy and we got a bit of rain on the front nine which was my back nine. I kind of got off to an average start. It’s pretty tough to start from the 10th hole. It’s a long par-three, especially with the wind and stuff.

I didn’t get off to the best start with the bogey there but I was just trying to stay calm out there and made some good saves. I managed to birdie sixth and seventh which was nice. I putted nicely today. I felt more comfortable with the greens now.

I still have a couple of three-putts but I felt like everyone else will probably do the same out there. I think I didn’t do too bad even the tough playing conditions out there. It could’ve gotten a lot worse.

The wind felt like it swirls around a bit. You just got to trust that the wind is coming out from north-east and stick to it. It’s a big event this week. I came here with the aim to try and play well. I’m happy with where I stand right now, given that it’s my first time here.

It’s nice to be playing solid but it’s golf, I’ll just take it as it comes and see what happens over the weekend.

Lionel Weber (Fra) – Second round 73 (+1), Total 141 (-3)

I’m happy with my day. The conditions were very tough out there. I knew shooting an even-par 72 will be a good score for today. I fought very hard. I was one-under after the first nine holes but lost my momentum after that.

I came back with two birdies and I fought till the end. One-over in this condition, I think it’s a good score. I’m still in contention and in a good position right now so I’m positive for the weekend. My short game was very good today. I made some ome good up and downs.

Justin Harding (Rsa) – Second round 73 (+1), Total 141 (-3)

It was strange today. I felt pretty good at the start but I came out and made mistakes after mistakes. It’s something you can’t do especially on a hard day like this. I thought I bounced back pretty nicely with birdies on sixth and seventh, the two par-fives.

I made two good par-saves on ninth and 10th as well. I thought let’s get the momentum going but went on to make bogey on the 11th hole with a wedge in my hand. It was a difficult day.

It was hard out there, I missed a bunch of greens and just struggled. But at the end of the day, I haven’t played my way out of it.

I kind of figured out that even-par will be a really good score. Looking at the leaderboard now, it seems like the case. Anyone who shot under-par played really great. It’s a tricky golf course and it’s harder given the conditions today. It’s a great layout nonetheless.

I’m nicely positioned for the weekend so hopefully I can put up a good round tomorrow and see what happens. I am very happy with my one-over-par. It felt like a couple under-par to be honest.

Chinese Taipei, September 27: South African Justin Harding continued his dazzling form by carding a four-under-par 68 to share the opening round lead with Lionel Weber of France and Miguel Tabuena of the Philippines at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters on Thursday.

Harding, the first player to win consecutive events on the Asian Tour this season, fired one eagle and four birdies against two bogeys to take his share of place atop the leaderboard at the fabled Taiwan Golf and Country Club, which is celebrating its centennial year in 2018.

Australian Maverick Antcliff trails the leading trio by one shot in fourth place while local hero Lin Wen-tang, Indian hotshot S.S.P. Chawrasia and Chinese ace Liang Wen-chong were among those bunched in fifth following matching rounds of 70s at the US$850,000 event.

Starting from the par-three 10th hole, the 32-year-old Harding sank two birdies against a bogey to turn in 35. He fired another two birdies and an eagle on the par-five seventh before dropping a shot on his last hole ninth.

Tabuena, who came close to winning the storied event before settling for second place in 2016, renewed his love affair with the Tamsui course after marking his card with five birdies against a bogey. He is chasing for his second Asian Tour victory in a country where he had finished second on four different occasions.

Weber rediscovered some of his best form after closing with two straight birdies to grab a share of the lead. Placed 96th on the latest Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings, the 28-year-old Weber needs a strong performance this week to possibly break into top-60 and retain his card for the 2019 season.

Did you know?

• Justin Harding is playing in only his sixth start on the Asian Tour this season. He has claimed two victories and a runner-up finish so far.
• Harding navigated his way around the greens with only 26 putts in his round of 68.
• Harding broke into top-10 on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings following his second-place result in Japan last week. He sits in a current eighth position.
• 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.
• Harding is the higest-ranked player in the field in 97th place on the latest Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).
• Miguel Tabuena is a one-time winner on the Asian Tour. He won his National Open in 2015.
• The 23-year-old Tabuena has notched three top-10 finishes so far this season. He sits in 26th place on the money list.
• Tabuena is making his eighth consecutive appearance in the Mercuries Taiwan Masters. He missed the halfway cuts in four editions but finished inside top-10 on all the other three occasions where he made the cut.
• His best result at the storied event was a runner-up finish in 2016 where he came in one shot back of Lu Wei-chih.
• Lionel Weber graduated from the 2013 Asian Tour Qualifying School and is searching for his maiden victory on the region’s premier Tour.
• Weber has been struggling to find his form all-season, missing eight cuts in 15 starts with his best result being a tied-21st place finish in Myanmar earlier in January.
• The 28-year-old Weber found only seven fairways but missed just four greens in regulation in his solid round of 68. He amassed 28 putts in total.

Players’ quotes:

Justin Harding (Rsa) – First round 68 (-4)

The eagle on the par-five seventh was obviously the highlight for me. I hit a rescue from about 228 yards to about a foot and then made the eagle. It was nice. The ninth hole is probably one of the toughest this week.

I missed a birdie on sixth from a good spot but was nice to eagle the next hole. I am happy with the day. I played nicely and I played solidly. I didn’t have too many bad shots out there, just a couple of silly bogeys which were kind of unnecessary.

I made a very sneaky birdie putt on the par-five 15th. I duffed the chip from the back of the green and then I made about a 30-foot slider which was an added bonus. I need to work on my chipping!

We got quite lucky this morning. The rain stopped before we teed off. But the swirling winds made it pretty tricky out there. Playing my first round ever here in Chinese Taipei and grabbing a share of the lead, I think it’s job done for me for today. Looking forward to tomorrow.

I played the golf course conservatively. It’s a hard golf course. It’s got quite a bit of shape. I kind of felt like I played my way back on a few occasions today which is good. I kind of stuck to my game plan and then made a couple of putts.

Miguel Tabuena (Phi) – First round 68 (-4)

We got lucky with the weather actually. The rain stopped just before we teed off. I am really pleased with my ball striking. That’s one of the keys to play well on this course. The putts dropped today as well.

Whoever has most control with their trajectory off the tees and who does well in distance control will do well this week. I am played here many times. I came in second four times here in Chinese Taipei. I really enjoyed playing here. It’s not too far away from home.

It’s one of those courses where you can shoot low on the first day but might not do the same in the last few rounds. I guess my past experience has helped. I hope to keep it up tomorrow.

Lionel Weber (Fra) – First round 68 (-4)

It was really good out there. I always like this golf course. The greens are very good this year and it was really enjoyable to play on this golf course. I had a great finish to the round today with two closing birdies after making a bad bogey on 16.

It was a good bounce back. The par-three 17th is a tough hole. I played a five-iron off the tee and made the birdie putt from 16 feet. It was quite nice. I hit a good three-wood on the fairway on the 18th hole and played a gap-wedge before making the birdie putt from five-feet.

It was pretty windy out there. It’s a tricky golf course. I am lucky because I have played here many times and I had the experiences. I have a good strategy for this golf course too so I am going to stick to it and hopefully keep playing well. I am looking forward to tomorrow.

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.