St. Andrews, Scotland, July 27: Thai legend Thaworn Wiratchant opened his campaign with a solid seven-under-par 65 to lead by one-shot alongside American Kirk Triplett at The Senior Open presented by Rolex held on the Old Course at St Andrews on Thursday. 

Thaworn, who holds an unprecedented 18 Asian Tour victories, is playing in his second season on the Staysure Tour where he has won on his last two starts at the MCB Tour Championship and the Sharjah Senior Golf Masters presented by Shurooq.

The 51-year-old Thaworn, a two-time Asian Tour Order of Merit champion in 2005 and 2012, made five consecutive birdies from the third before trading four birdies against two bogeys on his back-nine for a 65.

“I didn’t think I could play like this on this course, it’s incredible,” said Thaworn. “I’m not sure which part of my game suits this course because it’s very difficult. But today I was perfect. I only three-putted on two holes, but that’s normal on a course like this,” he added.

Fellow Thai legend Prayad Marksaeng and Singaporean veteran Mardan Mamat, who holds a combined total of 15 titles on the region’s premier Tour, posted matching rounds of 70s to sit in tied-27th place at the Europe’s Senior Major championship, run by The R&A.

Meanwhile at the Porsche European Open in Germany, Australian Scott Hend trails by two shots in tied-sixth position following an opening four-under-par 68 while Amerian David Lipsky sits a further shot back in tied-16th place at the Green Eagle Golf Courses.

Ends.

Pattaya, Thailand, July 26: Thailand’s Raththee Sirithanakunsak mastered windy conditions  to sign for a seven-under-par 63, grabbing the opening round lead by one shot at the Royal Cup on Thursday.

The 28-year-old Thai, chasing for a breakthrough win on the Asian Tour, returned with a flawless card highlighted by seven birdies to take his place atop the leaderboard at the US$500,000 event held at the Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club.

In-form Justin Harding of South Africa, who claimed his maiden victory on the region’s premier Tour in Indonesia two weeks ago, continued his good run of form by carding a 64 to tie in second place with Japan’s Naoto Nakanishi.

Raththee, a one-time winner on the Asian Development Tour in 2015, took advantage of his hot putter by navigating his ways around the greens with only 24 putts. Despite finding only nine fairways, the lanky Thai managed to hit 13 greens in regulation for his commendable round of 63.

The 32-year-old Harding, playing in only his second start on the Asian Tour this season, stood tall amidst the windy conditions to post a bogey-free round highlighted by six birdies. Nakanishi, 29, was equally flawless in his round of 64.

The Royal Cup is held in honour of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun, who will celebrate his 66th birthday on Saturday.

Did you know?

• Raththee Sirithanakunsak took advantage of his hot putter where he amassed a total of 24 putts in his bogey-free round of 63
• Raththee claimed his first Asian Development Tour (ADT) at the 2015 Boonchu Ruangkit Championship. He changed his name later that year for good luck. Was previously known as Phiphatphong Naewsuk.
• The Thai joined the play-for pay ranks in 2010 after attending two years of military service.
• He enjoyed a tied-11th place finish at the 2017 Royal Cup.
• Justin Harding only missed two greens and hit 10 fairways in his opening round.
• Prior to his Asian Tour breakthrough in Indonesia, Harding has claimed back-to-back victories and three top-10 results in his last five starts on the Sunshine Tour, where he leads the current Order of Merit.
• Harding started the 2018 season in 712th place on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). He is now ranked 127th position in the world.
• Nakanishi hit only eight fairways and 10 greens.The Japanese, however, needed only 22 putts around the greens in his opening round.
• Josh Younger came through Asian Tour Qualifying School this year to earn his card for the 2018 season.
• He enjoyed his first top-10 result this season at the Asia-Pacific Classic in China in May.

Player’s quotes:

Raththee Sirithanakunsak – First Round 63 (-7)

I played really well and I putted great today. Made no mistakes which I didn’t expect. I made two long putts from outside of 15-feet on my last two holes to finish strong. I didn’t do well on the par-fives because it was windy in my first nine holes especially. 

I was injured at Queen’s Cup and had to retire due to inflammation in my hip and had to take a long break to prepare for this tournament. I am not at a 100% yet and I am still on medicine to manage the pain but it doesn’t affect my swing that much.

My caddy is my friend but because he doesn’t know how to play golf he doesn’t know the rules and was running around the greens. In a way he took the pressure off because it was funny to see him making mistakes like walking in the wrong direction and walking over lines.

Justin Harding (Rsa) – First Round 64 (-6)

I didn’t really stress myself out there too much today. Conditions were pretty easy and I just stuck to my game plan I figured out yesterday during my round, that I don’t have to be so aggressive here in Asia. It’s more mapping out the golf course and keeping yourself in play and attacking with the wedges to a mid-iron.

It was nice solid ballstriking performance today and with a bit of luck around the greens it could have been better, but no complains about a bogey-free round.

I hope the wind keeps blowing actually because I grew up playing in quite a bit of wind and I’m used to it. I was comfortable out there and there were a couple of holes I just stayed away from the flag with my approach and accepted the two-putts and moved on.

Naoto Nakanishi (Jpn) – First Round 64 (-6)

Everything about my game was good today. I haven’t had the best season on the Japan circuit so my ranking is not very high and I could not get into the tournament in Japan this week. But I managed to get a spot this week in Thailand and I am playing it well so I know I can get some good results if I continue hitting it like how I did today.

I really like this course, its all about playing it smart and keeping it on the fairway. You have to be smart about where you land your ball off the tee and approaching the greens. I enjoy this aspect of the game, thinking through shots and playing it smart instead of hitting driver off the tee every time since I am not a very long hitter.

Josh Younger (Aus) – First Round 65 (-5)

I putted really good, it was working well for me today. I hit it really solid too, went out of position a couple of times with my drives. All in all pretty happy with my game today.

I hit a lot of my shots close today and was striking my ball well. I played to my strengths and just played it safe instead of hitting the driver off the tee every single time.

There were a couple of tricky pins but you just have to stay patient and not force anything coming in.

Lu Wei-Chih (Tpe) – First Round 66 (-4)

My irons and approach shots helped me a lot today. The key to scoring on this course is to make fairways and give yourself a chance to get to the green. The greens here are very undulating so you have to pick specific spots to land your ball.

I missed a couple of greens which cost me some strokes, like on hole 17 I missed the green and had a tough lie to make an up-and-down.

On hole nine I hit my tee shot into the fairway bunker and had a tough lie so I could not make it onto the green in two shots. My chipping failed me a couple of times today so I will be working on that. But I got a little tired towards the end of the round, it gets really hot out there and with the wind in your face it wears you down.

I am happy I came back with a good round today but I need to eliminate a lot of mistakes in tomorrow’s round because I know I can do better.

Scores after round 1 of the Royal Cup 2018 being played at the par 70, 6716 Yards Phoenix Gold GCC course (am – denotes amateur):

63 – Raththee SIRITHANAKUNSAK (THA).

64 – Justin HARDING (RSA), Naoto NAKANISHI (JPN).

65 – Josh YOUNGER (AUS).

66 – Pol KEMMARAT (THA), Chinnarat PHADUNGSIL (THA), LU Wei-chih (TPE), Miguel CARBALLO (ARG), Chaiphat KOONMARK (THA), Ben LEONG (MAS), Shiv KAPUR (IND), Jarin TODD (USA).

67 – Joohyung KIM (KOR), Sam CHIEN (USA), Mark BROWN (NZL), Somsak KAOPRATUM (THA), Daniel FOX (AUS), Danny CHIA (MAS), Sarit SUWANNARUT (THA), Malcolm KOKOCINSKI (SWE), John CATLIN (USA), Sattaya SUPUPRAMAI (THA), Simon YATES (SCO), Honey BAISOYA (IND).

68 – Travis SMYTH (AUS), Itthipat BURANATANYARAT (THA), Chapchai NIRAT (THA), Seungtaek LEE (KOR), Nirun SAE-UENG (THA), LIU Yanwei (CHN), Terry PILKADARIS (AUS), Jack HARRISON (ENG), Himmat RAI (IND), Kurt KITAYAMA (USA), Michael CHOI (AUS), Thitipat PHATAM (THA).

69 – Heungchol JOO (KOR), Jeev Milkha SINGH (IND), Kammalas NAMUANGRUK (THA), Brett RANKIN (AUS), LIN K P (TPE), Berry HENSON (USA), Panuphol PITTAYARAT (THA), Jack WILSON (AUS), Chanachok DEJPIRATANAMONGKOL (THA), Danthai BOONMA (THA).

70 – Witchayanon CHOTHIRUNRUNGRUENG (am, THA), Weerawit SAKUNCHAROENRAT (THA), Jaturon DUANGPHAICHOOM (THA), Pasavee LERTVILAI (THA), Atiruj WINAICHAROENCHAI (THA), Wisut ARTJANAWAT (THA), Settee PRAKONGVECH (THA), WANG Wei-lun (TPE), Wutthipong SEEHAPUNT (THA), Jake MCLEOD (AUS), Thammanoon SRIROJ (THA), Thanpisit OMSIN (THA), Suttijet KOORATANAPISAN (THA), Dale BRANDT-RICHARDS (AUS), Warun IEAMGAEW (THA), Siddikur RAHMAN (BAN), Taeyoung KANG (KOR), Nattawat SUVAJANAKORN (THA), Todd SINNOTT (AUS), Shohei HASEGAWA (JPN), Thongchai JAIDEE (THA), Khalin JOSHI (IND), Udorn DUANGDECHA (THA), Casey O’TOOLE (USA), Nitithorn THIPPONG (THA), Viraj MADAPPA (IND), Tawan PHONGPHUN (THA).

Ends.

About Asian Tour 

As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), Habitat for Humanity (Official Sustainable Development Partner), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), Titleist and FootJoy (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.

Pattaya, Thailand, July 25: Thai legend Thongchai Jaidee hopes to return to winning ways when he headlines the US$500,000 Royal Cup which gets underway on Thursday.

The 48-year-old Thai hopes to end a title drought since his last professional win two years ago in France. The last time he tasted success on home soil was in 2006, and he is relishing the opportunity to contend for the prestigious trophy against the young and upcoming Asian Tour stars at the Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club.

The Royal Cup will be Thongchai’s first tournament in Thailand this season after playing mostly in Europe where he enjoyed one top-10 result.

Defending champion Shiv Kapur returns to his favourite hunting ground where he won the Royal Cup last year for his third victory in 2017. He admits that he is struggling to find his best form as he is still recuperating from tendinitis in his right wrist.

Young Thai Phachara Khongwatmai is hoping to shine in front of the home crowd. He is working with his new coach Jamie, and will adopt a patient approach as he searches for a first Asian Tour title.

The Royal Cup is held in conjunction with His Majesty King Rama X’s 66th birthday which falls on Saturday.

Did you know?

• Thongchai Jaidee is the highest earning golfer on the Asian Tour, surpassing US$5 million in career earnings since his debut in 1999.
• Thongchai is regarded as one of the Asian Tour’s most decorated players thanks to an unprecedented three Order of Merit crowns and 13 career victories.
• His last win on homeground was at the Volvo Masters of Asia 2006 where he won with an 11-under-par 277 total.
• Shiv Kapur enjoyed his best season on the Asian Tour in 2017 when he became the only player to win three times on the Asian Tour that year.
• Kapur is currently 39th on the Habitat for Humanity standings. He finished 10th on the Order of Merit in 2017 following his win at the Royal Cup.
• Shiv’s daughter Veda, has watched him play four times on Tour already and will celebrate her first birthday on the 8th of August.
• Phachara Khongwatmai was a member of Team Asia at the 2018 EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM where he won his fourball and foursome match with partner Hideto Tanihara of Japan.
• Phachara’s best finish on the Asian Tour this year was a tied-12th at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open.
• He has had four wins on the All Thailand Golf Tour and his most recent victory on homesoil was at the 19th Singha Masters this year.
• The Thai became the youngest winner of a professional tournament when he won the Singha Hua Hin Open in 2013 as an amateur at the age of 14 years old.

Player’s quotes:

Thongchai Jaidee (Tha)

I feel great to be back home after playing in Europe all year. The Royal Trophy is an important tournament for Thai players and I just want to show my support for home events. I want this tournament to come back every year and provide opportunities for these young professionals.

My year hasn’t been bad, I have been travelling so much but I am still enjoying the competition, so I still give my best no matter where I am.

I admit it is harder to win tournaments now with all the young players coming up so I just try and enjoy myself and my time on tour. The most important thing is to enjoy playing at my age.

I’ve played so many years and with all my experience I want to share it with all these younger players. I watched them grow from young juniors and they all just need more experience if they want to start winning tournaments.

It is so difficult right now since everyone is playing well and it is way more competitive than my time. Work ethic is very important and working out in golf now plays a bigger emphasis than before. There is all these new equipment and new technology so improving is easy if you put your mind to it.

Shiv Kapur (Ind)

It has been a pretty frustrating couple of months with my injuries, so to come back to a place where I have had success is great. It has only been six months so the positive memories are still fresh. This golf course sets up well for my eye so when I stand on the tee box I have definitive lines that I want to hit. Pretty optimistic about the week.

I am not at a 100% right now. I have tendinitis so it doesn’t go away overnight. I’d like to block it (injuries) out of my mind and just play my game. It doesn’t affect me in my golf swing so my results do not get affected, it is just something I need to protect so that it doesn’t flare up and become a bigger injury.

I have a bit of an advantage knowing that I have done it before. Walking through those doors just gives me a spring in my step. Coming back to defend a title is not something you get to do everyday in your career and this is a special year for me with two events to defend my title.

I don’t think there is an added pressure being the defending champion, obviously people expect you to do well, I expect myself to do well. But I think of it as, if you’ve done it once before then you can do it again, it’s just about finding the right form. I hope this week will be the turnaround for me and kickstart the rest of my season.

Phachara Khongwatmai (Tha)

I am happy to be home after travelling so much around Europe. All my friends are here and I grew up playing golf with all these Thai players.

I don’t think about winning when I go into a tournament, whether it is an Asian Tour event or a European Tour event. I just try and stick with my process and try my best every time. The grass and the weather is so different in Europe so it was a huge transition for me. But I’m born here and I have played golf for close to 10 years now so I know I can do well on Thai courses.

My game is better because I started seeing a new coach in Europe. I’ve been seeing him for close to five weeks now and my swing is sounder since we started working together and overall, I am very confident with my game and excited to put up some good scores.

Ends.

About Asian Tour

As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), Habitat for Humanity (Official Sustainable Development Partner), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), Titleist and FootJoy (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.

Pattaya, Thailand, July 24: Newly-crowned Asian Tour winner and member Justin Harding of South Africa is hoping to ace another stern test with his intelligent game plan at the Royal Cup which begins on Thursday.

The 32-year-old clinched his maiden Asian Tour title just two weeks ago in Indonesia and is hoping to continue that winning run after surviving a long-haul flight that finally brought him to the Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club.

Harding will spearhead the strong international challenge in the 156-men field with 32 other Asian Tour winners including Malaysia’s Danny Chia and Australia’s Todd Sinnott who are determined to end their lean spells this season.

Chia, a two-time Asian Tour winner, has had a long history with battling injuries, after a shoulder injury in 2013 nearly ended his career. The Malaysian revealed he is suffering from a hip injury this year due to his busy schedule on the Japan circuit and the Asian Tour but will keep his head up high this week and rely on his course knowledge to put up a good showing at the US$500,000 event.

 Sinnott has also been juggling his time between several Tours this season and has yet to enjoy a top-10 finish on the Asian Tour this year.

The 26-year-old, who won his maiden Asian Tour title in Myanmar in his rookie season last year, plans to stay positive despite enduring a frustrating start to his season.

The Royal Cup is the Tour’s fourth stop in Thailand this year and is held in honour of His Majesty King Rama X who will celebrate his 66th birthday this Saturday.

Did you know?

• Justin Harding is a seven-time winner on the Sunshine Tour and currently leads their Order of Merit for the 2018-2019 season.
•  Harding made his mark on the Asian Tour at the Bank BRI Indonesia Open 2018 where he won by one-shot with his winning total of 18-under-par 270 total.
•  Harding immediately took up membership on the Asian Tour following his win in Indonesia and currently sits on 32nd place on the Habitat for Humanity Standings.
•  The South African played college golf at Lamar university in Texas.
•  Danny chia became the first Malaysian to win on the Asian Tour with his victory at the 2002 Taiwan Open.
•   Chia captured his second Asian Tour victory at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters in 2015, a year after undergoing a neck surgery to repair a compressed nerve problem which was paralyzing his left arm.
•  He has been splitting his time between the Asian Tour and the Japan Golf Tour this year having qualified on the Japanese circuit with a 19th place finish in the Final Qualifying Tournament held in Ibaraki.
• Todd Sinnott turned professional in 2015.
• Sinnott won the 2017 Leopalace21 Myanmar Open by three shots after only earning his Asian Tour card two weeks prior to his triumph.
• The Australian has had a lean spell since his win and has only made three cuts in his seven starts this season.

Player’s quotes:

Justin Harding (Rsa)

I’ve been playing well and I won three tournaments on the Sunshine Tour and one on the Asian Tour already. I have just been playing more intelligent golf. My team back home sat me down and we just looked at my statistics to try and eliminate mistakes I am making to play more sensibly.

I’m still playing aggressively but with a little more intelligence now. I’ve been finding myself on the leaderboard more often now that I am playing smart golf. I’ve always been pretty good as a front runner and I have matured a little bit more this year in approaching tournaments so that’s been working for me.

This is my first visit to Thailand, I have only ever been to Asia once before I played in Indonesia. It was the travelling back and forth that was the toughest part. The grass is a little different in Asia and is probably the trickiest part of the game that I have had to adjust to.

I’ve never travelled so much, so I battled a little last week in Kenya, I feel fine this week but I hope the jetlag doesn’t kick in later. Adjusting to the heat in Asia was a challenge, coming from cold weather back home and then back to humidity, I’m just trying to keep myself hydrated and exert as little energy as possible.

But I don’t see a huge difference competition-wise on both Tours. I played with a couple of guys in Indonesia and they play really good golf. It’s still the same game we’re playing, the biggest different is who has a better game plan for the week.

We had an event in Kenya on the Sunshine Tour last week so I decided to fly from Indonesia to Kenya and then come back this week so it’s been a lot of travelling. I haven’t completely settled down but it’s nice that I have friends on Tour like Keith (Horne) and Lyle, to get advice from. It’s just a matter of getting comfortable in a different environment.

Danny Chia (Mas)

I took some time off last week as I had to get some treatment on my hips which have been giving me trouble and I sprained my knee a couple of weeks ago. I feel like I am burning myself out from playing too much golf this year and that’s why my injuries are starting to come back. I have had a busy schedule, splitting my time between the Japan Tour and the Asian Tour and I didn’t pace myself.

I have been doing some physiotherapy and exercise to try and get my body back on track before this week but it’s been a process. Still feeling a bit stiff but and I have not had the time to target the problem and get treated. I am taking another week off next week to get it sorted out.

I think the biggest struggle this year has been adjusting to different greens. It’s a much tougher setup in Japan. The greens are faster than what I am used to so I had to force myself to adapt quickly. I started to hit the ball better in the last two months but then the injury kicked in again. Pretty much been the story of my life having to deal with injury after injury.

It’s tough but it’s something I have to live with. I am 46 this year so I have to start looking out for my body and not stress is as much as I did when I was younger. I’ve been through so many tough times in my career and this is just another bump in the road. Once I get my body sorted out I can have peace of mind to play my game.

It’s not a long golf course this week. I would say distance control and precision with where you land your ball on the greens are key to playing well. The greens are tricky too so I’ll be spending the most time on that before the tournament starts on Thursday.

Todd Sinnott (Aus)

I played a practice round with Travis (Smyth) today and he’s played here before so I have been relying on him today for tips. The greens here are small and the golf course is good, better than what I thought it would be. Green speeds seem to be different on both nines but I’m excited to play it this week. The course really suits my game, there are a couple of drivable par fours so I’ll be pretty aggressive.

My game hasn’t been great in recent times. But I just sat down with my coach Marty Joyce, and we’ve been working on a lot of technical stuff. The past week I have been back home practicing everyday and putting in the work so I am coming into this week pretty confident. I just need to stick to the process and let the results come.

I know exactly what I need to fix and it has been a frustrating period but everything happens for a reason and I just want to move forward and start getting some good results.

I have played four events on the Japan Tour, a little bit on the PGA Tour of Australasia and some Asian Tour events. So, I have been splitting myself between all three Tours. The courses in Asia are more suited for my game and my schedule will mostly be Asian Tour events and a couple on the Japan circuit for the second half of the year.

My friend from back home is on my bag this week and he’s really smart so I trust him. We train together when I’m home and he knows my game and we just work really well together.

Ends.

About Asian Tour

As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), Habitat for Humanity (Official Sustainable Development Partner), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), Titleist and FootJoy (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.

Fiji, July 24: The 2017 ISPS HANDA New Zealand Open champion Michael Hendry heads up a strong group of 12 New Zealanders mixed with proven winners and exciting young talent in the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways.

Hendry has been plying his trade on the Japan Golf Tour where he was a winner in 2015 and will join fellow Japan Tour winner and countryman David Smail, as well as Mark Brown, Daniel Pearce, Josh Geary, Gareth Paddison, Michael Long, Ben Campbell, Kieran Muir and Harry Bateman at the Fijian showpiece which is tri-sanctioned with the Asian Tour, ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia and European Tour.  

Talented amateurs and now first year professionals Ryan Chisnall and Nick Voke round out the Kiwi challenge at Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course.

Hendry became the first New Zealander to win their national Open since Mahal Pearce in 2003 which he followed up with a second place finish in the Japan Tour’s Gate Way to The Open – The Mizuno Open, enough to see him make his major debut at the 146th Open Championship.

He replicated that same Japanese result in 2018 to make a second straight appearance in the prestigious tournament.

“It was another amazing experience, anytime you can book a spot in a Major against the world’s best golfers is always going to be pretty special,” said Hendry.

“I’m looking forward to carrying some of those good vibes over to Fiji and hopefully get a good result there. It’s quite close to home so it’s a great chance to pop over to New Zealand, refresh a little bit before getting stuck back into the season overseas.”

There’s a sense of unfinished business for Hendry returning to Fiji, he finished runner-up to American Brandt Snedeker in the 2016 edition of the tournament.

“I have played well there before, there were a few changes Vijay Singh made to the track and I had my first look at those last year.

“Hopefully I can put it all together this time and go one better than I did in 2016.”

Hendry has been one of the most consistent performers on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia recording top-5 finishes on the money list in the last two seasons, a strong performance at the AU$1.25 million Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways would put him in good stead for a third strong result on the Order of Merit.

“It’d be great to win that Order of Merit title, it opens so many doors through the exemptions you receive with it,” added Hendry.

“There’s a couple of guys who have already gotten off to great starts this season so it’ll be difficult to catch them but a good result in Fiji would be the first step.”

The even dozen New Zealanders add to the international flavour the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways has established over the past five years.

“We have so many talented New Zealander golfers who are part of the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia and it’s great to see them so well represented in the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways,” said Gavin Kirkman, CEO of the PGA of Australia which owns the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia.

“As a proud sporting nation, New Zealand enjoys a strong relationship with its Pacific neighbours and it’s fantastic to see that relationship continue with both Fiji and golf in general.”

Ends.

Pattaya, Thailand, July 23: Lyle Rowe of South Africa fired a sparkling six-under-par 64 to finish as the top player in the Royal Cup Qualifier on Monday.

Rowe, who graduated from Asian Tour Qualifying School this year, secured one of the 10 tickets on offer to the US$500,000 Royal Cup which gets underway at the Royal Gold Golf and Country Club this Thursday.

Korea’s Joohyung Kim and India’s Honey Baisoya finished two shots back to settle for second place on matching 66s.

Other players who qualified for the Royal Cup are Thailand’s Weerawit Sakuncharoenrat, Thanarat Srisathaporn and Kammalas Namuangruk who finished in fourth place on 67 while Thai duo Nutdanai Nuangjaknin and and Pitipat Pitimana-aree tied in seventh place following matching 68s.

Singapore’s Mitchell Slorach and Thailand’s Pijit Petchkasem shot 69s to claim the final two berths for the Royal Cup.

A total of 79 players took part in the Royal Cup Qualifier. The second edition of the Royal Cup will be held in conjunction with the 66th birthday of King Rama X’s birthday this Saturday.

Carnoustie, Scotland, July 21: Thai duo Jazz Janewattananond and Danthai Boonma hailed their Major debut as a learning experience after missing the halfway cut at The 147th Open at Carnoustie on Friday.

The Thai pair, both winners on the Asian Tour, earned their tickets to the year’s third Major championship following their tied-fourth place results at the season-opening SMBC Singapore Open, which was part of The Open Qualifying Series.

Jazz carded rounds of 74 and 76 while Danthai signed for rounds of 78 and 74 to miss the mark set at three-over-par 145 at the Carnoustie Golf Links. Kiradech Aphibarnrat is the only Thai to make it into the weekend after battling to a 71 to sit right on the bubble.

“It’s still a very good experience for me even though I missed the cut. I didn’t expect too much because it’s my first Major this week. I just came here to see what’s going on around and how it actually feels to be playing in a Major,” said the 22-year-old Jazz.

“It was an eye-opener. Playing in Asia is just so different. There are so many things that I can improve on. Playing against so many good golfers, you kind of see what you need to do and what you don’t. It’s a very good learning experience. It’s hard to put it in words.

Jazz secured his second Asian Tour title at the Queen’s Cup presented by Bangchak last month. He followed up that victory with a joint runner-up finish at the Sarawak Championship in Malaysia, two week’s prior to his Open debut.

“The week’s not done yet. I will still be here watching some golf over the weekend and hopefully learn something. It’s been an amazing week. I really hope I can come back here again,” he added.

Danthai Boonma of Thailand

Danthai, who claimed his maiden Asian Tour win at The World Classic Championship in 2015, admits nerves in his opening round but will take home the positives from his Major debut.

“I thought I played really good in the second round. I felt better with my game. I kind of feel more confident out there today. Yesterday I was quite nervous. Today, I managed to focus shot by shot and just play my game.

“It’s been a wonderful experience for me. The course is different from what we used to play in Asia and the vibes here are just so different. I really enjoyed myself this week. This experience will definitely help in my game moving forward,” said the 22-year-old Danthai.

Ends.

About Asian Tour

As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), Habitat for Humanity (Official Sustainable Development Partner), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), Titleist and FootJoy (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur. 

Pattaya, Thailand, July 21: Pavit Tangkamolprasert hopes to complete the Thai dominance in Asian Tour events on home soil when he contends at the Royal Cup next week.

The 29-year-old Pavit is determined to emulate the success of recent winners Panuphol Pittayarat and Jazz Janewattananond, winners of the Thailand Open and Queen’s Cup respectively, to reaffirm Thailand’s dominance on the Asian Tour.

Pavit will line-up alongside three-time Asian Tour number one, Thongchai Jaidee, Prom Meesawat, who finished runner-up in last year’s Royal Cup and Natipong Srithong at the Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club.

American John Catlin, the only player to win twice on the Asian Tour in 2018, will lead the strong international challenge which includes defending champion Shiv Kapur of India, compatriots Gaganjeet Bhullar and Jeev Milkha Singh, Chinese Taipei’s Lin Wen-tang, South Africa’s Justin Harding and Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh.

After winning his sixth Asian Development Tour (ADT) title on home soil in May, Pavit will now set his sights on claiming a second Asian Tour title since 2016 at the Royal Cup.

“Since my win (on the ADT) I have gained a lot more confidence to compete this year and I am still hunting for my second win now that my wrist is at 100%. I have been doing a lot of physiotherapy and have also been working out a lot more to build my arm muscles and that has been key to helping me recover faster,” said Pavit.

Currently ranked 35th on the Habitat for Humanity Standings, Pavit is ready to launch a title assault after taking a week’s break to prepare for the Royal Cup.

“My goal this season is to finish inside the top-30 on the Habitat for Humanity standings so that I can get into every event next year. I have been playing well since the Kolon Korea Open but playing four weeks straight and having to adjust to playing on different green speeds has been tough. This break was much needed and I will be fully recharged once Royal Cup comes,” added Pavit.

Measuring at 6,716 yards, with the front-nine being played on the Lake course and the back-nine being played on the Mountain course, the Royal Cup will held in conjunction with King Rama X’s birthday which falls on July 28, Saturday.

Ends.

About Asian Tour

As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), Habitat for Humanity (Official Sustainable Development Partner), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), Titleist and FootJoy (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.

Fiji, July 20: Australia’s Scott Hend will be hoping to complete his ‘unfinished’ business and settle an old score at the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways which will get underway at the Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course in a fortnight.

Hend, who is the first Australian to win the Asian Tour Order of Merit in 2016,  began the final round in 2017 sharing fourth place and just three shots behind 54-hole leader Wade Ormsby.

One of the most experienced and successful players in the field, he rightly felt he had a genuine chance to take the title but having done all the hard work to get himself into position things did not go his way in the final round.

An adventurous front-nine of one-over that included just one par – Hend amassed five bogeys against two birdies and an eagle – all but ending his chances, an aggravating end to an otherwise encouraging week.

“From tee to green I probably hit the ball as good as I had for the whole week and to not convert on the Sunday and win the tournament was very frustrating,” said Hend.

“The pressure was really on to win because I think if I had won that tournament I definitely would have got the pick for the Presidents Cup.

“I got into position and I guess my putter let me down on Sunday. I just couldn’t hole the putts and Norrey (eventual winner Jason Norris) played fantastically and holed the putts he had to hole and shot some great scores to win.”

Hend is no stranger to Fiji having played there early in his golf career but said when he returned for the first time in many years in 2017, he was pleasantly surprised how far the country – and golf in Fiji – had come.

“I was really excited and pleased to see the quality of the Natadola Bay course when I arrived last year,” added Hend.

“Fiji has always been a special place and it hasn’t lost any of that magic. You stay in the hotel there and have breakfast looking out over the ocean and it’s just an island paradise.

“But the golf course there is also a quality golf course. The way it’s been designed – it’s a really good design and very playable.”

Hend says the Natadola Bay layout, and the strong winds which often blow across the course, suit his style of play and he is confident and keen about his return trip this year.

“The real key to the golf course is the wind. If it gets windy then the guy who’s striking the ball quite well and can manoeuvre it about, he’s the guy who will be up there at the end,” he said.

“That’s what we saw last year with the wind. The proficient ball strikers sort of came to the top a little bit.

“I played with Jason on the Saturday and he was striking the ball quite cleanly so it didn’t surprise me he was up there. Then he also had the putter rolling so when you get those two things together, it usually all falls into place.”

While returning to Fiji is a trip down memory lane in some ways for Hend he said he also recognises the tournament is a significant opportunity for many of those in the field.

“The field strength for Australian golfers and the opportunity for those guys are fantastic,” he said.

“The guys who play the pro-am circuit and are looking to advance their careers, a tournament like this is really, really big.

“It’s a rare opportunity. If you can have a good week here and get a win you get a two-year exemption in Asia…it could be life-changing for some of those guys.”
 
There’s no question Hend has a genuine liking for Fiji and the tournament; his travel itinerary just to take part is proof of his commitment.

He will play the Porsche European Open in Hamburg the week before then beginning a long and adventurous route to the South Pacific ahead of Thursday’s tee time.

“Sunday night I fly Hamburg to London then London to Singapore then Singapore to Fiji,” added Hend who will fly direct from Singapore to Nadi on Fiji Airways.

“It’s a fair trip but at least you know it’s going to be nice and relaxing once you get there!”

Hend will be among the favourites when the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways tees off at Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course from August 2-5 and rightly so.

In a season which has seen him not quite at his best thanks to an injury flare-up he has been steadily building back to form and feels he is ready to contend again.

“The hardest part about winning is actually getting yourself in position,” he says.

“Sooner or later, if you get there enough, you hope once or twice it all falls your way but just trying to get there is the hardest part.

“Golf tournaments are so competitive these days that there are not many times you can go out and shoot even par or 1-under in the last round and just win. You have to keep pushing.

“But I’ve done a lot of hard work this year and sooner or later it’s going to fall into place. It’s just a matter of timing and you’ve got to be persistent with it.”

Don’t be surprised if that time comes Sunday evening in Fiji, says Gavin Kirkman CEO of the PGA of Australia which owns the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia and along with Sports and Entertainment Limited owns the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways.
 
“Scott Hend is a highly accomplished golfer recording 14 wins around the world and representing Australia at the 2016 Rio Olympics so to have a player of his calibre returning to the play the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways shows the positive reputation the tournament has built on the world stage.
 
“The distance that players like Scott are travelling to tee up in the tournament is also a testament to the beauty and hospitality of Fiji; the players all love playing in the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways.”

Carnoustie, Scotland, July 19: Thai star Kiradech Aphibarnrat endured a day of mixed emotions as he signed for an opening three-over-par 74 at The 147th Open at Carnoustie on Thursday.

The 28-year-old Thai, who was crowned the Asian Tour number one in 2013, fired two birdies against a double-bogey to turn in level par. He dropped four shots in his next seven holes but gained an unexpected birdie on 17 after his third shot from 80 yards found the bottom of the cup.

“Definitely not a good start to the week, shooting three-over in the opening round,” said Kiradech. “I had a good start today, birdied the first and missed by a little bit for birdie on the second. I just miscalculated that shot which landed in the bunker, resulting in a double-bogey unfortunately.”

“Managed to turn in level par but I can only say there are too many bunkers on the back-nine. (laughs). I made a good comeback on the 17. It was a great shot. It was good to finish with that birdie coming back,” added Kiradech, a three-time Asian Tour winner and a four-time European Tour champion.

Kiradech, who played alongside defending champion Jordan Spieth and world number three Justin Rose, lamented his poor ball-striking where he found only four fairways but kept up his hopes of making a comeback on Friday.

“I was just trying to stay consistent out there. I hope I can continue to do that tomorrow, keep the ball in play and just get it low tomorrow. It was good fun out there with Justin (Rose) and Jordan (Spieth). All of us weren’t having a good day out there. Justin and I weren’t striking the ball well but I am sure we will go out there and gain it back tomorrow,” he said.

Fellow compatriot and Major debutant Jazz Janewattananond matched the efforts of Kiradech after marking his card with four birdies against a double-bogey and five bogeys.

“It was a long round today. I started off alright but it got quite bad later but I managed to keep my head in it. It’s a tough golf course and it’s also my first Major championship. I have never played links course before so to finish three-over-par, I’m pretty happy.

“Another round tomorrow, things could be different, you never know. I just have to be calm about it and see what happens. I made a long putt on hole 11 for birdie. It was about 40 feet or more. It was a really tough hole because it’s straight into the wind,” Jazz said.

The Thai duo were among those tied in 90th place, eight shots behind leader Kevin Kisner of the United States. Danthai Boonma, the other Thai debutant in the field, posted a 78.

“It has been awesome playing in my first Major. It’s kind of weird. You see so many good guys out here. In the locker, you might meet Tiger Woods while changing your shoes and Dustin Johnson might just walk past you at the range, it’s pretty mind-blowing,” said a thrilled Jazz.

Ends.

About Asian Tour

As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), Habitat for Humanity (Official Sustainable Development Partner), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), Titleist and FootJoy (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.