Sentosa, Singapore, July 9: American John Catlin first set foot on the Asian Tour in 2015, armed only with copious amount of talent and a dream.

A dream to become the best golfer that he can be and win on the Asian Tour.

“It is crazy where life will take you. I remember landing in Bangkok and I don’t know where I’m going and I don’t even know where Hua Hin is but now I live there. It is pretty crazy,” said Catlin.

It was an arduous journey but a fulfilling one which would see Catlin win not once but twice on the Asian Tour this season.

The Sarawak Championship was the 27-year-old’s second Asian Tour victory in two months which catapulted him to 10th place on the Habitat for Humanity Standings.

“I always wanted to do great things ever since I was a little kid. Both my victories are equally awesome. You can’t really put one above the other,” said Catlin, who earned his maiden breakthrough at the Asia-Pacific Classic in China in May.

Life as an aspiring professional looking for his big break meant tightening the purse strings as he only made three cuts in eight starts on the Asian Tour in 2016 and had to switch his focus to the Asian Development Tour (ADT).

“I had to save a lot on the ADT because I didn’t have money to spend. We get like four of us with four golf bags in cab and would pack ourselves in the car just to save like five or 10 dollars.

“Sometimes four of us would be living in a room. It makes you work extra harder instead of going through that every week. You don’t want to stay there. That’s where you start and you want to work your way up from there. It has always spurred me on,” said Catlin.

Catlin found success on the ADT at the Combiphar Golf Invitational in Indonesia in November 2016. But having missed the grade at the 2017 Qualifying School, he would soldier on and eventually found his way back onto the main Tour with a second win and five other top-10s to finish third on the ADT money list.

The American’s sojourn on the Asian Tour has taken him to the length and breadth of the continent, each with a fascinating tale to tell.

“I’ve been to Dhaka, I never thought I would go and play four tournaments there. Going to India was pretty awesome and eye opening. I’ve also been to Pakistan, never did I think I would ever go to Pakistan but I had to for the ADT to finish inside the top-five on the Order of Merit and get my Asian Tour card,” said Catlin.

“In Pakistan I was a bit nervous. Coming out of the airport I was scared. I got through customs and everything fine. Then we saw 20 people and they were the nicest people we’ve ever met and I see this convoy with four or five armed vehicles.

“It was like the president is coming to town and we were in a bus and these vehicles escorted us to the hotel. That was pretty amazing, I’ve never been treated like that before in my life,” recalled Catlin, who is targeting another win at this week’s Bank BRI Indonesia Open.

India’s Shubhankar Sharma continues to take pole position on the Habitat for Humanity Standings with England’s Matt Wallace and Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat occupying second and third place respectively.

Top-20 players on the Habitat for Humanity Standings

Pos       Player   Order of Merit (US$)

1            Shubhankar SHARMA   (IND)                $589,575.00

2            Matt WALLACE   (ENG)                            $446,660.00

3            Kiradech APHIBARNRAT   (THA)           $360,737.14

4            Sanghyun PARK   (KOR)                           $295,660.39

5            Rahil GANGJEE   (IND)                             $290,425.53

6            Minchel CHOI   (KOR)                              $271,340.97

7            Sihwan KIM   (USA)                                  $251,373.77

8            Paul PETERSON   (USA)                           $241,148.57

9            Jazz JANEWATTANANOND   (THA)      $199,324.39

10          John CATLIN   (USA)                                 $183,191.66

11          Scott VINCENT   (ZIM)                             $176,289.85

12          Gaganjeet BHULLAR   (IND)                   $174,472.30

13          Berry HENSON   (USA)                             $155,033.66

14          Daniel NISBET   (AUS)                              $151,883.64

15          Panuphol PITTAYARAT   (THA)              $135,949.11

16          Khalin JOSHI   (IND)                                 $123,931.97

17          Hideto TANIHARA   (JPN)                       $123,306.08

18          Danthai BOONMA   (THA)                      $122,021.50

19          Prom MEESAWAT   (THA)                       $121,605.91

20          Shaun NORRIS   (RSA)                             $118,284.91

Singapore, July 9: Here are the 5 takeaways from the 2018 Sarawak Championship where John Catlin took home his second Asian Tour title.

1. John Catlin is the first player to win twice in 2018. It was also his second win in two months following his first Asian Tour title in China in May

2. The Sarawak Championship was the first time the Asian Tour visited the Borneo state in Malaysia. However Sarawak has been a regular stop on the Asian Development Tour (ADT). Interestingly, Catlin finished second at the Damai Golf and Country Club last year on the ADT.

3. Spaniard Javi Colomo enjoyed his first top-five finish on the Asian Tour since 2013. The last time he finished tied fifth was at the Hong Kong Open six years ago.

4. The Open bound Danthai Boonma and Jazz Janewattananond did not win the Sarawak Championship but their tied second place result will give them a huge confidence boost ahead of their Major debut next week.

5. Many of the Asian Tour stars visited Sarawak and the Damai Golf and Country Club for the first time. They were awed by the beauty of the Malaysian Borneo state and what it had to offer, just look at their photos below:

Sweet spot this week on the @asiantour. Let’s go feed the birds. #sarawakchampionship pic.twitter.com/HVbVQVRnrS

— Berry Henson (@BerryHenson) July 2, 2018

Great to be part of the Sarawak Championship, Malaysia on the @asiantourgolf this week, venue and all involved have been fantastic #thankyou #golf #asiantour #SarawakChampionship pic.twitter.com/ttL4jmvIQ9

— Jeev Milkha Singh (@JeevMilkhaSingh) July 5, 2018

Kuching, Malaysia, July 7: John Catlin of the United States sank a clutch birdie putt on the last hole to win his second Asian Tour title in a thrilling final round at the US$300,000 Sarawak Championship on Saturday. 

The 27-year-old held his nerve before rolling in a five-foot putt on the par-four 18th hole to edge his closest challengers Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand, Danthai Boonma and Paul Peterson of the United States by a single shot at the Damai Golf and Country Club.

There was very little breathing space for Catlin in the final round but he eventually prevailed after returning with a bogey-free six-under-par 66 for a 22-under-par 266 total in the inaugural Asian Tour event.

A fast charging Jazz birdied 16 and eagled 17 for a superb 64 to set the clubhouse target on 21-under before settling for second place with countryman Danthai (66) and overnight leader Peterson, who also birdied the last to finish with a 68.

With Jazz safely in the clubhouse, the Sarawak Championship looked likely to enter extra time before Catlin stepped up to sink the crucial putt under immense pressure.

Jazz failed to win back-to-back titles but the result will give him and Danthai the much needed confidence ahead of their Major debut at The Open in two weeks.

The 30-year-old Peterson was disappointed not to win the Sarawak Championship where he held the lead since the opening round. He piled the pressure on Catlin with a cool birdie finish on the last but eventually settled for second place.

Did you know? 

• Catlin only dropped one bogey this week in the second round. He snared a total of 21 birdies in 72 holes.
• He got off to hot start when he birdied the opening two holes before adding four birdies on his homeward nine on holes 10, 12, 17 and 18.
• He becomes the first player to win multiple titles on the Asian Tour in 2018. He won his first Asian Tour title at the Asia-Pacific Classic in China in May.
• The victory was especially sweet for Catlin who finished second last year in an Asian Development Tour (ADT) event which was played on the same course.
• He continues his impressive form this year where he has won two titles and missed only one cut in eight Asian Tour appearances.
• He won US$54,000 and 14 Official World Golf Ranking points. The victory also pushes him to 10th place on the Asian Tour’s Habitat for Humanity Standings.
• Catlin and Chan Shih-chang are now the most successful ADT players on the Asian Tour where they both hold two victories on the region’s premier Tour.
• Catlin’s career has been on the upswing since he finished third on the ADT Order of Merit last year to earn his Asian Tour card in 2018.
• Jazz missed out on a chance to become the first player to win in successive weeks since 2011. He came close when he eagled the 17th hole from five feet.
• Danthai’s title drought continues on the Asian Tour. He won his first title in 2015 but has struggled to replicate his winning form. He was also bogey-free in a round of six birdies.
• Peterson missed out on a chance to win his second Asian Tour title in 2018. However, the American can hold his head high after shooting his personal best of 63 on the Asian Tour in the opening round.
• The Sarawak Championship is only his second Asian Tour event since taking a six-week break to spend time with his family in the United States.

Player quotes:

John Catlin (Usa) – Final Round 66 (-6), Total 266 (-22) 

It was crazy! It was a grind all week long. People keep making birdies and I asked myself ‘when is my birdie going to be enough!’ I finally did it on the 18th hole and that’s what I needed.

Danthai, Peterson and I were tied after the 12th hole and suddenly on 17 we saw that Jazz was one ahead of us! Honestly I wanted someone to go ahead because I figured it would push me and put a little fire under me. That’s probably why I birdied the last hole.

I saw Peterson birdied 18 as well but it didn’t change the situation. It actually helped me seeing the break because I wouldn’t have played quite as much break if I hadn’t seen Paul’s putt. Seeing his putt go in was definitely helpful.

The putt on the last hole was huge because of all the putts from that distance which I missed this week. The win in China was monumental because if I had to go through what I did today without winning earlier this year, I’m not sure if I could have pulled it off. It was nice to have that little bit of winning experience to calm me down.

It is crazy how life pans out. My coach actually told me to come out to Asia. My first two years was really eye opening and I realised what are the areas of my game that I needed to improve on in order to compete. Having a full year on the ADT was big for me to get my feet wet. I won a few times there and that gave me the confidence.

It is crazy where life will take you. I never thought I would be in Asia and now I’ve been here for three and a half years. I remember landing in Bangkok and I don’t know where I’m going and I don’t even know where Hua Hin is but now I live there. It is pretty crazy.

Both my victories are equally awesome. You can’t really put one above the other.

Jazz Janewattananond (Tha) – Final Round 64 (-8), Total 267 (-21)

I didn’t think I had a chance today! I didn’t think I could come close and I started really slow on the front nine. I’m happy that I continued to play this well leading into The Open. After the birdie on 16, I still felt like I was too far but I hit it close on 17 and made eagle. That changed everything but I couldn’t birdie the last hole. It is okay because from no chance of winning, I actually gave myself a glimmer of hope.

Danthai Boonma (Tha) – Final Round 66 (-6), Total 267 (-21)

I played really well. I had six birdies and I was bogey free. I really tried my best. I missed a few short birdie putts on 13 and 14 but that’s golf. I was a little bit nervous but I’m still proud with how I played. I have more confidence now before The Open. I’m off next week so I will practice harder for my first Major championship.

Paul Peterson (Usa) – Final Round 68 (-4), Total 267 (-21)

It was a tremendous week. This is the most under-par I’ve ever been in my professional career. There are a lot of positives to take from the week. It was going to take someone to play a really good round to beat me and that’s what happened. I birdied the last to try and rattle him but a great putt by him. He deserved the win.

We all made putts to go to 20-under on 12 and then we all missed some putts and it was like ‘does anybody really want to win this tournament?’ I had a really good putt on 15 but it hit the lip. I did everything I could and I knew that I had to birdie 18 and I did that. When I look through my career, I can tell myself that I made putts when I needed to. That’s the positive I will take out from this week.

Scores after round 4 of the Sarawak Championship being played at the par 72, 6970 Yards Damai GC course (am – denotes amateur):

266 – John CATLIN (USA) 67-65-68-66.

267 – Jazz JANEWATTANANOND (THA) 66-66-71-64, Danthai BOONMA (THA) 67-66-68-66, Paul PETERSON (USA) 63-67-69-68."

268 – Javi COLOMO (ESP) 66-67-68-67.

269 – Mark BROWN (NZL) 65-71-67-66.

270 – Scott VINCENT (ZIM) 67-69-70-64, Johannes VEERMAN (USA) 67-70-68-65, Kevin LEE (KOR) 67-65-71-67."

272 – Peradol PANYATHANASEDH (THA) 66-69-67-70.

273 – Chikkarangappa S. (IND) 70-67-70-66, Ajeetesh SANDHU (IND) 68-71-67-67, Himmat RAI (IND) 68-67-70-68, Maverick ANTCLIFF (AUS) 69-69-67-68, Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND) 68-68-66-71.

274 – Natipong SRITHONG (THA) 68-67-69-70.

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.

Kuching, Malaysia, July 6: Paul Peterson of the United States posted a bogey-free three-under-par 69 to hold a narrow one-shot lead over countryman John Catlin in the third round of the Sarawak Championship on Friday.  

Peterson, who won his first Asian Tour title in January, fired three birdies on his homeward nine to hold on to his lead for the third straight day on 17-under-par 199 at the Damai Golf and Country Club.

Catlin kept up his chase for a second Asian Tour title following a 68 while Thailand’s Danthai Boonma (68), who will play in The Open in a fortnight, and Spaniard Javi Colomo (68) are a further shot back in third place.

India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar also charged into contention with a sparkling 66 to share fifth place with Thailand’s Peradol Panyathanasedh (67) on a 202 total at the US$300,000 Asian Tour event.

Southpaw player Peterson started with nine straight pars before birdies on holes 10, 13 and 16 earned him a slight edge heading into the final 18 holes. The American continued his fine form after dropping only one shot in 54 holes.

The 27-year-old Catlin has unfinished business this week after finishing second on this course on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) last year. The American sank a clutch birdie putt from 18 feet on the 17th hole to stay within striking distance.

Thailand’s Boonma birdied the last two holes to put himself in prime position to end a three-year title drought on the Asian Tour. This will be his final event before he heads to Carnoustie for his Major debut at The Open.  

Did you know? 

• Peterson only dropped one bogey in the second round. In 54 holes, the American has snared a total of 18 birdies.
• He won his first Asian Tour title at the Leopalace21 Myanmar Open in January but since then has struggled to find his winning form.
• The Sarawak Championship is the second Asian Tour event Peterson is playing in after taking a six-week break to visit his family in the United States.
• Peterson holds the low round this week following his opening 63.
• Catlin is enjoying one of his best seasons so far on the Asian Tour. He won his first Asian Tour title in May and has notched three other top-10 results. He only missed one cut in seven appearances so far on the Asian Tour.
• He is currently ranked 15th on the Habitat for Humanity Standings and will battle with countryman Peterson to become the first player in 2018 to win multiple Asian Tour titles.
• Like Peterson, Catlin was also flawless in the penultimate round.
• Danthai won his first Asian Tour title at the 2015 World Classic Championship in Singapore. He has two top-10s so far this year but the most significant was a tied fourth place result at the season-opening SMBC Singapore Open (The Open Qualifying Series) which earned him a ticket to the year’s third Major championship.
• Colomo is an Asian Tour regular who is searching for a first Asian Tour title. This is the first time in 2018 where he is in contention. Last week he secured his best result on the Asian Tour in 2018 with a tied 12th place finish.
• Bhullar finished second at the Queen’s Cup in Thailand last week. It was his second runner-up result following The 37th GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship in Korea in May.
• He found 14 out of 14 fairways and missed only one green in regulation. He totalled 25 putts and is in good position to launch a title assault for a ninth Asian Tour title.

Player quotes:

Paul Peterson (Usa) – Third Round 69 (-3), Total 199 (-17) 

It did take me a while to get hot. The group seems to survive the first few holes. Nobody really did much and John (Catlin) made a couple of putts. I didn’t really feel that the pin positions suited my game with the wind direction. There were a lot of left pins with left to right wind and I tend to draw the ball.

I tried to stay as patient as I could and hit the ball to the middle of the green and not try to get greedy. I knew that after the turn I will have more opportunities to score. I expected the front nine to be a bit slower unless I made a putt.

I feel like I got a lot out of my round. I had a lot of momentum pars which led to the birdies on the back nine. Hopefully I can get the putter a little bit hotter. The game felt solid and another bogey free day so those are always fun.

I can’t control what the other players do. I just need to make as many birdies as I can. More of the same in terms of cutting the bogeys to a minimum. I will tell my coach that I had a lot out of my round and that I’m happy with things. We will probably just have a laugh tonight.

John Catlin (Usa) – Third Round 68 (-4), Total 200 (-16)

You always want to have a chance going into the last round. To be in this position is why I work all those hours. It is always exciting chasing down a trophy. He (Paul Peterson) is playing well and I’m playing well, it is going to be a good battle. The birdie on 17 was really good. I was just coasting along until that birdie on 17 (18 feet) came. That was nice.

I’ve won on the Asian Tour now so the experience will certainly help. Being able to look yourself in the mirror and honestly say that I’ve been here before and won. There’s no substitute for that.

Danthai Boonma (Tha) – Third Round 68 (-4), Total 201 (-15)

I played really good. Everything seems good for me now. My approach shots to the green are really good and I’m giving myself a lot of birdie chances. I don’t want to think about the win yet. I want to stay focus on my game.

Javi Colomo (Esp) – Third Round 68 (-4), Total 201 (-15)

My game is in a very good shape. I’m really happy with my game. Golf is very funny. At the Korea Open, I finished third to last. The feeling was not that bad but my scores have been very poor. I kept believing in myself and after the Korea Open, I’ve learned a lot. You can see my score at the Queen’s Cup.

I missed the putt on the last hole to miss out on a top-10 finish but that’s okay. I was very proud of myself and I’m giving myself a lot of chances this week. I’m 15-under but my score should be better. Hopefully the best score will happen on the last day.

Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind) – Third Round 66 (-6), Total 202 (-14)

I hit the ball really good. I hit all the fairways and missed only three greens. Overall it was a good day in terms of ball striking. I got off to a good start with two birdies and that gave me a lot of boost and confidence.

I’m happy to be in this position. I’ve been striking the ball really good in the last four months. The trick is all mental now. If I’m able to do the same thing in the last few days, I will be happy with my game.

It looks like it will be an exciting final round. It looks like the guy who is leading is playing some good golf. Golf is a funny sport and anything is possible. Everybody is giving their 100% and so am I. I’ll go out there and do my best.

Game wise, I’m feeling really confident and I’ve been converting a lot of good scores and giving myself a lot of opportunities.

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.

Kuching, Malaysia, July 5: Paul Peterson of the United States maintained his lead at the US$300,000 Sarawak Championship by shooting a second round five-under-par 67 on Thursday. 

The 30-year-old Peterson, who is playing in his second Asian Tour event after taking a six-week break, stayed ahead of the chasing pack on 14-under-par 130 at the inaugural Asian Tour event.

The in-form Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand kept up his chase for a second successive victory after posting a 66 to share second place with John Catlin of the United States (65) and Kevin Lee of Korea (65) on 132.

Thai legend Thammanoon Sriroj produced the tournament’s first hole-in-one when he aced the par-three eighth hole with a pitching wedge from 137 yards. He ended the day on a 73 to make the cut on the number. A total of 72 players qualified for the last two rounds on 141.

A recharged Peterson fired six birdies against one bogey but the highlight of his round came when he holed a clutch 20-foot birdie putt on the eighth hole. He was delighted to rediscover his form after visiting his family in the United States.

Jazz is on track to become the first player to win back-to-back titles on the Asian Tour since Lee Westwood in 2011. The young Thai eagled the 17th hole from 24 feet to trail Peterson by two shots.  

Did you know? 

• Peterson dropped only one shot today on the par-three 15th hole. It is his only dropped shot in 36 holes.
• He missed only one green in regulation and found 12 out of 14 fairways in a round of six birdies.
• When Peterson held a share of the lead at the Leopalace21 Myanmar Open in January, he went on to win his first Asian Tour title.
• A left-handed player, Peterson won his first European Tour title in 2016 at the Czech Masters.
• Peterson is currently ranked eighth on the Habitat for Humanity Standings. He is the second highest ranked player in the elite field.
• Lee of Korea is playing in his first season on the Asian Tour. He posted a bogey-free 65, which is also his lowest on the Asian Tour.
• At the age of 25, Lee is aiming to become the first Asian Tour rookie to win this year.
• Catlin won his first Asian Tour title at the Asia-Pacific Classic in China in May.
• Before his victory, Catlin was a regular on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) where he won two titles. He also played at the Damai course on the ADT last year where he finished in second place.
• Jazz holed a 24-foot eagle putt on the 17th hole to stay on track to win back-to-back titles. He produced four straight birdies from the ninth hole to trail the leader by two shots.
• The Sarawak Championship will be Jazz’s last tournament before he heads to The Open for his Major debut.
• Thammanoon produced his career’s second hole-in-one. He birdied the next hole to narrowly survive the halfway cut.

Player Quotes: 

Paul Peterson (Usa) – Second Round 67 (-5), Total 130 (-14) 

I was talking to my coaches after the round yesterday and the message was to stay patient. I came out to get off to a hot start again so that felt really good to get a couple of putts to fall early. That always helps you work your way into the round. It was nice to roll one in on 10 and made another unexpected one on 11.

Yes, I always try to talk to my coach after a round. That’s pretty much a routine to give them a review on how the golf ball is doing, on how under control or out of control it is. We got a pretty good system, they are not only coaches but they are people who I enjoy being with outside the golf course. It is easy to get on the phone and chat with them.

Physically and mentally I feel refresh as I’ve ever been in a long time. That part is the best it has been since I can remember. I’m in a good place, I feel healthy and feel fit. There are a lot of scoring opportunities out here so I’m going to keep it the same – keep the ball on the fairways and try to make birdies. I guess that’s the recipe to success out here.

I have two coaches who I work with right now. Patrick McGuire and Oscar Coetzee, who is more my mental coach.

Jazz Janewattannanond (Tha) – Second Round 66 (-6), Total 132 (-12)

It was another good day in office. I started off quite slowly but I hole some late birdies and an eagle so I’m really happy. I’m on the wrong side of the draw because yesterday morning it was windy and today I heard from my friends that it wasn’t windy so we got a bad draw there but I’m still happy with my score.

I know more about the course after playing three rounds here (including one practice round). I come here to play golf. It is all about the action on the course. I’m not thinking about another win yet.

(On the eagle on the 17th hole). I thought I was going to miss it but I had my two hands up in celebration when it went it. I really didn’t think it would go in!

Kevin Lee (Kor) – Second Round 65 (-7), Total 132 (-12)

It was a pretty good round. I made a lot of good putts but if anything, I felt like I should have hit my approach shots closer. Overall it was still a very good round. So far, yes this is my best score on the Asian Tour.

I drove the ball really the last two days and that obviously sets up my approach shots better. I felt really good over mid-range putts and that really helps when you hole those putts.

My experience has been good so far on the Asian Tour. There’s a lot of travelling but I guess the experience of playing in China (in 2017) has helped. I saw some of my friends enjoyed success on the Asian Tour so I decided to join Qualifying School earlier this year.

I grew up in the United States (California) so playing on the Asian Tour sorts of bring me back to my roots. I’ve not fully explored Korea yet but hopefully I’ll get to do that someday.

John Catlin (Usa) – Second Round 65 (-7), Total 132 (-12)

It is always nice to go bogey free and shoot seven birdies. I got hot with my putter on my homeward nine (started from hole 10) and holed birdies which I didn’t even tried to make. It was one of those kind of days where things just go your way.

You want to have a chance to win but we still have a long way more to go. You have to keep making birdies so I have to stay on the gas pedal. Things started to click and make more sense about a year and a half ago. It is just a continuation of that.

This is my second time in Sarawak. I played on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) here last year and finished second! So I have some good memories on this track. Anytime you can have a competitive round on a golf course is an added advantage. I was definitely excited to come back and improve on my good memories.

Scores after round 2 of the Sarawak Championship being played at the par 72, 6970 Yards Damai GC course (am – denotes amateur):

130 – Paul PETERSON (USA) 63-67.

132 – Kevin LEE (KOR) 67-65, John CATLIN (USA) 67-65, Jazz JANEWATTANANOND (THA) 66-66.

133 – Javi COLOMO (ESP) 66-67, Danthai BOONMA (THA) 67-66.

135 – Natipong SRITHONG (THA) 68-67, Himmat RAI (IND) 68-67, Peradol PANYATHANASEDH (THA) 66-69.

136 – John Michael O’TOOLE (USA) 68-68, Scott VINCENT (ZIM) 67-69, Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND) 68-68, Yikeun CHANG (KOR) 69-67, Mark BROWN (NZL) 65-71.

137 – Quincy QUEK (SIN) 70-67, Shohei HASEGAWA (JPN) 71-66, Sukree OTHMAN (MAS) 69-68, Suradit YONGCHAROENCHAI (THA) 70-67, LU Wei-chih (TPE) 69-68, James MARCHESANI (AUS) 69-68, Johannes VEERMAN (USA) 67-70, Chikkarangappa S. (IND) 70-67, Sihwan KIM (USA) 67-70.

138 – Sam CHIEN (USA) 73-65, M. SASIDARAN (MAS) 69-69, Siddikur RAHMAN (BAN) 68-70, Rattanon WANNASRICHAN (THA) 68-70, LIU Yanwei (CHN) 67-71, Gareth PADDISON (NZL) 68-70, Settee PRAKONGVECH (THA) 69-69, Matt STIEGER (AUS) 71-67, Aman RAJ (IND) 71-67, Danny MASRIN (INA) 71-67, Maverick ANTCLIFF (AUS) 69-69, Pavit TANGKAMOLPRASERT (THA) 69-69, Khalin JOSHI (IND) 68-70.

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.

Kuching, Malaysia, July 4: A recharged Paul Peterson of the United States fired a superb nine-under-par 63 to take a two-shot lead in the opening round of the Sarawak Championship on Wednesday.

The 30-year-old is playing in his second event since taking a six-week break from golf and produced his low round score on the Asian Tour highlighted by nine birdies at the picturesque Damai Golf and Country Club.

Mark Brown of New Zealand, who won back-to-back Asian Tour titles in 2008, trailed in second place following a 65 at the inaugural US$300,000 Asian Tour event.

The in-form Jazz Janewattananond, winner of last week’s Queen’s Cup, was a further shot back in third place alongside countryman Peradol Panyathanasedh, Mitchell Slorach of Singapore, Javi Colomo of Spain and Berry Henson of the United States.

Peterson, ranked eighth on the Asian Tour’s Habitat for Humanity Standings, won his first Asian Tour title at the Leopalace21 Myanmar Open in January but struggled to repeat his winning form after feeling burned out from playing too much golf.

Playing on a sponsor’s invitation, the 43-year-old Brown, whose wife Mikayla was on his bag, did not miss a single green in regulation as he stayed within striking distance of Peterson.

Thai rising star Jazz continued his fine form by returning with a bogey-free round to stay on track for a second successive Asian Tour victory.

Did you know?

• Peterson fired his personal best score on the Asian Tour with his round of 63. In relation to par, it also matches the low 18-hole score this year on the Asian Tour.
• He struggled with the driver last week but found 14 out 14 fairways today. He only missed one green in regulation while totalling 26 putts.
• He took time off from golf following the Volvo China Open and returned to the United States to spend time with family and friends. It was a much needed break for him after a busy stretch at the end of 2017 and beginning of 2018.
• Peterson holed a monster 35-foot birdie putt on the fifth hole.
• He is among five Americans currently ranked inside the top-10 on the Sarawak Championship leaderboard.
• Brown enjoyed a 100% strike rate in the greens in regulation category. He is playing on a sponsor’s invitation this week.
• After winning the 2008 SAIL Open and Johnnie Walker Classic, which was sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour in India, Brown played mostly in Europe before shifting his focus to the Australasia Tour.
• Before his win on the Asian Tour in 2008, Brown took a sabbatical from golf before reviving his golf career.
• Jazz, who started from the 10th tee, was also bogey-free and the highlight of his round came when he holed three straight birdies from hole one.
• He will make his Major debut at The Open later this month. The Sarawak Championship will be his final preparation before he heads to Carnoustie.

Paul Peterson (USA) – First Round 63 (-9)

I hit every fairway today which is nice compared to last week. I seemed to get the driver sorted out and that always builds my confidence. I started to get into a rhythm and by the time I made the turn, I was going at more flags. It is nice to see some putts go in. I felt like I got into the zone. It was a really good day.

I was hoping to putt on hole five (35 feet) but for that to go in, it was really cool. Lu Wei-chih made one right in front of me and I holed mine so it was nice to see two long putts go in.

I played a lot of golf at the end of last year and a lot at the beginning of the season. I’ve only missed the cut by a shot on the Asian Tour. I felt like I was playing decent enough but after the Volvo China Open, I decided to take some time off.

I felt like I played too much golf and stretched myself a bit too thin on my energy. I lost the fight to want to be on the course competing. I said I wasn’t going to return until I got the fire back in my belly. It feels like my game is starting to come around.

(On what he did during the break) My brother had a baby which I haven’t seen so I went home to see my niece. I kind of shut things down and gained some perspective on things. We make a lot of sacrifices by not being there on holidays, birthdays so I thought visiting my family and friends will give me some balance in my life. I feel good now and I feel that my energy is back.

Mark Brown (NZL) – First Round 65 (-7)

It was good and nice to get out early even though there was a little bit of wind on the first 12 holes. It was nice to get a good round in the morning.

I played in Europe after my victories in 2008 and since then I’ve been playing on the Australasia Tour. I haven’t been playing much but I still enjoy it. It’s great to receive a sponsor’s invitation this week to see old friends, staff and players. It is a real thrill to see everyone.

I’ve been wanting to come back to the Asian Tour for a while so it was nice to get an invite this week.

I played two weeks in Fiji in smaller tournaments and getting used to the heat. I always played well in Asia. I enjoy the heat here and it suits me. My wife (Mikayla) has caddied a lot for me over the last few years. She is a teaching professional so she knows what she is doing. She gives me a telling off from time to time which is what I need.

My game was solid. I don’t think I missed the green and holed a few good putts. It will be tougher tomorrow afternoon but I’m looking forward to it.

Jazz Janewattananond (Tha) – First Round 66 (-6)

It is a new course and it took me a while to get used to the course and greens. I did well with only one practice round. It was weird because other golf courses which we play on it will be windy in the afternoon but it is the opposite here.

The view here is great and it is nice to play next to the beach. This is a new golf course for everyone and not everybody had the chance to have two practice days because of the Wednesday start. Overall, it was still a good start.

Amir Nazrin (Mas) – First Round 68 (-4)

I kept the momentum going today. I haven’t been feeling well (fever and flu) the last two weeks so I think that’s what kept me calm. I need to play well on the Asian Tour when I’m given the opportunity.

I’ve taken up membership on the Asian Tour so I’m really trying to finish inside the top-60. I need to stay patient on the golf course. That’s something which I’ve learnt while playing on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) and on the local tour.

I want to play like how I played today for the rest of the week. I made two really long putts on holes seven (45 feet) and nine (50 feet). Those birdies gave me more confidence. My putter was really my best friend today.

Scores after round 1 of the Sarawak Championship being played at the par 72, 6970 Yards Damai GC course (am – denotes amateur):

63 – Paul PETERSON (USA).

65 – Mark BROWN (NZL).

66 – Jazz JANEWATTANANOND (THA), Peradol PANYATHANASEDH (THA), Mitchell SLORACH (SIN), Javi COLOMO (ESP), Berry HENSON (USA).

67 – Johannes VEERMAN (USA), Sihwan KIM (USA), Kevin LEE (KOR), Scott VINCENT (ZIM), John CATLIN (USA), Danthai BOONMA (THA), LIU Yanwei (CHN).

68 – Himmat RAI (IND), Malcolm KOKOCINSKI (SWE), Khalin JOSHI (IND), Ajeetesh SANDHU (IND), Amir NAZRIN (MAS), Arie IRAWAN (MAS), Daniel FOX (AUS), John Michael O’TOOLE (USA), Michael TRAN (VNM), Rattanon WANNASRICHAN (THA), Siddikur RAHMAN (BAN), Nicholas FUNG (MAS), Natipong SRITHONG (THA), Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND), Gareth PADDISON (NZL), Jason KNUTZON (USA), Thammanoon SRIROJ (THA). 

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.

Sentosa, Singapore, July 2: Here’s 5 takeaways from the Queen’s Cup presented by Bangchak where Jazz Janewattananond won his second Asian Tour title on home soil.

1. Jazz started working with his caddy Nick Pugh since last year’s Queen’s Cup. Nick wanted to strike a deal to Jazz, saying he would shave off his beard if Jazz were to win an event with him on the bag. Jazz regretted not taking up the deal after he won the Queen’s Cup presented by Bangchak.
2. Jazz will have Nick on the bag when he makes his Major debut at The Open at Carnoustie in two weeks’ time. Jazz will also enjoy the company of his father, who is a judge in Thailand, when he heads to Scotland.
3. His real name is Atiwit but he switched to his nickname Jazz which was given by his father due to the latter’s preference to jazz music.
4. Prior to his victory, Jazz has enjoyed three top-five finishes in his last seven appearances at the Queen’s Cup, albeit on a different golf course.
5. Jazz rates Thai star Kiradech Aphibarnrat as his role model and will be teeing up for The Open alongside Kiradech and Danthai Boonma.

Pattaya, Thailand, July 1: Young Thai talent Jazz Janewattananond took advantage of a hot streak to close with a four-under-par 67, sealing a solid four-shot victory for his second Asian Tour title and first on home soil at the Queen’s Cup presented by Bangchak on Sunday.

After trading one birdie against two bogeys to turn in 37, Jazz fired five straight birdies from the 10th to pull away from the pack before reeling in four closing pars for a winning total of 19-under-par 265 at the Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club.

Jazz, who was trailing by one shot at the turn, sparked his hot run with a chip-in birdie from 11 yards on the 10th. The 22-year-old Thai bounced back from a wayward tee shot on the next with a brilliant approach from the trees which left him a one-footer for birdie.

He went on to make a seven-footer on the 12th, drain a long 24-feet uphill putt on 13th and nail an eight-footer on 14th to cap five birdies in-a-row en route to winning the US$300,000 event, which celebrated its 10th straight edition on the Asian Tour this week.

Jazz made up for the disappointment of finishing runner-up last year with this victory which saw him take home a winner’s prize purse of US$54,000 and receive a total of 14 Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points.

India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar battled to a 71 to take second place while American Sihwan Kim and Pavit Tangkamolprasert of Thailand shared third place on 270 following respective rounds of 70 and 71.

Did you know?

• Jane Janewattananond dropped only four shots this week. He needed only 25 putts in his final round of 67.
• Jazz will be making his Major debut at The Open at Carnoustie later this month. He earned the coveted spot after finishing tied-fourth at the season-opening SMBC Singapore Open in January, which was part of The Open Qualifying Series.
• Jazz has missed only one cut in 11 starts on Tour so far this season. He moved from 16th to ninth place on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings following this victory at the Queen’s Cup presented by Bangchak.
• He came in runner-up at the Queen’s Cup last year, finishing just one shot back of winner Nicholas Fung of Malaysia.
• Jazz won his first Asian Tour title at the 2017 Bangladesh Open by four shots. The victory was especially sweet for him as he finished outside the top-60 on the 2016 Order of Merit and missed the grade at the 2017 Qualifying School. He went on to notch five other top-10s to finish a career-high 13th place on the Order of Merit.
• Jazz started working with his caddy Nick Pugh at the Queen’s Cup last year. Nick will be on his bag when he makes his Major debut at The Open later this month.
• Gaganjeet Bhullar is an eight-time winner on the Asian Tour. He claimed his eighth victory at the Macao Open last year and became the youngest player to win eight titles on the region’s premier Tour.
• The 30-year-old Bhullar endured another missed opportunity for his ninth Asian Tour win. He came close at the Maekyung Open in Korea in May but settled for a share of second place after he was defeated in the play-off.
• Pavit Tangkamolprasert battled against a wrist injury to claim a record sixth ADT victory on home soil last month.
• Pavit was crowned the 2014 ADT Order of Merit champion, after winning three titles on the secondary circuit that year.
• Pavit won his first Asian Tour title at the 2016 Venetian Macao Open in sensational style by defeating Anirban Lahiri of India on the first play-off hole.
• Pavit marked his best result on the Asian Tour this season following his tied-third place finish at the Queen’s Cup.
• Sihwan Kim came through the Asian Tour Qualifying School in 2017 and kept his card for the 2018 season after notching three top-10s to finish in 55th place on the final Order of Merit.
• The 29-year-old Kim notched his third top-three result on the Asian Tour this season at the Queen’s Cup presented by Bangchak. He had earlier came in third at the Hero Indian Open and tied-forth at the Panasonic Open Golf Championship in Japan.

Players’ quotes:

Jazz Janewattananond (Tha) – Final round 67 (-4), Total 265 (-19)

I got off to a slow start today. I was a bit shaky, made some bogeys there. The turning point came after I chipped it in on the 10th hole. I felt like my game just came back after that. It wasn’t easy out there today. I am just happy to come out on top.

I told myself to just stay in the present and not think too much and get ahead of myself. I told myself I am just here to play golf and not try to do anything else. I just played shot by shot and I think that helped. I did my best.

I love Queen’s Cup. It’s my favourite tournament on the Asian Tour. When it was held in Samui, I played well there as well. I finished second last year, missing out on the playoff by one shot. I think I got my revenge now.

I came here with the mindset of putting my game in good shape for The Open later this month. I did more than that. To be able to win this week is a bonus. It has definitely helped to boost my confidence. I’m looking forward to play in Sarawak now.

My first week working with my caddy, Nick Pugh, was at the Queen’s Cup in Samui last year. It’s been over a year now. He wanted to have a deal with me earlier, saying he will shave off his beard if I were to win a tournament with him on the bag. I regretted not taking up the deal with him now.

It means a lot to win the Queen’s Cup. It feels very good to win at home and with my parents watching me win as well.

Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind) – Final round 71 (even-par), Total 269 (-15)

It wasn’t easy out there. It was definitely one of the toughest days this week. I didn’t get off to a good start. I made a few silly mistakes as well. But I finished strong, had two good par-saves on 16 and 17 and a good up and down for birdie on the last to finish solo second.

It’s still a good result for me. I am happy to be able to earn some world ranking points this week. It could have been better but Jazz played really well today. His five birdies in-a-row pretty much changed the whole scenario.

Congratulations to him. I played well but it just didn’t click today. I am looking forward to playing well in the next few tournaments in Sarawak and Indonesia.

Sihwan Kim (Usa) – Final round 70 (-1), Total 270 (-14)

It was really baked up today. It was hard to get close to the pins. They put the pins in such tricky places so it was hard to make putts. It’s been an up and down week for me but I’m still happy with how I finished. 

My putter was hot the first two days but nothing went in the last two days. Overall, it’s not a bad week. Hopefully I can keep this momentum going to Sarawak and Indonesia. This is my second season on the Asian Tour and it’s been good.

I was playing in Europe for the last five to six years and I just wanted to see something different. Asian Tour’s been good with tournaments so that’s the reason why I decided to come and play here.

Pavit Tangkamolprasert (Tha) – Final round 71 (even-par), Total 270 (-14)

I struggled with my game today. I tried my best but my driving was pretty bad today. I missed a lot of fairways. I just couldn’t get the ball in the right positions to give myself a chance to attack the pins.

But overall, it’s still a good result for me. I am still happy with the way I played. I had the chance to win the tournament as I was leading by one after nine but Jazz had a good run after he chipped in from 10. Hats off to him for winning.

This is my best finish so far this season. I am still feeling confident with my game. I just need to forget about today and move on to the next tournament in Sarawak next week.

Scores after round 4 of the Queen’s Cup presented by Bangchak being played at the par 71, 6951 Yards Phoenix GC course (am – denotes amateur):

265 – Jazz JANEWATTANANOND (THA) 64-66-68-67.

269 – Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND) 68-65-65-71.

270 – Sihwan KIM (USA) 66-64-70-70, Pavit TANGKAMOLPRASERT (THA) 67-67-65-71.

271 – Miguel TABUENA (PHI) 67-66-69-69.

272 – Danthai BOONMA (THA) 65-72-69-66, Natipong SRITHONG (THA) 66-70-69-67, Sadom KAEWKANJANA (am, THA) 70-64-66-72, Scott VINCENT (ZIM) 66-71-63-72.

273 – Johannes VEERMAN (USA) 71-69-67-66, Panuphol PITTAYARAT (THA) 69-69-67-68, Tanapat PICHAIKOOL (am, THA) 68-68-68-69.

274 – Chaiphat KOONMARK (THA) 69-67-72-66, Javi COLOMO (ESP) 69-70-67-68, Prom MEESAWAT (THA) 71-65-70-68, Khalin JOSHI (IND) 69-70-67-68, Jbe KRUGER (RSA) 66-70-69-69, Poom SAKSANSIN (THA) 63-70-69-72.

275 – Rattanon WANNASRICHAN (THA) 69-68-67-71, Dino A. GIACOMAZZI (USA) 66-68-69-72.

276 – Chikkarangappa S. (IND) 70-68-70-68, Berry HENSON (USA) 71-65-71-69, Jake HIGGINBOTTOM (AUS) 72-67-67-70, WANG Wei-lun (TPE) 68-67-70-71, Jarin TODD (USA) 68-68-69-71, Ben CAMPBELL (NZL) 67-70-68-71, Paul PETERSON (USA) 65-72-68-71, Chinnarat PHADUNGSIL (THA) 71-65-68-72, Rashid KHAN (IND) 69-67-68-72.

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, June 30: Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond clung on to his lead after draining a 17-foot birdie putt on the last to share the spoils with Gaganjeet Bhullar of India, who posted a second straight six-under-par 65, at the Queen’s Cup presented by Bangchak on Saturday.

The 22-year-old Jazz, who held a share of the overnight three-shot lead, birdied the par-five second hole and reeled in 12 straight pars before sinking back-to-back birdies from 15. He dropped a shot on 17 but recovered with the birdie on the last for a round of 68.

Jazz Janewattananond (Tha)

Jazz, chasing for a second Asian Tour win, sits atop the leaderboard with Bhullar on 15-under-par 198 total while Pavit Tangkamolprasert of Thailand trails the leading duo by one in third place on his own following a 65 at the highly-rated Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club.

Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe returned with the day’s best score of a 63 to sit two shots off the pace in tied-fourth position alongside local amateur Sadom Kaewkanjana and overnight co-leader Sihwan Kim of the United States, who carded rounds of 66 and 70 respectively.

The US$300,000 Queen’s Cup, held in honour of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, is celebrating its 10th straight edition on the Asian Tour with a new presenting sponsor in Bangchak Corporation, one of Thailand’s leading energy companies, this week.

Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind)

Did you know?

• Jane Janewattananond has dropped only two shots so far this week.
• Jazz will be making his Major debut at The Open at Carnoustie next month. He earned the coveted spot after finishing tied-fourth at the season-opening SMBC Singapore Open, which was part of The Open Qualifying Series.
• Jazz missed only one cut in 10 starts on Tour to sit in a current 16th place on the 2018 Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings.
• He came in runner-up at the Queen’s Cup last year, finishing just one shot back of winner Nicholas Fung of Malaysia.
• Jazz won his first Asian Tour title at the 2017 Bangladesh Open by four shots. The victory was especially sweet for him as he finished outside the top-60 on the 2016 Order of Merit and missed the grade at the 2017 Qualifying School. He went on to notch five other top-10s to finish a career-high 13th place on the Order of Merit.
• Gaganjeet Bhullar is an eight-time winner on the Asian Tour. He claimed his eighth victory at the Macao Open last year and became the youngest player to win eight titles on the region’s premier Tour.
• The 30-year-old Bhullar came in second runner-up when he last played the Royal Cup at the Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club six months ago.
• Pavit Tangakamolprasert fired one birdie and one eagle to turn in 33. Dropped a shot on 13 but stormed home with four birdies in his closing five holes to cap his best round so far this week.
• Pavit battled against a wrist injury to claim a record sixth ADT victory on home soil last month.
• Pavit was crowned the 2014 ADT Order of Merit champion, after winning three titles on the secondary circuit that year.
• Pavit won his first Asian Tour title at the 2016 Venetian Macao Open in sensational style by defeating Anirban Lahiri of India on the first play-off hole.
• Pavit won the 2014 Singha Open on his local circuit at the Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club. The tournament was also played on the Mountain and Ocean courses, same as the Queen’s Cup this week.
• Pavit sits in 46th place on the Habitat for Humanity Standings. His best result this season is a tied-13th place finish at the Thailand Open earlier this month.
• Scott Vincent is the only Zimbabwean member on the Asian Tour. He came through the Qualifying School in 2016 and did not miss a single cut in six starts on the Asian Tour that year.
• Vincent claimed four top-10s in 2017 to finish in 17th place on the Order of Merit, retaining his Asian Tour card for the 2018 season.
• He has capped three top-10 finishes this season to sit in a current ninth place on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings.

Players’ quotes:

Jazz Janewattananond (Tha) –Third round 66 (-8), Total 198 (-15)

It was a slow round for me today. Made only one birdie and then a lot of pars, didn’t birdie again until later in the round. It was a pretty good finish with three birdies and one bogey. It was quite tough out there with the wind.

I wasn’t able to play my ‘A’ game today but I tried my best to get the job done. I just wanted to shoot an under-par round with this windy condition. I hit a good shot out of the bunker on 15 was good and that birdie kind of got my momentum going.

I just want to go out there and play my best gold tomorrow. If things go my way, I will win. But if it doesn’t, I still have a lot of opportunities with the remaining tournaments I have to play. It’s been good since I won in Bangladesh last year.

That victory turned my career around completely. I feel like my game has been moving towards the right direction since that win. I am happy to put myself in contention week in week out. I just need to get the job done. I guess it’s just live and learn, we’ll just go out and have fun tomorrow.

Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind) – Third round 65 (-6), Total 198 (-15)

I kept the ball in play today. I hit a lot of fairways and a lot of greens. I just kept on giving myself a lot of birdie opportunities. I got my first birdie on the fourth and made a good par save on the sixth. I drove into the water hazard and had to take a drop there. Hit my second shot onto the green and two-putted for par.

I made a really good birdie on the ninth. I hit my driver off the tee and had about 142 yards to the stick and I hit it to about six inches for birdie there. I made three straight birdies after the turn which was great. The only bogey I had was on the 17th hole and that was a total misread off my club.

Nothing special tomorrow. I will just continue to do my own thing and try and repeat what I did in the last 54 holes. The game’s feeling good. I will focus on hitting as many fairways and greens as I can tomorrow and hopefully hole some putts.

Pavit Tangkamolprasert (Tha)

Pavit Tangkamolprasert (Tha) – Third round 65 (-6), Total 199 (-14)

I played the same today, still pretty solid. I hit good drives out there. Didn’t make any putts on the front nine but I managed to hit it close for birdie on the fifth and then make the eagle on the seventh. I hit a good drive with a three-wood and then a solid five-iron over the trees which took a bounce on the green and rolled to about half a foot for eagle. 

I struggled to read the greens today. I just couldn’t get it right, especially for the first 10 to 11 holes. But I managed to find back the touch after that. The birdie on 14 gave me a lot of confidence. I sank a long putt from about 20-feet for birdie on 17. It was a great finish.

The wind was swirling out there today. It was difficult to get the directions right. The pin positions were pretty tough on the back nine as well. I will try my best tomorrow. It has been two years since I first won on the Asian Tour. Anything can happen tomorrow.

I played with the local amateur Sadom today. He seems shaky at the start and he told me he hasn’t played with me before. He got comfortable heading into the round and he played really good today. I am happy to see that we have such a strong amateur around.

Scott Vincent (Zim)

Scott Vincent (Zim) -Third round 63 (-8), Total 200 (-13)

I got off to a great start. Managed to make a few putts and get to five-under on the front nine. Started the back nine with three birdies in a row and looking like I could put a really low score out today but I kind of just hung in there in the last six holes.

Six pars coming back and some were really good par saves. All in all, it was a good day. I hit the driver very well today. I hit 11 fairways. It gave me some opportunities to attack the pins. I made quite a lot of putts as well. It was just a solid round.

I hit a good tee shot on the first straight down the fairway, wedged to about six feet and had a downhill left to right putt and made that. That just got my momentum going. I just kept telling myself to keep it going. If I can do the same tomorrow, I should be in a pretty good shape.

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, June 28: Thai talent Poom Saksansin took advantage of his solid iron-play to sign for an opening eight-under-par 63, grabbing a one-shot lead over countryman Jazz Janewattananond at the Queen’s Cup presented by Bangchak on Thursday.

Poom, a two-time Asian Tour winner, nailed eight birdies before dropping a shot on 17 for his only blemish of the day. The 25-year-old Thai, however, recovered swiftly with a birdie on the last to take his place atop the leaderboard at the Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club.

Jazz, who will be making his Major debut at The Open next month, returned with a bogey-free round highlighted by seven birdies to sit in second place at the US$300,000 event, which is celebrating its 10th straight edition on the region’s premier Tour this week.

Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh, who was flawless with six birdies, shared third place with American Paul Peterson and Danthai Boonma of Thailand on matching 65s. Peterson came home with four straight birdies while Danthai got off to a birdie-eagle start en route to their 65s.

Jbe Kruger of South Africa recorded the first hole-in-one of the week when he aced the par-three 16th hole with a gap wedge from 145 yards. He trails by three shots in tied-sixth place following a 66.

Defending champion Nicholas Fung of Malaysia posted a 72 to tie in 103rd place at the Queen’s Cup, which welcomed a new presenting sponsor in Bangchak Corporation, one of Thailand’s leading energy companies, this season.

Did you know?

• Poom Saksansin is a two-time winner on the Asian Tour. He produced a five-shot victory at the 2016 Indonesian Masters to win his first Asian Tour title and completed a convincing wire-to-wire victory at the 2017 TAKE Solutions Masters where he won by two shots.
• Poom led the 2014 Queen’s Cup into the final round before finishing second behind Thaworn Wiratchant.
• He finished in a career-high eighth position on the 2017 Merit rankings and earned a maiden appearance at the 2018 EurAsiaCup where he represented Team Asia.
• Poom, together with Sunghoon Kang, defeated Henrik Stenson and Alex Levy in the first day four-ball match 5&4. Also beat Paul Casey 1 up on the final day Singles match.
• Poom sits in 29th place on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings, thanks to two top-10s, which included a runner-up finish at the Thailand Open earlier this month.
• Jazz missed only two fairways and three greens in his flawless round of 64 today.
• Jazz will be making his Major debut at The Open at Carnoustie next month. He earned the coveted spot after finishing tied-fourth at the season-opening SMBC Singapore Open, which was part of The Open Qualifying Series.
• Jazz missed only one cut in 10 starts on Tour to sit in a current 16th place on the 2018 Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings.
• He came in runner-up at the Queen’s Cup last year, finishing just one shot back of winner Nicholas Fung of Malaysia.
• Jazz won his first Asian Tour title at the 2017 Bangladesh Open by four shots. The victory was especially sweet for him as he finished outside the top-60 on the 2016 Order of Merit and missed the grade at the 2017 Qualifying School. He went on to notch five other top-10s to finish a career-high 13th place on the Order of Merit.
• Siddikur Rahman is a two-time Asian Tour winner. Became the first Bangladeshi to win on the Asian Tour in 2010.
• Siddikur needed only 21 putts for his commendable round of 65.
• Siddikur has recorded five top-10 results in his last eight appearances at the Queen’s Cup, albeit on a different golf course.
• Like Jazz, Danthai will also be making his Major debut at The Open at Carnoustie next month. He also secured his spot after finishing tied-fourth in Singapore in January.
• Danthai has enjoyed some good results at the Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club. He finished tied-third at the King’s Cup in 2016 and came in tied-eighth at the Royal Cup last December.
• The 22-year-old Danthai secured his Asian Tour breakthrough at the World Classic Championship in Singapore in 2015.
• Paul Peterson claimed his breakthrough win on the Asian Tour at the Myanmar Open earlier in January.
• The left-handed Peterson came in tied-third at the Queen’s Cup in 2016 before going on to win his first European Tour title at the Czech Masters two months later.
• The 29-year-old Peterson sits in eighth place on the current Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings.

Players’ quotes:

Poom Saksansin (Tha) – First Round 63 (-8)

I hit very good approach shots today. My mid-irons and short irons were very good. I got a bit of luck with my putting as well. The highlight of my round today was on the 12th hole. I almost made an eagle there but my putt lipped out.

I am very happy with the way I played today. I wasn’t thinking much. I just stuck to my game plan and kept the momentum going. The game’s feeling much better now. I am feeling more confident after finishing second at the Thailand Open earlier.

I guess my mental game has improved a lot and that’s why I am playing good again. This is a course that I practise a lot on so I am very familiar with it. It’s a very short course. You need to drive the ball well and hit good iron shots to play well here. This is the lowest score that I have ever shot on this course.

Jazz Janewattananond (Tha) – First Round 64 (-7)

I got off to a good start. Everything was pretty smooth for me out there. I was just hitting a lot of fairways and a lot of greens, made some putts and missed some. It was overall a pretty good round. 

I was playing with no pressure. I guess that helps. It’s still early in the week. I am not thinking much. It’s going to be a hot week here. I was just trying to save my energy. It was pretty windy when we start so it was a little tough.

Siddikur Rahman (Ban) – First Round 65 (-6)

I haven’t had a bogey-free round for a long time. I had an excellent day out there. My putting was really good and that’s the reason why I can put up such a low score today. Everything went well today except for the 18th hole where I hit a bad drive.

But I made a great up and down from the bunker for birdie there. It was about 25 yards from the bunker but I made that. My back was really sore yesterday. I went for treatment at the physio yesterday after my practice round and also this morning before my round.

It was much better today. It felt totally different out there. I was able to swing my best today and it was great. I made most of my birdies from within 10 to 15 feet today. I started from the 10th hole today and got off to a great start with two straight birdies. 

It feels good coming to play at the Queen’s Cup, although it’s being held at a different venue this year. I have had some good results at the Queen’s Cup before so I just feel a lot of positive vibes coming to play this tournament.

This course suits my game too as it’s not too long. I like this golf course. I am feeling very excited now and I am looking forward to the rest of the season. The season hasn’t been that good so far. It’s been on and off.

My game is there but I just can’t show in my results. But having said that, there are still many more tournaments to go so I am not too worried about my performance. This is a really short course. You need to putt well. Everyone is going to hit it close out there.

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

I had a really good start today. I made the birdie putt from about seven feet on the first and that got my momentum going. I think I was a bit lucky with my eagle on the second hole. I hit the green in two and sank the eagle putt from about 20 feet!

I felt good after the strong start. I played really well after that. I putted very well. My tee shots were good too. I like this golf course. I finished inside top-10 the last two times we played here. Although we’re playing a different back nine this week, I still feel very comfortable out there.

Paul Peterson (Usa) – First Round 65 (-6)

It was nice not to drop a shot today. I switched back to my old driver and I am really happy with it. It was the same one I used when I won Myanmar earlier. It just got me into a very good rhythm out there and to finish six-under.

I made a nice up and down on the 12th hole and hit some quality shots and made some putts coming in. I had the wind a little bit wrong on the 12th. I was trying to be short on that hole and picked a club that I thought was very short but it just flew the green. 

I chipped it to about three feet and made the putt. It was a very good par save there and it just got my momentum going. My groupmates were hitting some good shots coming down the stretch so we were just feeding off each other.

I hit a really good three-wood in on the seventh hole to about eight feet. It was awesome. I didn’t convert the eagle putt unfortunately but it was good to hit it about 250 yards. I felt like the birdie on ninth kind of jumpstarted the round and I was able to finish off strong.

Scores after round 1 of the Queen’s Cup presented by Bangchak being played at the par 71, 6951 Yards Phoenix GC course (am – denotes amateur):

63 – Poom SAKSANSIN (THA).

64 – Jazz JANEWATTANANOND (THA).

65 – Siddikur RAHMAN (BAN), Danthai BOONMA (THA), Paul PETERSON (USA).

66 – Miguel CARBALLO (ARG), Dino A. GIACOMAZZI (USA), Sihwan KIM (USA), Jbe KRUGER (RSA), Scott VINCENT (ZIM), Natipong SRITHONG (THA).

67 – Sattaya SUPUPRAMAI (THA), Wongsakorn PIKUNSAWAT (THA), Thanyakon KHRONGPHA (THA), Thitiphun CHUAYPRAKONG (THA), Kittiporn JAVANAPONG (THA), Wolmer MURILLO (VEN), Ronnachai JAMNONG (THA), Ben CAMPBELL (NZL), Miguel TABUENA (PHI), Pavit TANGKAMOLPRASERT (THA), Thammanoon SRIROJ (THA), William HARROLD (ENG), Pasavee LERTVILAI (THA).

68 – Poosit SUPUPRAMAI (THA), Hamza AMIN (PAK), Kammalas NAMUANGRUK (THA), Thepbodin AMARANAN (THA), Javier GALLEGOS (ESP), Naras LUANGPHETCHARAPORN (THA), Raththee SIRITHANAKUNSAK (THA), Paul HARRIS (USA), Sarit SUWANNARUT (THA), Settee PRAKONGVECH (THA), WANG Wei-lun (TPE), Nirun SAE-UENG (THA), Jarin TODD (USA), Gareth PADDISON (NZL), Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND), Casey O’TOOLE (USA), Josh YOUNGER (AUS), Kevin LEE (KOR), Sung LEE (KOR), Tanapat PICHAIKOOL (am, THA).

69 – Rattanon WANNASRICHAN (THA), LIU Yanwei (CHN), Tirawat KAEWSIRIBANDIT (THA), Javi COLOMO (ESP), Rashid KHAN (IND), Viraj MADAPPA (IND), Atiruj WINAICHAROENCHAI (THA), John Michael O’TOOLE (USA), Tawan PHONGPHUN (THA), Hein SITHU (MYN), Pannakorn UTHAIPAS (THA), Malcolm KOKOCINSKI (SWE), Arnond VONGVANIJ (THA), Khalin JOSHI (IND), Panuphol PITTAYARAT (THA), Piya SWANGARUNPORN (THA), Chaiphat KOONMARK (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.