June 24: Australia’s Scott Hend shared his overnight lead with five others after he returned with a third round one-over-par73 at the BMW International Open on Saturday.

The 2016 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion dropped three shots on the front-nine and double-bogeyed 13 to sign for a three-day total of five-under-par 206.

That left him tied for the lead with two-time Major Champion Martin Kaymer and Maximilian Kieffer of Germany as well as Denmark’s Lucas Bjerregaard and English pair of Chris Paisley and Aaron Rai.

“I’m very fortunate to be where I am. Hopefully today was my bad day, and on wards and upwards tomorrow. We’ll see where we are when we come to the back nine.

I don’t think you can be super aggressive out there because you can make a three but you can also make a six. So, you’ve still got to stay within your game plan and hopefully roll a few putts in. We’ll see who rolls the most putts in tomorrow,” said Hend.

Over in the United States, India’s Anirban Lahiri, a seven-time Asian Tour winner and 2015 Order of Merit champion, made his move with a 65 to grab a share of third place at the Travelers Championship. The Indian is seeking his first PGA TOUR win in his 76th start and also the second Indian to win in the United States after Arjun Atwal.

Ends.

Cheonan, Korea, June 24: Korea’s Minchel Choi held off the challenge of compatriot Sanghyun Park by sinking a birdie on the last hole to win the Kolon Korea Open Golf Championship by two shots on Sunday. 

Walking up the 18 green, Choi knew he could not afford to drop a shot as that would leave the door open for Park to force a three-hole play-off with him at the Woo Jeong Hills Country Club. 

The 30-year-old steadied his nerves and could not contain his delight when he watched his putt from 10-feet drop into the cup.

Choi’s final round two-under-par 69 not only confirmed him as the newest champion of his National Open but also earned him a ticket to The Open in Carnoustie next month, with the Kolon Korea Open Golf Championship part of The Open Qualifying Series this year.

 A fast-charging Sanghyun had earlier surmounted a late challenge when he stormed towards the finishing line with two birdies in his last four holes.

But after closing with a four-day total of 12-under-par 272 and watching Choi sign off with a winning birdie, Park eventually settled for second place at the KR₩1,200,000,000 (approx. US$1,125,000) event.

Koreans continued to dominate their National Open with only Americans Kevin Na and John Catlin breaking into the top-10 with their tied-fifth finish.

Ends.

Did you know?

• Minchel Choi turned professional in 2009. Before his win, Choi he had three runner-up finishes on the Korean Tour in 2017.
• He went to New Zealand when he was 14 to pursue his studies and golf training. But had to return to Korea early because his family could not afford his studies fees in New Zealand anymore.
• Choi’s father suffered a stroke in 2006 and is half-paralysed. His father played a key role in his career.
• Sanghyun Park prevailed in a four-man play-off to win the Maekyung Open last week. He immediately took up membership with the Asian Tour following that win.
• Park won again on the domestic circuit last week.
• The Korea Open has been a stronghold of the Koreans in the last decade. Rickie Fowler of the United States remains as the last foreign player to break the Korean dominance when he won the 2011 edition by six shots.

Players’ Quotes

Minchel Choi (Kor), Fourth round 69 (-2), Total 272 (-12)

I felt very nervous especially walking up to 18 hole as I knew I could not afford to drop a shot there, knowing that Sanghyun had done very well. But somehow I managed to compose myself and close with a birdie. This win goes out to my family and sponsors who have been behind me in every step of my career. I would not have come this far without their support. I’m really excited about going to Carnoustie and play in my first Major! It’s like a dream come true and no words can express how delighted I’m right now. There will be many world class players at The Open and I can’t wait to compete against them.

Sanghyun Park (Kor), Fourth round 66 (-5), Total 274 (-10)

I’m really looking forward to playing in my first Major at The Open. It’s every professional golfer’s dream to play in a Major and I’m no different. I came very close to winning again but that’s okay, that’s golf. I put up a good fight but Choi’s a deserving winner. You cannot win all the time and hopefully my day will come again.

Kevin Na (Usa), Fourth round 70 (-1), Total 279 (-5)

I didn’t feel like I got a lot out of my rounds this week. The putter was a bit cold but overall I felt like I hit the ball pretty good. I obviously came into this week trying to win the tournament for my sponsor but that’s golf. Overall it’s still not too bad. I enjoyed my week here as I got to enjoy Korean food and caught up with my friends.

John Catlin (Usa), Fourth round 70 (-1), Total 279 (-5)

It’s always good to be in the top-10 under very tough conditions. I’ve been trying to give myself opportunities all week. I made a lot of clutch par saves. It was hard to hit a lot of shots really close to the pins so I’m very proud of how I’ve played. This is a course that requires lots of local knowledge. It’s the first time in 10 years the Asian Tour is back for the Korea Open. But as we keep coming back, we’ll only get better and put up a better fight against the Koreans. I’m going to play Queen’s Cup, Sarawak and Indonesia. It’s a three-week stretch for me. I know I can compete out here and I’m hoping to see when that next win comes again.

Leading scores after round 4 of the Kolon Korea Open Golf Championship being played at the par 71, 7328 Yards Woo Jeong Hills Country Club course (am – denotes amateur):

272 – Minchel CHOI (KOR) 69-70-64-69.

274 – Sanghyun PARK (KOR) 68-69-71-66.

278 – Kyongjun MOON (KOR) 69-70-73-66, K.T. KIM (KOR) 68-73-69-68.

279 – Changwon HAN (KOR) 72-65-73-69, Kevin NA (USA) 67-72-70-70, John CATLIN (USA) 69-69-71-70, Jaewoong EOM (KOR) 70-71-67-71, Hosung CHOI (KOR) 67-66-72-74.

280 – Junsung KIM (KOR) 68-76-68-68, Sanghee LEE (KOR) 72-70-68-70.

281 – Doyeob MUN (KOR) 69-71-72-69, Dongmin LEE (KOR) 71-70-69-71, Innchoon HWANG (KOR) 68-73-68-72, Seungtaek LEE (KOR) 67-71-69-74.

282 – Woohyun KIM (KOR) 69-71-75-67, Hanbyeol KIM (am, KOR) 71-70-71-70, Jaemin HAN (am, KOR) 68-73-67-74.

283 – Sungyeol KWON (KOR) 70-71-72-70, Junsub PARK (KOR) 68-70-75-70, Hyungjoon LEE (KOR) 70-69-72-72, Keith HORNE (RSA) 68-69-74-72, Simon YATES (SCO) 72-69-66-76.

284 – Hongtaek KIM (KOR) 71-73-71-69, Miguel TABUENA (PHI) 72-73-71-68, Sungho LEE (KOR) 71-71-72-70, Prom MEESAWAT (THA) 70-73-67-74.

285 – Scott VINCENT (ZIM) 75-70-68-72, Berry HENSON (USA) 75-70-68-72, Chikkarangappa S. (IND) 70-75-68-72, Inhoi HUR (KOR) 74-68-70-73.

June 23: 2016 Australia’s Scott Hend fired a sensational 67 in windy conditions at Golf Club Gut Laerchenhof to take a one-shot lead into the weekend at the BMW International Open.

The Australian, the 2016 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion, pulled ahead of the chasing pack after recording the joint-lowest round of the week to get to six-under-par 138 total, a shot clear of Chile’s Nico Geyger of Chile and Sweden’s Henric Sturehed.

Two-time Major winner and local favourite Martin Kaymer carded a 68 to delight the home fans with his move up the leaderboard and shared fourth place with his countryman Maximilian Kieffer, Englishman Aaron Rai, overnight leader Sébastien Gros of France and Australia’s Nick Cullen.

”It’s just patience. When it’s this windy, if you’re not patient you’re going to get smashed. It’s as simple as that. If you can laugh it off, what will be will be, and just play. If you try to push for a birdie, if you hit it in the rough and make a bogey it’s great, if you get less than a bogey then it’s a bonus. It’s just one of those golf courses that is quite punishing.

“I just played conservatively. Just trying to play on to the fairways and keep out of the long brown stuff. Last time I was here I played horrendously. I just came here with the attitude this week to just find the golf ball first off, get it on the green and hopefully hole some putts and have a fresh approach,” said Hend.

Ends.

Cheonan, Korea, June 22: American John Catlin established himself as one of the contenders for the Kolon Korea Open Golf Championship by carding a flawless two-under-par 69 in the second round of the KR₩1,200,000,000 (approx. US$1,125,000) event on Friday. 

Catlin, who claimed his Asian Tour breakthrough in China last month, is seeking to extend his winning run and showed his intent by moving up the leaderboard with his two-day total of four-under-par 138. 

“I’ve very pleased with how I played today especially with the difficult pin positions out there today. I was able to keep to the correct side of the hole and made a couple of nice saves. 

“It’s nice to be able to look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself honestly that you’ve been here before and that gives you lots of confidence. Winning in China took everything out of me and I was exhausted for the next two weeks. But I’m feeling close to 100% this week,” said the American.

Korea’s Yikuen Chang also remained firmly in contention as the defending champion made his move with a 68.

Chang could have gone even lower if not for a wayward drive on his last hole which marred his otherwise perfect card at the Woo Jeong Hills Country Club.

“Number nine was a very tough hole. I hit a poor drive to the right but I managed to reduce the damage with a bogey. I’m going to work on the stuff which I did badly today and hopefully I improve this weekend.

“You got to hit lots of fairways as the greens are really tough here. If you miss the green, it’s going to be tough to make up and down. My goal is to hit fairways and greens tomorrow,” said Chang.

Korea’s Changwon Han currently holds the clubhouse with his 137 total.

Ends.

Pattaya, Thailand, June 22: Malaysia’s Nicholas Fung is hoping for a taste of success again when he defends his title at the US$300,000 Queen’s Cup presented by Bangchak, which will be celebrating its 10th straight edition on the Asian Tour next week.

The bespectacled Fung, 2013 Asian Development Tour (ADT) Order of Merit champion, endured several near-misses for his maiden title before finally breaking through with a one-shot victory at the prestigious event 12 months ago.

The 28-year-old Sabahan is determined to add another victory to his resume at the storied event, which will be played for the first time at the highly-rated Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club in Pattaya from June 28 to July 1.

A total of 150 players from 25 different countries, featuring over 40 Asian Tour winners, will be vying for top honours and chasing the winner’s prize purse of US$54,000 when the tournament gets underway next week.

Fung, who turned professional in 2010, is a proud graduate of the region’s secondary circuit, where he has recorded three victories. He represented Team Asia in all three editions of the EurAsia Cup and was hailed as Malaysia’s number one through his Order of Merit success on the PGM Tour in 2012, 2013 and 2016.

After missing four cuts in 10 starts on the Asian Tour this season, Fung sits in a current 41st place on the Habitat for Humanity Standings, with his best result being a tied-14th place finish at the Panasonic Open Golf Championship in Japan two months ago.

“I love playing in Thailand. It’s pretty similar to Malaysia, be it the weather or the people. I have been playing well. I did some work with my coach and I’m gaining more distance than before. I am not a long hitter so I have to work on my distance if I want to better my game.

“I waited very long for that first win. I came close so many times and I finally got the job done at the Queen’s Cup last year. That victory has given me a lot of confidence. I am looking forward to defending my title next week,” said Fung.

A year after his breakthrough feat, Fung remains confident of putting up another title run albeit on a different course. He believes a hot putter will fuel his charge for a successful title defence when he steps up to the tee next week.

“I have played at the Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club for a couple of times. The course doesn’t seem long for me so putting will be the key to score. This is my first time defending a title on the Asian Tour.

“I have done it on the local Tour and on the ADT before. It’s going to feel different because the field is stronger and there are a lot of young players out there looking for their first win as well. I am, however, more than happy to take up the challenge,” Fung added.

Other notable players in the field include Chinese Taipei’s Chan Shih-chang and Shiv Kapur of India, who have triumphed on the Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club in 2016 and 2017 respectively.

Measuring a total of 6,960 yards, the front nine of the tournament will be played on the Mountain course while the back nine will be played on Ocean course, with the 13th hole (fourth hole of the Ocean course) converted from a par-five to par-four, reducing the course par to 71.

The Queen’s Cup, held in honour of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, welcomed a new presenting sponsor in Bangchak Corporation, one of Thailand’s leading energy companies, this season.

It will mark the Tour’s third stop in Thailand, following the Qualifying School in January and the recently-concluded Thailand Open, where local rising star Panuphol Pittayarat claimed his second Asian Tour victory.

Since its inception in 2009, the Queen’s Cup has welcomed many worthy champions such as 2016 Order of Merit champion Scott Hend of Australia and Thai veterans Prayad Marksaeng and Thaworn Wiractchant, who have each won the title twice from 2012 to 2015.

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.

Sentosa, Singapore, June 21: Australian golfing legend Peter Thomson has passed away on June 20, 2018 at the age of 88.

Thomson was undoubtedly one of the most accomplished players in the history of the professional game. He has 89 victories in his career, including five The Open titles.

Known for his leadership and ability to perform under pressure, Thomson captained the International Team in the Presidents Cup three times and had led his team to victory in 1998, the same year when he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

The well-travelled Australian was a regular fixture in tournaments around the world. He won on the PGA Tour once and had victories in destinations such as Germany, Italy as well as South Africa.

Thomson, a big supporter of golf in Asia, won the Indian Open three times, Hong Kong Open three times and the Philippine Open once. He also has six titles from Japan in his name.

In addition to being a successful golfer, Thomson was an influential administrator. He served as the Chairman of the PGA of Australian for 32 years and was the pioneer of the Asian Circuit, the predecessor of the modern-day Asian Tour.

For one, Thomson helped conceived the inaugural Singapore Open in 1961 and to ensure the success of the tournament, he used his immense influence to attract some of the best players to the Lion City. Since then, the Singapore Open has gone on to establish itself as one of the most prestigious and widely-anticipated tournaments on the Asian Tour schedule.

Today, Australian professionals make up a significant proportion of the Asian Tour and they, as well as the rest of the Asian Tour, will be forever indebted to Thomson for paving the way. 

"He will surely be missed by the Australian golfing public. His record will be very tough for anyone to equal, let alone, beat. He’s a great champion and surely, he’ll be missed by all Australians," said Scott Hend, the 2016 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion:

"Peter was a massive part of Australian golf and he was instrumental in establishing the professional circuit in Asia. Both Tours have been big parts of my life and golfing career. It was a terrible day and my thoughts go out to his family. I’ve seen footages of his golf swing it is one of the most balanced and purest actions that we’ve ever seen in our lifetime," said Wade Ormsby, two-time Asian Tour champion.

"I don’t think he gets the credit that he deserves. His Open record was phenomenal. Winning it three in a row is amazing," said Sam Brazel, winner of the 2016 UBS Hong Kong Open.

Social media reactions

So sad to hear news today of the passing of Peter Thomson, five-time @TheOpen champion and winning @PresidentsCup captain. Golf has lost a true legend and one of sport’s real gentlemen. My thoughts & condolences to his family.

— Ernie Els (@TheBig_Easy) June 20, 2018

Not nice to hear about anyone passing away….. but Australia and the golfing world has lost another of its greats… Vale Peter Thomson… sad day for Aussie golf… condolences to his family. @EuropeanTour @asiantourgolf @PGAofAustralia #5timechamp @TheOpen

— Scott Hend (@hendygolf) June 20, 2018

Heavy hearts in the Australian golf community today with the passing of the Great Peter Thomson. Grew up idolising him. One of the best swings in the history of the game. He will be missed.

— Marcus Both (@MarcusBothPGA) June 20, 2018

I always respected Peter Thomson the golfer. Later in life, I respected & appreciated Peter Thomson the man even more. 5-time @TheOpen champ, 3-time @PresidentsCup captain & always a proud Australian. We lost a special member of golf’s global family. More:https://t.co/ZRNSY3vWbA pic.twitter.com/NTCCqRneNG

— Jack Nicklaus (@jacknicklaus) June 20, 2018

My official statement on the passing of Australian golf legend Peter Thomson. pic.twitter.com/jAF88VhgM7

— Greg Norman (@SharkGregNorman) June 20, 2018

Peter Thomson was a truly wonderful golfer & a fine global ambassador for our game. His contribution to golf will not be forgotten. In addition he was the most intellectual & best read player I ever met. My condolences to his family & friends. Rest In Peace Thomo. GP

— Gary Player (@garyplayer) June 20, 2018

I’m am so saddened to hear of the passing of our Aussie legend and true gentleman of the game, Peter Thomson. My heart goes out to his wife Mary and the rest of the Thompson family. So honoured to have been able to call Peter my friend. RIP Peter

— Karrie Webb (@Karrie_Webb) June 20, 2018

June 18: A lot’s happened since my last contribution as the Asian Tour’s official international ambassador, a badge of honour that I continue to wear with pride.

Probably the biggest news is being nominated as the captain of the Internationals for the next Presidents Cup to be played at Royal Melbourne in 2019. Honestly, there’s so much about that sentence that excites me! 

For one thing, Royal Melbourne is right up there among my all-time favourite courses. Aside from its classic design credentials and legendary putting surfaces, it’ll always have a special place in my heart with us having won the Presidents Cup there in 1998 and also my three straight Heineken Classics wins from 2002 to 2004. The prospect of going back there as captain of the International Team is kind of a dream job, you could say. 

The Presidents Cup has from the get-go held significant relevance from an Asian Tour perspective. Of course, there was an Asian-born player (Japan’s Tsukasa Watanabe) in the inaugural competition in 1994. And there have been countless others to have followed in his footsteps. In fact, we had five on the 2015 team alone. That was the year the Presidents Cup visited Asia for the first time, so that was a special week for Asian Tour golf. It’s fair to expect there will be another strong contingent on the plane to Australia in 18 months’ time and perhaps from a wider spread of countries, too. 

Really it’s too early to speculate who might make the team, but obviously there are a few names that jump out. We’ll start with Shubhankar Sharma (pictured with me, above) because he and I go way back. He attended a golf clinic I was hosting during the 2008 Indian Masters; he was 10 years old and you could see he was a serious talent. I told him then I thought he’d be a great player, and he obviously listened! No, seriously, what he’s done in the last 12 months is impressive. 

Li Haotong is another fine young player who springs to mind. He only just missed out on making the team in 2017 and actually, we were paired together in the final round of last year’s Open Championship at Birkdale. He has a fearless approach, a nice attitude. The wind was picking up that day and he wasn’t backing off. It was a hell of a round. It would really make waves him being the first Chinese player to be on the team.

Kiradech has been a very good player for a while now; beautiful natural golf swing, I like the way he plays. Hideki Matsuyama and Si Woo Kim, who’s having a strong year on the PGA TOUR, have tasted Presidents Cup action before and they’ll be keen to play again. Then there’s Satoshi Kodaira who won for the first time on the PGA TOUR this year, so the Presidents Cup has suddenly popped up on his radar, too! Maybe Korea’s Jeunghun Wang, he’s a heck of a player, the youngest player ever to win back-to-back European Tour events. Or Byeong Hun An. 

We could go on, but you get the idea. Between now and next summer any one of a number of players could get on a hot streak and play their way on to the team. The ever-increasing strength of golf in Asia is obvious and, you know, there are so many other talented players from China, India, Thailand, Malaysia, basically right across Asia, all in their 20s, that are going to be in the frame for future Presidents Cup teams. It’s an exciting prospect. 

Anyway, as I’ve said, we have got a while to go. The race for qualification doesn’t even begin until the end of August, when points accumulated on the Official World Golf Ranking over a 12-month period will determine the identity of the leading eight players on the team. We’ll then have four Captain’s picks to make up the final dozen. 

Obviously, the conversations between myself and the captain’s assistants have started already. We’re comfortable with the new format and the one year qualification period is a good change. We can properly start to see where our guys are at after the 2019 Tour Championship and onwards. Also, with the World Cup being played at Royal Melbourne, that’s interesting for us because some of the guys playing that week will be contenders for the International team. Before that, we want to actively encourage the players to play together as much as possible, maybe have some get-togethers. That’s important, especially for the rookies. So that’s on my agenda. Ultimately, we’re going to do everything we can in terms of tactics and team selections that give us the best chance of getting the Cup back. 

To finish, one of the other great things is this is going to feel like kind of a home game for us. Hopefully we’ll have a couple of Aussies on the side, too, and the home crowds are going to come out in huge numbers to cheer us on. Melbourne is a great city, a real sports’ city, and the atmosphere is going go be incredible. I honestly can’t wait.

June 24: Australia’s Scott Hend shared his overnight lead with five others after he returned with a third round one-over-par73 at the BMW International Open on Saturday.

The 2016 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion dropped three shots on the front-nine and double-bogeyed 13 to sign for a three-day total of five-under-par 206.

That left him tied for the lead with two-time Major Champion Martin Kaymer and Maximilian Kieffer of Germany as well as Denmark’s Lucas Bjerregaard and English pair of Chris Paisley and Aaron Rai.

“I’m very fortunate to be where I am. Hopefully today was my bad day, and on wards and upwards tomorrow. We’ll see where we are when we come to the back nine.

I don’t think you can be super aggressive out there because you can make a three but you can also make a six. So, you’ve still got to stay within your game plan and hopefully roll a few putts in. We’ll see who rolls the most putts in tomorrow,” said Hend.

Over in the United States, India’s Anirban Lahiri, a seven-time Asian Tour winner and 2015 Order of Merit champion, made his move with a 65 to grab a share of third place at the Travelers Championship. The Indian is seeking his first PGA TOUR win in his 76th start and also the second Indian to win in the United States after Arjun Atwal.

Ends.

Cheonan, Korea, June 24: Korea’s Minchel Choi held off the challenge of compatriot Sanghyun Park by sinking a birdie on the last hole to win the Kolon Korea Open Golf Championship by two shots on Sunday. 

Walking up the 18 green, Choi knew he could not afford to drop a shot as that would leave the door open for Park to force a three-hole play-off with him at the Woo Jeong Hills Country Club. 

The 30-year-old steadied his nerves and could not contain his delight when he watched his putt from 10-feet drop into the cup.

Choi’s final round two-under-par 69 not only confirmed him as the newest champion of his National Open but also earned him a ticket to The Open in Carnoustie next month, with the Kolon Korea Open Golf Championship part of The Open Qualifying Series this year.

 A fast-charging Sanghyun had earlier surmounted a late challenge when he stormed towards the finishing line with two birdies in his last four holes.

But after closing with a four-day total of 12-under-par 272 and watching Choi sign off with a winning birdie, Park eventually settled for second place at the KR₩1,200,000,000 (approx. US$1,125,000) event.

Koreans continued to dominate their National Open with only Americans Kevin Na and John Catlin breaking into the top-10 with their tied-fifth finish.

Ends.

Did you know?

• Minchel Choi turned professional in 2009. Before his win, Choi he had three runner-up finishes on the Korean Tour in 2017.
• He went to New Zealand when he was 14 to pursue his studies and golf training. But had to return to Korea early because his family could not afford his studies fees in New Zealand anymore.
• Choi’s father suffered a stroke in 2006 and is half-paralysed. His father played a key role in his career.
• Sanghyun Park prevailed in a four-man play-off to win the Maekyung Open last week. He immediately took up membership with the Asian Tour following that win.
• Park won again on the domestic circuit last week.
• The Korea Open has been a stronghold of the Koreans in the last decade. Rickie Fowler of the United States remains as the last foreign player to break the Korean dominance when he won the 2011 edition by six shots.

Players’ Quotes

Minchel Choi (Kor), Fourth round 69 (-2), Total 272 (-12)

I felt very nervous especially walking up to 18 hole as I knew I could not afford to drop a shot there, knowing that Sanghyun had done very well. But somehow I managed to compose myself and close with a birdie. This win goes out to my family and sponsors who have been behind me in every step of my career. I would not have come this far without their support. I’m really excited about going to Carnoustie and play in my first Major! It’s like a dream come true and no words can express how delighted I’m right now. There will be many world class players at The Open and I can’t wait to compete against them.

Sanghyun Park (Kor), Fourth round 66 (-5), Total 274 (-10)

I’m really looking forward to playing in my first Major at The Open. It’s every professional golfer’s dream to play in a Major and I’m no different. I came very close to winning again but that’s okay, that’s golf. I put up a good fight but Choi’s a deserving winner. You cannot win all the time and hopefully my day will come again.

Kevin Na (Usa), Fourth round 70 (-1), Total 279 (-5)

I didn’t feel like I got a lot out of my rounds this week. The putter was a bit cold but overall I felt like I hit the ball pretty good. I obviously came into this week trying to win the tournament for my sponsor but that’s golf. Overall it’s still not too bad. I enjoyed my week here as I got to enjoy Korean food and caught up with my friends.

John Catlin (Usa), Fourth round 70 (-1), Total 279 (-5)

It’s always good to be in the top-10 under very tough conditions. I’ve been trying to give myself opportunities all week. I made a lot of clutch par saves. It was hard to hit a lot of shots really close to the pins so I’m very proud of how I’ve played. This is a course that requires lots of local knowledge. It’s the first time in 10 years the Asian Tour is back for the Korea Open. But as we keep coming back, we’ll only get better and put up a better fight against the Koreans. I’m going to play Queen’s Cup, Sarawak and Indonesia. It’s a three-week stretch for me. I know I can compete out here and I’m hoping to see when that next win comes again.

Leading scores after round 4 of the Kolon Korea Open Golf Championship being played at the par 71, 7328 Yards Woo Jeong Hills Country Club course (am – denotes amateur):

272 – Minchel CHOI (KOR) 69-70-64-69.

274 – Sanghyun PARK (KOR) 68-69-71-66.

278 – Kyongjun MOON (KOR) 69-70-73-66, K.T. KIM (KOR) 68-73-69-68.

279 – Changwon HAN (KOR) 72-65-73-69, Kevin NA (USA) 67-72-70-70, John CATLIN (USA) 69-69-71-70, Jaewoong EOM (KOR) 70-71-67-71, Hosung CHOI (KOR) 67-66-72-74.

280 – Junsung KIM (KOR) 68-76-68-68, Sanghee LEE (KOR) 72-70-68-70.

281 – Doyeob MUN (KOR) 69-71-72-69, Dongmin LEE (KOR) 71-70-69-71, Innchoon HWANG (KOR) 68-73-68-72, Seungtaek LEE (KOR) 67-71-69-74.

282 – Woohyun KIM (KOR) 69-71-75-67, Hanbyeol KIM (am, KOR) 71-70-71-70, Jaemin HAN (am, KOR) 68-73-67-74.

283 – Sungyeol KWON (KOR) 70-71-72-70, Junsub PARK (KOR) 68-70-75-70, Hyungjoon LEE (KOR) 70-69-72-72, Keith HORNE (RSA) 68-69-74-72, Simon YATES (SCO) 72-69-66-76.

284 – Hongtaek KIM (KOR) 71-73-71-69, Miguel TABUENA (PHI) 72-73-71-68, Sungho LEE (KOR) 71-71-72-70, Prom MEESAWAT (THA) 70-73-67-74.

285 – Scott VINCENT (ZIM) 75-70-68-72, Berry HENSON (USA) 75-70-68-72, Chikkarangappa S. (IND) 70-75-68-72, Inhoi HUR (KOR) 74-68-70-73.

June 23: 2016 Australia’s Scott Hend fired a sensational 67 in windy conditions at Golf Club Gut Laerchenhof to take a one-shot lead into the weekend at the BMW International Open.

The Australian, the 2016 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion, pulled ahead of the chasing pack after recording the joint-lowest round of the week to get to six-under-par 138 total, a shot clear of Chile’s Nico Geyger of Chile and Sweden’s Henric Sturehed.

Two-time Major winner and local favourite Martin Kaymer carded a 68 to delight the home fans with his move up the leaderboard and shared fourth place with his countryman Maximilian Kieffer, Englishman Aaron Rai, overnight leader Sébastien Gros of France and Australia’s Nick Cullen.

”It’s just patience. When it’s this windy, if you’re not patient you’re going to get smashed. It’s as simple as that. If you can laugh it off, what will be will be, and just play. If you try to push for a birdie, if you hit it in the rough and make a bogey it’s great, if you get less than a bogey then it’s a bonus. It’s just one of those golf courses that is quite punishing.

“I just played conservatively. Just trying to play on to the fairways and keep out of the long brown stuff. Last time I was here I played horrendously. I just came here with the attitude this week to just find the golf ball first off, get it on the green and hopefully hole some putts and have a fresh approach,” said Hend.

Ends.

Cheonan, Korea, June 22: American John Catlin established himself as one of the contenders for the Kolon Korea Open Golf Championship by carding a flawless two-under-par 69 in the second round of the KR₩1,200,000,000 (approx. US$1,125,000) event on Friday. 

Catlin, who claimed his Asian Tour breakthrough in China last month, is seeking to extend his winning run and showed his intent by moving up the leaderboard with his two-day total of four-under-par 138. 

“I’ve very pleased with how I played today especially with the difficult pin positions out there today. I was able to keep to the correct side of the hole and made a couple of nice saves. 

“It’s nice to be able to look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself honestly that you’ve been here before and that gives you lots of confidence. Winning in China took everything out of me and I was exhausted for the next two weeks. But I’m feeling close to 100% this week,” said the American.

Korea’s Yikuen Chang also remained firmly in contention as the defending champion made his move with a 68.

Chang could have gone even lower if not for a wayward drive on his last hole which marred his otherwise perfect card at the Woo Jeong Hills Country Club.

“Number nine was a very tough hole. I hit a poor drive to the right but I managed to reduce the damage with a bogey. I’m going to work on the stuff which I did badly today and hopefully I improve this weekend.

“You got to hit lots of fairways as the greens are really tough here. If you miss the green, it’s going to be tough to make up and down. My goal is to hit fairways and greens tomorrow,” said Chang.

Korea’s Changwon Han currently holds the clubhouse with his 137 total.

Ends.

Pattaya, Thailand, June 22: Malaysia’s Nicholas Fung is hoping for a taste of success again when he defends his title at the US$300,000 Queen’s Cup presented by Bangchak, which will be celebrating its 10th straight edition on the Asian Tour next week.

The bespectacled Fung, 2013 Asian Development Tour (ADT) Order of Merit champion, endured several near-misses for his maiden title before finally breaking through with a one-shot victory at the prestigious event 12 months ago.

The 28-year-old Sabahan is determined to add another victory to his resume at the storied event, which will be played for the first time at the highly-rated Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club in Pattaya from June 28 to July 1.

A total of 150 players from 25 different countries, featuring over 40 Asian Tour winners, will be vying for top honours and chasing the winner’s prize purse of US$54,000 when the tournament gets underway next week.

Fung, who turned professional in 2010, is a proud graduate of the region’s secondary circuit, where he has recorded three victories. He represented Team Asia in all three editions of the EurAsia Cup and was hailed as Malaysia’s number one through his Order of Merit success on the PGM Tour in 2012, 2013 and 2016.

After missing four cuts in 10 starts on the Asian Tour this season, Fung sits in a current 41st place on the Habitat for Humanity Standings, with his best result being a tied-14th place finish at the Panasonic Open Golf Championship in Japan two months ago.

“I love playing in Thailand. It’s pretty similar to Malaysia, be it the weather or the people. I have been playing well. I did some work with my coach and I’m gaining more distance than before. I am not a long hitter so I have to work on my distance if I want to better my game.

“I waited very long for that first win. I came close so many times and I finally got the job done at the Queen’s Cup last year. That victory has given me a lot of confidence. I am looking forward to defending my title next week,” said Fung.

A year after his breakthrough feat, Fung remains confident of putting up another title run albeit on a different course. He believes a hot putter will fuel his charge for a successful title defence when he steps up to the tee next week.

“I have played at the Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club for a couple of times. The course doesn’t seem long for me so putting will be the key to score. This is my first time defending a title on the Asian Tour.

“I have done it on the local Tour and on the ADT before. It’s going to feel different because the field is stronger and there are a lot of young players out there looking for their first win as well. I am, however, more than happy to take up the challenge,” Fung added.

Other notable players in the field include Chinese Taipei’s Chan Shih-chang and Shiv Kapur of India, who have triumphed on the Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club in 2016 and 2017 respectively.

Measuring a total of 6,960 yards, the front nine of the tournament will be played on the Mountain course while the back nine will be played on Ocean course, with the 13th hole (fourth hole of the Ocean course) converted from a par-five to par-four, reducing the course par to 71.

The Queen’s Cup, held in honour of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, welcomed a new presenting sponsor in Bangchak Corporation, one of Thailand’s leading energy companies, this season.

It will mark the Tour’s third stop in Thailand, following the Qualifying School in January and the recently-concluded Thailand Open, where local rising star Panuphol Pittayarat claimed his second Asian Tour victory.

Since its inception in 2009, the Queen’s Cup has welcomed many worthy champions such as 2016 Order of Merit champion Scott Hend of Australia and Thai veterans Prayad Marksaeng and Thaworn Wiractchant, who have each won the title twice from 2012 to 2015.

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.

Sentosa, Singapore, June 21: Australian golfing legend Peter Thomson has passed away on June 20, 2018 at the age of 88.

Thomson was undoubtedly one of the most accomplished players in the history of the professional game. He has 89 victories in his career, including five The Open titles.

Known for his leadership and ability to perform under pressure, Thomson captained the International Team in the Presidents Cup three times and had led his team to victory in 1998, the same year when he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

The well-travelled Australian was a regular fixture in tournaments around the world. He won on the PGA Tour once and had victories in destinations such as Germany, Italy as well as South Africa.

Thomson, a big supporter of golf in Asia, won the Indian Open three times, Hong Kong Open three times and the Philippine Open once. He also has six titles from Japan in his name.

In addition to being a successful golfer, Thomson was an influential administrator. He served as the Chairman of the PGA of Australian for 32 years and was the pioneer of the Asian Circuit, the predecessor of the modern-day Asian Tour.

For one, Thomson helped conceived the inaugural Singapore Open in 1961 and to ensure the success of the tournament, he used his immense influence to attract some of the best players to the Lion City. Since then, the Singapore Open has gone on to establish itself as one of the most prestigious and widely-anticipated tournaments on the Asian Tour schedule.

Today, Australian professionals make up a significant proportion of the Asian Tour and they, as well as the rest of the Asian Tour, will be forever indebted to Thomson for paving the way. 

"He will surely be missed by the Australian golfing public. His record will be very tough for anyone to equal, let alone, beat. He’s a great champion and surely, he’ll be missed by all Australians," said Scott Hend, the 2016 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion:

"Peter was a massive part of Australian golf and he was instrumental in establishing the professional circuit in Asia. Both Tours have been big parts of my life and golfing career. It was a terrible day and my thoughts go out to his family. I’ve seen footages of his golf swing it is one of the most balanced and purest actions that we’ve ever seen in our lifetime," said Wade Ormsby, two-time Asian Tour champion.

"I don’t think he gets the credit that he deserves. His Open record was phenomenal. Winning it three in a row is amazing," said Sam Brazel, winner of the 2016 UBS Hong Kong Open.

Social media reactions

So sad to hear news today of the passing of Peter Thomson, five-time @TheOpen champion and winning @PresidentsCup captain. Golf has lost a true legend and one of sport’s real gentlemen. My thoughts & condolences to his family.

— Ernie Els (@TheBig_Easy) June 20, 2018

Not nice to hear about anyone passing away….. but Australia and the golfing world has lost another of its greats… Vale Peter Thomson… sad day for Aussie golf… condolences to his family. @EuropeanTour @asiantourgolf @PGAofAustralia #5timechamp @TheOpen

— Scott Hend (@hendygolf) June 20, 2018

Heavy hearts in the Australian golf community today with the passing of the Great Peter Thomson. Grew up idolising him. One of the best swings in the history of the game. He will be missed.

— Marcus Both (@MarcusBothPGA) June 20, 2018

I always respected Peter Thomson the golfer. Later in life, I respected & appreciated Peter Thomson the man even more. 5-time @TheOpen champ, 3-time @PresidentsCup captain & always a proud Australian. We lost a special member of golf’s global family. More:https://t.co/ZRNSY3vWbA pic.twitter.com/NTCCqRneNG

— Jack Nicklaus (@jacknicklaus) June 20, 2018

My official statement on the passing of Australian golf legend Peter Thomson. pic.twitter.com/jAF88VhgM7

— Greg Norman (@SharkGregNorman) June 20, 2018

Peter Thomson was a truly wonderful golfer & a fine global ambassador for our game. His contribution to golf will not be forgotten. In addition he was the most intellectual & best read player I ever met. My condolences to his family & friends. Rest In Peace Thomo. GP

— Gary Player (@garyplayer) June 20, 2018

I’m am so saddened to hear of the passing of our Aussie legend and true gentleman of the game, Peter Thomson. My heart goes out to his wife Mary and the rest of the Thompson family. So honoured to have been able to call Peter my friend. RIP Peter

— Karrie Webb (@Karrie_Webb) June 20, 2018

June 18: A lot’s happened since my last contribution as the Asian Tour’s official international ambassador, a badge of honour that I continue to wear with pride.

Probably the biggest news is being nominated as the captain of the Internationals for the next Presidents Cup to be played at Royal Melbourne in 2019. Honestly, there’s so much about that sentence that excites me! 

For one thing, Royal Melbourne is right up there among my all-time favourite courses. Aside from its classic design credentials and legendary putting surfaces, it’ll always have a special place in my heart with us having won the Presidents Cup there in 1998 and also my three straight Heineken Classics wins from 2002 to 2004. The prospect of going back there as captain of the International Team is kind of a dream job, you could say. 

The Presidents Cup has from the get-go held significant relevance from an Asian Tour perspective. Of course, there was an Asian-born player (Japan’s Tsukasa Watanabe) in the inaugural competition in 1994. And there have been countless others to have followed in his footsteps. In fact, we had five on the 2015 team alone. That was the year the Presidents Cup visited Asia for the first time, so that was a special week for Asian Tour golf. It’s fair to expect there will be another strong contingent on the plane to Australia in 18 months’ time and perhaps from a wider spread of countries, too. 

Really it’s too early to speculate who might make the team, but obviously there are a few names that jump out. We’ll start with Shubhankar Sharma (pictured with me, above) because he and I go way back. He attended a golf clinic I was hosting during the 2008 Indian Masters; he was 10 years old and you could see he was a serious talent. I told him then I thought he’d be a great player, and he obviously listened! No, seriously, what he’s done in the last 12 months is impressive. 

Li Haotong is another fine young player who springs to mind. He only just missed out on making the team in 2017 and actually, we were paired together in the final round of last year’s Open Championship at Birkdale. He has a fearless approach, a nice attitude. The wind was picking up that day and he wasn’t backing off. It was a hell of a round. It would really make waves him being the first Chinese player to be on the team.

Kiradech has been a very good player for a while now; beautiful natural golf swing, I like the way he plays. Hideki Matsuyama and Si Woo Kim, who’s having a strong year on the PGA TOUR, have tasted Presidents Cup action before and they’ll be keen to play again. Then there’s Satoshi Kodaira who won for the first time on the PGA TOUR this year, so the Presidents Cup has suddenly popped up on his radar, too! Maybe Korea’s Jeunghun Wang, he’s a heck of a player, the youngest player ever to win back-to-back European Tour events. Or Byeong Hun An. 

We could go on, but you get the idea. Between now and next summer any one of a number of players could get on a hot streak and play their way on to the team. The ever-increasing strength of golf in Asia is obvious and, you know, there are so many other talented players from China, India, Thailand, Malaysia, basically right across Asia, all in their 20s, that are going to be in the frame for future Presidents Cup teams. It’s an exciting prospect. 

Anyway, as I’ve said, we have got a while to go. The race for qualification doesn’t even begin until the end of August, when points accumulated on the Official World Golf Ranking over a 12-month period will determine the identity of the leading eight players on the team. We’ll then have four Captain’s picks to make up the final dozen. 

Obviously, the conversations between myself and the captain’s assistants have started already. We’re comfortable with the new format and the one year qualification period is a good change. We can properly start to see where our guys are at after the 2019 Tour Championship and onwards. Also, with the World Cup being played at Royal Melbourne, that’s interesting for us because some of the guys playing that week will be contenders for the International team. Before that, we want to actively encourage the players to play together as much as possible, maybe have some get-togethers. That’s important, especially for the rookies. So that’s on my agenda. Ultimately, we’re going to do everything we can in terms of tactics and team selections that give us the best chance of getting the Cup back. 

To finish, one of the other great things is this is going to feel like kind of a home game for us. Hopefully we’ll have a couple of Aussies on the side, too, and the home crowds are going to come out in huge numbers to cheer us on. Melbourne is a great city, a real sports’ city, and the atmosphere is going go be incredible. I honestly can’t wait.