Singapore, April 30: Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe made yet another significant progression on the Asian Tour by finishing tied-11th at the CN¥20,000,000 (approx. US$3,178,000) Volvo China Open, propelling him five places up the Habitat for Humanity Standings to eighth place.

Vincent, with his wife Kelsey on the bag, made an incredible charge up the leaderboard in the fourth round with five consecutive birdies from holes five to nine at the Topwin Golf and Country Club. He was in serious contention to win China’s National Open, but eventually had to settle for a tied-11th finish.

“It has been a great week. It is my first time in China and I got to see the Great Wall as well as come out here to play some good golf. I can’t complain at all. I had a chance I thought. I just need to get better on the finishing holes on the back nine,” said Vincent. 

“I made a lot of good putts, especially on that five-birdie stretch. I hit a lot of good shots onto the greens too. Everything was solid all week. I am happy to have put myself in that position to contend for the title,” he added.

Even more significantly, the result moved Vincent into the top-10 of the Habitat for Humanity Standings. He has come a long way since earning his Asian Tour card in 2016 via Qualifying School.

Vincent, the only Zimbabwean on the Asian Tour, went on to finish in 28th position on the Asian Tour Order of Merit list that year and for his efforts, won the Rookie of the Year award. In 2017, he retained his Tour card by finishing 17th on the money list.

The 25-year-old is thrilled with his current form and he feels that his first Asian Tour victory is just around the corner.

“I am playing in Korea next week. With the way I am playing, I think there’s always a chance to win it.”

Meanwhile, current Habitat for Humanity Standings leader Shubhankar Sharma fought through a bug to finish commendably in tied-14th. With that, the 21-year-old is able to hold on to his lead at the top of the money list.

“I had slight fever and cold, but it was alright. I am happy to be leading the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings now, but it’s still a long way to go until the end of the season. I just have to keep building on my position. My goal is to win another tournament. I  have to keep playing well and have more and more solid weeks leading up to the end of the year,” said Sharma.

Closing in on Sharma is Matt Wallace, who finished in tied-third. The Englishman, who opted to become an Asian Tour member after winning in India this year, earned a prize cheque of US$155,000 at the Volvo China Open and had cut Sharma’s lead to US$142,915.

Indian veteran Rahil Gangjee is in third place on the Habitat for Humanity Standings with US$283,018.87 while 2013 Asian Tour Order of Merit winner Kiradech Aphibarnrat is in fourth place with US$265,573.14

The Asian Tour will travel to Korea this week for the KR₩1,000,000,000 (approx. US$925,000) 37th GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship. The event, played at the Namseoul Country Club, is the first event to be sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Korea Golf Association (KGA) since 2009.

The tournament will also be the first of three Asian Tour events to be played in Korea this year.

Top 20 players on the Habitat for Humanity Standings

Pos        Player   Order of Merit (US$)

1.           Shubhankar SHARMA   (IND)   589,575

2.            Matt WALLACE   (ENG)   446,660

3.            Rahil GANGJEE   (IND)   283,018.87

4.            Kiradech APHIBARNRAT   (THA)   265,573.14

5.            Sihwan KIM   (USA)   226,710.14

6.            Paul PETERSON   (USA)   215,758.57

7.            Daniel NISBET   (AUS)   150,863.64

8.            Scott VINCENT   (ZIM)   145,208.76

9.            Berry HENSON   (USA)   131,983.57

10.          Hideto TANIHARA   (JPN)   123,306.08

11.          Shaun NORRIS   (RSA)   118,284.91

12.          Khalin JOSHI   (IND)   109,730

13.          Terry PILKADARIS   (AUS)   102,539.61

14.          Prom MEESAWAT   (THA)   100,469.67

15.          Masahiro KAWAMURA   (JPN)   97,643.15

16.          Jazz JANEWATTANANOND   (THA)   93,205.74

17.          Jeunghun WANG   (KOR)   91,100

18.          Rattanon WANNASRICHAN   (THA)   85,328.83

19.          Jarin TODD   (USA)   83,945.96

20.          Danthai BOONMA   (THA)   82,712.5

Ends.

Beijing, April 29: Alexander Björk became the first Swede to lift the Volvo China Open trophy after he closed with a bogey-free seven-under-par 65 to win by one shot at the Topwin Golf and Country Club on Sunday.

The 27-year-old Björk, who started the round one shot back, rolled in seven birdies for a winning total of 18-under-par 270 and a maiden title on both the European Tour and the Asian Tour in the CN¥20,000,000 (approx. US$3,178,000) event.

Björk endured an anxious wait before his victory was confirmed after overnight co-leaders Matt Wallace of England and Adrian Otaegui of Spain failed to eagle the par-five 18th hole to force a play-off. He took home a winner’s prize purse of CN¥3,333,330 (approx. US$526,400).

Alexander Bjork of Sweden

Otaegui birdied the last to sign for a second straight 67 and finish in second place on his own. Wallace settled for a 68 following a closing par to share third place with countryman Jordan Smith (64) and Jorge Campillo (67) of Spain on 272.

Ashun Wu produced the shot of the day when his eight-iron tee shot from 158 yards found the bottom of the cup on the par-three 13th hole. It was the third hole-in-one of the week.

Wu, who won the tournament in 2015, signed for an eventual 67 to emerge as the highest-ranked Chinese player in tied-seventh place in the 24th edition of the Volvo China Open, which is tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and the China Golf Association.

Did you know?

• Alexander Björk claimed his breakthrough win in his 44th start on the European Tour.
• The victory will move him into the top-80 in the world, potentially to as high as 72nd, up from 115th on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).
• The 27-year-old Björk becomes the first Swedish winner of the Volvo China Open, which is celebrating its 24th edition this week.
• Björk has never fell outside top-10 in all four rounds of the Volvo China Open this week. Found 10 fairways, missed two greens and needed only 28 putts around the greens in his solid round of 65.
• Björk dropped only four bogeys the whole week. He stayed bogey-free in his final 24 holes.
• Björk turned professional in 2009 and previously won once on the Challenge Tour.

• Björk is playing in his second attempt at the Volvo China Open this week. He missed the halfway cut last year.
• Adrian Otaegui, 25, is a Spanish player who is based in Dubai. He turned professional in 2011 and won his maiden European Tour title at the Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Match Play in 2017.
• Otaegui is mentored by his countryman and idol, former Major champion José María Olazábal, having played most of his junior golf at his local golf club in the seaside resort of Fuenterrabia, where Olazábal was born and raised.
• Matt Wallace claimed his second European Tour title and first Asian Tour victory at the 2018 Hero Indian Open last month.
• Wallace broke a number of records when he won five times in five consecutive starts on the Alps Tour in 2016. He won a total of six titles that year to win the Order of Merit.
• Jeunghun Wang completed back-to-back victories with a come-from-behind one-shot triumph in the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, barely a week after he had broken through in Morocco in 2016.
• The 22-year-old Wang is a three-time European Tour winner and one-time Asian Tour winner.
• Wang enjoyed a stellar season in 2014 where he didn’t miss a single cut in 16 straight events on the Asian Tour.
• Ashun Wu is a former winner of the Volvo China Open in 2015. He sank his career’s third hole-in-one on the par-three 13th hole with an eight-iron from 158 yards in the final round of the 2018 Volvo China Open. It is also the third hole-in-one this week. Japan’s Hideto Tanihara drove home a new car after making the first ace of the week on the 16th hole in the opening round.

Alexander Bjork of Sweden 

Players’ quotes:

Alexander Bjork (Swe) – Final round 65 (-7), Total 270 (-18)

It’s great to know that I am the first Swede to win the prestigious tournament. It sounds pretty good. I am super happy. I would say the birdie on 17 was good. I knew I had a good chance on 18. I know I will have a good chance if I can make par on 18.

It’s tough to describe the emotions right now but I am really very happy. I am very proud of myself. The way I played today, it’s probably one of the best rounds of golf that I have ever played.

I didn’t make any mistakes today. I am super happy. I have been striking the ball so good off the tee and I putted great on the greens as well. It has been so solid. It’s easy to play around when you feel like your swing is there.

It’s really nice to be working out well for me today since it’s the final round and the pressure comes on. I still hit good shots all the way. I didn’t look at the leaderboard too much on the first nine holes.

From 12, I knew I was up in the leaderboard and I saw Jordan Smith finished on -16 so I knew I had to make birdies coming down the stretch. That helped me to stay positive and give me the strength to make birdies instead of trying to play safe.

That was important for me to try and make birdies. I had mixed feelings on the last. I was happy with the par save but obviously I would want to finish with a birdie. It’s a tough hole to make an eagle on the last as well. I thought I had a pretty good chance but you never know.

You never think you were going to win. You hope it will happen. I had a really good feeling this morning actually. I was less nervous than how I would usually be before the final round. I guess it was meant to be today. I missed out on the win in Hong Kong earlier this season. I had a bad finish. It was my turn to win today so I am very happy.

Adrian Otaegui (Esp) – Final round 67 (-5), Total 271 (-17)

I am happy with my second-place finish at the Volvo China Open. I hit a three-wood left and I knew it was a good spot to miss on the left. It was about 35 meters short. It was a difficult putt to make but I managed to make a good up-and-down there for birdie.

Matt Wallace (Eng) – Final round 68 (-4), Total 272 (-16)

It was gutting. I hit one of the best shots that I have ever hit into the last hole. Get no lie, no shot and then missed the putt to finish tied-third.

I played great. When you play great, you want to win. You want to know you can win. I kind of got a little bit unlucky with every bad shot that I hit today. I probably hit three bad shots today.

I had to chip outside where you saw on the third hole and had a really bad lie on the 10th to make bogey. I will learn from it and I will come back stronger again. It’s hard to take right now.

Jeunghun Wang of Korea

Jeunghun Wang (Kor) – Final round 68 (-4), Total 274 (-14)

I played really good this week. I was hitting the ball really well. I didn’t miss a lot of short putts today but I missed a lot of putts for birdies today. It’s pretty disappointing but overall, I am happy with my result. It’s always good to finish inside top-10.

I made a good birdie on the 11th hole. I hit driver off the tee but went into the bunker. I hit a great shot out from the bunker to about two feet and made the birdie putt. That’s the highlight for me.

I wasn’t thinking much out there. I tried my best not to think about anything. I just want to play my own game. I think that worked for me, especially on my front nine.

Ashun Wu (Chn) – Final round 67 (-5), Total 274 (-14)

It was a fantastic day. I made a hole-in-one on the 13th hole today. The wind was blowing from left to right. I hit an eight-iron from 158 yards and the ball landed two yards short of the pin before rolling into the hole.

It was very nice. I didn’t see it but everyone told me it went in. They were all cheering. This is the third hole-in-one in my career.

I didn’t play so good in my front nine but I played really good on the back. I am very happy with my overall performance. It’s been a great week playing at home. I enjoyed it a lot. I love the golf course. It’s in very good conditions this week.

Many thanks to my friends and family members who came down to support me this week. The home crowd was awesome.

Ashun Wu of China

Scores after round 4 of the Volvo China Open being played at the par 72, 7261 Yards Topwin GcC course (am – denotes amateur):

270 – Alexander BJORK (SWE) 66-72-67-65.

271 – Adrian OTAEGUI (ESP) 68-69-67-67.

272 – Jordan SMITH (ENG) 69-69-70-64, Jorge CAMPILLO (ESP) 69-68-68-67, Matt WALLACE (ENG) 65-70-69-68.

273 – Lucas BJERREGAARD (DEN) 70-73-66-64.

274 – Ashun WU (CHN) 70-71-66-67, Jeunghun WANG (KOR) 72-66-68-68, Paul DUNNE (IRL) 71-68-67-68, Jinho CHOI (KOR) 69-72-65-68.

275 – Scott VINCENT (ZIM) 66-74-68-67, Sihwan KIM (USA) 70-66-70-69, Andrea PAVAN (ITA) 68-72-66-69.

276 – Daxing JIN (CHN) 64-76-69-67, Shubhankar SHARMA (IND) 69-72-68-67, Mikko ILONEN (FIN) 71-70-67-68, Soomin LEE (KOR) 68-69-70-69, Alexander LEVY (FRA) 69-73-65-69, Nacho ELVIRA (ESP) 69-67-70-70.

277 – Aaron RAI (ENG) 73-70-68-66, Ashley CHESTERS (ENG) 72-68-68-69, Jason SCRIVENER (AUS) 67-69-71-70, Matteo MANASSERO (ITA) 72-68-67-70, Julien GUERRIER (FRA) 68-69-68-72.

278 – Keith HORNE (RSA) 69-74-68-67, Joost LUITEN (NED) 70-69-70-69.

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.

Seoul, April 28: The Asian Tour will return to Korea for the 37th GS Caltex Maekyung Open Championship next week where it will sanction the KR₩1,000,000,000 (approx. US$925,000) event with the Korea Golf Association (KGA) for the first time since 2009.

The 37th GS Caltex Maekyung Open Championship is also the first of the three Asian Tour events to be played in Korea this year. This is a significant development for the Asian Tour with Korea being a key market for the Tour.

More than 20 Asian Tour winners including Thailand’s Rattanon Wannasrichan, India’s Shiv Kapur and Malaysia’s Nicholas Fung will feature in the event.

Zimbabwean Scott Vincent, who has enjoyed two top-10s already this season, will also be teeing up at the Namseoul Country Club for the first time.

Rattanon, who finished tied-fourth in Japan last week, had several close finishes in recent years at the Namseoul Country Club and will be aiming for a grandstand finish there next week.

“I’ve led for a couple of rounds at Namseoul before but just have not be able to get the job done. Hopefully, I can do it next week as I’m playing well and I hope to get that win there,” said Rattanon.

Fung is also looking forward to continuing his good form after enjoying his best result of his season in Japan last week.

The Malaysian will be putting extra focus on his short game as he believes that will be decisive to winning the tournament.

“I’m hoping to continue my good form. My result in Japan was my best result this season. It’s always good to go back to Korea again. I’ve played at Namseoul before and the greens are very tough over there.

“It’s not a long golf course but you got to be really accurate and put the ball on the right spot on the greens. Otherwise you’ll be in trouble. If you can putt well, you’ll likely to win the tournament,” said Fung.

Vincent, who will have his wife, Kelsey on his bag again in Korea, is eyeing his maiden breakthrough on the Asian Tour after finishing inside the top-10 twice this year already.

“It’s always exciting to go to a new country and play in a tournament for the first time. I’ve never been to Korea before and I hope to have many good lasting memories there.

“My wife has been amazing and she keeps telling me to stay patient when I get a little too far ahead or down on myself. She’ll pick me up and point me in the right direction, reminding me to trust myself,” said Vincent.

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.

Beijing, April 28: Overnight leader Matt Wallace of England battled to a three-under-par 69 to remain atop the leaderboard, sharing the honours with Adrian Otaegui of Spain following a low-scoring day at the Volvo China Open on Saturday.

The 28-year-old Wallace, who held an overnight one-shot lead, nailed four birdies against a bogey for a three-day total of 12-under-par 204 at the Topwin Golf and Country Club. Otaegui matched his efforts after sinking five straight birdies from the eighth hole for a flawless 67.

Alexander Bjork of Sweden posted a 67 to share third place with Julien Guerrier of France and Jorge Campillo of Spain, who carded matching 68s, in the CN¥20,000,000 (approx. US$3,178,000) event, which is the oldest professional golf tournament in the country.

Korean talent Jeunghun Wang and American Sihwan Kim were among those bunched in sixth place on 206 following rounds of 68 and 70 respectively in the 24th edition of the Volvo China Open, tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and the China Golf Association.

Ashun Wu, a former winner of the Volvo China Open in 2015, emerged as the highest-placed Chinese player after signing for a commendable 66 to stay three shots off the pace in tied-12th position. He is one of the six local players who made the halfway cut.

Defending champion Alexander Levy of France fired a low round of 65 to move within three, giving himself an outside chance of winning the tournament for a record third time.

He is also chasing for back-to-back victories on the European Tour after winning in Morocco last week. Levy was seven shots off the lead going into the final round of the 2017 Volvo China Open.

Matt Wallace of England

Did you know?

• Matt Wallace turned professional in 2012 after enjoying a stellar amateur career, where he won the 2011 Czech Amateur and Tallihade and Argentine Amateur.
• Wallace broke a number of records when he won five times in five consecutive starts on the Alps Tour in 2016. He won a total of six titles that year to win the Order of Merit.
• Wallace defeated Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston in a play-off to claim his second European Tour title and first Asian Tour victory at the 2018 Hero Indian Open last month.
• Adrian Otaegui, 25, is a Spanish player who is based in Dubai. He turned professional in 2011 and won his maiden European Tour title at the Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Match Play in 2017.
• Otaegui is mentored by his countryman and idol, former Major champion José María Olazábal, having played most of his junior golf at his local golf club in the seaside resort of Fuenterrabia, where Olazábal was born and raised.
• Starting the round with a two-shot deficit, Otaegui reeled in seven pars before producing five straight birdies from the par-five eighth hole. He returned home with six consecutive pars to mark a bogey-free round.
• Otaegui has only dropped three shots so far this week. He is playing in his second attempt at the Volvo China Open. He missed the halfway cut in the last edition.
• Jeunghun Wang completed back-to-back victories with a come-from-behind one-shot triumph in the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, barely a week after he had broken through in Morocco in 2016.
• Those two victories also earned Wang a place in the record books as the youngest player at 20 years and 251 days to ever secure back-to-back triumphs in European golf history.
• Wang also capped a remarkable maiden season in Europe by claiming the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year title in 2016. Enjoyed a stellar season in 2014 where he didn’t miss a single cut in 16 straight events on the Asian Tour.
• Wang was also selected as a Captain’s pick to represent Team Asia at the 2016 EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM.
• The 22-year-old Wang is now a three-time European Tour winner and one-time Asian Tour winner.
• Ashun Wu has previously won the Volvo China Open in 2015. He is a two-time winner on the European Tour, as well as the Japan Golf Tour. He was the first Chinese to win on the Japan Golf Tour.
• The 32-year-old Wu played on the Asian Tour in 2008 and 2009. Also represented Team Asia at the 2016 EurAsia Cup in Malaysia.

Players’ quotes:

Matt Wallace (Eng) – Third round 69 (-3), Total 204 (-12)

It was up and down today as you could see with my emotions out there. I’m really gutted to finish with a bogey and a par on the last two holes. After the big putt at 16 for par I was a bit too hyped up really and I needed a second on the tee there just to slow myself down and get the ball in play.

I had a chance at par at 17 and missed it and then it was just a bad tee shot down the last. Again, it was frustrating but I’m playing really good golf so there’s not much else I can do. I hit it quite close on a few of them, including on nine but it was a tough putt and I missed it on the low side.

Then I was grinding through. I had a good look on 11 at the right edge of the green as they were a frustrating few holes but I’m still up there.

I’m playing really nicely, I’m hitting it long and straight and if I do that tomorrow I’ll have a few chances at birdies. We’re tied for the lead so I’m pretty happy.

Adrian Otaegui of Spain

Adrian Otaegui (Esp) – Third round 67 (-5), Total 204 (-12)

I played well from the beginning to the end. I made a couple of mistakes but was able to make pars. That five birdies in a row helped me a lot to a five-under-par 67. I found the green in two on the eighth and make two putts for birdies.

I made good putts on ninth and 10th as well. I hit it onto the green again on the 11th and made a good up and down for birdie on 12th. It was a good run there for me. I managed to par the remaining holes after that.

I think I have been very consistent all week. I am striking the ball well and feeling well so I am happy with that.

Alexander Bjork (Swe) – Third round 67 (-5), Total 205 (-11)

I played really well today. I had a good chance on almost every hole on the first seven holes to make birdie and only made one. Then had good run of birdies on holes 8, 9 and 10. Trying to keep it going tomorrow. I had a couple of putts where I was just overthinking and reading the wrong line.

My game plan tomorrow is to just try and go out and play like how I did today. Today was some of the best ball striking rounds I’ve had in a long time. If I can just hole a couple more putts tomorrow then hopefully I can get close to a win.

Sihwan Kim (Usa) – Third round 70 (-2), Total 206 (-10)

I hit some really good iron shots today although my putts didn’t fall in. I guess that’s one positive I could take away. I knew my strength and weaknesses coming into this tournament. I just wanted to make my strength stronger, which was putting.

I just did not putt well today. It’s something wrong with green reading. I will work on it right now and see what happens tomorrow. I knew I was up there on the leaderboard. You get a lot of short clubs into the wind here.

I don’t have much to complain about from tee to green. I played well. You just have to make putts to get the momentum going. I just had no momentum today. I will do what I need to do for tomorrow. I will practise on my putting and hopefully it will be better tomorrow.

Jeunghun Wang (Kor) – Third round 68 (-4), Total 206 (-10)

I played really well on the back nine but I had a bad finish on the last hole when I missed a short birdie putt. I had an eagle on hole 11 an that was my turning point. and after that I made two birdies. I am really happy about my position and I just want to stay positive for tomorrow.

(On the eagle on 11th) The chip I made was 25-yards from the pin. I hit a driver to the left of the fairway and chipped it in. I love to play in Asia I love the food and weather and I do well here.

Jeunghun Wang of Korea

Ashun Wu (Chn) – Third round 66 (-6), Total 207 (-9)

I have been playing pretty consistently this week. The game’s been feeling good. I just managed to make a few putts today and I guess that was the key for me. The wind wasn’t as strong as yesterday but the pins were pretty tricky.

It’s quite different from the previous editions so it’s been quite a challenge for the players. I will continue to do what I have been doing tomorrow. I think my chances are pretty good this week. I have had quite a bit of experience on this course so I am very familiar.

I have been playing well in the last two events in Europe as well so I am feeling confident about this week. There is still a long way to go. Anything can happen tomorrow. I am just going to do my best and see how it goes.

Scores after round 3 of the Volvo China Open being played at the par 72, 7261 Yards Topwin GcC course (am – denotes amateur):

204 – Adrian OTAEGUI (ESP) 68-69-67, Matt WALLACE (ENG) 65-70-69.

205 – Alexander BJORK (SWE) 66-72-67, Julien GUERRIER (FRA) 68-69-68, Jorge CAMPILLO (ESP) 69-68-68.

206 – Jinho CHOI (KOR) 69-72-65, Andrea PAVAN (ITA) 68-72-66, Paul DUNNE (IRL) 71-68-67, Jeunghun WANG (KOR) 72-66-68, Sihwan KIM (USA) 70-66-70, Nacho ELVIRA (ESP) 69-67-70.

207 – Alexander LEVY (FRA) 69-73-65, Clement SORDET (FRA) 71-70-66, Ashun WU (CHN) 70-71-66, Matteo MANASSERO (ITA) 72-68-67, Nino BERTASIO (ITA) 65-73-69, Soomin LEE (KOR) 68-69-70, Jason SCRIVENER (AUS) 67-69-71.

208 – Micah Lauren SHIN (USA) 71-71-66, Mikko ILONEN (FIN) 71-70-67, Scott VINCENT (ZIM) 66-74-68, Ashley CHESTERS (ENG) 72-68-68, Jordan SMITH (ENG) 69-69-70, Jason NORRIS (AUS) 74-64-70.

209 – Lucas BJERREGAARD (DEN) 70-73-66, Chris HANSON (ENG) 71-71-67, Shubhankar SHARMA (IND) 69-72-68, Yuta IKEDA (JPN) 69-72-68, Arjun ATWAL (IND) 69-72-68, Daxing JIN (CHN) 64-76-69, Hongfu WU (CHN) 73-67-69, Joost LUITEN (NED) 70-69-70.

210 – David LIPSKY (USA) 68-75-67, Ryan FOX (NZL) 70-72-68, Andrew DODT (AUS) 69-72-69, Pablo LARRAZABAL (ESP) 70-69-71, Ricardo GOUVEIA (POR) 71-68-71.

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.

Shah Alam, Malaysia, January 11: Indian stars Anirban Lahiri and S.S.P. Chawrasia believe they will form a formidable partnership in the opening Friday Fourball format at the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HIBOM.

It will be the first time the Indian duo are paired together in the EurAsia Cup as they go up against Englishmen Tyrrell Hatton and Ross Fisher in the sixth and final match at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club.

Lahiri, who has contributed three points for Team Asia in the last two editions in the EurAsia Cup, believes his camaraderie with Chawrasia will give them an edge over their talented opponents.

After representing their country together in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, the Indian pair hopes to do their part and guide Team Asia to their first victory in the EurAsia Cup, which was won by Team Europe in the 2016 edition.

EurAsia Cup debutants Gavin Green of Malaysia and Yuta Ikeda of Japan will team-up against big-hitting Belgian Thomas Pieters and Matt Fitzpatrick of England.

Green, the reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit champion and Ikeda, who is 36th in the world and is the highest ranked player in Team Asia, hope to inspire the team by putting an early point on the scoreboard.

Exciting young Thai talent Phachara Khongwatmai, who is the youngest player in the elite field at the age of 18, will have the experienced Hideto Tanihara of Japan for company in their match against Ireland’s Paul Dunne and Sweden’s Alex Noren.

Team Asia’s captain Arjun Atwal has put his faith in a predominantly young Asian team and the Indian believes Phachara will deliver the goods against Thomas Bjorn’s Team Europe.

Did you know?

• This is Anirban Lahiri’s third appearance in the EurAsia Cup. He is the third player alongside Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Nicholas Fung to represent Asia for the third time.
• Lahiri and Chawrasia were in the 2016 team but they did not play together. This will be the first time the Indian duo is paired together.
• Lahiri has contributed the most points for Team Asia in the last six matches. In total he has collected three points since 2014. Chawrasia won one point for Asia in 2016.
• Lahiri is arguably the most experienced team match-play player as he also played in the Presidents Cup in 2015 and 2017.
• Interestingly Lahiri, Chawrasia  and the rest of Team Asia proudly display their country flags on their belt buckle.
• Green of Malaysia is playing in the EurAsia Cup for the first time after enjoying a successful 2017 season where he was crowned Asia’s number one.
• He has a solid track record at the Glenmarie Garden’s course where he won on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) in 2016.
• Ikeda is the second player after Kiradech Aphibarnrat ranked inside the top-50 on the Official World Golf Ranking. He won three titles in a highly successful season on the Japan Golf Tour.
• The Japanese is known for his sharp-shooting game and Atwal has predicted that he will do well with the big-hitting Green.
• Phachara came close to winning in 2017 before settling for three runner-up results. He also shot a 21-under in the Asian Tour’s 2017 season-ending Indonesian Masters but was defeated by a red-hot Justin Rose by eight shots.
• He showed his match-play prowess at the 2017 ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth where he was defeated in the final round to Brett Rumford of Australia.
• The lanky Phachara is also known for his big-hitting game. Atwal praised the young Thai during the opening ceremony by saying “he hits it long.”

Players’ Quotes:

Anirban Lahiri (Ind)

I think it was a natural decision for Arjun, S.S.P. and myself.  I think S.S.P. and myself are very comfortable playing with each other.  We have great communication.  We have played so much golf together.  We were at the Olympics a couple years ago, and I think we have very complementary game styles. S.S.P. is one of the most consistent players here this week, I can go as far as saying that.  Obviously makes life a little bit easier for myself.  If I do play with him later, it’s going to be so much easier for me.  I can go out there and play my game and obviously tomorrow is about making birdies.  He’s a great putter.  I’ve been in good form, so I feel confident with my game.  Hopefully we can go out there and make a bunch of birdies. Yeah, obviously the more you play, the more you learn, the more opportunities you have to understand.  Match play obviously works differently.  Team match play has its own challenges.  I’ve been very fortunate.  I’ve learned a lot under Captain Price in the two Presidents Cups that I’ve played.  Thongchai and Jeev, and now Arjun, the three captains of the EurAsia Cup. So I think between 2014 and now, this is my fifth team event in a row, so to speak, so I’ve learned a lot of strategy and how things work.  So whenever there’s anything that I feel that I can add to the team, I do that. And as far as experience is concerned, I think all the players here know how to play golf.  The most important thing for all of us is to just go out there and play our golf.  We just have to focus on what we do, regardless of which event you play. If every single one of us makes five birdies or six birdies tomorrow, Asia will be ahead and that’s exactly how we need to think.  We shouldn’t really be looking at the scoreboard too much and we shouldn’t be looking at what our opponents are doing.  Whether it’s the Ryder Cup or the Presidents Cup or the EurAsia Cup, it basically comes down to who makes more birdies and who holds more putts. At the end of the day it’s simple and it’s not rocket science.  Everybody just has to go out with that attitude, and outside of that, there’s nothing much to say.  Everybody knows how to make birdies and every single one of us is a great player.

Gavin Green (Mas)

It’s a team event, but I mean, you have to play your own game.  Doesn’t matter if it’s a team event, you’ve still got to play your own game and you’ve still got to hit your own shot and you’ve got to hit your own drives and all that kind of stuff.  So for me, I’m trying to go out there and do my best. Pressure wise, not really, because we’ve been quite a tight team.  We always hang out with each other and we have good dinners and good hangouts.  I think that itself just clears everything off and I think once when we go out tomorrow, we’re just going to go our own thing and what we usually do.

There’s nothing different.  It’s just another golf event.  If individually everybody does well, pretty sure the team is going to do well, too.  I guess we just focus on ourselves and just do the best we can, every one of us.

Phachara Khongwatmai (Tha)

I’m very excited to be on the Asian team. I just want to do my best and get the win in any match, and I’m happy every time to play match play.  I don’t want to think about anything. I  just want to play my game and help Asia. I feel very happy to play with a very good player (Hideto Tanihara) with very good skills.  Played with him these past two days and I learned some skills that he has, and then he give me a lot and then I learn that for him.  I think I can try these skills that he gave me tomorrow.

Ends.

About DRB-HICOM

DRB-HICOM Berhad (“DRB-HICOM”) is one of Malaysia’s leading conglomerates with core businesses in the Automotive, Services & Education, as well as Property sectors. With more than 90 active companies in its stable and over 59,000 employees group-wide, DRB-HICOM’s aim is to continue adding value and propelling the nation’s development. In the Automotive sector, DRB-HICOM is involved in the manufacturing, assembly and distribution of passenger and commercial vehicles, including the national motorcycle. In Services & Education, DRB-HICOM is involved in various businesses, including concession and financial-related services. In Property, DRB-HICOM is involved in residential and commercial developments.

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), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), Titleist (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.

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About the European Tour

The European Tour celebrates men’s professional golf on a global stage. In 2017, the European Tour International Schedule features a minimum of 47 tournaments in 26 countries, including eight Rolex Series events, all part of the Race to Dubai.Celebrating the global connectivity of the European Tour and Dubai, the Race to Dubai is a season-long competition to crown the European Tour’s Number One player, an honour which in 2016 went to Sweden’s Henrik Stenson for the second time, and which since 2009 has also been achieved three times by Rory McIlroy, as well as by Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer and Luke Donald. Formerly known as the Order of Merit, points are accumulated based on prize money won, with the top 10 ranked players at the end of the season sharing a $5million Race to Dubai bonus pool.Since its formation in 1972, the European Tour has witnessed 26 Members celebrate a total of 52 Major Championship titles between them, enjoyed ten Members attaining the pinnacle of World Number One and has celebrated its diversity as players from 36 different countries have won on the Tour.The European Tour also manages the Challenge Tour, which featured 28 tournaments in 22 countries in 2016, and the Senior Tour, which featured 13 tournaments in nine countries in 2016. It is also the Managing Partner of Ryder Cup Europe, the body which, alongside the PGA of America, administers golf’s greatest team contest, The Ryder Cup.The European Tour broadcasts live coverage of its tournaments to more than 490 million homes in more than 150 countries every week, generating in excess of 2,200 global broadcast hours for each event. It also enjoys the support of many of the world’s leading business brands with Rolex, BMW, Emirates and Titleist as Official Partners.

About MMC Corporation Berhad

MMC Corporation Berhad (MMC) is a leading utilities and infrastructure group with diversified businesses under three divisions, namely ports & logistics, energy & utilities and engineering & construction.Its key businesses under the Ports and Logistics division include the operations of Port of Tanjung Pelepas Sdn Bhd, Johor Port Berhad, Northport (Malaysia) Bhd, Penang Port Sdn Bhd, Kontena Nasional Berhad and JP Logistics. Internationally, MMC has an associate stake in Red Sea Gateway Terminal Company Limited, a container port terminal within the Jeddah Islamic Port, Saudi Arabia.Under the Energy & Utilities division, MMC is the single largest shareholder of both Malakoff Corporation Berhad and Gas Malaysia Berhad.MMC’s Engineering & Construction division has further established itself in the sector with a leading role as the Project Delivery Partner (PDP) and underground works package contractor for the 51km Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (KVMRT) project (Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line) and Line 2 project (Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya Line). Prior to this, MMC has successfully completed the 329km Ipoh-Padang Besar Electrified Double Tracking Project as well as the innovative Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (SMART) motorway, the first-of-its-kind dual-purpose tunnel in the world.MMC continues to make inroads in the construction industry, securing key civil and infrastructure projects in the country namely Langat Centralised Sewerage Treatment Plant, Langat 2 Water Treatment Plant, civil and infrastructure works for RAPID Pengerang Cogeneration Plant. Additionally, MMC has a 20% effective interest in Borneo Highway PDP Sdn Bhd (BHP) which has been appointed as PDP for the Sabah Pan Borneo Highway Project.In other businesses, MMC owns Aliran Ihsan Resources Berhad, a water treatment plant operator and Senai Airport Terminal Services Sdn Bhd, the operator of Senai International Airport in Johor Bahru; a major aviation hub and the main air transportation gateway to Iskandar Malaysia. Additionally, MMC’s Group Property arm manages close to 6,000 acres of industrial developments in Iskandar Malaysia, Johor and Kulim, Kedah, namely Senai Airport City, Tanjung Bin Petrochemical & Maritime Industrial Centre (TBPMIC) and Northern Technocity in Kulim. The Senai Airport City, TBPMIC and NTC (NTC) developments come under the ambit of Group Property’s three operating companies – Senai Airport City Sdn Bhd, Seaport Worldwide Sdn Bhd and Northern Technocity Sdn Bhd respectively.

Ends.

Rayong, Thailand, January 11: Young talent Sangpil Yoon of Korea edged closer to regaining his Tour card after posting a second round two-under-par 69 on Thursday to stay one shot off the pace at the Asian Tour Qualifying School Final Stage presented by Sports Authority of Thailand.

The 19-year-old Korean, who opened with a 68 at the Rayong Green Valley Country Club, stumbled with a triple-bogey on the second hole at the St. Andrews 2000 but recovered strongly with five birdies on his way home for a two-day total of five-under-par 137.

Yoon made the grade in his first attempt at the Asian Tour Qualifying School last year but failed to retain his card after finishing 131st on the 2017 Order of Merit. He hopes to play his way back onto the region’s premier Tour by breaking into top-35 and ties after the intense 90-hole battle this week.

Minkyu Kim, also of Korea, fired seven birdies against two bogeys for a 66 at the St. Andrews 2000 to grab the clubhouse lead on 136. The opening round of the Qualifying School Final Stage was earlier disrupted by a lengthy rain suspension on Wednesday which resulted in a total of 123 players returning to complete their rounds on Thursday morning.

With close to five hours of play lost and the day being called off at 6.00pm local time due to fading light, a total of 118 players will return at 7.00am on Friday to complete their second rounds with the third round slated to start not earlier than 10.00am.

Thai veteran and former five-time Asian Tour winner Thammanoon Sriroj rolled back the years by carding a commendable 66 to match the two-day efforts of Yoon while compatriot Sorachut Hansapiban returned with a 71 to stay a further shot back in 138.

The Final Stage of the Qualifying School, which features 243 players from over 30 different countries, will be played over five rounds (90 holes) across two courses. The leading 140 players and ties after 36 holes will make it into the next two rounds. The cut is projected to be at three-over-par 145.

After 72 holes, the field will be cut to the leading 70 players and ties who will then proceed to the fifth and final round held only at the Rayong Green Valley Country Club. At the conclusion of 90 holes, the top 35 players and ties will be ranked accordingly for the 2018 season.

Did you know?

• Sangpil Yoon came through the First Stage of the Qualifying School last week after finishing tied-31st to merely make the cut-off mark at the St. Andrews 2000.
• Yoon topped the class at the first stage of the 2017 Asian Tour Qualifying School held at the Windsor Park Golf Club in Bangkok last January. He then went on to finish tied-19th at the Final Stage last year to secure his Asian Tour card for the 2017 season.
• Yoon is one of the 37 Korean players vying for playing rights on the Asian Tour at the Qualifying School Final Stage this week.
• Thammanoon Sriroj, 48, turned professional in 1991 and is now a father of two. He has won five times on the Asian Tour but not since 2004. In 2015, he won his first Asian Development Tour (ADT) in Chinese Taipei.
• Thammanoon marked his card with an eagle and five birdies against a double-bogey for a solid 66 at the Rayong Green Valley Country Club.
• Thammanoon comes from a family of golfers, with five brothers being professional golfers as well. 
• Thammanoon grew up near a golf course in Chonburi and started playing the game in his early teens.
• Sorachut Hansapiban is hoping to be third time lucky, after missing the grade at the Qualifying School in his last two attempts in 2016 and 2017.
• The 27-year-old Sorachut has been plying his trade on the ADT since 2016 and has come close to winning on several occasions.

Players’ quotes:

Sangpil Yoon (Kor) – Second round 69 (-2) – St. Andrews 2000, Total 137 (-5)

I didn’t start well today. I made a triple-bogey on the second hole but I told myself not to let it affect my game. I was confident of making more birdies coming back. I got back to one-over-par after the front nine and my father told me I can make more on the back nine.

I felt confident over there and managed to pick up three more birdies on my way home. I got lucky with the par on my last hole. I chipped it in from about 10 feet at the right edge of the green. It was a good finish.

I played only 10 holes at the Rayong Green yesterday because of the suspension. I returned early this morning to complete the remaining eight holes where I made three birdies and made one bogey. It has been a long day, having played 26 holes today but I felt good with how I played.

I only had one hour to rest before heading out again. I didn’t start the second round well but I am happy with how I bounced back from it. The fairways are very wide at Rayong Green Valley but the greens are small.

Whereas at the St. Andrews 2000, the fairways are narrow and the greens are big. The two courses are very different so you need to have a good strategy out there.

Thammanoon Sriroj (Tha) – Second round 66 (-5) – Rayong Green Valley CC, Total 137 (-5)

My tee shots and iron-play were very good today. I think that was the key to my 66. I hit one shot out of bounds today but other than that, I think I managed to hit all the fairways.

The playing conditions are better today compared to yesterday where we had the rain delay. I think the Rayong Green Valley Country Club is slightly easier compared to the St. Andrews course which has very tight fairways.

I eagled the 10th hole after chipping it in from about 40 feet. That was the highlight for me today. My game has been good so I thought I come and try out here this week. We have a very strong field. There are a lot of good and young players out here.

I will just play my own game and see what happens.

Sorachut Hansapiban (Tha) – Second round 71 (even par) – St. Andrews 2000, Total 138 (-4)

I didn’t finish well today. I dropped two shots in my last three holes. But overall, I am still happy with where I stand. I came back this morning to finish my first round and sign for a 67.

I putted really well. I sank long putts on hole one, two and seven and chipped in from about 20 yards for birdie on hole eight. That gave me some confidence heading into the second round today.

This is my third time attempting the Qualifying School. I hope my past experiences will help me achieve a good score this week.

Andrew Martin (Aus) – Second round 72 (+1) – St. Andrews 2000, Total 139 (-3)

I came back this morning to complete my first round and sign for a 67 which was good. This afternoon wasn’t bright. I was happy probably to get into the clubhouse with a 73. It’s been a long day. It has been pretty good so far. Three more rounds to go. I am hoping for some good golf to come.

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), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), Titleist (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.

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Beijing, April 27: A resilient Matt Wallace of England signed for a battling two-under-par 70 to seize a one-shot lead at the halfway stage of the prestigious Volvo China Open on Friday.

The 28-year-old Wallace, who opened his campaign with a 65, moved atop the leaderboard after closing with a brilliant birdie, thanks to his caddy’s advice to pace himself on the par-five 18th hole, at the Topwin Golf and Country Club.

Matt Wallace of England

Wallace traded one birdie against a bogey before soaring with an eagle on the par-five eighth hole for the third consecutive day to turn in 34. He reeled in six straight pars before dropping a shot on 17 which he would eventually gain it back on the last. 

Kim, who enjoyed top-10 finishes in his last two starts on Tour, continued his fine form to sign for a 66, grabbing a share of second place with Australia’s Jason Scrivener and Nacho Elvira of Spain in the CN¥20,000,000 (approx. US$3,178,000) event.

Soomin Lee of Korea reckoned the feel-good factor from his breakthrough win in the Middle Kingdom two years ago has stood in his favour as he put himself in the title mix after carding a 69. He sits two shots off the pace in fifth on 137 alongside three other players.

A total of 69 players made the halfway cut set at one-under-par 143 at the 24th edition of the Volvo China Open, tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and the China Golf Association.

Overnight leader Daxing Jin of China slipped to tied-22nd position following a disappointing 76. He is amongst the six local players, including Haotong Li and Ashun Wu, to progress into the weekend rounds in their National Open.

Did you know?

• Matt Wallace eagled the par-five eighth hole for the third straight day at the Volvo China Open. He has eagled the same hole during the pro-am tournament on Wednesday.
• Wallace found 10 out of 14 fairways and missed only two greens in regulation. He averaged 296.5yards off the tee and needed 28 putts around the greens.
• Wallace claimed his first Asian Tour title and second European Tour win in India last month. Since that victory, the world number 107 has endured two consecutive missed cuts on the European Tour.
• Wallace sits in a current second place on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings, which is led by Shubhankar Sharma of India.
• Wallace won six times on the Alps Tour in 2016 to lift the Merit crown that year.
• Experienced Irish caddy Dave McNeilly, who has previously caddied for Major winners Nick Faldo and Padraig Harrington, is on the bag for Wallace this week.
• Sihwan Kim is playing in his second season on the Asian Tour. He came through the Qualifying School after finishing tied-eighth in the final stage last January.
• The 29-year-old Kim retained his playing rights on the region’s premier Tour for 2018 after ending the season in 55th place on the Order of Merit, thanks to three top-10 results.
• Kim hit only eight (out of 14) fairways but found 14 greens in regulation in his commendable round of 66. He navigated his way around the greens with 28 putts.
• Prior to his campaign this week, Kim claimed his best finish on the Asian Tour when he came in third at the Hero Indian Open last month. He went on to finish tied-fourth in Japan last week. He sits in sixth place on the Habitat for Humanity Standings.
• Soomin Lee, 24, turned professional in 2014. Came through the 2015 Qualifying School in 2015 and enjoyed a superb rookie season, thanks to two top-five results.
• Lee endured the disappointment after throwing away his lead at the 2016 Maybank Championship where he eventually settled for a tied-second place finish. He bounced back by winning the Shenzhen International on the European Tour two months later.
• Lee notched two other top-10s in Myanmar and Bangladesh to finish a career-high eighth place on the 2016 Order of Merit.

Players’ quotes:

Matt Wallace (Eng) –  Second Round 70 (-2), Total 135 (-9)

It was tough all day, the wind picked up in the afternoon. Scoring was low this morning so I didn’t really know what the score would have to be to stay up there. I was two-under after eight holes and was just thinking we can get a couple more birdies on the back nine. But the wind just picked up and I could not get it close enough.There were a couple of shots where I thought the wind would help but it did not. As shown on the 16th hole I hit a great shot in and it was just miles short and left myself a five-footer for par.I lean on my caddy quite a lot, he has been there, seen it and done it. I listen to him since he has so much experience. Sometimes he makes mistakes but he’s brilliant overall. And down the last hole, he showed his class. We made bogey on the hole before and he gave me the best advice going into the last.My caddy, Dave, told me there was no point in trying too hard to get a birdie since we are already in a good position. So, I just kept my tempo going into the last hole. Hit a great drive, a good second shot and hit it to four-feet from 50 yards and made the putt.There were a lot of guys on eight-under-par this morning and I tried to push on and widen the gap but the weather didn’t really allow me to score. Hopefully the weather will be kind. I am playing nice golf so to be ahead with the tough conditions today is a nice feeling and I am going to bring that over to the weekend.(On the eagle on the eighth hole) That is my third eagle on the same hole this week because I did it in the Pro-Am as well. Hit a great drive, and a perfect 4-iron from 234 yards. Pin was back right and had a massive right-to-left putt from about 20-feet and it got in the back door.

Sihwan Kim (Usa) – Second Round 66 (-6), Total 136 (-8)

It was a pretty good round. It was quite windy out there, especially on my back nine, so to finish bogey-free feels pretty good. My irons were good today. I was a little bit shaky off the tee today but the course is wide enough for me to get my iron shots onto the greens.My distance control was spot on. With this wind, it’s definitely playing quite different from yesterday. Some of the tee shots and approach shots, you have to adjust with the wind and some holes, it plays a lot shorter and some are playing longer.All in all, I am very happy with where I stand now heading into the weekend. Having the bogey-free round today helps my confidence quite a bit. I will play my best for the next few days.

Sihwan Kim of the United States

Nacho Elvira (Esp) – Second Round 67 (-5), Total 136 (-8)

I got off to a very good start with four birdies in a row in the first six holes and then overall it was solid from tee to green and I made a few putts. I think the putting stood out, I put a lot of work into my putting and I’m starting to roll them really well – my speed is much better than the beginning of the season so as a consequence of making better putts, I’m getting better scores.I’m in a good position obviously, going into the weekend, and I’m happy with how I’m striking the ball and the way I’m behaving on the golf course so I’ll try to stay calm and positive and see what the weekend has in store.

Jason Scrivener (Aus) – Second Round 69 (-3), Total 136 (-8)

It was very frustrating. I could feel I was kind of leaking away towards the end, I’m pretty exhausting after being awake since 2am. But there are no excuses, it’s just not the best way to finish a round.I feel like I have progressed slowly over the last couple of years, and I feel like I’m close to winning out here. I’ve just got to put myself in these positions more often.It’s hard work and mentally, being persistent, working hard and doing the right things and hopefully I’ll get that win soon.Everyone has to travel but usually the Australians have to do a little more than anyone. We’re kind of used to it though and it’s just part of the job.There are so many different holes on this course, certain ones that are quite tricky and other ones where you have to play quite conservative. Then there are ones where you can attack so it’s got a pretty good mix of holes and the course suits my eye.I hit a nice shot into five, and it didn’t get any claps around the green, but I got up there and it was in the hole. So it’s a tough crowd to please! It was a nice two though.

Soomin Lee (Kor) – Second Round 69 (-3), Total 137 (-7)

It’s not a bad round today. I gave myself a lot of chances. I kept my concentration going and made quite a few putts out there. I got really lucky on the 10th. I had trouble with my tee shot but was able to make birdie there. That was the turning point for me.This course is similar to the golf courses that I see back home in Korea so it kind of feels familiar. The fairways are pretty wide here and it’s not too long. I think I will focus more on my putting as that will be the key to score this week. Also going to work on my wedges and short-irons which will help too.

Soomin Lee of Korea

Scores after round 2 of the Volvo China Open being played at the par 72, 7261 Yards Topwin GcC course (am – denotes amateur):

135 – Matt WALLACE (ENG) 65-70.

136 – Nacho ELVIRA (ESP) 69-67, Jason SCRIVENER (AUS) 67-69, Sihwan KIM (USA) 70-66.

137 – Jorge CAMPILLO (ESP) 69-68, Soomin LEE (KOR) 68-69, Julien GUERRIER (FRA) 68-69, Adrian OTAEGUI (ESP) 68-69.

138 – Nino BERTASIO (ITA) 65-73, Jason NORRIS (AUS) 74-64, Jeunghun WANG (KOR) 72-66, Alexander BJORK (SWE) 66-72, Jordan SMITH (ENG) 69-69, Scott JAMIESON (SCO) 67-71.

139 – Joost LUITEN (NED) 70-69, Ricardo GOUVEIA (POR) 71-68, Paul DUNNE (IRL) 71-68, Masahiro KAWAMURA (JPN) 69-70, Richard T LEE (CAN) 71-68, Pablo LARRAZABAL (ESP) 70-69, Sam HORSFIELD (ENG) 69-70.

140 – Xuewen LUO (CHN) 72-68, Ashley CHESTERS (ENG) 72-68, Matteo MANASSERO (ITA) 72-68, Gavin GREEN (MAS) 73-67, Alvaro QUIROS (ESP) 69-71, James MORRISON (ENG) 70-70, Hongfu WU (CHN) 73-67, Julian SURI (USA) 71-69, Haotong LI (CHN) 70-70, Andrea PAVAN (ITA) 68-72, Daxing JIN (CHN) 64-76, Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND) 68-72, Scott VINCENT (ZIM) 66-74.

141 – Mikko ILONEN (FIN) 71-70, Arjun ATWAL (IND) 69-72, Romain WATTEL (FRA) 72-69, Yuta IKEDA (JPN) 69-72, Shubhankar SHARMA (IND) 69-72, Thorbjorn OLESEN (DEN) 74-67, Ashun WU (CHN) 70-71, Lasse JENSEN (DEN) 73-68, Andrew DODT (AUS) 69-72, Clement SORDET (FRA) 71-70, Marcus KINHULT (SWE) 68-73, Tapio PULKKANEN (FIN) 70-71, Shiv KAPUR (IND) 73-68, Prom MEESAWAT (THA) 73-68, Jinho CHOI (KOR) 69-72.

142 – Chris HANSON (ENG) 71-71, Ryan FOX (NZL) 70-72, Phachara KHONGWATMAI (THA) 70-72, Khalin H JOSHI (IND) 71-71, Alexander LEVY (FRA) 69-73, Micah Lauren SHIN (USA) 71-71, Jazz JANEWATTANANOND (THA) 74-68, Panuphol PITTAYARAT (THA) 68-74.

143 – Adilson DA SILVA (BRA) 70-73, Lucas BJERREGAARD (DEN) 70-73, Marcus FRASER (AUS) 72-71, Keith HORNE (RSA) 69-74, Kiradech APHIBARNRAT (THA) 73-70, Yanwei LIU (CHN) 70-73, David LIPSKY (USA) 68-75, Joakim LAGERGREN (SWE) 73-70, Aaron RAI (ENG) 73-70, Edoardo MOLINARI (ITA) 72-71, Marcel SIEM (GER) 75-68, Miguel TABUENA (PHI) 71-72.

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.

Shah Alam, Malaysia, January 9: China’s rising star Li Haotong believes the stage is set for him to take on Team Europe when the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM gets underway on Friday.

The world number 59 announced his arrival on the world stage with a scintillating final round 63 which saw him finish third at The Open last year. 

The Chinese, who endeared himself to the local fans by winning his National Open in 2016, is eager to further prove his worth when he tees up for his first team match play event at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club.

Li’s credentials have not gone unnoticed by Team Asia’s Vice-Captain Zhang Lianwei.

Zhang, a six-time Asian Tour winner and legend in his own right, has been impressed by the young Chinese and believes he can continue to make his mark.

China’s elder statesman also believes that despite the diverse culture and background Team Asia has, they are united in their common goal of bringing glory to the continent when the event starts.

The EurAsia Cup will feature 24 matches, with day one showcasing six Fourball matches, followed by six Foursomes matches and 12 Singles matches on the third day.

Did you know?

• This is Li Haotong’s first appearance in the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM. He is the second player after Wu Ashun (2016) from China to represent Team Asia in the biennial event.
• Team Asia will rely on Li to put points on the board while China’s Zhang Lianwei will put his experience to good use as a Vice-Captain to team captain Arjun Atwal.
• Li is among six debutants in Team Asia who will play in the EurAsia Cup.
• He is the second youngest player in Team Asia at the age of 21. Phachara Khongwatmai of Thailand is the youngest at 18.
• He is a regular on the European Tour where he holds one victory at the 2016 Volvo China Open.
• Li also represented China in the 2016 Olympics and World Cup of Golf where he finished in a credible tied second place with playing partner Wu Ashun. 
• In 2017, Li finished third on the European Tour’s The Rocco Forte Open. His highlight of the year was shooting a final round 63 at The Open where his third place result was his best ever finish in a Major.
• Zhang is a five-time Asian Tour champion and one-time European Tour winner. He is recognized as one of China’s golfing pioneers where he paved the way for other professionals to follow in his footsteps.
• He has played in four professional team match-play events including the Alfred Dunhill Cup in 1998, 1999 and 2000. He also played in the Royal Trophy in 2006.

Players’ Quotes:

Li Haotong

We have a big chance. If we all play to our strengths, we can beat them. Why not? The greens are firm here and you have to play smart golf. We need to keep the ball on the fairway and the team definitely has the right players to do that. We have a good chance of keeping the scores low. I’m definitely very excited to be playing in my first EurAsia Cup and I’m already beginning to enjoy my time here especially with the comradery in the team room

Zhang Lianwei

I’m here as vice-captain for Team Asia, and I’m very impressed with the line-up.  We have some good firepower, which is obviously strengthened by some of our more experienced players like Kiradech (Aphibarnrat) and Anirban (Lahiri), who have certainly impressed on the world stage. There’s also a very good mix of players with the younger ones like Haotong who is definitely shown he can win on the world stage.  I’m very confident of Team Asia doing well this week. Asia is so diverse, obviously coming from different backgrounds and cultures. But we have one common goal which is to gel together as a team and put the points on the board for Team Asia.

Ends.

About DRB-HICOM

DRB-HICOM Berhad (“DRB-HICOM”) is one of Malaysia’s leading conglomerates with core businesses in the Automotive, Services & Education, as well as Property sectors. With more than 90 active companies in its stable and over 59,000 employees group-wide, DRB-HICOM’s aim is to continue adding value and propelling the nation’s development. In the Automotive sector, DRB-HICOM is involved in the manufacturing, assembly and distribution of passenger and commercial vehicles, including the national motorcycle. In Services & Education, DRB-HICOM is involved in various businesses, including concession and financial-related services. In Property, DRB-HICOM is involved in residential and commercial developments.

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), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), Titleist (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.

Please visit us at:

www.wp-asiantour.ocs-sport.com

www.facebook.com/asiantourgolf

www.twitter.com/asiantourgolf

www.youtube.com/theasiantour

www.weibo.com/asiantourgolf

About the European Tour

The European Tour celebrates men’s professional golf on a global stage. In 2017, the European Tour International Schedule features a minimum of 47 tournaments in 26 countries, including eight Rolex Series events, all part of the Race to Dubai.Celebrating the global connectivity of the European Tour and Dubai, the Race to Dubai is a season-long competition to crown the European Tour’s Number One player, an honour which in 2016 went to Sweden’s Henrik Stenson for the second time, and which since 2009 has also been achieved three times by Rory McIlroy, as well as by Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer and Luke Donald. Formerly known as the Order of Merit, points are accumulated based on prize money won, with the top 10 ranked players at the end of the season sharing a $5million Race to Dubai bonus pool.Since its formation in 1972, the European Tour has witnessed 26 Members celebrate a total of 52 Major Championship titles between them, enjoyed ten Members attaining the pinnacle of World Number One and has celebrated its diversity as players from 36 different countries have won on the Tour.The European Tour also manages the Challenge Tour, which featured 28 tournaments in 22 countries in 2016, and the Senior Tour, which featured 13 tournaments in nine countries in 2016. It is also the Managing Partner of Ryder Cup Europe, the body which, alongside the PGA of America, administers golf’s greatest team contest, The Ryder Cup.The European Tour broadcasts live coverage of its tournaments to more than 490 million homes in more than 150 countries every week, generating in excess of 2,200 global broadcast hours for each event. It also enjoys the support of many of the world’s leading business brands with Rolex, BMW, Emirates and Titleist as Official Partners.

About MMC Corporation Berhad

MMC Corporation Berhad (MMC) is a leading utilities and infrastructure group with diversified businesses under three divisions, namely ports & logistics, energy & utilities and engineering & construction.Its key businesses under the Ports and Logistics division include the operations of Port of Tanjung Pelepas Sdn Bhd, Johor Port Berhad, Northport (Malaysia) Bhd, Penang Port Sdn Bhd, Kontena Nasional Berhad and JP Logistics. Internationally, MMC has an associate stake in Red Sea Gateway Terminal Company Limited, a container port terminal within the Jeddah Islamic Port, Saudi Arabia.Under the Energy & Utilities division, MMC is the single largest shareholder of both Malakoff Corporation Berhad and Gas Malaysia Berhad.MMC’s Engineering & Construction division has further established itself in the sector with a leading role as the Project Delivery Partner (PDP) and underground works package contractor for the 51km Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (KVMRT) project (Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line) and Line 2 project (Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya Line). Prior to this, MMC has successfully completed the 329km Ipoh-Padang Besar Electrified Double Tracking Project as well as the innovative Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (SMART) motorway, the first-of-its-kind dual-purpose tunnel in the world. MMC continues to make inroads in the construction industry, securing key civil and infrastructure projects in the country namely Langat Centralised Sewerage Treatment Plant, Langat 2 Water Treatment Plant, civil and infrastructure works for RAPID Pengerang Cogeneration Plant. Additionally, MMC has a 20% effective interest in Borneo Highway PDP Sdn Bhd (BHP) which has been appointed as PDP for the Sabah Pan Borneo Highway Project.In other businesses, MMC owns Aliran Ihsan Resources Berhad, a water treatment plant operator and Senai Airport Terminal Services Sdn Bhd, the operator of Senai International Airport in Johor Bahru; a major aviation hub and the main air transportation gateway to Iskandar Malaysia. Additionally, MMC’s Group Property arm manages close to 6,000 acres of industrial developments in Iskandar Malaysia, Johor and Kulim, Kedah, namely Senai Airport City, Tanjung Bin Petrochemical & Maritime Industrial Centre (TBPMIC) and Northern Technocity in Kulim. The Senai Airport City, TBPMIC and NTC (NTC) developments come under the ambit of Group Property’s three operating companies – Senai Airport City Sdn Bhd, Seaport Worldwide Sdn Bhd and Northern Technocity Sdn Bhd respectively.

Beijing, April 26: Homegrown talent Daxing Jin raised the local cheers when he signed for a flawless eight-under-par 64 to lead by one shot in the opening round of the prestigious Volvo China Open on Thursday.

The 25-year-old Jin, who is making his fifth appearance in his National Open this week, is thrilled to return with a bogey-free round highlighted by six birdies and an eagle at the Beijing Topwin Golf and Country Club.

Japanese hotshot Hideto Tanihara stole the limelight by driving home a new Volvo XC90 T5 Momentum, thanks to an ace on the par-three 16th hole in the CN¥20,000,000 (approx. US$3,178,000) event, which is the oldest professional golf tournament in the country.

Matt Wallace of England, who claimed his breakthrough win in India last month, carded a solid 65 to share second place with Nino Bertasio of Italy while in-form Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe stayed two shots off the pace in tied-fourth alongside Alexander Bjork of Sweden.

The 24th edition of the Volvo China Open is tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and the China Golf Association. It is staged for the third successive year at the Topwin Golf and Country Club.

Did you know?

• Daxing Jin is making his fifth appearance in the Volvo China Open. He has never made the halfway cut in his National Open.
• Jin turned professional at the end of 2011. His golfing idol is Rory McIlroy.
• Jin missed only one green in regulation in his commendable round of 64.
• Jin’s father, Sanlu, is a teaching professional golfer.
• Jin claimed his first professional title on his local circuit in 2014.
• Hideto Tanihara sank the ace from 197 yards with an eight-iron to mark his career’s third hole-in-one.
• Tanihara signed for an opening 72 to sit in tied-74th place.
• Matt Wallace claimed his first Asian Tour win and second European Tour win at the co-sanctioned Hero Indian Open last month.
• Starting from 10, Wallace fired five birdies against a bogey to turn in 32. He traded another birdie against a bogey on his way home but managed to close out his round in style with an eagle-birdie from eighth.
• Wallace won the Alps Tour Order of Merit in 2016 after winning six times that year.
• Scott Vincent finished tied-fourth in Japan last week. It was his second top-10 result this season. He sits in 13th place on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings.
• Vincent has his wife Kelsey on the bag this week. Kelsey also caddied for him in Japan last week.
• Vincent signaled his arrival in Asia when he came through the Asian Tour Qualifying School in 2016. He was named the Rookie of the Year after finishing in 28th position that year. He finished 17th on the money list in 2017 to retain his card for 2018.
• Vincent is the only Zimbabwean player on the Asian Tour.

Players’ quotes:

Daxing Jin (Chn) – First round 64 (-8)

I played really well today. I’m really happy with my form and I have to say I would give myself 100 marks for today’s round. I hardly give myself 100 marks when I play in tournaments but today was really good I thought. My strategy today was just to hit the greens in the regulation and I did that for 17 of the 18 holes, and the one I missed I managed a par, so that was great. My putting was good too. I made three long putts out there. I am really pleased. I don’t want to give myself too much pressure. It’s still very early. I will continue to do what I have been doing for the next three rounds. I will just keep targeting fairways and greens out there and then give myself chances for birdies. On the eighth hole, I was about ten yards from the pin with my second shot and I saw Scott (Jamieson) make eagle from a similar position so I had confidence that I might chip it in. I read the line from Scott’s shot and holed it. It wasn’t very windy out there today and it was a pretty smooth round for me. I was targeting two or three-under today but I did better than that. I am really happy. I will aim to make the cut first but I don’t want to think about it right now. I don’t think there’s much advantage playing in the morning. I think the conditions are pretty much similar out there. I’ve been relaxed coming into this week because I don’t have too much expectation but I’ll just keep playing one stroke at a time, one day at a time and see how it goes for me.

Matt Wallace (Eng) – First Round 65 (-7)

I made a couple of bogeys which were from a couple of swing errors but overall, I am swinging it great. I have been trying to shorten my swing for a while and that’s been my main swing thought coming into this week which helped massively. I have never really managed to do it till last week when I found something and it’s a weird feeling. I feel like I am swinging it halfway but I am actually striking it better and not losing any distanceMy ball was slightly in the rough and I just hit a nice fade into the green with my three-iron and it turned out perfectly. Had a right-to-left putt from seven- feet and rolled it into the hole for eagle on the eighth. I had a bogey on the fourth hole so it was a nice comeback. Birdied the last hole as well, just played it left-to-right the entire hole and the green slopes left-to-right. Hit my nine-iron into the green and had about six-feet for birdie. I had a great group today and it was nice to catch up with Alexander Bjork and Julian Suri who I haven’t seen in a while. He was making a couple of birdies and I was making some too and we were rubbing off each other which was good. This is my first full year on tour, I really like the country and I love the golf course and the weather was perfect today. I drove it well today which was key, setting it up nicely on the fairway so I can get it close on the green.

Scott Vincent (Zim) – First Round 66 (-6)

I hit a great drive with a solid five-iron into the middle of the green and rolled a straight putt in for eagle on the eighth hole. I didn’t feel that great before last week but managed to figure things out and get things moving in the right direction in time for this week. There wasn’t a lot of wind and I took advantage of the morning conditions to get as many birdies as I could. Still a long way to go and I don’t want to get ahead of myself and I hope to keep things going. My wife’s been an excellent caddy and she’s doing such a great job and I wouldn’t have anyone else on the bag. I enjoy having her around so I am not letting her go anytime soon.

Scores after round 1 of the Volvo China Open being played at the par 72, 7261 Yards Topwin GcC course (am – denotes amateur):

64 – JIN Daxing (CHN).

65 – Matt WALLACE (ENG), Nino BERTASIO (ITA).

66 – Alexander BJORK (SWE), Scott VINCENT (ZIM).

67 – Scott JAMIESON (SCO), Jason SCRIVENER (AUS).

68 – Julien GUERRIER (FRA), Marcus KINHULT (SWE), Andrea PAVAN (ITA), David LIPSKY (USA), Panuphol PITTAYARAT (THA), Adrian OTAEGUI (ESP), Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND), Johannes VEERMAN (USA), LIN Yuxin (am, CHN), Soomin LEE (KOR).

69 – Keith HORNE (RSA), Alexander LEVY (FRA), Jordan SMITH (ENG), Jinho CHOI (KOR), Sam HORSFIELD (ENG), Blake SNYDER (USA), Arjun ATWAL (IND), Yuta IKEDA (JPN), Jorge CAMPILLO (ESP), Shubhankar SHARMA (IND), Nacho ELVIRA (ESP), Wade ORMSBY (AUS), Alvaro QUIROS (ESP), Andrew DODT (AUS), Masahiro KAWAMURA (JPN), Nicholas FUNG (MAS).

70 – Daisuke KATAOKA (JPN), James MORRISON (ENG), LI Haotong (CHN), Tapio PULKKANEN (FIN), Pablo LARRAZABAL (ESP), LIU Yanwei (CHN), Sam BRAZEL (AUS), Adilson DA SILVA (BRA), Lucas BJERREGAARD (DEN), Joost LUITEN (NED), WU Ashun (CHN), Ryan FOX (NZL), Phachara KHONGWATMAI (THA), Sihwan KIM (USA).

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.

Shah Alam, Malaysia, January 5: Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand is prepared to take on a new role when he represents Team Asia at the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM next week.

Team Asia captain Arjun Atwal of India will rely on world number 49 Kiradech to put points on the scoreboard and be a mentor to the younger players when they go up against Thomas Bjorn’s Team Europe at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club.

Kiradech, Anirban Lahiri of India and Nicholas Fung of Malaysia will make their third appearance in the EurAsia Cup and they are expected to impart their experience to debutants Gavin Green, Phachara Khongwatmai, Poom Saksansin, Li Haotong, Sunghoon Kang and Yuta Ikeda.

At 29, Kiradech is seen as the ‘senior’ in the team as compared to his teammates Phachara, who will be the youngest ever player to play in the EurAsia Cup at the age of 18 followed by China’s Li (21). Reigning Order of Merit champion Green and Thailand’s Poom who are both 24.

“This is a big event for Asia and I really want to make Asia proud. I will bring all my experience with me and help my team and the new and younger players. There are so many ‘kids’ in the team and I will do my best to guide them and improve our team,” said Kiradech.

Kiradech will also be joined by Kang, a PGA Tour regular, Ikeda, the highest ranked player in Team Asia where he sits in 35th position on the Official World Golf Ranking and Hideto Tanihara, who was part of the 2014 team who secured a dramatic 10-10 draw against Team Europe.

“It is a big change for me. I would like to think that I’m the third generation of Thai golfers after Boonchu Ruangkit and Thongchai Jaidee. Now younger players look up to me and it is so different! They (Boonchu and Thongchai) even Arjun (Atwal) have done so well to inspire so many young golfers to play golf professionally.

“The young players in the team are so good and they will do well. They will just need some guidance from the more experienced players. We have a strong team this year. I have to congratulate Gavin (Green) because he played fantastic golf in 2017. So did the other players,” said the Thai.

Known for his grip-it and rip-it style of golf, Kiradech enjoyed a stellar 2017 season where he won on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) followed by two runner-up results on the European Tour.

He also finished tied fifth at the Asian Tour’s season-ending Indonesian Masters where he played through a back injury and eagled the 72nd hole to finish inside the top-50 in the world and qualify for The Masters in April.

“I haven’t had time to really talk to Arjun yet but he did thank me for improving on my world ranking and qualifying on my own Merit,” he smiled. Arjun is a real gentleman and I think he will really help our team do well in the EurAsia Cup. I hope to do my part as well.”

Team Europe will feature Rafa Cabrera-Bello, Paul Casey, Paul Dunne, Ross Fisher, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Alex Levy, Alex Noren, Thomas Pieters, Henrik Stenson and Bernd Wiesberger.

The EurAsia Cup will feature 24 matches, with day one showcasing six Fourball matches, followed by six Foursomes matches and 12 Singles matches on the third day.

Ticket sales are now open. You can purchase the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM tickets here: https://www.ticketpro.com.my/sports/2231222-Eurasia-Cup-2018.html

Ends.

About DRB-HICOM

DRB-HICOM Berhad (“DRB-HICOM”) is one of Malaysia’s leading conglomerates with core businesses in the Automotive, Services & Education, as well as Property sectors. With more than 90 active companies in its stable and over 59,000 employees group-wide, DRB-HICOM’s aim is to continue adding value and propelling the nation’s development. In the Automotive sector, DRB-HICOM is involved in the manufacturing, assembly and distribution of passenger and commercial vehicles, including the national motorcycle. In Services & Education, DRB-HICOM is involved in various businesses, including concession and financial-related services. In Property, DRB-HICOM is involved in residential and commercial developments.

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), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), FENIX XCell (Official Apparel Supplier), Titleist (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.

Please visit us at:

www.wp-asiantour.ocs-sport.com

www.facebook.com/asiantourgolf

www.twitter.com/asiantourgolf

www.youtube.com/theasiantour

www.weibo.com/asiantourgolf

About the European Tour

The European Tour celebrates men’s professional golf on a global stage. In 2017, the European Tour International Schedule features a minimum of 47 tournaments in 26 countries, including eight Rolex Series events, all part of the Race to Dubai.Celebrating the global connectivity of the European Tour and Dubai, the Race to Dubai is a season-long competition to crown the European Tour’s Number One player, an honour which in 2016 went to Sweden’s Henrik Stenson for the second time, and which since 2009 has also been achieved three times by Rory McIlroy, as well as by Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer and Luke Donald. Formerly known as the Order of Merit, points are accumulated based on prize money won, with the top 10 ranked players at the end of the season sharing a $5million Race to Dubai bonus pool.Since its formation in 1972, the European Tour has witnessed 26 Members celebrate a total of 52 Major Championship titles between them, enjoyed ten Members attaining the pinnacle of World Number One and has celebrated its diversity as players from 36 different countries have won on the Tour.The European Tour also manages the Challenge Tour, which featured 28 tournaments in 22 countries in 2016, and the Senior Tour, which featured 13 tournaments in nine countries in 2016. It is also the Managing Partner of Ryder Cup Europe, the body which, alongside the PGA of America, administers golf’s greatest team contest, The Ryder Cup.The European Tour broadcasts live coverage of its tournaments to more than 490 million homes in more than 150 countries every week, generating in excess of 2,200 global broadcast hours for each event. It also enjoys the support of many of the world’s leading business brands with Rolex, BMW, Emirates and Titleist as Official Partners.

About MMC Corporation Berhad

MMC Corporation Berhad (MMC) is a leading utilities and infrastructure group with diversified businesses under three divisions, namely ports & logistics, energy & utilities and engineering & construction.Its key businesses under the Ports and Logistics division include the operations of Port of Tanjung Pelepas Sdn Bhd, Johor Port Berhad, Northport (Malaysia) Bhd, Penang Port Sdn Bhd, Kontena Nasional Berhad and JP Logistics. Internationally, MMC has an associate stake in Red Sea Gateway Terminal Company Limited, a container port terminal within the Jeddah Islamic Port, Saudi Arabia.Under the Energy & Utilities division, MMC is the single largest shareholder of both Malakoff Corporation Berhad and Gas Malaysia Berhad.MMC’s Engineering & Construction division has further established itself in the sector with a leading role as the Project Delivery Partner (PDP) and underground works package contractor for the 51km Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (KVMRT) project (Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line) and Line 2 project (Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya Line). Prior to this, MMC has successfully completed the 329km Ipoh-Padang Besar Electrified Double Tracking Project as well as the innovative Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (SMART) motorway, the first-of-its-kind dual-purpose tunnel in the world.MMC continues to make inroads in the construction industry, securing key civil and infrastructure projects in the country namely Langat Centralised Sewerage Treatment Plant, Langat 2 Water Treatment Plant, civil and infrastructure works for RAPID Pengerang Cogeneration Plant. Additionally, MMC has a 20% effective interest in Borneo Highway PDP Sdn Bhd (BHP) which has been appointed as PDP for the Sabah Pan Borneo Highway Project.In other businesses, MMC owns Aliran Ihsan Resources Berhad, a water treatment plant operator and Senai Airport Terminal Services Sdn Bhd, the operator of Senai International Airport in Johor Bahru; a major aviation hub and the main air transportation gateway to Iskandar Malaysia. Additionally, MMC’s Group Property arm manages close to 6,000 acres of industrial developments in Iskandar Malaysia, Johor and Kulim, Kedah, namely Senai Airport City, Tanjung Bin Petrochemical & Maritime Industrial Centre (TBPMIC) and Northern Technocity in Kulim. The Senai Airport City, TBPMIC and NTC (NTC) developments come under the ambit of Group Property’s three operating companies – Senai Airport City Sdn Bhd, Seaport Worldwide Sdn Bhd and Northern Technocity Sdn Bhd respectively.