Gangjee ends 14-year title wait with win at the Panasonic Open Golf Championship

Published on April 21, 2018

Osaka, Japan, April 21: Korea’s Hyungsung Kim denied India’s Rahil Gangjee a share of the day’s honours by sinking a birdie at the last hole to snatch the outright lead with his third round four-under-par 67 at the Panasonic Open Golf Championship on Saturday.

Kim’s three-day total of 12-under-par 201 gave him a slender shot lead over Gangjee, who returned with a 68 at the Ibaraki Country Club where the JP¥150,000,000 (approx. US$1,370,000) Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO) co-sanctioned event is being held.

Flamboyant Shingo Katayama of Japan returned with a 70 to take third place while Korean-American Sihwan Kim still stands an outside chance of winning the Panasonic Swing series when he signed for a 68 to share fourth place with overnight leader Rikuya Hoshino of Japan and Korea’s Junggon Hwang.

India’s Ajeetesh Sandhu also remained in contention for his second Asian Tour win after he carded a 68 which took him to a share of seventh place that also included Yuta Ikeda of Japan and Philippines’ Miguel Tabuena.

Kim started the day tied for second alongside Gangjee and four others. He birdied his second hole before mixing a bogey and birdie on holes five and six respectively. After turning in 34, the Korean made his move with a pair of birdies on 12 and 13 before a closing birdie on 18 saw him take pole position on his own.

Gangjee, who has been winless on the Asian Tour since 2004, fired his first salvo with two opening birdies. He dropped a shot on six but recovered well with another pair of birdies on eight and nine.

The 39-year-old Indian then struggled in his back-nine as he was caught off guard by the swirling winds that proved to be a huge challenge.

While aware of the pressures on the final day, Gangjee is hoping he can continue to stay focused and make his long awaited return to the winner’s circle in more than a decade.

Ends.

Did you know?

Hyungsung Kim last time win came in 2015 when he won the Top Tokai Classic on the JGTO.
He has won five times on JGTO and enjoyed his best ranking on their money list in 2013 when he finished second.
The last time Kim played in the final group was in 2017 at the Top Tokai Classic where he finished tied for third.
Rahil Gangjee has not made a single cut since the start of the year. He finished in 60th place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit in 2017 and finished tied-eighth at the Take Solutions Masters which was his best result.

Gangjee’s last win on the Asian Tour came in 2004 in China where he beat a top field that included Europe’s Ryder Cup heroes Phillip Price, Ian Woosnam and Nick Faldo.
He had several close finishes since then, most notably at the Panasonic Open India in 2014 when he lost in a play-off to S.S.P. Chawrasia.
Sihwan Kim will win the Panasonic Swing series provided he emerges victorious at the Panasonic Open Golf Championship and Shiv Kapur and Rattanon Wannasrichan finish outside the top five and second respectively.
Ajeetesh Sandhu earned his Asian Tour breakthrough at the 2017 Yeangder TPC in Chinese Taipei.
He immediately followed up that victory with a play-off win at the Pacific Club Challenge Tournament on the Japan Challenge Tour the week after.
Ajeetesh finished the 2017 season in 21st place on the Order of Merit and his best result in five starts this season is a tied-21st finish at the Leopalace21 Myanmar Open.

Players’ Quotes

Hyungsung Kim (Kor) Third round 67 (-4), Total 201 (-12)

I enjoyed playing with Rahil and Shingo-san. We made lots of long putts. I enjoyed looking at Shingo-san’s play today. At 45, he is still going very strong. I have not won for long time, so my goal is to win this year. My family is here and I am getting their support. I know this course well and I’m prepared for tomorrow. I just want to keep doing what I have done during my off-season training camp in California. I’ll try my best to keep my swing which has worked very well.

Rahil Gangjee (Ind) Third round 68 (-3), Total 202 (-11)

The last six holes were really not up to my expectations but I’ll take this score anything. The winds got up in the back-nine and started swirling on a few holes. That put me in a lot of spots on a few holes. It was definitely a factor. It was fun playing with Shingo as there was a large crowd following us. It’s nice not only to be playing with a superstar over here but to have the crowd cheering you regardless of whether you’re a Japanese or not. I’ll definitely feel a little bit of pressure tomorrow. It has been a while since I won and I really want to do well. I’ve been putting my head down and practicing more. That has basically made the difference this week.

Sihwan Kim (Usa) Third round 68 (-3), Total 205 (-8)

Obviously you always wanted to be in contention and I’m now four shots behind which is not bad. Hopefully I can make a move tomorrow. I don’t want to think too much about the Panasonic Swing, at least for now. If I can play well, things will take care of itself. I’ve been putting pretty well which has been keeping me up there. I first met Ryo when I was 15 in the States and it’s a like little reunion. There were so many people following us today and it was really fun.

Ajeetesh Sandhu (Ind) Third round 68 (-3), Total 206 (-7)

I was a little disappointed as I three-putted 17 and didn’t birdie 18. I could have been nine-under easily but there’s still one more day to go. I just want to play my own game like what I usually do and there’s 18 more holes to play. I’m looking forward to the challenge tomorrow. I really enjoy playing in Japan as the conditions are absolutely perfect here. I relish the challenges here especially since I’ve also won once on the challenge Tour over here.

Leading Scores after round 3 of the Panasonic Open Golf Championship being played at the par 71, 7343 Yards Ibaraki CC course (am – denotes amateur):

201 – Hyungsung KIM (KOR) 66-68-67.

202 – Rahil GANGJEE (IND) 69-65-68.

204 – Shingo KATAYAMA (JPN) 64-70-70.

205 – Junggon HWANG (KOR) 71-67-67, Sihwan KIM (USA) 70-67-68, Rikuya HOSHINO (JPN) 64-68-73.

206 – Yuta IKEDA (JPN) 73-68-65, Brendan JONES (AUS) 72-67-67, Miguel TABUENA (PHI) 70-68-68, Ajeetesh SANDHU (IND) 69-69-68, Thanyakon KHRONGPHA (THA) 67-69-70, Ben LEONG (MAS) 67-67-72, Sanghyun PARK (KOR) 67-67-72.

207 – Arjun ATWAL (IND) 72-69-66, Daijiro IZUMIDA (JPN) 70-69-68, Shaun NORRIS (RSA) 69-70-68, Kenichi KUBOYA (JPN) 66-72-69, Rattanon WANNASRICHAN (THA) 70-67-70, Masahiro KAWAMURA (JPN) 66-70-71, Jazz JANEWATTANANOND (THA) 68-68-71.

208 – Koki FURUTA (JPN) 70-71-67, Javi COLOMO (ESP) 70-71-67, Pavit TANGKAMOLPRASERT (THA) 72-69-67, Kyungnam KANG (KOR) 68-73-67, S.S.P. CHAWRASIA (IND) 69-72-67, Shugo IMAHIRA (JPN) 72-68-68, Scott VINCENT (ZIM) 73-67-68, Mikumu HORIKAWA (JPN) 72-67-69, Jinichiro KOZUMA (JPN) 66-73-69, Toshinori MUTO (JPN) 70-68-70, Brad KENNEDY (AUS) 66-72-70, Kodai ICHIHARA (JPN) 66-71-71, Ryosuke KINOSHITA (JPN) 65-69-74.

209 – Shiv KAPUR (IND) 70-71-68, Juvic PAGUNSAN (PHI) 70-71-68, Konosuke NAKAZATO (JPN) 69-71-69, Koichi KITAMURA (JPN) 68-71-70, Sanghee LEE (KOR) 66-73-70, Yuki INAMORI (JPN) 69-69-71.

Published on December 17, 2017

Jakarta, December 17: England’s Justin Rose capped a sensational year by signing off with a final round 10-under-par 62 to win the Indonesian Masters presented by Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI), Bank Mandiri, Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI), Bank Tabungan Negara (BTN) and Telkom Indonesia on Sunday.

The marathon week, where the Indonesian Masters was hit by multiple weather suspensions did not faze the world number six. After completing 10 holes from his third round in the morning, Rose was back at the starting tee in 30 minutes.

The world number six got his round going with a birdie on the third hole before embarking on a stunning run with four birdies and an eagle starting from the par-four fifth at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club.

Rose’s lead was never threatened when he surged further ahead with three birdies in his next four holes after making the turn in 29. The Olympic gold medalist dropped a shot on 16 but delighted the crowd at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club by closing with a birdie on 18 for a winning total of 29-under-par 259.

It was another second placed finish for Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai at the Indonesian Masters after he signed for a flawless 65 while Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent closed with a 69 to take third place at the Asian Tour season-ending event.

India’s S. Chikkarangappa meanwhile secured his Tour card at the expenses of China’s Liu Yan-wei by taking the last 61st spot on the Asian Tour Order of Merit.

Did you know?

Justin Rose is the second Englishmen to win the Indonesian Masters after Lee Westwood.
Rose is the fifth wire-to-wire winner on the Asian Tour this year
Rose has never won by eight shots in his career. It is also the largest winning margin on the Asian Tour in 2017.
The Englishman started and ended the week with a 62, which is the lowest finish by a winner on the Asian Tour this year.
His winning total of 29-under-par 259 is the lowest 72-hole score on the Asian Tour in 2017.
Phachara Khongwatmai started 2017 with a tied-second finish in Singapore and would end the year with a similar result.
Scott Vincent earned his Asian Tour card by finishing sixth at Qualifying School in 2016.
The Zimbabwean’s best result was a tied-second finish at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters. Scott Vincent finished tied-17th at the Indonesian Masters last year. He has enjoyed three top-five finishes but has yet to win on the Asian Tour.
The Indonesian Masters was the third leg of the Panasonic Swing, which is an aggregate points race that spans five events – in Thailand, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, and Japan – where Asian Tour players can earn a share of a lucrative bonus pool.
The Indonesian Masters was the last event of the year on any main Tour worldwide with significant OWGR points.

Players’ Quotes

Justin Rose (Eng) – Final round 62 (-10), Total 259 (-29)

It is my last event of the season, to finish the year on a good note and still have a couple of weeks to enjoy this win over Christmas and New Year is really nice too. It is the lowest winning ever score (-29) and to win by eight shots, all of that are huge positives. The largest winning margin for me in a tournament, to come here with my game in good shape, have the deal with bad weather and jetlag and stay focused on all four rounds, is something that I am really pleased about. I have had a dream week and I have played incredible golf. 21 under par is very god golf. Starting the week with a three-shot lead would have had to shoot 69 to win today so these guys chased me all the way to the finish, this tells you a lot about the strength of the field and all of them put forth great rounds. And a lot of them were stepping up when they needed to and performed well under pressure.

Scott Vincent (Zwe) – Final Round 69 (-3) Total 269 (-19)

It has been an amazing week. Couldn’t have asked for a better experience to play with all these amazing guys and players. I didn’t think I was going to come to this tournament in the first place, it was a last minute decision and I am so happy I did. MY wife asked me every single day last week to come here and she convinced me when I played well in Joburg last week so I am glad that I listened to her. Justin played some of the best golf I have ever seen. I haven’t got a win yet but I am knocking on the door and, I will just keep doing what I am doing and I am sure it will come soon.

Phachara Khongwatmai (Tha) – Final Round 65 (-7), Total 267 (-21)

Before arriving in Indonesia, I wasn’t expecting a second-place finish to be honest. My plan for every tournament is just to play my own game and not to focus on my competitors. Today, I played really well. But Justin Rose simply played better and rightly won the tournament. I’m very happy with my performances in 2017. Hopefully in 2018, my dream of winning a tournament will come true.

S. Chikkarangappa (Ind) – Final round 75 (+3), Total 279 (-9)

I spent two good solid days with Anirban in Ahmedabad before coming to Indonesia and we spoke about keeping positive. That helped a lot because I came out here to enjoy my golf game. That’s what I did on the first three days but I was a bit nervous in the final round because I knew I was on the borderline and I didn’t want it to slip out of my hands. It is very special to keep my Asian Tour card. I was missing cuts after another after a fantastic year. Those things were not working and it was difficult for me to trust what I worked on. I was trying to make my cut. The card was in my mind in almost every event. This season has really made me learned more about my career and what can happen in a golf. I will carry this forward with me and take all these positive with me.

Leading scores after round 4 of the Indonesian Masters being played at the par 72, 7359 Yards Royale Jakarta GC course (am – denotes amateur):

259 – Justin ROSE (ENG) 62-69-66-62.

267 – Phachara KHONGWATMAI (THA) 65-69-68-65.

269 – Scott VINCENT (ZIM) 67-65-68-69.

270 – Yusaku MIYAZATO (JPN) 67-67-67-69.

271 – Kiradech APHIBARNRAT (THA) 68-64-70-69.

272 – Younghan SONG (KOR) 67-69-70-66, Sihwan KIM (USA) 68-67-67-70.

274 – Ajeetesh SANDHU (IND) 72-68-67-67, Steve LEWTON (ENG) 67-70-71-66.

275 – Jake HIGGINBOTTOM (AUS) 71-68-66-70.

276 – CHAN Shih-chang (TPE) 68-71-68-69, Shubhankar SHARMA (IND) 71-67-67-71.

277 – Danthai BOONMA (THA) 71-70-63-73, Hyunwoo RYU (KOR) 68-71-68-70, Daniel CHOPRA (SWE) 68-71-66-72, Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND) 67-71-72-67.

278 – Bowen XIAO (CHN) 68-73-70-67, Suradit YONGCHAROENCHAI (THA) 72-66-68-72, Jazz JANEWATTANANOND (THA) 69-68-74-67.

Ends

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Published on April 20, 2018

The 22-year-old Thai is eager to showcase his immense talent when he heads to the Middle Kingdom for the CN¥20,000,000 (approx. US$3,178,000) event, tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and the China Golf Association.

Jazz, a one-time Asian Tour winner, will feature in the elite field alongside 40 other Tour champions and seven Order of Merit winners, which includes the likes of Thai stars Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Thongchai Jaidee and Gavin Green of Malaysia.

Indian talent Shubhankar Sharma, who leads the current Habitat for Humanity standings, will also spearhead the Asian Tour challenge in the 24th edition of the Volvo China Open, which is the longest-running professional golf tournament in the country.

Haotong Li, ranked 44th on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), will be looking to underline his growing credentials as China’s number one when he leads the home charge in his National Open, where he won in 2016.

The 22-year-old Li became the first ever Chinese player to break into the world’s top-50 when he won his second European Tour title in Dubai in January. He will aim to recapture the trophy on home soil after Alexander Levy of France claimed the title for a record second time last year.

Jazz, who joined the play-for-pay ranks in 2011, lost his Asian Tour card for the first time in his career after finishing outside top-60 on the 2016 Order of Merit.

The young Thai, however, bounced back with a breakthrough win in Bangladesh two months later before going on to claim seven top-10 results to finish a career-high ninth position on the Merit rankings last season.

“Last year was probably my best season so far on the Asian Tour. The win in Bangladesh was a boost in my career because it allowed me to play freely for the rest of the year knowing that I had regained my card for the next one year,” said Jazz.

Jazz continued his superb run into the 2018 season by finishing tied-fourth at the season opener in Singapore and earned for himself a coveted spot in The Open this July where he will make his Major debut.

Despite missing the halfway cut in India for the first time this season last month, Jazz is confident of regaining his best form in China after enjoying a much-needed break at home.

“I had a great start to the season but I was honestly feeling very tired from travelling and was suffering from a heat stroke at that point of time.

“I was really happy to have these five weeks off to just recuperate and take a step back from competitive golf. I travelled around Thailand with my friends to take my mind off golf for a bit and was able to work more on my fitness,” said Jazz.

Currently ranked 152nd on the OWGR, Jazz will also keep his goal of breaking into the world’s top-100 at the back of his mind when he bids for the title at the Volvo China Open next week.

“This is a huge event for me because it’s a tri-sanctioned event. My main goal for this year is to win a tournament on the Asian Tour and break into the top-100 in the world. It’s only my second time to China and I have seen how good some of their players are getting.

“I think my game has improved a lot this year with all the experience I get playing in different weather conditions in Europe. It’s exciting to be back and I feel like everything is good in my life so hopefully it will translate well on the golf course.” added Jazz.

Other Asian Tour heavyweights include Jeev Milkha Singh, Wenchong Liang of China, Australian Scott Hend and Yuta Ikeda of Japan, who represented Team Asia at the EurAsia Cup in Malaysia in January.

S.S.P. Chawrasia and Gaganjeet Bhullar of India, who holds a combined total of 14 victories on the Asian Tour, will also be vying for glory alongside a host of rising stars which include 18-year-old Phachara Khongwatmai of Thailand and American Micah Lauren Shin.

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.

Published on December 16, 2017

Jakarta, December 16: England’s Justin Rose remained the man to beat as he continued to take pole position at the weather-hit Indonesian Masters presented by Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI), Bank Mandiri, Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI), Bank Tabungan Negara (BTN) and Telkom Indonesia on Saturday.

The season-ending Asian Tour flagship event has been hit by multiple rain and lightning suspensions since round two. Lightning activities disrupted play at 2.05pm and with thunderstorms lashing out at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club, officials decided to call off the third round at 4.10pm.

Play will resume at 6.15am on Sunday morning with the fourth round scheduled to commence at 7.30am with players teeing off in the same groups.

Major champion Rose made his quick return to the starting tee after completing his second round early on Saturday morning. He raced ahead with two birdies in his opening three holes before extending his advantage with another birdie on five.

The Olympic gold medalist then parred his next three holes to stay ahead of the chasing pack at 16-under-par before play was suspended.

Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent and Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat trail Rose by three shots at 13-under-par through eight holes while Phachara Khongwatmai of Thailand and Korea’s Giwhan Kim are a further shot back at 12-under-par after eight holes.

Did you know?

Justin Rose has never won a tournament which he has led after three rounds this year. Rose’s two victories in Shanghai and Turkey were come-from-behind victories.
2017 is turning out to be one of Kiradech Aphibarnrat’s best seasons, He enjoys a lowest scoring average of 70.38 on the European tour and 68.25 of the five events he has played on the Asian Tour
Kiradech was previously known as Anujit Hirunratanakorn, but his family decided to change his name for good luck.
Scott Vincent finished tied-17th at the Indonesian Masters last year. He has enjoyed three top-10 finishes but has yet to win on the Asian Tour.
Vincent’s best finish was at this year’s Mercuries Taiwan Masters where he ended the week tied for second.
Vincent is currently in 23rd place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit.
Phachara Khongwatmai finished second at the Indonesian Masters last year and he is currently in seventh place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit.
The Indonesian Masters is the third leg of the Panasonic Swing, which is an aggregate points race that spans five events – in Thailand, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, and Japan – where Asian Tour players can earn a share of a lucrative bonus pool.
The Indonesian Masters is the last event of the year on any main Tour worldwide with significant OWGR points.
Apart from a minimum of 20 Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points, the winner of the Indonesian Masters will also receive an invitation to play at the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational in 2018.

Players’ Quotes

Scott Vincent (Zim)

I have been playing really nicely and I just want to keep this momentum going. It’s really cool to play with Kiradech and Justin and I am learning so much already. So, I am just trying to be in the moment and try and win a golf tournament. I can be a little bit more aggressive but the game still doesn’t change. You got to hit good quality shots. I am glad this delay came because I have not been hitting it very good today and I need to go back and regroup and get some rest so I can charge tomorrow. I love having my wife (Kelsey) caddy for me, it has been a lot of fun she’s learning and I’m learning and it has been a cool partnership so hopefully we can end on the right note.

Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Tha)

I got a back injury from last two weeks. My back feels stiff after waking up. I couldn’t swing it well and I shot one-under after eight holes. It is good for me to take a rest but it will depend on how I feel after I wake up. This suspension can be good and bad for me. It will depend how I feel tomorrow. There are 10 more holes to catch Justin Rose. I really need to bring out my A-Game because I don’t know how the weather will be like. In my mind, I’m going to play like it is 54 holes. I know I need to finish inside the top-five this week to move inside the top-50 in the world but a top-three result is my goal. That will make sure I’m 100% in. I’m very comfortable with my swing but I’m worried about my back. I want to play without thinking that an injury will stop me. I will do a lot of stretching in my room and try to keep my back safe and go out with a really low score tomorrow.

Ends.

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Published on April 20, 2018

Osaka, Japan, April 20: Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond made his move with another three-under-par 68 to stay within two shots of the second round clubhouse lead which was shared by Japan’s Ryosuke Kinoshita and Korea’s Hyungsung Kim and Sanghyun Park at the Panasonic Open Golf Championship on Friday.

Despite struggling with his iron play, the young Thai mixed his card with five birdies and two bogeys for a two-day total of six-under-par 136 at the Ibaraki Country Club where the JP¥150,000,000 (approx. US$1,370,000) event, sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO) is being held.

“It was a totally different game I had today. I only managed to find one fairway with the driver today. I was hitting everywhere today and I was saved by my short game from a very terrible round.

“I didn’t know how my game would be, especially coming off a five-week break. But the last two days have shown that even though my game is rusty, I can still produce some good scores,” said Jazz.

Compatriot Rattanon Wannasrichan also has reason to believe he can surmount a late challenge for the Panasonic Swing top prize as well as his second Asian Tour victory after returning with a 67.

Rattanon has never made the cut in Japan before but his 137 total marks the first time he will be extending his stay in the land of the rising sun since he turned professional in 2012.

“My goal at the start of the week was to make the cut. I’ve done it and this is the first time I’ve made the cut in Japan.

“I’ll then try to break into the top-five tomorrow and if I can do that, anything is possible,” said the 22-year-old.

Kinoshita’s strategy paid off as he successfully navigated the 7,343 yards, par-71 course with an astute game plan that kept him atop the leaderboard.

“I felt the conditions were harder than yesterday, but with less winds. I adopted a smart strategy today. Be aggressive when I can and go for the safe approach if the situation calls for it. So when the pin was in the corner, I aimed towards the centre of the green,” asid Kinoshita.

Ends.

Published on December 16, 2017

Shah Alam, Malaysia, December 16: Phachara Khongwatmai believes that his age will be an asset rather than a liability when he represents Team Asia at the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM from January 12 to 14, 2018.

The 18-year-old Phachara is determined to bring out his air of youthful fearlessness when he represents Asia against Team Europe in the Ryder Cup style match play event which will be played at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club

“I’m the youngest player in the event and honestly, I don’t feel any pressure,” said Phachara. “When Team Europe knows how old I am, they will really want to try and beat me. But if I get off to a fast start, they might start to get worried.

Phachara may be young, but the teenager clearly knows how to play good, competitive golf. When he was 14 years old, he won as an amateur to become the youngest player to win a professional tournament in the world.

He turned professional in 2014 and won twice on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) before going on to enjoy a solid Asian Tour career. Phachara is currently seventh on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, a clear indication of his sound performance on the Tour this year.

The young Thai is certainly no pushover when it comes to match play. At the ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth, he defeated Sam Brazel, Lucas Herbert, Matthew Millar and Jason Scrivener in the knockout stage of the tournament.

He missed out on the title after losing to home favourite Brett Rumford in the final match but his performance his testament to his true golfing ability which belies his age.

“I feel good about representing Team Asia because I’ve never played in a team match play before. Hopefully, I can play as well as I did in Australia at the EurAsia Cup,” said Phachara.

In particular, he is looking forward to working with team captain Arjun Atwal of India, whom he found inspirational.

“I believe he (Atwal) can make us all be better players. I watched him play in Mauritius and he fought so hard. I was thinking at that time, maybe I’ll give him my spot!” he said, laughingly.

Atwal has selected China’s Zhang Lianwei, one of the most decorated players of his generation, as his Vice-Captain to help him lead Team Asia.

Phachara, along with newly crowned merit champion Gavin Green, S.S.P. Chawrasia and Poom Saksansin join Team Asia as the four leading players on the Asian Tour Order of Merit.

Japan’s Yuta Ikeda of Japan, China’s Li Haotong, India’s Lahiri and Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat earned their spots in Team Asia as the leading available Asians on the world ranking.

Korea’s Byeonghun An is the captain’s pick. He will be representing Team Asia for the second time at the EurAsia Cup.

Wildcards Hideto Tanihara of Japan and Nicholas Fung of Malaysia, who will be making his third EurAsia Cup appearance, will round up the team.

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.

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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.

Published on April 20, 2018

Osaka, Japan, April 20: Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino held on to his overnight lead by posting a three-under-par 68 to stay in control at the Panasonic Open Golf Championship on Friday.

The 21-year-old will enjoy a two-shot cushion heading into the weekend rounds with his two-day total of 10-under-par 132. But has to be wary of a host of players bunched in tied-second place that features India’s Rahil Gangjee and Malaysia’s Ben Leong, who have emerged as the surprise package at the Ibaraki Country Club this week.

Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond also made his move by grabbing a share of eighth place with another 68 while compatriot Rattanon Wannasrichan gave himself a reason to believe he can surmount a late challenge for the Panasonic Swing top prize by returning with a 67 for a tie of 11th place with American Sihwan Kim and the Japanese pair of Kodai Ichihara and Ryo Ishikawa.

Gangjee, who has not featured in the weekend rounds all year, sprung a surprise even on himself by marking his card with eight birdies at the JP¥150,000,000 (approx. US$1,370,000) event, sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO).

The 39-year-old Indian posted the day’s lowest score of 65 to continue his dream run while Leong also kept his amazing run going by taking advantage of the benign weather conditions to stay close to Hoshino as the Malaysian chases his first Asian Tour win in a decade.

62 players progressed into the weekend rounds with the cut set at one-under.

Ends.

Did you know?

Rikuya Hoshino is still searching for his first win on the JGTO. He has won once on the JGTO Challenge Tour in 2017.
Hoshino finished in 31st place on the JGTO money list last year and is playing at the Panasonic Open Golf Championship for the second time.
Rahil Gangjee has not made the cut in all three Asian Tour events he played in this year. He was forced to retire in his first two events in Singapore and Myanmar.
Gangjee’s last win on the Asian Tour came in 2004 in China.
Ben Leong has missed the cuts in his last two events on the Asian Tour. He finished in 40th place on the Order of Merit last year
As an amateur, Ben dominated the Malaysian amateur circuit and spent several years in the United States on a government scholarship where he was attached to the David Leadbetter Golf Academy in Florida.
He qualified for the prestigious US Amateur Championship in 2005 and 2006.
Ryosuke Kinoshita started playing golf when he was 10. His opening round of 65 yesterday is his best score on the JGTO.
Kinoshita is making the cut for the first time in 2018. He missed the cuts at the Leopalace21 Myanmar Open and Token Homemate Cup last week.
Jazz Janewattananond turned professional in 2011. He lost his Asian Tour card for the first time in his career after finishing outside top-60 on the 2016 Order of Merit.
Jazz bounced back with a breakthrough win in Bangladesh two months later before going on to claim seven top-10 results to finish a career-high ninth position on the Merit rankings last year.
Jazz finishing tied-fourth at the season opener in Singapore and earned for himself a coveted spot in The Open this July where he will make his Major debut.
Prior to the Panasonic Open Golf Championship, Rattanon Wannasrichan has never made the cut in Japan before.
Rattanon is ranked third on the Panasonic Swing series but still has a chance of taking home the top prize of US$70,000 if he wins the Panasonic Open Golf Championship.

Players’ Quotes

Rikuya Hoshino (Jpn) Second round 68 (-3), Total 132 (-10)

I did not have much chances today. I felt like I was trying to save par all day. I birdied three of my last four holes which was nice. I like to finish strongly and go for that win. But I also have to try not to think too much about final result. I just have to play shot by shot. I will be aggressive if I have to and play conservatively if there is a need. I am gaining more distance and accuracy after playing on the JGTO for two years. But I hope to improve on the mental aspect of my game. I know the par-fives are reachable here so I will try to make sure I score there.

Ben Leong (Mas) Second round 67 (-4), Total 134 (-8)

Fortunately the weather is great today which made scoring easier. I played well and made my fair share of putts. I’m surprised as I was not happy with the way I’m swinging the golf club coming into this week. I took some time early in the week to think and work on it. It’s paying off. My wife’s has been telling me to do what you do best and just go out there and have fun. No matter how I play, it’s definitely a blessing to welcome my baby boy into our lives and I’m looking forward to the weekend.

Rahil Gangjee (Ind) Second round 65 (-6), Total 134 (-8)

Today was like a dream round, considering I haven’t been playing that well for the last year and a half! I made a lot of putts and hit some decent shots too. I had no expectations. When I played my first practice round with Arjun, there were no birdies in nine holes so we were not expecting much from this golf course. I went out there and made eight birdies today, that was something. I’ve not been in this position for years and I guess I have to keep my tempo down as I’ve been going hard at it recently.

Ryosuke Kinoshita (Jpn) Second round 69 (-2), Total 134 (-8)

I tried to play to lower my score as much as possible today and told myself to just concentrate on my course management. I made good four consecutive birdies on 18, 1,2,3 and after that, I saw some photographers coming after me. I knew I could be in the lead then but tried not to think too much about it. I felt the conditions were harder than yesterday, but with less winds. I adopted a smart strategy today. Be aggressive when I can and go for the safe approach if the situation calls for it. So when the pin was in the corner, I aimed towards the centre of the green. My goal is not to shoot over-par during the weekend and be focus.

Jazz Janewattananond (Tha) Second round 68, Total 136 (-6)

It was a totally different game I had today. I only managed to find one fairway with the driver today. I was hitting everywhere today and I was saved by my short game from a very terrible round. I’ll try to get my driving back on track and get back to the basics. I didn’t know how my game would be, especially coming off a five-week break. But the last two days have shown that even though my game is rusty, I can still produce some good scores. This will be the start of a six-week stretch of golf for me and it’s pretty good so far.

Rattanon Wannasrichan (Tha) Second round 67 (-5), Total 137 (-5)

I started very well with a birdie in my first hole and did very well in my front-nine. I was a little shaky in my last three holes but overall it’s was okay and I’m happy. My goal at the start of the week was to make the cut. I’ve done it and this is the first time I’ve made the cut in Japan. I’ll then try to break into the top-five tomorrow and if I can do that, anything is possible.

Leading Scores after round 2 of the Panasonic Open Golf Championship being played at the par 71, 7343 Yards Ibaraki CC course (am – denotes amateur):

132 – Rikuya HOSHINO (JPN) 64-68.

134 – Ryosuke KINOSHITA (JPN) 65-69, Hyungsung KIM (KOR) 66-68, Sanghyun PARK (KOR) 67-67, Shingo KATAYAMA (JPN) 64-70, Rahil GANGJEE (IND) 69-65, Ben LEONG (MAS) 67-67.

136 – Jazz JANEWATTANANOND (THA) 68-68, Thanyakon KHRONGPHA (THA) 67-69, Masahiro KAWAMURA (JPN) 66-70.

137 – Kodai ICHIHARA (JPN) 66-71, Rattanon WANNASRICHAN (THA) 70-67, Ryo ISHIKAWA (JPN) 71-66, Sihwan KIM (USA) 70-67.

138 – Brad KENNEDY (AUS) 66-72, Ajeetesh SANDHU (IND) 69-69, Junggon HWANG (KOR) 71-67, Toshinori MUTO (JPN) 70-68, Jbe KRUGER (RSA) 70-68, Narutoshi YAMAOKA (JPN) 72-66, Giwhan KIM (KOR) 67-71, Miguel TABUENA (PHI) 70-68, Kenichi KUBOYA (JPN) 66-72, Michael HENDRY (NZL) 67-71, Yuki INAMORI (JPN) 69-69, Shohei KARIMATA (JPN) 69-69.

139 – Mingyu CHO (KOR) 71-68, Brendan JONES (AUS) 72-67, Jinichiro KOZUMA (JPN) 66-73, Daisuke MARUYAMA (JPN) 71-68, Shaun NORRIS (RSA) 69-70, Mikumu HORIKAWA (JPN) 72-67, Sanghee LEE (KOR) 66-73, Koichi KITAMURA (JPN) 68-71, Daijiro IZUMIDA (JPN) 70-69.

140 – HUNG Chien-yao (TPE) 69-71, Wei-chih LU (TPE) 70-70, Michio MATSUMURA (JPN) 74-66, Ryuko TOKIMATSU (JPN) 71-69, Scott VINCENT (ZIM) 73-67, Keith HORNE (RSA) 74-66, Yamato SHIRAISHI (am, JPN) 69-71, Ryuji MASAOKA (JPN) 73-67, Prom MEESAWAT (THA) 68-72, Konosuke NAKAZATO (JPN) 69-71, Prayad MARKSAENG (THA) 68-72, Shugo IMAHIRA (JPN) 72-68.

Ends.

Published on December 15, 2017

Jakarta, December 15: England’s Justin Rose continued to stay ahead of the chasing pack by holding a two-shot lead over Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat through 16 holes after play was suspended due to fading light at the Indonesian Masters presented by Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI), Bank Mandiri, Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI), Bank Tabungan Negara (BTN) and Telkom Indonesia on Friday.

The second round of the season-ending Asian Tour event was suspended twice where the sirens were first blown at 3.19pm (local time) because of lightning threats. Officials later decided to call off play at 5.40pm due to fading light at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club.

Play will resume at 6.15am on Saturday with the third round scheduled to start no earlier than 8.45am.

Rose, who was among the 36 players yet to complete their second round, started well with four birdies for an outward 32. He made another birdie on 11 followed by pars on 12 and 13 before the first sirens went off.

The Olympic gold medalist and Major winner then parred 14 upon resumption of play but saw his advantage reduced to two after dropping a shot on 15. The Englishman had another par on 16 before play was abandoned for the day.

Kiradech, who came into the week on the back of an Asian Development Tour (ADT) victory at the Thongchai Jaideee Foundation last week, continued to ride on his red-hot form.

The two-time Asian Tour winner demonstrated his resolve to end the year with another victory by signing for an eight-under-par 64 to take the clubhouse lead in the morning.

Compatriot Phachara Khongwatmai also showed why he is one of the leading contenders for the Indonesian Masters by returning with a 69 to keep in touch with the leaders at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club.

India’s S. Chikkarangappa is pleased to see his return to form, judging from his results over the last two days where he posted rounds of 68 and 67 for a two-day total of nine-under-par 135.

Did you know?

Kiradech Aphibarnrat started 2017 with two top-10s in Abu Dhabi and Qatar on the European Tour.
He secured another top-10 at the Thailand Open followed by another tied-ninth finish in the Netherlands.
The Thai stormed into the last three months of 2017 with a tied-second finish in Italy, tied-sixth in Turkey and another tied-second finish in Dubai.
He won his first title in 2017 with his victory at the Thongchai Jaidee Foundation on the ADT.
Phachara Khongwatmai has three top-five finishes on the Asian Tour in 2017. The Indonesian Masters is Phachara’s 29th tournament in 2017.
Phachara came into prominence when still an amateur, he became the youngest ever player to win a professional tournament in the world at the age of 14.
S. Chikkarangappa is currently in 67th place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit and needs to break into the top-61 to retain his Tour card for 2018.
The Indonesian Masters is the third leg of the Panasonic Swing, which is an aggregate points race that spans five events – in Thailand, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, and Japan – where Asian Tour players can earn a share of a lucrative bonus pool.
The Indonesian Masters is the last event of the year on any main Tour worldwide with significant OWGR points.
Apart from a minimum of 20 Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points, the winner of the Indonesian Masters will also receive an invitation to play at the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational in 2018.

Players’ Quotes:

Justin Rose (Eng) – 14-under-par through 16 holes

It was actually a trickier day today. The wind blew. The squall was threatening to come earlier in the round. The win was really picking up, it was changing direction towards.

And obviously it is always tricky after a rain delay. I warmed up, went out again, there was a bit of a back log on the par three tee. It was hard to find a rhythm. The first 14 holes were good. I played really well. Very happy with that but obviously struggled with the delay and waiting. Hope to come out tomorrow morning and finish strong and build a third round after that.

Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Tha) – Second Round 64 (-8) Total 132 (-12)

I have been hitting it good all week and playing some good golf. I am happy with the five birdies in a row that I made and only missed two birdies putts overall. The conditions were good at the start but at the end it was very hot and humid. I saw Brandt pull out and I just wanted to keep myself hydrated and take care of my body. I will just play my own games and keep myself up there on the leaderboard with the next two rounds.

Phachara Khongwatmai (Tha) – Second Round 69 (-3) Total 134 (-10)

My plan today was to play the same game I played yesterday. It wasn’t easy to make birdies today, I missed a couple of irons on some holes but my short game saved me. My chipping has been the strongest part of my game and helped me to go low today. After 36 holes I am not thinking about anyone in front of me or behind me and I will just focus on my own game.

S. Chikkarangappa (IND) – Second Round 67 (-5) Total 135 (-9)

It was a much needed round, I am very happy with how I played. Nine-under puts me right up there and I am really looking forward to the next two rounds. The season has not been good for me, missed close to about 15 cuts this year, probably one of the worst in my golfing career. But its okay there have been a lot of positives which I will take over next year, so hopefully I can end the year on a good day. I just went back home and met Anirban (Lahiri) to have a chat with him and get some things off my mind. I also met with a psychologist have been thinking a lot about my card and I haven’t been enjoying myself. I have been enjoying myself the past two days and I think that was what made a difference.

Leading completed scores after round 2 of the Indonesian Masters being played at the par 72, 7359 Yards Royale Jakarta GC course (am – denotes amateur):

132 – Kiradech APHIBARNRAT (THA) 68-64.

133 – Giwhan KIM (KOR) 65-68.

134 – Phachara KHONGWATMAI (THA) 65-69.

135 – Chikkarangappa S. (IND) 68-67, Sihwan KIM (USA) 68-67.

136 – Younghan SONG (KOR) 67-69.

137 – CHOO Tze Huang (SIN) 66-71, Jazz JANEWATTANANOND (THA) 69-68, Steve LEWTON (ENG) 67-70.

138 – Shubhankar SHARMA (IND) 71-67, Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND) 67-71, LU Wei-chih (TPE) 66-72, Suradit YONGCHAROENCHAI (THA) 72-66.

139 – Scott HEND (AUS) 69-70, CHAN Shih-chang (TPE) 68-71, Daniel CHOPRA (SWE) 68-71, Chinnarat PHADUNGSIL (THA) 71-68, Hyunwoo RYU (KOR) 68-71, Terry PILKADARIS (AUS) 70-69.

140 – Ajeetesh SANDHU (IND) 72-68.

Ends.

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