Lahiri shoots 65 at WGC-Bridgestone Invitational
August 3: Anirban Lahiri of India fired a five-under-par 65 for his lowest opening round in 2018 to tie in seventh place at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational on Thursday.
Lahiri, the 2015 Asian Tour number one, was hot off the blocks when he reeled in four birdies before dropping his only bogey of the day on the 10th hole. He swiftly recovered with birdies on holes 13 and 16 for his best score at Firestone Country Club.
Thai star Kiradech Aphibarnrat returned on a 70 with the highlight of his day coming on the par-three 15th hole where he sank a monster 42-foot birdie to lie in tied 46th place.
Current Habitat for Humanity Standings leader Shubhankar Sharma of India was a further two shots back while Kodai Ichihara of Japan shot a 73 to place tied 65th.
Ends.
Fiji, August 2: Australia’s Andrew Dodt, who is seeking his first Asian Tour win since 2015, got off to a flier by posting a five-under-par 67 to grab a share of the first round lead with compatriots Ben Campbell, Jarryd Felton and Nicholas Cullen on a wind-swept day at the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways on Thursday.
Playing under blustery conditions at the Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course, the 32-year-old Australian enjoyed a bogey-free round where he marked his card with three birdies and an eagle before setting the opening pace with Felton and Cullen in the morning.
Campbell, who teed off in the back-nine 10, seemed poised to take the outright lead after firing birdies on six and seven but could not break away from the clubhouse leaders after closing with two straight pars.
India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar stayed close to the Australians leaders by returning with a 70 to ensure he remains in the mix as he chases his ninth Asian Tour title at the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways, which being tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour European Tour and ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia again.
The Indian is bunched in equal eighth place together with China’s Wu Ashun, South Africa’s Justin Walters, Fiji’s Sam Lee and Australians Terry Pilkadaris and Lucas Herbert.
Major winner Ernie Els of South Africa and Malaysia’s Gavin Green both signed for a 72 to trail the leaders by five shots with both believing the contest is far from over as they look to renew their title charge on Friday.
Did you know?
- Andrew Dodt’s last win on the Asian Tour came at True Thailand Classic in Hua Hin, Thailand in 2015.
- The Australian made his breakthrough on the Asian Tour in 2010 when he won the inaugural Avantha Masters, co-sanctioned with the European Tour, in India.
- Dodt has a solid record as an amateur that includes wins in Australia, Chinese Taipei (Nomura Cup) and Malaysia
- He also finished runner-up at the New Zealand Amateur Open in 2006.
- Gaganjeet Bhullar is an eight-time winner on the Asian Tour. He claimed his eighth victory at the Macao Open last year and became the youngest player to win eight titles on the region’s premier Tour.
- Bhullar endured another missed opportunity for his ninth Asian Tour win at the Queen’s Cup last month. He also came close at the Maekyung Open in Korea in May but settled for a share of second place after he was defeated in the play-off.
Players Quotes
Andrew Dodt (Aus) First round 67 (-5)
It was very tough, very windy and I had to control my ball. So my course management was a big factor. It was a really, really solid round. The last six months haven’t been that great, so it’s been nice to be in this position. I haven’t been able to put four rounds together. I’ve put rounds together here and there, so today was a step in the right direction. That’s one with three to go. I feel like the tee shots and second shots are most of the shots I’ve got a good eye for, and the greens roll lovely. So all in all, what a great background, great setting, so it’s hard not to like Fiji. It’s certainly a solid round to start with, so I’ve just got to keep doing what I did today and keep building on that. I imagine it will be as windy again, so as I said yesterday, you’ve got to control your ball around here, so that will be the goal again. It’s easy to drop shots, so bogey free was a bonus.
Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind) First round 70 (-2)
It was a good round of golf. I think I gave myself a lot of opportunities. It was quite windy in the morning but I managed to keep my ball in play. I hit about 13 greens in regulation today. So it was a good, solid round of golf. I don’t think anything’s missing in my game. I just need to have more patience and some more maturity towards my weekend rounds. Apart from that, it has been a solid season so far. I think the key would be that I’m keeping the ball in play, like I remember even last week and in Malaysia, I only missed probably about six or seven fairways in two tournaments. So as long as the ball is in play, you’re giving yourself birdie opportunities. I just to keep on doing what I’ve been doing and everything will click, it’s just a matter of time. I need to be more aggressive. So that’s what I’ve been struggling with lately. I think that experience will help me to get back to my winning situation next time. So point is, as I said, the goal is just to try and do what I’ve been doing the last few tournaments.
Ernie Els (Rsa) First round 72 (Even)
It was pretty tough this morning. I was hoping for good weather as I feel a little uncomfortable when the wind’s blowing. I missed probably three short putts, but other than that, it’s a pretty good day. I was thinking of shooting anything around par this morning, the way it was blowing, it was going to be okay. There are holes where you can score, and as I said, I missed the short little putts which probably blemished my card a little bit. I’m not out of it, but I’ve got to start stepping on it a bit going forward.
Gavin Green (Mas) First round 72 (Even)
It was a bit of a grind as the wind was up early and it kind of stayed there the whole time. It was tough as we didn’t expect it to be up so early. I had some looks for birdie but couldn’t really capitalize on them. But I still managed to hit it okay and there were a couple of miss shots which led to bogeys. I’m okay with playing in the wind but I just hit a couple of bad shots which I hope to correct tomorrow.
Leading scores after round 1 of the Fiji International being played at the par 72, 6575 Metres Natadola Bay CGC course (am – denotes amateur):
67 – Nicholas Cullen (AUS), Jarryd Felton (AUS), Andrew Dodt (AUS), Ben Campbell (NZL).
69 – Matthew Griffin (AUS), Maverick Antcliff (AUS), Stephen Leaney (AUS).
70 – Terry Pilkadaris (AUS), Sam Lee (FIJ), Gaganjeet Bhullar (IND), Lucas Herbert (AUS), Justin Walters (RSA), Ashun Wu (CHN), Harry Bateman (NZL).
71 – Travis Smyth (AUS), Darren Beck (AUS), Matthew Millar (AUS), Nick Voke (NZL).
72 – Daniel Nisbet (AUS), James Marchesani (AUS), Gavin Green (MAS), Dale Brandt-Richards (AUS), Ernie Els (RSA), Jake McLeod (AUS), Yikeun Chang (KOR), Andrew Martin (AUS), Jason Norris (AUS), Pavit Tangkamolprasert (THA), Matt Stieger (AUS), Kieran Muir (NZL), Johannes Veerman (USA), Hung Chien-yao (TPE).
73 – Max McCardle (AUS), Cory Crawford (AUS), Rhein Gibson (AUS), Deyen Lawson (AUS), Josh Younger (AUS), Steven Jeffress (AUS), Cameron John (AUS), Brad Moules (AUS), Michael Wright (AUS), Alejandro Canizares (ESP), Michael Hendry (NZL), Marcus Fraser (AUS), Ajeetesh Sandhu (IND), Poom Saksansin (THA), Matthew Perry (NZL), Aaron Pike (AUS).
74 – Scott Strange (AUS), Adam Blyth (AUS), Jake Higginbottom (AUS), Callan O’Reilly (AUS), Nick Flanagan (AUS), Matt Jager (AUS), James Nitties (AUS), Ben Eccles (AUS), Dinesh Chand (FIJ), Bowen Xiao (CHN), Ryan Chisnall (NZL), Justin Harding (RSA), Lu Wei-chih (TPE), Yanwei Liu (CHN).
Ends.
Fiji, August 2: Australia’s Andrew Dodt, who is seeking his first Asian Tour win since 2015, got off to a flier by posting a five-under-par 67 to grab a share of the morning first round lead with compatriots Jarryd Felton and Nicholas Cullen at the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways on Thursday.
Playing under blustery conditions at the Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course, the 32-year-old Australian enjoyed a bogey-free round where he marked his card with three birdies and an eagle to set the opening pace with Felton and Cullen.
“It was very tough, very windy and I had to control my ball. So my course management was a big factor. It was a really, really solid round. The last six months haven’t been that great, so it’s been nice to be in this position.
“I haven’t been able to put four rounds together. I’ve put rounds together here and there, so today was a step in the right direction,” said Dodt.
India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar stayed close to the leaders by returning with a 70 to ensure he remains in the mix as he chases his ninth Asian Tour title at the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways, which being tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour European Tour and ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia again.
“I just need to have more patience and some more maturity towards my weekend rounds. I’ve to keep on doing what I’ve been doing and everything will click, it’s just a matter of time. I need to be more aggressive,” said Bhullar.
Major winner Ernie Els of South Africa and Malaysia’s Gavin Green both signed for a 70 and both believe the contest is far from over as they look to renew their title charge on Friday.
“It was pretty tough this morning. I was hoping for good weather as I feel a little uncomfortable when the wind’s blowing. I’m not out of it, but I’ve got to start stepping on it a bit going forward,’’ said Els.
“It was a bit of a grind as the wind was up early and it kind of stayed there the whole time. It was tough as we didn’t expect it to be up so early.
“I’m okay with playing in the wind but I just hit a couple of bad shots which I hope to correct tomorrow,” said Green.
Ends.
Fiji, August 1: Vijay Singh, a former world number one and one of Fiji’s greatest sportsmen, returned home to great fanfare as he readies himself for the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways which gets underway on Thursday.
Nicknamed ‘The Big Fijian’, Singh was greeted by the presence of his good friend Ernie Els as well as a host of international players including reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit champion Gavin Green of Malaysia, Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond and Zimbabwean Scott Vincent at the picturesque Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course.
Singh might hold a slight advantage over the rest of the field having played a major role in the re-design of the course which was finalized just before the 2017 edition.
Green will meanwhile be hoping for an improved performance having held a share of the halfway lead last year while Jazz is looking to shake off the effects of jetlag before he steps up to the tee at the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways, which being tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour European Tour and ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia again.
Vincent, who has been knocking on the winner’s doors on several occasions this year, will be hoping to finally unlock it this week having finished tied-ninth last year.
Did you know?
- Vijay Singh was the first Fijian golfer to build a successful international career in golf. He was world number one for 32 weeks in 2004 and 2005 and has won three Majors.
- Singh holds 63 international victories and was elected into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2005.
- Singh designed the Championship Course at Natadola Bay in 2009 and oversaw major renovations ahead of the 2017 event, to include wider fairways, flatter greens and a finessed layout.
- Jazz Janewattananond finished tied-second, four shots back of Australian champion Jason Norris at the Fiji International last year. He carded rounds of 74, 72, 68 and 64 for a four-day total of 10-under-par 278.
- Jazz first played his way into the history books of the Asian Tour in 2010 when he became the youngest ever player to make the halfway cut at the 2010 Asian Tour International in Bangkok at the age of 14 years and 71 days.
- He won his second Asian Tour title at the Queen’s Cup last month and made his Major debut at The Open a fortnight ago.
- Gavin Green took a share of the halfway lead at the Fiji International last year.His weekend rounds of 73 and 82 however saw him finish in a share of 63rd place.
- Green became the first Malaysian to win the Asian Tour Order of Merit title last year.
- Prior to turning professional in 2015, Green enjoyed an illustrious career which saw him become the first amateur to win on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) following his victory in 2014.
- Scott Vincent is the only Zimbabwean player on the Asian Tour and he has already enjoyed six top-10s this season.
- Vincent signalled his arrival in Asia when he came through the Asian Tour Qualifying School in 2016.
- He was named the Rookie of the Year after ending his 2016 season in 28th position. The Zimbabwean finished 17th on the money list in 2017 to retain his card for 2018.
Players Quotes
Vijay Singh (Fij)
It was a long journey, but what a place to come. I mean, the weather’s unbelievable today and I couldn’t ask for anything better. I’m looking forward to the week. I’m seeing the changes that I’ve made on this course and it’s coming in really well. Everything I hear right now is all raves, so I’m all excited. I’ve known him (Ernie) for a long, long time. We played together in Europe when he first came and we just kind of stayed as friends. Anytime I get a chance we can have a game. But we have a couple drinks together as well, so maybe this week. Yeah, he’s a good guy and we did a golf course together as well in Malaysia. I hope they can get more and more Fijians playing as it gets a lot more interest to the locals here. This event is going to over 40 countries and they can see how beautiful this place is. Hopefully, they can attract a lot more visitors and people who want to come and invest here.
Gavin Green (Mas)
It’s nice to be able to see all my friends again after being away for so long. I haven’t been playing on the Asian Tour for a couple of months and it’s good to be back in the company of the Asian guys here. The course looks a little different from last year and we’ll have to see how the course holds up especially when the wind blows. I’m back with more experience and of course more comfortable around the golf course now. But having said that, there are a lot of good players and it’s a strong field. I’ll have to do what I have to do.
Jazz Janewattananond (Tha)
I just got in today from Germany and I’m still jetlag. But the beauty of this place just takes away all the fatigue. My finish at this tournament last year really gave me a massive boost especially in terms of my confidence. I got to play in the bigger events after that and I just got better and better. So this event means a lot to me and it was a no brainer when I decided to come here even if it meant taking a very long flight. I just want to get as much rest as possible and be ready for tomorrow.
Scott Vincent (Zim)
It’s beautiful here. It’s so exciting to come back here. It’s hard to believe how clear the waters can be out here. It really is paradise. You got to play some fantastic golf here. When the wind blows, it makes your bad shots even worse. So you got to be on top of your game and you have to strike your ball really well. But as it is does every week, it comes down to making putts. Hopefully I can unlock the winner’s door this week and it will be nice to share that with her (wife, Kelsey) and I know she will love that too!
Ends.
Singapore, August 1: The 2019 SMBC Singapore Open will be played from January 17 to 20 and it will once again be the opening event on the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour Organisation.
The US$1 million jointly sanctioned tournament, won by Spanish star Sergio Garcia at the start of this year, will be played on the Serapong Course at Sentosa Golf Club – the event’s traditional home since 2005.
And for the third successive season the event will be part of The Open Qualifying Series. As was the case this year, the leading four non-exempt players will secure their places for the 148th Open at Royal Portrush Golf Club, in Northern Ireland, July18-21.
“Traditionally it is that time of year for us to confirm the dates for our national Open and we are delighted that it will once again start the season for the region’s two main Tours: the Asian and Japan Tours,” said Ross Tan, President of the Singapore Golf Association.
“Next year will be the 53rd Singapore Open and we will announce the line-up of star players in due course. Importantly, we are able to confirm today the SMBC Singapore Open will be part of The Open Qualifying Series ― a tremendous attribute that provides our tournament with global exposure.”
American Sean Crocker, Lucas Herbert from Australia and Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond and Danthai Boonma, were the four players who qualified for the Open at Carnoustie two weeks ago via January’s SMBC Singapore Open. Both Crocker and Herbert survived the halfway cut.
“The SMBC Singapore Open has been a key tournament in Asia for our Open Qualifying Series. It first became part of the series in 2017 and the R&A are thrilled that it will once again be part of the schedule next year,” said Dominic Wall, Director Asia Pacific, The R&A.
Places in the starting field at next year’s Open will be even for more sought after as it will be only the second time in the Open’s more than 150-year history that it will be played outside of Scotland and England, and the tournament is expected to be the biggest sporting event ever held in Northern Ireland.
Ends.
About Asian Tour
As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), Habitat for Humanity (Official Sustainable Development Partner), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), Titleist and FootJoy (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.
Fiji, July 31: South Africa’s Ernie Els, a four-time Major champion and former world number one, is looking forward to memorable debut while taking the opportunity to access the potential of the international field at the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways which gets underway on Thursday.
The Asian Tour honorary member will also have the company of his wife and his daughter at the picturesque Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course as he attempts to live up to his billing as one of the headline acts this week.
“I got my wife and my daughter here and my caddie Casey from the U.S and we got here early yesterday morning. I’ve never been to Fiji and I wanted to have a little bit of holiday if it’s possible around the golf tournament, so it’s great to be here.
“I haven’t been the headline act for a while so it’s kind of a bit different for me than the last couple years. But my great friend Vijay (Singh) is here and hopefully we can play together at some point this week,” said Els.
Known for his smooth golf swing, ‘The Big Easy’ will also cast his eye on the performances of potential international team members, having been named as Captain of the International Team for next year’s Presidents Cup.
“I’m fortunate that I’m an honorary member of the Asian Tour and I play some events on the Asian Tour so I can keep my eye on some of the youngsters coming through.
“There’s a lot of young, young blood coming through from Asia and Australia and I’ve got to keep my eye on them, and playing in events like this allows me to see how their games are progressing,” said Els.
Japan’s Masahiro Kawamura, who emerged as the highest placed Asian Tour member at the recently concluded Open Championship in tied-39th place, will be among those looking to impress Els as he also makes his debut at the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways, which being tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour European Tour and ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia again.
"My performance at The Open Championship has given me a lot of confidence and I hope to do well again especially in my first visit to Fiji," said the Japanese.
Malaysia’s Gavin Green, the reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit champion, along with India’s Ajeetesh Sandhu and Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond, who finished tied-second at the Fiji International last year are also expected to spearhead the Asian Tour challenge in Fiji, which has now establish itself as a globally-recognised golfing destination.
"There’s obviously a lot of good players this week but I am looking forward to it. This is my first Asian Tour event since I last played in Malaysia in February and it’s good to catch up with old friends and play well again," said Green.
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July 31: Thai star Kiradech Aphibarnrat speaks plainly these days when it comes to his goals in golf and it was no different ahead of this week’s World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational.
“I want to get the job done and take away the trophy,” said the 29-year old.
Kiradech has plenty of reason to be super confident. This year, his career has continued to trend nicely with a couple of impressive top-five finishes at the WGC-Mexico Championship and WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. Two other top-15s at the Memorial Tournament and U.S. Open have also helped the big-hitting Kiradech become the first Thai golfer to secure his PGA TOUR card for the 2018-19 season.
Throw in his triumph in Australia at a tri-sanctioned tournament by the Asian, European and Australian Tours in February, Kiradech certainly has reason to feel like he’s on top of the world but he knows only a win at the iconic Firestone Country Club this week can put the exclamation mark to his impressive 2018 campaign.
“When I go to tournaments, it’s about myself now, how I perform and try to play my best,” said Kiradech. “The first two times that I played at Firestone, I was not consistent with my ball control but now, I can move the ball around and can go for certain shots. It should be a better week.”
In two previous appearances, Kiradech, a former world junior amateur champion, finished T40 and 53rd in 2013 and 2016 respectively and broke par only twice in eight rounds. He remembers Firestone as a course which rewards straight-shooting and for its smallish greens.
“It’s a long and narrow golf course, a bit old-styled with mature trees lining the fairways. If you strike it well and hit lots of fairways, then you can have chances to make birdies,” said Kiradech, who is now ranked 31st in the world.
His only concern ahead of this week’s showpiece which will parade 29 of the top-30 players from the FedExCup standings is fatigue. Kiradech has played in eight tournaments over a span of nine weeks culminating with The Open Championship two weeks ago.
When he arrived home in Bangkok, he did not bother to unpack his golf clubs and hung out with friends and family.
“My game did not feel good (at The Open). I was a bit tired as I’ve been playing a lot of tournaments and it affected my game. I couldn’t keep my ball under the wind,” said Kiradech, who finished T75 at the year’s third major.
“I had several good days being at home. I was away for several months and have probably hit a million golf balls during that time, so I wasn’t going to unpack my golf clubs at all.”
The former Asian Tour No. 1 is keen to succeed Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama as champion of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational but knows he must keep to the old cliché of taking it one shot at a time.
“I’ve been hitting it good this year and the key is always to stay patient and to stick to the game plan. The good thing is I’m enjoying my golf. It’ll be a good week to play well,” said Kiradech.
World No. 1 Dustin Johnson, 14-time major winner Tiger Woods, reigning FedExCup winner Justin Thomas, newly crowned Open winner Francesco Molinari and Matsuyama are amongst the stars assembled at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational which starts on Thursday.
ABOUT THE WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS-BRIDGESTONE INVITATIONAL
The Bridgestone Invitational is one of four World Golf Championships and annually attracts the world’s best golfers from across the globe including those from the Asian Tour, European Tour, Japan Golf Tour, PGA TOUR, PGA Tour of Australasia and Sunshine Tour. The other World Golf Championships include the Dell Technologies Match Play (Austin, Texas), Mexico Championship (Mexico City, Mexico) and the HSBC Champions (Shanghai, China). The Bridgestone Invitational annually donates approximately $1 million to charities throughout Northeast Ohio. Over the years, professional golf at Firestone Country Club has donated more than $26 million to worthy causes in Northeast Ohio, including the event’s signature charities Akron Children’s Hospital and University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital. Since the inception of the World Golf Championships in 1999, the series has raised over $50 million for deserving charities.
ABOUT BRIDGESTONE
Bridgestone Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, is the world’s largest tire and rubber company. In addition to tires for use in a wide variety of applications, it also manufactures a broad range of diversified products, which include industrial rubber and chemical products and sporting goods. Its products are sold in over 150 nations and territories around the world.
ABOUT BRIDGESTONE AMERICAS, INC.
Nashville, Tenn.-based Bridgestone Americas, Inc. (BSAM) is the U.S. subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation, the world’s largest tire and rubber company. BSAM and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture and market a wide range of Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand tires to address the needs of a broad range of customers, including consumers, automotive and commercial vehicle original equipment manufacturers, and those in the agricultural, forestry and mining industries. The companies are also engaged in retreading operations throughout the Western Hemisphere and produce air springs, roofing materials, and industrial fibers and textiles. The BSAM family of companies also operates the world’s largest chain of automotive tire and service centers. Guided by its One Team, One Planet message, the company is dedicated to achieving a positive environmental impact in all of the communities it calls home.
Bengaluru, India, July 31: TAKE Solutions, a globally recognized domain expert offering end-to-end Life Sciences solutions, has been dedicated to the agenda of elevating Indian Golf for over 15 years. TAKE’s golf ethos has been by growing the sport from the grassroots, being committed to stay the course and exposing Indian talent to international opportunities.
The company has been supporting golf through sponsored tournaments on the domestic and feeder circuits, bringing India its first ADT tournament in 2014, and the TAKE Solutions Masters on the Asian Tour as well as sponsorship of deserving players.
TAKE’s ambassadors SSP Chawrasia, the six-time Asian Tour and four-time European Tour winner will be returning along with Khalin Joshi, whose second-place result made him India’s top finisher in last year’s event at his home. They will be joined by Chiragh Kumar, the 4-time Indian Tour winner and silver medalist as an Amateur at the 2006 Asian Games as well as being a Panasonic Asian Tour winner.
Srinivasan H R, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, TAKE Solutions said,” The first edition of TAKE Solutions Masters saw the biggest and brightest names in Asia deliver 4 thrilling rounds of high quality golf on the challenging Karnataka Golf Association course. We are happy to be back to KGA’s wonderful hospitality and electric environment with a 156-strong field of the region’s finest. It has been a pleasure to work with the Asian Tour and the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) to champion the upliftment of golf in the region.”
SSP Chawrasia said, ”It is a pleasure to return to TAKE Solutions Masters and play with seasoned golf players from across the region. Tournaments like these have enabled golf in India to rapidly rise in recent years. My best wishes to all the players competing in this season of the tournament.”
TAKE Solutions started supporting Golf in 2003 with running the Indian leg of the World Corporate Golf Challenge. The company supported it for 10 years and in a very impactful way. The Indian team finished as winners on two occasions and it finished in the top 5. From there, TAKE moved on to supporting professional golfers in three ways:
Creating opportunities for young Indian professionals – especially giving them opportunities to play with their international peers. Today the company runs two events on the Indian tour and one full field Asian tour, TAKE Solutions Masters, annually.
The company supports young deserving golfers in their quest to play internationally – SSP Chawrasia, Khalin Joshi and Chiragh Kumar are current golf ambassadors. Shubhankar Sharma and Chikkarangappa S have been recent TAKE ambassadors. This enabled them to play on the international circuit. All of them play on the Asian tour, while SSP Chawrasia plays in the European tour also. They have brought several laurels to the country.
The company takes pride in recognising stellar performers, infrastructure and coaching in Golf, sponsors and runs the TAKE Solutions Golf Awards annually – the only event to celebrate golfers in India.
Ends.
About TAKE Solutions
TAKE Solutions delivers domain-intensive services in Life Sciences and Supply Chain Management.
In the fast-growing Life Sciences space, TAKE offers clients a unique combination of full-service Clinical, Regulatory and Safety services backed by unique technology expertise. Our range of services span from clinical trials to regulatory submissions to post-marketing safety, all backed by insights derived through proprietary industry networks forums. With a team of leading Life Sciences experts, best-in-class systems and processes, and bespoke, industry-specific technology and analytics, TAKE delivers successful outcomes for clients. Our global roster of clients includes large and small innovator biopharmaceutical companies as well as generics manufacturers.
In Supply Chain Management, TAKE focuses on high-margin niches in engineering services, and supply chain collaboration. Our IP-led approach enables its clients to automate supply chain processes, track, trace & control at item level, mandate supplier compliance, and streamline material & shipment movement, and thus optimize their processes.
With operations spread across North America, Europe, Asia, and South America, TAKE is a Public Company, listed in India on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange. Led by a team of industry stalwarts and domain experts, TAKE has been growing steadily with FY18 revenues touching INR 15,872 Mn, (USD 246 Mn).
July 31: India’s rising star Shubhankar Sharma has two simple goals to achieve at this week’s World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational.
The first is to gather enough courage and introduce himself to Tiger Woods and the second is to keep his PGA TOUR dream alive with a strong showing at the iconic Firestone Country Club.
The 22-year-old Sharma will make his debut on Thursday in the US$10 million showpiece headlined by title holder Hideki Matsuyama, World No. 1 Dustin Johnson, newly crowned Open Championship winner Francesco Molinari, 29 golfers from the top-30 of the FedExCup standings and 14-time major winner Woods, who will be playing in his first WGC event in four years.
“I’m really looking forward to the event as I’ve watched it on TV over the years,” said Sharma. “It’s a tough set up but it is a great tournament which has celebrated great champions. Tiger has won it so many times, and then guys like Adam (Scott), Hideki and other great players have won it too, so just to be a part of that is fantastic,” added the current leader of the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity standings.
Speaking of Woods, Sharma caused a few giggles when he tweeted the following message after the Open Championship: “Last word on one and the only @TigerWoods. I am yet to directly meet him. My nerves always get better of me, each time. Maybe, he will have to help me there:) A practise round will be ideal @WGC_Bridgestone, especially, looking at how it went for @F_Molinari 🙂 @TheOpen.”
“I think I’ll go say hi to him (Woods), but I’m a bit nervous,” said Sharma, who enjoyed a practice round with Molinari, Italy’s first major champion, at the Open in Carnoustie.
“He’s always with someone and I don’t want to disturb him but I’ll definitely make it point to say ‘hi’. He’s been a hero of mine growing up and it’ll be great to just meet him. I’ll make sure I don’t get too starry-eyed! Just introduce myself and have a normal conversation. I’m sure a lot of people will tell him stuff like ‘You’re my inspiration’ and I’m sure he’s tired of hearing all that. I’ll try to have a normal conversation and congratulate him as he’s been playing well.”
The young Indian has watched Woods’ famous “Shot in the Dark” during the final round at Firestone in 2000 on YouTube numerous times, saying: “It’s definitely a cool shot, one of the best shots he’s hit in his career for sure,” said Sharma, who will have compatriot Anirban Lahiri for company in this week’s elite field.
To attain his second goal, Sharma knows he must pull off some great shots of his own to keep his PGA TOUR dream alive at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and next week’s PGA Championship.
He impressed with a T9 at the WGC-Mexico Championship in March but has yet to replicate that success in seven other tournaments Stateside, with a T20 at the Fort Worth Invitational being his best.
“It definitely is still a goal to try and earn my PGA TOUR card this year but I have to play really well in the next two weeks. Playing on the PGA TOUR is my aim and I want to make it there,” he said.
“It’s been a breakout year where I’ve had the opportunity play in different tournaments against world-class fields. It’s a different feeling when you are playing with the best in the world. In Mexico, I played really well and I thought I played well on the last day but didn’t quite make the putts as I was tentative. I was happy with how I handled the occasion as I had a shot at winning a World Golf Championships event on my first try and that gave me a lot of confidence.
“I know I need to work hard to get onto a higher level. One thing for sure is I’m definitely much more comfortable playing amongst these players,” said Sharma.
ABOUT THE WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS-BRIDGESTONE INVITATIONAL
The Bridgestone Invitational is one of four World Golf Championships and annually attracts the world’s best golfers from across the globe including those from the Asian Tour, European Tour, Japan Golf Tour, PGA TOUR, PGA Tour of Australasia and Sunshine Tour. The other World Golf Championships include the Dell Technologies Match Play (Austin, Texas), Mexico Championship (Mexico City, Mexico) and the HSBC Champions (Shanghai, China). The Bridgestone Invitational annually donates approximately $1 million to charities throughout Northeast Ohio. Over the years, professional golf at Firestone Country Club has donated more than $26 million to worthy causes in Northeast Ohio, including the event’s signature charities Akron Children’s Hospital and University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital. Since the inception of the World Golf Championships in 1999, the series has raised over $50 million for deserving charities.
Sentosa, Singapore, July 30: South African Justin Harding broke into the world’s top-100 for the first time in his career after claiming his second win in three weeks on the Asian Tour at the US$500,000 Royal Cup on Sunday.
The red-hot Harding climbed up 28 spots to a career-best 99th place on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) following his commanding six-shot victory, which marked the largest winning margin on the Asian Tour this season, at the Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club.
Harding, who won the Bank BRI Indonesia Open where he played on a sponsor’s invite three weeks ago, became the first player to win back-to-back titles on the region’s premier Tour since 2011 following his victory in Thailand. The 32-year-old South African is also the first player on Tour to win twice in his first two starts in Asia.
Playing in his first professional tournament in Thailand, Harding stamped his authority early at the Royal Cup with a pair of six-under-par 64s that gave him a three-shot lead going into the weekend rounds.
What a run @JustinHarding60! Congratulations on yet another @asiantourgolf victory and breaking into the World Top 100 is outstanding and well deserved. My very best. GP pic.twitter.com/Z1nZRsLCgL
— Gary Player (@garyplayer) July 30, 2018
He dropped his first bogey of the week on the 54th hole for a third-round 71 but bounced back with a brilliant 67 to seal his victory with a winning total of 14-under-par 266.
“It was a surprise two weeks ago, but I have been playing nicely recently,” said Harding, who took home a winner’s prize purse of US$90,000 and received a total of 14 OWGR points following his Thai debut.
He added: “I’m enjoying this run right now. The courses out here in Asia allow me to play strategically and I’m benefitting from it. I don’t find that I am trying too hard and I’m just letting it come to me.”
Prior to his breakthrough in Indonesia, Harding has also enjoyed successful exploits on the Sunshine Tour, where he leads the Order of Merit following a hot streak of two wins and three top-10s in his last five starts. He had started the season in 712nd place on the OWGR.
With a second Asian Tour victory in the bag, Harding moved from 32nd to 13th place on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings, led by India’s rising star Shubhankar Sharma.
Sharma extended his Merit lead after securing a commendable tied-51st place finish in his debut appearance at The 147th Open, where half the earnings were counted towards the Habitat for Humanity Standings. He sits atop the money list with a current haul of US$603,156.
This week, the Asian Tour heads to the holiday isle of Fiji for the Fiji International presented by Fiji Fairways. The AUD$1.25 million (approx. US$970,000) tournament is tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia.
Top-20 players on the Habitat for Humanity Standings
Pos Player Order of Merit (US$)
1 Shubhankar SHARMA (IND) $603,155.55
2 Matt WALLACE (ENG) $446,660.00
3 Kiradech APHIBARNRAT (THA) $372,480.89
4 Sanghyun PARK (KOR) $295,660.39
5 Rahil GANGJEE (IND) $290,425.53
6 Sihwan KIM (USA) $279,623.77
7 Minchel CHOI (KOR) $271,340.97
8 Paul PETERSON (USA) $241,148.57
9 Scott VINCENT (ZIM) $231,289.85
10 Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND) $203,466.05
11 Jazz JANEWATTANANOND (THA) $199,324.39
12 John CATLIN (USA) $195,547.91
13 Justin HARDING (RSA) $180,000.00
14 Berry HENSON (USA) $159,358.66
15 Daniel NISBET (AUS) $151,883.64
16 Panuphol PITTAYARAT (THA) $140,649.11
17 Prom MEESAWAT (THA) $140,214.84
18 Khalin JOSHI (IND) $133,933.64
19 Shaun NORRIS (RSA) $130,943.24
20 Hideto TANIHARA (JPN) $123,306.08
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.
Lahiri shoots 65 at WGC-Bridgestone Invitational
By - ocs sport
[addtoany]
August 3: Anirban Lahiri of India fired a five-under-par 65 for his lowest opening round in 2018 to tie in seventh place at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational on Thursday. Lahiri, the 2015 Asian Tour number one, was hot off the blocks when he reeled in four birdies before dropping his only bogey of the […]
August 3: Anirban Lahiri of India fired a five-under-par 65 for his lowest opening round in 2018 to tie in seventh place at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational on Thursday.
Lahiri, the 2015 Asian Tour number one, was hot off the blocks when he reeled in four birdies before dropping his only bogey of the day on the 10th hole. He swiftly recovered with birdies on holes 13 and 16 for his best score at Firestone Country Club.
Thai star Kiradech Aphibarnrat returned on a 70 with the highlight of his day coming on the par-three 15th hole where he sank a monster 42-foot birdie to lie in tied 46th place.
Current Habitat for Humanity Standings leader Shubhankar Sharma of India was a further two shots back while Kodai Ichihara of Japan shot a 73 to place tied 65th.
Ends.
Fiji, August 2: Australia’s Andrew Dodt, who is seeking his first Asian Tour win since 2015, got off to a flier by posting a five-under-par 67 to grab a share of the first round lead with compatriots Ben Campbell, Jarryd Felton and Nicholas Cullen on a wind-swept day at the Fiji International presented by Fiji […]
Fiji, August 2: Australia’s Andrew Dodt, who is seeking his first Asian Tour win since 2015, got off to a flier by posting a five-under-par 67 to grab a share of the first round lead with compatriots Ben Campbell, Jarryd Felton and Nicholas Cullen on a wind-swept day at the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways on Thursday.
Playing under blustery conditions at the Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course, the 32-year-old Australian enjoyed a bogey-free round where he marked his card with three birdies and an eagle before setting the opening pace with Felton and Cullen in the morning.
Campbell, who teed off in the back-nine 10, seemed poised to take the outright lead after firing birdies on six and seven but could not break away from the clubhouse leaders after closing with two straight pars.
India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar stayed close to the Australians leaders by returning with a 70 to ensure he remains in the mix as he chases his ninth Asian Tour title at the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways, which being tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour European Tour and ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia again.
The Indian is bunched in equal eighth place together with China’s Wu Ashun, South Africa’s Justin Walters, Fiji’s Sam Lee and Australians Terry Pilkadaris and Lucas Herbert.
Major winner Ernie Els of South Africa and Malaysia’s Gavin Green both signed for a 72 to trail the leaders by five shots with both believing the contest is far from over as they look to renew their title charge on Friday.
Did you know?
- Andrew Dodt’s last win on the Asian Tour came at True Thailand Classic in Hua Hin, Thailand in 2015.
- The Australian made his breakthrough on the Asian Tour in 2010 when he won the inaugural Avantha Masters, co-sanctioned with the European Tour, in India.
- Dodt has a solid record as an amateur that includes wins in Australia, Chinese Taipei (Nomura Cup) and Malaysia
- He also finished runner-up at the New Zealand Amateur Open in 2006.
- Gaganjeet Bhullar is an eight-time winner on the Asian Tour. He claimed his eighth victory at the Macao Open last year and became the youngest player to win eight titles on the region’s premier Tour.
- Bhullar endured another missed opportunity for his ninth Asian Tour win at the Queen’s Cup last month. He also came close at the Maekyung Open in Korea in May but settled for a share of second place after he was defeated in the play-off.
Players Quotes
Andrew Dodt (Aus) First round 67 (-5)
It was very tough, very windy and I had to control my ball. So my course management was a big factor. It was a really, really solid round. The last six months haven’t been that great, so it’s been nice to be in this position. I haven’t been able to put four rounds together. I’ve put rounds together here and there, so today was a step in the right direction. That’s one with three to go. I feel like the tee shots and second shots are most of the shots I’ve got a good eye for, and the greens roll lovely. So all in all, what a great background, great setting, so it’s hard not to like Fiji. It’s certainly a solid round to start with, so I’ve just got to keep doing what I did today and keep building on that. I imagine it will be as windy again, so as I said yesterday, you’ve got to control your ball around here, so that will be the goal again. It’s easy to drop shots, so bogey free was a bonus.
Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind) First round 70 (-2)
It was a good round of golf. I think I gave myself a lot of opportunities. It was quite windy in the morning but I managed to keep my ball in play. I hit about 13 greens in regulation today. So it was a good, solid round of golf. I don’t think anything’s missing in my game. I just need to have more patience and some more maturity towards my weekend rounds. Apart from that, it has been a solid season so far. I think the key would be that I’m keeping the ball in play, like I remember even last week and in Malaysia, I only missed probably about six or seven fairways in two tournaments. So as long as the ball is in play, you’re giving yourself birdie opportunities. I just to keep on doing what I’ve been doing and everything will click, it’s just a matter of time. I need to be more aggressive. So that’s what I’ve been struggling with lately. I think that experience will help me to get back to my winning situation next time. So point is, as I said, the goal is just to try and do what I’ve been doing the last few tournaments.
Ernie Els (Rsa) First round 72 (Even)
It was pretty tough this morning. I was hoping for good weather as I feel a little uncomfortable when the wind’s blowing. I missed probably three short putts, but other than that, it’s a pretty good day. I was thinking of shooting anything around par this morning, the way it was blowing, it was going to be okay. There are holes where you can score, and as I said, I missed the short little putts which probably blemished my card a little bit. I’m not out of it, but I’ve got to start stepping on it a bit going forward.
Gavin Green (Mas) First round 72 (Even)
It was a bit of a grind as the wind was up early and it kind of stayed there the whole time. It was tough as we didn’t expect it to be up so early. I had some looks for birdie but couldn’t really capitalize on them. But I still managed to hit it okay and there were a couple of miss shots which led to bogeys. I’m okay with playing in the wind but I just hit a couple of bad shots which I hope to correct tomorrow.
Leading scores after round 1 of the Fiji International being played at the par 72, 6575 Metres Natadola Bay CGC course (am – denotes amateur):
67 – Nicholas Cullen (AUS), Jarryd Felton (AUS), Andrew Dodt (AUS), Ben Campbell (NZL).
69 – Matthew Griffin (AUS), Maverick Antcliff (AUS), Stephen Leaney (AUS).
70 – Terry Pilkadaris (AUS), Sam Lee (FIJ), Gaganjeet Bhullar (IND), Lucas Herbert (AUS), Justin Walters (RSA), Ashun Wu (CHN), Harry Bateman (NZL).
71 – Travis Smyth (AUS), Darren Beck (AUS), Matthew Millar (AUS), Nick Voke (NZL).
72 – Daniel Nisbet (AUS), James Marchesani (AUS), Gavin Green (MAS), Dale Brandt-Richards (AUS), Ernie Els (RSA), Jake McLeod (AUS), Yikeun Chang (KOR), Andrew Martin (AUS), Jason Norris (AUS), Pavit Tangkamolprasert (THA), Matt Stieger (AUS), Kieran Muir (NZL), Johannes Veerman (USA), Hung Chien-yao (TPE).
73 – Max McCardle (AUS), Cory Crawford (AUS), Rhein Gibson (AUS), Deyen Lawson (AUS), Josh Younger (AUS), Steven Jeffress (AUS), Cameron John (AUS), Brad Moules (AUS), Michael Wright (AUS), Alejandro Canizares (ESP), Michael Hendry (NZL), Marcus Fraser (AUS), Ajeetesh Sandhu (IND), Poom Saksansin (THA), Matthew Perry (NZL), Aaron Pike (AUS).
74 – Scott Strange (AUS), Adam Blyth (AUS), Jake Higginbottom (AUS), Callan O’Reilly (AUS), Nick Flanagan (AUS), Matt Jager (AUS), James Nitties (AUS), Ben Eccles (AUS), Dinesh Chand (FIJ), Bowen Xiao (CHN), Ryan Chisnall (NZL), Justin Harding (RSA), Lu Wei-chih (TPE), Yanwei Liu (CHN).
Ends.
Fiji, August 2: Australia’s Andrew Dodt, who is seeking his first Asian Tour win since 2015, got off to a flier by posting a five-under-par 67 to grab a share of the morning first round lead with compatriots Jarryd Felton and Nicholas Cullen at the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways on Thursday. Playing under […]
Fiji, August 2: Australia’s Andrew Dodt, who is seeking his first Asian Tour win since 2015, got off to a flier by posting a five-under-par 67 to grab a share of the morning first round lead with compatriots Jarryd Felton and Nicholas Cullen at the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways on Thursday.
Playing under blustery conditions at the Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course, the 32-year-old Australian enjoyed a bogey-free round where he marked his card with three birdies and an eagle to set the opening pace with Felton and Cullen.
“It was very tough, very windy and I had to control my ball. So my course management was a big factor. It was a really, really solid round. The last six months haven’t been that great, so it’s been nice to be in this position.
“I haven’t been able to put four rounds together. I’ve put rounds together here and there, so today was a step in the right direction,” said Dodt.
India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar stayed close to the leaders by returning with a 70 to ensure he remains in the mix as he chases his ninth Asian Tour title at the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways, which being tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour European Tour and ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia again.
“I just need to have more patience and some more maturity towards my weekend rounds. I’ve to keep on doing what I’ve been doing and everything will click, it’s just a matter of time. I need to be more aggressive,” said Bhullar.
Major winner Ernie Els of South Africa and Malaysia’s Gavin Green both signed for a 70 and both believe the contest is far from over as they look to renew their title charge on Friday.
“It was pretty tough this morning. I was hoping for good weather as I feel a little uncomfortable when the wind’s blowing. I’m not out of it, but I’ve got to start stepping on it a bit going forward,’’ said Els.
“It was a bit of a grind as the wind was up early and it kind of stayed there the whole time. It was tough as we didn’t expect it to be up so early.
“I’m okay with playing in the wind but I just hit a couple of bad shots which I hope to correct tomorrow,” said Green.
Ends.
Fiji, August 1: Vijay Singh, a former world number one and one of Fiji’s greatest sportsmen, returned home to great fanfare as he readies himself for the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways which gets underway on Thursday. Nicknamed ‘The Big Fijian’, Singh was greeted by the presence of his good friend Ernie Els as […]
Fiji, August 1: Vijay Singh, a former world number one and one of Fiji’s greatest sportsmen, returned home to great fanfare as he readies himself for the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways which gets underway on Thursday.
Nicknamed ‘The Big Fijian’, Singh was greeted by the presence of his good friend Ernie Els as well as a host of international players including reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit champion Gavin Green of Malaysia, Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond and Zimbabwean Scott Vincent at the picturesque Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course.
Singh might hold a slight advantage over the rest of the field having played a major role in the re-design of the course which was finalized just before the 2017 edition.
Green will meanwhile be hoping for an improved performance having held a share of the halfway lead last year while Jazz is looking to shake off the effects of jetlag before he steps up to the tee at the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways, which being tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour European Tour and ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia again.
Vincent, who has been knocking on the winner’s doors on several occasions this year, will be hoping to finally unlock it this week having finished tied-ninth last year.
Did you know?
- Vijay Singh was the first Fijian golfer to build a successful international career in golf. He was world number one for 32 weeks in 2004 and 2005 and has won three Majors.
- Singh holds 63 international victories and was elected into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2005.
- Singh designed the Championship Course at Natadola Bay in 2009 and oversaw major renovations ahead of the 2017 event, to include wider fairways, flatter greens and a finessed layout.
- Jazz Janewattananond finished tied-second, four shots back of Australian champion Jason Norris at the Fiji International last year. He carded rounds of 74, 72, 68 and 64 for a four-day total of 10-under-par 278.
- Jazz first played his way into the history books of the Asian Tour in 2010 when he became the youngest ever player to make the halfway cut at the 2010 Asian Tour International in Bangkok at the age of 14 years and 71 days.
- He won his second Asian Tour title at the Queen’s Cup last month and made his Major debut at The Open a fortnight ago.
- Gavin Green took a share of the halfway lead at the Fiji International last year.His weekend rounds of 73 and 82 however saw him finish in a share of 63rd place.
- Green became the first Malaysian to win the Asian Tour Order of Merit title last year.
- Prior to turning professional in 2015, Green enjoyed an illustrious career which saw him become the first amateur to win on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) following his victory in 2014.
- Scott Vincent is the only Zimbabwean player on the Asian Tour and he has already enjoyed six top-10s this season.
- Vincent signalled his arrival in Asia when he came through the Asian Tour Qualifying School in 2016.
- He was named the Rookie of the Year after ending his 2016 season in 28th position. The Zimbabwean finished 17th on the money list in 2017 to retain his card for 2018.
Players Quotes
Vijay Singh (Fij)
It was a long journey, but what a place to come. I mean, the weather’s unbelievable today and I couldn’t ask for anything better. I’m looking forward to the week. I’m seeing the changes that I’ve made on this course and it’s coming in really well. Everything I hear right now is all raves, so I’m all excited. I’ve known him (Ernie) for a long, long time. We played together in Europe when he first came and we just kind of stayed as friends. Anytime I get a chance we can have a game. But we have a couple drinks together as well, so maybe this week. Yeah, he’s a good guy and we did a golf course together as well in Malaysia. I hope they can get more and more Fijians playing as it gets a lot more interest to the locals here. This event is going to over 40 countries and they can see how beautiful this place is. Hopefully, they can attract a lot more visitors and people who want to come and invest here.
Gavin Green (Mas)
It’s nice to be able to see all my friends again after being away for so long. I haven’t been playing on the Asian Tour for a couple of months and it’s good to be back in the company of the Asian guys here. The course looks a little different from last year and we’ll have to see how the course holds up especially when the wind blows. I’m back with more experience and of course more comfortable around the golf course now. But having said that, there are a lot of good players and it’s a strong field. I’ll have to do what I have to do.
Jazz Janewattananond (Tha)
I just got in today from Germany and I’m still jetlag. But the beauty of this place just takes away all the fatigue. My finish at this tournament last year really gave me a massive boost especially in terms of my confidence. I got to play in the bigger events after that and I just got better and better. So this event means a lot to me and it was a no brainer when I decided to come here even if it meant taking a very long flight. I just want to get as much rest as possible and be ready for tomorrow.
Scott Vincent (Zim)
It’s beautiful here. It’s so exciting to come back here. It’s hard to believe how clear the waters can be out here. It really is paradise. You got to play some fantastic golf here. When the wind blows, it makes your bad shots even worse. So you got to be on top of your game and you have to strike your ball really well. But as it is does every week, it comes down to making putts. Hopefully I can unlock the winner’s door this week and it will be nice to share that with her (wife, Kelsey) and I know she will love that too!
Ends.
Singapore, August 1: The 2019 SMBC Singapore Open will be played from January 17 to 20 and it will once again be the opening event on the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour Organisation. The US$1 million jointly sanctioned tournament, won by Spanish star Sergio Garcia at the start of this year, will be played on […]
Singapore, August 1: The 2019 SMBC Singapore Open will be played from January 17 to 20 and it will once again be the opening event on the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour Organisation.
The US$1 million jointly sanctioned tournament, won by Spanish star Sergio Garcia at the start of this year, will be played on the Serapong Course at Sentosa Golf Club – the event’s traditional home since 2005.
And for the third successive season the event will be part of The Open Qualifying Series. As was the case this year, the leading four non-exempt players will secure their places for the 148th Open at Royal Portrush Golf Club, in Northern Ireland, July18-21.
“Traditionally it is that time of year for us to confirm the dates for our national Open and we are delighted that it will once again start the season for the region’s two main Tours: the Asian and Japan Tours,” said Ross Tan, President of the Singapore Golf Association.
“Next year will be the 53rd Singapore Open and we will announce the line-up of star players in due course. Importantly, we are able to confirm today the SMBC Singapore Open will be part of The Open Qualifying Series ― a tremendous attribute that provides our tournament with global exposure.”
American Sean Crocker, Lucas Herbert from Australia and Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond and Danthai Boonma, were the four players who qualified for the Open at Carnoustie two weeks ago via January’s SMBC Singapore Open. Both Crocker and Herbert survived the halfway cut.
“The SMBC Singapore Open has been a key tournament in Asia for our Open Qualifying Series. It first became part of the series in 2017 and the R&A are thrilled that it will once again be part of the schedule next year,” said Dominic Wall, Director Asia Pacific, The R&A.
Places in the starting field at next year’s Open will be even for more sought after as it will be only the second time in the Open’s more than 150-year history that it will be played outside of Scotland and England, and the tournament is expected to be the biggest sporting event ever held in Northern Ireland.
Ends.
About Asian Tour
As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), Habitat for Humanity (Official Sustainable Development Partner), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), Titleist and FootJoy (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.
Fiji, July 31: South Africa’s Ernie Els, a four-time Major champion and former world number one, is looking forward to memorable debut while taking the opportunity to access the potential of the international field at the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways which gets underway on Thursday. The Asian Tour honorary member will also have the company of […]
Fiji, July 31: South Africa’s Ernie Els, a four-time Major champion and former world number one, is looking forward to memorable debut while taking the opportunity to access the potential of the international field at the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways which gets underway on Thursday.
The Asian Tour honorary member will also have the company of his wife and his daughter at the picturesque Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course as he attempts to live up to his billing as one of the headline acts this week.
“I got my wife and my daughter here and my caddie Casey from the U.S and we got here early yesterday morning. I’ve never been to Fiji and I wanted to have a little bit of holiday if it’s possible around the golf tournament, so it’s great to be here.
“I haven’t been the headline act for a while so it’s kind of a bit different for me than the last couple years. But my great friend Vijay (Singh) is here and hopefully we can play together at some point this week,” said Els.
Known for his smooth golf swing, ‘The Big Easy’ will also cast his eye on the performances of potential international team members, having been named as Captain of the International Team for next year’s Presidents Cup.
“I’m fortunate that I’m an honorary member of the Asian Tour and I play some events on the Asian Tour so I can keep my eye on some of the youngsters coming through.
“There’s a lot of young, young blood coming through from Asia and Australia and I’ve got to keep my eye on them, and playing in events like this allows me to see how their games are progressing,” said Els.
Japan’s Masahiro Kawamura, who emerged as the highest placed Asian Tour member at the recently concluded Open Championship in tied-39th place, will be among those looking to impress Els as he also makes his debut at the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways, which being tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour European Tour and ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia again.
"My performance at The Open Championship has given me a lot of confidence and I hope to do well again especially in my first visit to Fiji," said the Japanese.
Malaysia’s Gavin Green, the reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit champion, along with India’s Ajeetesh Sandhu and Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond, who finished tied-second at the Fiji International last year are also expected to spearhead the Asian Tour challenge in Fiji, which has now establish itself as a globally-recognised golfing destination.
"There’s obviously a lot of good players this week but I am looking forward to it. This is my first Asian Tour event since I last played in Malaysia in February and it’s good to catch up with old friends and play well again," said Green.
Ends.
July 31: Thai star Kiradech Aphibarnrat speaks plainly these days when it comes to his goals in golf and it was no different ahead of this week’s World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational. “I want to get the job done and take away the trophy,” said the 29-year old. Kiradech has plenty of reason to be super […]
July 31: Thai star Kiradech Aphibarnrat speaks plainly these days when it comes to his goals in golf and it was no different ahead of this week’s World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational.
“I want to get the job done and take away the trophy,” said the 29-year old.
Kiradech has plenty of reason to be super confident. This year, his career has continued to trend nicely with a couple of impressive top-five finishes at the WGC-Mexico Championship and WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. Two other top-15s at the Memorial Tournament and U.S. Open have also helped the big-hitting Kiradech become the first Thai golfer to secure his PGA TOUR card for the 2018-19 season.
Throw in his triumph in Australia at a tri-sanctioned tournament by the Asian, European and Australian Tours in February, Kiradech certainly has reason to feel like he’s on top of the world but he knows only a win at the iconic Firestone Country Club this week can put the exclamation mark to his impressive 2018 campaign.
“When I go to tournaments, it’s about myself now, how I perform and try to play my best,” said Kiradech. “The first two times that I played at Firestone, I was not consistent with my ball control but now, I can move the ball around and can go for certain shots. It should be a better week.”
In two previous appearances, Kiradech, a former world junior amateur champion, finished T40 and 53rd in 2013 and 2016 respectively and broke par only twice in eight rounds. He remembers Firestone as a course which rewards straight-shooting and for its smallish greens.
“It’s a long and narrow golf course, a bit old-styled with mature trees lining the fairways. If you strike it well and hit lots of fairways, then you can have chances to make birdies,” said Kiradech, who is now ranked 31st in the world.
His only concern ahead of this week’s showpiece which will parade 29 of the top-30 players from the FedExCup standings is fatigue. Kiradech has played in eight tournaments over a span of nine weeks culminating with The Open Championship two weeks ago.
When he arrived home in Bangkok, he did not bother to unpack his golf clubs and hung out with friends and family.
“My game did not feel good (at The Open). I was a bit tired as I’ve been playing a lot of tournaments and it affected my game. I couldn’t keep my ball under the wind,” said Kiradech, who finished T75 at the year’s third major.
“I had several good days being at home. I was away for several months and have probably hit a million golf balls during that time, so I wasn’t going to unpack my golf clubs at all.”
The former Asian Tour No. 1 is keen to succeed Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama as champion of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational but knows he must keep to the old cliché of taking it one shot at a time.
“I’ve been hitting it good this year and the key is always to stay patient and to stick to the game plan. The good thing is I’m enjoying my golf. It’ll be a good week to play well,” said Kiradech.
World No. 1 Dustin Johnson, 14-time major winner Tiger Woods, reigning FedExCup winner Justin Thomas, newly crowned Open winner Francesco Molinari and Matsuyama are amongst the stars assembled at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational which starts on Thursday.
ABOUT THE WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS-BRIDGESTONE INVITATIONAL
The Bridgestone Invitational is one of four World Golf Championships and annually attracts the world’s best golfers from across the globe including those from the Asian Tour, European Tour, Japan Golf Tour, PGA TOUR, PGA Tour of Australasia and Sunshine Tour. The other World Golf Championships include the Dell Technologies Match Play (Austin, Texas), Mexico Championship (Mexico City, Mexico) and the HSBC Champions (Shanghai, China). The Bridgestone Invitational annually donates approximately $1 million to charities throughout Northeast Ohio. Over the years, professional golf at Firestone Country Club has donated more than $26 million to worthy causes in Northeast Ohio, including the event’s signature charities Akron Children’s Hospital and University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital. Since the inception of the World Golf Championships in 1999, the series has raised over $50 million for deserving charities.
ABOUT BRIDGESTONE
Bridgestone Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, is the world’s largest tire and rubber company. In addition to tires for use in a wide variety of applications, it also manufactures a broad range of diversified products, which include industrial rubber and chemical products and sporting goods. Its products are sold in over 150 nations and territories around the world.
ABOUT BRIDGESTONE AMERICAS, INC.
Nashville, Tenn.-based Bridgestone Americas, Inc. (BSAM) is the U.S. subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation, the world’s largest tire and rubber company. BSAM and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture and market a wide range of Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand tires to address the needs of a broad range of customers, including consumers, automotive and commercial vehicle original equipment manufacturers, and those in the agricultural, forestry and mining industries. The companies are also engaged in retreading operations throughout the Western Hemisphere and produce air springs, roofing materials, and industrial fibers and textiles. The BSAM family of companies also operates the world’s largest chain of automotive tire and service centers. Guided by its One Team, One Planet message, the company is dedicated to achieving a positive environmental impact in all of the communities it calls home.
Bengaluru, India, July 31: TAKE Solutions, a globally recognized domain expert offering end-to-end Life Sciences solutions, has been dedicated to the agenda of elevating Indian Golf for over 15 years. TAKE’s golf ethos has been by growing the sport from the grassroots, being committed to stay the course and exposing Indian talent to international opportunities. […]
Bengaluru, India, July 31: TAKE Solutions, a globally recognized domain expert offering end-to-end Life Sciences solutions, has been dedicated to the agenda of elevating Indian Golf for over 15 years. TAKE’s golf ethos has been by growing the sport from the grassroots, being committed to stay the course and exposing Indian talent to international opportunities.
The company has been supporting golf through sponsored tournaments on the domestic and feeder circuits, bringing India its first ADT tournament in 2014, and the TAKE Solutions Masters on the Asian Tour as well as sponsorship of deserving players.
TAKE’s ambassadors SSP Chawrasia, the six-time Asian Tour and four-time European Tour winner will be returning along with Khalin Joshi, whose second-place result made him India’s top finisher in last year’s event at his home. They will be joined by Chiragh Kumar, the 4-time Indian Tour winner and silver medalist as an Amateur at the 2006 Asian Games as well as being a Panasonic Asian Tour winner.
Srinivasan H R, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, TAKE Solutions said,” The first edition of TAKE Solutions Masters saw the biggest and brightest names in Asia deliver 4 thrilling rounds of high quality golf on the challenging Karnataka Golf Association course. We are happy to be back to KGA’s wonderful hospitality and electric environment with a 156-strong field of the region’s finest. It has been a pleasure to work with the Asian Tour and the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) to champion the upliftment of golf in the region.”
SSP Chawrasia said, ”It is a pleasure to return to TAKE Solutions Masters and play with seasoned golf players from across the region. Tournaments like these have enabled golf in India to rapidly rise in recent years. My best wishes to all the players competing in this season of the tournament.”
TAKE Solutions started supporting Golf in 2003 with running the Indian leg of the World Corporate Golf Challenge. The company supported it for 10 years and in a very impactful way. The Indian team finished as winners on two occasions and it finished in the top 5. From there, TAKE moved on to supporting professional golfers in three ways:
Creating opportunities for young Indian professionals – especially giving them opportunities to play with their international peers. Today the company runs two events on the Indian tour and one full field Asian tour, TAKE Solutions Masters, annually.
The company supports young deserving golfers in their quest to play internationally – SSP Chawrasia, Khalin Joshi and Chiragh Kumar are current golf ambassadors. Shubhankar Sharma and Chikkarangappa S have been recent TAKE ambassadors. This enabled them to play on the international circuit. All of them play on the Asian tour, while SSP Chawrasia plays in the European tour also. They have brought several laurels to the country.
The company takes pride in recognising stellar performers, infrastructure and coaching in Golf, sponsors and runs the TAKE Solutions Golf Awards annually – the only event to celebrate golfers in India.
Ends.
About TAKE Solutions
TAKE Solutions delivers domain-intensive services in Life Sciences and Supply Chain Management.
In the fast-growing Life Sciences space, TAKE offers clients a unique combination of full-service Clinical, Regulatory and Safety services backed by unique technology expertise. Our range of services span from clinical trials to regulatory submissions to post-marketing safety, all backed by insights derived through proprietary industry networks forums. With a team of leading Life Sciences experts, best-in-class systems and processes, and bespoke, industry-specific technology and analytics, TAKE delivers successful outcomes for clients. Our global roster of clients includes large and small innovator biopharmaceutical companies as well as generics manufacturers.
In Supply Chain Management, TAKE focuses on high-margin niches in engineering services, and supply chain collaboration. Our IP-led approach enables its clients to automate supply chain processes, track, trace & control at item level, mandate supplier compliance, and streamline material & shipment movement, and thus optimize their processes.
With operations spread across North America, Europe, Asia, and South America, TAKE is a Public Company, listed in India on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange. Led by a team of industry stalwarts and domain experts, TAKE has been growing steadily with FY18 revenues touching INR 15,872 Mn, (USD 246 Mn).
July 31: India’s rising star Shubhankar Sharma has two simple goals to achieve at this week’s World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational. The first is to gather enough courage and introduce himself to Tiger Woods and the second is to keep his PGA TOUR dream alive with a strong showing at the iconic Firestone Country Club. The […]
July 31: India’s rising star Shubhankar Sharma has two simple goals to achieve at this week’s World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational.
The first is to gather enough courage and introduce himself to Tiger Woods and the second is to keep his PGA TOUR dream alive with a strong showing at the iconic Firestone Country Club.
The 22-year-old Sharma will make his debut on Thursday in the US$10 million showpiece headlined by title holder Hideki Matsuyama, World No. 1 Dustin Johnson, newly crowned Open Championship winner Francesco Molinari, 29 golfers from the top-30 of the FedExCup standings and 14-time major winner Woods, who will be playing in his first WGC event in four years.
“I’m really looking forward to the event as I’ve watched it on TV over the years,” said Sharma. “It’s a tough set up but it is a great tournament which has celebrated great champions. Tiger has won it so many times, and then guys like Adam (Scott), Hideki and other great players have won it too, so just to be a part of that is fantastic,” added the current leader of the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity standings.
Speaking of Woods, Sharma caused a few giggles when he tweeted the following message after the Open Championship: “Last word on one and the only @TigerWoods. I am yet to directly meet him. My nerves always get better of me, each time. Maybe, he will have to help me there:) A practise round will be ideal @WGC_Bridgestone, especially, looking at how it went for @F_Molinari 🙂 @TheOpen.”
“I think I’ll go say hi to him (Woods), but I’m a bit nervous,” said Sharma, who enjoyed a practice round with Molinari, Italy’s first major champion, at the Open in Carnoustie.
“He’s always with someone and I don’t want to disturb him but I’ll definitely make it point to say ‘hi’. He’s been a hero of mine growing up and it’ll be great to just meet him. I’ll make sure I don’t get too starry-eyed! Just introduce myself and have a normal conversation. I’m sure a lot of people will tell him stuff like ‘You’re my inspiration’ and I’m sure he’s tired of hearing all that. I’ll try to have a normal conversation and congratulate him as he’s been playing well.”
The young Indian has watched Woods’ famous “Shot in the Dark” during the final round at Firestone in 2000 on YouTube numerous times, saying: “It’s definitely a cool shot, one of the best shots he’s hit in his career for sure,” said Sharma, who will have compatriot Anirban Lahiri for company in this week’s elite field.
To attain his second goal, Sharma knows he must pull off some great shots of his own to keep his PGA TOUR dream alive at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and next week’s PGA Championship.
He impressed with a T9 at the WGC-Mexico Championship in March but has yet to replicate that success in seven other tournaments Stateside, with a T20 at the Fort Worth Invitational being his best.
“It definitely is still a goal to try and earn my PGA TOUR card this year but I have to play really well in the next two weeks. Playing on the PGA TOUR is my aim and I want to make it there,” he said.
“It’s been a breakout year where I’ve had the opportunity play in different tournaments against world-class fields. It’s a different feeling when you are playing with the best in the world. In Mexico, I played really well and I thought I played well on the last day but didn’t quite make the putts as I was tentative. I was happy with how I handled the occasion as I had a shot at winning a World Golf Championships event on my first try and that gave me a lot of confidence.
“I know I need to work hard to get onto a higher level. One thing for sure is I’m definitely much more comfortable playing amongst these players,” said Sharma.
ABOUT THE WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS-BRIDGESTONE INVITATIONAL
The Bridgestone Invitational is one of four World Golf Championships and annually attracts the world’s best golfers from across the globe including those from the Asian Tour, European Tour, Japan Golf Tour, PGA TOUR, PGA Tour of Australasia and Sunshine Tour. The other World Golf Championships include the Dell Technologies Match Play (Austin, Texas), Mexico Championship (Mexico City, Mexico) and the HSBC Champions (Shanghai, China). The Bridgestone Invitational annually donates approximately $1 million to charities throughout Northeast Ohio. Over the years, professional golf at Firestone Country Club has donated more than $26 million to worthy causes in Northeast Ohio, including the event’s signature charities Akron Children’s Hospital and University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital. Since the inception of the World Golf Championships in 1999, the series has raised over $50 million for deserving charities.
Sentosa, Singapore, July 30: South African Justin Harding broke into the world’s top-100 for the first time in his career after claiming his second win in three weeks on the Asian Tour at the US$500,000 Royal Cup on Sunday. The red-hot Harding climbed up 28 spots to a career-best 99th place on the Official World […]
Sentosa, Singapore, July 30: South African Justin Harding broke into the world’s top-100 for the first time in his career after claiming his second win in three weeks on the Asian Tour at the US$500,000 Royal Cup on Sunday.
The red-hot Harding climbed up 28 spots to a career-best 99th place on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) following his commanding six-shot victory, which marked the largest winning margin on the Asian Tour this season, at the Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club.
Harding, who won the Bank BRI Indonesia Open where he played on a sponsor’s invite three weeks ago, became the first player to win back-to-back titles on the region’s premier Tour since 2011 following his victory in Thailand. The 32-year-old South African is also the first player on Tour to win twice in his first two starts in Asia.
Playing in his first professional tournament in Thailand, Harding stamped his authority early at the Royal Cup with a pair of six-under-par 64s that gave him a three-shot lead going into the weekend rounds.
What a run @JustinHarding60! Congratulations on yet another @asiantourgolf victory and breaking into the World Top 100 is outstanding and well deserved. My very best. GP pic.twitter.com/Z1nZRsLCgL
— Gary Player (@garyplayer) July 30, 2018
He dropped his first bogey of the week on the 54th hole for a third-round 71 but bounced back with a brilliant 67 to seal his victory with a winning total of 14-under-par 266.
“It was a surprise two weeks ago, but I have been playing nicely recently,” said Harding, who took home a winner’s prize purse of US$90,000 and received a total of 14 OWGR points following his Thai debut.
He added: “I’m enjoying this run right now. The courses out here in Asia allow me to play strategically and I’m benefitting from it. I don’t find that I am trying too hard and I’m just letting it come to me.”
Prior to his breakthrough in Indonesia, Harding has also enjoyed successful exploits on the Sunshine Tour, where he leads the Order of Merit following a hot streak of two wins and three top-10s in his last five starts. He had started the season in 712nd place on the OWGR.
With a second Asian Tour victory in the bag, Harding moved from 32nd to 13th place on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings, led by India’s rising star Shubhankar Sharma.
Sharma extended his Merit lead after securing a commendable tied-51st place finish in his debut appearance at The 147th Open, where half the earnings were counted towards the Habitat for Humanity Standings. He sits atop the money list with a current haul of US$603,156.
This week, the Asian Tour heads to the holiday isle of Fiji for the Fiji International presented by Fiji Fairways. The AUD$1.25 million (approx. US$970,000) tournament is tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia.
Top-20 players on the Habitat for Humanity Standings
Pos Player Order of Merit (US$)
1 Shubhankar SHARMA (IND) $603,155.55
2 Matt WALLACE (ENG) $446,660.00
3 Kiradech APHIBARNRAT (THA) $372,480.89
4 Sanghyun PARK (KOR) $295,660.39
5 Rahil GANGJEE (IND) $290,425.53
6 Sihwan KIM (USA) $279,623.77
7 Minchel CHOI (KOR) $271,340.97
8 Paul PETERSON (USA) $241,148.57
9 Scott VINCENT (ZIM) $231,289.85
10 Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND) $203,466.05
11 Jazz JANEWATTANANOND (THA) $199,324.39
12 John CATLIN (USA) $195,547.91
13 Justin HARDING (RSA) $180,000.00
14 Berry HENSON (USA) $159,358.66
15 Daniel NISBET (AUS) $151,883.64
16 Panuphol PITTAYARAT (THA) $140,649.11
17 Prom MEESAWAT (THA) $140,214.84
18 Khalin JOSHI (IND) $133,933.64
19 Shaun NORRIS (RSA) $130,943.24
20 Hideto TANIHARA (JPN) $123,306.08
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.
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