Mauritius, December 2: Arjun Atwal of India battled to a three-under-par 68 in swirling wind to tie for the third round lead with Louis De Jager of South Africa at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open on Saturday.

Atwal, a former Asian Tour number one, enjoyed a solid front nine 32 before adding his fifth birdie on hole 14. He was ahead by one-shot heading into 18 but missed a four-foot par putt to finish on 13-under-par 200 at the Heritage Golf Club.

The 30-year-old De Jager produced a flawless 67, highlighted by two birdies in each half, to charge into contention at the €1million (approximately US$1.07 million) event sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and Sunshine Tour.

Talented Filipino Miguel Tabuena birdied the closing two holes to stay one-shot back of the leaders following a round of 67. He shared third place with Dylan Frittelli of South Africa who also birdied the last hole for a 68.

Atwal, who will captain Team Asia in the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM in 2018, will enter the final 18 holes with huge confidence after retaining his lead which he has held since firing a course record 62 on the opening day.

He did not play a practice round this week and is still recovering from a 16-hour journey from Kuala Lumpur. He remains relaxed on the holiday-isle of Mauritius as he searches for a ninth Asian Tour title and his first since 2014.

The 23-year-old Tabuena recovered from an opening bogey to return with five birdies and stay in the hunt for a second Asian Tour title.

Did you know?

• The last time Atwal was in a share of the lead heading into the final round was at the 2014 Dubai Open which he eventually won.
• Out of the eight Asian Tour victories, Atwal has won five when he has led or co-led heading into the final round.
• Atwal birdied the par-five seventh hole for the third straight day. He is also four-under on the par-five 14th hole where he eagled on the first day and birdied in round two and three.
• A three putt on the 18th hole led to a disappointing bogey. It was his first three putt in the tournament. He totalled 26 putts today which equalled his total putts in round one.
• In three editions of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, only George Goetzee of South Africa has led after the third round and gone on to win the tournament.
• Jager is a three-time Sunshine Tour champion. He will play in the final group for the first time in his career in a tri-sanctioned event.
• He is aiming to become the second South African player after Coetzee to win the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.
• De Jager said he is inspired to win the tournament after playing in a pro-am with South African legend Gary Player last week.
• Tabuena only used driver on holes two, four, seven, 11, 14 and 17. On most holes other than the par threes, he would drive the ball with a two-iron.
• This is the first time this week where Tabuena has birdied the closing two holes. He has also birdied the par five 14th hole on all three days.

Player Interviews:

Arjun Atwal (Ind) – Third Round 68 (-3), Total 200 (-13)

I played solid all day except for a blip on the last hole which won’t bother me. It did play harder today. It was definitely blowing harder out of the three days. I played solid all day.

The driving was difficult because we had crosswinds on most holes but I drove it on most days pretty good. 18 was the only missed drive but other than that I drove it pretty much where I was looking and I’m very pleased with that.

The officials got it right with the green speeds. If it was any faster, the ball would move especially in the gusty conditions. I’m really looking forward to Sunday. With the way I’m playing, I think I have a good shot at it.

I’m really calm here but a bit tired. You mixed those two together and I think I’ll be okay on Sunday!

Louis de Jager (Rsa) – Third Round 67 (-4), Total 200 (-13)

I’m very pleased with my efforts. It was really tough out there today. The wind was very strong and there were some good pin positions, so I’m really pleased with the score.

I felt really composed. I was quite cool and calm out there. I didn’t hit the ball as well as the first two days but my short game really saved me today, and my putter really saved me inside the eight-foot range. I made a few crucial putts that really kept me in the tournament.

It’s always a goal to keep bogeys off the card. You know you can hit good shots and still make bogey, so when there are none on the card, it’s really pleasing.

It’s going to be my first time in the final group in a co-sanctioned tournament. I’m going to cherish the moment. I’m looking forward to it and I’m going to go out there and give it my all.

Miguel Tabuena (Phi) – Third Round 67 (-4), Total 201 (-12)

I can’t complain but I can’t get ahead of myself. There’re still 18 holes left. It looked easy but it really isn’t. There are holes which can bite you. I didn’t take advantage of the par fives and I’m not happy about that.

I’m really looking forward to tomorrow. I’ve been in position so many times locally and on the Asian Tour. I know what it takes to win. I’m in beautiful Mauritius and you can’t complain.

I didn’t use many drivers because of the way the course is. I’m not the shortest hitter with a two-iron. The key on this course is to find the fairways and I’ve been doing that.

I used driver on

Dylan Frittelli (Rsa) – Third Round 68 (-3), Total 201 (-12)

I’m pretty happy. Through the front nine I had a goal of two under and I beat that by one, but it could have been a whole lot better. I played well today I just couldn’t get the putts to go in. I’ll do a bit of practice now and hopefully go lower tomorrow.

I probably had eight or ten putts where I read the putts perfectly then had to adjust for the wind. I though the wind was going to hit it and most of the time it didn’t, so it was a bit tricky there. I still gave myself opportunities. I think tomorrow I’ll try to hit it a bit closer and make it easier for the putter.

The 18th is pretty tough if you can’t get the drive on the fairway. I just figured I would hit as hard as I can down the middle and today it came off nicely. I only had 186 to the flag, seven iron, middle of the green, easy two putt – although I turned it into a difficult two putt! I would have to check the stats but I would figure it was at least a shot and a half harder than the first two days. You’ve got the top 65 guys playing right now so it’s tough to see those stats, but I would figure if the whole field played, at least a shot and a half.

I gave myself a lot of chances. It’s just tough when you’re on the green, 30 feet away with the wind blowing sideways. You’re just trying to lag it up there. It’s boring to play in fact, you just have to roll it up and tap it in because you can’t really give it a go. You’re standing with an iron shot thinking, well unless I hit it inside 30 feet I’m just lagging it, so there’s lot of pressure on those iron shots. Hopefully tomorrow I can be a little more specific and hit it closer.

I’m really excited, I didn’t think I would be one shot back at the end of the day. I struggled through most of the round. I’ll sleep well tonight and won’t be in the final group tomorrow, so that will help. Hopefully I’ll post a nice low number and watch the guys come in.

Leading third round scores:

200 – Louis DE JAGER (RSA) 66 67 67, Arjun ATWAL (IND) 62 70 68

201 – Miguel TABUENA (PHI) 66 68 67, Dylan FRITTELLI (RSA) 67 66 68

203 – Romain LANGASQUE (FRA) 67 69 67, Justin WALTERS (RSA) 68 66 69, Jose-Filipe LIMA (POR) 68 66 69

204 – Ricardo GOUVEIA (POR) 68 68 68

205 – Joel STALTER (FRA) 67 68 70, Oliver BEKKER (RSA) 67 67 71, Laurie CANTER (ENG) 67 66 72

206 – Douglas MCGUIGAN (RSA) 69 71 66, Jean-Paul STRYDOM (RSA) 71 69 66, Haydn PORTEOUS (RSA) 69 71 66, George COETZEE (RSA) 67 71 68, Shiv KAPUR (IND) 69 69 68, Matthieu PAVON (FRA) 69 68 69, Darren FICHARDT (RSA) 70 66 70, Louis OOSTHUIZEN (RSA) 67 68 71, Mark WILLIAMS (ZIM) 69 66 71

207 – Masahiro KAWAMURA (JPN) 68 70 69, Jinho CHOI (KOR) 71 66 70, Ockie STRYDOM (RSA) 66 68 73

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

TOURNAMENT PUBLIC RELATIONS
Michael Vlismas
Tournament Media Manager
Tel: +27 (0) 21 851 9052
Mob: +27 (0) 72 242 8399
Email: [email protected]

EUROPEAN TOUR
Scott Crockett
Communications Director
The European Tour and Ryder Cup
Tel: +44 (0) 1344 840447
Mob: +44 (0) 7740 393487
Email: [email protected]

ASIAN TOUR
Doyle De Costa
Asian Tour, Communications Senior Manager
Tel: +6012 699 1976
Email: [email protected]

SUNSHINE TOUR
Mike Green
Communications Manager
Southern Africa PGA Tour
Tel: +27 (0) 21 850 6500
Mob: +27 (0) 82 830 2808
Email: [email protected]

About Asian Tour

As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), FENIX XCell (Official Apparel Supplier), Titleist (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.

Please visit us at:

www.wp-asiantour.ocs-sport.com
www.facebook.com/asiantourgolf
www.twitter.com/asiantourgolf
www.youtube.com/theasiantour
www.weibo.com/asiantourgolf

Photo credit: Richard Castka

Beijing, April 16: Defending champion Alexander Levy will have a unique hat-trick in sight when he tees up for his title defence at the prestigious Volvo China Open which will be held at the Beijing Topwin Golf & Country Club from April 26 to 29.

The 27-year-old Frenchman, who represented Team Europe at the 2018 EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM in January, claimed his fourth European Tour title in the event last year after defeating South Africa’s Dylan Fritelli in a play-off.

Levy will return to his winning ground looking to create a unique piece of golfing history in the CNY 20 million (approximately US$3,178,000) event, tri-sanctioned by the China Golf Association, Asian Tour and the European Tour.

"Playing in China obviously agrees with me," said Levy. "It’s a lucky country for me and not only at the Volvo China Open as I’ve also finished seventh, third and fourth at other tournaments here so there’s no doubt that I like the place. Winning last year in China was definitely a different feeling from 2014 because your first win is always special.

"After you’ve got that first title, you always feel the same when you are under pressure – and the pressure is much easier to handle if you’ve already won a tournament. You just need to remember that feeling."

Levy shot a course record 62 on the way to his first professional victory at the 2014 Volvo China Open where he won by four shots over England’s Tommy Fleetwood at the Genzon Golf Club. He also set a course record of 63 at the Beijing Topwin Golf & Country Club when he played alongside European captain Thomas Bjorn last year.

"I’ve played well since the start of the season," he said. "I’m happy with the way I’m working, the way I’m swinging and the way I’m playing. It’s a good time for me. I think it’s the best I’ve been swinging in my career, so I just enjoy it and try to hit the best shots I can."

Levy will be targeting a coveted spot on the European Team when the Ryder Cup makes its debut in Paris at Le Golf National in September. Every French professional will want to be one of the 12 players representing Europe in Paris this year.

“I will be lying if I said the Ryder Cup isn’t a target for me," added Levy. "It would be a dream to play in the Ryder Cup in France and I will be doing all I can to make the team."

If Levy were to pick up the famous Volvo China Open Scandinavian Horizon trophy for an unprecedented third time, he would be well on course for a 2018 Ryder Cup charge.

Ends.

Mauritius, December 2: Arjun Atwal of India battled to a three-under-par 68 in swirling wind to tie for the third round lead with Louis De Jager of South Africa at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open on Saturday. 

Atwal, a former Asian Tour number one, enjoyed a solid front nine 32 before adding his fifth birdie on hole 14. He was ahead by one-shot heading into 18 but missed a four-foot par putt to finish on 13-under-par 200 at the Heritage Golf Club.

The 30-year-old De Jager produced a flawless 67, highlighted by two birdies in each half, to charge into contention at the €1million (approximately US$1.07 million) event sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and Sunshine Tour.

Talented Filipino Miguel Tabuena birdied the closing two holes to stay one-shot back of the leaders following a round of 67. He shared third place with Dylan Frittelli of South Africa who also birdied the last hole for a 68.

Atwal, who will captain Team Asia in the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM in 2018, will enter the final 18 holes with huge confidence after retaining his lead which he has held since firing a course record 62 on the opening day.

He did not play a practice round this week and is still recovering from a 16-hour journey from Kuala Lumpur. He remains relaxed on the holiday-isle of Mauritius as he searches for a ninth Asian Tour title and his first since 2014.

The 23-year-old Tabuena recovered from an opening bogey to return with five birdies and stay in the hunt for a second Asian Tour title.

Did you know?

• The last time Atwal was in a share of the lead heading into the final round was at the 2014 Dubai Open which he eventually won.
• Out of the eight Asian Tour victories, Atwal has won five when he has led or co-led heading into the final round.
• Atwal birdied the par-five seventh hole for the third straight day. He is also four-under on the par-five 14th hole where he eagled on the first day and birdied in round two and three.
• A three putt on the 18th hole led to a disappointing bogey. It was his first three putt in the tournament. He totalled 26 putts today which equalled his total putts in round one.
• In three editions of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, only George Goetzee of South Africa has led after the third round and gone on to win the tournament.
• Jager is a three-time Sunshine Tour champion. He will play in the final group for the first time in his career in a tri-sanctioned event.
• He is aiming to become the second South African player after Coetzee to win the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.
• De Jager said he is inspired to win the tournament after playing in a pro-am with South African legend Gary Player last week.
• Tabuena only used driver on holes two, four, seven, 11, 14 and 17. On most holes other than the par threes, he would drive the ball with a two-iron.
• This is the first time this week where Tabuena has birdied the closing two holes. He has also birdied the par five 14th hole on all three days 

Player Interviews:

Arjun Atwal (Ind) – Third Round 68 (-3), Total 200 (-13)

I played solid all day except for a blip on the last hole which won’t bother me. It did play harder today. It was definitely blowing harder out of the three days. I played solid all day.

The driving was difficult because we had crosswinds on most holes but I drove it on most days pretty good. 18 was the only missed drive but other than that I drove it pretty much where I was looking and I’m very pleased with that.

The officials got it right with the green speeds. If it was any faster, the ball would move especially in the gusty conditions. I’m really looking forward to Sunday. With the way I’m playing, I think I have a good shot at it.

I’m really calm here but a bit tired. You mixed those two together and I think I’ll be okay on Sunday!

Louis de Jager (Rsa) – Third Round 67 (-4), Total 200 (-13)

I’m very pleased with my efforts. It was really tough out there today. The wind was very strong and there were some good pin positions, so I’m really pleased with the score.

I felt really composed. I was quite cool and calm out there. I didn’t hit the ball as well as the first two days but my short game really saved me today, and my putter really saved me inside the eight-foot range. I made a few crucial putts that really kept me in the tournament.

It’s always a goal to keep bogeys off the card. You know you can hit good shots and still make bogey, so when there are none on the card, it’s really pleasing.

It’s going to be my first time in the final group in a co-sanctioned tournament. I’m going to cherish the moment. I’m looking forward to it and I’m going to go out there and give it my all.

Miguel Tabuena (Phi) – Third Round 67 (-4), Total 201 (-12)

I can’t complain but I can’t get ahead of myself. There’re still 18 holes left. It looked easy but it really isn’t.  There are holes which can bite you. I didn’t take advantage of the par fives and I’m not happy about that.

I’m really looking forward to tomorrow. I’ve been in position so many times locally and on the Asian Tour. I know what it takes to win. I’m in beautiful Mauritius and you can’t complain.

I didn’t use many drivers because of the way the course is. I’m not the shortest hitter with a two-iron. The key on this course is to find the fairways and I’ve been doing that.

Dylan Frittelli (Rsa) – Third Round 68 (-3), Total 201 (-12)

I’m pretty happy. Through the front nine I had a goal of two under and I beat that by one, but it could have been a whole lot better. I played well today I just couldn’t get the putts to go in. I’ll do a bit of practice now and hopefully go lower tomorrow.

I probably had eight or ten putts where I read the putts perfectly then had to adjust for the wind. I though the wind was going to hit it and most of the time it didn’t, so it was a bit tricky there. I still gave myself opportunities. I think tomorrow I’ll try to hit it a bit closer and make it easier for the putter.

The 18th is pretty tough if you can’t get the drive on the fairway. I just figured I would hit as hard as I can down the middle and today it came off nicely. I only had 186 to the flag, seven iron, middle of the green, easy two putt – although I turned it into a difficult two putt!

I would have to check the stats but I would figure it was at least a shot and a half harder than the first two days. You’ve got the top 65 guys playing right now so it’s tough to see those stats, but I would figure if the whole field played, at least a shot and a half.

I gave myself a lot of chances. It’s just tough when you’re on the green, 30 feet away with the wind blowing sideways. You’re just trying to lag it up there. It’s boring to play in fact, you just have to roll it up and tap it in because you can’t really give it a go. You’re standing with an iron shot thinking, well unless I hit it inside 30 feet I’m just lagging it, so there’s lot of pressure on those iron shots. Hopefully tomorrow I can be a little more specific and hit it closer.

I’m really excited, I didn’t think I would be one shot back at the end of the day. I struggled through most of the round. I’ll sleep well tonight and won’t be in the final group tomorrow, so that will help. Hopefully I’ll post a nice low number and watch the guys come in.

Leading third round scores:

200 – Louis DE JAGER (RSA) 66 67 67, Arjun ATWAL (IND) 62 70 68

201 – Miguel TABUENA (PHI) 66 68 67, Dylan FRITTELLI (RSA) 67 66 68

203 – Romain LANGASQUE (FRA) 67 69 67, Justin WALTERS (RSA) 68 66 69, Jose-Filipe LIMA (POR) 68 66 69

204 – Ricardo GOUVEIA (POR) 68 68 68

205 – Joel STALTER (FRA) 67 68 70, Oliver BEKKER (RSA) 67 67 71, Laurie CANTER (ENG) 67 66 72

206 – Douglas MCGUIGAN (RSA) 69 71 66, Jean-Paul STRYDOM (RSA) 71 69 66, Haydn PORTEOUS (RSA) 69 71 66, George COETZEE (RSA) 67 71 68, Shiv KAPUR (IND) 69 69 68, Matthieu PAVON (FRA) 69 68 69, Darren FICHARDT (RSA) 70 66 70, Louis OOSTHUIZEN (RSA) 67 68 71, Mark WILLIAMS (ZIM) 69 66 71

207 – Masahiro KAWAMURA (JPN) 68 70 69, Jinho CHOI (KOR) 71 66 70, Ockie STRYDOM (RSA) 66 68 73

About Asian Tour

As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), FENIX XCell (Official Apparel Supplier), Titleist (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.

Please visit us at:

www.wp-asiantour.ocs-sport.com

www.facebook.com/asiantourgolf

www.twitter.com/asiantourgolf

www.youtube.com/theasiantour

www.weibo.com/asiantourgolf

Osaka, Japan, April 13:  The Panasonic Swing on the Asian Tour is set for a thrilling conclusion when the Panasonic Open Championship gets underway next week.

The Panasonic Swing is based on an aggregate points ranking earned by players at the following five tournaments- 2017 Thailand Open, 2017 Panasonic Open India, 2017 Indonesian Masters, 2018 Maybank Championship (Malaysia), and 2018 Panasonic Open Championship.

India’s Shiv Kapur, who has 2870.40 points, remains in pole position heading into the final leg at the Ibaraki Country Club after a glorious 2017 season which saw him become the only golfer to win multiple titles including the 2017 Panasonic Open India on the Asian Tour.

“Being the inaugural year-long Panasonic Swing spread over five countries, it would be amazing to win the Panasonic Swing.

“There are so many good players in contention and you have to maintain your form and consistency over a long period unlike any other swing series on any of the other Tours worldwide,” said Kapur.

With second-placed Shubhankar Sharma of India opting to give the Panasonic Open Championship a miss next week, Thailand’s Rattanon Wannasrichan will have the opportunity to pip Kapur to the top prize if he can reproduce his winning form that saw him lift his National Open last year.

“I’ll always remember my wire-to-wire win at the Thailand Open last year. That was very special as it showed I have the game to compete at the highest level. I’m looking forward to winning again,” said Rattanon.

India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar, Ajeetesh Sandhu and Zimbabwean Scott Vincent also have mathematical chances of winning the Panasonic Swing should Kapur fail to make the weekend cut at the Panasonic Open Championship.

No less than 30 Asian Tour winners are expected to feature at the Panasonic Open Championship which is the third event to be sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO) this year.

A minimum of two events are required to be played inclusive of the Panasonic Open Championship in order to qualify for the Panasonic Swing bonus pool. There will be a x1.5 multiplier for points earned at the Panasonic Open Championship.

The top-three finishers upon the conclusion of the Panasonic Open Japan 2018 will share a bonus pool of US$150,000 where they will earn US$70,000, US$50,000 and US$30,000 respectively via the reward scheme.

The winner of the Panasonic Swing will also receive an exemption into an European Tour event in 2018.

Panasonic Corporation which has supported the Olympic Games as an official worldwide partner for over 25 years, has also backed professional golf at the highest level in Asia through its title sponsorship of the Panasonic OPEN India since 2011 and the Panasonic Open Championship.

Ends.

Mauritius, December 1: Arjun Atwal of India fired a one-under-par 70 to maintain his lead on a wind-swept day at the halfway stage of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open on Friday. 

The eight-time Asian Tour champion, who opened with a sizzling 62, totalled 10-under-par 132 to hold a one-shot advantage at the €1million (approximately US$1.07 million) event sanctioned by the Asian Tour, Sunshine Tour and European Tour.

Dylan Frittelli of South Africa eagled the last hole for a 66 to tie in second place alongside countryman Louis de Jager (67) and Laurie Canter (66) of England, at the Heritage Golf Club.

Miguel Tabuena of the Philippines stayed within striking distance following a 68 to share fifth place alongside Jose-Filipe Lima (66) of Portugal and South Africans Ockie Strydom (68), Justin Walters (66) and Oliver Bekker (67). They are two shots back of Atwal.

Atwal struggled to repeat his opening round magic but stayed in the hunt to end a three-year title drought after posting three birdies against two bogeys.

The Indian, who will captain Team Asia in the EurAsia Cup next year, almost chipped in for birdie on his final ninth hole before settling for par. He stayed composed on a blustery day as he heads into the weekend as the first player to reach double digits.

Frittelli drove the green on the par-four ninth hole and drained his 12-foot eagle putt to stay within a shot of Atwal. The South African enjoyed a solid 2016/2017 European Tour season where he won his first title and finished second thrice.

Tabuena made the turn in 35 and produced a stunning eagle on hole two when his two-iron from 236 yards landed three feet from the hole. He bogeyed the sixth hole but it was erased by his third birdie of the day on hole eight.

The halfway cut was set at one-under-par 141 with a total of 67 players making the weekend rounds.

Did you know?

• After 36 holes, Atwal has only dropped two shots, both bogeys coming in the second round on holes 16 and three.
• He totalled 28 putts today as compared to his 26 putts in the first round.
• When Atwal made his debut at the Heritage Golf Club in 2015, he struggled to break par and missed the cut.
• Atwal is enjoying a fine run at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open considering that he did not play a practice round after arriving late Wednesday evening after travelling for 16 hours via Dubai from Kuala Lumpur.
• He holds eight Asian Tour titles but his last win came at the 2014 Dubai Open.
• Frittelli continues his fine form in the new European Tour season. Last season he won his first title while finishing second thrice. He also finished tied fourth in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
• The South African is the only player to eagle the par-four ninth hole after 36 holes. He also eagled the 18th hole in the opening round.
• This is Tabuena’s second appearance at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open. His two day score of eight-under-par 134 is his best result in the tournament.
• His eagle on the par-five second hole was his second in the event. He also eagled the par-five seventh hole in the opening round.
• The 23-year-old Tabuena hopes to erase the heartbreak of missing out on a second Asian Tour title at the Resorts World Manila Masters three weeks ago where he bogeyed the last hole to miss the play-off.
• Suttijet Kooratanapisan of Thailand produced the low round of the day when he returned with a 62 highlighted by two eagles. It was a huge turnaround for the Thai who opened with a 76. He ties the course record set by Atwal in the opening round.
• The Order of Merit battle is far from over. The leader Gavin Green and third ranked Scott Hend missed the cut while S.S.P. Chawrasia, ranked fourth, shot a second round 67 to lie in tied 12th place.

Player Interviews:

Arjun Atwal (Ind) – Second round 70 (-1), Total 132 (-10)

I thought it was a lot more trickier. The wind wasn’t blowing at a consistent pace and it would gust and you would look like a fool out there. I was pleased with how I played.

The putter was definitely not as hot as the first day. I was hitting the ball just as good but it is tough to follow up a 62 with another low round. I’ll take this one-under.

I almost birdied the ninth. I misjudged the wind with my second shot and it came out just short. It was right on line as well. I would usually putt from the distance I was from the hole but decided to chip and it almost went it. It was a good way to finish.

I’m always calm. People who know me know that I don’t get fired up or lose my temper. I’m pretty much the same all the time. I’m really looking forward to the weekend.

(On recovering from the long distance travel) I feel as good as I can feel for my age. I’m feeling a bit sore but I’ll be okay tomorrow.

Dylan Frittelli (South Africa), 67, 66 (-9)

I’m very happy with the score. The score was good but I didn’t play too well today. Yesterday I played really solid throughout the day and today I had a few too many birdies in my opinion but salvaged it at the end of the round.

Birdie on six was really good and then seven; I hit on the green in two and decided to three-putt for par. That was silly but I just knuckled down, just try to forget about it right away. I hit a great shot into eight, nice five-footer for birdie and then, obviously, on number nine, I hit a pearler of a drive to kick in for the eagle. Yesterday I hit it probably 14 or 12 feet away as well. So, tee shot gets up nicely drawing into the wind. I felt comfortable there.  I just decided to give it a go. I mean, it’s 296 to the flag, I think, so three-wood’s landing just short, hit a really good little fade in there and worked out. Got a good bounce, I think.

I’m feeling confident. I mean, if I was within five shots of the leader today, I would still feel confident. There’s still a lot of golf left so I’m happy to be out there and competing with the guys but 36 holes is a lot of golf to play.

It’s probably two years of hard work and a lot of good specific work the last year. Had about six months just working on the mental side and the physical side, trying to get everything into top shape and I’ve done that pretty well throughout the year.

You know, this is week five in a row for me. I’m definitely on form now, I’ve played a lot of tournament golf in the last five weeks and it’s showing in my performance.

Louis de Jager (Rsa) – Second Round 67 (-4) Total 133 (-9)

I’m very pleased. I’ve played some really good golf over the last two days. Overall, I’ve hit the ball well and my short game was good today. It was a bit windier today, so it was tougher to hit the greens. My short game really kept me there and I rolled a few nice putts in at the end and that helped.

Length-wise, the course wasn’t much different this afternoon from yesterday morning. But you just had to think a bit more and the ball shapes a bit more because the winds are mostly crosswinds here. So you have to think a bit and use your imagination a bit more, but I’m pleased with how I handled myself out there today.

I was talking to one of my playing partners, who was remarking on the wind, and I told him that we were just coming off a six or seven-week stretch of coastal tournaments on the Sunshine Tour, so I was feeling quite comfortable in the wind. That definitely helps. It teaches you to stay calm and collected out there.

I’m feeling very good going into the weekend. I’m hitting the ball so well, I’m putting well, I’m chipping well, so it’s going to be a fun weekend.

Laurie Canter (Eng) – Second Round 66 (-5), Total 133 (-9)

Yesterday evet though we went out last it felt like we had a pretty good draw. It was windy to start with kind of played the back nine in a half club, one club wind. Today it was probably the other way round, probably finished in a good two, three club wind really.

I’ve played so much golf in the wind recently, like through Q School. It just feel like I’ve played a load of links golf and that kind of stuff, so I kind of felt quite comfortable out there for a lot of it.

If you can drive the ball half decent around here you’ll have a fair few opportunities to score and get the wedge in your hand a lot. I’m delighted with the two days really.

Playing in the wind is something that I would have said, maybe a year ago, that I need to do better. Some of the wily old foxes who play in Europe, I’ve played with them and they’re really good at that. Just making a score, getting flight on the ball, hitting a few different shots.

It’s something that I’ve worked on a bit with my coach to try to give myself a few more shots going into the green. I felt like I had one swing. I’m trying to knock the ball down a bit more, play a few more half shots, take the spin off. Maybe today and yesterday was the start of me feeling a bit more comfortable and taking that into a tournament.

I’m a pretty good mid-range putter. I fancy myself from 15, 20 feet. My short putting, I’m working hard on at the moment. That can improve a little still but the mid-range stuff is really good, I would back myself a lot from 15, 20 feet. I’m trying to free that up and hole a few putts, which is obviously crucial to posting a good score.

The weekend will be fun. I’ve played a couple of years now on the Tour, but in truth I’ve probably had a lot of 30th to 50th, let’s say. I’ve put myself in good position a few times going into the weekend. I think the position I’m in coming out of Qualifying School, I’ve got nothing to lose. We have to play really well and I’m going to need some really big finishes this year, the way our order of merit is going to pan out, to keep my card. That’s what I’m going to do. Certainly I’ve got nothing to lose this weekend. I’ll go and enjoy it, play as well as I can and we’ll see what happens on Sunday.

Miguel Tabuena (Phi) – Second Round 68 (-3), Total 134 (-8)

I’m pleased with the way I played today. I thought it would be less windy but it started blowing from the first hole. I knew anything under-par would be a great score. I played great but I need to work on my putting and I’ll be ready for tomorrow.

I personally think the back nine was the harder nine. I was glad to get it out of the way in two-under. It was gusty so I was second guessing the wind a lot. That cost me a few shots. I’m playing and striking the ball really well.

The eagle on the second hole gave me a lot of confidence. I hit a terrible shot on the first. On the next hole, I had the same shot but on the fairway. I told myself to hit it as hard as I could. I hit my two iron from 236 yards out and it landed three feet from the hole. I holed that for eagle.

I didn’t expect to birdie the eighth hole. It is one of the tougher par threes. My putter saved me there (holed a 25 foot birdie).

S.S.P. Chawrasia (Ind) – Second Round 67 (-4), Total 136 (-6)

It was a bogey-free round so I’m very happy. I started with a bogey-bogey yesterday then I fought back very nicely. It was a good comeback and today I just continued from where I left off.

There was no wind on the first five holes but it started to blow. I think it was blowing stronger than yesterday. I’m playing well and I’ve been working hard on my game. I can see that my game is getting better. That’s why I think I’ve had good results in the last few weeks except the final round in Hong Kong!

After playing a bad round, I need to delete it after 10 minutes. I don’t want to carry these bad memories with me. Obviously when you play bad, you feel bad so you don’t want to take that with you.

I’m enjoying my time here. There are a lot of Indian people and they can speak Hindi. I’m enjoying the beach and my room has a sea view!

Leading second round scores:

132 – Arjun ATWAL (IND) 62 70

133 – Dylan FRITTELLI (RSA) 67 66, Laurie CANTER (ENG) 67 66, Louis DE JAGER (RSA) 66 67

134 – Miguel TABUENA (PHI) 66 68, Jose-Filipe LIMA (POR) 68 66, Ockie STRYDOM (RSA) 66 68, Justin WALTERS (RSA) 68 66, Oliver BEKKER (RSA) 67 67

135 – Mark WILLIAMS (ZIM) 69 66, Joel STALTER (FRA) 67 68, Louis OOSTHUIZEN (RSA) 67 68

136 – Anders HANSEN (DEN) 67 69, Ricardo GOUVEIA (POR) 68 68, Darren FICHARDT (RSA) 70 66, S.S.P CHAWRASIA (IND) 69 67, Romain LANGASQUE (FRA) 67 69

137 – Andrea PAVAN (ITA) 68 69, Jaco PRINSLOO (RSA) 69 68, Jarin TODD (USA) 68 69, Matthieu PAVON (FRA) 69 68, Adilson Da SILVA (BRA) 66 71, Pep ANGLES (ESP) 68 69, Jinho CHOI (KOR) 71 66

138 – Shiv KAPUR (IND) 69 69, George COETZEE (RSA) 67 71, Suttijet KOORATANAPISAN (THA) 76 62, Masahiro KAWAMURA (JPN) 68 70, Marcel SCHNEIDER (GER) 72 66

About Asian Tour

As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), FENIX XCell (Official Apparel Supplier), Titleist (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.

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Mauritius, December 1: Arjun Atwal of India fired a one-under-par 70 to maintain his lead on a wind-swept day at the halfway stage of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open on Friday. 

The eight-time Asian Tour champion, who opened with a sizzling 62, totalled 10-under-par 132 to hold a one-shot advantage at the €1million (approximately US$1.07 million) event sanctioned by the Asian Tour, Sunshine Tour and European Tour.

Dylan Frittelli of South Africa eagled the last hole for a 66 to tie in second place alongside countryman Louis de Jager (67) and Laurie Canter (66) of England, at the Heritage Golf Club.

Miguel Tabuena of the Philippines stayed within striking distance following a 68 to share fifth place alongside Jose-Filipe Lima (66) of Portugal and South Africans Ockie Strydom (68), Justin Walters (66) and Oliver Bekker (67). They are two shots back of Atwal.

Atwal struggled to repeat his opening round magic but stayed in the hunt to end a three-year title drought after posting three birdies against two bogeys.

The Indian, who will captain Team Asia in the EurAsia Cup next year, almost chipped in for birdie on his final ninth hole before settling for par. He stayed composed on a blustery day as he heads into the weekend as the first player to reach double digits.

Frittelli drove the green on the par-four ninth hole and drained his 12-foot eagle putt to stay within a shot of Atwal. The South African enjoyed a solid 2016/2017 European Tour season where he won his first title and finished second thrice.

Tabuena made the turn in 35 and produced a stunning eagle on hole two when his two-iron from 236 yards landed three feet from the hole. He bogeyed the sixth hole but it was erased by his third birdie of the day on hole eight.

The halfway cut was set at one-under-par 141 with a total of 67 players making the weekend rounds.

Did you know?

• After 36 holes, Atwal has only dropped two shots, both bogeys coming in the second round on holes 16 and three.
• He totalled 28 putts today as compared to his 26 putts in the first round.
• When Atwal made his debut at the Heritage Golf Club in 2015, he struggled to break par and missed the cut.
• Atwal is enjoying a fine run at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open considering that he did not play a practice round after arriving late Wednesday evening after travelling for 16 hours via Dubai from Kuala Lumpur.
• He holds eight Asian Tour titles but his last win came at the 2014 Dubai Open.
• Frittelli continues his fine form in the new European Tour season. Last season he won his first title while finishing second thrice. He also finished tied fourth in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
• The South African is the only player to eagle the par-four ninth hole after 36 holes. He also eagled the 18th hole in the opening round.
• This is Tabuena’s second appearance at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open. His two day score of eight-under-par 134 is his best result in the tournament.
• His eagle on the par-five second hole was his second in the event. He also eagled the par-five seventh hole in the opening round.
• The 23-year-old Tabuena hopes to erase the heartbreak of missing out on a second Asian Tour title at the Resorts World Manila Masters three weeks ago where he bogeyed the last hole to miss the play-off.
• Suttijet Kooratanapisan of Thailand produced the low round of the day when he returned with a 62 highlighted by two eagles. It was a huge turnaround for the Thai who opened with a 76. He ties the course record set by Atwal in the opening round.
• The Order of Merit battle is far from over. The leader Gavin Green and third ranked Scott Hend missed the cut while S.S.P. Chawrasia, ranked fourth, shot a second round 67 to lie in tied 12th place.

Player Interviews:

Arjun Atwal (Ind) – Second round 70 (-1), Total 132 (-10)

I thought it was a lot more trickier. The wind wasn’t blowing at a consistent pace and it would gust and you would look like a fool out there. I was pleased with how I played.

The putter was definitely not as hot as the first day. I was hitting the ball just as good but it is tough to follow up a 62 with another low round. I’ll take this one-under.

I almost birdied the ninth. I misjudged the wind with my second shot and it came out just short. It was right on line as well. I would usually putt from the distance I was from the hole but decided to chip and it almost went it. It was a good way to finish.

I’m always calm. People who know me know that I don’t get fired up or lose my temper. I’m pretty much the same all the time. I’m really looking forward to the weekend.

(On recovering from the long distance travel) I feel as good as I can feel for my age. I’m feeling a bit sore but I’ll be okay tomorrow.

Dylan Frittelli (South Africa), 67, 66 (-9)

I’m very happy with the score. The score was good but I didn’t play too well today. Yesterday I played really solid throughout the day and today I had a few too many birdies in my opinion but salvaged it at the end of the round.

Birdie on six was really good and then seven; I hit on the green in two and decided to three-putt for par. That was silly but I just knuckled down, just try to forget about it right away. I hit a great shot into eight, nice five-footer for birdie and then, obviously, on number nine, I hit a pearler of a drive to kick in for the eagle. Yesterday I hit it probably 14 or 12 feet away as well. So, tee shot gets up nicely drawing into the wind. I felt comfortable there.  I just decided to give it a go. I mean, it’s 296 to the flag, I think, so three-wood’s landing just short, hit a really good little fade in there and worked out. Got a good bounce, I think.

I’m feeling confident. I mean, if I was within five shots of the leader today, I would still feel confident. There’s still a lot of golf left so I’m happy to be out there and competing with the guys but 36 holes is a lot of golf to play.

It’s probably two years of hard work and a lot of good specific work the last year. Had about six months just working on the mental side and the physical side, trying to get everything into top shape and I’ve done that pretty well throughout the year.

You know, this is week five in a row for me. I’m definitely on form now, I’ve played a lot of tournament golf in the last five weeks and it’s showing in my performance.

Louis de Jager (Rsa) – Second Round 67 (-4) Total 133 (-9)

I’m very pleased. I’ve played some really good golf over the last two days. Overall, I’ve hit the ball well and my short game was good today. It was a bit windier today, so it was tougher to hit the greens. My short game really kept me there and I rolled a few nice putts in at the end and that helped.

Length-wise, the course wasn’t much different this afternoon from yesterday morning. But you just had to think a bit more and the ball shapes a bit more because the winds are mostly crosswinds here. So you have to think a bit and use your imagination a bit more, but I’m pleased with how I handled myself out there today.

I was talking to one of my playing partners, who was remarking on the wind, and I told him that we were just coming off a six or seven-week stretch of coastal tournaments on the Sunshine Tour, so I was feeling quite comfortable in the wind. That definitely helps. It teaches you to stay calm and collected out there.

I’m feeling very good going into the weekend. I’m hitting the ball so well, I’m putting well, I’m chipping well, so it’s going to be a fun weekend.

Laurie Canter (Eng) – Second Round 66 (-5), Total 133 (-9)

Yesterday evet though we went out last it felt like we had a pretty good draw. It was windy to start with kind of played the back nine in a half club, one club wind. Today it was probably the other way round, probably finished in a good two, three club wind really.

I’ve played so much golf in the wind recently, like through Q School. It just feel like I’ve played a load of links golf and that kind of stuff, so I kind of felt quite comfortable out there for a lot of it.

If you can drive the ball half decent around here you’ll have a fair few opportunities to score and get the wedge in your hand a lot. I’m delighted with the two days really.

Playing in the wind is something that I would have said, maybe a year ago, that I need to do better. Some of the wily old foxes who play in Europe, I’ve played with them and they’re really good at that. Just making a score, getting flight on the ball, hitting a few different shots.

It’s something that I’ve worked on a bit with my coach to try to give myself a few more shots going into the green. I felt like I had one swing. I’m trying to knock the ball down a bit more, play a few more half shots, take the spin off. Maybe today and yesterday was the start of me feeling a bit more comfortable and taking that into a tournament.

I’m a pretty good mid-range putter. I fancy myself from 15, 20 feet. My short putting, I’m working hard on at the moment. That can improve a little still but the mid-range stuff is really good, I would back myself a lot from 15, 20 feet. I’m trying to free that up and hole a few putts, which is obviously crucial to posting a good score.

The weekend will be fun. I’ve played a couple of years now on the Tour, but in truth I’ve probably had a lot of 30th to 50th, let’s say. I’ve put myself in good position a few times going into the weekend. I think the position I’m in coming out of Qualifying School, I’ve got nothing to lose. We have to play really well and I’m going to need some really big finishes this year, the way our order of merit is going to pan out, to keep my card. That’s what I’m going to do. Certainly I’ve got nothing to lose this weekend. I’ll go and enjoy it, play as well as I can and we’ll see what happens on Sunday.

Miguel Tabuena (Phi) – Second Round 68 (-3), Total 134 (-8)

I’m pleased with the way I played today. I thought it would be less windy but it started blowing from the first hole. I knew anything under-par would be a great score. I played great but I need to work on my putting and I’ll be ready for tomorrow.

I personally think the back nine was the harder nine. I was glad to get it out of the way in two-under. It was gusty so I was second guessing the wind a lot. That cost me a few shots. I’m playing and striking the ball really well.

The eagle on the second hole gave me a lot of confidence. I hit a terrible shot on the first. On the next hole, I had the same shot but on the fairway. I told myself to hit it as hard as I could. I hit my two iron from 236 yards out and it landed three feet from the hole. I holed that for eagle.

I didn’t expect to birdie the eighth hole. It is one of the tougher par threes. My putter saved me there (holed a 25 foot birdie).

S.S.P. Chawrasia (Ind) – Second Round 67 (-4), Total 136 (-6)

It was a bogey-free round so I’m very happy. I started with a bogey-bogey yesterday then I fought back very nicely. It was a good comeback and today I just continued from where I left off.

There was no wind on the first five holes but it started to blow. I think it was blowing stronger than yesterday. I’m playing well and I’ve been working hard on my game. I can see that my game is getting better. That’s why I think I’ve had good results in the last few weeks except the final round in Hong Kong!

After playing a bad round, I need to delete it after 10 minutes. I don’t want to carry these bad memories with me. Obviously when you play bad, you feel bad so you don’t want to take that with you.

I’m enjoying my time here. There are a lot of Indian people and they can speak Hindi. I’m enjoying the beach and my room has a sea view!

Leading second round scores:

132 – Arjun ATWAL (IND) 62 70

133 – Dylan FRITTELLI (RSA) 67 66, Laurie CANTER (ENG) 67 66, Louis DE JAGER (RSA) 66 67

134 – Miguel TABUENA (PHI) 66 68, Jose-Filipe LIMA (POR) 68 66, Ockie STRYDOM (RSA) 66 68, Justin WALTERS (RSA) 68 66, Oliver BEKKER (RSA) 67 67

135 – Mark WILLIAMS (ZIM) 69 66, Joel STALTER (FRA) 67 68, Louis OOSTHUIZEN (RSA) 67 68

136 – Anders HANSEN (DEN) 67 69, Ricardo GOUVEIA (POR) 68 68, Darren FICHARDT (RSA) 70 66, S.S.P CHAWRASIA (IND) 69 67, Romain LANGASQUE (FRA) 67 69

137 – Andrea PAVAN (ITA) 68 69, Jaco PRINSLOO (RSA) 69 68, Jarin TODD (USA) 68 69, Matthieu PAVON (FRA) 69 68, Adilson Da SILVA (BRA) 66 71, Pep ANGLES (ESP) 68 69, Jinho CHOI (KOR) 71 66

138 – Shiv KAPUR (IND) 69 69, George COETZEE (RSA) 67 71, Suttijet KOORATANAPISAN (THA) 76 62, Masahiro KAWAMURA (JPN) 68 70, Marcel SCHNEIDER (GER) 72 66

About Asian Tour

As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), FENIX XCell (Official Apparel Supplier), Titleist (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.

Please visit us at:

www.wp-asiantour.ocs-sport.com

www.facebook.com/asiantourgolf

www.twitter.com/asiantourgolf

www.youtube.com/theasiantour

www.weibo.com/asiantourgolf

Mauritius, November 30: Arjun Atwal of India fired a superb nine-under-par 62 without playing a practice round to lead by four shots on the first day at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open on Thursday. 

The former Asian Tour number one posted a flawless round highlighted by seven birdies and one eagle to hold a commanding lead over Miguel Tabuena of the Philippines, Sebastian Heisele of Germany, Louis de Jager of South Africa and Adilson Da Silva of Brazil at the Heritage Golf Club.

Major champion Louis Oosthuizen and George Coetzee of South Africa, who won this event in 2015, were bunched up in tied sixth place on matching 67s at the €1million (approximately US$1.07 million) event sanctioned by the Asian Tour, Sunshine Tour and European Tour.

Atwal, who is the Captain for Team Asia at the 2018 EurAsia Cup, arrived late Wednesday evening after traveling 16 hours via Dubai from Kuala Lumpur where he attended a press conference to announce his team for the match-play event against Europe next year.

The 44-year-old exceeded his own expectations by shooting 31 in each half with the highlight of his day coming on the 14th hole where he sank a huge 25-foot eagle putt. His score of 62 is also the new course record at the Heritage Golf Club.

The 23-year-old Tabuena put on a battling performance and is on a mission to erase the heartbreak of missing out on a second Asian Tour title at the Resorts World Manila Masters three weeks ago where he bogeyed the last hole to miss the play-off.

Did you know? 

• Atwal replaced the course record of 65 set by Coetzee, Jeunghun Wang of Korea, Carlos Pigem of Spain and Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark in 2015.
• The last time Atwal shot a 62 was in the opening round of the 2005 Indonesia Open. The score remains his lowest on the Asian Tour.
• He took advantage of a hot putter in the opening round where he totalled 26 putts which included 10 one putts.
• Atwal is an eight-time Asian Tour champion but his last victory was at the 2014 Dubai Open. He also won the Order of Merit in 2003.
• Atwal holds the distinction as the first Indian to win on the PGA Tour at the 2010 Wyndham Championship.
• The last time he played at the Heritage course was in 2015 where he missed the cut. He finished tied 27th last year but on a different golf course.
• Atwal is currently ranked 55th on the Order of Merit. He needs a good result this week to stay inside the top-60 at the end of the 2017 to retain his full Asian Tour card.
• Tabuena is one of the rising stars on the Asian Tour. He is enjoying a superb 2017 season so far with two tied third results and one tied fifth finish. He won his first Asian Tour title in 2015.
• He enjoyed a flawless first nine which included an eagle-three on the seventh hole. He traded three birdies against two bogeys on his homeward nine.
• Tabuena missed only two fairways and three greens in regulation. He totalled 29 putts with a three-putt on the 18th hole being the highest. He bogeyed that hole.
• Da Silva is searching for his first Asian Tour title. He traded seven birdies against two bogeys to give himself a battling chance this week.
• He enjoyed a career high in 2016 when he was given the honour of striking the first tee shot at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro when golf made a return into the programme after 112 years.

Player interviews:

Arjun Atwal (Ind) – First Round 62 (-9)

I was in Kuala Lumpur the last two days to announce the players in Team Asia for the EurAsia Cup and I had some media activities to do. I had no practice round and straight on the first tee.

I’m pleased and shocked. I took a very long route coming here. I came through Dubai and it took me 16 hours to get here. I was tired and I didn’t really expect anything. Sometimes when you don’t expect much, you get a lot out of it.

I missed two or three fairways but for most of the part I kept the ball in front of me. I played here two years ago but I don’t really remember the course. I made a few putts and every time you want to shoot low, that’s what you have to do.

I found it pretty tough out there but I didn’t make any mistakes and I had a hot putter. The wind was on and off. It wasn’t very gusty. I’m looking forward to some rest and see what happens tomorrow.

It is very important to play a practice round if you haven’t played the course before. It is kind of important but not the end of the world especially for a guy who has played enough golf in his life.

Miguel Tabuena (Phi) – First Round 66 (-5)

I made a terrible error on 17. Three putting is not the best thing to do but I came back strong. I put myself in position to make birdie and I made it. It was a bit gusty today.

I’ve been striking the ball really well the past few weeks but I wasn’t happy with my putting in Hong Kong last week. I changed putter and it is working this week.

You can’t hit it too high here. If you do that, the wind will take it away. This is a thinking golf course. You can’t blink or it will bite you.

I’m really motivated to bounce back from my defeat at the Resorts World Manila Masters three weeks ago. I would be okay if I bogeyed the hole if I was in a bad position but I was in a good position. I made a mental error and it hit me in the gut. I’ve put the defeat behind me and there’s still a lot of golf to be played this week.

Eagle on the fifth hole: Hit a nine-iron from 171 yards and holed a six feet eagle putt.

Adilson Da Silva (Bra) – First Round 66 (-5)

I didn’t hit the ball that great but I chipped and putt really well. I was really happy on the greens. My chip and putt saved me and that’s how I put a good score together.

It was a nice finish on 18. I didn’t know what to do and in the end I decided to give it a go and hit a good approach to three feet. That helped.

The course and greens are so good. If you can keep the ball in play you can give yourself a lot of chances. The wind slowed down a bit later this afternoon.

This is a beautiful place. It is like playing golf in paradise. The layout of the course is so beautiful and it suits my eye for some reason. I like playing on this golf course and that makes a big difference.

Louis De Jager (Rsa) – First Round 66 (-5)

I’m pleased with the score today. It was quite calm this morning, so the score was up there. First and last holes I made two bogies, but the 16 holes in between I played lovely, so I’m really pleased.

My putting has improved a lot the last few weeks. I’ve worked a lot on my putting, so that was really good. I saw all the lines nicely and I hit the ball well, I drove it nicely, so that helps. It’s a good combination to have.

The greens are rolling very nicely. They have a good speed, a comfortable speed, so you can really give the birdie putts a bit of a go. They are very true. What you see is what they usually do.

It’s not the narrowest course, so if you just give yourself enough opportunities on the greens. It gets quite windy, so if you get the wind right on the shots you should be fine.

It’s always a special place to come to, so we’re really enjoying it. It’s nice and hot and humid. I’ll go for a swim this afternoon.

Sebastian Heisele (Ger) – First Round 66 (-5)

I’m very pleased with my round. My front nine was a bit of a nightmare to be honest. I didn’t really feel too comfortable but slowly found something that worked for me. I got going on the back nine and pleased to pick up five shots on the back.

I was pulling my shots left as in far left and that made it hard. I feel that the back nine is easier than the front. When you are not feeling it and when you are looking down the fairway and see the bushes along the fairway, you just don’t feel comfortable.

I felt that I’ve been hitting the ball well all of this week. I had a few days off after a long stretch in the last season so I came out here without much expectation. My score surprised me and it also surprised me that I was hitting so badly earlier today but I’m happy I got it back.

Leading first round scores:

62 – Arjun ATWAL (IND)

66 – Sebastian HEISELE (GER) , Louis DE JAGER (RSA) , Miguel TABUENA (PHI) , Adilson Da SILVA (BRA) , Ockie STRYDOM (RSA)

67 – Joel STALTER (FRA) , Romain LANGASQUE (FRA) , Pontus WIDEGREN (SWE) , George COETZEE (RSA) , Louis OOSTHUIZEN (RSA) , Jbe KRUGER (RSA) , Oliver BEKKER (RSA) , Teaghan GAUCHE (RSA) , Anders HANSEN (DEN) , Marcus KINHULT (SWE) , Jason KNUTZON (USA) , Dylan FRITTELLI (RSA) , Laurie CANTER (ENG)

68 – Justin WALTERS (RSA) , Adrien SADDIER (FRA) , Sam HORSFIELD (ENG) , Jacques KRUYSWIJK (RSA) , Masahiro KAWAMURA (JPN) , Ricardo GOUVEIA (POR) , Shubhankar SHARMA (IND) , Andrea PAVAN (ITA) , Jarin TODD (USA) , Richard MCEVOY (ENG) , Jose-Filipe LIMA (POR) , Pep ANGLES (ESP) , Casey O’TOOLE (USA)

69 – Raphael JACQUELIN (FRA) , Suradit YONGCHAROENCHAI (THA) , Douglas MCGUIGAN (RSA) , Andrew CURLEWIS (RSA) , Johannes VEERMAN (USA) , Mark WILLIAMS (ZIM) , Jaco PRINSLOO (RSA) , Haydn PORTEOUS (RSA) , S.S.P CHAWRASIA (IND) , Matthieu PAVON (FRA) , Shiv KAPUR (IND) , James MORRISON (ENG) , Jaco AHLERS (RSA)

About Asian Tour

As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), FENIX XCell (Official Apparel Supplier), Titleist (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.

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By V Krishnaswamy

Augusta, April 9: Kiradech Aphibarnrat, who seemed to be headed out of Augusta early after a disappointing opening round of seven-over-par 79, made a steady recovery with rounds of 70, 70 and 71 to finish in tied-44th place on four-over-par 292 total at the Masters tournament on Sunday.

It was a good fightback from Kiradech over the last three days after a tough start in what was his second appearance at the Augusta National Golf Club. “This has only got me determined to come back and do better,” said Kiradech, Asia’s number one in 2013.

American Patrick Reed, who played college golf in Augusta, held off a host of challengers by closing with a 71 and a 273 total to win his maiden Major championship title at the Masters tournament, which is the year’s first Major.

Reed won by one shot over compatriot Rickie Fowler (67), who capped a solid back-nine 32 after hitting a great second shot to set up a birdie on the par-four 18th hole.

Reed, who birdied the 14th hole to move to 15-under, tamed his nerves to par the last four holes under tense conditions to win his first green jacket.

The final moment for the fiery Reed came when he read the three-and-a-half footer perfectly for par after making his first putt from 25 feet and just over the ridge line on the 18th green.

Rory McIlroy (74), looking to win to complete a career Grand Slam, was right there for the first few holes and even reduced the overnight gap of three to just one shot, but kept missing short putts – he missed five in the first nine holes – and his challenge faded away as he finished tied-fifth.

Kiradech, a three-time Asian Tour winner, traded four birdies against three bogeys at a tournament that seemed be over even before it began. He broke his usual driver two days before the start of the tournament and despite a great effort by his team at Callaway, he could not get used to the brand new driver which he got before the first round.

The big-hitting Kiradech, however, fought hard and played the best he could to make the halfway cut on the mark at five-over-par following a second round 70.  

“It was a good finish after all that happened in the first part of the week,” said Kiradech. “I had been playing well and driving well, so it was a disappointment to see my old driver broken. I thought I would be able to get used to it and my team is very good. But that did not happen and I gave away too much on the first day.”

“I have played well with top-five finishes at two World Golf Championship events and I thought I have a good chance at the Masters where I finished tied-15th two years ago. I want to come back here again and again, because I love this course and it suits me,” Kiradech added.

Asian Tour honorary member Vijay Singh, who closed with a 71, ended his campaign in 49th position on 295 while Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama emerged as the best-placed Asian at tied-19th position on 285.

Japan’s Satoshi Kodaira finished in a share of 28th place on 288 while Haotong Li of China settled a further shot back in tied-32nd place following a closing 72 in his Masters debut.

Before Fowler set the target of 14-under, Jordan Spieth played the round of his life at 64 and only a bogey on 18th deprived him of a share of the course record of 63 held by Nick Price (1986) and Greg Norman (1996). Spieth finished at eight-under for the day and 13-under for the tournament.

Jon Rahm (69) came in fourth at 11-under, while two-time champion Rory McIlroy (74), Bubba Watson (69), Henrik Stenson (70) and Cameron Smith (66) were all tied for fifth. Marc Leishman (70) was ninth and Tony Finau (66) shared the 10th place with World No. 1 Dustin Johnson (69).

Ends.

Mauritius, November 30: Arjun Atwal of India fired a superb nine-under-par 62 without playing a practice round to lead by four shots on the first day at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open on Thursday. 

The former Asian Tour number one posted a flawless round highlighted by seven birdies and one eagle to hold a commanding lead over Miguel Tabuena of the Philippines, Sebastian Heisele of Germany, Louis de Jager of South Africa and Adilson Da Silva of Brazil at the Heritage Golf Club.

Major champion Louis Oosthuizen and George Coetzee of South Africa, who won this event in 2015, were bunched up in tied sixth place on matching 67s at the €1million (approximately US$1.07 million) event sanctioned by the Asian Tour, Sunshine Tour and European Tour.

Atwal, who is the Captain for Team Asia at the 2018 EurAsia Cup, arrived late Wednesday evening after traveling 16 hours via Dubai from Kuala Lumpur where he attended a press conference to announce his team for the match-play event against Europe next year.

The 44-year-old exceeded his own expectations by shooting 31 in each half with the highlight of his day coming on the 14th hole where he sank a huge 25-foot eagle putt. His score of 62 is also the new course record at the Heritage Golf Club.

The 23-year-old Tabuena put on a battling performance and is on a mission to erase the heartbreak of missing out on a second Asian Tour title at the Resorts World Manila Masters three weeks ago where he bogeyed the last hole to miss the play-off.

Did you know? 

• Atwal replaced the course record of 65 set by Coetzee, Jeunghun Wang of Korea, Carlos Pigem of Spain and Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark in 2015.
• The last time Atwal shot a 62 was in the opening round of the 2005 Indonesia Open. The score remains his lowest on the Asian Tour.
• He took advantage of a hot putter in the opening round where he totalled 26 putts which included 10 one putts.
• Atwal is an eight-time Asian Tour champion but his last victory was at the 2014 Dubai Open. He also won the Order of Merit in 2003.
• Atwal holds the distinction as the first Indian to win on the PGA Tour at the 2010 Wyndham Championship.
• The last time he played at the Heritage course was in 2015 where he missed the cut. He finished tied 27th last year but on a different golf course.
• Atwal is currently ranked 55th on the Order of Merit. He needs a good result this week to stay inside the top-60 at the end of the 2017 to retain his full Asian Tour card.
• Tabuena is one of the rising stars on the Asian Tour. He is enjoying a superb 2017 season so far with two tied third results and one tied fifth finish. He won his first Asian Tour title in 2015.
• He enjoyed a flawless first nine which included an eagle-three on the seventh hole. He traded three birdies against two bogeys on his homeward nine.
• Tabuena missed only two fairways and three greens in regulation. He totalled 29 putts with a three-putt on the 18th hole being the highest. He bogeyed that hole.
• Da Silva is searching for his first Asian Tour title. He traded seven birdies against two bogeys to give himself a battling chance this week.
• He enjoyed a career high in 2016 when he was given the honour of striking the first tee shot at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro when golf made a return into the programme after 112 years.

Player interviews:

Arjun Atwal (Ind) – First Round 62 (-9)

I was in Kuala Lumpur the last two days to announce the players in Team Asia for the EurAsia Cup and I had some media activities to do. I had no practice round and straight on the first tee.

I’m pleased and shocked. I took a very long route coming here. I came through Dubai and it took me 16 hours to get here. I was tired and I didn’t really expect anything. Sometimes when you don’t expect much, you get a lot out of it.

I missed two or three fairways but for most of the part I kept the ball in front of me. I played here two years ago but I don’t really remember the course. I made a few putts and every time you want to shoot low, that’s what you have to do.

I found it pretty tough out there but I didn’t make any mistakes and I had a hot putter. The wind was on and off. It wasn’t very gusty. I’m looking forward to some rest and see what happens tomorrow.

It is very important to play a practice round if you haven’t played the course before. It is kind of important but not the end of the world especially for a guy who has played enough golf in his life.

Miguel Tabuena (Phi) – First Round 66 (-5)

I made a terrible error on 17. Three putting is not the best thing to do but I came back strong. I put myself in position to make birdie and I made it. It was a bit gusty today.

I’ve been striking the ball really well the past few weeks but I wasn’t happy with my putting in Hong Kong last week. I changed putter and it is working this week.

You can’t hit it too high here. If you do that, the wind will take it away. This is a thinking golf course. You can’t blink or it will bite you.

I’m really motivated to bounce back from my defeat at the Resorts World Manila Masters three weeks ago. I would be okay if I bogeyed the hole if I was in a bad position but I was in a good position. I made a mental error and it hit me in the gut. I’ve put the defeat behind me and there’s still a lot of golf to be played this week.

Eagle on the fifth hole: Hit a nine-iron from 171 yards and holed a six feet eagle putt.

Adilson Da Silva (Bra) – First Round 66 (-5)

I didn’t hit the ball that great but I chipped and putt really well. I was really happy on the greens. My chip and putt saved me and that’s how I put a good score together.

It was a nice finish on 18. I didn’t know what to do and in the end I decided to give it a go and hit a good approach to three feet. That helped.

The course and greens are so good. If you can keep the ball in play you can give yourself a lot of chances. The wind slowed down a bit later this afternoon.

This is a beautiful place. It is like playing golf in paradise. The layout of the course is so beautiful and it suits my eye for some reason. I like playing on this golf course and that makes a big difference.

Louis De Jager (Rsa) – First Round 66 (-5)

I’m pleased with the score today. It was quite calm this morning, so the score was up there. First and last holes I made two bogies, but the 16 holes in between I played lovely, so I’m really pleased.

My putting has improved a lot the last few weeks. I’ve worked a lot on my putting, so that was really good. I saw all the lines nicely and I hit the ball well, I drove it nicely, so that helps. It’s a good combination to have.

The greens are rolling very nicely. They have a good speed, a comfortable speed, so you can really give the birdie putts a bit of a go. They are very true. What you see is what they usually do.

It’s not the narrowest course, so if you just give yourself enough opportunities on the greens. It gets quite windy, so if you get the wind right on the shots you should be fine.

It’s always a special place to come to, so we’re really enjoying it. It’s nice and hot and humid. I’ll go for a swim this afternoon.

Sebastian Heisele (Ger) – First Round 66 (-5)

I’m very pleased with my round. My front nine was a bit of a nightmare to be honest. I didn’t really feel too comfortable but slowly found something that worked for me. I got going on the back nine and pleased to pick up five shots on the back.

I was pulling my shots left as in far left and that made it hard. I feel that the back nine is easier than the front. When you are not feeling it and when you are looking down the fairway and see the bushes along the fairway, you just don’t feel comfortable.

I felt that I’ve been hitting the ball well all of this week. I had a few days off after a long stretch in the last season so I came out here without much expectation. My score surprised me and it also surprised me that I was hitting so badly earlier today but I’m happy I got it back.

Leading first round scores:

62 – Arjun ATWAL (IND)

66 – Sebastian HEISELE (GER) , Louis DE JAGER (RSA) , Miguel TABUENA (PHI) , Adilson Da SILVA (BRA) , Ockie STRYDOM (RSA)

67 – Joel STALTER (FRA) , Romain LANGASQUE (FRA) , Pontus WIDEGREN (SWE) , George COETZEE (RSA) , Louis OOSTHUIZEN (RSA) , Jbe KRUGER (RSA) , Oliver BEKKER (RSA) , Teaghan GAUCHE (RSA) , Anders HANSEN (DEN) , Marcus KINHULT (SWE) , Jason KNUTZON (USA) , Dylan FRITTELLI (RSA) , Laurie CANTER (ENG)

68 – Justin WALTERS (RSA) , Adrien SADDIER (FRA) , Sam HORSFIELD (ENG) , Jacques KRUYSWIJK (RSA) , Masahiro KAWAMURA (JPN) , Ricardo GOUVEIA (POR) , Shubhankar SHARMA (IND) , Andrea PAVAN (ITA) , Jarin TODD (USA) , Richard MCEVOY (ENG) , Jose-Filipe LIMA (POR) , Pep ANGLES (ESP) , Casey O’TOOLE (USA)

69 – Raphael JACQUELIN (FRA) , Suradit YONGCHAROENCHAI (THA) , Douglas MCGUIGAN (RSA) , Andrew CURLEWIS (RSA) , Johannes VEERMAN (USA) , Mark WILLIAMS (ZIM) , Jaco PRINSLOO (RSA) , Haydn PORTEOUS (RSA) , S.S.P CHAWRASIA (IND) , Matthieu PAVON (FRA) , Shiv KAPUR (IND) , James MORRISON (ENG) , Jaco AHLERS (RSA)

About Asian Tour

As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), FENIX XCell (Official Apparel Supplier), Titleist (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.

Please visit us at:

www.wp-asiantour.ocs-sport.com

www.facebook.com/asiantourgolf

www.twitter.com/asiantourgolf

www.youtube.com/theasiantour

www.weibo.com/asiantourgolf

Augusta, April 7: Kiradech Aphibarnrat fought hard and came up with a crunch birdie on the final hole to make the cut at the Masters despite a disappointing first round, and he will now have a chance to improve on that over the weekend.

The 28-year-old Thai who finished 15th at the Masters two years ago, carded two-under-par 70 in his second round for a two-round total of five-over-par 149. He finished right on the cut line.

Meanwhile 21-year-old Indian star Shubhankar Sharma, who is making his major debut this week, battled tooth-and-nail but still failed to make the cut by two strokes after carding a second round 74.

Honorary Asian Tour member Vijay Singh (74) made the cut to sit in tied-23rd place while Asian Tour winner, Yuta Ikeda of Japan missed the cut following a 77.

American Patrick Reed put himself in prime position for his first Major win by carding a second round score of 66 to take the lead by two strokes over Australian Marc Leishman who carded a low round of 67.

Trying to adjust to a new driver that did not seem to be working on the first day, Kiradech made the right adjustments to bounce back in the tournament. “I knew I had to fight hard and not give up till the last. After an even par front nine, I knew I had to get some birdies. The eagle on hole 13 followed by birdies on 15th and 18th got me over,” said Kiradech.

The birdie on hole 18, which was playing tough on Friday was crucial. After crushing a drive to 295 yards, he had a superb second shot to three feet, which he holed for a birdie and got him a place in the weekend rounds.

Kiradech bogeyed the par-3 third hole to slip to eight-over-par, but the birdie on the eighth gave him an outside chance. At the turn, he bogeyed hole 10, but then recovered superbly with an eagle on hole 13.

The drama came on the final hole, which was a 465-yard par 4. On the green in two, Kiradech holed the putt he needed to enable him to make it to the weekend.

Talking about his Masters experience, Sharma added, “It has been fantastic.  I think I’ll be a few shots shy of the cut but I thought I played pretty well, just didn’t finish the way I wanted to yesterday.  But this experience is invaluable.  Just can’t wait to get back every year after this and I’ll do my best and I know I’ll have to play my best to get here every year, but it has been a fantastic experience.  The course has been in superb condition, the crowds have been great and it’s just a pleasure to play in front of them,” said Sharma.

Despite missing the cut, Sharma plans to stay on for the next two days, before heading to his next event in Texas.

 “I am going to stay on and enjoy the week. I have learnt a lot and I will surely be back,” added Sharma

Rory McIlroy, chasing a career Grand Slam with a Masters victory, and 2015 Masters champion Jordan Spieth shared fourth on 140, McIlroy after a 71 while first-day leader Spieth shot 74.

More winds and cooler conditions are expected Saturday along with rain.

Ends.