Dhaka, May 4: Singaporean veteran Mardan Mamat hopes to turn back the clock when he returns to the Kurmitola Golf Club for the US$300,000 AB Bank Bangladesh Open next week.

The 50-year-old Mardan, who lifted his fifth Asian Tour title in the inaugural edition three years ago, hopes to repeat his success in the event which will be played from May 9 to 12.

“I like the course. It suits my eye a lot. I am looking forward to going back to Bangladesh next week. I have met a lot of nice people there, especially the people whom I have played with during the Pro-Am tournaments,” said the seasoned campaigner.

Mardan made his debut on the Senior golf circuit earlier this year but admits he still enjoys playing against the Asian Tour young guns.  

“I have played most of my career on the Asian Tour. Even though I am 50 now, I still love to compete and I still love my golf. I like playing in tournaments although it’s not easy trying to catch up with the young boys who hit the ball really long,” he said.

Mardan, who holds the honour of being Singapore’s first winner on the Asian Tour, also hailed the recent emergence of the young talents on the region’s premier Tour and Asian Development Tour (ADT), which staged two events in Bangladesh this year.

“It’s nice to see the young Singaporean boys turning professional and doing well on the Asian Tour and the ADT. We used to have only a few Singaporeans playing on Tour. Now we have quite a handful which is very good to see.

“It’s definitely great to see them perform well, especially with Johnson Poh winning on the ADT in Malaysia last month. It provides a lot of motivation for the other Singaporean boys out there. It’s a promising sight.

“Not just Singaporeans, it’s great to see other Asian boys rising through the ranks as well. Take Shubhankar Sharma for example. These boys have helped promote the development of golf in Asia and it’s a very good sign,” Mardan added.

Young Thai Rattanon Wannasrichan, who came in tied-fourth last year, is confident of putting up another good showing when he tees off for the AB Bank Bangladesh Open, which is celebrating its fourth consecutive edition on the Asian Tour next week.

“I am looking forward to playing in Bangladesh again. I had a good finish last year and I am feeling confident of putting up another good result this time round. The course at the Kurmitola Golf Club feels like the army golf course where I used to practise back home.

“I feel very comfortable there. Obviously, I would be aiming for a win but a top-three finish will be nice too. That will give me a lot of confidence,” said the 22-year-old Rattanon, who sits in 18th place on the Habitat for Humanity Standings, thanks to two top-10s.

Mardan and Rattanon are among the 18 Tour winners set to headline the 144-man field gathered at the Bangladesh’s National Open next week.

Home hero Siddikur Rahman, who came in runner-up last year, will spearhead the local charge made up of 34 players, who will take aim at keeping the trophy on home soil for the first time since the tournament was inaugurated in 2015.

Other notable players include Masahiro Kawamura of Japan, Thai veteran Thaworn Wiratchant, Jeev Milkha Singh of India and Poom Saksansin of Thailand.

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.

• Dongha Lee’s first love was actually football. However, upon the encouragement of his parents to play golf at the age of 12, he got hooked to the sport and subsequently led him to turn professional in 1996.
• Ajeetesh Sandhu earned his Asian Tour breakthrough at the 2017 Yeangder TPC in Chinese Taipei.
• He immediately followed up that victory with a play-off win at the Pacific Club Challenge Tournament on the Japan Challenge Tour the week after.
• Ajeetesh finished the 2017 season in 21st place on the Order of Merit and his best result was a tied-10th finish in Japan a fortnight ago.
• Jazz Janewattananond turned professional in 2011. He lost his Asian Tour card for the first time in his career after finishing outside top-60 on the 2016 Order of Merit.
• Jazz bounced back with a breakthrough win in Bangladesh two months later before going on to claim seven top-10 results to finish a career-high ninth position on the Merit rankings last year.
• Jazz finishing tied-fourth at the season opener in Singapore and earned for himself a coveted spot in The Open this July where he will make his Major debut.
• Gaganjeet Bhullar is the first player to win eight titles on the Asian Tour before turning 30. He is also the youngest player to achieve the feat on the Asian Tour.
• Bhullar holds the same number of Asian Tour wins with countrymen Arjun Atwal and Jyoti Randhawa. They are the only three Indian players with the most number of wins on the Asian Tour.

Leading Scores after round 2 of the The 37th GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship being played at the par 71, 6451 Yards Nam Seoul CC course (am – denotes amateur):

Ends.

• Ajeetesh Sandhu earned his Asian Tour breakthrough at the 2017 Yeangder TPC in Chinese Taipei.
• He immediately followed up that victory with a play-off win at the Pacific Club Challenge Tournament on the Japan Challenge Tour the week after.
• Ajeetesh finished the 2017 season in 21st place on the Order of Merit and his best result was a tied-10th finish in Japan a fortnight ago.
• Jazz Janewattananond turned professional in 2011. He lost his Asian Tour card for the first time in his career after finishing outside top-60 on the 2016 Order of Merit.
• Jazz bounced back with a breakthrough win in Bangladesh two months later before going on to claim seven top-10 results to finish a career-high ninth position on the Merit rankings last year.
• Jazz finishing tied-fourth at the season opener in Singapore and earned for himself a coveted spot in The Open this July where he will make his Major debut.
• Terry Pilkadaris finished second in New Zealand in March, which was also his best result of the season. He is a three-time winner on the Asian Tour. 

Leading scores after round 1 of the The 37th GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship being played at the par 71, 6451 Yards Nam Seoul CC course (am – denotes amateur):

67 – Ajeetesh SANDHU (IND).

68 – Dongha LEE 562 (KOR), J.B. PARK (KOR), Heungchol JOO (KOR).

69 – Terry PILKADARIS (AUS), Jazz JANEWATTANANOND (THA), Javi COLOMO (ESP), Shiv KAPUR (IND).

70 – Taehee LEE (KOR), Dongseop MAENG (KOR), Changwoo LEE (KOR), Seunghyuk KIM (KOR), Younghan SONG (KOR), Hyunwoo RYU (KOR), Seungtaek OH (am, KOR), Inhoi HUR (KOR), Hyungjoon LEE (KOR).

71 – Jeongmin PARK 1072 (KOR), Arnond VONGVANIJ (THA), Seungbo JANG (am, KOR), Jinho CHOI (KOR), Phachara KHONGWATMAI (THA), Junggon HWANG (KOR), Sanghyun PARK (KOR), Y. E. YANG (KOR), Junsung KIM (KOR), Kyong-jun MOON (KOR), Hoyoung CHOI (am, KOR), Sunghyun OH (am, KOR), Eunshin PARK (KOR), Jaeho KIM (KOR), Giwhan KIM (KOR).

Seongnam, Korea, May 1: Malaysia’s Nicholas Fung is ready to bounce back from sickness and establish himself as one of the genuine contenders for the 37th GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship when the KR₩1,000,000,000 (approx. US$925,000) event gets underway on Thursday.

Fung was riding on a rich vein of form, having produced one of his best performances this season with a tied-14th finish in Japan a fortnight ago. He then suffered a stomach upset in China last week which affected his performance, causing him to miss the cut. 

Having fully recovered, the 27-year-old now believes his intimate knowledge of the Namseoul Country Club will be advantageous as he seeks to win his second Asian Tour title since his breakthrough in Thailand last year. 

Promising Thai talent Phachara Khongwatmai is back in familiar hunting ground on the Asian Tour having played in the Middle East and Europe for most part of the early season.

Phachara, who will celebrate his 19th birthday on Thursday, has been touted as one of the rising stars from the Asian Tour after impressing many with his achievements at a relatively young age. He is expected to chase for his breakthrough win on the Asian Tour especially after finishing in a career high of third place on the Order of Merit standings in 2017.

Singapore’s Mardan Mamat, a five-time Asian Tour winner, is hopeful of putting up a fight against his young rivals as he turns his attention to playing on the Seniors Tour in Europe and the United States.

The 50-year-old’s last win on the Asian Tour last came in Bangladesh in 2015 and while wary of the emerging young talents, he knows he still has what it takes to compete at the highest level.

The 37th GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship is sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Korea Golf Association (KGA) for the first time since 2008. It is also the first of the three Asian Tour events to be played in Korea this year.

Did you know?

• Nicholas Fung rewarded his father, who has been a key figure throughout his career, in the best possible way by winning the Queen’s Cup on Father’s Day last year.
• Fung finished tied-14th in Japan a fortnight ago. That is also his best result on the Asian Tour so far.
• He represented Team Asia at the 2016 and 2018 EurAsia Cup and was Malaysia’s number one through his Order of Merit success on the PGM Tour in 2012 and 2013.
• Phachara is searching for a first victory on the Asian Tour and European Tour. He holds the record as the youngest amateur player at the age of 14 to win a professional tournament. He is also the youngest player at 15 to win on the Asian Development Tour (ADT).
• He has played in The Open twice in 2016 and 2017.
• Phachara’s name in Thai translates to ‘Diamond’. He is also known as ‘Thai Diamond’ in Thailand.
• Mardan holds the honour of being Singapore’s first winner on the Asian Tour and is also the first player from his country to win a co-sanctioned tournament with Europe.
• He completed a wire-to-wire victory and emerged triumphant by two shots at the Bangladesh Open in 2015, which was also his last win on the Asian Tour
• He is also the first player from the Lion city to qualify and play in the British Open in 1997.
• Mardan won the individual title in the Putra Cup as an amateur in 1993, and helped Singapore land the team title
• When he turned professional in 1994, Mardan enjoyed a dream start in the play-for-pay ranks. In his debut event, he scored a hole-in-one to claim a luxury car.

 Players’ Quotes

Nicholas Fung (Mas)

I was not feeling well in China last week due to a stomach upset. I couldn’t bring my A game to the tournament on the Friday and subsequently missed the cut. But that’s all over now and I’m looking forward to a new week here with renewed confidence. My form has been good as the results in Japan have shown. It was my best result this season. It’s always good to go back to Korea again. I’ve played at Namseoul before and the greens are very tough over there. It’s not a long golf course but you got to be really accurate and put the ball on the right spot on the greens. Otherwise you’ll be in trouble. If you can putt well, you’ll likely to win the tournament.

Phachara Khongwatmai (Tha)

I’ve good memories of this course as I’ve led in a couple of rounds at tournaments here. But just didn’t get the job done. I’ve another chance this week and it’s an Asian Tour event, so I want to do well and get that win. I’ve been playing in Europe and the Middle East a lot this year. There’s a lot of difference especially in the course conditions, weather and it was a challenge trying to adapt to these different conditions. But it has been a good experience and I’m always learning. It’s good to be back in Asia as I know the courses better here.

Mardan Mamat (Sgp)

It has been about 10 years since we last played here on the Asian Tour and it’s definitely nice to be back at Namseoul. I’m not expecting much but I know how I’m going to play this golf course as I’ve got good knowledge of this place. I’ll be spending five weeks in Europe, playing in a few Seniors events over there. Two days ago, I also received an invitation to play at a Seniors event on the PGA in America. I’ve decided to play at that event at the end of the month and will head there after Bangladesh. I’m still enjoying golf and I still love to compete even though I’m 50. I still have that competitive spirit in me.

Ends.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Top 20 players on the Habitat for Humanity Standings

Pos        Player   Order of Merit (US$)

1.           Shubhankar SHARMA   (IND)   589,575

2.            Matt WALLACE   (ENG)   446,660

3.            Rahil GANGJEE   (IND)   283,018.87

4.            Kiradech APHIBARNRAT   (THA)   265,573.14

5.            Sihwan KIM   (USA)   226,710.14

6.            Paul PETERSON   (USA)   215,758.57

7.            Daniel NISBET   (AUS)   150,863.64

8.            Scott VINCENT   (ZIM)   145,208.76

9.            Berry HENSON   (USA)   131,983.57

10.          Hideto TANIHARA   (JPN)   123,306.08

11.          Shaun NORRIS   (RSA)   118,284.91

12.          Khalin JOSHI   (IND)   109,730

13.          Terry PILKADARIS   (AUS)   102,539.61

14.          Prom MEESAWAT   (THA)   100,469.67

15.          Masahiro KAWAMURA   (JPN)   97,643.15

16.          Jazz JANEWATTANANOND   (THA)   93,205.74

17.          Jeunghun WANG   (KOR)   91,100

18.          Rattanon WANNASRICHAN   (THA)   85,328.83

19.          Jarin TODD   (USA)   83,945.96

20.          Danthai BOONMA   (THA)   82,712.5

Ends.

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

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

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

Alexander Bjork of Sweden

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

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

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

Did you know?

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

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

Alexander Bjork of Sweden 

Players’ quotes:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jeunghun Wang of Korea

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ashun Wu of China

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ends.

About Asian Tour

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ends.

About Asian Tour

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Matt Wallace of England

Did you know?

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

Players’ quotes:

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

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

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

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

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

Adrian Otaegui of Spain

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jeunghun Wang of Korea

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ends.

About Asian Tour

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Did you know?

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

Players’ Quotes:

Anirban Lahiri (Ind)

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

Gavin Green (Mas)

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

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

Phachara Khongwatmai (Tha)

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

Ends.

About DRB-HICOM

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

About Asian Tour

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

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About the European Tour

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

About MMC Corporation Berhad

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

Ends.