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Published on February 25, 2018

Published on February 23, 2018

Queenstown, New Zealand, February 23: The Asian Tour will break new ground as it heads to New Zealand for the NZ$1.2 million ISPS HANDA New Zealand Open next week.

The event is one of New Zealand’s leading sporting events and welcomes the Asian Tour as its full co-sanctioning partner with the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia following an initial collaboration in 2017 which saw 10 Asian Tour members featuring in its field then.

Steeped in history, the New Zealand Open, which was founded in 1907, will be played at Millbrook Resort and The Hills from March 1-4.

Australia’s Scott Hend, who won the Asian Tour Order of Merit in 2016, will spearhead the Tour’s challenge alongside Tour winners, Paul Peterson of the United States, Poom Saksansin and Pavit Tangkamolprasert of Thailand as well as compatriots Marcus Fraser and Todd Sinnott.

“Going to a new country especially a beautiful one like New Zealand is always good. It gives us the opportunity to play on a different golf course and compete against the best players,” said Poom.

The event will also provide the Asian Tour Qualifying School graduates and Asian Development Tour (ADT) players with the opportunity to prove their worth on the international stage.

Thailand’s Pannakorn Uthaipas, winner of the ADT Order of Merit title in 2017, will tee up together with promising graduates such as Kurt Kitayama of the United States at the ISPS HANDA New Zealand Open, which also works in partnership with the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO).

“Winning my first wire-to-wire ADT title in Malaysia and finishing third at the Asian Tour Qualifying School have been my biggest highlights for me this year. I’m just very excited to be getting this opportunity to play in New Zealand now.

“My brother spent six months in the country and said it was incredible. I’m looking forward to travelling to another new country and playing the event,” said Kitayama.

The ISPS HANDA New Zealand Open will see 144 players compete for the first two rounds before the halfway cut is made where the leading 60 players and ties progress to the final two rounds.

The unique nature of the event also includes 144 amateur players, who will each partner a professional in a two-man best-ball event in the first two rounds.

“It’s a great way for the sponsors to feel more involved in the event and I’m sure they will enjoy the experience of playing with the professionals.

“It’ll take more patience since the rounds are usually longer than the regular ones. But it’s okay and it’ll be something that I’ll get used to during the week,” said Kitayama.

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.

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Published on February 22, 2018

New Delhi, India, February 22: India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar will be aiming to add a ninth Asian Tour win and a first on home soil to his illustrious career when he tees off for the prestigious Hero Indian Open in a fortnight.

The 29-year-old Bhullar, who has won eight Asian Tour titles across Asia but never in India, is determined to shine in front of his home crowd when the event gets underway at the challenging DLF Golf and Country Club in New Delhi from March 8 to 11.

He will spearhead the local charge alongside defending champion S.S.P. Chawrasia, Anirban Lahiri and young talent Shubhankar Sharma at the US$1.75 million event, co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the European Tour for the fourth consecutive year in 2018.

“Winning my first Asian Tour title in India is going to be really special. It has always been my dream to win the Hero Indian Open and if I can do that, the victory will inspire many youngsters as well as aspiring golfers from small cities,” said Bhullar.

Bhullar’s most recent victory came at the Macao Open last October where he won for the second time in his career. He also became the youngest ever player to obtain eight wins on the region’s premier Tour following that victory.

The DLF Golf and Country Club is a great test of golf. I won the DLF Masters on the local circuit back in 2009. Apart from that, I won quite a few junior and sub-junior events there. It requires a lot of mental skills to play well at this championship golf course.

“It is by far the hardest course on the Asian Tour. I am trying to get my short game set for it. Putting will also play an important role,” added Bhullar, who came in tied-43rd at the Gary Player-designed course last year.

Bhullar has enjoyed a relatively good start to the 2018 season so far, claiming one top-10 result in four starts on the Asian Tour to sit in 11th place on the latest Habitat for Humanity Standings led by Sharma.

The par-72 Gary Player course at the DLF Golf and Country Club, which measures 7,417 yards, will host the Hero Indian Open for the second straight year. Chawrasia became only the second Indian player, after Jyoti Randhawa, to successfully defend his title last year. He won by seven shots with a winning total of 10-under-par 278.

The Hero Indian Open 2018, which marks the 54th edition of the storied event, will also feature an elite field that includes reigning Order of Merit champion Gavin Green of Malaysia, EurAsia Cup Team Europe Captain Thomas Bjørn of Denmark and Andrew Johnston of England.

Also in the fray are 2016 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion Scott Hend of Australia, Shiv Kapur of India, Korea’s Jeunghun Wang and Thai veteran Prayad Marksaeng, as well as former champions Liang Wen-chong of China and Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh.

Ends.

About Asian Tour

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Published on February 21, 2018

The 99th ISPS HANDA New Zealand Open, sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia and in partnership with the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO), will be played at Millbrook Resort and The Hills from March 1-4.

Poom, a two-time Asian Tour winner, is expected to light up the NZ$1.2 million event together with more than 10 Asian Tour winners that also features 2016 Order of Merit champion Scott Hend of Australia.

“I’m really excited about going to New Zealand. This will be my first time in New Zealand and I want to make it a really memorable affair. I’ll be flying to India after New Zealand and although the journey is going to be very long, I don’t really mind."

“I have heard so many wonderful things about the country especially the scenery and I want to experience it myself,” said Poom.

The ISPS HANDA New Zealand Open will see 144 players compete for the first two rounds before the halfway cut is made where the leading 60 players and ties progress to the final two rounds.

The unique nature of the event also includes 144 amateur players, who will each partner a professional in a two-man best-ball event in the first two rounds.

“It’s always interesting whenever there’s a new format. I’m looking forward to playing with my pro-am partner and most importantly, have fun,” said the 24-year-old.

Poom has enjoyed an encouraging start to his 2018 Asian Tour season so far. He emerged as one of the standout performers for Team Asia at the EurAsia Cup and finished tied-12th and tied-10th in Singapore and Myanmar respectively last month.

“I’m playing well and hopefully I can get that next win very soon,” smiled Poom.

Other notable players at the ISPS HANDA New Zealand Open include 2017 Asian Development Tour (ADT) Order of Merit champion Pannakorn Uthaipas of Thailand and American Kurt Kitayama, who finished third at the Asian Tour Qualifying School before going on to win his first ADT title in Malaysia last month.

The Asian Tour became a full co-sanctioning partner of the ISPS HANDA New Zealand Open following an initial collaboration which saw 10 Asian Tour members featuring in the 2017 edition.

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Published on February 14, 2018

New Delhi, February 14: The Hero Indian Open, the country’s marquee golf tournament – which enters its 54th edition this year – will have the strongest-ever field with a galaxy of Indian stars vying for top honours with some marquee names from around the world.

Defending champion SSP Chawrasia, former champion Anirban Lahiri and twice European Tour winner and emerging talent Shubhankar Sharma will lead the Indian line-up at the European and the Asian Tour co-sanctioned tournament – to be played at the Gary Player layout of the DLF Golf and Country Club from March 8 to 11, 2018.

Emiliano Grillo of Argentina, who is a PGA Tour winner and member of the 2017 Presidents Cup team, will head the global list. The marquee names also include Andrew Johnston, one of the most popular players around the world, and the Ryder Cup captain, Thomas Bjorn, who has 21 worldwide wins including 15 on European Tour. Bjorn led a strong European team last month to a fine win over Asia in the EurAsia Cup in Malaysia.

The highest-ranked Indian player in the tournament will be Shubhankar Sharma, who with two European Tour wins in less than two months, has broken into Top-100, with a world ranking of No. 72. Lahiri, PGA Tour player and World No. 76, will try to reclaim the Hero Indian open trophy that he won in 2015.

The tournament will also see a strong Indian challenge including Shiv Kapur, Gaganjeet Bhullar, Ajeetesh Sandhu, Team Asia captain Arjun Atwal, Jeev Milkha Singh, Jyoti Randhawa, Mukesh Kumar, Chiragh Kumar and many others.

Pawan Munjal, Chairman, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Hero MotoCorp, said, “We are pleased to extend our association with the Hero Indian Open, which we have been associated with for the past 12 years. Our long-term commitment to support golf has been vindicated by the rising popularity of the game in India and the number of young Indian players making their mark on the global golfing circuit. Over the years, the Hero Indian Open has grown immensely in stature and attracted some of the best talent from around the world. With one of the strongest-ever field this year, I am sure this edition will be as exciting as the previous ones.”

Hero MotoCorp is major supporter of golf on all the three Tours – Asian Tour, European Tour and the US PGA Tour.

Chawrasia will be attempting the first-ever hat trick of wins in the 54-year long history of the tournament. Chawrasia had finished runner-up at the Hero Indian Open on four occasions – in 1999, 2006, 2013 and 2015 – before piping countryman Anirban Lahiri and Korea’s Jeunghun Wang to take the coveted title for the first time in 2016. He successfully retained his title last year to claim his fourth European Tour win.

Past champion Thongchai Jaidee and Ryder Cup player, Chris Wood, who won the 2016 BMW PGA Championships, are also in the field.

A final list of confirmations will be available closer to the event.

Keith Waters, Chief Operating Officer of the European Tour, said, “The support of Hero MotoCorp has helped this tournament to go from strength to strength. Our thanks go to Mr. Pawan Munjal and his team for their continued support of Indian Golf and in particular this event, which has proved to be of real benefit to emerging local golfers who have had the opportunity to grow their careers on the European Tour.”

Satish Aparajit, President of the Indian Golf Union, the apex body for golf in India, said, “The Hero Indian Open has become a very important stop on the European and Asian Tours. Besides attracting global stars, it has been a platform for upcoming juniors not only from all over Asia and Europe but also India.”

Aakash Ohri, Sr. Executive Director – Business Development, DLF Home Developers Ltd, said, “The DLF Golf & Country Club is delighted to welcome the Hero Indian Open back for the second successive year. The Gary Player course has proved to be a good test of golf and the maintenance team is working hard to presenting the course in pristine conditions. We look forward to welcoming all players, officials and spectators to the tournament.”

Published on March 27, 2013

March 27: Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat moved up 85 spots on the Official World Golf Rankings to 85th place following his victory at the Maybank Malaysian Open on Sunday.

The Thai rising star enjoyed one of the biggest moves in his career when he defeated a star studded cast at the US$2.75 million event which was sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour.

Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand is the best ranked Asian Tour member in 59th position and needs a victory in this week’s Chiangmai Golf Classic presented by PTT to qualify for the Masters Tournament next month.

Marcus Fraser of Australia, last year’s Order of Merit runner-up, was placed 63rd in the Official World Golf Ranking where Tiger Woods reclaimed the number one spot after winning on Sunday.

Asian Tour honorary member K.J. Choi ranks 77th while reigning Asian Tour number one Thaworn Wiratchant is 82nd in the world followed by multiple Asian Tour winner Bae Sang-moon of Korea in 84th spot.

Gaganjeet Bhullar of India, currently second on the Order of Merit, is placed 88th while two-time Asian Tour Order of Merit winner Jeev Milkha Singh is in 103rd position. Noh Seung-yul of Korea and Charlie Wi of Korea are placed 112th and 115th respectively.

Among other Asian Tour members ranked inside the top-200 in the world include: Y.E. Yang of Korea (144th), Juvic Pagunsan of the Philippines (146th), Anirban Lahiri of India (163rd), Wu Ashun of China (170th), Liang Wen-chong (172nd), Prom Meesawat of Thailand (182nd) and Jbe Kruger of South Africa (183rd).

Ends.

Published on February 14, 2018

The 28-year-old, who earned his Asian Tour breakthrough in Macao in 2016, will be playing in New Zealand for the first time. Apart from setting his sights on a second Tour win at the NZ$1.2 million which will be sanctioned by the Asian Tour, ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia and in partnership with the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO), the Thai is also excited to be playing against a spectacular backdrop that the event is going to offer.

“I can’t wait to get to New Zealand. This will be my first time playing there and I’ve heard so many good things about the country. I did a google search on Queenstown and saw so many fascinating and beautiful pictures online. I’m really excited about going there,” said the Thai. Pavit rose through the Asian Development Tour (ADT) ranks where he won five times before going on to make his mark on the Asian Tour. He reached a career high of 10th place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit in 2016 and is hoping to reach similar heights this season. “It has been two years since my first Asian Tour victory in Macao and I’m hoping to win again. I know I have the game to do well and hopefully that I can put four good rounds together in New Zealand,” said Pavit.

The ISPS HANDA New Zealand Open will also incorporate a unique Pro-Am format which will be played with a two-ball best ball format. It is another unique experience where Pavit knows will create more hype for the event.

“I played in a similar format before at Dunhill Links where it’s good fun. So this will add another level of excitement for the event,” said Pavit. More than 15 Asian Tour champions including 2016 Order of Merit winner Scott Hend of Australia are expected to contest at New Zealand’s premier golf tournament.

The 99th ISPS Handa New Zealand Open will be played at Millbrook Resort and The Hills near Queenstown from March 1-4. Ends.

About Asian Tour

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Chiangmai, Thailand, March 29: Thailand’s smooth-swinger Prayad Marksaeng maintained his title charge at the inaugural US$750,000 Chiangmai Golf Classic presented by PTT with a second round of five-under-par 67 to stretch his advantage to two shots on Friday. The overnight leader, who is a six-time Asian Tour winner but has not won on the region’s […]

Chiangmai, Thailand, March 29: Thailand’s smooth-swinger Prayad Marksaeng maintained his title charge at the inaugural US$750,000 Chiangmai Golf Classic presented by PTT with a second round of five-under-par 67 to stretch his advantage to two shots on Friday.

The overnight leader, who is a six-time Asian Tour winner but has not won on the region’s premier tour since 2007, tightened his grip atop the leaderboard with his 12-under-par 132 total at the Alpine Golf Resort-Chiangmai.

A host of talented Asian Tour stars, including Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand and Asia’s first Major champion Y.E. Yang of Korea, are hot on his heels. The Chiangmai Golf Classic presented by PTT offers the highest Official World Golf Ranking points in Asia this week with 16 points for the winner.

Thongchai, who needs a win in Chiangmai to qualify for the Masters Tournament, shot a fabulous 65 to move to tied second place with American Jonathan Moore (68) and India’s Digvijay Singh, who birdied his last three holes for a 67.

Hu Mu, playing on a sponsor’s invitation, stayed in the title hunt with a solid 69 for tied fifth place, three behind Prayad.

The powerful Yang shot a 68 and will enter the weekend rounds four back while Ernie Els of South Africa, using a short putter for the first time in a long while, battled to a 71 for tied 41st place on 140.
Prayad, who stuck to the cross-handed putting grip which he changed midway through the first round, credited his fine form to his new irons and golf ball.

“I changed to a new golf ball and it seems to be giving me more distance. Last time I hit my driver to about 280 yards but now I’m hitting it 20 yards longer. I’m getting more distance and that’s good for my age,” said the 47-year-old Prayad.

Starting from the back nine, Prayad, who has won three titles on home soil this year including his national Open two weeks ago, bounced back from an early bogey on two with acurate irons shots and was rewarded with six birdies, which all came inside of 10 feet.

“I’m happy with how I played. My game, from my driver, irons and putting, were very good. I used the cross-handed grip again today. It seems to be working. I’ve been playing very good this year and I hope I can maintain my form,” added the smiling Thai.

Three-time Asian Tour number one Thongchai produced some wonderful golf to put himself in position to win and break into the world’s top-50, which is required to earn an invitation to the Masters Tournament next month.

The former paratrooper birdied the third from close range and then holed out with a wedge for a stunning eagle three on the fourth hole which sparked his round. He added four more birdies on the back nine as he outshone playing partner Els.

“It is actually a good idea to keep thinking about the Masters Tournament,” said Thongchai, who is ranked 59th in the world. “

“I want to win this tournament. It is only the second round and I’m halfway there. I think I have a good chance because I’m only two shots away. If I can get another low round then I have a chance of winning,” add the Thai, who has 13 titles on the Asian Tour, which is celebrating its milestone 10th season in 2013.

Moore, who graduated from the Asian Development Tour in 2011 and finished seventh on the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit in 2012, said his carefree attitude on the course has given him a chance of landing a first Asian Tour title.

“A few things I’ve learned over the years, one of them is to send the ball on its way. I can’t make it go to a particular spot. Just envision that all I’m going to do is to hit it into the ocean instead of a small fairway. Just make that free swing and hit it into a big wide ocean. I think that’s helped a bit,” said Moore, who hit 10 fairways and 14 greens in regulation.

Singh was delighted to be feature on the leaderboard again, nearly a year after he claimed his breakthrough victory at the Panasonic Open India which he will defend the title next week.

“It has been a long time (being in contention). Since my win, I haven’t done much. It has been a bit of a flash in the pan kind of performance so far. I was trying too hard and trying to get too much out of my rounds,” said the 41-year-old.

Els struggled to a 71 to fall eight shots off the pace but still hopes to go low over the weekend. “It’s going to take a lot of work (to win). I’ll go out there with an aggressive mindset tomorrow and hope to get something going. I’ve not had a really low round all year and I would love to have a low round in the next two days. That’s what I’ll be aiming for. It’ll take a lot to win the tournament from where I am. I just want to get some momentum going through the weekend,” said the reigning British Open champion.

The halfway cut was set at two-under-par 142 with a total of 71 players making the weekend rounds.

Scores after round 2 of the Chiangmai Golf Classic being played at the par 72, 7471 Yards Alpine GR course (a- denotes amateur):
132 – Prayad MARKSAENG (THA) 65-67.
134 – Jonathan MOORE (USA) 66-68, Digvijay SINGH (IND) 67-67, Thongchai JAIDEE (THA) 69-65.
135 – HU Mu (CHN) 66-69, Pawin INGKHAPRADIT (THA) 67-68, Bryce EASTON (RSA) 68-67, Matthew STIEGER (AUS) 68-67.
136 – Jason KNUTZON (USA) 67-69, Mithun PERERA (SRI) 70-66, SIDDIKUR (BAN) 69-67.
137 – YANG Y. E. (KOR) 69-68, Scott HEND (AUS) 68-69, MO Joong-kyung (KOR) 70-67, Atthaphon SRIBOONKAEW (THA) 72-65, Zaw MOE (MYN) 70-67.
138 – Kiradech APHIBARNRAT (THA) 71-67, David LIPSKY (USA) 69-69, Panuphol PITTAYARAT (THA) 71-67, BAEK Seuk-hyun (KOR) 69-69, Thitiphun CHUAYPRAKONG (THA) 68-70, KIM Seng-yong (KOR) 70-68, Himmat RAI (IND) 71-67, Anton HAIG (RSA) 72-66, Prom MEESAWAT (THA) 66-72, Tetsuji HIRATSUKA (JPN) 70-68, Carlos PIGEM (ESP) 68-70, Chapchai NIRAT (THA) 70-68, Jake HIGGINBOTTOM (AUS) 70-68, Boonchu RUANGKIT (THA) 70-68, Jaakko MAKITALO (FIN) 72-66, Chris RODGERS (ENG) 72-66, Jazz JANEWATTANANOND (THA) 68-70.
139 – Udorn DUANGDECHA (THA) 70-69, Panuwat MUENLEK (THA) 68-71, HUNG Chien-yao (TPE) 70-69, Javi COLOMO (ESP) 74-65, Mardan MAMAT (SIN) 70-69, Pariya JUNHASAVASDIKUL (THA) 69-70, Marcus BOTH (AUS) 71-68.
140 – Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND) 70-70, Antonio LASCUNA (PHI) 69-71, Adam GROOM (AUS) 68-72, Wade ORMSBY (AUS) 70-70, Namchok TANTIPOKHAKUL (THA) 71-69, Jbe KRUGER (RSA) 71-69, Ernie ELS (RSA) 69-71, Anirban LAHIRI (IND) 71-69, Shiv KAPUR (IND) 69-71, LAM Chih Bing (SIN) 73-67, Sam CYR (USA) 70-70, Pavit TANGKAMOLPRASERT (THA) 71-69, LU Wen-teh (TPE) 74-66.

Ends.

About the Asian Tour
In 2013, the Asian Tour will celebrate a momentous milestone with its 10th season. 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 Abacus (Official Apparel Partner), BlackBerry (Official Communications Partner), Canon (Official Imaging Partner), Inetol Headwear (Official Headwear Supplier), Saxo Capital Markets (Official Statistic Partner), Singha Beer (Official Beer), Srixon (Official Ball), Starwood Hotels and Resorts (Official Hotels and Resorts) and Rolex (Official Timekeeper). The Asian Tour has offices in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Also, visit us at www.wp-asiantour.ocs-sport.com, www.facebook.com/asiantourgolf, www.twitter.com/asiantourgolf, www.youtube.com/theasiantour and www.weibo.com/asiantourgolf

About IMG
IMG Worldwide is a global sports, fashion and media business, with nearly 3,000 employees operating in more than 30 countries around the globe. IMG’s areas of expertise are diverse and wide ranging: IMG College; IMG’s Joint Ventures in India, China, Brazil and Turkey; IMG Media; IMG Events and Federations; IMG Fashion; IMG Models; IMG Art+Commerce; IMG Clients; IMG Academy; IMG Consulting and IMG Licensing. More information is available at www.imgworld.com.

Mexico City, March 1: Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat carded a superb five-under 66 for tied fifth position at the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship on Thursday. The big-hitting Kiradech produced six birdies against a lone bogey at the Club Golf de Chapultepec, thanks to a combination of solid ball striking and putting to trail first round leader […]

Mexico City, March 1: Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat carded a superb five-under 66 for tied fifth position at the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship on Thursday.

The big-hitting Kiradech produced six birdies against a lone bogey at the Club Golf de Chapultepec, thanks to a combination of solid ball striking and putting to trail first round leader Louis Oosthuizen by two strokes in the US$10 million showpiece.

“I kept it more on the greens and fairways, and had more opportunity to putt. My golf game is in great shape,” said a delighted Kiradech.

Three weeks after lifting a fourth European Tour title in Perth, the world No. 40 is keen to keep his name up on the leaderboard as he bids to improve on his previous best WGC finish of T18 at the 2016 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.

With the three-lined Chapultepec course being over 7,000 feet above sea level which results in golf balls flying further, Kiradech believes the key to his solid start was due to his ability to manage his distance control.

“This week is all about distance control. Then, the more greens you hit, you get more chances. Some hole you have to hit in the middle of the greens because it’s really difficult to adjust. When it’s hot, the ball travels farther and when it’s in the shade you can drop a couple yards,” said Kiradech, who averaged 1.65 putts per green in regulation.

The 28-year-old, who played in all four rounds at The Honda Classic on the PGA TOUR last week, is pushing hard for a top finish in Mexico to enhance his bid to earn his PGA TOUR card for the first time in his career.

About the World Golf Championships – Mexico Championships

The World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship is regulated and organized by the operational committee of the International Federation of PGA Tours and due to its great importance it annually attracts the top golfers from across the globe including those from the Asian Tour, European Tour, Japan Golf Tour, PGA TOUR, PGA Tour of Australasia and Sunshine Tour. The other World Golf Championships include Dell Technologies Match Play (Austin, Texas, U.S.), Bridgestone Invitational (Akron, Ohio, U.S.) and HSBC Champions (Shanghai, China).

Dustin Johnson of the U.S. will be the defending champion when the Mexico Championship returns with a total purse of USD$10 million to Club de Golf Chapultepec in Mexico City for its second year and as the second of four World Golf Championships of the 2017-18 PGA TOUR Season on February 28 – March 4, 2018.

For more information visit www.wgcmexico.com, as well as the tournament’s social media accounts @WGCMexico (in English with international scope) and @TVAztecaGolf (in Spanish with international and Latin American scopes).

Gurugram, India, February 27: Europe’s Ryder Cup captain, Thomas Bjorn, will become the first-ever current Ryder Cup captain to make an appearance when he tees off at the Hero Indian Open next week. Bjorn, winner of 21 titles worldwide, and runner-up three times at Major tournaments, will be among the international star cast from over […]

Gurugram, India, February 27: Europe’s Ryder Cup captain, Thomas Bjorn, will become the first-ever current Ryder Cup captain to make an appearance when he tees off at the Hero Indian Open next week.

Bjorn, winner of 21 titles worldwide, and runner-up three times at Major tournaments, will be among the international star cast from over 30 countries at the US$1.75 million event.

The field includes six players from the World’s Top-100 who are all set to battle it out on the Gary Player layout of the DLF Golf and Country Club from March 8 to 11. The field includes a plethora of Order of Merit winners, past champions, Ryder Cup captains and a Major champion.

Interestingly, Bjorn will not be the only Ryder Cup captain in the field, as Darren Clarke, the 2011 Open champion, has also confirmed his presence.

Clarke led the European Ryder Cup team in 2016, while Bjorn will be at the helm for the 2018 Ryder Cup in France this year.

Meanwhile, as the 54th edition of the Hero Indian Open comes closer, many of the top players have shown excellent form in the run-up to the event.

One of the biggest draws in the event, Emiliano Grillo of Argentina, a teammate of India’s own Anirban Lahiri at the 2017 Presidents Cup, is coming fresh of a Top-10 finish last week on the PGA Tour. Both Grillo, a past winner on the PGA Tour, and Lahiri are flying in straight from the PGA National in Florida where they played last week.

Grillo, who was in the top-20 of three of the four Majors in 2016, is looking very strong once again in 2018. In the current wrap-around season, he already has two Top-10s on the PGA Tour, besides another tied-12th in Mexico.

Anirban Lahiri of India

India’s Lahiri is also coming off two top-10s in CIMB Classic and CJ Bridges Cup in addition to a tied-14th finish at Mayakoba, Mexico.

Even as the international players hold the spotlight, there will be considerable interest in India’s latest star, Shubhankar Sharma, who also features in his maiden World Golf Championships in Mexico this week. Shubhankar won two Asian Tour titles in the last four months, at the Joburg Open and the Maybank Championship.

The men in form on the European Tour, Joost Luiten, winner of the NBO Oman Open, and Chris Wood, who was second at the Oman event and tied-13th in Qatar Masters, alongside England’s ever-smiling and hugely popular, Andrew Johnston, tied-12th in Oman, are all looking forward to the event. Luiten was also tied-12th in Malaysia, where Shubhankar emerged champion.

“I have heard so much about India and Indian golf that I can’t wait to get there,” said Andrew Johnston.

The Englishman, who has also had a stint on the PGA Tour, added: “I simply love Indian food and Shiv Kapur has promised to take me out for an Indian meal and I am looking forward to that. As for golf, Indians like S.S.P. (Chawrasia) and Shubhankar (Sharma) are doing so well, so it will be great to play in India.”

Also looking forward to India is Chris Wood, whose six-foot-six-inch height will make for a great visual contrast as he stands alongside the reigning two-time Hero Indian Open winner diminutive S.S.P. Chawrasia. The two have played together often on European Tour and were also pitted against each other in the singles at the 2016 EurAsia Cup in Malaysia.

S.S.P. Chawrasia of India

On the Indian side, the virtual who’s who of Indian golf will be present and that includes the two players who have accounted for the last three Hero Indian Open titles – Anirban Lahiri in 2015 and Chawrasia in 2016 and 2017. Also present is Siddikur Rahman winner in 2013.

All the five Indian winners on 2017 Asian and European Tours, Shiv Kapur (three titles in 2017), Chawrasia, Gaganjeet Bhullar, Ajeetesh Sandhu and Shubhankar are present in the field.

The field also includes the last three winners of the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings – Gavin Green (2017), Scott Hend (2016) and Lahiri (2015).

Ends.

ASIAN TOUR CAT. 1 ORDER OF MERIT WINNERS CTRY 1 SCOTT HEND AUS CAT. 4 A TOURNAMENT WINNERS 2 PAUL PETERSON USA 3 PANUPHOL PITTAYARAT THA 4 POOM SAKSANSIN THA 5 TODD SINNOTT AUS 6 PAVIT TANGKAMOLPRASERT THA 7 MARCUS FRASER AUS CAT. 6 SPONSOR INVITES […]

	ASIAN TOUR
CAT. 1	ORDER OF MERIT WINNERS	CTRY
1	SCOTT HEND	AUS

CAT. 4 A	TOURNAMENT WINNERS
2	PAUL PETERSON	USA
3	PANUPHOL PITTAYARAT	THA
4	POOM SAKSANSIN	THA
5	TODD SINNOTT	AUS
6	PAVIT TANGKAMOLPRASERT	THA
7	MARCUS FRASER	AUS

CAT. 6	SPONSOR INVITES
1	STEVEN ALKER	NZL
2	TIM WILKINSON	NZL
3	K.J. CHOI	KOR
4	TAYLOR DIO	USA
5	CRAIG PALMER	NZL
6	PETER SMITH	NZL
7	YUNSEOK GANG	KOR
8	TAEWOO KIM	KOR
9	SOONSANG HONG	KOR
10	BYUNGJUN KIM	KOR
11	DANNY MASRIN	INA
12	CAMERON DAVIS	AUS
13	PAUL GOW	AUS
14	LUKE TOOMEY	NZL
15	ASHLEY HALL	AUS

CAT. 9 (A)	TOP 60 (AT 2017 OOM)
8	JOHANNES VEERMAN	USA
9	HUNG CHIEN-YAO	TPE
10	TERRY PILKADARIS	AUS
11	JAKE HIGGINBOTTOM	AUS
12	JARIN TODD	USA
13	SIHWAN KIM	USA
14	LIONEL WEBER	FRA
15	CASEY O’TOOLE	USA
16	BERRY HENSON	USA

CAT. 9 (B)	MEDICAL EXEMPTION
17	SIMON YATES	SCO

CAT. 14	WINNER OF THE 2017 ADT OOM
18	PANNAKORN UTHAIPAS	THA

CAT. 16	TOP 35 & TIES FROM 2017 QS & 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th placing From 2017 ADT OOM
19	JOHN CATLIN	USA
20	WANG WEI-LUN	TPE
21	KURT KITAYAMA	USA
22	OLIVER GOSS	AUS
23	MAVERICK ANTCLIFF	AUS
24	SHOHEI HASEGAWA	JPN
25	HEUNGCHOL JOO	KOR
26	MATT STIEGER	AUS
27	JAVIER GALLEGOS	ESP
28	WILLIAM HARROLD	ENG
29	TAEYOUNG KANG	KOR
30	SUNGHO LEE	KOR

	PGATA
1	MATTHEW GRIFFIN	AUS
2	NICK CULLEN	AUS
3	SIMON HAWKES	AUS
4	MICHAEL HENDRY	NZL
5	DIMITRIOS PAPADATOS	AUS
6	ADAM BLYTH	AUS
7	JORDAN ZUNIC	AUS
8	LUCAS HERBERT	AUS
9	JAMES MARCHESANI	AUS
10	DAVID BRANSDON	AUS
11	BEN CAMPBELL	NZL
12	JAKE MCLEOD	AUS
13	MARK BROWN	NZL

Queenstown, New Zealand, February 23: The Asian Tour will break new ground as it heads to New Zealand for the NZ$1.2 million ISPS HANDA New Zealand Open next week. The event is one of New Zealand’s leading sporting events and welcomes the Asian Tour as its full co-sanctioning partner with the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour […]