Kuching, Malaysia, July 3: The in-form Jazz Janewattananond will be aiming to win back-to-back titles when he headlines the inaugural Sarawak Championship which starts on Wednesday.

The 22-year-old Thai hopes to become the 13th player to win in successive weeks on the Asian Tour following his victory on home soil at the Queen’s Cup last week.

Jazz will be one of the top contenders at the picturesque Damai Golf and Country Club alongside Sihwan Kim of the United States, who is the highest ranked player in the elite field where he sits in seventh place on the Habitat for Humanity Standings.

Joining them this week are India’s Ajeetesh Sandhu, Korean rising star Yikeun Chang, Pavit Tangkamolprasert of Thailand, John Catlin of the United States and home favourites Ben Leong and Nicholas Fung.

Jazz is determined to be the latest back-to-back winner on the Asian Tour as the last player to achieve the feat was Lee Westwood of England when he won the 2011 Indonesian Masters and Ballantine’s Championship in Korea.

The young Thai, who will make his Major debut at The Open later this month, admits he does not have enough practice this week but hopes to take advantage of his winning form at the Sarawak Championship.

The 29-year-old Sandhu is slowly hitting top form after finishing tied fifth in Korea in May. He won his first Asian Tour title in Chinese Taipei last year and will be searching for a second victory this week.

The dashing Chang hopes to learn from his experience at The 37th GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship in Korea where he was defeated in a play-off after losing his lead when he dropped two shots in the closing three holes.

Did you know? 

• Only 12 players have won back-to-back titles on the Asian Tour. Jazz hopes to join Thongchai Jaidee and Thaworn Wiratchant as the only Thai players to achieve this feat.
• Thongchai remains as the only Thai player to have won back-to-back titles in 2004 and 2008.
• Jazz won the Queen’s Cup last week by four shots. It was his second Asian Tour title following his first win at the Bangladesh Open in 2017.
• He is one of the most consistent players on the Asian Tour this year where he only missed one cut in 11 starts. He is currently ranked ninth on the Habitat for Humanity Standings.
• Sandhu’s best result this year was a tied fifth result at The 37th GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship in May.
• He won his first Asian Tour title at the 2017 Yeangder TPC in Chinese Taipei. The victory sparked an amazing run for the Indian who went on to win on the Japan Challenge Tour the week after.
• Sandhu finished in 21st place on the 2017 Order of Merit, his best placing on the rankings so far in his career.
• Chang won the 2016 Asian Tour Qualifying School. He has yet to win on the Asian Tour after finishing second twice. Last year, he won twice on the local circuit and also qualified for The Open where he finished in tied 44th place.
• The Korean led in the final round of The 37th GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship before dropping shots on holes 16 and 17. He was eventually defeated in a play-off.

Player quotes:

Jazz Janewattananond (Tha) 

I’m still overwhelmed by the emotions and I didn’t really get to sleep. This week the tournament starts on Wednesday so I don’t have much time to think about my victory.

My confidence is good now but there are days when your confidence can drop. I will treat this tournament like any other tournament and give it my best and try to win.

This is the first time I’m playing on this golf course and I didn’t see everything. I won’t have time to practice much because the tournament starts tomorrow (Wednesday).

When I won last week, it was a relief. I’m not thinking about winning back-to-back titles because I only get to practice for one day and I don’t know the course well. Having said that, we always play to win.

Every week, it is the same for me. Everyone in the field including me always try to win the tournament we are playing in. I think more eyes will be on me this week because I won last week but I have to treat it like any other event.

Ajeetesh Sandhu (Ind) 

My season has been a bit up and down. I expected that because I’m playing in a lot of new tournaments and courses. It takes a bit of settling down but I played well. I’ve struggled a bit with my putting but once that turns around I’ll be okay. That’s the only missing aspect.

There’s always room for improvement and there’s still a long way to go. Every week that I tee up now is important, whether it is prize money, world ranking or Habitat for Humanity Standings. That’s what you want to play for because the pressure is always up and that’s a good thing.

I want to improve on my world ranking. It is tough to set a clear goal but I want to win again. That’s my major goal. It is never easy to win but the self-belief is up because you know that you’ve done it before. It is easier because you know you can do it and that always helps.

Winning can never harm anyone and it is only a positive that can go into your book. It is such a nice memory and now that I’ve looked back at it (his victory at the 2017 Yeangder TPC), it gives you so much belief that you can do it.

Yikeun Chang (Kor) 

I had some good and bad tournaments. I feel like my game is getting better and I feel that I’m ready. My tee shots have been poor. You have to find the fairways to make birdies and I didn’t do that.

I wasn’t turning enough on the down swing. I was missing the ball right a lot. I feel like it has gotten better now. Everyone on the Tour has to manage themselves because we will be playing many events until the end of the year.

At Maekyung I was really close but I made a couple of bogeys coming in. I have to make putts when it matters. Last year when I won twice on the local Tour, I did that very well. I missed a couple of short putts in Maekyung so I’ve been practising a lot on my short putts.

It wasn’t pressure (at Maekyung). I wasn’t nervous because I’ve won before on the local Tour and I’ve learnt a lot from that. I think it was just bad mistakes and bad putting. I learnt a lot at Maekyung and I feel that I’ve gotten a lot better from the experience.

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.

Kuching, Malaysia, July 2: Malaysia’s Arie Irawan hopes marital bliss will translate into better results on the golf course when he contends at the inaugural Sarawak Championship which starts on Wednesday.

The 27-year-old Arie married Marina Malek in May, and his wife will be on his bag this week at the US$300,000 Asian Tour tournament staged at the scenic Damai Golf and Country Club.

Arie, an Asian Development Tour (ADT) regular where he has won two titles, hopes to repeat the chemistry he shares with his wife this week after they linked perfectly on the PGA Tour China Series last month which resulted in a tied fourth finish.

Rory Hie of Indonesia

He will be among the strong Malaysian challengers this week which includes Nicholas Fung, Ben Leong and Airil Rizman, who are all Asian Tour champions.

Asian Tour rookie Viraj Madappa is determined to turn the corner at the Sarawak Championship in hopes of retaining his Asian Tour card for 2019. The 20-year-old Indian earned his Tour card through Qualifying School earlier this year but has yet to hit top form where his best result is a tied 43rd place finish at the AB Bank Bangladesh Open.

Indonesia’s Rory Hie is feeling good vibes ahead of the Sarawak Championship. He believes his game suits the Damai course layout and will be aiming to launch a title assault.

Did you know?

• Arie played at the Damai Golf and Country Club on the ADT last year and finished in tied eighth place.
• He enjoyed his best season on the ADT in 2015 where he won two titles before finishing in sixth place on the Order of Merit to earn an Asian Tour card for the following season.
• He struggled in 2016 after getting involved in a moped accident which left him with metal plates in his shoulder. He was kept out of the game for several months.
• Hie is searching for his first Asian Tour title this week. The Indonesian is feeling good vibes after receiving a free hotel room upgrade. He also says the course suits his eye.
• His best result in 2018 so far was a tied 18th place finish at the Thailand Open in June. He is currently placed 138th on the Habitat for Humanity Standings and will need to finish inside the top-60 at the end of the season to earn a full Asian Tour card.
• Hie is among three Indonesians in the elite field this week. He is joined by countrymen Danny Masrin and George Gandranata.
• The bespectacled Madappa is playing in his first year on the Asian Tour after finishing tied 29th at the Qualifying School in Thailand.
• Madappa’s standout Asian Tour moment came in 2017 when he shot an opening 66 at the TAKE Solutions Masters before finishing tied 38th in the tournament.
• Madappa said he learned how to play golf after going for swimming lessons. “I was a fat kid and I went swimming at a golf club. There I saw people playing golf and I told my father that I wanted to try it.”

Player quotes: 

Arie Irawan (Mas)

It is good to have the opportunity for Malaysians to play a new event on the Asian Tour. We have Maybank Championship and CIMB Classic but it is a good opportunity for us to play in a full field Asian Tour event.

Sarawak is where I was born (in Miri). This is a little bit like home and it is always nice for the international golfers to see a different part of Malaysia. Most of our events are in Kuala Lumpur. Good for players to see what East Malaysia has to offer. I was born in Sarawak because my father worked in oil and gas previously.

My first half was okay. It was a little bit up and down. I played in an event in China and finished tied fourth last month. I had my wife (Marina Malek) on the bag and she is my caddy this week as well. Hopefully the momentum and trend continues this week.

I played here last year and finished top-10 on the Asian Development Tour (ADT). The course suits my eye and I know how it sets up and what to expect.

I’m a bit more relaxed (since getting married in May). She doesn’t know much about golf but if I make a bad score she will say ‘it is okay, it is okay’. She keeps me calm, relaxed and happy so I just go out there and play golf. That helps me a lot. She has always been there for me through the bad and good times.

I don’t have any goals this week. I want to play the best I can. I know what this golf course offers and hopefully I do the best I can.

Rory Hie (Ina)

I like what I’m seeing. The golf course looks really nice. The layout is really nice. The hotel is nice as well and I actually got a free upgrade to the best room and we got to watch the sunset so that’s really nice.

I have really good vibes so hopefully I can keep it going. My game is getting better. I missed a few cuts but the ones that I made, I managed to finish quite well. Hopefully I can maintain my form.

I feel like I’ve played better than my score, results suggest. I made a lot of cuts last year but now I feel like I can have more top finishes consistently. I hope to see my game mature a little bit more in the second half of the year.

Viraj Madappa (Ind)

I haven’t been playing up to the mark that I can play to. There is also an added pressure to play well in the events which I can play in. But now that there are more events, I’m starting to feel more comfortable on the Asian Tour.

I’m learning more and more about life on Tour and I’m getting closer to playing better. I’m getting comfortable so that’s a good sign. I’m enjoying my time on the Asian Tour. Last week was a great location in Pattaya and this week we are also by the beach. With all the pressure, you still have to think about how to enjoy everything. When I was coming here, I realised how lucky all of us are to be visiting such nice locations.

Now that we are getting to play in so many events, the flow of my game is also coming together. My main goal is to retain my Asian Tour card but I feel that if I get some top-10 finishes, then a win will be good in my rookie year.

I feel my game has been a little bit off. It is getting there slowly. The more I play, the more comfortable I feel on the golf course. When the flow comes, everything should take care of itself.

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.

July 2: Defending champion Justin Rose has confirmed his participation in the 2018 WGC-HSBC Champions taking place 25th to 28th October at Sheshan International Golf Club, Shanghai.

Crowd favourite, Li Haotong, will also be in Shanghai as China’s No.1 player to challenge the world’s best golfers, competing for an increased prize fund of US $10 million, as they battle for the title known as ‘Asia’s Major.’

As well as hosting the strongest player field in Asia, organisers have planned significant enhancements to every aspect of the spectator experience for this year’s event including adding Virtual Reality technology to the new Lakeside area boasting a spectator viewing platform with premium sightlines of the 2nd and 9th greens. With so much on offer, fans will be looking to take advantage of a special early bird ticket offer launched today with official ticketing partner, 247 Tickets.

Rose’s win at the WGC-HSBC Champions last October kick-started a remarkable run of form that has seen the Englishman rise from 13th on the Official World Golf Rankings to a current position of third, with every chance of reaching the number one spot in the coming weeks.

Olympic Gold Medallist Rose, who recovered an eight shot deficit on the Sunday to triumph at last year’s WGC-HSBC Champions commented: “I can’t wait to get back to Shanghai. It was such an important week for me last year and it turned an ok year into an excellent one. The confidence I gained from coming from eight shots back in such a big tournament against such a world-class field really helped me finish off last year on a high and I have kept the momentum going ever since. I will feel very proud to stand on the first tee at Sheshan and be announced as the defending Champion.”

Li Haotong, a two-time winner on the European Tour, added: “I always look forward to playing in the WGC-HSBC Champions. It is such a big event and it is very special to play for such an important title against the best players in the world in front of my home fans. Winning Majors and World Golf Championships are definitely goals of mine so it would be amazing to be the first Chinese player to win a World Golf Championship and to actually do it in China.”

Peter Wong, Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive, The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, said of the announcement: “HSBC is proud to support this internationally renowned tournament and the growth of golf across Asia-Pacific. We are delighted that a world-class field of golfers will be on the course at Sheshan again this year and look forward to a compelling spectacle for the fans.”

Zhang Xiaoning, President of the China Golf Association concluded: “We are very excited about this year’s WGC-HSBC Champions as HSBC and IMG are working closely with us to help to grow the game in China. This year they have taken significant steps in making the tournament even more accessible to the public by lowering the ticket prices. There are also major enhancements to the spectator experience planned while, once again, the tournament will inspire by delivering the world’s best golfers to Shanghai.”

As part of an on-going initiative to grow the game of golf in China, organisers have launched early bird discounts with as much as 40% off regular ticket bundles with complimentary entry to all ticket holders during the Professional-Amateur competition on 24th October. Families and group purchases stand to enjoy even greater savings to ensure the event becomes more accessible to fans. For more details on the WGC-HSBC Champions and all ticket information, please visit https://www.hsbcgolf.com/mens  

Sentosa, Singapore, July 2: The sweet sound of success will resonate very well with Jazz Janewattananond following his latest win at the Queen’s Cup presented by Bangchak on Sunday. 

After all, it was only more than a year ago that the 22-year-old was staring at limited playing opportunities on the Asian Tour after finishing outside the top-60 on the 2016 Order of Merit.

The Thai also missed the grade at the 2017 Qualifying School but relief would come at the 2017 Bangladesh Open when he won his Asian Tour title by four shots.

As fate would have it, Jazz’s patient approach would once again see him lift his second title on the Asian Tour by four shots at the Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club.

“I told myself I am just here to play golf and not try to do anything else. I just played shot by shot and I think that helped. I did my best.

“It means a lot to win the Queen’s Cup. It feels very good to win at home and with my parents watching me win as well,” said Jazz.

The win at an event which Jazz describes as ‘his favourite tournament on the Asian Tour’ will put him in good stead as he takes on the world’s best players in his maiden debut at The Open next month.

“I came here with the mindset of putting my game in good shape for The Open later this month. I did more than that.

“To be able to win this week is a bonus. It has definitely helped to boost my confidence,” said Jazz.

Jazz, who moved from 16th to ninth place on the Habitat for Humanity Standings following his latest win, will continue to place his trust with his caddie, Nick Pugh, whom he wished his signature beard could have gone under the shaver last week.

“My first week working with my caddie, Nick Pugh, was at the Queen’s Cup in Samui last year. It’s been over a year now. He wanted to have a deal with me earlier, saying he will shave off his beard if I were to win a tournament with him on the bag. I regretted not taking up the deal with him now,” laughed Jazz.

India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar missed out on his ninth Asian Tour win but moved two spots up to 10th place on the Habitat for Humanity Standings while Korean-American Sihwan Kim secured seventh place after finishing tied-third at the Queen’s Cup.

The inaugural Sarawak Championship is the next stop on the Asian Tour schedule where more than 30 Asian Tour champions from 20 different countries will headline the event at the Damai Golf and Country Club this week.

Top-20 players on the Habitat for Humanity Standings

Pos       Player   Order of Merit (US$)

1            Shubhankar SHARMA (IND)                  $589,575.00

2            Matt WALLACE (ENG)                              $446,660.00

3            Kiradech APHIBARNRAT (THA)             $360,737.14

4            Sanghyun PARK (KOR)                             $295,660.39

5            Rahil GANGJEE (IND)                               $290,425.53

6            Minchel CHOI (KOR)                                $271,340.97

7            Sihwan KIM (USA)                                   $248,643.77

8            Paul PETERSON   (USA)                           $218,848.57

9            Jazz JANEWATTANANOND   (THA)      $177,024.39

10          Gaganjeet BHULLAR   (IND)                   $169,843.30

11          Scott VINCENT   (ZIM)                             $168,849.85

12          Daniel NISBET   (AUS)                              $151,883.64

13          Berry HENSON   (USA)                             $151,856.66

14          Panuphol PITTAYARAT   (THA)              $135,949.11

15          John CATLIN   (USA)                                 $129,191.66

16          Hideto TANIHARA   (JPN)                       $123,306.08

17          Khalin JOSHI   (IND)                                 $122,479.70

18          Prom MEESAWAT   (THA)                       $121,605.91

19          Shaun NORRIS   (RSA)                             $118,284.91

20          Yikeun CHANG   (KOR)                                          $115,809.80

Sentosa, Singapore, July 2: Here’s 5 takeaways from the Queen’s Cup presented by Bangchak where Jazz Janewattananond won his second Asian Tour title on home soil.

1. Jazz started working with his caddy Nick Pugh since last year’s Queen’s Cup. Nick wanted to strike a deal to Jazz, saying he would shave off his beard if Jazz were to win an event with him on the bag. Jazz regretted not taking up the deal after he won the Queen’s Cup presented by Bangchak.
2. Jazz will have Nick on the bag when he makes his Major debut at The Open at Carnoustie in two weeks’ time. Jazz will also enjoy the company of his father, who is a judge in Thailand, when he heads to Scotland.
3. His real name is Atiwit but he switched to his nickname Jazz which was given by his father due to the latter’s preference to jazz music.
4. Prior to his victory, Jazz has enjoyed three top-five finishes in his last seven appearances at the Queen’s Cup, albeit on a different golf course.
5. Jazz rates Thai star Kiradech Aphibarnrat as his role model and will be teeing up for The Open alongside Kiradech and Danthai Boonma.

Pattaya, Thailand, July 1: Young Thai talent Jazz Janewattananond took advantage of a hot streak to close with a four-under-par 67, sealing a solid four-shot victory for his second Asian Tour title and first on home soil at the Queen’s Cup presented by Bangchak on Sunday.

After trading one birdie against two bogeys to turn in 37, Jazz fired five straight birdies from the 10th to pull away from the pack before reeling in four closing pars for a winning total of 19-under-par 265 at the Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club.

Jazz, who was trailing by one shot at the turn, sparked his hot run with a chip-in birdie from 11 yards on the 10th. The 22-year-old Thai bounced back from a wayward tee shot on the next with a brilliant approach from the trees which left him a one-footer for birdie.

He went on to make a seven-footer on the 12th, drain a long 24-feet uphill putt on 13th and nail an eight-footer on 14th to cap five birdies in-a-row en route to winning the US$300,000 event, which celebrated its 10th straight edition on the Asian Tour this week.

Jazz made up for the disappointment of finishing runner-up last year with this victory which saw him take home a winner’s prize purse of US$54,000 and receive a total of 14 Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points.

India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar battled to a 71 to take second place while American Sihwan Kim and Pavit Tangkamolprasert of Thailand shared third place on 270 following respective rounds of 70 and 71.

Did you know?

• Jane Janewattananond dropped only four shots this week. He needed only 25 putts in his final round of 67.
• Jazz will be making his Major debut at The Open at Carnoustie later this month. He earned the coveted spot after finishing tied-fourth at the season-opening SMBC Singapore Open in January, which was part of The Open Qualifying Series.
• Jazz has missed only one cut in 11 starts on Tour so far this season. He moved from 16th to ninth place on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings following this victory at the Queen’s Cup presented by Bangchak.
• He came in runner-up at the Queen’s Cup last year, finishing just one shot back of winner Nicholas Fung of Malaysia.
• Jazz won his first Asian Tour title at the 2017 Bangladesh Open by four shots. The victory was especially sweet for him as he finished outside the top-60 on the 2016 Order of Merit and missed the grade at the 2017 Qualifying School. He went on to notch five other top-10s to finish a career-high 13th place on the Order of Merit.
• Jazz started working with his caddy Nick Pugh at the Queen’s Cup last year. Nick will be on his bag when he makes his Major debut at The Open later this month.
• Gaganjeet Bhullar is an eight-time winner on the Asian Tour. He claimed his eighth victory at the Macao Open last year and became the youngest player to win eight titles on the region’s premier Tour.
• The 30-year-old Bhullar endured another missed opportunity for his ninth Asian Tour win. He came close at the Maekyung Open in Korea in May but settled for a share of second place after he was defeated in the play-off.
• Pavit Tangkamolprasert battled against a wrist injury to claim a record sixth ADT victory on home soil last month.
• Pavit was crowned the 2014 ADT Order of Merit champion, after winning three titles on the secondary circuit that year.
• Pavit won his first Asian Tour title at the 2016 Venetian Macao Open in sensational style by defeating Anirban Lahiri of India on the first play-off hole.
• Pavit marked his best result on the Asian Tour this season following his tied-third place finish at the Queen’s Cup.
• Sihwan Kim came through the Asian Tour Qualifying School in 2017 and kept his card for the 2018 season after notching three top-10s to finish in 55th place on the final Order of Merit.
• The 29-year-old Kim notched his third top-three result on the Asian Tour this season at the Queen’s Cup presented by Bangchak. He had earlier came in third at the Hero Indian Open and tied-forth at the Panasonic Open Golf Championship in Japan.

Players’ quotes:

Jazz Janewattananond (Tha) – Final round 67 (-4), Total 265 (-19)

I got off to a slow start today. I was a bit shaky, made some bogeys there. The turning point came after I chipped it in on the 10th hole. I felt like my game just came back after that. It wasn’t easy out there today. I am just happy to come out on top.

I told myself to just stay in the present and not think too much and get ahead of myself. I told myself I am just here to play golf and not try to do anything else. I just played shot by shot and I think that helped. I did my best.

I love Queen’s Cup. It’s my favourite tournament on the Asian Tour. When it was held in Samui, I played well there as well. I finished second last year, missing out on the playoff by one shot. I think I got my revenge now.

I came here with the mindset of putting my game in good shape for The Open later this month. I did more than that. To be able to win this week is a bonus. It has definitely helped to boost my confidence. I’m looking forward to play in Sarawak now.

My first week working with my caddy, Nick Pugh, was at the Queen’s Cup in Samui last year. It’s been over a year now. He wanted to have a deal with me earlier, saying he will shave off his beard if I were to win a tournament with him on the bag. I regretted not taking up the deal with him now.

It means a lot to win the Queen’s Cup. It feels very good to win at home and with my parents watching me win as well.

Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind) – Final round 71 (even-par), Total 269 (-15)

It wasn’t easy out there. It was definitely one of the toughest days this week. I didn’t get off to a good start. I made a few silly mistakes as well. But I finished strong, had two good par-saves on 16 and 17 and a good up and down for birdie on the last to finish solo second.

It’s still a good result for me. I am happy to be able to earn some world ranking points this week. It could have been better but Jazz played really well today. His five birdies in-a-row pretty much changed the whole scenario.

Congratulations to him. I played well but it just didn’t click today. I am looking forward to playing well in the next few tournaments in Sarawak and Indonesia.

Sihwan Kim (Usa) – Final round 70 (-1), Total 270 (-14)

It was really baked up today. It was hard to get close to the pins. They put the pins in such tricky places so it was hard to make putts. It’s been an up and down week for me but I’m still happy with how I finished. 

My putter was hot the first two days but nothing went in the last two days. Overall, it’s not a bad week. Hopefully I can keep this momentum going to Sarawak and Indonesia. This is my second season on the Asian Tour and it’s been good.

I was playing in Europe for the last five to six years and I just wanted to see something different. Asian Tour’s been good with tournaments so that’s the reason why I decided to come and play here.

Pavit Tangkamolprasert (Tha) – Final round 71 (even-par), Total 270 (-14)

I struggled with my game today. I tried my best but my driving was pretty bad today. I missed a lot of fairways. I just couldn’t get the ball in the right positions to give myself a chance to attack the pins.

But overall, it’s still a good result for me. I am still happy with the way I played. I had the chance to win the tournament as I was leading by one after nine but Jazz had a good run after he chipped in from 10. Hats off to him for winning.

This is my best finish so far this season. I am still feeling confident with my game. I just need to forget about today and move on to the next tournament in Sarawak next week.

Scores after round 4 of the Queen’s Cup presented by Bangchak being played at the par 71, 6951 Yards Phoenix GC course (am – denotes amateur):

265 – Jazz JANEWATTANANOND (THA) 64-66-68-67.

269 – Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND) 68-65-65-71.

270 – Sihwan KIM (USA) 66-64-70-70, Pavit TANGKAMOLPRASERT (THA) 67-67-65-71.

271 – Miguel TABUENA (PHI) 67-66-69-69.

272 – Danthai BOONMA (THA) 65-72-69-66, Natipong SRITHONG (THA) 66-70-69-67, Sadom KAEWKANJANA (am, THA) 70-64-66-72, Scott VINCENT (ZIM) 66-71-63-72.

273 – Johannes VEERMAN (USA) 71-69-67-66, Panuphol PITTAYARAT (THA) 69-69-67-68, Tanapat PICHAIKOOL (am, THA) 68-68-68-69.

274 – Chaiphat KOONMARK (THA) 69-67-72-66, Javi COLOMO (ESP) 69-70-67-68, Prom MEESAWAT (THA) 71-65-70-68, Khalin JOSHI (IND) 69-70-67-68, Jbe KRUGER (RSA) 66-70-69-69, Poom SAKSANSIN (THA) 63-70-69-72.

275 – Rattanon WANNASRICHAN (THA) 69-68-67-71, Dino A. GIACOMAZZI (USA) 66-68-69-72.

276 – Chikkarangappa S. (IND) 70-68-70-68, Berry HENSON (USA) 71-65-71-69, Jake HIGGINBOTTOM (AUS) 72-67-67-70, WANG Wei-lun (TPE) 68-67-70-71, Jarin TODD (USA) 68-68-69-71, Ben CAMPBELL (NZL) 67-70-68-71, Paul PETERSON (USA) 65-72-68-71, Chinnarat PHADUNGSIL (THA) 71-65-68-72, Rashid KHAN (IND) 69-67-68-72.

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.

Pattaya, Thailand, June 30: Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond clung on to his lead after draining a 17-foot birdie putt on the last to share the spoils with Gaganjeet Bhullar of India, who posted a second straight six-under-par 65, at the Queen’s Cup presented by Bangchak on Saturday.

The 22-year-old Jazz, who held a share of the overnight three-shot lead, birdied the par-five second hole and reeled in 12 straight pars before sinking back-to-back birdies from 15. He dropped a shot on 17 but recovered with the birdie on the last for a round of 68.

Jazz Janewattananond (Tha)

Jazz, chasing for a second Asian Tour win, sits atop the leaderboard with Bhullar on 15-under-par 198 total while Pavit Tangkamolprasert of Thailand trails the leading duo by one in third place on his own following a 65 at the highly-rated Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club.

Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe returned with the day’s best score of a 63 to sit two shots off the pace in tied-fourth position alongside local amateur Sadom Kaewkanjana and overnight co-leader Sihwan Kim of the United States, who carded rounds of 66 and 70 respectively.

The US$300,000 Queen’s Cup, held in honour of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, is celebrating its 10th straight edition on the Asian Tour with a new presenting sponsor in Bangchak Corporation, one of Thailand’s leading energy companies, this week.

Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind)

Did you know?

• Jane Janewattananond has dropped only two shots so far this week.
• Jazz will be making his Major debut at The Open at Carnoustie next month. He earned the coveted spot after finishing tied-fourth at the season-opening SMBC Singapore Open, which was part of The Open Qualifying Series.
• Jazz missed only one cut in 10 starts on Tour to sit in a current 16th place on the 2018 Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings.
• He came in runner-up at the Queen’s Cup last year, finishing just one shot back of winner Nicholas Fung of Malaysia.
• Jazz won his first Asian Tour title at the 2017 Bangladesh Open by four shots. The victory was especially sweet for him as he finished outside the top-60 on the 2016 Order of Merit and missed the grade at the 2017 Qualifying School. He went on to notch five other top-10s to finish a career-high 13th place on the Order of Merit.
• Gaganjeet Bhullar is an eight-time winner on the Asian Tour. He claimed his eighth victory at the Macao Open last year and became the youngest player to win eight titles on the region’s premier Tour.
• The 30-year-old Bhullar came in second runner-up when he last played the Royal Cup at the Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club six months ago.
• Pavit Tangakamolprasert fired one birdie and one eagle to turn in 33. Dropped a shot on 13 but stormed home with four birdies in his closing five holes to cap his best round so far this week.
• Pavit battled against a wrist injury to claim a record sixth ADT victory on home soil last month.
• Pavit was crowned the 2014 ADT Order of Merit champion, after winning three titles on the secondary circuit that year.
• Pavit won his first Asian Tour title at the 2016 Venetian Macao Open in sensational style by defeating Anirban Lahiri of India on the first play-off hole.
• Pavit won the 2014 Singha Open on his local circuit at the Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club. The tournament was also played on the Mountain and Ocean courses, same as the Queen’s Cup this week.
• Pavit sits in 46th place on the Habitat for Humanity Standings. His best result this season is a tied-13th place finish at the Thailand Open earlier this month.
• Scott Vincent is the only Zimbabwean member on the Asian Tour. He came through the Qualifying School in 2016 and did not miss a single cut in six starts on the Asian Tour that year.
• Vincent claimed four top-10s in 2017 to finish in 17th place on the Order of Merit, retaining his Asian Tour card for the 2018 season.
• He has capped three top-10 finishes this season to sit in a current ninth place on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings.

Players’ quotes:

Jazz Janewattananond (Tha) –Third round 66 (-8), Total 198 (-15)

It was a slow round for me today. Made only one birdie and then a lot of pars, didn’t birdie again until later in the round. It was a pretty good finish with three birdies and one bogey. It was quite tough out there with the wind.

I wasn’t able to play my ‘A’ game today but I tried my best to get the job done. I just wanted to shoot an under-par round with this windy condition. I hit a good shot out of the bunker on 15 was good and that birdie kind of got my momentum going.

I just want to go out there and play my best gold tomorrow. If things go my way, I will win. But if it doesn’t, I still have a lot of opportunities with the remaining tournaments I have to play. It’s been good since I won in Bangladesh last year.

That victory turned my career around completely. I feel like my game has been moving towards the right direction since that win. I am happy to put myself in contention week in week out. I just need to get the job done. I guess it’s just live and learn, we’ll just go out and have fun tomorrow.

Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind) – Third round 65 (-6), Total 198 (-15)

I kept the ball in play today. I hit a lot of fairways and a lot of greens. I just kept on giving myself a lot of birdie opportunities. I got my first birdie on the fourth and made a good par save on the sixth. I drove into the water hazard and had to take a drop there. Hit my second shot onto the green and two-putted for par.

I made a really good birdie on the ninth. I hit my driver off the tee and had about 142 yards to the stick and I hit it to about six inches for birdie there. I made three straight birdies after the turn which was great. The only bogey I had was on the 17th hole and that was a total misread off my club.

Nothing special tomorrow. I will just continue to do my own thing and try and repeat what I did in the last 54 holes. The game’s feeling good. I will focus on hitting as many fairways and greens as I can tomorrow and hopefully hole some putts.

Pavit Tangkamolprasert (Tha)

Pavit Tangkamolprasert (Tha) – Third round 65 (-6), Total 199 (-14)

I played the same today, still pretty solid. I hit good drives out there. Didn’t make any putts on the front nine but I managed to hit it close for birdie on the fifth and then make the eagle on the seventh. I hit a good drive with a three-wood and then a solid five-iron over the trees which took a bounce on the green and rolled to about half a foot for eagle. 

I struggled to read the greens today. I just couldn’t get it right, especially for the first 10 to 11 holes. But I managed to find back the touch after that. The birdie on 14 gave me a lot of confidence. I sank a long putt from about 20-feet for birdie on 17. It was a great finish.

The wind was swirling out there today. It was difficult to get the directions right. The pin positions were pretty tough on the back nine as well. I will try my best tomorrow. It has been two years since I first won on the Asian Tour. Anything can happen tomorrow.

I played with the local amateur Sadom today. He seems shaky at the start and he told me he hasn’t played with me before. He got comfortable heading into the round and he played really good today. I am happy to see that we have such a strong amateur around.

Scott Vincent (Zim)

Scott Vincent (Zim) -Third round 63 (-8), Total 200 (-13)

I got off to a great start. Managed to make a few putts and get to five-under on the front nine. Started the back nine with three birdies in a row and looking like I could put a really low score out today but I kind of just hung in there in the last six holes.

Six pars coming back and some were really good par saves. All in all, it was a good day. I hit the driver very well today. I hit 11 fairways. It gave me some opportunities to attack the pins. I made quite a lot of putts as well. It was just a solid round.

I hit a good tee shot on the first straight down the fairway, wedged to about six feet and had a downhill left to right putt and made that. That just got my momentum going. I just kept telling myself to keep it going. If I can do the same tomorrow, I should be in a pretty good shape.

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.

Pattaya, Thailand, June 29: Korean-American Sihwan Kim closed with four straight birdies to grab a three-shot lead alongside playing partner Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand at the halfway stage of the Queen’s Cup presented by Bangchak on Friday.

The blazing finish saw Kim, the highest-ranked Asian Tour player in the field, sign for a bogey-free seven-under-par 64 and a 12-under-par 130 total to match the efforts of Jazz, who posted a 66, at the highly-rated Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club.

Starting the round with a three-shot deficit, Kim nailed three birdies to turn in 32 before sinking four consecutive birdies from the sixth to grab a share of the lead at the US$300,000 event, which is celebrating its 10th straight edition on the Asian Tour.

Jazz, who trailed by one following an opening 64, extended his bogey-free run to 29 holes before dropping a lone bogey on the par-four third hole. He eventually gained it back with a birdie on his closing ninth hole.

Overnight leader Poom Saksansin of Thailand battled to a 70 to share third place with countryman Sattaya Supupramai (66), Filipino hotshot Miguel Tabuena (66) and Indian talent Gaganjeet Bhullar (65) on matching 133s.

The halfway cut was set at two-under-par 140 with a total of 76 players, including two local amateurs, progressing to the weekend rounds.

The Queen’s Cup, held in honour of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, welcomed a new presenting sponsor in Bangchak Corporation, one of Thailand’s leading energy companies, this season.

Did you know?

• Sihwan Kim is the highest-ranked player in the field this week. He sits in seventh position on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings, thanks to a current haul of US$231,694.
• Kim needed only 23 putts in his solid round of 64. He signed for a bogey-free round highlighted by seven birdies, including four straight ones to close his round.
• The 29-year-old Kim turned professional in 2011 and is currently ranked 247th on the Official World Golf Ranking.
• Kim was born in Seoul. His family moved to the United States in October 2000 when he was 11. Also a former standout from the Stanfort University who won the U.S. Junior Amateur in 2004.
• Kim came through the Asian Tour Qualifying School in 2017 and kept his card for the 2018 season after notching three top-10s to finish in 55th place on the final Order of Merit.
• Playing in only his second season on the Asian Tour, Kim claimed his first top-three result when he came in second runner-up at the Hero Indian Open earlier in March. He took home a prize money of US$109,550 to mark his career’s biggest pay cheque ever. He went on to finish tied-fourth at the Panasonic Open Golf Championship in Japan the following month.
• Jazz will be making his Major debut at The Open at Carnoustie next month. He earned the coveted spot after finishing tied-fourth at the season-opening SMBC Singapore Open, which was part of The Open Qualifying Series.
• Jazz missed only one cut in 10 starts on Tour to sit in a current 16th place on the 2018 Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings.
• He came in runner-up at the Queen’s Cup last year, finishing just one shot back of winner Nicholas Fung of Malaysia.
• Jazz won his first Asian Tour title at the 2017 Bangladesh Open by four shots. The victory was especially sweet for him as he finished outside the top-60 on the 2016 Order of Merit and missed the grade at the 2017 Qualifying School. He went on to notch five other top-10s to finish a career-high 13th place on the Order of Merit.

Players’ quotes:

Sihwan Kim (Usa) – Second round 64 (-7), Total 130 (-12)

Putting was the key difference, really. I putted a lot better yesterday and today than what I have been. I kept the ball close to the hole and made some putts out there.

I was able to put the ball in the right spots too. I made some good up and downs. My short game was quite good so I guess that was why I was able to go bogey-free.

Jazz and I were just feeding off the good vibes from each other. He was four shots ahead of me at one point so I just wanted to catch up with him.

I’m happy with where I stand right now. It’s always good to be leading. Hopefully I can continue to do the same over the weekend. I will do the same things, play hole by hole and make some putts.

Jazz Janewattananond (Tha) – Second round 66 (-5), Total 130 (-12)

I started from the 10th today and I had a good run with no bogeys at all until the third but I managed to recover with a birdie on the last hole ninth. My game was pretty similar to yesterday. I just missed some putts and made a few mistakes out there today. But overall, it’s still a good score and I am happy with that.

I guess I will be playing with Sihwan Kim again tomorrow. He played really good today. It was great out there. We were just feeding off each other and trying to make birdies whenever we can. It was great playing with him.

I just focused on playing my own game. I missed a couple of putts on my opening three holes. I should have make birdies there. I will keep things the same and just go out and have fun tomorrow.

Poom Saksansin (Tha) – Second round 70 (-1), Total 133 (-9)

My tee shots were not that good today but my iron-play was still alright. I wasn’t thinking much out there. I was just trying to hit good shots. The conditions were pretty similar to yesterday.

Coming down the stretch, I was playing with no expectations already so it was great to make a good birdie putt from about 20 feet uphill on my last hole ninth.

Miguel Tabuena (Phi) – Second round 66 (-5), Total 133 (-9)

I am striking the ball really well. I just need to make more putts. I left about four to five putts out there today. I didn’t really hit my wedges well too but I’m happy to return with another bogey-free round today.

My birdie putts were all pretty makeable today. My short game was good. I made some good up and downs for pars as well. This course actually reminds me of my home course back home in the Philippines.

The grass is pretty similar and the greens are quite alike. I have been playing well for the last few weeks so I am just riding on my good form this week.

Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind) – Second round 65 (-6), Total 133 (-9)

My front nine, which is the back nine of the golf course, was very good today. I made seven birdies there to turn in 29. It’s the first time I shot a 29 in any nine holes. I hit pretty much every fairway today. I probably missed just one fairway and two greens. 

I just couldn’t go low on my back nine today. Even though I shot a 65, I felt like I only shot one-under or two-under. I gave myself a lot of good looks on the greens but wasn’t able to take advantage of it.

We still have 36 more holes to go so I’m looking forward. It was relatively easy today, to be honest. There are not too many tough pin positions today and you can actually make birdie on every hole.

I have been placing my tee shots very good. The key is putting this week. The course is not that long so it’s not that demanding in terms of ball striking. I think it’s going to be a putting competition this week.

I putted well on my front nine. All my birdies were made from inside 10 feet. Once you’re out there on the golf course, you really don’t think so much. You just try to execute every single shot that you have in your mind. That was what I was trying to do.  

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.