Barr Blog: Refining Game Plans

Shubhankar Sharma (Ind) Third Round 72 (even-par), Total 209 (-7)

Published on March 10, 2018

New Delhi, India, March 10: Shubhankar Sharma of India kept his emotions in check and carded an even-par 72 to grab a share of the lead with England’s Matt Wallace at the US$1.75 million Hero Indian Open on Saturday.

The 21-year-old stayed patient throughout the entire round. Sharma, a two-time Asian Tour winner, dropped five shots today which included a double bogey at the 17th hole. But, responded with five birdies to get to the top of the leaderboard on seven-under-par 209 at the DLF Golf and Country Club.

Wallace carded a 70 to share first place with Sharma. He scored an eagle and four birdies against four bogeys. The pair will go into Sunday with a one-shot lead over Stephen Gallacher of Scotland, who is in lone third place after carding a 67.

Emiliano Grillo of Argentina, the halfway leader, had a day to forget as he signed for a 78. He is in tied-fourth with Austria’s Matthias Schwab (68) and England’s Andrew Johnston (73).

Andrew Johnston of England

Crowd favourite Johnston was scrambling throughout Saturday. The Englishman did not score any birdies but kept pace with the leaders with an eagle on the fourth hole, as well as numerous up-and-downs and long putts for pars.

Sihwan Kim of the United States adopted an aggressive, yet calculated approach to card a 72. He is in tied-seven and just three shots behind the leaders along with Spain’s Pablo Larrazabal.

Did you know:

Shubhankar Sharma is the highest-ranked player in the field. He is 66th on the Official World Golf Ranking list.
Before his win in Johannesburg, Sharma’s best result in 2017 was tied-fourth at the Bashundhara Bangladesh Open 2017.
Sharma finished seventh on the 2017 Asian Tour Order of Merit. Last year, he earned US$381,149.
He won the All India Amateur Championship at the age of 16 and he was India’s number one junior prior to turning professional in 2013.
Matt Wallace enjoyed a wire-to-wire victory at the 2017 Open de Portugal at Morgado Golf Resort, a European Tour event.
He uses Manchester United mascot as a driver cover.
Wallace won five times in five consecutive starts on the Alps Tour, developmental professional golf tour based in Continental Europe.
Emiliano Grillo is a big fan of football team River Plate and he catches the games at the stadium if his schedule permits.
He was an accomplished junior golfer. For one, Grillo won the prestigious Callaway Junior World Golf Championships in 2009.
His best finish on the European Tour is second, at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in 2014.
Andrew Johnston is a one-time winner on the European Tour. He won the Real Club Valderrama Open de España, hosted by the Sergio Garcia Foundation in 2016.
Sihwan Kim enjoyed three top-10 finishes on the Asian Tour in 2017. He was tied-ninth at the Leopalace21 Myanmar Open 2017, eighth at the Bashundhara Bangladesh Open and tied-sixth at the Indonesian Masters.
He finished 56th on last year’s Asian Tour Order of Merit, securing his card for the 2018 season.
Only nine players broke par in round three of the Hero Indian Open.

Player interviews:

It was very windy today. The first two days were surprisingly calm. The course played really tough and I’m very happy with a 72. It was a mixed bag as everything happened. I holed out at the second, made a few good birdies and got a bad bounce on the 17th. I’m very pleased with the birdie at the last, which allowed me to grab a share of the lead. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.

At the second hole, where I holed out, I had a bad lie in the bunker. It was downslope and I didn’t want to duff it, as I’ll have no chance of an up-and-down if that happened. I caught it just on the ball which went over. The ball just came out three yards in front and it went to the centre of the cup. At the fifth hole, as soon as I hit it, I knew I had a birdie chance.

I kept telling my caddie that this is our home course. You can’t overpower this course. So, I told myself, just hang in there. I will hit a few bad shots and I understand that it’s all part of the game. You just have to stay patient.

I was one-under-par after nine holes, which was crucial. I’m happy to be able to come back with birdies on seven and eight. The birdie on 10th was fantastic as the hole was played off the back tees. I have always played the 10th from the front tee box.

I made a few bad swings coming in, got a bad bounce on the 17th, but other than that, I think I played pretty solidly.

I smashed my driver on the 18th. I’m happy that I had a short club in. It was a pretty easy chip from the greenside rough. Even though I didn’t hit the chip perfectly, the ball still rolled next to the pin and I’m happy to make that putt.

I’m just looking forward to playing out there again. I just want to have fun. It’s the second week in the row I’m in the leading group. I’m going to draw from my experiences last week. I know it’s going to be a battle out there tomorrow and I’ll be ready for it.

Matt Wallace (Eng) Third Round 70 (-2), Total 209 (-7)

It was hard. I played really nice. That 17th hole was brutal today. I mean, we all played it differently and managed to find ourselves in the same position. I hit a lob wedge in there and couldn’t hold the green, so yeah, it was tough. The wind was gusting around in different directions. I’m pretty happy with my score.

Every hole is a test. Like I said yesterday, every hole is a double bogey waiting to happen. I just took every hole as it came and played it as well as possible. That eagle on nine was probably the highlight of my week, and year, so far.

I’m very happy. There are some brilliant players up there on the leaderboard. You know, there is going to be a charge tomorrow and someone is going to play well. I just have to go out there and try to execute like I did today and see how it goes.

I’m going to rock up tomorrow and do the same as I’ve done all week. It’s such a hard golf course that you have got to play well. I’ll try to get a good night of sleep tonight and go from there.

Andrew Johnston (Eng) Third Round 73 (+1), Total 211 (-5)

My round was not too bad. I felt that I didn’t play too well today, but I scrambled really well. I made a lot of good up and downs. It was not my best golf but being one-over-par still hasn’t put me out of the tournament. So, it was a good day.

You see the scoreboard and see a lot of people going backwards. The pins were tricky and the winds picked up. You just have to be patient. I made a chip-in for eagle and no birdies the whole round. It was a lot of scrambling. I made a lot of six to 10 footers for par.

I was happy to be level par after three holes. I hit two lovely shots at the fourth, and I hit a chip shot that went in, so happy days!

Being three off the lead is good!

In the final round, you have to wait and see where the pins and things like that and take it from there. You have to play your own game. If I have a day like yesterday (when he carded 66) tomorrow, then we’ll see what happens.

Sihwan Kim (Usa), Round three 72, Total 212 (-4)

Not bad. I made a few errors coming in. It was tough out there so I’m happy with the results. It was a grind out there. Whoever grinds better will win the tournament. You can’t get defensive on this course. You have to be aggressive but know where to miss it, what’s ok and what’s bad.

There were some good pin positions today. There were some that were challenging, but it was the same for everyone. Every green has a place where you can put it for birdie.

For tomorrow, we’ll see. I’ll just keep on playing aggressively and see how it goes.

I had two chip-ins. Those were on sixth and 16th. With the wind, I couldn’t get anything close to the hole. Those two chip-ins helped my round immensely.

Scores after round 3 of the Hero Indian Open 2018 being played at the par 72, 7379 Yards DLF GcC course (am – denotes amateur):

209 – Matt WALLACE (ENG) 69-70-70, Shubhankar SHARMA (IND) 73-64-72.

210 – Stephen GALLACHER (SCO) 72-71-67.

211 – Matthias SCHWAB (AUT) 71-72-68, Andrew JOHNSTON (ENG) 72-66-73, Emiliano GRILLO (ARG) 65-68-78.

212 – Sihwan KIM (USA) 70-70-72, Pablo LARRAZABAL (ESP) 67-71-74.

213 – Aaron RAI (ENG) 71-73-69, Ricardo GOUVEIA (POR) 69-73-71, Paul PETERSON (USA) 67-73-73.

214 – Hideto TANIHARA (JPN) 74-68-72, Joost LUITEN (NED) 71-69-74.

215 – Clement SORDET (FRA) 72-72-71, Steven BROWN (ENG) 74-71-70, Jinho CHOI (KOR) 72-71-72, Jamie DONALDSON (WAL) 71-70-74, Panuphol PITTAYARAT (THA) 69-70-76.

216 – Anthony WALL (ENG) 71-73-72, Jarin TODD (USA) 72-74-70, Sebastien GROS (FRA) 69-71-76.

217 – CHAN Shih-chang (TPE) 71-71-75, Gavin GREEN (MAS) 69-73-75, Casey O’TOOLE (USA) 74-66-77, Danthai BOONMA (THA) 71-76-70.

218 – Gregory HAVRET (FRA) 73-72-73, Ajeetesh SANDHU (IND) 68-76-74, Jeunghun WANG (KOR) 69-71-78, Jens DANTORP (SWE) 69-70-79.

Ends.

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Emiliano Grillo (Arg) Second Round 68 (-4), Total 133 (-11)

Published on March 9, 2018

Published on April 9, 2013

April 9: Miguel Tabuena is ready to put behind last year’s defeat at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club where he was in contention before settling for tied 11^th. He is ready to challenge for honours at the inaugural Solaire Open where he plays host to the Asian Tour players and staff. In this latest blog, he talks about growing up and taking the Tour’s staff out for dinner.
By Miguel Tabuena
The Solaire Open is a new event on the Asian Tour. I think it’s really good for the players as well as for the Asian Tour. I hope this tournament will go on for a long time. I played in a local event about a few weeks ago and I won. That really boosted my confidence and I hope to bring my good form to the Asian Tour on Sunday.
Being in contention last year (at the ICTSI Philippine Open), I’ve learnt to manage my nervousness better. I’ve been wanting to win on home soil. You’ve to hit the fairways and greens to have a good score here.
It is slightly different because there are more expectations when you play at home. Your family come out and watch as well. It is nice to have your family around. Hopefully I can play well in front of them.
Hopefully some of my fans come out as well! I’ve tweeted about this week’s event so I’m looking forward to seeing some of them at the course.
I brought a couple of Asian Tour staff for dinner on Sunday and it was good! We got to bond and I know them a bit better. My mum told them that she cooked but actually she didn’t (laughs).
It is nice being a host rather than just playing in an event. It is a new experience for me. We don’t get many events in the Philippines. It is nice because you don’t have to wait for the bus and stuff like that. It is a more relaxing week.
I know my priorities for this week which is to concentrate and get in position on Sunday. I have a week off next week so that’s when I see my friends.

Published on March 9, 2018

New Delhi, India, March 9: Emiliano Grillo of Argentina carded a second-round four-under-par 68 to consolidate his top position at the US$1.75 million Hero Indian Open on Friday.

The 25-year-old, who started at the 10th tee, stormed out of the blocks with two consecutive birdies on holes11 and 12. The Argentinean made another birdie just before the turn and scored two more on his back nine holes at the Gary Player layout of the DLF Golf and Country Club. A bogey on hole nine was the only blemish on his scorecard.

Grillo, a one-time PGA Tour winner, heads into the clubhouse with an 11-under-par 133 total at the ongoing tournament, which is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the European Tour.

South African Keith Horne kept the pace with a battling second-round performance. He carded a 73 to finish the day six shots behind the clubhouse leader, Grillo.

Matt Wallace of England and Jens Dantorp of Sweden scored matching 70s to join Horne on a 139 total.

Habitat for Humanity ambassador Casey O’Toole shot 66, the lowest score of the morning session. He is with Korea’s Jeunghun Wang (71), France’s Sebastien Gros (71), Netherland’s Joost Luiten (69) and Scotland’s Marc Warren (72) on 140.

Published on April 9, 2013

Johor Bahru, Malaysia, April 9: Australian Luke Bleumink is looking forward to a successful title defence at the PGM-Maybank Johor Masters which starts on Wednesday despite being short of tournament sharpness.
The 27-year-old Bleumink headlines the RM200,000 (approximately US$65,000) Asian Development Tour (ADT) event at the challenging Johor Country Club which includes current Order of Merit leader James Bowen of the United States, local favourite Nicholas Fung, Chinese Taipei’s Hsieh Chi-hsien, who was fourth on the Merit list last season, and ADT winner Ryan Bulloch of Australia.
Last year, Bleumink secured his maiden professional victory in Johor by two shots, winning with a seven-under-par 281 aggregate after a closing round of 71.
After missing out on an Asian Tour card at Qualifying School in Hua Hin, Thailand earlier in January, Bleumink, who turned professional in 2010, has played in only two domestic events in Melbourne.
He has been working outside the ropes in between his golf to ensure he has enough funds to play regularly on the ADT, which is the feeder circuit to the established Asian Tour.
“It’s a weird feeling coming back to defend. I haven’t played too much golf this year but the game is feeling good,” said Bleumink today. “The golf course is in good condition and I think it is playing a bit easier this year as it was very fast and firm when I won here. I expect scores to be better this week.”
After seeing countrymen Scott Hend and Wade Ormsby triumph on the Asian Tour over the past few weeks, Bleumink believes the ADT is the best route to the region’s premier Tour which is celebrating its milestone 10^th season in 2013.
“I have been doing some labouring work back home to earn some money for my travels and I will take it as it comes. I missed out at the Asian Tour Qualifying School but I’m going to try to play as much as I can on the ADT which provides a good chance for players like me to get onto the main (Asian) Tour,” he said.
This year, the ADT, which was launched in 2010, will offer Official World Golf Ranking points for the first time. This is seen as a major boost for the development of the game in Asia.
Malaysia’s Fung will lead the local assault where he is eager to launch a title charge after coming close on several occasions to a first ADT win. He finished runner-up in the last ADT stop at the PGM Northport Glenmarie Masters in Kuala Lumpur last month.
The top three players on the ADT Order of Merit at the end of the season will earn an Asian Tour card for 2014.
About the Asian Development Tour
The Asian Development Tour was launched in 2010 with the aim of creating a career pathway for professional golfers in Asia. Sanctioned by the Asian Tour, the Asian Development Tour will ultimately create a new playing platform for emerging stars from across Asia and around the world. Through the Asian Tour Qualifying School, players will qualify for the Asian Development Tour and enjoy the opportunity to hone their games and talent through a secondary circuit in Asia. Designed in the same structure as the Nationwide Tour in America and European Challenge Tour, the Asian Development Tour is a stepping stone to the Asian Tour and the exciting world of international golf. The Asian Development Tour has been structured to ensure the best opportunities for its members. The leading three players on the Asian Development Tour will earn coveted Asian Tour cards for the following season, ensuring a proper career pathway for aspiring professionals. The ADT will also receive Official World Golf Ranking points from 2013.

Published on March 9, 2018

New Delhi, India, March 9: Emiliano Grillo of Argentina continued his brilliant form and carded a second-round four-under-par 68 to take the clubhouse lead at the US$1.75 million Hero Indian Open on Friday.

The 25-year-old, who started on the 10th hole, got off to a great start with consecutive birdies on holes 11 and 12. Grillo scored three more birdies and one bogey before ending his round at the Gary Player layout of the DLF Golf and Country Club.

As it stands, Grillo leads by four shots on 11-under-par 133 over India’s Shubhankar Sharma at the 54th Hero Indian Open, which is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the European Tour.

Shubhankar Sharma of India

Sharma brought his tournament winning form into his National Open, carding nine birdies and one bogey to sign for a course-record-breaking 64. The two-time Asian Tour champion was sensational over the back nine, where he overcame the challenging course set up to sink six birdies.

The 21-year-old turned his tournament around dramatically after carding five-over-par on his opening nine holes yesterday.

Spain’s Pablo Larrazabal (71) and England’s Andrew Johnston (66) are a shot behind Sharma in tied-third, while four golfers, including South Africa’s Keith Horne (73) and Thailand’s Panuphol Pittayarat (70) are currently in tied-fifth on 139.

Habitat for Humanity ambassador Casey O’Toole shot 66, one of the lowest scores of the day. The American is currently in tied-ninth, along with Asian Tour members Jeunghun Wang (71), Khalin Joshi (68), Sihwan Kim (70) and Paul Peterson (73).

Play was suspended due to darkness. Eight players will return on Saturday morning, 7am, to complete round two. Round three will not start before 9.30am. The projected cut is three-over-par.

Did you know:

Emiliano Grillo was Anirban Lahiri’s teammate at last year’s Presidents Cup. The Argentinean was selected by Nick Price as one of the captain’s pick.
In the second round of the Hero Indian Open, he hit 12 out of 14 fairways as well as 16 out of 18 greens.
Grillo turned professional when he was 19 years old.
Shubhankar Sharma made the decision to turn professional when he was just 16 years old.
He earned his Asian Tour card for the first time at the 2016 Qualifying School.
Keith Horne first played on the Asian Tour in 2003. 2010 was his most fruitful year, when he earned US$181,961 to finish 14th on the Order of Merit.
His best finish on the Asian Tour in 2017 was tied-second, at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters.
Casey O’Toole is an ambassador for Habitat for Humanity, the official sustainable development partner of the Asian Tour.
He scored the first hole-in-one on the Asian Tour this year, at the SMBC Singapore Open in January.
Jeunghun Wang won his first Asian Tour title at the 2016 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.
He was selected as a captain’s pick by Jeev Milkha Singh for the 2016 EurAsia Cup.
Gavin Green set the previous course record of 65 in 2017. Emiliano Grillo tied the record yesterday and Shubhankar Sharma broke the record today.

Player interviews:

It was pretty similar to yesterday, although I made a few more birdie putts in round one. Today, I have also hit plenty of fairways and greens. I thought that I played the round very well. Hopefully, I can find my putter a bit more tomorrow, like how it was on day one and with that, I can keep climbing up the leaderboard.

It’ll be the same, which is to hit fairways and greens! I’ll have the same mentality whether I’m six shots ahead or behind.

Honestly, I wasn’t expecting it. When I practised on Tuesday and played the pro-am on Wednesday, I was telling myself that I’ll be in a good position if I can just shoot under par every day. Hopefully, I can keep my form going. I’ve done well over the past two days and I can’t ask for more. Today, I hit some bad putts, but I think I’ll be fine.

I’m just going to work a bit more my putting and hit a few more drives. I’ll be looking to playing the weekend rounds like how I did in rounds one and two.

Shubhankar Sharma (Ind) Second Round 64 (-8), Total 137 (-7)

Today’s round will definitely rank up there as one of my most significant achievements, especially when it is played at this course. This is a tough course and it is not easy to go low here. I’m very happy with the way I played. I shot a few low numbers in my career and this one is right in my top five.

I know I had to get a good start. I normally try to do as best as I can on the front nine. I did my best, but it was still two-under-par. But I was hitting it well, even though the back nine is tougher than the front nine, I knew I could still make birdies.

If you told me I would be seven-under-par going into the weekend after being five-over-par on my opening nine holes (10th to 18th) yesterday, I would just have laughed. To be able to bounce back is really important, I knew I was playing well and I had to push myself a little. In the morning, I told myself that I have momentum on my side. I just need to foot on the pedal and keep on going.

My highlights are all from the back nine. My second shot on the 10th, which landed about a foot from the hole, started it all. That was a very tough pin. The birdie putt on the 12th hole was huge as well.

I knew the course record is seven-under-par. To hold the record on my home course would be mean a lot to me. That was why, I decided to go for the green.

The crowd was fantastic. I always enjoy playing in front of the home crowd.

I’m just going to play the way that I’ve always been playing. I’m just going to have fun. I know I’m playing well and I have nothing to lose.

Keith Horne (Rsa) Second Round 73 (+1), Total 139 (-5)

Today was a bit of a struggle. I was a little tensed up over the first six holes. I loosened up after that, as I hit some good shots that unfortunately weren’t rewarded. I have also made a couple of mistakes. It has been an up-and-down day and I made a lot of saves to keep it going. It was a very different round compared to the first day.

For round one, I thought that I was in control. Today, it was a grind. I let a few chances go and at the same time, made a few chances. All in all, five-under-par after two days on this golf course is a good position to be in.

All the holes were very scary. I hit a good putt on the seventh hole today, which settled me down and got me back into the zone for the day. The fear does motivate me. You have to concentrate on every single shot, as a bad shot can spell disaster. You tend to focus a lot. The challenge is to find a balance while you are out there.

Casey O’Toole (Usa) Second Round 66 (-6), Total 140 (-4)

I played really well yesterday, but let the round get away from me a little bit. Today, I played solid again. I hit a lot of really good shots. I’m very pleased for my first two rounds.

The conditions were quite calm today, similar to yesterday. I just thought that I played solid and minimised mistakes. I didn’t get into a lot of bad spots. I also think that my short game saved me on many occasions, which is good to see as I’ve been working very hard on that aspect of my game. My short game has really been the difference.

At hole four, I hit a good drive, followed by a hybrid that landed about four feet from the hole. I then sunk the putt for eagle. That was a bonus there. I was just trying to hit it into the bunker or just beside of the green, then do a chip-and-putt.

I’m very honoured and happy to be asked as an ambassador for Habitat for Humanity. In fact, this week after the tournament on Monday, we’ll be meeting the families that the organisation has helped. I’m really looking forward to it.

Jeunghun Wang (Kor) Second Round 71 (-1), Total 140 (-4)

The pin positions today were more challenging compared to yesterday. I think I hit the ball badly and I wasn’t putting as well as I wanted to. I three-putted at holes seven and eight, which was disappointing. However, despite my putting woes, I am very happy with a one-under-par today. Hopefully, I can play better tomorrow.

For this course, I think the approach is to defend. It’s narrow, with hazards all around. The greens are tough, too. I’ll just try to avoid making bogeys.

I remembered the fourth hole, where it’s always challenging. But I found out that if you adopt a safety-first strategy, you can make birdies, which was what I did.

Scores after round 2 of the Hero Indian Open 2018 being played at the par 72, 7379 Yards DLF GcC course (am – denotes amateur):

133 – Emiliano GRILLO (ARG) 65-68.

137 – Shubhankar SHARMA (IND) 73-64.

138 – Pablo LARRAZABAL (ESP) 67-71, Andrew JOHNSTON (ENG) 72-66.

139 – Matt WALLACE (ENG) 69-70, Keith HORNE (RSA) 66-73, Jens DANTORP (SWE) 69-70, Panuphol PITTAYARAT (THA) 69-70.

140 – Sebastien GROS (FRA) 69-71, Joost LUITEN (NED) 71-69, Marc WARREN (SCO) 68-72, Jeunghun WANG (KOR) 69-71, Casey O’TOOLE (USA) 74-66, Khalin JOSHI (IND) 72-68, Paul PETERSON (USA) 67-73, Sihwan KIM (USA) 70-70.

141 – Jamie DONALDSON (WAL) 71-70.

142 – Gavin GREEN (MAS) 69-73, Hideto TANIHARA (JPN) 74-68, Thomas BJORN (DEN) 70-72, James MORRISON (ENG) 70-72, Nicholas FUNG (MAS) 69-73, CHAN Shih-chang (TPE) 71-71, Ricardo GOUVEIA (POR) 69-73.

143 – Matthias SCHWAB (AUT) 71-72, Jinho CHOI (KOR) 72-71, Wade ORMSBY (AUS) 71-72, Stephen GALLACHER (SCO) 72-71, Edoardo MOLINARI (ITA) 71-72.

144 – Ajeetesh SANDHU (IND) 68-76, Anthony WALL (ENG) 71-73, Clement SORDET (FRA) 72-72.

145 – Prom MEESAWAT (THA) 72-73, Anirban LAHIRI (IND) 72-73, Adrien SADDIER (FRA) 67-78, David GLEESON (AUS) 75-70, Ashley CHESTERS (ENG) 74-71, Steven BROWN (ENG) 74-71, Darren CLARKE (NIR) 72-73, Gregory HAVRET (FRA) 73-72, Yikeun CHANG (KOR) 73-72.

Ends.

About Asian Tour

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Emiliano Grillo (Arg) Second Round 68 (-4), Total 133 (-11)

Published on

It’ll be the same, which is to hit fairways and greens! I’ll have the same mentality whether I’m six shots ahead or behind.

I’m just going to work a bit more my putting and hit a few more drives. I’ll be looking to playing the weekend rounds like how I did in rounds one and two.

Shubhankar Sharma (Ind) Second Round 64 (-8), Total 137 (-7)

I knew the course record is seven-under-par. To hold the record on my home course would be mean a lot to me. That was why, I decided to go for the green.

The crowd was fantastic. I always enjoy playing in front of the home crowd.

I’m just going to play the way that I’ve always been playing. I’m just going to have fun. I know I’m playing well and I have nothing to lose.

Pablo Larrazabal (ESP) Second Round 67 (-5), Total 138 (-6)

I played great. The front nine I played great golf. I put myself in a lot of birdie chances. The tee shots on ten and 11 were a little unexpected. I probably lost a bit of concentration on the tenth. When you have a bad swing on this golf course with the next swing you make you never know what will happen.

The pins on the back nine were very tough and the wind – there’s not a lot of wind but it’s switching around all the time. To hit to those little spots that the flag is in, it’s very tough to put it close. A good example was 17. I hot one of the best shots of the day and ended up with an impossible up and down to make. You have to take it. This is the toughest golf course we play. Red numbers are awesome.

Patience is key. Big time. You don’t see too much wind out there but it’s switching. Three or four meters makes a lot of difference in this golf course. You have to keep patient. When you don’t hit a great shot and you have a 20 or 30 foot putt, you try to hit a good putt. Go to the next, make pars and try to use the par fives to your advantage, try to make birdies there. To finish under par is great.

It’s not the same going in six behind or five behind the leader. We all know that Grillo is a super, top-class player. He should be in the top 20 in the world. He doesn’t know how good he is. I like to go and play against the best in the world and he is one. I’m ready for the challenge.

The golf course will be at least one or two shots tougher over the weekend. There are some tough flags out there and they will move a couple of tees back. I’m ready for the challenge. I love the challenge. I love to go over the weekend and attack this tough golf courses and see what’s going on.

Keith Horne (Rsa) Second Round 73 (+1), Total 139 (-5)

Casey O’Toole (Usa) Second Round 66 (-6), Total 140 (-4)

I played really well yesterday, but let the round get away from me a little bit. Today, I played solid again. I hit a lot of really good shots. I’m very pleased for my first two rounds.

Jeunghun Wang (Kor) Second Round 71 (-1), Total 140 (-4)

For this course, I think the approach is to defend. It’s narrow, with hazards all around. The greens are tough, too. I’ll just try to avoid making bogeys.

I remembered the fourth hole, where it’s always challenging. But I found out that if you adopt a safety-first strategy, you can make birdies, which was what I did.

Khalin Joshi (Ind) Second Round 68 (-4), Total 140 (-4)

To go bogey-free on this course is extremely pleasing. My short-game was unreal today. I made all putts from a range of five feet. I also made some terrific par-saves from the bunker. I missed just one fairway.

My game has been in good shape so I just needed a solid game-plan heading into today’s round. I sat down with my coach Gaurav Dewan who is here this week and chalked out my game-plan. The plan was to play conservative and stay out of trouble. It worked well for me.

The chip from 55 feet on the second that landed within inches of the flag was my best par-save of the day. The birdie on the seventh was also special as I landed it within a foot of the pin.

Gavin Green (Mas) Second Round 73 (+1), Total 142 (-2)

Today wasn’t very good. There were too many big numbers on my scorecard. I didn’t hit it very well today, and I paid the price. I’ve made the weekend rounds and I still in with a chance, but I’ve got to work out my game, especially off the tees. I was put out of position after my drives. So, if I can sort that out, I should be fine.

The jet lag is still affecting me a little bit. I’m trying my best to fight it off. For sure, I’ll be taking a good rest today.

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Emotional Snyman enjoying special week at Namseoul

South African in contention at GS Caltex Maekyung Open with family here watching

Leaders Cho and Song have point to prove on final day

Duo lead on 10-under heading into Sunday at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open at Namseoul

Returning young star Jang in pursuit of GS Caltex Maekyung Open title

Golden boy of Korean golf is six under in a congested leaderboard at Namseoul

First-round leader Taehee tracking record three-peat

Korean holes second shot on 18 to take to the front with six-under-par 65 at Namseoul Country Club

Indian golf mourns passing of legendary golfer Vijay Kumar

Former Indian Open winner passed away on Tuesday, aged 57, following a cardiac arrest at his home in Lucknow

April 10: Scott Barr of Australia is ready to take up the challenge with his refined game plan at the Wack Wack Golf & Country Club for the inaugural Solaire Open this week. In this latest blog, Barr talks about being motivated by countrymen Scott Hend and Wade Ormsby who won the last two Asian […]

Manila, April 10: Juvic Pagunsan hopes to cradle the inaugural Solaire Open trophy and a new born baby boy when he bids for a long-awaited second Asian Tour title at the US$300,000 event which starts on Thursday.The Filipino star is gearing up for a pressure-packed week as his wife (Len) is expected to give birth […]

Sentosa, Singapore, March 12: Indian hotshot Shubhankar Sharma extended his advantage at the top of the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings after capping a commendable tied-seventh place finish at the US$1.75 million Hero Indian Open on Sunday. The 21-year-old Sharma, who propelled into stardom with two victories over the last three months, had set […]

Ends.

Habitat for Humanity Standings – Top-20

Pos Player Order of Merit (US$)

1. Shubhankar SHARMA (IND) $548,125

2. Kiradech APHIBARNRAT (THA) $251,173

3. Paul PETERSON (USA) $215,758

4. Daniel NISBET (AUS) $150,863

5. Berry HENSON (USA) $131,983

6. Sihwan KIM (USA) $124,137

7. Hideto TANIHARA (JPN) $123,306

8. Shaun NORRIS (RSA) $112,200

9. Khalin JOSHI (IND) $103,730

10. Terry PILKADARIS (AUS) $93,435

11. Prom MEESAWAT (THA) $85,999

12. Jarin TODD (USA) $83,945

13. Danthai BOONMA (THA) $82,712

14. Jazz JANEWATTANANOND (THA) $75,359

15. Panuphol PITTAYARAT (THA) $67,131

16. Gavin GREEN (MAS) $60,025

17. Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND) $48,391

18. Kurt KITAYAMA (USA) $47,842

19. Poom SAKSANSIN (THA) $46,161

20. Shiv KAPUR (IND) $44,650

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