Yangon, February 20: The 10th Asian Tour season kicks off with the Zaykabar Myanmar Open presented by Alpine on Thursday and it promises to be another thrilling season as the region’s premier Tour grows from strength to strength. Asiantour.com takes a look at the contenders and dark horses who we think will make the headlines over the next 10 months of non-stop golfing action.
THE CONTENDERS
1. Thaworn Wiratchant (Tha)
As the reigning number one, the 46-year-old is showing no signs of slowing down in his career. He won three times in 2012 to win the Order of Merit for the second time in his career, becoming the oldest man to achieve the feat. Expect him to contend throughout the course of the season and all eyes will be on him too when he participates in the Masters Tournament, World Golf Championships and British Open.
2. Masanori Kobayashi (Jpn)
The powerful Kobayashi will be eager to build on his successful rookie season when he finished fourth on the Order of Merit last year, thanks to one win at the Asia Pacific Panasonic Open in Japan. With greater knowledge now of the golf courses around Asia, expect him to challenge for titles, especially in the co-sanctioned ones with Europe and Japan.
3. Jonathan Moore (USA)
The talented American, a former Walker Cup star, enjoyed a fantastic season in 2012 after getting his card by winning the Asian Development Tour in 2011. Although he did not win, he posted several top finishes at the Venetian Macau Open and Iskandar Johor Open. Has the length and short game to break through for his first victory on the Asian Tour.
4. Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind)
Bhulllar has established himself as one of the top stars on the Asian Tour, winning twice last season to finish fifth on the Order of Merit. He has the distance from off the tee to take any golf course and the determination in his veins to shine once more. Expect him to contend or win one of the co-sanctioned tournaments this season which will be his goal.
5. David Lipsky (USA)
Lipsky got off to a great start to his career on the Asian Tour, winning the Qualifying School and then the Handa Faldo Cambodian Classic. Produced several other top-10s to finish 11th on the rankings. With his go-for-broke style of play, we may not see him at some weekends but when his game clicks, he’ll be right up there contending for a second Asian Tour title.
6. Scott Hend (Aus)
After earning his second Asian Tour title last year in Singapore, big-hitting Hend can be expected to power his way onto the leaderboards in 2013. He has the ability to take on the best on any given day.
7. Thongchai Jaidee (Tha)
The three-time Asian Tour number one has enjoyed a solid start to his campaign in 2013 with some strong results in the Middle East. While he will focus on the European Tour, he will continue to feature on the Asian Tour whenever possible and this is where he will be keen to end a winless drought in Asia.
8. Mardan Mamat (Sin)
We expect the veteran Singaporean to shine this year. His solid all-round game will be key in tough courses like the Delhi Golf Club, Taiwan Golf and Country Club or Santiburi Samui Golf Club.
9. Prom Meesawat (Tha)
It is a surprise to many that Prom has only won once on the Asian Tour, which was in 2006 in Korea. He showed that he was back to his best form last year where he came close on several occasions, including losing in a play-off at the SAIL Open. Money is on him to win this year.
10. Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind)
The two-time Asian Tour number one will focus in Europe where he won a third title in Scotland last year. However, Singh will always be amongst the frontrunners and expect him to challenge at the co-sanctioned events in Asia, especially on his home soil.
THE DARK HORSES
1. Antonio Lascuna (Phi)
The quiet Filipino finished a creditable 12th on the Order of Merit last season, thanks to some fine finishes. He possesses a fluid swing which could translate into a maiden Asian Tour victory in 2013.
2. Scott Barr (Aus)
The Singapore-based Barr came agonizingly close at the SAIL Open last year, leading all the way until the penultimate hole which dashed his hopes of a first victory on the Asian Tour. Subsequently finished 21st on the Order of Merit. He will be keen to finally land a first title here in 2013.
3. Thitiphun Chuayprakong (Tha)
The young Thai was a great revelation last year, contending at the Venetian Macau Open and Thailand Golf Championship which helped him finish 25th on the rankings. Not the longest hitter of the golf ball on Tour but makes up for it with wonderful iron play.
4. Javi Colomo (Esp)
The slightly built Spaniard enjoyed a terrific rookie season in 2012 with several top-10s which saw him finish 26th on the Order of Merit. We like his chances of building on his great first year and challenging in several tournaments this year.
5. Baek Seuk-hyun (Kor)
The Thai-based Korean is a wonderful prospect. After establishing himself on Tour two years ago, he has consistently played well to finish 31st on the Order of Merit. He could well be a potential winner this season with his aggressive style of play.
6. Gunn Charoenkul (Tha)
The young Thai is another rising star coming out from Thailand. He earned his full status for 2013 despite playing in only six tournaments. While he may not be on the winner’s rostrum in 2013, we expect him to feature on the leaderboards in many tournaments.
7. Marcus Both (Aus)
The two-time winner will always be a threat if his game clicks at the right time and the right place. Meticulous and steady. Should have a great year in 2013.
8. Ben Fox (USA)
The American had a flying start to his 2012 season before taking his foot off the pedal. Expect the same when he launches his campaign in Myanmar this week and he could well contend on golf courses which demand accuracy from off the tee.
9. Mithun Perera (Slk)
Son of the famous Nandasena, Mithun earned his card for 2013 despite his limited appearances on the Asian Tour last season. He is steady and calm and could well enjoy several top-10s if not a maiden win in 2013.
10. Danny Chia (Mas)
It’s been over 10 years now since Chia won his maiden Asian Tour title in the Taiwan Open. With age, he seems to have steadied the ship in his search for more victories. Expect him to contend on several occasions this season.

PROM MEESAWAT (THA)
I’ve been working hard on my fitness, to get myself ready for the new season. I’ve lost a bit of weight and get my stomach stronger. I also worked on getting my back and shoulder stronger as I’ve had some injuries in the past. When I am stronger, it helps a lot with my game and swing. It’s certainly helped my golf. When your body is ready, you can swing it well and do whatever you want. The results tend to become better.
I had a 76 in Abu Dhabi but my game was still okay. I set my goal for the first tournament to make the cut and I was very happy. Then I finished top-20 in Qatar. It was a good start to the season, good experience for me.
I’m going to try to play as much as I can on the Asian Tour for the first half of the year and then I’ll go over to Europe. I’ll do Myanmar, Avantha, Maybank, Chiangmai, Panasonic and possibly CIMB Indonesia. I’m going to play everything to get my ranking up. It would help if I can win early in the year, it would help me so that I can focus on playing well in Europe.
If I can maintain my form as last year, it would be okay.
It’s been a long time since I last won. Every one wants to win. For me, it’s been a long time. I can say now that there are now many young talents coming up. Every golfer is playing well, the game is getting closer amongst the top guys. I can say that if I have a good week in Europe, I can win on the European Tour. It’s only one good week and you can win. I want to try to win on the Asian Tour again.
My first full season was in 2004. Since I was young, I have watched players like Boonchu and Prayad and I wanted to be like them. My dad is also an inspiration. Looking back in the past 10 years, I’m now in the top-20 of the Career Earnings list which is quite an achievement for me.
The win in Korea is still in my memory as it was my first international win for me. It was special as KJ and Jeev were in the field and these guys are winners on the PGA Tour and European Tour. They are amongst the best players in the world.
Everyone expects me to win more than once on the Asian Tour. But I can’t force it. I lost to Chinnarat in a play-off and had a few other close calls and lost to Anirban last year in another play-off. The fields are getting stronger and it’s difficult to win.
I can say that thaworn has a great shot game, one of the best in the world. That’s helped his scores. He can save your scores when you are missing shots. He can scramble so well which is the key thing. Right now, I’m hitting it well but if I don’t make the putts, I won’t make the score. If I can improve my short game to be like Thaworn and to be mentally strong like him, I think I can be like him. I think I have 16 more years to catch what he’s done. I just need to keep working hard.
He has worked hard over the years. He’s very good for the game, an inspiration to me and other Thai players.
I had some injuries in 2010 and 2011 and kept playing with the injuries. I started hitting it bad and my confidence was gone. My game was gone. When I was on the tee box, I didn’t know where the ball would go. Mentally, I was gone. I felt really bad during that spell. Everyone in Thailand expected me to be a very good player but I had a bad two years. I knew I needed to find something. I found the sports psychologist, Dr Pichit, who works with the Thai Olympic boxing team. I worked with him for one year and it really helped my game.
At that time, I didn’t know how to hit the driver. I didn’t have any confidence. He taught me how to think better. If there’s water on the left and OB on the right, why don’t I just think about the fairway and pick a target on the fairway. He gave me some ideas on how to deal with that in my head. When you have a bad feeling, you always think about the bad things.

During my down time, my wife and family were very supportive. All friends supported me and asked me what was happening and showed concern. They stood behind me which helped me get back to my game.
My wife told me not to worry. She said everyone goes up and comes back down sometimes. I never thought that I would never find my game again. When I lost my card, I knew it would be tough to get the card back as I wasn’t in the co-sanctioned events. The fields were getting stronger and I knew I had to play well in the smaller events and had like five top-10s in 2011 which made my year easier.
In the monastery, you have to be pray before 8am and you can’t have food after 12 noon. You can have only two meals per day. You read the books by Buddha and meditate and pray. I’ve been a monk for 20 days when I was 20 years old, which is a Thai tradition for a young man where you have to do this for your family. And my second trip, I went to India for eight days.
When I was young, I always watched my dad play and it helped me a lot. He was a top player in Thailand and he had to fight as he wasn’t from a rich family. I think I’m a bit lucky as my dad’s winnings, when I was seven years old. He basically set up everything for me. I have also very good support from Khun Santi, who supported my dad and family. He saw me since I was very young and my first golf set was from him. I’m lucky to have my dad’s support including from Khun Santi and Singha. I had more opportunities that Thaworn and Prayad.
I want to give back to the kids, set up an academy one day when I retire. But before I do that, I want to win a Major championship. That’s my lifelong goal. I have many years to try to achieve it. I’ve played only once in the British Open and I’m going to give it a shot and try to move up the world rankings.
PETER RICHARDSON (ENG)
I played the course and it is really nice. It is kind of like an American style layout. It is pretty straight forward. You hit driver on a lot of holes. Hopefully I can make a lot of birdies.
I’ve been trying to get my physical health back a bit. I was struggling last year with my back so I’ve been seeing specialists and physiotherapists to see what sort of exercises I can do. It (back) is okay but I still feel a bit of pain. It is not going to cause me any discomfort. Hopefully there will be no more issues going forward.
It is coming along quick (when asked how he felt earning an Asian Tour card through the Asian Development Tour). I think it just sunk it in the last couple of weeks. It is going to be exciting because I’ll be playing on new courses and facing new challenges. I’m looking forward to playing with the big guys.
Playing well is my number one priority. I want to enjoy it and if I can do that and relax then hopefully I can play my best golf and get some good results early on. I want to try to get off to a good start and hopefully ride on that in the next few months.
KIRADECH APHIBARNRAT (THA)
I’m on form right now. I won a local event a few weeks back. I know this golf course quite well and I usually play well on courses with wide fairways. I try to play my best and see how it goes during the weekend.
The course is quite wide open so big-hitters like Scott Hend and I played well. I didn’t practice much during the off season because of sickness. I’ve been working a lot with my coach and I’m doing well. This is my first Asian Tour event of the year so everyone wants to do well or win. I just changed a bit of my back swing with my coach.
I had a problem with my thyroid and it made me tired when I play golf. Now I have to exercise regularly to strengthen my muscle. It is getting better after taking some medications. I have to see if it gets better after six months or I’ll have to go through an operation.
I went for a holiday for a month without any golf. I travelled around Thailand with my girlfriend. I felt very relax during the off season which was good.
BERRY HENSON (USA)
I had six weeks at home but I took a couple of days off before I started training for this year. I didn’t take much time off and hit the gym really hard. My coach came in town later and we made some changes for this year. I worked really hard during the off season and went to Thailand last week to get used to the heat and grasses again.
I’m looking forward to Myanmar and a fun week. If you look at it on paper, it wasn’t that bad. I didn’t have a win and didn’t reach some goals which I set myself. I felt my game deteriorated as the year (2012) went on so I tried to figure out how to make things better this year.
I created a new shot that I call it the ‘Chucky Three Sticks’ like Charles Howell! I feel that if I can hit my eight iron to 140 yards with a low trajectory. If I can do that throughout my bag then I think it will help at some weeks where we get a lot of wind.
I really worked hard on making different shots on the golf course and making those changes is going to help and make me more versatile.
When I got home, my short game coach had everything written out. He had my stats and we compared with Thaworn’s stats. Obviously he killed everybody in putting last year. We figured out what to attack during the off season and how to get better this year.
No, my luggage still hasn’t arrived yet! I think it is lost. I hope it shows up next week.
SIDDIKUR (BAN)
It is a great golf course. I played in Myanmar in 2010 but it was on a different golf course. You need to putt very well here because the fairways are wide here. All long hitters will have an advantage because there are very little rough. It will come down to the putter.

I didn’t do much. I just did some workout and practised on my game. It was bad toward the end of 2012. I think I played in too many tournaments but I won’t make the same mistake again this year.
I have the confidence to win another Asian Tour event. I’ve tried very hard to do that but I feel that it is coming closer. I’ve improved a lot since 2010. There’s a big difference in my game so I think it will be very soon before I win again.
YUTA IKEDA (JPN)
I feel the course is very difficult because there’s a lot of water around the golf course. My game is not 100% because this is my first professional event of the year. I’ll do my best here but I will not put any high expectations on myself. My goal is to earn more world golf ranking points this week and I hope I can do that.
HU MU (CHN)
I played this event last year and finished around 30th. I like the course and the layout. I think I’m better prepared this time, than obviously at Qschool. I’m looking forward to the week. There’s a bit of pressure which is good. I’ll to get into a good position at the weekend.
MITHUN PERERA (SLK)
It’s a new experience for me. I’ll be aiming for a good start. I didn’t’ expect to finish top-60 as I had only limited events and I’m really lucky to be the first Sri Lankan to get a full card on the Asian Tour. In Sri Lanka, golf is still new. I’ll be flying the flag proudly. It’s great to be in a tournament with Thaworn and Siddikur, they are my two favourite players. I believe that one good week can change your life, it can be this week. I’ll be aiming to win one tournament this year.

February 17: The Zaykabar Myanmar Open presented by Alpine is the first Asian Tour event in 2013 which kicks off the 10th Asian Tour season. We take a look back at last year’s edition where Australian Kieran Pratt savoured the sweet taste of success for the first time.
Kieran Pratt needed to pinch himself to ensure he wasn’t dreaming after a long day at the office.
When he started his final round, the Australian never imagined he could win a first Asian Tour title as he trailed overnight leader and countryman Scott Hend by five shots at the season-opening Zaykabar Myanmar Open presented by Air Bagan.
But golf’s peculiarity has so often thrown up pleasant surprises, if not unimaginable endings, that the puzzle fell into place perfectly for Pratt.
A superb eagle on the 72nd hole pushed him into a three-way play-off with Thai rising star Kiradech Aphibarnrat and fellow Aussie Adam Blyth and Pratt subsequently claimed victory on the second extra hole with a birdie.
“Fantastic! It feels great to win the first event of the year. Obviously you want to get off to a fast start but to win is obviously better,” smiled Pratt, who closed with a four-under-par 68 for a 15-under-par 273 total.
“It was quite a nervous wait. But I thought it was pretty cool and unexpected to sneak into the play-off,” added the 23-year-old.
He dedicated his win to Victorian Institute of Sports coach Ramsay McMaster, who unexpectedly passed away at the end of 2011. McMaster had been a great influence in many young Australian golfers’ careers, including Pratt.
In a two-year professional career, Pratt enjoyed the peaks and troughs of the game. He jumped into the spotlight in 2010 when he outplayed former world number one Tiger Woods in a tournament in Australia and then earned his Asian Tour card in the following year at Qualifying School.
After failing to retain his Tour card for 2012, Pratt returned to Qualifying School earlier in the season to successfully regain his card. “It (the win) means a lot and it opens up a lot of doors on the Asian Tour. It’s a three-year exemption and it’s awesome that I’ve got a job for three years. It’s pretty priceless,” said Pratt.
“Winning means heaps. Out of Tour school, you have to make a fast start. If you don’t, you find yourself at the back end of the year and putting pressure on yourself to try and get enough money to sneak into the top-60. It was an unexpected win as to how I got it done,” he added.
Making a return to Asia after spending most of 2011 playing on the US secondary tour, Blyth overcame an eight-shot deficit with a sensational closing round of 65 to join the play-off.
Perhaps the surprise of finding himself in a shoot-out for the Zaykabar Myanmar Open title cost him the chance of winning.
“I was never expecting a chance. I’m disappointed. I had the opportunity to win and I didn’t. But I’m still happy with the outcome and how I played. It is a great way to start the season,” said Blyth.
Big-hitting Kiradech was the first to bow out in the first play-off hole and lamented another missed opportunity to earn his second Asian Tour title. “I was hitting it very well but couldn’t sink my putts. I three-putted for bogey on the 15th hole and that was a big mistake. That was the turning point,” said the Thai, who shot a level par 72 on the last day.
There was heartbreak for third-round leader Hend, who held a two-shot lead after the eighth hole but slipped back with a costly quadruple bogey on nine when he found the water twice.
His pain was Pratt’s gain.

Singapore, February 15: As the Asian Tour celebrate its 10th season in 2013, some of the leading Asian and international players including Officials from the US PGA Tour and European Tour offer words of congratulations on the Tour’s milestone. Read on to find out what they have to say.
Thaworn Wiratchant, reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit champion, holder of record 15 titles
“I can say that the Asian Tour is my home Tour. I was born on this Tour. It made me stay relevant in my career. I have good friends on this Tour. The Asian Tour staff have looked after me like I’m one of the family members. I see the movement of the tour from the beginning. I have learned from this Tour and I can survive because of this Tour. I have a good reputation when I represent the Asian Tour – my life has changed in a good way every year when I have been a member of the Tour. Ten years have passed so quickly. But we can see the development of the Tour from the number of members, number of events and the prize money. I’d like to see more young guys coming up and this Tour is the first step for them.”
Thai veteran Boonchu Ruangkit, the man who struck the opening tee shot on the Asian Tour in 2004
“The Asian Tour is consistently improving. In the past, prize monies were much lesser and there wasn’t much room for players to improve. Now, prize monies are higher and there is more room for players to improve their games. Everything is improving on the Asian Tour. I hope the tour can continue to maintain its good image and continue to produce more good players to compete on the world stage.”

Y.E. Yang of Korea, the first Asian male Major champion, Honorary member of the Asian Tour
“In the early days of my career, I played on the Asian Tour and I will continue to support the Tour. The Asian Tour travels to many different countries and this helps with the player development. The Asian Tour opened the door to international competitions for me. I started my playing career on the Korean Tour but I found out through the Asian Tour that there was a high level of competition. There were so much more possibilities for me and I practiced and persevered and I was diligent enough to succeed.”
George O’Grady, Chief Executive, European Tour
I think the Asian Tour has done everything they can to unite the game in the region and bring together all talented golfers in different countries to make up the tour. You will see its tremendous achievements and impact on Asia. I think the way that players are playing in world golf championships have got to travel. They got to reflect the impact that all the different countries make. I think it is a reward. There is no reason why a major shouldn’t happen in Asia. Britain has its own major championship and they play in a particular kind of golf course-the links golf course. It’s made up of so many countries and there is a wide range of golf courses throughout Asia. The impact of the game in this region is so great that I don’t see any reason why a major shouldn’t happen here. I would like to pay my tribute to the Asian Tour. Congratulations for achieving the 10 years milestone and for everything you’ve done to unite the game in Asia and to inspire many great young talents.
India’s Jeev Milkha Singh, a two-time Order of Merit champion
“I think it has been fantastic for the past decade. I’m very grateful to the Asian Tour because that’s where I started my professional golf career. I will never forget that this is the place which offered and gave me the confidence to move on. I think it’s growing and will continue to grow in the future. I think it will definitely become a greater tour in future.”
Scott Hend, a two-time winner on the Asian Tour
“I’ve seen a lot of changes on the Asian Tour. And it’s gets better and better. It’s like a jump step for all of us and it’s a players’ organisation. It’s for the players and not just consisting of management groups. Players are pretty much in charge of what is going to happen on the tour. It’s really good in that way. It is good to see the young guys coming through and progress. Prize monies have definitely become better over the years. My time on the Asian Tour has been pretty fantastic so far. I’ve a lot of good memories on the tour.

Ed Moorehouse, Co-Chief Operating Officer, PGA Tour
I think the reputation of the Asian Tour is growing and primarily, the success of the players who have achieved not only in an Asian Tour event but also co-sanctioned events like the CIMB Classic. The Asian Tour is definitely in the process of producing many good players. I think the Asian Tour has grown from a minor tour to a significant force that it is in Asia today. I go around Asia and talk to some of the companies which we do business with in the States and they have some of the arrangements with the Asian Tour, everyone is saying that it’s developing into a very good Tour. The International Federation of PGA Tours started back in 1994 and that was an organisation with five Tours, the PGA Tour, European Tour, Japanese Tour, Sunshine Tour and the Asian Tour. It is a very significant organisation and certainly the Asian Tour is a part of the federation. I would like to congratulate the Asian Tour. I think they have grown significantly in the past 10 years. They have developed a lot of good tournaments and co-sanctioned tournaments with us. We have a great relationship with the Asian Tour. They have a great partnership with the European Tour as well. Development has been really tremendous for the Asian Tour. Congratulations to Kyi Hla Han and his group for really making the Asian Tour a significant force in the world of golf. I think the Asian Tour is very important in the development the game of golf in the region. The Asian Tour is very instrumental in developing the game of golf in Asia.
Eight-time European number one Colin Montgomerie of Scotland
“This is where the boom of world golf is going to be. I think it’s improving all the time. We’ve got an Asian, Y.E. Yang, winning a Major. I think there will be 10 Asian Major winners if you ask me again in 10 years’ time. I think Asia is where the future of the game is and will be in the years to come. Congratulations to the Asian Tour.”
South African star Ernie Els, a four-time Major champion
“I would like to congratulate the Asian Tour on its 10th season. It’s been 10 great years and I’m really looking forward to its future. I first played here in 1993 and since that time, we have a Major champion coming out from Asia and the growth of the game has been unbelievable.”
Australia’s Adam Scott
“The Asian Tour has grown so much. Looking back and seeing how the game has grown now is incredible and I’m expecting it to become bigger and bigger, especially with golf being part of the Olympics in 2016. Providing a world class tour has certainly elevated the game of golf in Asia. It is producing a lot of world class players. The Asian Tour has certainly done a good job in that and I’m sure they will strive and continue to produce world class golf in Asia for all of us to see.”

England’s Lee Westwood, former world number one
“The Asian Tour has grown and became better over the years. We’ve got better fields all the time and better quality of the Asian players as well. Golf courses have improved and conditions are better. It’s definitely growing and I can see it getting better and better.”
India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar, a four-time Asian Tour winner
This is my sixth year on the tour and I’ve seen great changes over the years which include greater prize monies, better golf courses and quality of players. It gets better every year. It’s a great inspiration for all the young players who have already seen the Asian Tour growing. It’s my pleasure to be associated with the Asian Tour. I’ve seen how it has grown over the years and I would like to give my best wishes to the Asian Tour. Hopefully it can become the second biggest tour in the world one day. I think with the movement of the Asian economy right now, sponsors are putting in heaps and heaps of money into tournaments. That is a key factor for the Asian Tour and it’s looking good now. I think with this, top golfers like Tiger Woods may be making a few more appearances in Asia in the near future. This is one thing that I’ve seen changing over the years. I must say this is what we need.
Mo Joong-kyung of Korea, a two-time Asian Tour winner
“There have been a lot of changes over the years. A lot of young players are coming out from Asia as well. I think Asia is a big market for golf and a lot of players all over the world are interested to come and play over here. The golf courses in Asia have become better as well.”
Marcus Both of Australia, a two-time Asian Tour winner
“I’ve seen great changes on the Asian Tour over the past 10 years especially when I’ve been around since day one. What we are looking at now is a great schedule on the Asian Tour and a lot of new events are popping up and the existing events that we have had grown from strength to strength. The prize monies for tournaments have increased as well. We’re playing a lot of new courses now and they are fantastic! Places like Macau where we played in 2003 and now, the golf course has improved a lot. The setup is a lot better. It gets better year after year.

Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat, a one-time winner
I would like to congratulate the Asian Tour for entering 10 years, which is not a short period. I’ve been playing on the Asian Tour for four years now and I can see the tour improve every year. Take for example the prize monies, number of events every year, etc. These are very good for the young generation. I’m sure the Asian Tour will continue to grow in the future and become better over the next few years. This is the first tour that I’ve played in and I’ve won my first tournament on the Asian Tour as well.
Arjun Atwal of India, PGA Tour champion
Congratulations to the Asian Tour for having such a fun tour first of all and then, helping me, Jeev and the other guys grow through their Tour. It has grown by leaps and bounds … I think because of the way the economy is growing in Asia. It is only a matter of time, like you see the Koreans girls rule the LPGA; I think the Asians are coming.
Berry Henson of the United States, one-time winner on the Asian Tour
This is my second year on the Asian Tour but I’ve seen a lot of growth. The Asian Tour is growing rapidly and its future has no limit. A lot of new young talents are coming up as well. I think you are going to see a lot of leaps and bounds on the Asian Tour over the next five years! It’s good that the Asian Tour is attracting a lot of international star players, especially for me when I travel all the way here to play with some of the best players in the world. We get to do that like once in a month and that is great! I think the tour is growing and that’s the direction that it is moving towards. The fans are really enjoying themselves here. I’m sure we will continue to see such great fields and great events in future.
Danny Chia of Malaysia, a one-time winner on the Asian Tour
The players are getting better and better, compared to the first year when I joined the Tour. The number of co-sanctioned events has increased as well. I think it’s great. Prize money has gone up and the quality of playing standard on the Asian Tour has improved over the years.
Zaw Moe of Myanmar
I’ve seen a lot of changes on the Asian Tour over the past 10 years. It has produced a lot of good young players. I’ve been playing for 15-20 years and it’s really good to see these young players progress and play well. The prize money has definitely grown over the years. I really enjoy playing on the Asian Tour.
Ends

New Delhi, February 13: India’s Shiv Kapur has targeted an Indian double at the Avantha Masters after capturing his debut European Challenge Tour title at the Gujarat Kensville Challenge.
A fortnight ago Kapur became the second home player, after the 2011 champion Gaganjeet Bhullar, to win the Gujarat Kensville Challenge when he held off Scotland’s Andrew McArthur by two strokes to take the €32,000 winner’s cheque and, in the process, move to the top of the Challenge Tour Rankings.
Having sealed his maiden Challenge Tour victory in Ahmedabad, Kapur’s focus switched immediately to the Avantha Masters, which will take place for the first time this year at Jaypee Greens GC, near New Delhi, his home and birthplace.
Kapur’s best performance in the Avantha Masters, which is tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and the Professional Golf Tour of India, came in 2011, when he finished in a tie for ninth place behind his compatriot S.S.P. Chowrasia.
Chowrasia’s triumph was the first, and so far only, home victory in the Avantha Masters; but having also recently won the Shubhkamna Champions – a tournament hosted by his friend and compatriot Jeev Milkha Singh – by three shots from Sweden’s Daniel Chopra, Kapur is understandably confident of mounting a bold bid to succeed South African Jbe’ Kruger as champion when the fifth edition of the €1.8million event unfolds from March 14-17.
He said: “I am playing very well. To win twice in two starts – first at the Shubhkamna Champions, and then at the Kensville Challenge – felt great, especially after not winning for a long time. Now I would love to follow in S.S.P’s footsteps and win a European Tour event at home. Adding the Avantha Masters to the Kensville Challenge and doing European double in India would be absolutely great.
The 31-year-old Indian, who has won once on the Asian Tour during his rookie year in 2005, is excited to get his solid early season form off to a flying start.
“I ended the 2012 season pretty well and then began 2013 on a winning note, so now I’m looking forward to playing a European Tour event at home. The Avantha Masters is without doubt the crown jewel amongst all golf tournaments in India. This time we will be moving to a new course at Jaypee Greens, so that should really add to the excitement,” said Kapur.
The par-72 course at Jaypee Greens GC takes over the staging of the Avantha Masters from DLF Golf and Country Club, which hosted the tournament for three years from 2010.
Designed by Greg Norman, Jaypee Greens GC features 14 water hazards and 88 bunkers and, at 7,347 yards, is India’s longest course.
Ends.
About the 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 Abacus (Official Apparel Partner), BlackBerry (Official Communications Partner), Inetol Headwear (Official Headwear Supplier), 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.

Kuala Lumpur, February 6: Asiantour.com takes a look at the prospects of Gaganjeet Bhullar enjoying another stellar season following two victories in 2012 which propelled him to fifth place on the Order of Merit.
By Chuah Choo Chiang, Media Director
With a steely look in his eyes, reminiscent of the great Jeev Milkha Singh – a two-time Asian Tour Order of Merit – India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar certainly has his sights set on greatness where the world can be at the palm of his hands.
Still only 24 but with four Asian Tour titles already under his belt, including two last season at the Venetian Macau Open and Yeangder Tournament Players Championship, Bhullar will be very expected to dominate again when the 2013 season kicks off later this month.
The young Indian has all the talent in the world to become an Asian Tour Order of Merit champion. It would also not be far-fetched to predict that Bhullar has the ingredients and flair to become a world’s top-10 player in the near future.

In today’s modern game where power plays a major part between winning or losing, Bhullar can certainly smack the ball to enormous distances – he averaged 297 yards last year to be ranked 11th in the driving distance category.
But what’s more telling is the fact that not only does he drive it long, he can drive it as straight an arrow as well with 78% percent fairways hit in 2012 where he finished second in the category.
His iron play isn’t shabby either with 71 percent of greens hit in regulation where he ranked 12th. If anything, his putting average per round could come down by one or two strokes where he took 29.6 putts per round throughout the entire season.
With his youthful exuberance, Bhullar has a natural knack and ability to attack the pins which is reflected by his 3.72 birdies per round, which put him in the top-10 of the category. If he can knock in his putts more regularly and bring down his putting average, Bhullar will be a dangerous man in any golf tournament.
Bhullar has worked hard throughout his career, starting from the amateur ranks and has a good and friendly rivalry with the likes of countryman Himmat Rai and Anirban Lahiri, who are also winners on the Asian Tour. More importantly, he is level headed and has not let the success cloud his vision for greater achievements.
With the young Indian generation of players pushing one another, the sky is the limit for Bhullar and it will not be a surprise if he goes on to win a couple more tournaments this season, and even perhaps triumph in the bigger co-sanctioned tournaments which will be his main goal this year.

Kuala Lumpur, February 5: Three-time Major champion Padraig Harrington, former Masters winner Charl Schwartzel and Italian Matteo Manassero have confirmed their participation in the Maybank Malaysian Open 2013.
The leading trio will join former world number one Luke Donald at the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club from March 21-24 in the US$2.75 million event sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour.
Schwartzel, who enjoyed a superb finish to his 2012 season with back-to-back victories, is looking forward to returning to Kuala Lumpur.
“It’s one of my favourite events of the year and I love Asia – the food, people, culture and golf courses,” he said.
The slender Schwartzel, who hails from South Africa, secured his name as one of the world’s best when he won the Masters Tournament in 2011.
Italian Manassero is definitely no stranger to the Maybank Malaysian Open. The talented golfer stunned many when he became the tournament’s youngest champion in the 2011 edition.
Irishman Harrington, who has come close to winning the Malaysian Open in the past, last competed in Malaysia in 2006. Apart from his success on the fairways, he is also a great supporter of charitable work.
Maybank Chairman, Tan Sri Dato’ Megat Zaharuddin Megat Mohd Nor said, “The confirmation of these additional world top 50 players in this year’s Maybank Malaysian Open shows the strength of our event as well as Malaysia’s strong standing in the golf industry. Spectators will get to see a mix of stars, experience world-class action and be inspired at our own greens. With many renowned golfers who are expected to confirm the participation the coming weeks, I foresee spectators are in for some spectacular golf action.”
“The Maybank Malaysian Open has always been a valuable avenue for our professionals to gain experience and expose themselves to high-calibre international golfers. Our Malaysian professionals will definitely benefit from being in the same tournament as these three top golfers,” said President of MGA, Tan Sri Dato’ Mohd Anwar Mohd Nor.
The Maybank Malaysian Open is regarded as the most prestigious golf event in the country and a leading National Open in the region. The event has hosted some of the best international and regional professional golfers.
Since taking up the title sponsorship eight years ago, Maybank has successfully attracted high-caliber golfers from around the world with the likes of Rory McIIroy, Louis Oosthuizen, Martin Kaymer, Charlie Wie, Thongchai Jaidee, KJ Choi and Alvaro Quiros.
This year, the tournament ups the ante with a prize purse of USD2.75 million, an increase of USD250,000 from last year.
The Maybank Malaysian Open is the first National Open in Asia to be co-sanctioned by both the European and Asian Tours in 1999 and is part of the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit and the European Tour’s Race to Dubai.
For information on the Maybank Malaysian Open 2013, visit www.maybankmalaysianopen.com or follow us on Twitter @maybankmsiaopen or #maybankmalaysianopen. Tickets for the event are available now. For information on ticketing, please go to www.ticketpro.com.my.

February 3: Jeev Milkha Singh of India had an early eagle to thank for a third round score of five-under-par 67 as he moved to tied fourth at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic on Saturday.
The two-time Asian Tour Order of Merit winner was flawless as he carded three other birdies but trails the leader Stephen Gallacher by a massive seven shots.
Korea’s Noh Seung-yul, Jbe Kruger of South Africa and Marcus Fraser of Australia were a further three shots back in tied 10th place.

February 2: Indian star Jeev Milkha Singh charged up the leaderboard at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic with a second round five-under-par 67 on Friday.
The two-time Asian Tour Order of Merit winner shot seven birdies against two bogeys for tied eighth on nine-under-par 135, three shots from the leader Richard Sterne of South Africa.
Jbe Kruger of South Africa was a further shot back in tied 11th place with Australian Marcus Fraser, who finished second on the Order of Merit last season.
Meanwhile at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, Charlie Wi of Korea shot a sparkling eight-under-par 63 to trail halfway leader Phil Mickelson of the United States by six shots.
Ends.

Yangon, Myanmar, February 1: Asian Tour Qualifying School winner Chan Kim of the United States will lead an upbeat group of Tour graduates when they launch their first challenge for honours at the season-opening Zaykabar Myanmar Open presented by Alpine later this month.
Chan led a total of 41 players to earn playing rights for the 2013 Asian Tour season from Qualifying School last week and he hopes to carry his momentum into the US$300,000 event at the Royal Mingalardon Golf and Country Club from February 21 to 24.
The Korean-American will aim to follow in the footsteps of defending champion Kieran Pratt of Australia, who won the Zaykabar Myanmar Open last season after a thrilling three-way play-off straight after Qualifying School.
“I’ve heard a lot of good things about the Asian Tour. I live in the States but even in the States, a lot of people are talking about the Asian Tour. It’s a growing tour and I’ve heard of its good reputation. Hopefully I can get something going this season!” said Kim, who was raised in Hawaii where he won the Hawaii State Amateur Stroke Play in 2007.
Highly-rated Singaporean Choo Tze Huang believes the experience of playing and making the grade at Qualifying School, which was held in Hua Hin, Thailand, will give him the extra edge in his bid to find success on the region’s elite Tour.

“We made mistakes out there (during Qualifying School) but I’m happy I gave myself a chance to make it into the top 40. I’m just pleased that I can put myself in that position. I’ll definitely have more events to play this year. I’m looking forward to getting better and I’ll try to leave a mark on the Asian Tour,” said Choo.
Lionel Weber will also make his professional debut at the Zaykabar Myanmar Open after earning his Asian Tour card as an amateur. The Frenchman is among a cosmopolitan of international stars from over 30 different nationalities playing on the Asian Tour this season.
“I’m happy to be able to play on the Asian Tour. I arrived in Hua Hin one month ago to train and get used to the playing conditions. Perhaps that’s the reason why I am playing well these past two weeks. I’ve never been here before in Asia but I do love to travel,” said the 22-year-old.
Among the other graduates who are expected to challenge for honours at the Zaykabar Myanmar Open include Rahil Gangjee of India, Rattanon Wannasrichan of Thailand, Adam Groom of Australia, Yoshinobu Tsukada of Japan and Nicholas Fung of Malaysia.
Pratt will also feature in the event alongside previous Myanmar Open champion Boonchu Ruangkit of Thailand, who finished on the bubble in the Order of Merit last season to earn full playing rights in 2013, and Tetsuji Hiratsuka of Japan, winner of the 2010 Myanmar Open.
About the 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 Abacus (Official Apparel Partner), BlackBerry (Official Communications Partner), Inetol Headwear (Official Headwear Supplier), 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.