Montgomerie Makes Avantha Masters Debut

About the European Tour

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

About MMC Corporation Berhad

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

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Rayong, Thailand, January 14: Korea’s Seungtaek Lee outclassed the field by closing with a second straight four-under-par 67 to claim a one-shot victory at the Asian Tour Qualifying School Final Stage presented by Sports Authority of Thailand on Sunday.

The 22-year-old Lee, playing his first attempt at the Asian Tour Qualifying School, fired three birdies in his closing four holes to top the 243-man field with a five-day total of 14-under-par 341 at the Rayong Green Valley Country Club.

Lee is among the 44 players, including former winners Australian David Gleeson, India’s Himmat Rai, Thailand’s Thammanoon Sriroj and Udorn Duangdecha, who secured their Tour cards for the new season after finishing inside top-35 and ties following the 90-hole battle.

Overnight co-leader Sorachut Hansapiban of Thailand stumbled with a bogey on the last to sign for a 68 and finish second on his own. The 27-year-old Thai took solace with his runner-up finish as he finally earned his Tour card after missing out in his last two consecutive attempts.

American Kurt Kitayama, who turns 25 today, gave himself the perfect birthday present when he closed with a 66 to finish three shots back in third place alongside Thailand’s Jakraphan Premsirigorn (66), Australian duo Travis Smyth (68) and Steven Jeffress (70).

The 2018 Asian Tour Qualifying School Final stage saw 243 hopefuls from over 30 countries vying for their playing rights at the start of the week. The first cut was made after 36 holes and a total of 153 players made it into the third and fourth round.

A further cut was made after 72 holes and 78 players progressed into the fifth and final round where a total of 44 players from 12 countries securing their Tour cards for the 2018 season after making the cut-off mark set at two-under-par 353.

Players who missed the grade are eligible to play on the Asian Development Tour (ADT), which was launched as a gateway to the region’s premier Tour in 2010. The top-five finishers on the ADT Order of Merit at the end of the season will be awarded with playing rights on the Asian Tour for the following season.

Did you know?

Seungtaek Lee topped the class in his first attempt at the Asian Tour Qualifying School. He became the second Korean following Yikeun Chang in 2016 to win the Asian Tour Qualifying School.
Lee earns an elusive spot at the prestigious SMBC Singapore Open next week, thanks to his victory at the Qualifying School.
The 22-year-old Lee had enjoyed a tied-13th place finish previously at the 2017 Shinhan Donghae Open on home soil.
Lee turned professional three years ago and has been plying his trade on his domestic circuit prior to his campaign at the Asian Tour Qualifying School this week.
Lee opened his campaign with three consecutive 69s before closing with two straight 67s to top the field.
Sorachut Hansapiban secured his Asian Tour card in his third attempt at the Qualifying School this week. He missed the grade in his last two attempts in 2016 and 2017.
The 27-year-old Sorachut has been plying his trade on the ADT since 2016 and has come close to winning on several occasions.
Kurt Kitayama, a former University of Nevada-Las Vegas standout, turned professional in 2015 and has played on the Web.com Tour for the past two years. He is currently based in Las Vegas.
Kitayama, who secured his Asian Tour card in his first attempt at the Qualifying School this week, is celebrating his 25th birthday today.
Jakraphan Premsirigorn finally secured his Asian Tour card for the first time in his fifth attempt at the Qualifying School. He had missed out in his previous attempts in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.
Jakraphan is a one-time winner on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) in 2013. He claimed his best result on the Asian Tour following a tied-ninth finish at the 2014 King’s Cup.
The 26-year-old Jakraphan notched seven top-10 finishes on the ADT last year to end the season in 10th place on the final ADT Order of Merit, missing out on his 2018 Asian Tour card by five rungs.
A total of 44 players from 12 countries earn their Asian Tour cards for the 2018 season. The countries represented are Australia (11), Korea (10), Thailand (7), United States (3), Japan (3), England (2), New Zealand (2), India (2), Spain (1), Sri Lanka (1), Argentina (1) and South Africa (1).
Former Tour champions Thammanoon Sriroj and Udorn Duangdecha of Thailand, Himmat Rai of India and Australian David Gleeson, successfuly regained their playing rights on the Asian Tour for the 2018 season. Thammanoon signed for a 69 to finish tied-11th on 347 while Gleeson (69), Rai (74) and Udorn (67) were amongst those bunched in 34th place on 353.

Players’ quotes:

Seungtaek Lee (Kor) – Final round 67 (-4), Total 341 (-14)

I am really happy to win the Asian Tour Qualifying School. This is my first attempt and I have played really well all week. I was a little nervous at the start of the week because of the big field and I know there are a lot of good players here.

I just played my own game out there and not think about anything else. After the three consecutive birdies from 15, I was trying to go for the win. I think I was being too aggressive coming down the 18th hole as I misjudged the distance with my approach shot and hit the roof of the marquee.

Luckily the ball dropped down and rolled back on to the green. I was very lucky there. I didn’t get off to a good start. I made a double-bogey on the fourth but bounced back with an eagle-two on sixth. From there, I just played my own game.

I made a long birdie putt from about 14 metres on 16 and I knocked it down with my second shot on 17 to about two metres before sinking that putt. I had a good run coming home and it gave me a lot of confidence.

It’s been a great week for me. I have a good friend Giwhan Kim who is playing on Tour so I am looking forward to joining him now. I am thrilled to earn a spot at the SMBC Singapore Open next week. I am very excited now because it’s a big tournament.

Sorachut Hansapiban (Tha) – Final round 68 (-3), Total 342 (-13)

I am pretty disappointed with the bogey on the last as it costed me a spot at the Singapore Open next week. But overall, I am pleased with how I played, not just today but the entire week. It has been a grueling test playing 90 holes this week so to finish second, I can’t complain.

This is my third time attempting to get my Asian Tour card at the Qualifying School. I am glad I finally made it. I tried my best this week. I have a lot of positives to take into the new season.

Kurt Kitayama (Usa) – Final round 66 (-5), Total 344 (-11)

I hit a lot better today and I sank more putts. I made a few up and downs as well. I had four birdies in a row today. I know those holes are pretty scorable so I just took advantage of my solid wedge-play today.

I hit the pin on the sixth hole with my wedge shot today before tapping in for birdie. I came through the first stage of the Qualifying School last week. It was quite a grind and I finally got used to everything. It was a lot better this week.

This is my first attempt at the Asian Tour Qualifying School. It was a good experience. I came from Chigo, California and I went to school at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. I have heard about the Asian Tour from my friends before so I thought it will be a good opportunity for me to travel around the world if I can come and try out here.

Jakraphan Premsirigorn (Tha) – Final round 66 (-5), Total 344 (-11)

I putted really good today. I started the week with a four-over 75 so to finish with three straight 66s, I am really happy with the way I played. I made a long putt from about 20 feet to save par on the 14th hole.

This is my sixth time trying out at the Qualifying School. I missed out in all my previous attempts so I am very glad that I finally earn my Asian Tour card this week. I tried to play my way onto the Asian Tour through the ADT last couple of years.

I came close last year but unfortunately didn’t manage to finish inside top-five on the ADT Order of Merit. This week’s result will make up for the disappointments over the years.

Ends.

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Published on January 13, 2018

(Team Europe first)

Match 1: 9.35AM Tommy Fleetwood & Henrik Stenson vs S.S.P. Chawrasia & Anirban Lahiri.

Match 2: 9.45AM Paul Casey & Tyrrell Hatton vs Kiradech Aphibarnrat & Byeonghun An.

Match 3: 9.55AM Rafa Cabrera Bello & Alexander Levy vs Gavin Green & Yuta Ikeda

Match 4: 10.05AM Matthew Fitzpatrick & Thomas Pieters vs Sunghoon Kang & Poom Saksansin.

Match 5: 10.15AM Paul Dunne & Alex Noren vs Phachara Khongwatmai & Hideto Tanihara.

Match 6: 10.25AM Ross Fisher & Bernd Wiesberger vs Li Haotong & Nicholas Fung.

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Shah Alam, Malaysia, January 13: Team Asia produced another inspired performance at Saturday’s Foursomes matches to maintain a one-point advantage over Team Europe at the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM.

Team Asia has never led at any stage over their continental rivals in the history of the EurAsia Cup but after holding the lead for two days, team captain Atwal is confident his team can ink their place in the record books.

“I absolutely believe we can win the EurAsia Cup. Otherwise I wouldn’t be here. That has always been my belief since I took up this captaincy. I’m not surprised or shocked by our results so far. Because if you look at my players, they are fantastic and they are all winners,” said Atwal.

The day’s proceedings did not exactly go to plan for Team Asia as they lost their opening two matches at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club.

The Indian pair of Anirban Lahiri and S.S.P. Chawrasia suffered a 3&2 defeat at the hands of Sweden’s Henrik Stenson and England’s Tommy Fleetwood in the first match while Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Korea’s Byeonghun An went down 2&1 to England’s Paul Casey and Tyrrell Hatton in the second match.

Belgium’s Thomas Pieters and England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick thought they had struck another fatal blow to Team Asia’s EurAsia Cup title aspirations when they won 3&2.

But the formidable partnership of Malaysia’s Gavin Green and Japan’s Yuta Ikeda, who had earlier won their fourball match, gave Team Asia a huge psychological boost when they beat Spain’s Rafa Cabrera Bello and France’s Alexander Levy by one hole.

“They have been fantastic. Both of them have been so good and they have inspired everybody else. I’m very pleased with their pairing and everything that has been leading up to it and the way they have delivered,” said Atwal.

That point sparked a comeback for Asia as Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai and Japan’s Hideto Tanihara showed their putting prowess to bring down Sweden’s Alex Noren and Ireland’s Paul Dunne 2&1.

“Putting wins matches. If you make putts, you’re going to win matches. The winning side always drains putts, whether they are long or short. I’m very lucky all my guys can putt really well,” said the Indian captain.

China’s Li Haotong and Malaysia’s Nicholas Fung then completed another memorable day for Team Asia when they won another point by beating England’s Paul Casey and Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger 3&1.

Team Europe’s captain Thomas Bjorn knows of his tough task ahead of the final Singles matches and is determined to put up a stiff challenge against an inspired Team Asia.

“We live to fight another day tomorrow and we’ve got 12 strong players, as I said, all week. I believe in all 12 of them, as I always will.

“We’ve got to go out and put some blue on that board and try and win the Singles. It’s as simple as that. We are slightly disappointed with the outcome today but I’m sure we can rise to what’s ahead of us tomorrow,” said Bjorn.

Ends.

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Shah Alam, Malaysia, January 13: Malaysia’s Gavin Green and Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai proved they can take on the best players from Europe by maintaining their unbeaten streak at the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM.

Green and Phachara have so far won their fourballs and foursomes matches with their respective Japanese partners Yuta Ikeda and Hideto Tanihara while China’s Li Haotong, who is also making his debut at the EurAsia Cup, showed he can be counted upon as he sunk a birdie on the last hole to halve his last fourball match against Bernd Wiesberger and Rafa Cabrera Bello on the opening day.

Li continued his effective partnership with Malaysia’s Nicholas Fung when they wrapped up the day’s matches with a convincing 3&1 victory over Bernd Wiesberger and Ross Fisher of England.

Green underlined his growing credentials as Asia’s number one as he held his nerve to deliver another morale boosting point for the team.

They had stood on the verge of a foursomes whitewash after the Europeans had put the first three points on the board at one stage.

Phachara then steadied the ship with Tanihara by bringing down Alex Noren of Sweden and Ireland’s Paul Dunne 2&1 to shift the momentum back to Asia at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club.

Did you know?

The pairings of Team Asia were unchanged in the Saturday Foursomes as Green, Ikeda, Tanihara, Phachara, Fung and Li remain unbeaten. Tommy Fleetwood, Paul Casey and Tyrrell Hatton have also won all their matches for Team Europe so far.
Green and Ikeda ended their round in a flourish after going 2-down through 14 holes before winning the next three holes. They parred 18 to win by one hole.
They made a total of four birdies in their foursomes match to contribute the first points for Team Asia today.
Tanihara and Phachara combined perfectly again to win their match on the 17th hole after making six birdies.
The pairing of Tanihara and Phachara proved to be a highly successful one by team captain Arjun Atwal despite the age gap of 21 years.
Li and Fung were 2-down after five holes but fought back to all square after the ninth hole. From there they never trailed Team Europe again and claimed a stunning 3&1 victory.
This is the first time Fung has ever won a match in the EurAsia Cup after playing in the last two editions.
Team Asia has never led after two days at the EurAsia Cup. They currently hold a one point lead over Team Europe. Asia has never won three matches in the Foursomes format but in terms of points, this matches the most points earned in 2014 where they won and halved two matches.
Anirban Lahiri of India has not won a match in this year’s showpiece. However, he holds the best Singles record for Team Asia where he won his matches in 2014 and 2016.

Players’ Quotes

Gavin Green (Mas)

We were just up and down the whole day. We were 2UP at one point, got back to even, went down. We got a penalty on 14 but we stayed patient as we had four more holes to go. We were two down, so we hit a good tee shot on 15, good second shot, good putt and back to 1 down and we were back in it. For me, it’s always nice to play in front of a home crowd but at the same time it adds pressure, but at the same time, the match play game is fun. We just have to think that we are going to go ahead and enjoy it no matter what happens. We’ve done a lot to come this far, and we are just going to try to push as much as we can.

I think tomorrow as long as we stay patient and just play our own games, I think we’ll be fine. The crowd is great and the support is great. The team room is amazing. Everyone is having fun. Once we are off the course, we are doing something else. We are not talking about golf. We are either playing ping pong or pool or just doing something else to get away from golf, which is great. The good thing is all of us are really close. We are all hanging out and chilling together and talking. It’s great. I could get used to this.

Phachara Khongwatmai (Tha)

I played very well today especially my putting. It was good to see most of the putts going into the hole today. Before going out to the course, I just told myself one thing and that is to do my best for Asia. Hideto is a very good partner and we combine really well. He taught me a lot and been guiding me well this week. I’m happy with how our partnership has gone and the results have shown the last two days. I know I’m the youngest players in the Team and everyone is very proud of how I’ve played so far. So it has been very good so far.

Nicholas Fung (Mas)

We (with Li Haotong) understand each other well. It’s important we are able to communicate well as that helps to ease the pressure. I mean, we know that Team Europe is strong and we have to shoot as low as we can and try to make more birdies. Haotong putted well. . So I think we just have to play our own games, play shot by shot. We need to be patient all the time for the match play because one lost hole doesn’t mean we lost the game. Just need to get more birdies as possible, that’s very important.

Ends.

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About MMC Corporation Berhad

In other businesses, MMC owns Aliran Ihsan Resources Berhad, a water treatment plant operator and Senai Airport Terminal Services Sdn Bhd, the operator of Senai International Airport in Johor Bahru; a major aviation hub and the main air transportation gateway to Iskandar Malaysia. Additionally, MMC’s Group Property arm manages close to 6,000 acres of industrial developments in Iskandar Malaysia, Johor and Kulim, Kedah, namely Senai Airport City, Tanjung Bin Petrochemical & Maritime Industrial Centre (TBPMIC) and Northern Technocity in Kulim. The Senai Airport City, TBPMIC and NTC (NTC) developments come under the ambit of Group Property’s three operating companies – Senai Airport City Sdn Bhd, Seaport Worldwide Sdn Bhd and Northern Technocity Sdn Bhd respectively.

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Rayong, Thailand, January 13: Steven Jeffress of Australia is a step closer to securing an elusive Asian Tour card for the new season after signing for a second straight two-under-par 69 at the Asian Tour Qualifying School Final Stage presented by Sports Authority of Thailand on Saturday.

Jeffress, a two-time winner on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia, has enjoyed a superb run so far in his first attempt at the Asian Tour Qualifying School, where a 243-man field from over 30 countries will vie to finish inside top-35 and ties in an intense 90-hole battle this week.

Starting the round with a three-shot deficit, the 42-year-old Jeffress sank five birdies against a bogey and a double-bogey at the St. Andrews 2000 to grab a share of the lead on 10-under-par 274 total. He leads by one shot alongside overnight leader Sorachut Hansapiban (72) of Thailand, compatriot Maverick Antcliff (68) and Seungtaek Lee (67) of Korea.

Japan’s Shohei Hasegawa, who carded a 69, took fifth place on his own while Australian Travis Smyth, Ben Campbell of New Zealand and Minkyu Kim of Korea shared sixth place on 276 following rounds of 66, 68 and 67 respectively.

The first four rounds of the 2018 Asian Tour Qualifying School Final Stage was held across two courses in Rayong – the Rayong Green Valley Country Club and the St. Andrews 2000.

The 72-hole cut was set at two-over-par 286 with a total of 78 players progressing into the fifth and final round, which will be held only at the Rayong Green Valley Country Club on Sunday. The top 35 players and ties, at the conclusion of 90 holes, will be ranked accordingly for the 2018 season.

A total of 153 players, including one amateur, had earlier progressed into the third and fourth rounds after surviving the 36-hole cut-off mark which was set at four-over-par 146.

Did you know?

The 42-year-old Steven Jeffress is a former winner of the Fiji International in 2014. He hails from Taree, New South Wales in Australia and turned professional in 1999. Also won the Victorian PGA Championship in 2006.
Jeffress enjoyed a commendable sixth-place finish at the ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth last season.
Jeffress has previously played on the Japan Golf Tour in 2009 and 2014.
Maverick Antcliff is playing in his first attempt at the Asian Tour Qualifying School. He qualified for his first Asian Tour event at the Asian Golf Championship in China through the China Tour last year. He finished a commendable tied-fourth in that event.
Antcliff is 24 years old and he turned professional in 2016. Started playing golf at the age of 12.
Sorachut Hansapiban is hoping to be third-time lucky, after missing the grade at the Qualifying School in his last two attempts in 2016 and 2017.
The 27-year-old Sorachut has been plying his trade on the ADT since 2016 and has come close to winning on several occasions.
Like Antcliff, Seungtaek Lee is also playing in his first attempt at the Asian Tour Qualifying School.
The 22-year-old Lee, who returned with a bogey-free round highlighted by four birdies, enjoyed a tied-13th place finish at the Shinhan Donghae Open on home soil last year.
Lee turned professional three years ago and has been plying his trade on his domestic circuit since.
A total of 78 players from across 17 countries made the 72-hole cut. The countries that will be represented in the final round are Australia (16), Korea (15), Thailand (13), United States (8), Japan (6), India (6), New Zealande (3), England (2), Argentina (1), Finland (1), Sweden (1), Canada (1), South Africa (1), Italy (1), Chile (1), Sri Lanka (1) and Spain (1).
Amongst the 78 players who progressed into the final round, five are past champions on the Asian Tour. They are Thammanoon Sriroj (T12) and Udorn Duangdecha (T68) of Thailand, Himmat Rai (T18) of India, Australian David Gleeson (T50) and Berry Henson (T56) of the United States.

Players’ quotes:

Steven Jeffress (Aus) – Fourth round 69 (-2) St. Andrews 2000, Total 274 (-10)

My goal was to get into top 35 and ties at the start of the week. I would have taken it at the start of the week if you told me I will be taking a share of lead into the final round. The goal now is to win!

I am not yet affected by fatigue at this point although I should be, because I am old, compared to the other guys out here. I have been up at 4.30am for the last four mornings now and I had a massive day yesterday. I got to the course at 5.20am and left at 7.10pm last night.

I still feel pretty good, body-wise and mind-wise. When you keep fresh in the mind, your body feels better as well. Golf is a funny game. Sometimes my experience helps but with the young guys now, it’s a different game.

I have played in a lot of Qualifying Schools before but this is my first time playing on the Asian Tour. I think I have played in Japan five or six times and three or four times in Europe. Q-school is difficult because you only got that one week to set yourself up for the entire year.

I have got a full card in Australia and I have got something to play at least. I come to this week with a ‘nothing to lose’ attitude but for some of the other guys out here, it can be pretty nerve-wrecking trying to finish inside top 35 and ties. This is part of what we do I guess.

I probably don’t do as much practice off the course ahead of the Qualifying School. Five days is a long time and it gets pretty hot out there. The course is hilly to walk too so it’s important to conserve your energy if you can. That’s my plan.

I like the Rayong Green Valley course better. There are like five or six holes at the St. Andrews 2000 which scare me. It just doesn’t suit my eye when I stand up there. But having said that, I had my best round of the week so far over there. You just can’t make mistakes off the tee.

Sorachut Hansapiban (Tha) – Fourth round 72 (+1) St. Andrews 2000, Total 274 (-10)

The course is playing really difficult today. It was so windy out there. I was struggling out there but I managed to grind it out for a 72. I am still in a good position right now so we will see how it goes tomorrow.

I will continue to do the same things for tomorrow. It’s the final lap so I will do my best again. This is my third time playing in the Qualifying School. I am pleased with how I have played so far. I have grown a lot as a player since I first played the Qualifying School in 2016.

Playing on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) for the last two years has helped because it has given me a lot of experiences and exposure in my career.

Seungtaek Lee (Kor) – Fourth round 67 (-4) St. Andrews 2000, Total 274 (-10)

I had a great round today. My short game was really good and I hit my irons very well too. I am happy with how I played given the tough conditions today. It was really windy out there and I think it’s the windiest day that we have played so far this week.

I putted well and I managed to stay relaxed out there. I guess that was the key for me. I made a long putt from about four metres for birdie on the 11th hole. That was the highlight for me today.

I was feeling pretty nervous at the start of the week because I know there were many good players out here. I managed to hang it there and grind it out to move to the top of the leaderboard so I am really pleased.

Maverick Antcliff (Aus) – Fourth round 68 (-3) St. Andrews 2000, Total 274 (-10)

It was pretty similar to yesterday with the wind and stuff. It was alright because a lot of holes were like cross winds so it didn’t make the holes super short or super long. I played fairly solid. I made a few nice up and downs when I hit some bad shots out there.

It’s like you just have to try and get through hole 17 and 18 and then the first three holes and you can kind of get a bit of runaway sixth and seventh. The eighth hole is quite short. I was just trying to stay in the present and concentrate on each shot out there.

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Published on January 12, 2018

Sentosa, Singapore, January 12: Shiv Kapur of India will be bringing his momentum to the US$1 million SMBC Singapore Open which starts next week.

Kapur won for the third time in 2017 two weeks ago in Pattaya after a final-round saw-see battle with Thailand’s Prom Meesawat. He is the only golfer to win multiple titles on the Asian Tour last year and he hopes to add another piece of silverware to his collection with a good showing in Singapore.

“After my win two weeks ago, I’ve just been enjoying some downtime and can’t think of a better place to kick start my season,” said Kapur.

“The SMBC Singapore Open has the feel of a big event and the crowds are always fantastic there.”

The four-time Asian Tour winner looks forward to playing at the tournament, which is co-sanctioned between the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour, and he is embracing the stiff challenge of the golf course.

“I always enjoy playing in Singapore. The Serapong course, in my view, is the number one championship golf course in Asia and I’ve had some success there in the past. It requires an all-round game and it is quite demanding off the tee, which suits my game,” he said.

The 35-year-old veteran will be vying for the coveted trophy along with top Asian Tour professionals such as 2017 Order of Merit champion, Gavin Green of Malaysia, eight-time Asian Tour winner, Gaganjeet Bhullar of India, defending champion, Prayad Marksaeng of Thailand and 2017 Rookie of the Year, Micah Lauren Shin of the United States.

The best golfers from the Japan Golf Tour like Yusaku Miyazato, Yuta Ikeda and Satoshi Kodaira as well as marquee player Sergio Garcia, Pat Perez, Ryo Ishikawa and Louis Oosthuizen will also be competing at the tournament.

Beating an elite field at the upcoming SMBC Singapore Open will certainly be a feather in Kapur’s cap. Although, he will be focusing on the bigger picture and he is looking to come out of 2018 an even better golfer.

“I’m hoping 2018 will be a continuation of 2017 and obviously it’s hard to expect to match a season with three wins. The goal will be to try and improve a bit in each aspect of my game,” said Shiv.

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Shah Alam, Malaysia, January 12: Team Asia enjoyed its best opening day performance in the history of the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM by leading 3 ½- 2 ½ against Team Europe on Friday.

Team Asia has never led in the past two editions of the EurAsia Cup but their Fourballs performances showed the continent is ready to challenge for its first win at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club.

Korea’s Byeonghun An and Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat suffered a 4&3 defeat to the English pair of Tommy Fleetwood and Paul Casey in the opening match.

However, the tide was immediately turn with Malaysia’s Gavin Green combining effectively with Japan’s Yuta Ikeda in the second match to beat Belgium’s Thomas Pieters and England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick 2&1.

Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai and Japan’s Hideto Tanihara then landed another blow to Team Europe’s EurAsia Cup title defence by defeating Sweden’s Alex Noren and Ireland’s Paul Dunn by two holes.

The biggest upset of the day came when Korea’s Sunghoon Kang and Thailand’s Poom Saksansin brought down Major winner Henrik Stenson and France’s Alexander Levy comprehensively with a 5&4 victory.

India’s Anirban Lahiri and S.S.P. Chawrasia struggled against Ross Fisher and Tyrrell Hatton, losing 5&4 to the English duo.

But it was China’s Li Haotong, who completed a memorable day for Asia when he sunk a 15-feet birdie putt on 18 to halve his match with Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger and Spain’s Rafa Cabrera Bello.

Team Asian captain Arjun Atwal was thrilled with his team’s start and believes a relaxed attitude will continue to be the key to success this week.

“I’m really happy about today’s results and how the day went especially Li Haotong’s match. That was very important for me as that half point was really a psychological boost for the team.

“The players in my team are all champions and they know what to do to win. All I want them to do is to stay relaxed and continue to have fun tomorrow,” said Atwal.

Ends.

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Rayong, Thailand, January 12: Thai prospect Sorachut Hansapiban fired a bogey-free seven-under-par 64 to grab the third-round lead by three shots at the Asian Tour Qualifying School Final Stage presented by Sports Authority of Thailand on Friday.

Sorachut, who is playing in his third attempt at the Qualifying School, fired seven birdies, including one from close range on 17 and an audacious chip-in birdie on 18 in fading light, at the Rayong Green Valley Country Club for a three-day total of 11-under-par 202.

Qualifying School debutant Steven Jeffress of Australia carded a 69 to move to second place on his own while his compatriot Maverick Antcliff and Shohei Hasegawa of Japan shared third on 206 following rounds of 66 and 68 respectively.

England’s William Harrold (67), American Jesse Schutte (69) and Javier Gallegos (70) of Spain were amongst those bunched a further shot back in fifth place at the Asian Tour Qualifying School Final Stage, which will be played over five rounds (90 holes) this week.

The Final Stage of the Qualifying School, which features 243 players from over 30 different countries, is played over two courses in Rayong – the Rayong Green Valley Country Club and the St. Andrews 2000.

After 72 holes, the field will be cut to the leading 70 players and ties who will then proceed to the fifth and final round held only at the Rayong Green Valley Country Club. At the conclusion of 90 holes, the top 35 players and ties will be ranked accordingly for the 2018 season.

The third round was called off for the day at 6.20pm local time due to fading light. Nine players will return to complete their rounds at 7.10am on Saturday. The fourth and penultimate round is scheduled to start at the same time with no re-draw of the players’ groups.

Did you know?

Sorachut Hansapiban is hoping to be third-time lucky, after missing the grade at the Qualifying School in his last two attempts in 2016 and 2017.
The 27-year-old Sorachut has been plying his trade on the ADT since 2016 and has come close to winning on several occasions.
Sorachut needed only 26 putts around the greens for his commendable 64 today.
Prior to his third round 69, Steven Jeffress had returned on Friday morning to complete his second round where he signed for a 70 to grab a share of the lead with Minkyu Kim of Korea. He held a one-shot advantage heading into the third round.
The 42-year-old Jeffress is a former winner of the Fiji International in 2014. He hails from Taree, New South Wales in Australia and turned professional in 1999. Also won the Victorian PGA Championship in 2006.
Jeffress also enjoyed a commendable sixth-place finish at the ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth in 2017.
Shohei Hasegawa is playing in his second attempt at the Asian Tour Qualifying School. He had failed to make it through the first stage last year.
Shohei is 24 years old this year and he turned professional two years ago.

Players’ quotes:

Sorachut Hansapiban (Tha) – Third round 64 (-7) Rayong Green Valley, Total 202 (-11)

My putting was really good today. That was the key for me. I needed only 26 putts in total today. I managed to hit it close too. It’s always great to shoot a bogey-free round. I had a superb finish as well.

I chipped it in about 15 yards from the front of the green for birdie on the last. It was getting dark out there too so I am very pleased with how I finished. I just wanted to complete my round today as I didn’t want to come back tomorrow morning just to finish one hole.

I missed out on my Tour card in my last two attempts at the Qualifying School. I am glad I managed to give myself a good chance this time. I played mostly on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) in the last two years and I believe the experience has helped me in my game.

I hope to continue what I have been doing so far for the next two rounds. I will go back and have a good rest before the fourth round tomorrow. I am playing the St. Andrews 2000 course tomorrow. It’s a tougher course compared to Rayong Green Valley.

I will aim to keep the ball on the fairways and hit as many greens as I can when I tackle the St. Andrews 2000 course tomorrow.

Steven Jeffress (Aus) – Third round 69 (-2) Rayong Green Valley, Total 205 (-8)

I played alright. I didn’t putt very well. I didn’t hole any putts, except for that 10 to 12 footer for birdie on the second hole. I was happy to finish the round today, although it was getting dark. I didn’t want to come back and play just one hole tomorrow morning.

We were rushing a bit towards the end but I didn’t do any damage to myself so I am happy. It’s been good so far. This is my first time playing in the Asian Tour Qualifying School. I have enjoyed it so far. The course is challenging. You can make birdies but also make bogeys out there.

We are starting to get more co-sanctioned events with the Asian Tour in Australia so coming to the Qualifying School this week seems like a good pathway and a logical way for me to get more playing opportunities out here.

I got to keep doing what I have been doing and hopefully make some putts tomorrow. The St. Andrews course is a bit tougher even though I had my best score of the week there. If you get it wrong, you get penalized a little bit more.

Shohei Hasegawa (Jpn) – Third round 68 (-3) Rayong Green Valley, Total 206 (-7)

I putted well today. I sank the birdie putt from about 10 metres on the second hole. That was my longest putt today. My iron-play was pretty good too but I made some mistakes in my tee shots today.

It was quite windy today and the greens are soft. I played 26 holes today. I am feeling very tired now. I hope to get a good rest tonight and I’ll be ready for the fourth round tomorrow. This is my second time playing the Qualifying School.

I didn’t make it through the first stage last year but this year I have made it to the final stage and playing the fourth round tomorrow. I am feeling very excited and I will try my best to get my card this week.

Jesse Schutte (Usa) – Third round 69 (-2) Rayong Green Valley, Total 207 (-6)

It was a little windy but I had fun. It was difficult out there. I shot the same score for all three rounds even though I think the St. Andrews course is much tougher. But nevertheless, it was fun playing with the good players out here.

This is my first time playing the Asian Tour Qualifying School and it has been great. It’s been really relaxing for me honestly. Everybody is nice and I like the food here. Everything is good and I am enjoying myself so far.

I started with a bogey today but bounced back strongly with three straight birdies. That was the highlight for me today.

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New Delhi, February 26: Colin Montgomerie, the most prolific British winner in European Tour history, will make his first appearance in the Avantha Masters when the €1.8million event takes place from March 14-17.The Scot, who captained Europe to Ryder Cup glory in 2010, has won 31 European Tour titles – two of them in Asia […]

Shah Alam, Malaysia, January 14: Team Asia’s captain Arjun Atwal praised his charges despite falling 10-14 to Team Europe at the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM on Sunday. Atwal’s team had led for two days after the Fourball and Foursomes matches but were outplayed by Team Europe in the Singles matches at the Glenmarie Golf […]

Shah Alam, Malaysia, January 14: Team Asia’s captain Arjun Atwal praised his charges despite falling 10-14 to Team Europe at the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM on Sunday.

Atwal’s team had led for two days after the Fourball and Foursomes matches but were outplayed by Team Europe in the Singles matches at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club.

While his team fell short on the final day, Atwal was delighted to witness the talent on display, particularly from the young Thai duo of Poom Saksansin and Phachara Khongwatmai.

“Look at the way he (Phachara) handled himself under pressure. If I was 18, I don’t know if I would be able to do what he did this week by playing in this type of pressure,” said Atwal.

With the conclusion of the third edition of the EurAsia Cup, Atwal hopes to revive his memories and stand proud as a captain one day again.

“I had a lot of fun and I had an absolute blast this week. Even though we didn’t win, they are all champions and for me personally, I would do this in a heartbeat again,” said Atwal.

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Rayong, Thailand, January 14: Korea’s Seungtaek Lee outclassed the field by closing with a second straight four-under-par 67 to claim a one-shot victory at the Asian Tour Qualifying School Final Stage presented by Sports Authority of Thailand on Sunday. The 22-year-old Lee, playing his first attempt at the Asian Tour Qualifying School, fired three birdies […]

Did you know?

Seungtaek Lee topped the class in his first attempt at the Asian Tour Qualifying School. He became the second Korean following Yikeun Chang in 2016 to win the Asian Tour Qualifying School.
Lee earns an elusive spot at the prestigious SMBC Singapore Open next week, thanks to his victory at the Qualifying School.
The 22-year-old Lee had enjoyed a tied-13th place finish previously at the 2017 Shinhan Donghae Open on home soil.
Lee turned professional three years ago and has been plying his trade on his domestic circuit prior to his campaign at the Asian Tour Qualifying School this week.
Lee opened his campaign with three consecutive 69s before closing with two straight 67s to top the field.
Sorachut Hansapiban secured his Asian Tour card in his third attempt at the Qualifying School this week. He missed the grade in his last two attempts in 2016 and 2017.
The 27-year-old Sorachut has been plying his trade on the ADT since 2016 and has come close to winning on several occasions.
Kurt Kitayama, a former University of Nevada-Las Vegas standout, turned professional in 2015 and has played on the Web.com Tour for the past two years. He is currently based in Las Vegas.
Kitayama, who secured his Asian Tour card in his first attempt at the Qualifying School this week, is celebrating his 25th birthday today.
Jakraphan Premsirigorn finally secured his Asian Tour card for the first time in his fifth attempt at the Qualifying School. He had missed out in his previous attempts in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.
Jakraphan is a one-time winner on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) in 2013. He claimed his best result on the Asian Tour following a tied-ninth finish at the 2014 King’s Cup.
The 26-year-old Jakraphan notched seven top-10 finishes on the ADT last year to end the season in 10th place on the final ADT Order of Merit, missing out on his 2018 Asian Tour card by five rungs.
A total of 44 players from 12 countries earn their Asian Tour cards for the 2018 season. The countries represented are Australia (11), Korea (10), Thailand (7), United States (3), Japan (3), England (2), New Zealand (2), India (2), Spain (1), Sri Lanka (1), Argentina (1) and South Africa (1).
Former Tour champions Thammanoon Sriroj and Udorn Duangdecha of Thailand, Himmat Rai of India and Australian David Gleeson, successfuly regained their playing rights on the Asian Tour for the 2018 season. Thammanoon signed for a 69 to finish tied-11th on 347 while Gleeson (69), Rai (74) and Udorn (67) were amongst those bunched in 34th place on 353.

Players’ quotes:

Seungtaek Lee (Kor) – Final round 67 (-4), Total 341 (-14)

Sorachut Hansapiban (Tha) – Final round 68 (-3), Total 342 (-13)

This is my third time attempting to get my Asian Tour card at the Qualifying School. I am glad I finally made it. I tried my best this week. I have a lot of positives to take into the new season.

Kurt Kitayama (Usa) – Final round 66 (-5), Total 344 (-11)

Jakraphan Premsirigorn (Tha) – Final round 66 (-5), Total 344 (-11)

I came close last year but unfortunately didn’t manage to finish inside top-five on the ADT Order of Merit. This week’s result will make up for the disappointments over the years.

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(Team Europe first) Match 1: 9.35AM Tommy Fleetwood & Henrik Stenson vs S.S.P. Chawrasia & Anirban Lahiri. Match 2: 9.45AM Paul Casey & Tyrrell Hatton vs Kiradech Aphibarnrat & Byeonghun An. Match 3: 9.55AM Rafa Cabrera Bello & Alexander Levy vs Gavin Green & Yuta Ikeda Match 4: 10.05AM Matthew Fitzpatrick & […]

(Team Europe first)

Match 1: 9.35AM Tommy Fleetwood & Henrik Stenson vs S.S.P. Chawrasia & Anirban Lahiri.

Match 2: 9.45AM Paul Casey & Tyrrell Hatton vs Kiradech Aphibarnrat & Byeonghun An.

Match 3: 9.55AM Rafa Cabrera Bello & Alexander Levy vs Gavin Green & Yuta Ikeda

Match 4: 10.05AM Matthew Fitzpatrick & Thomas Pieters vs Sunghoon Kang & Poom Saksansin.

Match 5: 10.15AM Paul Dunne & Alex Noren vs Phachara Khongwatmai & Hideto Tanihara.

Match 6: 10.25AM Ross Fisher & Bernd Wiesberger vs Li Haotong & Nicholas Fung.

Shah Alam, Malaysia, January 13: Team Asia produced another inspired performance at Saturday’s Foursomes matches to maintain a one-point advantage over Team Europe at the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM. Team Asia has never led at any stage over their continental rivals in the history of the EurAsia Cup but after holding the lead for […]

The day’s proceedings did not exactly go to plan for Team Asia as they lost their opening two matches at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club.

Belgium’s Thomas Pieters and England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick thought they had struck another fatal blow to Team Asia’s EurAsia Cup title aspirations when they won 3&2.

Team Europe’s captain Thomas Bjorn knows of his tough task ahead of the final Singles matches and is determined to put up a stiff challenge against an inspired Team Asia.

“We live to fight another day tomorrow and we’ve got 12 strong players, as I said, all week. I believe in all 12 of them, as I always will.

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Shah Alam, Malaysia, January 13: Malaysia’s Gavin Green and Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai proved they can take on the best players from Europe by maintaining their unbeaten streak at the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM. Green and Phachara have so far won their fourballs and foursomes matches with their respective Japanese partners Yuta Ikeda and Hideto […]

Li continued his effective partnership with Malaysia’s Nicholas Fung when they wrapped up the day’s matches with a convincing 3&1 victory over Bernd Wiesberger and Ross Fisher of England.

Green underlined his growing credentials as Asia’s number one as he held his nerve to deliver another morale boosting point for the team.

They had stood on the verge of a foursomes whitewash after the Europeans had put the first three points on the board at one stage.

Phachara then steadied the ship with Tanihara by bringing down Alex Noren of Sweden and Ireland’s Paul Dunne 2&1 to shift the momentum back to Asia at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club.

Did you know?

The pairings of Team Asia were unchanged in the Saturday Foursomes as Green, Ikeda, Tanihara, Phachara, Fung and Li remain unbeaten. Tommy Fleetwood, Paul Casey and Tyrrell Hatton have also won all their matches for Team Europe so far.
Green and Ikeda ended their round in a flourish after going 2-down through 14 holes before winning the next three holes. They parred 18 to win by one hole.
They made a total of four birdies in their foursomes match to contribute the first points for Team Asia today.
Tanihara and Phachara combined perfectly again to win their match on the 17th hole after making six birdies.
The pairing of Tanihara and Phachara proved to be a highly successful one by team captain Arjun Atwal despite the age gap of 21 years.
Li and Fung were 2-down after five holes but fought back to all square after the ninth hole. From there they never trailed Team Europe again and claimed a stunning 3&1 victory.
This is the first time Fung has ever won a match in the EurAsia Cup after playing in the last two editions.
Team Asia has never led after two days at the EurAsia Cup. They currently hold a one point lead over Team Europe. Asia has never won three matches in the Foursomes format but in terms of points, this matches the most points earned in 2014 where they won and halved two matches.
Anirban Lahiri of India has not won a match in this year’s showpiece. However, he holds the best Singles record for Team Asia where he won his matches in 2014 and 2016.

Players’ Quotes

Gavin Green (Mas)

Phachara Khongwatmai (Tha)

Nicholas Fung (Mas)

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Rayong, Thailand, January 13: Steven Jeffress of Australia is a step closer to securing an elusive Asian Tour card for the new season after signing for a second straight two-under-par 69 at the Asian Tour Qualifying School Final Stage presented by Sports Authority of Thailand on Saturday. Jeffress, a two-time winner on the ISPS HANDA […]

The first four rounds of the 2018 Asian Tour Qualifying School Final Stage was held across two courses in Rayong – the Rayong Green Valley Country Club and the St. Andrews 2000.

A total of 153 players, including one amateur, had earlier progressed into the third and fourth rounds after surviving the 36-hole cut-off mark which was set at four-over-par 146.

Did you know?

The 42-year-old Steven Jeffress is a former winner of the Fiji International in 2014. He hails from Taree, New South Wales in Australia and turned professional in 1999. Also won the Victorian PGA Championship in 2006.
Jeffress enjoyed a commendable sixth-place finish at the ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth last season.
Jeffress has previously played on the Japan Golf Tour in 2009 and 2014.
Maverick Antcliff is playing in his first attempt at the Asian Tour Qualifying School. He qualified for his first Asian Tour event at the Asian Golf Championship in China through the China Tour last year. He finished a commendable tied-fourth in that event.
Antcliff is 24 years old and he turned professional in 2016. Started playing golf at the age of 12.
Sorachut Hansapiban is hoping to be third-time lucky, after missing the grade at the Qualifying School in his last two attempts in 2016 and 2017.
The 27-year-old Sorachut has been plying his trade on the ADT since 2016 and has come close to winning on several occasions.
Like Antcliff, Seungtaek Lee is also playing in his first attempt at the Asian Tour Qualifying School.
The 22-year-old Lee, who returned with a bogey-free round highlighted by four birdies, enjoyed a tied-13th place finish at the Shinhan Donghae Open on home soil last year.
Lee turned professional three years ago and has been plying his trade on his domestic circuit since.
A total of 78 players from across 17 countries made the 72-hole cut. The countries that will be represented in the final round are Australia (16), Korea (15), Thailand (13), United States (8), Japan (6), India (6), New Zealande (3), England (2), Argentina (1), Finland (1), Sweden (1), Canada (1), South Africa (1), Italy (1), Chile (1), Sri Lanka (1) and Spain (1).
Amongst the 78 players who progressed into the final round, five are past champions on the Asian Tour. They are Thammanoon Sriroj (T12) and Udorn Duangdecha (T68) of Thailand, Himmat Rai (T18) of India, Australian David Gleeson (T50) and Berry Henson (T56) of the United States.

Players’ quotes:

Steven Jeffress (Aus) – Fourth round 69 (-2) St. Andrews 2000, Total 274 (-10)

Sorachut Hansapiban (Tha) – Fourth round 72 (+1) St. Andrews 2000, Total 274 (-10)

Playing on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) for the last two years has helped because it has given me a lot of experiences and exposure in my career.

Seungtaek Lee (Kor) – Fourth round 67 (-4) St. Andrews 2000, Total 274 (-10)

I putted well and I managed to stay relaxed out there. I guess that was the key for me. I made a long putt from about four metres for birdie on the 11th hole. That was the highlight for me today.

Maverick Antcliff (Aus) – Fourth round 68 (-3) St. Andrews 2000, Total 274 (-10)

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Sentosa, Singapore, January 12: Shiv Kapur of India will be bringing his momentum to the US$1 million SMBC Singapore Open which starts next week. Kapur won for the third time in 2017 two weeks ago in Pattaya after a final-round saw-see battle with Thailand’s Prom Meesawat. He is the only golfer to win multiple […]

Sentosa, Singapore, January 12: Shiv Kapur of India will be bringing his momentum to the US$1 million SMBC Singapore Open which starts next week.

“After my win two weeks ago, I’ve just been enjoying some downtime and can’t think of a better place to kick start my season,” said Kapur.

“The SMBC Singapore Open has the feel of a big event and the crowds are always fantastic there.”

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Shah Alam, Malaysia, January 12: Team Asia enjoyed its best opening day performance in the history of the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM by leading 3 ½- 2 ½ against Team Europe on Friday. Team Asia has never led in the past two editions of the EurAsia Cup but their Fourballs performances showed the continent […]

Shah Alam, Malaysia, January 12: Team Asia enjoyed its best opening day performance in the history of the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM by leading 3 ½- 2 ½ against Team Europe on Friday.

Korea’s Byeonghun An and Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat suffered a 4&3 defeat to the English pair of Tommy Fleetwood and Paul Casey in the opening match.

India’s Anirban Lahiri and S.S.P. Chawrasia struggled against Ross Fisher and Tyrrell Hatton, losing 5&4 to the English duo.

But it was China’s Li Haotong, who completed a memorable day for Asia when he sunk a 15-feet birdie putt on 18 to halve his match with Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger and Spain’s Rafa Cabrera Bello.

Team Asian captain Arjun Atwal was thrilled with his team’s start and believes a relaxed attitude will continue to be the key to success this week.

“I’m really happy about today’s results and how the day went especially Li Haotong’s match. That was very important for me as that half point was really a psychological boost for the team.

“The players in my team are all champions and they know what to do to win. All I want them to do is to stay relaxed and continue to have fun tomorrow,” said Atwal.

Ends.

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Rayong, Thailand, January 12: Thai prospect Sorachut Hansapiban fired a bogey-free seven-under-par 64 to grab the third-round lead by three shots at the Asian Tour Qualifying School Final Stage presented by Sports Authority of Thailand on Friday. Sorachut, who is playing in his third attempt at the Qualifying School, fired seven birdies, including one from […]

Did you know?

Sorachut Hansapiban is hoping to be third-time lucky, after missing the grade at the Qualifying School in his last two attempts in 2016 and 2017.
The 27-year-old Sorachut has been plying his trade on the ADT since 2016 and has come close to winning on several occasions.
Sorachut needed only 26 putts around the greens for his commendable 64 today.
Prior to his third round 69, Steven Jeffress had returned on Friday morning to complete his second round where he signed for a 70 to grab a share of the lead with Minkyu Kim of Korea. He held a one-shot advantage heading into the third round.
The 42-year-old Jeffress is a former winner of the Fiji International in 2014. He hails from Taree, New South Wales in Australia and turned professional in 1999. Also won the Victorian PGA Championship in 2006.
Jeffress also enjoyed a commendable sixth-place finish at the ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth in 2017.
Shohei Hasegawa is playing in his second attempt at the Asian Tour Qualifying School. He had failed to make it through the first stage last year.
Shohei is 24 years old this year and he turned professional two years ago.

Players’ quotes:

Sorachut Hansapiban (Tha) – Third round 64 (-7) Rayong Green Valley, Total 202 (-11)

I will aim to keep the ball on the fairways and hit as many greens as I can when I tackle the St. Andrews 2000 course tomorrow.

Steven Jeffress (Aus) – Third round 69 (-2) Rayong Green Valley, Total 205 (-8)

Shohei Hasegawa (Jpn) – Third round 68 (-3) Rayong Green Valley, Total 206 (-7)

I putted well today. I sank the birdie putt from about 10 metres on the second hole. That was my longest putt today. My iron-play was pretty good too but I made some mistakes in my tee shots today.

Jesse Schutte (Usa) – Third round 69 (-2) Rayong Green Valley, Total 207 (-6)

I started with a bogey today but bounced back strongly with three straight birdies. That was the highlight for me today.

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