Hua Hin, Thailand, January 26: Korean-American Chan Kim made up for the disappointment of missing out on his Tour card last year by topping the class at the Asian Tour Qualifying School Final Stage presented by Sports Authority of Thailand on Saturday.

After four days of gruelling battle, Kim finally emerged tops with a closing six-under-par 65 to lead 41 players on 13-under-par 272 into the new 2013 Asian Tour season at Springfield Royal Country Club.
Canada’s Richard Lee signed for a 74 to take second place on 273 while Australia’s Tim Stewart regained his full status by posting a 66 to take third place.
France’s Lionel Weber and Spain’s Carlos Pigem were the two amateurs to earn their Tour cards after they closed with a 68 and 72 to take tied-sixth and 12th place respectively.
After finishing in tied-61st place at Qualifying School last year, Kim was determined not to let history repeat itself.
“I was staring at the cut line last year at the final round but ended up shooting four-over and missed it. I knew I needed to play well today, regardless of how many it was and I’m just glad I made it,” said Kim, who was raised in Hawaii where he won the Hawaii State Amateur Stroke Play in 2007.
Kim is looking forward to returning to the birthplace of his parents now that he has earned his well-deserved Tour card.
“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,” said Kim.
“I’ll be based in Korea for this entire season as I’ve got a couple of relatives over there. Hopefully I can get something going!” added Kim.
Meanwhile Lee is excited to revive his golfing career on the Asian Tour after losing his card on the Web.com Tour in the United States.
“I had status on Web.com for the last four years. Unfortunately I lost my Tour card this year. I wanted to try something new so I came out here and it has been going well,” said Lee.
“I’m Asian and I want to play out here as the competition and money is a lot better on the Asian Tour,” said Lee.
After finishing in 97th place on the Order of Merit last season, Stewart knew he had to get over his disappointment quickly and was delighted to regain his playing privileges for the 2013 season.

“No one really enjoys being back here in Q School after getting to play a full season last year. I had to do some work and figure out what went wrong last year. I guess it has all paid off now,” said Stewart.
“I’ve to stay patient and not try new things that I tend to do throughout the year like changing equipment. I’m always looking forward to my first win and I’ll just have to work harder this year,” added the Australian
Following an impressive amateur career that saw him win the French Amateur Stroke Play Championship and the Italian International Amateur Championship last year, Weber is now ready to make the bold leap into the professional ranks.
“It has been my dream to turn a professional golfer and begin my career on a major Tour like the Asian Tour. You’ll be seeing me in Myanmar next month!” exclaimed Weber.

The 22-year-old’s maiden voyage to Asia saw him arriving in Hua Hin a month ago to practise and acclimatise himself to the climate.
It proved to be a decision that has paid off handsomely for the Frenchman.
“I arrived in Hua Hin one month ago to train and get used to the playing conditions here. Perhaps that’s the reason why I am playing well these two weeks,” said Weber.
“I’ve never been here before in Asia but I do love to travel here. I’m happy that I’ll get to do more of these travels this year,” added Weber.
Weber joins the list of promising amateurs who have earned their Asian Tour card through Qualifying School through the years.
They include Korea’s Jin Yong-gab and Australia’s Vernon Sexton-Finck at Qualifying School in 2005 and more recently in 2011, Philippines’ Miguel Tabuena, who agonisingly missed a place in the top-40 by one shot after he signed for a closing 72.
Notable names who finished in the top-40 and ties to earn their Asian Tour card for 2013 include Japan’s Kodai Ichihara, Malaysia’s Nicholas Fung, India’s Rahil Gangjee and Singapore’s Choo Tze Huang.
Players who play in the Qualifying School are also eligible to play in the Asian Development Tour (ADT) which will be afforded with Official World Golf Ranking points starting this season.
Leading final round scores
272 Chan KIM (USA) 70-68-69-65
273 Richard LEE (CAN) 65-68-66-74
274 Tim STEWART (AUS) 69-70-66-69
276 Thomas PETERSSON (SWE) 66-73-66-71, Kodai ICHIHARA (JPN) 67-69-67-73
277 Lionel WEBER (A) (FRA) 72-70-67-68, Miles TUNNICLIFF (ENG) 66-68-72-71, David LUTTERUS (AUS) 69-70-67-71, Steve LEWTON (ENG) 68-65-71-73, Donlaphatchai NIYOMCHON (THA) 64-66-72-75
278 Nicolas MEITINGER (GER) 67-76-68-67, Sam CYR (USA) 70-68-72-68, Rattanon WANNASRICHAN (THA) 71-72-67-68, Peter GUSTAFSSON (SWE) 69-71-68-70, Carlos PIGEM (A) (ESP) 71-68-67-72, Adam GROOM (AUS) 66-71-68-73
279 Konosuke NAKAZATO (JPN) 68-71-71-69, Nicholas FUNG (MAS) 68- 69-69-73, HUNG Chien-yao (TPE) 68-70-68-73,Yoshinobu TSUKADA (JPN) 68-66-70-75
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.

January 25: Australia’s Marcus Fraser remained on course of ending his three-year title drought when he fired a flawless five-under-67 to take a share of the second round lead at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters on Thursday.
Fraser, who finished second on the Asian Tour Order of Merit last season, compiled a two-day total of nine-under-par 135 to take pole position alongside Spain’s Sergio Garcia, first round Portuguese leader Ricardo Santos and Germany’s Martin Kaymer at the Doha Golf Club.
Fraser’s last win on the Asian Tour came at the Ballantine’s Championship in 2010 but his form has been on an upswing especially last season where he was enjoyed four top-10s and was pipped to the Order of Merit title by Thailand’s Thaworn Wiratchant only at the season-ending event in Johor.
“Overall I felt like I played pretty steadily most of the day. I made a few birdies once I got on to the back nine, which was the front nine, but I’m pretty happy with the day,” said Fraser, who marked his card with birdies on holes one, two, four, six and seven.
“It is definitely one of those courses where you need to be patient and just take your chances where you can get them,” added the Australian.
South Africa’s Jbe Kruger improved on his opening 70 by carding a 68 to stay three shots back of the leaders in tied-15th place while Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee is a further shot back in tied-20th place on 139.
Prom Meesawat of Thailand matched his opening 71 to take equal 50th place while India’s S.S.P. Chowrasia made it safely into the final two rounds after carding rounds of 70 and 73.
Over at the Framers Insurance Open in the US, Asian Tour honorary member K.J. Choi of Korea took his place atop the leaderboard with defending champion Brandt Snedeker of the United States.
Choi birdied three of his last four holes on the tougher South Course at Torrey Pines for a 65.
It was a score which left the Korean extremely delighted as he is not a regular at Torrey Pines and only decided to show up after hearing from his host family in San Diego that the Korean community wanted to see him play
“Best shot ever on the South Course , ever,” said a grinning Choi.
Ends.

January 24: Australia’s Marcus Fraser, who finished second on the Asian Tour Order of Merit last season, fired a four-under-par 68 to stay three shots back of Portuguese leader Ricardo Santos after the first round of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters in Doha on Wednesday.
The Australian, who was pipped to the Order of Merit crown by Thailand’s Thaworn Wiratchant at the season-ending event in Malaysia last season, traded five birdies against one bogey on the par-three 13th to stay firmly in contention for the first win of his 2013 season at the Doha Golf Club.
South Africa’s Jbe Kruger, who finished one place behind Fraser in third on the Order of Merit last season, posted a 70 to take a share of 36th place with 11 other players that include India’s S.S.P. Chowrasia and three-time Order of Merit winner, Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand.
Prom Meesawat of Thailand signed for a 71 to take tied-48th while India’s Jeev Milkha Singh would be hoping to make up grounds after he struggled with an opening 72, seven shots behind Santos.
Ends.

January 21: Thai stalwart Thongchai Jaidee kept his Masters Tournament bid alive after claiming a second successive top-10 at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship on Sunday.
The three-time Order of Merit winner was in contention to win the event but slipped back with a final round one-over-par 73 to finish six shots from the champion Jamie Donaldson of Wales at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
Thongchai, who improved his world ranking of 63rd to 56th in the latest rankings released today, needs to break into the top-50 by April 1 to secure a spot in the first Major tournament of the season.
South African Jbe Kruger shared ninth place with Thongchai following a 70 for a 280 total while S.S.P. Chowrasia of India and Andrew Dodt of Australia were a further shot back in tied 17th.

Kuala Lumpur, January 21: Gaganjeet Bhullar of India believes a sharpened short game will lead him to more glory as he aims to better last season’s successful campaign when the new 2013 Asian Tour season begins next month.
The talented Indian enjoyed one of his best years in 2012, winning twice at the Yeangder Tournament Players’ Championship in Chinese Taipei and the Venetian Macau Open. He also capped his season with six other top-10s across the region to finish a career high fifth on the Order of Merit with US$451,245 in earnings.
“It was a great season. I had a couple of top-10s, top-fives and two victories. There’re still a lot to learn but I have a lot of positives from last season,” said Bhullar.
“I’ve been trying to stay patient for a long time and I think I handled it well. Patience and a good short game will definitely help me over the years. I would love to practice day-in and day-out on my short game and bring it up to a higher level,” added the 24-year-old.
Bhullar, who is amongst a new generation of stars to emerge from India, showed he could hold his ground against the elites of the game when he posted a top-10 outing at the CIMB Classic sanctioned by the Asian Tour and PGA Tour. However, it was still his wire-to-wire triumph at the Venetian Macau Open which stood out the most for him.
“The victory at the Venetian Macau Open was the highlight of the season. Every victory is special but the win in Macau was very special because I won it wire-to-wire. I’ve done that a couple of times in India but to do it on the international level proves that you are a frontrunner,” he said.
Despite enjoying a stellar season, Bhullar, who is the ambassador for Hero, the title sponsor of the Indian Open, lamented the missed opportunity of contending in his national Open which was held for the first time at the Karnataka Golf Association course in Bengaluru last year.
“If I could re-hit one shot, it will probably be at the Hero Indian Open on Sunday. I played really bad on number 16 where I made a double bogey. I wish I could hit that tee shot on the fairway and maybe get a birdie and finish higher up on the leaderboard.
“There were a couple of low points (in 2012) but from my point of view, I usually look at things in a positive way and keep moving forward,” said Bhullar.
The Zaykabar Myanmar Open presented by Alpine will be the first tournament on the Asian Tour from February 21-24.
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 Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Starwood Hotels and Resorts (Official Hotels and Resorts), Abacus (Official Apparel Partner), Inetol Headwear (Official Headwear Supplier), Singha Beer (Official Beer), BlackBerry (Official Communications Partner) and Srixon (Official Ball). The Asian Tour has offices in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

January 20: Thongchai Jaidee fought his way into contention with a third round six-under-par 66 at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship on Saturday.
The Thai legend made a huge move up the leaderboard with his effort which included a pair of birdies on the last two holes for a nine-under-par 207 total at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
Thongchai, a three-time Order of Merit winner, trails third round leader Justin Rose of England by three shots.
Currently, ranked 63rd on the Official World Golf Rankings, he needs a good result this week to try and break into the top-50 by the end of March to qualify for the Masters Tournament in April, which is the year’s first Major.
Andrew Dodt of Australia, who has won once on the Asian Tour, was a further two shots back while Jbe Kruger of South Africa shot a 69 for tied 11th place.

January 19: Thongchai Jaidee and Liang Wen-chong safely made the halfway cut at the HSBC Abu Dhabi Golf Championship but trails halfway leader Justin Rose by five shots on Friday.
The Asian Tour stars stand on one-under-par 141 following the second round where Thongchai, a three-time Order of Merit winner, carded a 71 while Liang, China’s only Asian Tour Merit champion, shot a 72 for tied 15th place.
South Africa’s Jbe Kruger, who finished third on the Order of Merit last season, carded a 69 for tied 15th place as well while Prom Meesawat, who earned his European Tour card last season through his affiliate membership, bounced back from his opening 76 to shoot a 69 and made the cut.
Thongchai is in fine form following a third place finish in South Africa last week, which pushed him up to 63rd on the Official World Golf Ranking. He is hoping to break into the top-50 by the end of March to qualify for the Masters Tournament in April, which is the year’s first Major.
Last week, 2012 Asian Tour number one Thaworn Wiratchant was invited by the Masters committee to play in the tournament.

January 14: Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee launched his 2013 campaign in a strong fashion with a third place finish at the Volvo Golf Champions in South Africa on Sunday.
The three-time Asian Tour Order of Merit champion shot rounds of 65, 68, 73 and 68 to finish two shots behind winner Louis Oosthuizen at the Durban Country Club. Thongchai earned
€131,300 for his fine effort in what was his first ever visit to South Africa.
The good result should see Thongchai improve on his current 80th position on the Official World Golf Ranking as he is hoping to break into the top-50 by the end of March to earn an invitation to the Masters Tournament.
Last week, countryman and current Asian Tour number one Thaworn Wiratchant was invited by Augusta National to play in the year’s first Major in April.
Indian star Jeev Milkha Singh finished tied 16th with rounds of 69, 70, 72 and 69 while South Africa’s Jbe Kruger, who finished third on the Order of Merit last season, settled for a share of 32nd place.

January 12: Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee stayed in the title hunt at the Volvo Golf Champions tournament by shooting a four-under-par 68 in the second round to trail leader Louis Oosthuizen by one at the halfway stage on Friday.
Thongchai, a three-time Asian Tour Order of Merit champion, led overnight with a 65 and added a solid card at the Durban Golf Club, shooting an eagle, three birdies and one bogey.
Oosthuizen charged to the top of the leaderboard with a superb 64.
Thongchai said: “I hit a lot of greens today, just a couple of holes missed the putts. In two days I’ve really enjoyed my golf here and look forward to the next two rounds.”
A win in South Africa would give him a good shot of qualifying for the Masters Tournament in April, following news that countryman Thaworn Wiratchant received a special invitation from Augusta National on Friday to compete in the year’s opening Major.
Thongchai is currently 79th in the world and a win on Sunday could potentially move him into the top-50 which is required for players to qualify for the Masters.
India’s Jeev Milkha Singh, meanwhile, carded a 70 to move to tied fourth place, seven shots back of the leader while Jbe Kruger of South Africa was down the leaderboard in the 32-man field with his two-day total of 148.