Shah Alam, Malaysia, January 9: China’s rising star Li Haotong believes the stage is set for him to take on Team Europe when the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM gets underway on Friday.

The world number 59 announced his arrival on the world stage with a scintillating final round 63 which saw him finish third at The Open last year. 

The Chinese, who endeared himself to the local fans by winning his National Open in 2016, is eager to further prove his worth when he tees up for his first team match play event at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club.

Li’s credentials have not gone unnoticed by Team Asia’s Vice-Captain Zhang Lianwei.

Zhang, a six-time Asian Tour winner and legend in his own right, has been impressed by the young Chinese and believes he can continue to make his mark.

China’s elder statesman also believes that despite the diverse culture and background Team Asia has, they are united in their common goal of bringing glory to the continent when the event starts.

The EurAsia Cup will feature 24 matches, with day one showcasing six Fourball matches, followed by six Foursomes matches and 12 Singles matches on the third day.

Did you know?

• This is Li Haotong’s first appearance in the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM. He is the second player after Wu Ashun (2016) from China to represent Team Asia in the biennial event.
• Team Asia will rely on Li to put points on the board while China’s Zhang Lianwei will put his experience to good use as a Vice-Captain to team captain Arjun Atwal.
• Li is among six debutants in Team Asia who will play in the EurAsia Cup.
• He is the second youngest player in Team Asia at the age of 21. Phachara Khongwatmai of Thailand is the youngest at 18.
• He is a regular on the European Tour where he holds one victory at the 2016 Volvo China Open.
• Li also represented China in the 2016 Olympics and World Cup of Golf where he finished in a credible tied second place with playing partner Wu Ashun. 
• In 2017, Li finished third on the European Tour’s The Rocco Forte Open. His highlight of the year was shooting a final round 63 at The Open where his third place result was his best ever finish in a Major.
• Zhang is a five-time Asian Tour champion and one-time European Tour winner. He is recognized as one of China’s golfing pioneers where he paved the way for other professionals to follow in his footsteps.
• He has played in four professional team match-play events including the Alfred Dunhill Cup in 1998, 1999 and 2000. He also played in the Royal Trophy in 2006.

Players’ Quotes:

Li Haotong

We have a big chance. If we all play to our strengths, we can beat them. Why not? The greens are firm here and you have to play smart golf. We need to keep the ball on the fairway and the team definitely has the right players to do that. We have a good chance of keeping the scores low. I’m definitely very excited to be playing in my first EurAsia Cup and I’m already beginning to enjoy my time here especially with the comradery in the team room

Zhang Lianwei

I’m here as vice-captain for Team Asia, and I’m very impressed with the line-up.  We have some good firepower, which is obviously strengthened by some of our more experienced players like Kiradech (Aphibarnrat) and Anirban (Lahiri), who have certainly impressed on the world stage. There’s also a very good mix of players with the younger ones like Haotong who is definitely shown he can win on the world stage.  I’m very confident of Team Asia doing well this week. Asia is so diverse, obviously coming from different backgrounds and cultures. But we have one common goal which is to gel together as a team and put the points on the board for Team Asia.

Ends.

About DRB-HICOM

DRB-HICOM Berhad (“DRB-HICOM”) is one of Malaysia’s leading conglomerates with core businesses in the Automotive, Services & Education, as well as Property sectors. With more than 90 active companies in its stable and over 59,000 employees group-wide, DRB-HICOM’s aim is to continue adding value and propelling the nation’s development. In the Automotive sector, DRB-HICOM is involved in the manufacturing, assembly and distribution of passenger and commercial vehicles, including the national motorcycle. In Services & Education, DRB-HICOM is involved in various businesses, including concession and financial-related services. In Property, DRB-HICOM is involved in residential and commercial developments.

About Asian Tour

As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), Titleist (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.

Please visit us at:

www.wp-asiantour.ocs-sport.com

www.facebook.com/asiantourgolf

www.twitter.com/asiantourgolf

www.youtube.com/theasiantour

www.weibo.com/asiantourgolf

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.

Beijing, April 26: Homegrown talent Daxing Jin raised the local cheers when he signed for a flawless eight-under-par 64 to lead by one shot in the opening round of the prestigious Volvo China Open on Thursday.

The 25-year-old Jin, who is making his fifth appearance in his National Open this week, is thrilled to return with a bogey-free round highlighted by six birdies and an eagle at the Beijing Topwin Golf and Country Club.

Japanese hotshot Hideto Tanihara stole the limelight by driving home a new Volvo XC90 T5 Momentum, thanks to an ace on the par-three 16th hole in the CN¥20,000,000 (approx. US$3,178,000) event, which is the oldest professional golf tournament in the country.

Matt Wallace of England, who claimed his breakthrough win in India last month, carded a solid 65 to share second place with Nino Bertasio of Italy while in-form Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe stayed two shots off the pace in tied-fourth alongside Alexander Bjork of Sweden.

The 24th edition of the Volvo China Open is tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and the China Golf Association. It is staged for the third successive year at the Topwin Golf and Country Club.

Did you know?

• Daxing Jin is making his fifth appearance in the Volvo China Open. He has never made the halfway cut in his National Open.
• Jin turned professional at the end of 2011. His golfing idol is Rory McIlroy.
• Jin missed only one green in regulation in his commendable round of 64.
• Jin’s father, Sanlu, is a teaching professional golfer.
• Jin claimed his first professional title on his local circuit in 2014.
• Hideto Tanihara sank the ace from 197 yards with an eight-iron to mark his career’s third hole-in-one.
• Tanihara signed for an opening 72 to sit in tied-74th place.
• Matt Wallace claimed his first Asian Tour win and second European Tour win at the co-sanctioned Hero Indian Open last month.
• Starting from 10, Wallace fired five birdies against a bogey to turn in 32. He traded another birdie against a bogey on his way home but managed to close out his round in style with an eagle-birdie from eighth.
• Wallace won the Alps Tour Order of Merit in 2016 after winning six times that year.
• Scott Vincent finished tied-fourth in Japan last week. It was his second top-10 result this season. He sits in 13th place on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings.
• Vincent has his wife Kelsey on the bag this week. Kelsey also caddied for him in Japan last week.
• Vincent signaled his arrival in Asia when he came through the Asian Tour Qualifying School in 2016. He was named the Rookie of the Year after finishing in 28th position that year. He finished 17th on the money list in 2017 to retain his card for 2018.
• Vincent is the only Zimbabwean player on the Asian Tour.

Players’ quotes:

Daxing Jin (Chn) – First round 64 (-8)

I played really well today. I’m really happy with my form and I have to say I would give myself 100 marks for today’s round. I hardly give myself 100 marks when I play in tournaments but today was really good I thought. My strategy today was just to hit the greens in the regulation and I did that for 17 of the 18 holes, and the one I missed I managed a par, so that was great. My putting was good too. I made three long putts out there. I am really pleased. I don’t want to give myself too much pressure. It’s still very early. I will continue to do what I have been doing for the next three rounds. I will just keep targeting fairways and greens out there and then give myself chances for birdies. On the eighth hole, I was about ten yards from the pin with my second shot and I saw Scott (Jamieson) make eagle from a similar position so I had confidence that I might chip it in. I read the line from Scott’s shot and holed it. It wasn’t very windy out there today and it was a pretty smooth round for me. I was targeting two or three-under today but I did better than that. I am really happy. I will aim to make the cut first but I don’t want to think about it right now. I don’t think there’s much advantage playing in the morning. I think the conditions are pretty much similar out there. I’ve been relaxed coming into this week because I don’t have too much expectation but I’ll just keep playing one stroke at a time, one day at a time and see how it goes for me.

Matt Wallace (Eng) – First Round 65 (-7)

I made a couple of bogeys which were from a couple of swing errors but overall, I am swinging it great. I have been trying to shorten my swing for a while and that’s been my main swing thought coming into this week which helped massively. I have never really managed to do it till last week when I found something and it’s a weird feeling. I feel like I am swinging it halfway but I am actually striking it better and not losing any distanceMy ball was slightly in the rough and I just hit a nice fade into the green with my three-iron and it turned out perfectly. Had a right-to-left putt from seven- feet and rolled it into the hole for eagle on the eighth. I had a bogey on the fourth hole so it was a nice comeback. Birdied the last hole as well, just played it left-to-right the entire hole and the green slopes left-to-right. Hit my nine-iron into the green and had about six-feet for birdie. I had a great group today and it was nice to catch up with Alexander Bjork and Julian Suri who I haven’t seen in a while. He was making a couple of birdies and I was making some too and we were rubbing off each other which was good. This is my first full year on tour, I really like the country and I love the golf course and the weather was perfect today. I drove it well today which was key, setting it up nicely on the fairway so I can get it close on the green.

Scott Vincent (Zim) – First Round 66 (-6)

I hit a great drive with a solid five-iron into the middle of the green and rolled a straight putt in for eagle on the eighth hole. I didn’t feel that great before last week but managed to figure things out and get things moving in the right direction in time for this week. There wasn’t a lot of wind and I took advantage of the morning conditions to get as many birdies as I could. Still a long way to go and I don’t want to get ahead of myself and I hope to keep things going. My wife’s been an excellent caddy and she’s doing such a great job and I wouldn’t have anyone else on the bag. I enjoy having her around so I am not letting her go anytime soon.

Scores after round 1 of the Volvo China Open being played at the par 72, 7261 Yards Topwin GcC course (am – denotes amateur):

64 – JIN Daxing (CHN).

65 – Matt WALLACE (ENG), Nino BERTASIO (ITA).

66 – Alexander BJORK (SWE), Scott VINCENT (ZIM).

67 – Scott JAMIESON (SCO), Jason SCRIVENER (AUS).

68 – Julien GUERRIER (FRA), Marcus KINHULT (SWE), Andrea PAVAN (ITA), David LIPSKY (USA), Panuphol PITTAYARAT (THA), Adrian OTAEGUI (ESP), Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND), Johannes VEERMAN (USA), LIN Yuxin (am, CHN), Soomin LEE (KOR).

69 – Keith HORNE (RSA), Alexander LEVY (FRA), Jordan SMITH (ENG), Jinho CHOI (KOR), Sam HORSFIELD (ENG), Blake SNYDER (USA), Arjun ATWAL (IND), Yuta IKEDA (JPN), Jorge CAMPILLO (ESP), Shubhankar SHARMA (IND), Nacho ELVIRA (ESP), Wade ORMSBY (AUS), Alvaro QUIROS (ESP), Andrew DODT (AUS), Masahiro KAWAMURA (JPN), Nicholas FUNG (MAS).

70 – Daisuke KATAOKA (JPN), James MORRISON (ENG), LI Haotong (CHN), Tapio PULKKANEN (FIN), Pablo LARRAZABAL (ESP), LIU Yanwei (CHN), Sam BRAZEL (AUS), Adilson DA SILVA (BRA), Lucas BJERREGAARD (DEN), Joost LUITEN (NED), WU Ashun (CHN), Ryan FOX (NZL), Phachara KHONGWATMAI (THA), Sihwan KIM (USA).

About Asian Tour

As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), Habitat for Humanity (Official Sustainable Development Partner), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), Titleist and FootJoy (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.

Shah Alam, Malaysia, January 10: Korea’s Byeonghun An is ready to renew his rivalry with Team Europe when the epic battle at the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM begins on Friday.

An was part of Team Asia who lost to Team Europe at the last EurAsia Cup in 2016.

The Korean, who is ranked 100^th on the Official World Golf Ranking, however believes the team can make up for that 18 ½ – 5 ½ loss and claim what would be a popular victory at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club.

Thailand’s Poom Saksansin will be making his debut at the team match-play event and will be adopting a similar mental approach which has seen him lift two Asian Tour titles.

The 24-year-old, who qualified for the EurAsia Cup through his Order of Merit position where he finished in eighth place last year, believes a relaxed approach will be key to doing well.

The EurAsia Cup will feature 24 matches, with day one showcasing six Fourball matches, followed by six Foursomes matches and 12 Singles matches on the third day.

Did you know?

• Byeunghun An became the youngest U.S. Amateur champion at the age of 17.
• He won the 2015 BMW PGA Championship on the European Tour with a record score of 21-under-par and was named the Rookie of the Year.
• An earned a point for Team Asia in the last edition of the EurAsia Cup when he partnered Thongchai Jaidee to defeat Danny Willett and Matthew Fitzpatrick 3&1.
• An makes his return to the team after being selected as one of captain, Arjun Atwal’s pick.
• An got engaged last year and is planning to tie the knot with his fiancée this year.
• Poom is a two-time Asian Tour winner. He won his first title in Indonesia in 2016 before injuring his back. He returned to his best form when he won again in India last year.
• Earlier in his career, Poom played mostly on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) where he won once in 2015.
• Poom earned Asian Tour card by finishing tied 18th at Qualifying School on home soil in 2014.
• The 24-year-old also helped Thailand claim the team gold medal at the Southeast Asian Games in 2013.

Players’ Quotes

Byeonghun An

I’m glad to be back. Although we lost the last time we had a lot of fun.  I’m looking forward to it again as we have some really good and young players playing this time. I’m sure we can do better than last time and I’m just going to do my job and not worry about the others because I know they will do well.  I just want my points. We all play for one goal and that’s to win. My goal is simple and that is to get my points.  All the guys probably want to do that as well and I’m not worried because I know they are good players.  Hopefully I do my part.  That’s all I can do. I have to play well and then see what happens. It was my full on season on the PGA Tour last year and it was definitely not easy. It was tough seeing the best 125 players in the world playing against me but I did manage to achieve a couple of my goals. I think this event is a great start for 2018 and that’s why I’m here. I’m starting here and playing the next two weeks in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Poom Saksansin

I’m really excited to be able to play in my first EurAsia Cup. We have a great team and I hope I can play my part in helping the Team win. Of course, it’s important to have fun too. My short game is my biggest asset and I hope to use that to my advantage. I always tell myself to enjoy myself when I play golf and the result will take care of itself.

Ends.

About DRB-HICOM

DRB-HICOM Berhad (“DRB-HICOM”) is one of Malaysia’s leading conglomerates with core businesses in the Automotive, Services & Education, as well as Property sectors. With more than 90 active companies in its stable and over 59,000 employees group-wide, DRB-HICOM’s aim is to continue adding value and propelling the nation’s development. In the Automotive sector, DRB-HICOM is involved in the manufacturing, assembly and distribution of passenger and commercial vehicles, including the national motorcycle. In Services & Education, DRB-HICOM is involved in various businesses, including concession and financial-related services. In Property, DRB-HICOM is involved in residential and commercial developments.

About Asian Tour

As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), Titleist (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.

Please visit us at:

www.wp-asiantour.ocs-sport.com

www.facebook.com/asiantourgolf

www.twitter.com/asiantourgolf

www.youtube.com/theasiantour

www.weibo.com/asiantourgolf

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.

Beijing, April 25: Young Indian talent Shubhankar Sharma is eyeing a memorable debut at the Volvo China Open when he tees off at the Beijing Topwin Golf and Country Club on Thursday.

It has been a meteoric rise for Sharma since claiming his breakthrough victory at the Joburg Open last December. The 21-year-old Indian secured his second title in Malaysia two months later and went on to finish top-10 in his World Golf Championship debut in Mexico, thereby earning an invite for his Major debut at The Masters tournament.

Sitting atop the Asian Tour’s Habitat for Humanity Standings following a victory and one top-10 result, India’s number one Sharma has established himself as one of the title favorites at the CN¥20,000,000 (approx. US$3,178,000) event, which is the oldest professional golf tournament in the Middle Kingdom.

Shubhankar Sharma of India

He will spearhead the Asian Tour challenge alongside Thai stars Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Thongchai Jaidee, as well as reigning Order of Merit champion Gavin Green of Malaysia, who was just awarded the 2017 Sportsman of the Year by his state government last week.

Fresh from winning his fifth European Tour title in Morocco last week, Levy is confident of launching a successful title defence where he will also take aim at winning the tournament for a record third time this week. He is the only player to have won the Volvo China Open twice.

Local prospect Yanwei Liu reckons home comfort will provide an edge for him when he chases for glory in what will be his sixth appearance in his National Open. He is among the record 42 players who will represent China in the prestigious event.

The 24th edition of the Volvo China Open is tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and the China Golf Association. It is staged for the third successive year at the Topwin Golf and Country Club.

Topwin Golf and Country Club

Did you know?

• Shubhankar Sharma, who turned professional in 2013, is the highest-ranked Indian player on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). He sits in 73rd place.
• Sharma leads the current Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings and is placed second on the European Tour’s Race To Dubai rankings.
• Sharma claimed his breakthrough win at the Joburg Open last December when he was the only Indian player in the 210-man field. He went on to secure his second Asian Tour victory at the Maybank Championship in Malaysia in February.
• Sharma enjoyed a tied-ninth place finish when he played in his first World Golf Championship tournament in Mexico last month. Also made his Major debut at The Masters earlier this month after receiving an invite.
• Gavin Green claimed his breakthrough victory at the 2017 Mercuries Taiwan Masters and dedicated his win to his late grandfather, who passed away from heart attack the week before.
• Green notched four other top-10s, including three runner-up results, to become the first Malaysian to win the Asian Tour Order of Merit in 2017.
• Green became the first amateur to win on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) following his victory in 2014.
• Green finished second place on the 2016 ADT Order of Merit to earn his Asian Tour card for 2017. Gavin also represented his country at the prestigious 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
• Green was awarded the 2017 Selangor Sportsman of the Year back home last week.
• Alexander Levy is the only player to have won the Volvo China Open twice. He lifted the trophy in 2014 and 2017. He claimed his fifth European Tour title in Morocco last week to move to 47th place on the OWGR.
• Levy represented Team Europe at the 2018 EurAsia Cup in Malaysia earlier in January.
• Liu Yan-wei is hailed as one of the rising stars from China. He rose from 1092nd place at the start of 2017 to 506th position at the end of the season, thanks to two top-10s on the Asian Tour, five top-10s on the Asian Development Tour and a tied-11th place finish on the European Tour.
• Despite the great improvements he made in 2017, the 20-year-old Liu missed the top-61 cut-off mark by one rung on the final Order of Merit, failing to secure his full Tour card for this season.
• Liu turned professional in 2015 and is making his sixth appearance at the Volvo China Open this week.
• A total of 42 local players will represent China in the 24th edition of the Volvo China Open. It is the most number of Chinese players in the field since the tournament was inaugurated in 1995.

Players’ quotes:

Shubhankar Sharma (Ind)

It is great to be here. I had the chance to visit the Great Wall of China yesterday and it was a great experience. This is my first time in China and I am really excited. I arrived at 7.45am yesterday morning from Houston and I went straight to the Great Wall after checking in to the hotel.

It will be great to have another win definitely. I have had a superb season so far. I am just trying to do the same things that I have been doing for the past few months. It’s my first time playing in the Volvo China Open. I have seen the course on television before and Jeev (Milkha Singh) won the tournament back in 2006.

Jeev and I both came from Chandigarth in India. I basically see him every day on the range when we’re back home. He’s a very good friend of mine. I look up to him since I was a kid and I believe it’s the same for other young players back home.

I remember it was a great moment for us back home when he won the Volvo China Open in 2006. He’s always good to talk to and he always has nice things to say. I met him yesterday and we caught up for a little while. He asked me how the Masters was for me and the other events in the United States.

The game’s feeling good. I haven’t really had a break. I was playing in the United States for the past few weeks. A bit of up and downs but that’s how golf is. I am feeling confident with how has transpired over the past few weeks. I know my game is there. I just need one good tournament to win again.

It was great to see Rahil winning in Japan last week. In fact, I was with Anirban (Lahiri) and we were talking about Rahil’s game and how we really wanted him to win. We were all very happy for him when he won. He’s one of the most likeable guys on Tour.

It’s good to see the recent rise of Indian golf. We have more and more good players winning out there. It’s great for the development of golf in India. If I can contribute to that in any way, I will be very happy.

It feels great to be back playing on the Asian Tour. I am leading the Habitat for Humanity Standing right now so I will try my best to play as many events as I can. This is where I started so it will be great if I can win the Order of Merit crown.

Shubhankar Sharma of India

Gavin Green (Mas)

It’s been a really interesting course so far, from what I have seen. I am really comfortable with it. It looks good and it’s something that I am actually looking forward to. It’s a good track and there are a lot of good players here this week.

It will be a good week to play well in and I really want to do that. I am just going to take it hole by hole, shot by shot and do the best I can.

I won the State Athlete of the Year award back home last week. It was pretty cool. It’s a great recognition for me from the government. The game’s feeling alright. It’s improving. I went through a little bit of a quiet time. I wasn’t finishing very well.

Hopefully I can finish off strongly this week and in the next few tournaments. I have a couple of goals this year. I will try to play as many Asian Tour events as I can. I am just trying to balance my schedule as it’s very full right now.

I went to the Great Wall of China with my parents yesterday. It was my first time there. I tried to go as high up as I can. It was a great experience.

Gavin Green of Malaysia

Alexander Levy (Fra)

I am very happy to be back here. Winning last week and defending my title this week feels way better than I would have imagined. I didn’t think of withdrawing from this tournament even though I won in Mororrow last week. I really like this tournament and I love to be back. I can’t ask for a better way to defend my title this week.

I still remember my celebration on the 18th last year. The memories came back when I played the hole in the pro-am today. I slept only two hours but I just had a massage earlier so I’m feeling alright now. I will be ready for tomorrow when I play with my good buddies Haotong and Kiradech.

I was supposed to fly to China on Sunday night but I had to postpone my flight as it was just too much adrenaline for me to fly that night.

If you keep thinking about your goals, you will never improve your game. For sure I want to win this tournament and become better but I need to improve my game first. I need to be a better player first.

I kept my mind in the best way that I have ever been on the golf course to win last week as the course was very tough. It’s another step forward for me so it’s very nice. I practiced really hard and I will continue to do so. The best improvement I have had this year is my mindset.

I try to be less emotional out there and just be straightforward.

Alexander Levy of France

Yanwei Liu (Chn)

I am pretty excited, especially playing at home this week. I always enjoy this tournament. It definitely feels more comfortable playing at home. I am really looking forward to this week.

The course is looking good. I have played this course many times. It’s playing a lot softer, fairways and greens, as compared to the past. I guess it’s due to the recent weather but having said that, I am pretty familiar with the course.

It was calm when I played in the morning yesterday but the wind started to pick up in the afternoon. I think the wind will make the course very tricky this week. Hitting it good off the tees will be the key.

It takes quite a few short irons out there but some of the greens are very slopey so you got to be really precise off the tees.

It’s an important week for me because it counts on the Asian Tour and I am trying for a good result to break into top-60 on the Habitat for Humanity Standings and get my card for the next season.

I am not going to give myself a lot of pressure although I know it’s an important week. I will just try and prepare myself to the best and see how it goes. 2017 has been a great year of improvement for me but it was yet disappointing as I missed the top-60 mark by just one rung.

Having said that, I have given myself the chance to go for it last year. This year, my biggest goal will be to break into top-60 and get my card for the next season. Seeing how much Wenchong Liang and Haotong Li have achieved in recent years have inspired me greatly. I will always try to get better and better.

About Asian Tour

As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), Habitat for Humanity (Official Sustainable Development Partner), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), Titleist and FootJoy (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.

Shah Alam, Malaysia, January 5: Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand is prepared to take on a new role when he represents Team Asia at the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM next week.

Team Asia captain Arjun Atwal of India will rely on world number 49 Kiradech to put points on the scoreboard and be a mentor to the younger players when they go up against Thomas Bjorn’s Team Europe at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club.

Kiradech, Anirban Lahiri of India and Nicholas Fung of Malaysia will make their third appearance in the EurAsia Cup and they are expected to impart their experience to debutants Gavin Green, Phachara Khongwatmai, Poom Saksansin, Li Haotong, Sunghoon Kang and Yuta Ikeda.

At 29, Kiradech is seen as the ‘senior’ in the team as compared to his teammates Phachara, who will be the youngest ever player to play in the EurAsia Cup at the age of 18 followed by China’s Li (21). Reigning Order of Merit champion Green and Thailand’s Poom who are both 24.

“This is a big event for Asia and I really want to make Asia proud. I will bring all my experience with me and help my team and the new and younger players. There are so many ‘kids’ in the team and I will do my best to guide them and improve our team,” said Kiradech.

Kiradech will also be joined by Kang, a PGA Tour regular, Ikeda, the highest ranked player in Team Asia where he sits in 35th position on the Official World Golf Ranking and Hideto Tanihara, who was part of the 2014 team who secured a dramatic 10-10 draw against Team Europe.

“It is a big change for me. I would like to think that I’m the third generation of Thai golfers after Boonchu Ruangkit and Thongchai Jaidee. Now younger players look up to me and it is so different! They (Boonchu and Thongchai) even Arjun (Atwal) have done so well to inspire so many young golfers to play golf professionally.

“The young players in the team are so good and they will do well. They will just need some guidance from the more experienced players. We have a strong team this year. I have to congratulate Gavin (Green) because he played fantastic golf in 2017. So did the other players,” said the Thai.

Known for his grip-it and rip-it style of golf, Kiradech enjoyed a stellar 2017 season where he won on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) followed by two runner-up results on the European Tour.

He also finished tied fifth at the Asian Tour’s season-ending Indonesian Masters where he played through a back injury and eagled the 72nd hole to finish inside the top-50 in the world and qualify for The Masters in April.

“I haven’t had time to really talk to Arjun yet but he did thank me for improving on my world ranking and qualifying on my own Merit,” he smiled. Arjun is a real gentleman and I think he will really help our team do well in the EurAsia Cup. I hope to do my part as well.”

Team Europe will feature Rafa Cabrera-Bello, Paul Casey, Paul Dunne, Ross Fisher, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Alex Levy, Alex Noren, Thomas Pieters, Henrik Stenson and Bernd Wiesberger.

The EurAsia Cup will feature 24 matches, with day one showcasing six Fourball matches, followed by six Foursomes matches and 12 Singles matches on the third day.

Ticket sales are now open. You can purchase the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM tickets here: https://www.ticketpro.com.my/sports/2231222-Eurasia-Cup-2018.html

Ends.

About DRB-HICOM

DRB-HICOM Berhad (“DRB-HICOM”) is one of Malaysia’s leading conglomerates with core businesses in the Automotive, Services & Education, as well as Property sectors. With more than 90 active companies in its stable and over 59,000 employees group-wide, DRB-HICOM’s aim is to continue adding value and propelling the nation’s development. In the Automotive sector, DRB-HICOM is involved in the manufacturing, assembly and distribution of passenger and commercial vehicles, including the national motorcycle. In Services & Education, DRB-HICOM is involved in various businesses, including concession and financial-related services. In Property, DRB-HICOM is involved in residential and commercial developments.

About Asian Tour

As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), FENIX XCell (Official Apparel Supplier), Titleist (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.

Please visit us at:

www.wp-asiantour.ocs-sport.com

www.facebook.com/asiantourgolf

www.twitter.com/asiantourgolf

www.youtube.com/theasiantour

www.weibo.com/asiantourgolf

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.

Sentosa, Singapore, January 1: With the balance of power tilting towards youth, the Asian Tour has refreshed its logo to reflect the development and progression of the organisation.

Recently, the Asian Tour has seen a dramatic shift in performance from a new crop of ultra-talented young players. On any given week, there is a host of 20-somethings such as Shubhankar Sharma of India, Panuphol Pittayarat of Thailand and Miguel Tabuena of the Philippines contending for the title.

In 2017, a record 16 players under the age of 30 were victorious on the pan-Asian professional golf tour’s official schedule.

The new logo will be implemented across all platforms as well as collaterals and it will make its first appearance at the Asian Tour Qualifying School in January.

The new design is an evolution of the old logo where the golfer’s silhouette has evolved into a stronger and more powerful position which is forward-looking and embodies the modern game.

However, in keeping with tradition, the swing path rings which are a stylised representation an ensō brush stroke are retained. In Zen, ensō is a circle that is hand-drawn in a single brushstroke to express a moment when the mind is free to let the body create.

The Asian Development Tour logo will also be updated with the new design elements.

“We are really excited to announce the Asian Tour’s new logo.  The design is inspired by our talented players and our mission to develop the game of golf in the region. The launch of our new logo marks the latest exciting phase in the proud 23-year history of the Asian Tour, dating back to our days as the Asian PGA.”  said Josh Burack, CEO of the Asian Tour.

Ends.

About Asian Tour

As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), FENIX XCell (Official Apparel Supplier), Titleist (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.

Please visit us at:

www.wp-asiantour.ocs-sport.com

www.facebook.com/asiantourgolf

www.twitter.com/asiantourgolf

www.youtube.com/theasiantour

www.weibo.com/asiantourgolf

Pattaya, Thailand, December 31: Shiv Kapur of India emerged triumphant at the US$500,000 Royal Cup after he closed the tournament with a four-under-par 67 to finish 14-under-par 270. 

Sunday was billed as a duel between Kapur and Thailand’s Prom Meesawat after the pair emerged from the pack after round three. At the start of the final round, Prom was two shots ahead of Kapur, who was four shots ahead of the rest of the field.

However, Prom lost his advantage as early as the second hole of the Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club. After pulling to the left, Prom had to settle for a bogey at the par-three hole, while Kapur knocked in a birdie.

Prom’s further bogeys on the fifth and ninth handed Kapur the lead. Although, the 33-year-old Thai managed to shake off his nerves after the turn and it was all square again following consecutive birdies on the 11th and 12th.

Kapur did himself no favours when he bogeyed the 13th and 14th and in the process, handed Prom a two-shot lead again.

Kapur bounced back remarkably with two consecutive birdies of his own and it was deadlocked again. With Prom bogeying the 17th, the door was left open for Shiv to win the Royal Cup, and he did.

Although, Prom nearly forced a playoff as he narrowly missed a birdie putt at the last hole of the tournament. He finished round four with a 70.

Gaganjeet Bhullar of India carded a 66 to cement third place after a late charge. Thai legend Prayad Marksaeng and Chinese Taipei’s Chan Shih-chang, who won on the same golf course last year, shared fourth place.

Did you know:

• Shiv Kapur made 19 birdies and five bogeys this week.
• Shiv Kapur is the only golfer to win three Asian Tour tournaments this year. In fact, he is the only golfer to win multiple Asian Tour titles in 2017.
• He won at the Yeangder Heritage, Panasonic Open India and the Royal Cup.
• Prom Meesawat has finished top-10 twice in his last three tournaments. He was ninth at the Asian Golf Championship in China and second at the Royal Cup in Thailand.
• Prior to Sunday, Prom only had one bogey in every single round.
• Gaganjeet Bhullar, India’s number one amateur in 2004 and 2006, claimed a silver medal in the team event at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha.
• He has won a tournament in Thailand before, at the 2010 Asian Tour International.
• Prayad Marksaeng is the third winningest player on the Asian Tour with 10 titles.
• He is also the second oldest winner on the Asian Tour. In January this year, he won the SMBC Singapore Open when he was 50 years and 357 days.
• Chan Shih-chang won the 2016 King’s Cup, on the same golf course last year. In the same year, he has also won the 2016 Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup in Japan.

Player Interviews:

Shiv Kapur (Ind) – Fourth Round 67 (-4), Total 270 (-14)

It was a see-saw battle indeed. I had to come out fighting straight out of the blocks. I made two birdies in my first three holes and that reversed Prom’s advantage. It doesn’t always go to plan, but luckily, I started well and he made a bogey on the second hole and before I knew it, I was leading the tournament.

On the ninth, I made a good par, which was pivotal. I had a great putt from off the green on 10th. At that stage, I thought I was in control. I hit a poor drive on the 11th and got away with par. He made good birdies on 11th and 12th and regained the lead.

I felt that I made a bad swing on 13th and that carried over to the next hole. After the two bogeys, I was obviously disappointed as a two-shot lead turned into a two-shot deficit.

Standing on the 15th tee, I told me caddie that we’re not going to go down without a fight. Let’s make a birdie here and see what happens or at least give myself a chance going into the last two holes.

The birdie there (on the 15th) got me back into the tournament. I had a good up and down on the 17th and Prom kind of handed me the tournament as he three putted there. At the 18th, I thought he was a bit unluckily. Prom is a steely competitor and I’m lucky to come out on top.

I think the tournament has a great format. It has a lot of history and I’m glad to join the illustrious list of winners.

A lot of people were taking the week off. In hindsight, sometimes, good things happen. If I had made the EurAsia Cup team, I wouldn’t be here. It’s always great to win three times on Tour during the season. On top of that, it’s a special feeling to have my daughter here on the 18th green celebrating my win.

If 2018 can come anywhere close, I’ll be happy. I’ll be building on my success. After three weeks of rest and relaxation, I’ll be back competing on the Asian Tour.

Prom Meesawat (Tha) – Fourth Round 70 (-1), Total 271 (-13)

It was a good battle with Shiv. He was playing well and I simply made more mistakes. He deserved to win.

It was disappointing for sure. I thought I made the putt for birdie to force a playoff at the 18th. Anyway, it was a good tournament for me. It is always good to end the year with a second-place finish.

For next year, I’ll continue to work hard and try to win a tournament. I’ll take two weeks off before starting on the new season.

Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind) – Fourth Round 66 (-5), Total 273 (-11)

I had a good tournament. I didn’t prepare much as I came straight from my wedding. Today was particularly good. I holed a lot of good putts and gave myself good opportunities. I played well but obviously these guys (Kapur and Prom) played better than me.

It is good playing this golf course again. I had good memories from last year and I’m glad I came back and played well this week.

2017 is one of the years to remember. The Macao Open was special as it was a wire-to-wire victory and my second win there. It’ll be a tournament that is always close to my heart. This week was great, of course.

Chan Shih-chang (Tpe) – Fourth Round 65 (-6), Total 275 (-9)

I felt really good about this tournament. Overall, I didn’t play to my expectations in 2017. When I heard about the opportunity to come back to play at this golf course (where he won the 2016 King’s Cup), I jumped at it. I felt that I only played one bad round, that is round two. I putted badly and made four three-putts.

I felt that my game was on point yesterday but today, I enjoyed a bit of luck like the chip-in eagle at the sixth. I felt like I was on tournament-winning form.

Scores after round 4 of the Royal Cup being played at the par 71, 6764 Yards Phoenix Gold GCC course (am – denotes amateur):

270 – Shiv KAPUR (IND) 67-68-68-67.

271 – Prom MEESAWAT (THA) 68-67-66-70.

273 – Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND) 67-71-69-66.

275 – Prayad MARKSAENG (THA) 72-67-71-65, CHAN Shih-chang (TPE) 68-75-67-65.

276 – Khalin JOSHI (IND) 70-68-71-67.

277 – Poom SAKSANSIN (THA) 68-71-68-70.

278 – Rattanon WANNASRICHAN (THA) 75-67-69-67, Danthai BOONMA (THA) 73-69-68-68, Antonio LASCUNA (PHI) 69-70-69-70.

279 – Thammanoon SRIROJ (THA) 73-71-68-67, Raththee SIRITHANAKUNSAK (THA) 67-71-70-71, Namchok TANTIPOKHAKUL (THA) 68-70-70-71.

280 – Poosit SUPUPRAMAI (THA) 69-72-69-70, Ben LEONG (MAS) 70-68-71-71.

281 – Peradol PANYATHANASEDH (THA) 69-75-70-67, Donlaphatchai NIYOMCHON (THA) 71-71-69-70, LU Wei-chih (TPE) 68-69-71-73.

282 – Phachara KHONGWATMAI (THA) 70-71-72-69, Nattawat SUVAJANAKORN (THA) 70-71-71-70, Thanpisit OMSIN (THA) 70-69-72-71.

283 – Suradit YONGCHAROENCHAI (THA) 69-75-71-68, Chanachok DEJPIRATANAMONGKOL (THA) 72-73-69-69, Panuphol PITTAYARAT (THA) 67-73-72-71, Chapchai NIRAT (THA) 70-70-72-71, Atthaphon SRIBOONKAEW (THA) 73-70-69-71, John CATLIN (USA) 69-72-70-72, Tirawat KAEWSIRIBANDIT (THA) 70-71-70-72, Pasavee LERTVILAI (THA) 70-72-69-72.

284 – Thaworn WIRATCHANT (THA) 69-73-73-69, Wisut ARTJANAWAT (THA) 69-72-75-68, Terry PILKADARIS (AUS) 71-68-77-68, Jakraphan PREMSIRIGORN (THA) 72-72-70-70.

285 – Chinnarat PHADUNGSIL (THA) 72-71-72-70, WANG Wei-lun (TPE) 76-69-69-71, Tawan PHONGPHUN (THA) 72-74-69-70, Suttijet KOORATANAPISAN (THA) 71-70-72-72.

286 – Piya SWANGARUNPORN (THA) 73-72-70-71, Pavit TANGKAMOLPRASERT (THA) 70-78-68-70, Thepbodin AMARANAN (THA) 73-75-71-67.

287 – Jyoti RANDHAWA (IND) 70-73-72-72, Chaiphat KOONMARK (THA) 71-71-72-73, Jazz JANEWATTANANOND (THA) 67-74-72-74, Chirat JIRASUWAN (THA) 70-75-73-69, Itthipat BURANATANYARAT (THA) 74-76-68-69, Worrasorn SUWANPANANG (THA) 73-73-74-67, Ratchapol JANTAVARA (THA) 72-69-70-76.

289 – Pawin INGKHAPRADIT (THA) 73-72-69-75, Arnond VONGVANIJ (THA) 73-72-72-72, Natipong SRITHONG (THA) 69-75-74-71, Giwhan KIM (KOR) 75-70-73-71.

290 – Panuwat MUENLEK (THA) 73-70-71-76, Nitithorn THIPPONG (THA) 73-67-79-71.

291 – Settee PRAKONGVECH (THA) 73-73-71-74, Danny CHIA (MAS) 72-71-70-78.

292 – Boonchu RUANGKIT (THA) 73-72-73-74.

293 – Somprad RATTANASUWAN (THA) 71-71-75-76, Chonlatit CHUENBOONNGAM (THA) 75-75-71-72, Meechok PHANTHARAK (THA) 74-70-78-71.

294 – Pijit PETCHKASEM (THA) 70-73-77-74, Chawalit PLAPHOL (THA) 73-73-81-67.

295 – Pannakorn UTHAIPAS (THA) 72-70-74-79, Somsak KAOPRATUM (THA) 70-78-74-73, Scott HEND (AUS) 71-77-74-73, Kwanchai TANNIN (THA) 71-79-73-72, Naras LUANGPHETCHARAPORN (THA) 77-70-78-70.

296 – Tawit POLTHAI (THA) 75-74-71-76.

297 – Kasidit LEPKURTE (THA) 75-77-72-73.

298 – Udorn DUANGDECHA (THA) 79-72-76-71.

300 – Ronnachai JAMNONG (THA) 78-76-70-76.

301 – Nattapong PUTTA (THA) 74-76-75-76.

306 – Natthapong NIYOMCHON (THA) 77-76-72-81.

307 – Jaturon DUANGPHAICHOOM (THA) 75-86-71-75.

332 – Jomyoot GEETONG (THA) 86-83-84-79.

335 – Pattalit THANOMSING (THA) 80-89-88-78.

Sorachut HANSAPIBAN, Thailand – RT

Nicholas FUNG, Malaysia – RT

Jbe KRUGER, South Africa – DQ

Ends.

About Asian Tour

As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), FENIX XCell (Official Apparel Supplier), Titleist (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.

Please visit us at:

www.wp-asiantour.ocs-sport.com

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April 24: Richard Kaufman catches up with 2016 Asian Tour number 1 Scott Hend as the Australian prepares for the Volvo China Open this week. 

Pattaya, Thailand, December 30: Prom Meesawat of Thailand broke out of the main pack after carding a five-under-par 66 to lead the US$500,000 Royal Cup by two shots. The tournament is currently contested at the Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club.

The burly Thai golfer kept his mistakes to a minimum and scored six birdies. He only had one bogey the entire round at the 15th, but it could have been much worse if not for a terrific bunker shot that landed five yards from the hole.

Shiv Kapur of India carded a birdie at the 18th to keep things interesting going into Sunday. Kapur, who was playing with Prom in the same group, kept within sight of the leader with pivotal birdies at the 12th in addition to the one at the last hole. Kapur finished Saturday with a 10-under-par 203 total, just two shots behind Prom.

Young Thai golfer Poom Saksansin was happy about his round and rightly so. He kept pace with the front two with a steady display, highlighted by four birdies and just one bogey. He finished round three with a 68 for a share of third place with Gaganjeet Bhullar.

Bhullar, on the other hand, had a rather dramatic round three. He made six birdies, but it was slightly negated by two bogeys and an uncharacteristic double bogey at the par-four ninth. After a magnificent start, the Indian golfer ground out his round towards the last few holes and signed for a 69.

The Royal Cup is a no cut event and it will be the final event on the 2017 Asian Tour schedule.

Did you know:

• Prom Meesawat’s nickname is “The Big Dolphin”, because of his physique and that he comes from the coastal town of Huahin.
• He earned US$134,192 on the Asian Tour this year, which put him in 30th position on the Asian Tour Order of Merit.
• His favourite female golf professional is Paula Creamer.
• Shiv Kapur’s solid season has been a huge turnaround for him after going through a tough year in 2016 where he lost his European Tour card and had to go through a liver surgery which kept him out of the game for a few months.
• Kapur’s first victory on the Asian Tour was in Thailand.
• Kapur got married in 2016, in Bali.
• Poom Saksansin finished eighth on the 2017 Asian Tour Order of Merit. He earned US$331,417 this year.
• Poom qualified for the EurAsia Cup by virtue of being one of the four leading Asian Golfers on the Order of Merit.
• Gaganjeet Bhullar enjoyed a tied-second finish the last time he was in Thailand, at the Thailand Open.
• He earned US$253,803 and finished 15th on the Asian Tour Order of Merit.

Player Interviews:

Prom Meesawat (Tha) – Third Round 66 (-5), Total 201 (-12)

I was playing my own game and Shiv (Kapur) was playing his own game. We have known each other for a long time. Shiv was playing well and didn’t make many mistakes. Even myself, I’m playing well too. I hope that it’ll be good fun tomorrow.

Especially this week, I’m hitting my irons pretty good. I was able to control the distance well. As I’ve mentioned, you’ve got to stay pin high at this course. The green is typically soft on the front nine and hard at the back nine.

I had two tough shots. At the 13th (where he scored a birdie), I had to hit it high from the rough so that the ball can stop on the green. That one worked out well. At the 15th, I left about four to five yards short of the hole from the bunker.

I’m going to stick with my game plan tomorrow. I’ll go shot by shot. Shiv is playing well, I’m playing well. I’ll just go out and enjoy. Having a two-shot advantage is nothing in golf these days. I’m just going to try my best to win.

Shiv Kapur (Ind) – Third Round 68 (-3), Total 203 (-10)

I played great today. He (Prom) didn’t make many mistakes. He left the door opened once or twice, but I didn’t capitalise on it. Every time I made a birdie, he seemed to make a birdie as well. He played a solid back nine and he seemed to pull away a bit.

I told my caddie at the 18th tee, if I can birdie the last and close the gap to two shots, that can give me a better chance for a win. It’s a big difference between being two shots back and three shots back.

The birdie on 12th was the turning point of my round today. If I missed and he made the birdie, as it would widen the gap.

I’m not trying to get into a match play situation. Perhaps, if it’s the last few holes tomorrow and it’s a similar situation as today then maybe, you can look at that.

I’ve known Prom since the junior days and I’ve played with him in the last 15 to 20 years. I have a lot of respect for his game. He’s a fantastic player and he’s not going to hand me the tournament. I’m going to have to go out and work hard for it. With a birdie at the last hole, I have a better chance.

It’ll be a fun battle if I can score some birdies on the front nine and put some pressure on him.

Poom Saksansin (Tha) – Third Round 68 (-3), Total 207 (-6)

Today I had a mistake, but it was a good mistake. I tried to lay up at the fifth hole, but it hooked to the pin and I made a birdie there.

Another good hole was the 10th. I had a good birdie chance, but I missed it. It was simply too difficult. The green was quite sloppy and I didn’t give it enough allowance.

Overall, I’m happy because I played well today. The weather is hot today, but in a good way. The winds are strong and the back nine is firmer than the front nine. The pins are still as tough as ever, but I am looking forward to the challenge.

Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind) – Third Round 69 (-2), Total 207 (-6)

It was a bit of a yo-yo round and there were lots of ups and downs during the day.

I did make six birdies today, but I’ve also made some bad shots which led to bogeys. But otherwise, I drove the ball well like I did the last two rounds, kept the ball in play at pretty much all the holes and I gave myself plenty of birdie opportunities. I made some par saves at the end but otherwise, it was a decent round.

I started the round pretty well with two consecutive birdies. The other highlight was my second shot on the eighth. I was 92 yards from the stick. I took a sand wedge, hit the ball from the rough and it went in.

I’m looking forward to having a good low round on Sunday.

Scores after round 3 of the Royal Cup being played at the par 71, 6764 Yards Phoenix Gold GCC course (am – denotes amateur):

201 – Prom MEESAWAT (THA) 68-67-66.

203 – Shiv KAPUR (IND) 67-68-68.

207 – Poom SAKSANSIN (THA) 68-71-68, Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND) 67-71-69.

208 – Antonio LASCUNA (PHI) 69-70-69, Namchok TANTIPOKHAKUL (THA) 68-70-70, Raththee SIRITHANAKUNSAK (THA) 67-71-70, LU Wei-chih (TPE) 68-69-71.

209 – Ben LEONG (MAS) 70-68-71, Khalin JOSHI (IND) 70-68-71.

210 – CHAN Shih-chang (TPE) 68-75-67, Danthai BOONMA (THA) 73-69-68, Poosit SUPUPRAMAI (THA) 69-72-69, Prayad MARKSAENG (THA) 72-67-71.

211 – Donlaphatchai NIYOMCHON (THA) 71-71-69, Rattanon WANNASRICHAN (THA) 75-67-69, Pasavee LERTVILAI (THA) 70-72-69, Tirawat KAEWSIRIBANDIT (THA) 70-71-70, John CATLIN (USA) 69-72-70, Ratchapol JANTAVARA (THA) 72-69-70, Thanpisit OMSIN (THA) 70-69-72.

212 – Atthaphon SRIBOONKAEW (THA) 73-70-69, Thammanoon SRIROJ (THA) 73-71-68, Nattawat SUVAJANAKORN (THA) 70-71-71, Chapchai NIRAT (THA) 70-70-72, Panuphol PITTAYARAT (THA) 67-73-72.

213 – Danny CHIA (MAS) 72-71-70, Jazz JANEWATTANANOND (THA) 67-74-72, Phachara KHONGWATMAI (THA) 70-71-72, Suttijet KOORATANAPISAN (THA) 71-70-72.

214 – Jakraphan PREMSIRIGORN (THA) 72-72-70, Panuwat MUENLEK (THA) 73-70-71, Peradol PANYATHANASEDH (THA) 69-75-70, Chaiphat KOONMARK (THA) 71-71-72, Pawin INGKHAPRADIT (THA) 73-72-69, Chanachok DEJPIRATANAMONGKOL (THA) 72-73-69, WANG Wei-lun (TPE) 76-69-69.

215 – Jyoti RANDHAWA (IND) 70-73-72, Suradit YONGCHAROENCHAI (THA) 69-75-71, Chinnarat PHADUNGSIL (THA) 72-71-72, Piya SWANGARUNPORN (THA) 73-72-70, Thaworn WIRATCHANT (THA) 69-73-73, Tawan PHONGPHUN (THA) 72-74-69.

216 – Pannakorn UTHAIPAS (THA) 72-70-74, Pavit TANGKAMOLPRASERT (THA) 70-78-68, Wisut ARTJANAWAT (THA) 69-72-75, Terry PILKADARIS (AUS) 71-68-77.

217 – Arnond VONGVANIJ (THA) 73-72-72, Somprad RATTANASUWAN (THA) 71-71-75, Settee PRAKONGVECH (THA) 73-73-71.

218 – Natipong SRITHONG (THA) 69-75-74, Giwhan KIM (KOR) 75-70-73, Boonchu RUANGKIT (THA) 73-72-73, Chirat JIRASUWAN (THA) 70-75-73, Itthipat BURANATANYARAT (THA) 74-76-68.

219 – Nitithorn THIPPONG (THA) 73-67-79, Thepbodin AMARANAN (THA) 73-75-71.

220 – Pijit PETCHKASEM (THA) 70-73-77, Worrasorn SUWANPANANG (THA) 73-73-74, Tawit POLTHAI (THA) 75-74-71.

221 – Chonlatit CHUENBOONNGAM (THA) 75-75-71.

222 – Meechok PHANTHARAK (THA) 74-70-78, Somsak KAOPRATUM (THA) 70-78-74, Scott HEND (AUS) 71-77-74.

223 – Kwanchai TANNIN (THA) 71-79-73.

224 – Kasidit LEPKURTE (THA) 75-77-72, Ronnachai JAMNONG (THA) 78-76-70.

225 – Naras LUANGPHETCHARAPORN (THA) 77-70-78, Nattapong PUTTA (THA) 74-76-75, Natthapong NIYOMCHON (THA) 77-76-72.

227 – Chawalit PLAPHOL (THA) 73-73-81, Udorn DUANGDECHA (THA) 79-72-76.

232 – Jaturon DUANGPHAICHOOM (THA) 75-86-71.

253 – Jomyoot GEETONG (THA) 86-83-84.

257 – Pattalit THANOMSING (THA) 80-89-88.

Jbe KRUGER, South Africa – DQ

Nicholas FUNG, Malaysia – RT

Ends.

About Asian Tour

As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), FENIX XCell (Official Apparel Supplier), Titleist (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.

Please visit us at:

www.wp-asiantour.ocs-sport.com

www.facebook.com/asiantourgolf

www.twitter.com/asiantourgolf

www.youtube.com/theasiantour

www.weibo.com/asiantourgolf