Andy Ogletree: Reigning Tour number one makes first start of season at International Series Macau presented by Wynn
Andy Ogletree had so much fun outside the ropes for the one day he travelled to Macau last year – he just could not wait to get back to the city and replicate it inside the ropes. Report by Joy Chakravarty in Macau.
He attended the launch ceremony for the International Series Macau presented by Wynn immediately after the Hong Kong Open, last November.
It was a flying visit before heading to the next event in Indonesia, played that same week, which meant he had no time to visit the famous venue for the event, Macau Golf & Country Club.
“It was the most fun I have had in one night,” said the American.
“The Wynn people, they were extremely hospitable, and they spoiled us rotten. We had amazing food, and we enjoyed our time at the casino and other events that were organised for us. I was there only for about 18 hours and time flew. It was a blur for sure.”
Andy Ogletree. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Fast forward four months and Ogletree is back in town and raring to go for the start of the inaugural US$2million event which commences on Thursday.
It’s the fourth event of the season on the Asian Tour, the second leg of The International Series but Ogletree’s first appearance of the year here as he has been playing on the LIV Golf League – thanks to finishing first on last year’s International Series Order of Merit, now called The International Series Rankings.
“I couldn’t wait to get back and see a lot of familiar faces from last year and see the guys that I competed against week in week out. It will be great to catch up with everyone,” said the 25-year-old.
“However, as always, I’m going to try to win a golf tournament. A golf tournament is never a social event for me. But I’m happy to get back and play the Asian Tour and try to promote what’s gotten me out here. It’s been such a great opportunity for me and opened doors for Major championships and to LIV Golf.
“I’m forever thankful to the Asian Tour for giving me somewhere to play. Anytime I can go play those events, that will be the priority for me to give back for what they’ve given me.”
Now an Atlanta resident, Ogletree had a sensational 2023, winning two International Series events, in Qatar and England. and topping both the Asian Tour and International Series Order of Merits.
The rewards came thick and fast. The biggest being full playing privileges on the 2024 LIV Golf season, and a place in the HyFlyers GC alongside his childhood hero, Phil Mickelson from the United States.
Andy Ogletree. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
He also set to earn a place in the 152nd Open Championship at Royal Troon in July – his first start in a Major championship as a professional – as one of the top-five players on the International Federation Ranking, where he is number two currently.
Ogletree hasn’t had the best start to his LIV Golf League season – in the four tournaments he has played so far, Hong Kong last week was his best effort with a tied 29th place – but he has been improving with every outing.
“I am a bit frustrated with how I’ve been playing lately. I’m working on some stuff and trying to get my confidence back to where it was. I am putting in the hours that I need to on the practice area to give me that confidence,” said Ogletree, who also claimed the International Series Morocco in 2022.
“I do feel like I’m really close to playing some great golf again. And I think I’m starting to get those feelings again. I’m starting to show up to tournaments thinking that I’m going to win. Just got to keep staying positive and keep working hard. Good golf is definitely on the horizon for me.”
Playing under Captain Mickelson has been a learning experience for Ogletree. He feels like he has already picked up a few things from the six-time Major champion, which will help him become a better player in the future.
Said Ogletree: “The greatest thing about Phil is that he is so generous to me and the other guys. He genuinely wants us to do as well as we can. And he shares a lot of knowledge that he’s accumulated throughout his career with us. I couldn’t speak more highly of him as a captain and his generosity towards the whole team and caddies and the staff.”
With this added to his arsenal a fourth International Series title may well be a possibility.
Anthony Kim, who recently announced his return to professional golf as a LIV Golf Wild Card player, has joined a strong field featuring stars from the LIV Golf League and the cream of the Asian Tour for the US$2million International Series Macau presented by Wynn from 14-17 March.
The American returned to golf after almost 12 years away from the game, and he is set to compete against some big names at Macau Golf & Country Club.
Former Masters champions Sergio Garcia (Fireballs GC) and Patrick Reed (4Aces GC) headline a star-studded LIV Golf League line-up alongside former US Open champion and new Smash GC member Graeme McDowell.
Other strong contenders in the field this week include Fireballs GC player David Puig from Spain, the recent IRS Prima Malaysian Open champion, and India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar and Australian veteran Scott Hend, who have both won twice in Macau.
Anthony Kim tees off during day two of the LIV Golf Hong Kong at the Hong Kong Golf Club. Picture by Yu Chun Christopher Wong/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images.
Kim has played consecutive LIV Golf events in Jeddah and Hong Kong in the past two weeks and showed great form on the final day at the Hong Kong Golf Club, carding a five-under 65 in his final round on Sunday.
He said: “I just kept doing what I’ve been working on the last two months. Obviously being away from the game so long, it’s been tough to practice and get all the things that I need to get prepared for the tournament, but I’m working on the right things at this moment.
“It’s just one round of golf. But I played the right way. I didn’t do anything extraordinary. I just played like I know how to play. The scores were what they are.”
Kim was a key member of the victorious US Ryder Cup team at Valhalla in 2008, where he beat Garcia 5&4 on the Sunday singles, and the pair will be competing once again as The International Series makes its debut in Macau.
The 38-year-old is no stranger to golf in the region. He played nine times on the Asian Tour until 2011, with four top-five finishes including a joint third in the 2011 Singapore Open, when he finished just one shot behind champion Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano.
Kim said: ”I had a great time playing on the Asian Tour in the past. These last few weeks have been a dream and a long time coming. I’m looking forward to working on my game and getting back out there.”
The tournament is the second of 10 elevated events on the Asian Tour that offer increased prize funds, world-class destinations, and a pathway to the LIV Golf League for golfers from all over the globe through the season-long International Series Rankings.
Former Masters champion Patrick Reed and 4Aces GC team-mate Pat Perez are the latest big names to sign up for the International Series Macau presented by Wynn, which starts next week.
The field is now one of the strongest in the history of the series, with over 20 LIV Golf League stars and every tournament winner from last season’s schedule participating.
The inaugural tournament, the second on a 10-event schedule following the highly successful series-opening International Series Oman, takes place at Macau Golf & Country Club from 14-17 March.
Reed, winner of the coveted Green Jacket at Augusta National in 2018, has played in several events on The International Series schedule in the past two years. The US Ryder Cup star was eager to highlight the ‘exciting’ opportunity and pathway onto the LIV Golf League that the Asian Tour sanctioned series gives players from all over the world.
Pat Perez of the Aces GC celebrates a birdie putt on the 12th hole during day three of LIV Golf Adelaide last year. Picture by Mark Brake/Getty Images.
He said: “Watching the game grow, with LIV Golf getting behind The International Series and the Asian Tour, is amazing to see. To be able to come out here and watch those guys now have a pathway to LIV is exciting.
“If they get that opportunity, a shot at making it to the next level, they’re going to be able to grow and hopefully make it to where we are (the LIV Golf League), while at the same time making it to the majors and the big events around the world.”
Tournament winners from last year’s schedule include International Series Order of Merit champion Andy Ogletree, who secured his place on the LIV Golf League this season by clinching top spot in the standings, thanks largely to victories in Qatar and England that made it three in two years along with his first professional title in Egypt in 2022.
Ogletree, who plays on Phil Mickelson’s HyFlyers GC team, will be joined by Takumi Kanaya, the highly rated Japanese star who finished four shots ahead of Berry Henson and Sadom Kaewkanjana in last season’s International Series Oman at Al Mouj Golf in Muscat.
International Series Thailand champion Wade Ormsby is also confirmed. The Australian carded a final-round 65 to match Chonlatit Chuenboonngam and then held his nerve in a thrilling play-off against the Thai to secure victory at the Black Mountain Country Club.
Kieran Vincent, who made his way onto the LIV Golf League last season by securing one of three spots via the LIV Golf Promotions event in Abu Dhabi, will also be in the field.
The Zimbabwean, who plays on Jon Rahm’s new Legion XIII team, finished one shot ahead of Anirban Lahiri and Kevin Yuan on the KN Golf Links to win the International Series Vietnam last season.
The Spanish LIV Golf league duo of Eugenio Chacarra and David Puig will also feature. Fireballs GC star Chacarra held his nerve to see off Australian Matt Jones in a thrilling 10-hole play-off in the St Andrews Bay Championship, while his team-mate Puig led from wire to wire for an emphatic five-shot victory at International Series Singapore.
Thailand’s Sarit Suwannarut, Ben Campbell of New Zealand and Indian Gaganjeet Bhullar, the final three winners on The International Series last season, are also confirmed.
Suwannarut shot a final round 64 to secure a six-shot win at the Volvo China Open, before Campbell leapfrogged Cameron Smith and Phachara Khongwatmai on the final hole of play to snatch a thrilling victory at the Hong Kong Open.
A week later, Gaganjeet Bhullar led from start to finish for a classy five-shot victory at the BNI Indonesian Masters presented by TNE, at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club in Jakarta.
The tournament is the second of 10 elevated events on the Asian Tour that offer increased prize funds, world-class destinations, and a pathway to the LIV Golf League for golfers from all over the globe through the season-long International Series Rankings system.
The International Series Macau presented by Wynn follows the International Series Oman on the schedule and is the fourth event of the Asian Tour season.
Australia’s Scott Hend was denied an 11th victory on the Asian Tour today after an inspired performance by Takahiro Hataji saw him become the first player from Japan to win the New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sport.
In a pulsating finish here at Millbrook Resort, just outside Queenstown, Hend, to the gasp of a large gallery, missed a three-foot par-putt on the par-three 18th to hand Hataji a one-stroke victory.
Hataji fired an accomplished bogey-free four-under-par 67 for a four-round total of 17-under, while Hend shot a 69.
Australians Anthony Quayle (67) and Matthew Griffin (70) plus New Zealand’s Josh Geary (69) tied for third, two behind the champion.
Takahiro Hataji. Picture by Chris Symes/www.photosport.nz
Hend, joint-leader at the start of the day with Griffin, birdied 16 and 17 to draw level with Hataji, who was playing in the group ahead, but then three-putted the last hole. His first putt to win the event was from about 20 feet.
It is one of biggest upset wins in the history of the Asian Tour as little-known Hataji has never won before, with his previous best performance coming in last year’s Kansai Open Golf Championship in Japan, where he was runner-up.
He started the day one shot behind the leaders and despite his lack of experience he gradually worked his way to the top with two birdies on the front nine, followed by two more on the second half – crucial birdies on 12 and 15 gave him a two-shot lead over the closing stages.
The 30-year-old narrowly missed a 15-footer for birdie on the last shortly before Hend, who looked like he would force a play-off at the very least, uncharacteristically finished poorly.
“I was preparing for a play-off,” Hataji said later.
“I am really thrilled, very happy. The whole day was a fight. It was a struggle, but I am happy I came through it. My emotions really came to the surface.
“I holed a long putt on the 11th, and that’s when I felt I can do this.”
Hataji, a professional since 2104, becomes the first Japanese player to win on the Asian Tour since Takumi Kanaya at the International Series Oman last year.
If Hend had won, then at the age of 50, he would have become the oldest winner of the event. He does have the consolation of closing the gap on Asian Tour Career Earnings leader Thongchai Jaidee from Thailand. Hend won US$114,289 today and is in second place, just US$280,190 behind, with total earnings of US$5,483,197.
Asian Tour regular Ian Snyman from South Africa completed one of his best performances on Tour, closing with a 69 to tie for sixth, along with Australian Justin Warren – third at this year’s Asian Tour Qualifying School – who shot a 68.
Hong Kong hotshot Taichi Kho just two off the pace after round three was expected to mount a challenge today by shot a 71 to end equal 14th.
Scott Hend. Picture by Michael Thomas/www.photosport.nz
Young Indonesian golfer Jonathan Wijono, who plays on the Asian Development Tour, completed a memorable week, signing for a 68 to finish in a tie for 34th, which helped him and amateur partner Jubilant Harmidy win the Pro-Am part of the tournament.
Total prizemoney this week was NZ$2 million (approximately US$1.22million). For his victory Hataji received a cheque for US$201,686.
The tournament was jointly-sanctioned with the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, in partnership with the Japan Tour.
The Asian Tour has a week off now before heading to the International Series Macau presented by Wynn. The inaugural US$2million event will be played at Macau Golf and Country Club from March 14-17. It’s the second tournament on this year’s 10-event International Series and fourth on stop on the Asian Tour.
Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho will have a chance to win the New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sport at Millbrook Resort tomorrow after he moved into contention with a fine four-under-par 67 in today’s third round – spoilt only by a double-bogey on the 18th that cost him the lead.
Last year’s Asian Tour Rookie of the Year is two behind frontrunners Scott Hend and Matthew Griffin from Australia, who fired rounds of 67 and 69 respectively to move in front on 14-under. They all played the Millbrook course today.
Kho was in control for most of the day and was the outright leader playing the last, a par-three. However, he found water off the tee and after taking a drop required three more strokes.
“I was a little bit quick coming down the stretch,” said the 23-year-old, who recorded an emotional and historic victory in the World City Championship presented by Hong Kong Golf Club last year, becoming the first player from Hong Kong to win on the Asian Tour.
Scott Hend. Picture by Michael Thomas/www.photosport.nz
“Didn’t quite have the breadth control. I stepped into that last shot a bit too quick. I think I picked the right shot, using a wedge. I tried to kind of ride the wind but just pulled and drew it.”
He’d surged up the leaderboard following an aggressive front nine that saw him go out in four-under with birdies on three, four, six and eight, which put him one off the lead. A bogey on the 10th was quickly dealt with when he made birdies on 11 and 12 and another on 14. A dropped shot on 16 was also appropriately handled with a birdie on the penultimate hole before his uncharacteristic error on 18.
He said: “I played great today. Hit the ball better, continued to putt well, the speed is getting better on my part. I did a lot of great things today but unfortunately sometimes you finish weak.
“It wasn’t my best finish today, but I think that will help me going into tomorrow. Just need to pace myself better down the stretch. Other than that it was a lot of positives.”
Despite the mistake on 18, Kho is clearly reveling being here and making up for the disappointment of last year. He made the trip to this event in the hope that, as a reserve due to his Qualifying School category, he would get a start if someone dropped out. He patiently waited all day on the first tee but there were no withdrawals, so he flew immediately out to get ready for the next event.
He said: “I left right away to play International Series Thailand. I actually ended up playing pretty well there and I attribute that a lot to coming down here. I got my reps in for being in this environment.”
Kho is tied with fellow Asian Tour player Ian Snyman from South Africa, who recorded a 65.
Overnight leader Hend appeared out of it after going out in two over but produced a remarkable, rollercoaster back nine featuring an eagle, four birdies and a double.
Matthew Griffin. Picture by Michael Thomas/www.photosport.nz
The eagle came on the par-four 16th.
He explained: “Yeah, just hit a wedge, just a sand iron from about 118. Didn’t want to miss the green. So, I played it up the spine of the green and I was hoping to get a little kick. It did, got lucky, went in.”
The 50-year-old is chasing his 11th win on the Asian Tour.
“If I’m in the last five, within the last five groups, I still think I can win. You know, you got a chance to win a tournament, you gotta be happy,” he added.
Japan’s Kodai Ichihara (63) and Takahiro Hataji (66) and New Zealand’s Josh Geary (68) are in joint third, one behind the leaders.
A total of 32 Asian Tour members, out of 59 at the start of the week, successfully made it through to the weekend.
That number still playing includes nine from this year’s Asian Tour Qualifying School, with Australian Justin Warren – who finished third at the school – faring the best at this stage.
He is one behind Kho and Snyman having fired a brilliant 64, off the back of just surviving cut.
Said the 28-year-old Australian: “I was just grateful to have a tee-time because at 6pm last night it was not looking too good. Each guy was having a birdie, and I was sliding back. I thought we are not going to make the cut.
Justin Warren. Picture by Michael Thomas/www.photosport.nz
“So, when we did, my first thought was that it was great to have a tee-time. Secondly, we are going out super-early, good weather, so just try to make as many birdies as possible and climb up the leaderboard.”
Veteran Scott Hend continued to impress at the New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sport today adding a five-under-par 66 to his opening day 64 to take the lead on 12-under at the halfway point.
The Asian Tour Order of Merit champion in 2016 and a 10-time winner on the circuit leads by two from fellow Australians Matthew Griffin, the joint overnight leader with Hend, Marcus Fraser and Sam Brazel plus David Hillier and Josh Geary from New Zealand.
Hend played on the Coronets Course here at Millbrook Resort, in Queenstown, as did Hillier (65), who made birdie on the last four, Geary (65), Brazel (67), and Griffin (68) while Fraser’s 66 came on the Remarkables – in an event that features a Pro-Am component, with each professional having an amateur partner.
Young Indonesian golfer Jonathan Wijono, who plays on the Asian Development Tour, put together one of the finest rounds of his young career carding a 66 on Remarkables to move into a tie for seventh one shot further back.
Jonathan Wijono. Picture by Michael Thomas/www.photosport.nz
An additional stroke behind is a large group of players that includes a host of leading Asian Tour players: Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho (66), Gunn Charoenkul (69) from Thailand, Australian Kevin Yuan (69), and New Zealand’s Ben Campbell (69), whose home club is Millbrook Resort. They all played Remarkables.
Hend, whose most recent win on the Asian Tour came in 2019, was grateful for the calm conditions.
Said the 50-year-old: “It’s not playing as difficult as it has in the past honestly, because we haven’t had that 20, 30 kilometre an hour wind out there.
“It’s just one of those things you’ve got to take advantage of when you can. You don’t know what’s going to happen on the weekend. Sunday could be a little bit dodgy, so we’ll just keep going.”
Six birdies and just one bogey allowed him to move into pole position.
Said 23-year-old Wijono, who made seven birdies and two bogeys: “I have been playing well recently, just after missing my card at Q School, so it’s a great time to be coming into form now for this event.
Gunn Charoenkul.
“Just played conservative today. Just put it on fairway and put it on the green as much as I can. Tried to make less mistakes.”
Gunn tied for sixth here last year and is in the hunt once more despite some concerns about his swing.
He said: “I couldn’t really find the feeling in my swing. If I find it, then I think I’m pretty confident with my game. I found my feeling yesterday, but I lost it today again.”
He began on the back nine and made nine straight pars before making a birdie on the first. He made bogey on the next two before hitting a seven wood to 18-feet on the fifth to set up an eagle.
“That was a big breath of fresh air. I just love this place. Just the vibe of it,” he added.
The fact that Kho is in contention probably has much to do with last year, when he came down to play but couldn’t get a start.
“I was here last year as first reserve because I was Q School category,” said the Hong Kong star.
Taichi Kho.
“I actually played both practice rounds and I stood on the first tee, from the first tee time to the last and didn’t get to play. But just with all the good memories I have, with what was like a little holiday down here, it was good to come back and it’s a real honour.
“For the third week in a row I feel I have been trying to re-fine my game. It’s definitely heading in the right direction. I just plan to have fun tomorrow, it is a unique format in a beautiful part of the world.”
The stunning Foxhills Club & Resort in Surrey will host some of the biggest names in golf as the venue for International Series England, from 8-11 August 2024.
It is the third consecutive year that The International Series has taken the cream of the Asian Tour and a host of big-name players from the LIV Golf roster to England.
The US$2 million tournament is the eighth event of 2024 to be announced on The International Series. The schedule of 10 elevated events, sanctioned by the Asian Tour, provides a merit-based open pathway to the LIV Golf League for players from all over the world.
Rahul Singh, Head of The International Series, said: “Returning to England for a third successive year underscores the continued growth and success of The International Series brand, and the prominent position that we now occupy in the global golfing ecosystem.
“As we have seen over the past two seasons, players from the Asian Tour and around the world love competing at the iconic locations The International Series travels to, and we are delighted to partner with Foxhills on such a fitting venue, to again deliver elite-level sport at a wonderful golfing destination.
Foxhills Club & Resort.
“Bringing The International Series to Foxhills offers us a real opportunity to showcase the allure of our product to a cosmopolitan, sports-loving population in and around the London area.”
International Series England will be played on the esteemed Longcross Course, which consistently features in the UK top 100 rankings.
Combining parkland and heathland-style holes with a tree-lined layout featuring a number of eye-catching elevated tees, the course will provide a stern test for the elite field around 18 beautiful holes surrounded by Scots pine, beech and silver birch.
Foxhills also boasts the Bernard Hunt championship course as well as a par-three nine-hole Manor Course.
Managing Director Tej Walia of Foxhills Club & Resort said: “It’s an honour to host a world-class event of this nature at Foxhills, showcasing our venue and the talent of professionals at the very top of their game.
“We have been working hard on elevating our product, both on and off the course, to position us as an attractive proposition for professional tournaments and brand partnerships. The selection as host venue is testament to the hard work of our team over the past few years and the investment of our owners to allow us to set new goals.
“The growth of the Asian Tour and The International Series has been ambitious and we are excited to be the next chapter of its journey as we look to take it to new heights for both the players and spectators, making it a marquee event on the schedule at Foxhills.
“With the size of the purse, our accessible location for international players and the reward of a place for the Series winner in next year’s LIV Golf League, we’re looking forward to seeing a strong field and an exciting week of golf on our newly renovated Longcross Course.”
Scott Hend, the most successful Australian golfer in the history of the Asian Tour with 10 victories, once again showed that being in his 50s is no barrier, after he shot a seven-under-par 64 to take a share of the first-round lead with countryman Matthew Griffin, who won this event in 2016.
They both played the Remarkables Course here at Millbrook Resort, just outside Queenstown, on a stunningly beautiful day, perfect for low scoring – in an event that features a Pro-Am format with the Coronet course also being used.
Thailand’s Gunn Charoenkul, who played so well here last year finishing sixth, made birdie on three of his last four holes to return a 65 and is tied third with Koreans Junghyun Um and Soonsang Hong, and Australians Kevin Yuan, Sam Brazel, Jim Mackenzie and Ben Wharton plus New Zealand’s Ben Campbell. Gunn, Um, Yuan and Campbell’s scores were on the Coronet layout.
Hend tied for 31st in the International Series Oman last week and the long trip to get here meant he was only able to practice on one of the courses.
Matthew Griffin. Picture by Chris Symes/www.photosport.nz
Said the 50-year-old, who last tasted victory on the Asian Tour came in 2019: “Yeah, it’s a slow start out there on the front nine, which has got some pretty easy holes that I didn’t take advantage of. But then I got onto a bit of a roll and got used to the greens a little bit.
“I was too tired to have a practice run on Tuesday on that course, and I played the other course yesterday. So, it took a little while to sort of get a feel of the golf course.”
The Australian made a remarkable recovery from prostate cancer two years ago and last year won on the European Seniors Tour, while on the Asian Tour he remains a threat, finishing equal second in the Mandiri Indonesian Open last August.
“Just [playing] to have fun and try and be there on Sunday with a chance to win. I mean, last year I had an opportunity and just didn’t hole any putts on Sunday,” he added.
“So, you know, in this format you’ve got to embrace it and have fun. I’ve got some good amateurs that we’re playing with and it’s a pleasure to meet new people like that and actually have a bit of a chat.”
Hend went bogey-free, making two birdies on the front nine, before five birdies on the second half saw him shoot up the leaderboard. He made four in a row from the ninth.
Carlos Pigem, a graduate from this year’s Asian Tour Qualifying School, continues to make the most of his return to the Asian Tour, and is in a group of players in joint 11th following a 66, on Remarkables.
Gunn Charoenkul. Picture by Paul Lakatos /Asian Tour.
Pigem was a regular on the Asian Tour between 2013 and 2018 – winning the Yeangder Tournament Players Championship in 2016 – and is back in the region thanks to securing the fifth card as this year’s Qualifying School in Thailand in January.
Like Hend he had to make the journey from Oman, where he was also 31st.
“I am really happy. Today I wasn’t feeling very good, after the jetlag, I had a little bit of coughing,” said the 33-year-old.
“I had a lot of patience today, made birdies where I had to make birdies, made some great up and downs where I had to, especially on the last hole, where I made a great up and down for par.”
It is his first time playing in this event and he joked: “This is probably the furthest point from Spain.
“I have to say it is an unbelievable place, the mountains, the lakes, environment, it is unbelievable, the landscape.”
He competed on Asian Tour from 2013 to 2018 and also played the DP World Tour in 2017 and 2018. In 2018 he lost his playing privileges on both circuits, and then opted to play the Challenge Tour.
He won his card back at the DP World Tour school in 2019, played there in 2020 and 2021 and then the Challenge Tour in 2022.
“I didn’t play well for the last three years. In golf you think you have the answer one day but the day after you can shoot the ball anywhere. So, this is why we love call no? You have to be consistent as long as possible. I was having a tough time. But from last September things are going better,” he explained.
“I really love Asia, when I was playing Asian Tour Q School I felt so great being back there, and I thought let’s see if I can finish the work and get my card, which I did. I am enjoying it a lot, this is my third event, so let’s keep pushing.
“The Asian Tour is a Tour I always love. It has been growing a lot since I played here before. The purses are going up, but also, I like playing in the heat, the people here are very friendly, it’s like a family for me, and I feel very comfortable.”
Carlos Pigem. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Korea’ Wooyoung Cho and Jang Yubin, both members of the Korean team that won the gold medal at the Asian Games last year – when they played alongside PGA Tour stars Im Sung-jae and Kim Si-woo – both carded 67s on the Remarkables, along with their compatriot Jaewoong Eom, on the same course, who tied for second here last year. They are in a group sharing 18th.
Defending champion Brendan Jones from Australia shot a 70 on Coronet.
The tournament is the third event of the season on the Asian Tour and features 59 Asian Tour members. It is being jointly-sanctioned with the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia in partnership with the Japan Golf Tour.
Spain’s Carlos Pigem is making the most of his return to the Asian Tour.
The Spaniard, a graduate from this year’s Asian Tour Qualifying School, made a strong start to the New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sport today, carding a first-round five-under-par 66 on the Remarkables Course.
The clubhouse lead after the morning session is being held by Australian Matt Griffin, who shot a 64 on the same course – in the third event of the season on the Asian Tour, which is jointly-sanctioned with the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia in partnership with the Japan Golf Tour.
Pigem was a regular on the Asian Tour between 2013 and 2018 – winning the Yeangder Tournament Players Championship in 2016 – and is back in the region thanks to securing the fifth card as this year’s Qualifying School in Thailand in January.
His bogey-free round today, consisting of two birdies on the front and three on the back, was made even more impressive by the fact that he played in the International Series Oman last week and had a long journey to arrive here.
Matt Griffin. Picture by Chris Symes/www.photosport.nz
“I am really happy. Today I wasn’t feeling very good, after the jetlag, I had a little bit of coughing,” said the 33-year-old.
“I had a lot of patience today, made birdies where I had to make birdies, made some great up and downs where I had to, especially on the last hole, where I made a great up and down for par.”
It is his first time playing in this event and he joked: “This is probably the furthest point from Spain.
“I have to say it is an unbelievable place, the mountains, the lakes, environment, it is unbelievable, the landscape.”
He competed on Asian Tour from 2013 to 2018 and also played the DP World Tour in 2017 and 2018. In 2018 he lost his playing privileges on both circuits, and then opted to play the Challenge Tour.
He won his card back at the DP World Tour school in 2019, played there in 2020 and 2021 and then the Challenge Tour in 2022.
“I didn’t play well for the last three years. In golf you think you have the answer one day but the day after you can shoot the ball anywhere. So, this is why we love call no? You have to be consistent as long as possible. I was having a tough time. But from last September things are going better,” he explained.
“I really love Asia, when I was playing Asian Tour Q School I felt so great being back there, and I thought let’s see if I can finish the work and get my card, which I did. I am enjoying it a lot, this is my third event, so let’s keep pushing.
“The Asian Tour is a Tour I always love. It has been growing a lot since I played here before. The purses are going up, but also, I like playing in the heat, the people here are very friendly, it’s like a family for me, and I feel very comfortable.”
Two courses are being used this week – the Remarkables and Coronet Courses – in an event that also has a Pro-Am component.
Defending champion Brendan Jones doesn’t expect to win this week’s 103rd New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sport, which starts today.
No matter his affinity for the Millbrook Resort just outside Queenstown, Jones knows that the odds are stacked against him. He knows that fairytales rarely come with sequels.
Yet despite the prospect of leaving New Zealand on Monday without the Brodie Breeze Trophy that now bears his name as the 2023 Champion, Jones is ready to revel in everything that comes with being the defending champion.
And while having his face plastered across posters is unfamiliar for a veteran with 15 victories on the Japan Golf Tour to his name, Jones is savouring an experience he knows doesn’t come along too often.
“I am confident of putting in a good showing but to say I am going to defend and be a two-time New Zealand Champion is a bit far-fetched,” said Jones, who was runner-up to Kazuma Kobori at the Webex Players Series Sydney earlier this month.
Brendan Jones. Picture by Chris Symes www.photosport.nz
“The only thing that I’ve been thinking about is that I will be flying back to Australia on Monday not as the current New Zealand Open champ and that is making me a little sad.
“I’ve still got four days of golf in front of me and if I do what I did last year, then who knows? It was a bit of a fairytale for me last year.
“I have won a lot of tournaments around the place but not too many when I understand what’s going on because in Japan I don’t speak Japanese and they don’t really want to talk to me the next year.
“This is special. This is my favourite golf tournament to play anywhere in the world and I’m coming back to my favourite place in the world. It’s just exciting to be back.”
Another player excited to be back in Queenstown is local favourite Steven Alker. A phenomenon since joining the PGA TOUR Champions in late 2021, Alker is also a realist when it comes to opportunities to win his national open.
Alker shot 65 in Round 1 at Millbrook a year ago before finishing tied for 30th. Now 52 years of age, Alker wants to parlay his eight wins on the Champions Tour in the past three years into a treasured victory on home soil.
“I am still competitive. I am still playing professional golf,” said Alker, who will have wife Tanya on the bag this week for the first time since the 2014 US Open. “There is probably not too many left in me, so just to come back to play and compete in New Zealand when we are in New Zealand… It is a special place to come back to.”
At the other end of the career spectrum, much attention this week will be centred on rookie Kazuma Kobori. A three-time winner this season on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, Kobori is all but guaranteed a spot on the DP World Tour for the 2025 season, Alker a keen observer from the other side of the world.
“I have been reading the press and how he has been playing,” said Alker. “It’s very impressive if you compare it with what Tiger Woods did when he was young and started his career, although on a different level.
“To win events at his age as a professional is impressive. I wouldn’t have ever dreamt of that when turning pro but the young guys coming out now seem to be ready to play and hungry to win. “He has obviously got talent which is great and being from New Zealand is even better.”
Two courses are used during the week – the Remarkables and Coronet Courses – in an event that also has a Pro-Am component.
Photo: Brendan Jones at Millbrook Resort ahead of the 103rd New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sport. (Credit: Photosport.nz)
Recent Comments