Close House and passionate North-East to welcome return of International Series England
Close House, a premier golf destination in the North-East of England with a strong affiliation to one of the country’s greatest golfers Lee Westwood, will host this year’s International Series England and ensure another world-class venue will feature on The International Series schedule.
The US$2 million tournament will be played from August 17-20 and represents the fifth stop on The International Series in 2023.
The International Series England made its debut last summer, in the same region, and was a landmark event for the International Series and Asian Tour as it marked the first time the Tour had staged an event in the United Kingdom.
Close House Managing Director, Jonathan Lupton, said: “Welcoming The International Series back to Northumberland for a second consecutive year is an exciting development.
“Having had the pleasure to visit the International Series Oman in February, it was fantastic to see the growth of the Series over the last year and we’re looking forward to working closely with the Asian Tour to create a memorable event in England.”
The 7th Hole of Close House’s Colt Course, venue for the International Series England 2023
The Scott Macpherson-designed Lee Westwood Colt Course will be used for the tournament. The highly rated par-71 layout measures just under 7,000 yards, and incorporates historical features throughout, including ha-ha walls and ancient woodland. It is one of two courses at Close House, with the other being the Lee Westwood Filly course.
“I am sure that the players will relish the challenge of the Lee Westwood Colt Course along with enjoying a very warm welcome from the members and guests,” said Close House owner, Sir Graham Wylie.
“The people of the North-East are extremely passionate about sport and to host another world class event in the region is a huge honour.”
The International Series was launched last year through a historic investment by LIV Golf that created a premier level of events to develop the next generation of stars and offer unprecedented pathways to top competition in the LIV Golf League. The ground-breaking initiative sits with the Asian Tour schedule and saw seven International Series events staged last season across seven countries in three continents.
“The Asian Tour is excited to be returning to Newcastle for the International Series England. We enjoyed a very successful event there last June, which marked the Tour’s first trip to the United Kingdom,” said Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner & CEO, Asian Tour.
“To be able to stage the tournament this year at Close House, a fantastic venue that has such strong ties with Lee Westwood – a nine-time winner on the Asian Tour – adds an exciting new dimension to the tournament and provides another great opportunity for our membership.”
“We thank Close House for making this possible and look forward to another trip to the North of England, which, as we learned in 2022, is an incredible region for golf.”
A strong field will once again make the trip to Newcastle hoping to emulate Scott Vincent’s win which was the start of a brilliant season for the Zimbabwean that culminated in him winning the International Series Order of Merit and a place in the LIV Golf League in 2023.
Ends.
Australian Brendan Jones drew upon his wealth of experience to edge ahead of a packed leaderboard and win the 102nd New Zealand Open presented by SKY SPORT today at Millbrook Resort, in Queenstown.
The 49 year old, a 15-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour, shot a closing five-under-par 66, to finish on 18 under and win by three from Australian John Lyras (64), New Zealand’s Ben Campbell (66), Korea’s Jaewoong Eom (67) and Tomoyo Ikemura (68) from Japan.
Thailand’s Gunn Charoenkul (69) was one of six players to finish one stroke back in a tie for sixth.
It is Jones’ first victory in four years and marked the first time he has triumphed on the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia, despite a glittering 24-year professional career.
“This is just incredible. I’ve been supporting this event for many years and I’ve always said to myself as long as my bum is pointing to the ground, I’ll never win it,” said Jones.
“I don’t know what to think. When you are out there playing you aren’t thinking about winning, you are just thinking about playing. I hit a lot of good shots through the middle of the round, made some clutch par saves on a few of the holes coming in.”
Brendan Jones. (Picture by photosport.nz).
Jones said he hit “the two best shots of my life” to make vital birdies down the stretch.
Red hot golf was the order of the day despite the surrounding snow-capped peaks that are such an imposing feature in Queenstown.
Multiple players, including Jones, were tied on 15 under over the closing holes but he pulled one ahead with a birdie on 14, went two in front after another gain on the following hole, before opening-up a three-shot lead that would remain with a bird on the 17th.
He had a minor scare on 17, a par five, when he blocked his second shot right, but his ball kicked off a bank and landed safely in a green side bunker, from where he splashed out to four feet.
Jones started the final round four behind overnight leader Shae Wools-Cobb from Australia and played in the penultimate group. Wools-Cobb struggled on the final day carding a 78 to finish equal 26th.
Asian Tour regular Campbell, whose home club is Millbrook Resort and who was part of a dramatic play-off here before finishing runner-up to countryman Michael Hendry in 2017, was in the hunt but stumbled with a double-bogey on the 15th before birdies on the next two holes.
“I really wanted to shoot eight under today. I thought if I got to 18 under it would be a good score. I just had that in mind – Jonesy is a very good finisher and you know he isn’t going to go backwards too fast. Whether I pushed a little too hard – it is what it is,” he said.
Lyras and Eom are both graduates from this year’s Asian Tour Qualifying School and have made the ideal start to their season while for Gunn it was yet another fine week after his second-place finish in the International Series Qatar two weeks ago
The Thai star missed birdie opportunities on 16 and 18 and an eagle chance on 17.
“It’s been an incredible week. To follow up my second place finish in Qatar with a top finish here validates I am going in the right direction,” said Gunn, who was one of 33 Asian Tour members to make the cut this week, in an event joint-sanctioned by Asia and Australasia, in partnership with the Japan Golf Tour.
Gunn Charoenkul. (Picture by photosport.nz).
“And it’s good to be heading home for the International Series Thailand in good form with an opportunity to do well there.”
The Asian Tour heads to the International Series Thailand next week. The US$2 million event is being played at Black Mountain Golf Club in Hua Hin and is the third International Series event of the season, and the fifth stop on the Asian Tour.
Teenager Chen Guxin may not have had the finish he was hoping for in the final round of the New Zealand Open presented by SKY SPORT today, but the Chinese golfer once again showed that he is a player to be on the lookout for.
Chen closed with a four-over-par 75 on the Coronet Course at Millbrook Resort having impressed in the earlier rounds shooting 67 and 68, before a 73.
Remarkably, he played the first round with a set of borrowed clubs, as his didn’t arrive until late Thursday, and at the halfway mark he was tied for 12th.
“Not having my own clubs on the first day, I think it made me concentrate more,” said the 19 year old, from Hainan Island in China.
“Today I just hit too many bad shots but those first two rounds were some of my best at this level.”
Considering it is his first time playing in New Zealand it is a commendable performance for a player who rose to prominence on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) last year with two victories that helped him into fifth place on the ADT Order of Merit.
He secured his Asian Tour card because of that as the top-10 on the Merit list earn playing privileges for the main tour.
Because of strict travel restrictions in China due to the pandemic Chen has not been home in over a year.
He said: “I have been mainly staying in Thailand and Indonesia as they have visa on arrival.”
The promising young player will compete in the International Series Thailand at Black Mountain next week and may head home to Hainan after that.
His victory in the first of those ADT wins last year, the Blue Canyon Classic on Phuket Island, in Thailand, meant he became the first player from China to win on the ADT.
“I had an amazing year playing that Tour, my goal was to get my Asian Tour card, and I was so happy to do that and be here now,” he said.
He second win came at the BRG Open Golf Championship in Vietnam, allowed him to add the two ADT wins to the two events he claimed on the China Tour the year before.
“I am looking forward to playing the International Series Thailand, I was a reserve last year and played some practice rounds but didn’t get in. I am playing well and will try and play all four rounds next week well, not just two like this week,” said Chen.
He finished New Zealand’s national Open two under, some distance from the top of the leaderboard but he showed enough quality to suggest trips to this part of the world in the future will be more successful.
Returning to his pre-covid form Gunn Charoenkul has welcomed the introduction of The International Series ahead of this week’s International Series Thailand at Black Mountain Golf Club, calling the series “next level.”
The 2020 Olympian was plagued by injury throughout the pandemic but has bounced back emphatically, highlighted by earning the biggest payday of his career with a second place in the International Series Qatar in February.
“The International Series is the next level of Asian Tour tournaments and special in every way. They always pick good golf courses and all of us enjoy playing International Series events, especially when we have one on home soil,” said Gunn, who also played impressively in the New Zealand Open at the weekend finishing in a tie for sixth.
Gunn Charoenkul and Tom Power Horan during day three of the 102nd New Zealand Open, The Millbrook Golf Resort, Arrowtown, New Zealand, Saturday 4 March, 2023. © Photo: Michael Thomas / www.photosport.nz
“Black Mountain is a great golf course. Always in great condition and I hope I play well there. It will be a pleasure to be there and play in front of a home crowd and we’ll have a good time there.”
A professional for 12 years with as many wins across multiple Asian based tours the Thai star was asked for his opinion on the growth of the Asian Tour: “The Asian Tour is growing and welcoming other players from around the world – everyone looks forward to International Series events. I can see it’s getting stronger and improving our game. It’s a better picture for the Asian Tour.”
Fueled by a stream of confidence the 30-year-old is hoping to go one better than his finish in Qatar and when asked if Black Mountain Golf Club suits his style of play, he said: “It does favour me I think. I play well there most of the time. I’ve finished top 20 there before and hopefully I do better there this year.”
The Bangkok native now realizes the opportunities ahead of him as he sits third on The International Series Order of Merit (OOM) and fourth on the Asian Tour OOM: “That’s the goal I’ve been working towards. With that finish [2nd in Qatar] I hope I can keep that momentum going.
“Winning on The International Series and Asian Tour Order of Merits is a goal I have set, even though I won’t get a couple of starts but all things considered I think I have a good chance.”
HUA HIN-THAILAND- A general view of the golf course at the International Series Thailand at Black Mountain Golf Club, Prachaubkhirikhan, Thailand. The USD$ 1.5 million Asian Tour event is staged between March 3 – 6, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Gunn is striving to take advantage of the pathway offered by The International Series and when asked where the continuation of his good play could lead, he said: “The prize money is very attractive, and I like to be settled around family at home. That said, at the end of the day I either want to play on LIV or the PGA Tour and I continue to aim high – we’ll see where I go.”
This year marks the second staging of the International Series Thailand. Sihwan Kim triumphed last year at Black Mountain, in what was the first ever International Series event.
The US$2 million tournament starts Thursday and is the third International Series event of the year and fifth stop on the Asian Tour.
Gunn Charoenkul gave himself a chance of winning the New Zealand Open presented by SKY SPORT when he carded a four-under-par 67 in today’s third round to sit five shots behind the leader, Shae Wools-Cobb from Australia.
In-form Gunn, second in the previous Asian Tour event, the International Series Qatar, flirted with the lead early on when he birdied his first three holes, slipped back with a couple of bogeys around the turn but then finished strongly with birdies on 12, 14 and 15 birdies before a disappointing three-putt bogey on the par-three 18th on the Coronet Course.
Wools-Cobb fired a 65, and is on 17 under, while Australian Christopher Wood is in second, two behind after a 68.
Gunn had looked set to finish closer to the leader, but an excellent tee shot on the last trickled over the back from where he took three to get up and down.
Gunn Charoenkul and Tom Power Horan during day three. (Picture by Michael Thomas/www.photosport.nz).
He said: “Pity to drop a shot on 18. I should have chipped it from off the green as opposed to putting. I was actually more embarrassed after when I tried to throw my ball to the crowd, but it landed a yard short!”
Despite a fine week’s work so far in the fourth Asian Tour event of the season the 30 year old is still battling the gremlins.
“Again, I wasn’t at my best. Still blocking my driver right, which I have been doing since Qatar. Couldn’t find my rhythm as there was a lot of stopping and starting,” he said.
“But, yes, it’s great to be in contention, although I have not looked at how far behind I am.
“I just need to stick to my process. I will know over the first few holes tomorrow how it will go. If I get my driver under control, then there is a chance.”
At the start of this week Gunn revealed he had considered quitting last year because of an injury beset three years but following his fine showing in Qatar, his best finish on the Asian Tour in three years, he is a player reborn.
Shae Wools-Cobb. (Picture by Michael Thomas / www.photosport.nz).
No Asian player has won the New Zealand Open in its 102-year history, so he will try and correct that on Sunday, as will Japan’s Terumichi Kakazu after he carded a 66 to move into solo third, three behind Wools-Cobb.
And 10-time Asian Tour winner Scott Hend from Australia will also fancy his chances after shooting a 68 to tie for fourth a further stroke back.
Wools-Cobb, 27, has a best of three top-five finishes in the past two seasons on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia, who are joint-sanctioning this week’s event, and will be looking to significantly improve on that record tomorrow.
“I’m in a pretty good head-space at the moment,” said Wools-Cobb.
“I’ve really been working on pre-shot routine, trying to stick to that. That got me through today. When I wasn’t feeling too good over a few shots it really got me through.”
Kiwi amateur and crowd favourite Kazuma Kobori came in with a 68 and is tied with Gunn on 12 under, along with Japan’s Tomoyo Ikemura, in with a 66.
Asian Tour Qualifying School graduate Jaewoong Eom from Korea is joint 10th on 11-under.
Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore has announced that it has become the world’s first carbon neutral golf club, delivering on a commitment made during golf’s HSBC Women’s World Championship in 2021.
As part of its sustainability commitment, and to complement ongoing carbon abatement efforts identified during its carbon profiling, the Club has offset 5,000 tonnes of CO2, the annual equivalent of greenhouse gas emissions from 12.4m miles driven by an average petrol-powered car and CO2 emissions from 630 homes’ energy usage.
Since April 2021, the Club has with the support of its members set aside $1 from every round of golf to procure high quality carbon credits from the Katingan Mentaya Project (Indonesia) and Cordillera Azul National Park (Peru).
The Cordillera Azul National Park project helps restore degraded forestry, preventing 25.2 million tonnes of carbon being released into the atmosphere to date, as well as supporting 665 jobs in the local community, 40% of which are held by women; whilst the Katingan Mentaya Project protects more than 150,000 hectares of peat swamp forest, generating 7.5 million carbon credits; its impact is equivalent to removing two million cars off the road each year.
Following on from its initial pledge, Sentosa Golf Club’s efforts to achieve carbon neutrality formed part of its commitment to the UN Sports for Climate Action Race to Zero initiative, as well as the Sentosa Carbon Neutral Network, with a number of steps taken to compensate its carbon footprint, all under the umbrella of its sustainability campaign, GAME ON.
The Club was also the first in Asia to introduce carbon products in the form of Biochar into their agronomy programme to help remove more carbon from the atmosphere.
Other initiatives, pioneered over a decade of work, were identified to help with the reduction of scope 1-3 carbon , including a state-of-the-art irrigation system and agronomy equipment that creates efficiencies and minimises product wastage seen by over fertilisation and watering.
The introduction of an all-electric golf cart fleet powered with lithium batteries, car charging stations and waste digesters, also helps to grind down food and horticultural waste to reuse as fertiliser on the golf course.
Further initiatives were also introduced to increase energy efficiency, resulting in the Clubhouse being awarded the Green Mark Certification.
These complement other on-course efforts that saved over 300 different species of trees during the redevelopment of the Club’s Tanjong course, and the introduction of stingless bee colonies on-site that thrive in an ecosystem alongside otters, peacocks, long-tail macaques and other migratory and native birds.
Endangered mangrove species situated in The Serapong Lagoon and heritage sites such as Fort Berhala Reping have also been preserved within the natural landscape of the golf courses.
On achieving the carbon neutrality goal, General Manager and Director of Agronomy, Andrew Johnston highlighted the importance of this historic milestone for the golf industry, saying: “We are proud to see that Sentosa Golf Club has achieved/become the world’s first carbon neutral golf club and are extremely proud of this achievement. Ever since we began to share the importance of our sustainability journey back in 2018, we have always been focused on becoming an industry leader and inspiring others to follow suit by implementing eco-friendly initiatives to help reduce our overall carbon footprint. Hopefully this is just the beginning and more clubs around the world will commit to becoming carbon neutral in the near future.”
Sentosa Golf Club joins others in the sporting world, such as English Football League side, Forest Green Rovers, who became the world’s first carbon neutral football club, with the likes of Formula 1 and World Athletics both making carbon neutral pledges in recent years.
Kiradech Aphibarnrat will add a splash of star quality to next week’s International Series Thailand.
The 33-year-old Thai favourite is a late entry for the US$2 million event at Hua Hin’s Black Mountain Golf Club from March 9-12.
The three-time Asian Tour winner is hoping a return to a familiar venue will enable him to continue his rehabilitation and prove a catalyst to regaining past glories.
Plagued by injury problems for much of the past four years, Kiradech has struggled to reproduce the form that saw him earn his PGA Tour card.
It was five years ago that he rose to 29th in the Official World Golf Ranking. He remained in the top-100 through to the end of 2019, since when his fortunes have waned.
Currently in 325th position, Kiradech is relishing being back in his home continent.
“I love coming back and playing on the Asian Tour whenever possible. I’ve decided that I will play as many tournaments in Asia as possible. It’s good for my confidence, and it is good for my mental well-being,” said Kiradech, who tied for 28th in season-opening PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Advisers.
Ahead of the second edition of the International Series Thailand, he has two particularly causes for optimism.
The first is that he played especially well on his International Series debut, finishing in a share of fifth place at the International Series Morocco last November.
He’ll also be encouraged by the fact that he’s got a good track record at Black Mountain, where he’s played on dozens of occasions.
In 2010, two years after he’d turned professional, Kiradech tied for third place in the Black Mountain Masters. Five years later he was joint fourth in the True Thailand Classic Presented by Black Mountain.
The International Series Thailand is the fifth leg of the 2023 Asian Tour season and the third stop for the International Series, following Oman and Qatar.
Australia’s Scott Hend, a 10-time winner on the Asian Tour, moved into a strong position in the New Zealand Open presented by SKY SPORT today after shooting a seven-under-par 64 on day two to sit in third place, two behind the leader Christopher Wood.
First-round leader Wood from Australia fired a 69 and is 12 under at Millbrook Resort, while his compatriot Shae Wools-Cobb is one back following a 64.
Jaewoong Eom, a fresh graduate from this year’s Asian Tour Qualifying School, is in a share of fourth, three off top spot after returning a 66 with three other players, that includes Australian John Lyras, another player to make it through the school, who fired a brilliant 62.
Thailand’s Gunn Charoenkul, in second place at the start of the day, came in with a 69 and is just four off the lead.
Two courses are being used this week in an event that also has a Pro-Am component with Hend, the 2016 Asian Tour Order of Merit winner, on the Remarkables Course, unlike the two players ahead of him who played the Coronet Course.
Christopher Wood. (Picture by Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz).
Hend and Lyras played together in an incredibly low scoring group that saw them both eagle their opening hole the par-five 10th.
Hend then birdied his next three holes, and made the turn in four under, as did Lyras before the latter edged ahead on the second nine, helped by another eagle on five, narrowly failing to match Wood’s opening day course record 61.
“We just enjoyed each other’s company,” said Hend.
“It wasn’t a hassle playing with each other so that leads to, usually, better scoring. And when you’re both scoring at the rate we were, hopefully you can jump on the back of someone else.”
Korea’s Eom played on the Coronet Course and made six birdies and dropped just one shot.
He finished joint 14th at the Qualifying School in January, having won one of the pre-qualifiers, and is making his first start of the year on the Asian Tour.
“My heart is at peace today. I played very well,” said Eom, who added the Pro-Am part has contributed to his great start.
“I was helped by being able to play in a group with my Korean friends,” he said.
“I heard the weather might not be so good tomorrow. I may need to change to a jumper or jacket. It is important for me to rest well tonight. My expectations are not so high, but I will try.”
The Korean is looking for a season that matches his best year so far, which was in 2018 when he won what is to date his only victory on the Korean Tour, the Huons Celebrity Pro-Am, finished fifth in the Australian PGA Championship, and fifth in the Korea Open – his best finish on the Asian Tour.
Gunn, second in the International Series Qatar two weeks ago, was not able to match his bogey free 66 yesterday but birdied 15 and 18 to give him a chance of a first Asian Tour victory at the weekend.
Another Asian Tour player who enjoyed a fine Friday is Chinese teenager Chen Guxin.
The 19 year old, playing on the Asian Tour this season thanks to finishing in the top-10 on last year’s Asian Development (ADT) Tour Order of Merit, carded a 68 and is seven under, in a tie for 12th.
Chen won twice on the ADT and finished fifth on the Merit.
Jaewoong Eom. (Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour).
He became the maiden player from his country to win an ADT event when he tasted victory in the Blue Canyon Classic, before winning the BRG Open Golf Championship – the first time an ADT event had been played in Vietnam.
This week’s event is joint sanctioned with the PGA Tour of Australasia, in partnership with the Japan Golf Tour.
The final two rounds will both be played on the Coronet Course.
Gunn Charoenkul’s revival continued unabated today in the New Zealand Open presented by SKY SPORT when he shot a six-under-par 65 in the first round to sit in a tie for second, four behind the leader, Australian Christopher Wood.
Despite a misbehaving driver, Gunn put together a flawless bogey-free round on the Remarkables Course at Millbrook Resort making three birdies on each nine.
New Zealand veteran Steve Alker and his compatriot Kit Bittle, Australian Thomas Power Horan, and Japan’s Yosuke Asaji and Tomoyo Ikemura also came in with 65s – in a Pro-Am format event that sees each professional paired with an amateur partner.
Gunn finished second in the International Series Qatar two weeks ago for his best result in three years on the Asian Tour, having been hampered by a persistent degenerative thumb injury for most of that period.
And that form continued today on a beautiful sun-drenched summer’s day at Millbrook in Queenstown, where stunning mountainous scenery encircles the course.
“Great result but I didn’t really drive it great today,” said Gunn.
“I hit a lot of drives right into the rough, but I managed to get away with good lies. So, I was able to get on the green and give myself some chances. I didn’t play the par fives great as well, only made birdie on one of them today.
“My iron game was on point though, I put myself within 15 feet on a lot of occasions. I pretty much holed all the putts, so overall I am pretty pleased with my round.”
Christopher Wood. (Picture by photosport.nz)
A 45-foot birdie putt on hole two was his shot of the day, for which he was able thank his amateur partner, Aris Agung Budiman.
He said: “My partner Aris had the same putt, I said I would be a good student and sure enough I holed it!”
In Qatar, the 30 year old heaped praised on his coach Sam Cyr who caddied for him there and there is no doubt he is missing his presence this week.
“My confidence is not as high as Qatar because I don’t have my coach Sam on the bag, like I did there,” said Gunn.
“I did have a lot of doubts out there as I really wasn’t driving it great. I kept telling myself to trust it, because I have just been missing one way, straight right. But I love being here in Queenstown, it’s stunning and you might as well enjoy it whatever happens.”
After a brilliant 2019 when he was playing the best golf of his life, regularly challenging on both the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour, he has been battling to recapture his form, and the signs are clearly there that he is starting to turn the corner.
Currently in fourth place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, he is yet to win on the Tour, where he has finished second three times.
Wood, playing in the final pairing on the Remarkables layout, was in inspired form making an eagle and eight birdies for a sensational course-record 61.
“It’s only round one,” said Wood.
“It’s obviously great to get off to a good start so hopefully get out there early in the morning and keep going.
“I’ve been playing average but the last tournament back in Australia I played pretty decent the last three rounds. I knew the game was coming around nicely.”
Alker, who hit the big-time on the Champions Tour last year winning four times including a Senior’s Major the Senior PGA Championship, carded seven birdies and a solitary bogey, also on the Remarkables layout.
He was most happy with his putting, apart from one three putt.
“I got a nice solid start, birdied the first couple of holes, so kind of settled down and got into a bit of a groove. I kind of felt like I just left a little bit out there because there wasn’t much wind today and I didn’t get the par fives on my back nine, the front nine,” he said.
Steve Alker. (Picture by Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz)
“Overall the score was good, I just kept my nose clean, I think I had a three putt in there but apart from that it was pretty good.”
New Zealand amateurs Sam Jones, Jayden Ford, and Kazuma Kobori, and Australians Lawry Flynn and Dimitrios Papadatos all came in with 66s.
On day two those who played on the Remarkables today will switch to the Coronet Course, and vice versa.
It is fair to say Gunn Charoenkul tees-off in the New Zealand Open presented by SKY SPORT tomorrow revitalised and relieved thanks to his fine second place finish in the International Series Qatar two weeks ago – which was his best result on the Asian Tour in three years – and also because he says last year he was close to giving up the game.
“I was really stressed-out last year, and was thinking I should quit,” said the Thai star this week at Millbrook Resort, venue for the 102nd staging of New Zealand’s national Open.
An injury to his left thumb has derailed his career over the past three years, which was in stark contrast to a brilliant 2019 when he was playing the best golf of his life, regularly challenging on both the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour.
He added: “This was my third time getting injured. First time was a cyst in my left wrist, then the joint in my right hand, and now the left thumb. As it goes on, it wears you down.
“I told my wife if I don’t really secure my card then I will probably play on a local tour for a couple of years, and then just call it a day. That’s golf though, you are on the verge of quitting but then you suddenly play well again and that kept the fire going.”
Gunn Charoenkul and coach/caddie Sam Cyr celebrate a fine result in Qatar. Picture By Ian Walton/Asian Tour.
A stunning eagle on the par five closing hole at Doha Golf Club, venue for the International Series Qatar, saw him secure solo second at the crunch and earned him a cheque for US$275,000, the biggest of his career.
The much-welcomed winnings meant he was able to regain his Asian Tour, as he was playing on a medical exemption.
Gunn has a degenerated thumb injury which he picked up three years ago while trying to swing the club hard and fast like American Bryson Dechambeau.
“It’s also because my swing is very narrow on the downswing which puts pressure on the thumb,” said Gunn.
“I take shots three times a year to fix it, just joint fluid not cortisone. And I have to do a lot of physio work on it. I felt the pain early 2020, I pushed it to October but then I was out for four months. Played again in Singapore in 2021, but then I was out until August again, and then I was out again last year for the first five months.”
Gunn praised his coach and ex-player Sam Cyr for his success in Qatar, where Cyr also caddied for him.
“I met Sam six months ago, on Instagram. I got COVID in Korea, so had the week off in the room the whole week and made contact. He was working with Tom Kim,” said Gunn.
“After two months of working with him I didn’t really see the results, but we started working really hard from there. Qatar week was the first time he came on Tour, and we worked really hard. He was a huge help on the greens. He was doing all the work. And we stuck to our process throughout the week, concentrate on that and the results will come.
“Everyday is like a practice round for me but I try to get better after each round. Made some small swing changes, just a little bit of everything. Sam introduced me to a fitness coach as well, who is based in Dallas, we have been doing face time. We work on flexibility and better pivoting, working on areas of my body I have not used before.”
Since turning professional in 2011, Gunn has been a prolific winner of titles on some of the region’s small tours. He has claimed 12 titles in total, including six in Thailand and three on the China Tour.
And that outstanding 2019 saw him register 10 top-10 finishes in Japan, while he also had three top five finishes at the end of the year on the Asian Tour in the space of a month.
He was rewarded for that impressive run of form with a place on the Thailand Olympic team with Jazz Janewattananond.
Gunn in action in Qatar. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
After his storming finish in Qatar, after which he said about his coach and himself, “we’re looking up, and it’s not just here, and he wants me to look forward to like, up there, top 10, maybe number one in the world”, perhaps Gunn’s renaissance has begun and the region can look forward to seeing one of Thailand’s most gifted young golfers finally fulfil his potential.
Young Korean superstar Tom Kim was the joint third-round leader here in New Zealand when the event was last played in 2020, and eventually finished fourth, so he has set the bar for Gunn, currently fourth on the Asian Tour Order of Merit (OOM), with ambitions to finish first on that Merit list and the International Series OOM.
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