2004 winner Knutzon reflects on shock SJM Macao Open result
While Min Woo Lee captured the headlines with his stunning victory in the US$1 million SJM Macao Open last Sunday, another player who caught the eye with an exceptional performance was former champion Jason Knutzon. Report by Olle Nordberg, Contributing Editor – Asian Tour.
The American, the winner of the event a mere 19 years ago in 2004, finished in a tie for sixth place – a remarkable achievement, also considering it was his first tournament in five years.
After finishing an inspired week, where his tournament total of 17 under par was one stroke better than when he won the event, Knutzon said: “I would say I am incredibly happy; I had no expectations for the week.”
It was a trip that nearly didn’t happen, after Knutzon had a bout with a bug leading up to the event and felt unsure about his preparations for returning to tournament action.
“I started practicing a little bit about a month ago and then I got sick for a week or two. Something got me pretty good, and I almost felt like I wasn’t gonna come over, because I’m already unprepared, is what I felt like,” said the 47-year-old whose other Asian Tour win came at the Motorola International Bintan tournament in 2007.
Jason Knutzon poses with trophy 19 years ago. Picture by Stanley Chou/AFP via Getty Images.
“I almost didn’t go, but then I’m like, you know what, I want to play just to see a bunch of the tour friends and staff, and obviously I know this place pretty well. So yeah, it’s pretty remarkable to be honest with you, because most of my friends know what I’ve been doing at home.
“I worked basically an insurance job for a couple years and then felt like I wanted to get back into golf, so I’ve got a teaching facility in Des Moines and I’m really enjoying that. Now, I hit it incredible this week actually, I really hit it good. I don’t know, I can’t really describe it, but I really had a great week, it was awesome.”
Since playing his last Asian Tour event at the Yeangder TPC in Chinese-Taipei in the fall of 2018, Knutzon has been totally away from tournament golf and has focused more on coaching and spending time with family and friends.
Said the father of two: “Now we live in Altoona, a suburb of Des Moines, Iowa. We’ve been back there for about three years now and really like it, happy to be back around family. We have two kids, 15 and 12, so they are growing up fast. I have played a couple little qualifiers, but this year, all I did was play a member guest event at the Harvester Club, it’s a pretty awesome place.
“But you know, I haven’t done anything all year. I probably played about five times until the summer and then I played a little bit. But no, I didn’t even play in anything, not even one day events, so it’s pretty remarkable.”
Following his shock performance against a strong field of Asian Tour’s best and after a five-year hiatus, is he tempted to ask for some more sponsor invitations for upcoming events?
“I don’t know. I mean, honestly, it was such a fun week to be back. I was relaxed and maybe it’s because I had no expectations. You know, sometimes you get in the tour grind, and as a lot of my friends and family know, I always kind of played better after weeks at home and some weeks off, and then I’d come out and usually play pretty decent,” he said.
“But this is five years of testing that theory, so no, I honestly don’t know. I know I hit a lot of awesome shots over the week and played really well. Now, I know there’s a lot of work to it, it was just one week. But yeah, I don’t know what the future brings.”
For now, it is back to his “golf barn”, as he calls it, to do more coaching and after a majestic week in Macau there is no doubt he has one eye on the senior game in just three years time.
An exciting new chapter in the history of the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open will be written this year when the event becomes part of the Asian Tour for the first time.
Since 2014 the tournament has been one of the most prominent and lucrative events on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) but this season its prizemoney will be doubled to US$400,000 paving the way for its elevation to the main Tour.
The tournament will be staged at Taifong Golf Club – its regular home, located in Chang Hwa County in central Chinese-Taipei – from November 30 to December 3 and it will be the 22nd and penultimate of the season.
“We welcome the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open to the Asian Tour,” said Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner & CEO, Asian Tour.
Taifong Golf Club.
“We feel it is a natural progression in its evolution for this highly regarded and established event to step up onto the Asian Tour and play a key role in determining how our year is concluded.
“For seven successive seasons the tournament was part of the Asian Development Tour, and featured some famous winners, such as two-time champion Chan Shih-chang, and its profile will now be further elevated as an Asian Tour-sanctioned tournament.”
The arrival of the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open means the Asian Tour will visit Chinese-Taipei on three occasions this year.
Last year, the tournament made a welcome return to the schedule after a three-year hiatus due to the global pandemic and was the final event of the ADT’s season.
In what proved to be a thrilling climax to the season Chinese Taipei’s Hung Chien-yao sealed a commanding five-stroke victory, while Suteepat Prateeptienchai from Thailand finished in second place, cementing his position at the top of the ADT Order of Merit. The prizemoney was incremented by 25% to US$200,000, making it the joint richest event on the ADT.
Local hero and five-time Asian Tour winner Chan won the event in 2014 and 2018, while other past champions include Thais Donlaphatchai Niyomchon (2019), Pannakorn Uthaipas (2017) and Rattanon Wannasrichan (2015), and American Johannes Veerman (2016).
Brooks Koepka won another playoff, and Fireballs GC enjoyed another team victory. But on the final day of the 2023 LIV Golf League regular season, Talor Gooch had the biggest reason to celebrate.
The RangeGoats GC star shot an eight-under 62 Sunday at LIV Golf Jeddah presented by ROSHN to secure the Individual Champion crown. It’s the first full-season title Gooch as ever won in his golf career, and it earns him an US$18 million bonus.
“It’s awesome,” said Gooch, who won a league-best three times this season. “From January 1st until now, that’s what we’ve been working for. So to get here and be the champion, man, I’m proud. I’m honored. And I’m excited.
“It was a day that you dream of – for the score and the moment. It was a special, special day.”
It was a special day for many LIV golfers at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club.
Brooks Koepka celebrates winning the play-off on the final day of the 2023 LIV Golf League regular season on October 15, 2023 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Picture by Khalid Alhaj/MB Media/Getty Images.
Koepka, the Smash GC captain, successfully defended his Jeddah title and in similar fashion to last year – by winning an extended playoff. Last year, it was a three-hole playoff against Peter Uihlein; this time, it took him two holes to subdue Gooch, who had already guaranteed his season-long title no matter the playoff’s outcome.
Koepka forced the playoff with a birdie at the par-five 18th to close out his 68 in the final round, leaving him tied with Gooch at 14 under for the tournament. He then birdied the 18th twice in the playoff.
“It’s been great. It’s been fantastic,” said Koepka about his successful title defense. “It’s always a good feeling. Super proud of the way I played today.”
By winning the tournament, Koepka also moved into third place in the Individual standings, overtaking Bryson DeChambeau, who finished at eight under after a 70, leaving him 16th on the points leaderboard. DeChambeau needed to finish 13th or better to hold off Koepka.
“I really didn’t think I had a chance,” said Koepka, who earns a US$4 million bonus for third. “I don’t know how many points Bryson had to have or to get, but I felt like I had to win, and I did my part. … Super fortunate to kind of squeak in there.”
Ripper GC Captain Cameron Smith, who entered the week atop the Individual points standings, finished at six under after his final-round 66. That left him 25th and with no points for the week. He finished with 170 points to Gooch’s 192.
Seeds for next week’s season-ending Team Championship in Miami were also finalized, with 4Aces GC, Crushers GC, Torque GC and RangeGoats GC securing byes for Friday’s Quarterfinals.
Fireballs Captain Sergio Garcia challenged for the individual title most of the day before finishing two strokes shy and in a three-way tie for third with Scott Vincent and Harold Varner III. Still, he found the top of the podium with his team, as Abraham Ancer (64), Carlos Ortiz (64) and Eugenio Chacarra (67) supplied a counting score of 15 under to finish at 34 under for the week.
Scott Vincent. Picture by Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images.
The Fireballs were already eliminated from bye consideration, but with a second-place in Chicago and a win in Jeddah in their last two starts, they will enter the Team Championship with plenty of momentum.
“We know how much Miami means, so hopefully we’ll be able to keep that going and make it fun.”
The Iron Heads’ Vincent also had a special week, as he moved into the top-24 Lock Zone and secured his spot for next year’s LIV Golf League. Vincent followed his 62 on Saturday with a 66 on Sunday to finish at 12 under. After the tiebreakers, he claimed fourth in the points leaderboard, giving him enough points to move into 22nd in the season-long standings.
“It’s been incredible,” said Vincent. “I can’t tell you how many high fives I just received from so many different people.”
He won last year’s International Series Order of Merit to secure his place on this year’s LIV Golf League.
Australia’s Min Woo Lee recorded an exceptional two-shot wire-to-wire victory in the US$1 million SJM Macao Open today, for his first title in two years.
The tournament’s marquee player, ranked 46 in the world, hit crushing drives and holed putt after putt to card an eight-under-par 63 for an astonishing four-round aggregate of 30-under – a new tournament record and two short of the Asian Tour record, although preferred lies were played on the first two days.
Thailand’s Poom Saksansin also fired a 63, like Lee bogey-free, and finished second after a fascinating final day dual between the big-hitting Australian and the tenacious little Thai golfer, hoping to replicate one of his giant-killing acts of the past.
Lee started the day with a two-shot lead over Poom and the margin was the same at the turn after both players pulled away from the field playing brilliant golf with four birdies apiece.
Minwoo Lee. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
The turning point proved to be the par-five 13th, where Lee opened up a four-stroke cushion after he made an eagle, for the second day in row, against Poom’s par.
A wild drive a long way left on the short par-four 15th by Lee gave Poom a glimmer of hope, but his ball stayed away from trouble. He had a clear shot to the green and was able to avert disaster and make a comfortable par.
Predictably Poom refused to submit and made birdies on the next two holes to close the gap to two before they both made four on the par-five 18th.
“I love it,” said 25-year-old Lee, who opened with rounds of 62, 64 and 65.
“As soon as the week started I had a couple of days rest because of the typhoon, and the course was looking amazing from the beginning. Obviously, it was pretty bad for a couple of days there, so it was props to the green keepers for keeping the course in such good condition.
“And yeah, I played wonderful, really flawless golf for a lot of the holes, there was only a few holes that I could really look back on. But yeah, I’m really proud of the way I handled myself.”
Poom Saksansin. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Lee’s score smashed the event’s previous lowest winning total of 20 under, set by Australian Scott Hend in 2015 and was just two short of the Asian Tour record, which Thailand’s Chapchai Nirat set at the SAIL Open in 2009, at the Classic Golf and Country Club in India, when he finished 32-under-par.
Said Lee, who only had two bogeys all week and earned a cheque for US$180,000: “Poom played unbelievable today, he’s tough! He never left, he just stayed around. I tried my best and ended up on top, but he was giving it to me for the whole time.”
It is his first victory since claiming the Scottish Open in July of 2021 and while he was winning in Macau, his sister and two-time Major winner Minjee Lee tied for 12th in the Buick LPGA Shanghai.
For Poom it was yet another fine performance coming off the back of his success in the Yeangder TPC last month and a joint third placing in last week’s International Series Singapore.
“I don’t know when I’ll be able to putt like this again,” said Poom, whose win at the Yeangder TPC was his first in five years and fourth Asian Tour title.
“I would say that I played very well today but needed a miracle to win. Like I said yesterday I would have to hit at least 10-under to win today. Lee is a very good player. He hits it very far and had a very good game plan. His chipping and putting are awesome. He should have been better than 30-under-par.”
The 30-year-old came very close to repeating some of his David verses Goliath experiences in the past such as when he famously beat England’s Paul Casey in the singles at the 2018 EurAsia Cup and got the better of England’s Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson from Sweden on the final day of the Indonesian Masters later that year.
Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai closed with a 64 to finish in sole possession of third while Chinese-Taipei’s Lee Chieh-po, in with a 63, and Miguel Tabuena from the Philippines, who shot a 65, tied for fourth.
Phachara Khongwatmai. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
American Jason Knutzon, the 47-year-old who won this event in 2005 and has not played tournament golf for five years, rolled back the years by closing with a 65 to impressively tie for sixth.
Defending champion Gaganjeet Bhullar from India signed for a 68 to end equal 17th.
The Asian Tour has a two-week break now before three successive weeks of high-profile events: the Volvo China Open, the Hong Kong Open, and the BNI Indonesian Masters.
Australia’s Min Woo Lee led the US$1million SJM Macao Open for the third successive day after firing a six-under-par 65 today for a staggering tournament total of 22-under, and a narrow two-shot lead over Poom Saksansin from Thailand.
Poom fired an equally impressive 64 here at Macau Golf and Country Club, with Korea’s Jaewoong Eom two back following a 65, thanks to a brilliant eagle on 18.
New Zealand’s Ben Campbell (68) and Meenwhee Kim (69) from Korea are four strokes further adrift.
Playing aggressively and with supreme confidence 25-year-old Lee, brother of LPGA Tour star Minjee Lee, made an eagle, five birdies and one bogey – which was only his second dropped shot of the week – to put himself in position to win for the first time in two years and claim his maiden Asian Tour title.
He was pushed all the way by playing partner Poom, who in typical Poom fashion drew level with him on the back nine and refused to capitulate.
Poom Saksansin. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
The diminutive 30-year-old birdied four in a row from the seventh to catch his Australian opponent before Poom handed the lead back when he dropped a shot on 12. Lee went two ahead after a superb eagle on the par-five 13th, where he hit his second to 10 feet and holed out, before a birdie on 15 put him three in front. However, Poom rallied and birdied the last two holes, while Lee also made birdie on 18.
Lee will have his work cut out for him tomorrow as Poom won the Yeangder TPC three weeks ago for his first victory in five years and is known for being a ferocious competitor and giant killer.
He famously beat England’s Paul Casey in the singles at the 2018 EurAsia Cup and combined with Korean Sunghoon Kang to defeat Henrik Stenson and Alex Levy in a four-ball match 5&4.
And later that year he won the Indonesian Masters for the second time, upstaging the tournament’s two big name players Justin Rose from England and Stenson.
He is also a renowned strong frontrunner having won all four of his Asian Tour titles having led going into the final day and claimed one of those, the 2017 TAKE Solution Masters, wire-to-wire.
Said Lee: “You know, all the boys that I was playing with they were going pretty hard, so I knew I needed to just keep my composure and the back nine was really good.”
A par-save on the par-three 11h proved to be crucial. An uncharacteristic-wayward tee shot there left him with a difficult 20-yard pitch which he landed 15-feet away and bravely holed.
“Yeah, it was massive,” he said.
“I mean, probably worst swing of the week on 11. You know the chip shot was a bit scary. It wasn’t the best of lies and it came out pretty good, and as long as I give myself a putt I am happy. So yeah, that was huge, I knew I needed to get some momentum going my way, missed a lot of putts early on.”
Poom made nine birdies and two bogeys and is in contention for the second week in a row having tied for third in last week’s International Series Singapore.
“I think I have to hit nine under tomorrow to stop Lee,” said Poom.
“If he plays like he is playing now, it will be difficult, even though I am only two shots behind. We’ll see. I am going to hit some balls on the range now.”
Jaewoong Eom. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Eom was the third player in the group and appeared to be slipping too far behind before making the shot of week, holing his chip shot from 25 yards on the par-five 18th. The ball took an eternity to trickle into the hole, adding to the drama.
“It happens sometimes,” laughed Eom, joint second in Singapore last Sunday.
“Hit a great tee shot, agonised between a three or five wood for my second, chose five but it was finished short. I was focused on making a birdie but unbelievably it slowly rolled in. Like I said yesterday, I was aiming to shoot six under, and that’s what I did. Plan the same tomorrow.”
Veteran golfer Jason Knutzon continued his impressive tournament. The 47-year-old won this event in 2005 and has not played tournament golf for five years but showed his affinity for Macau Golf and Country Club after returning a 66 to go to 11 under. Defending champion Gaganjeet Bhullar shot the same score and is one of the players tied with him.
World number 46 Min Woo Lee once again combined power with precision at the US$1million SJM Macau Open today skillfully adding a seven-under-par 64 to his opening 62 for a three-shot lead.
His 16-under-par total here at Macau Golf and Country Club is the lowest two-round total in the event and was fueled by 15 birdies and an eagle since yesterday.
Poom Saksansin is in second place, his purple patch continuing as he carded a 62, while Korean Jaewoong Eom, also enjoying a good run of form, is third, four off the lead, following a 65, with compatriot Meenwhee Kim, who fired a 66.
Lee barely put a foot wrong again today in his debut appearance in a full-field event on the Asian Tour.
He began the day sharing top spot with Scotsman David Drysdale but accelerated away from the pack with five birdies on the front, and two on the back.
Poom Saksansin. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“Flawless golf today,” said Lee, who missed numerous birdie opportunities including a four-footer on the last.
“I played really good, didn’t get myself in too much trouble and the last two days have been probably the lowest two days I’ve ever played. So, it’s been fun.”
He is attempting to win his first title in two years, with the most recent being the Scottish Open in 2021.
At the start of the week, he warned that he’s playing well and that his game is trending in the right direction – something very evident by the fact he has an impressive total of eight top-15 finishes this season with a best finish of joint second – and he has been true to his word, dropping just one shot over the two days.
He added: “I feel like I have really good control over the ball, and I’ve been putting well, so if the drives are still on, I think I’m gonna try go low again. I haven’t tried to play passive, I’ve just been trying to play aggressive and it’s nice to make a lot of birdies.”
The previous lowest score after two days had been Australian David Gleeson’s total of 14 under back in 2008.
Poom won the Yeangder TPC in Chinese-Taipei three weeks ago and last week came home in equal third in the International Series Singapore and played near perfect golf today.
He said: “I hit almost all fairways I think, and my irons were pretty good, and I holed most of my putts.”
The layout is short and narrow therefore suitable for a player like the Thai golfer, who is not the longest but known for his accuracy and deft touch.
“If I can guess the wind right then this course definitely suits me,” he added.
Jaewoong Eom. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Eom, who tied for second in the International Series Singapore for his joint best finish on the Asian Tour, said: “I set my goal at six-under-par before I started, and I am grateful that I succeeded.”
His only two dropped shots of the day came on the 10th which he double bogeyed.
“I miscalculated the wind on the 10th hole. My ball fell into the hazard. I thought it was a wind to hook the ball into, but I should have sliced it. Definite miscalculation,” he added.
“Rather than chasing Min Woo, I think I will just try and focus on firing six under each day.”
Chinese-Taipei’s Lee Chieh-po and Indian Kartik Sharma returned 65s and are tied fifth, along with New Zealand’s Ben Campbell, who shot 68.
Drysdale came in with a 71 and is nine under in joint 12th.
Defending champion Gaganjeet Bhullar from India shot a 70 and is six under in a group that includes China’s Liang Wenchong, the Asian Tour number one in 2007, who, now 45, came out of retirement to play this week and carded his second 68.
Meenwhee Kim. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Jason Knutzon, the 47-year-old American who won this event in 2004, also did well to finish on the same score.
After Typhoon Koinu hit this area last week, it was the turn of Australian Min Woo Lee to storm Macau Golf and Country Club today along with Scotland’s David Drysdale. They fired breathtaking nine-under-par 62s to share the lead after round one of the SJM Macao Open, which matched the course record but could not count officially as preferred lies applied.
India’s Ajeetesh Sandhu, joint second here in 2017 when the event was last played, Ian Snyman from South Africa and Ben Campbell from New Zealand, also went low, carding 63s.
Phachara Khongwatmai from Thailand and Korean Meenwhee Kim returned 64s in the US$1 million event, that is the 18th event of the season on the Asian Tour.
Lee is the highest ranked player in the field in 46th place on the Official World Golf Ranking and proved that today, firing an eagle, eight birdies and one bogey, which came on his first hole, the 10th.
David Drysdale. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“62 anywhere is a really nice score,” said the 25-year-old from Perth, who is the younger brother of LPGA Tour star Minjee Lee.
“Especially on a course like this: it was tricky, and the wind got up. It was really nice to really drive it well and capitalise on those drives.
“There are a few holes you can hit driver and a few I didn’t just because we saw some stats from before indicating holes where not so many birdies are made. We were aggressive, smart, smart aggressive. It worked out pretty well. Drove on the fairway most of the time and had wedges in. It was an early start today, 4am wake up, so keen to get back to the room and have a snooze.”
Lee, a two-time winner on the DP World Tour, was helped by playing with countryman Scott Hend and Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho, recent winner of the gold medal in the Asian Games.
He said: “It is one of the better groups I have had all year around. Taichi is around my age, and we can talk about anything and Hendy, I have known him since being a pro on the European Tour, so it’s been really good fun and we all made a lot of birdies.”
While Lee played his round in the morning Drysdale was in the afternoon session, starting on tee one.
He birdied the first two and made three-in-a-row from the sixth to make the turn in five under, before more gains on 10, 12, 14 and 15.
“I missed makeable birdie putts on the last three holes, including a 10-footer on the last,” said the 48-year-old, who played in Europe for over 20 years before successfully negotiating this year’s Asian Tour Qualifying School.
“However, I would have taken a 62 at the start of the day. I have shot 10 under before in a tournament. The first time I played the course was yesterday in the Pro-Am, and that was in a buggy!”
He is proving to be one of the leading ‘rookies’ of the season, especially after tying for third in the Mercuries Taiwan Masters last month.
Ateejesh Sandhu. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Currently in 49th place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit he is looking for another good week, in order to secure a top-60 finish on the Merit list and keep his Tour card.
Sandhu missed the early part of the season due to a sore back but has gradually been returning to form, as he demonstrated today.
“I was injured for the first half of the year,” said the Indian, who has one win on his Asian Tour resume, the Yeangder TPC in 2017, as well as five runner-up finishes.
“It was nothing too serious, it looked like it could have been a back issue, but the spine is absolutely fine. It was more a ligament tear on the SI joint. I was just over- golfed. Last year, I played all the tournaments in India, chasing the Order of Merit, and on the Asian Tour. At the Saudi International [the first event this season] it just kind of gave up. I was out until May. Took a bit of time to get back into it but the game is in a good place. I was at home for two months, didn’t touch a club.”
Like Lee, and Campbell, he started on the back nine today and made an eagle, on the second, the same as Lee, and recorded seven birdies and a bogey.
He finished three shots behind compatriot Gaganjeet Bhullar here six years ago and feels his game is a match for the Macau course.
“This is a course where you cannot get ahead of yourself. You have to position yourself on every hole, and that suits my game a bit more, you have to be patient. You can’t overpower it in anyway,” he said.
“I think the course is playing easier than the past years. Usually, it is a lot firmer and faster, but it is a little bit softer because of the rain and the typhoon, so I think that is playing a little bit into our hands. It should firm up at the weekend with the sun being down and the wind picking up. Today was a lot easier than what I am used to here. Glad I was able to take advantage of it.”
Phachara Khongwatmai. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Phachara had looked to be on course to easily better the nine under mark when he went to nine under after 14, but surprisingly he pushed his tee shot out of bounds on the par-four 16th. His ball landed on the out of bounds line and unluckily he was forced to play his provisional. He signed for a double-bogey.
India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar, the defending champion, and Kho both shot 66s and are tied 14th.
When Pavit Tangkamolprasert lifted the Macao Open trophy back in October of 2016, it was the culmination of an emotional week for the Thai player for two reasons. Firstly, because it came during a week when a ceremony was held to mark the passing of Thailand’s beloved King Bhumibol Adulyadej at the age of 88, and secondly due to the fact it was his first victory on the Asian Tour. Report by Olle Nordberg, Contributing Editor – Asian Tour.
“It was because of the King, I really wanted to win it for the King,” said Pavit, ahead of this week’s SJM Macao Open – which tees-off tomorrow and is making its return to the golfing calendar for the first time since 2017.
“That was my passion before the tournament started, and I think it gave me a lot of power and he helped me with everything. Like my putts, everything went in. I couldn’t believe it.”
He beat Asian Tour great, Indian Anirban Lahiri, after one of the most sensational finishes Macau has witnessed. He won on the first hole of a sudden-death play-off after shooting a brilliant seven-under-par 64, which helped him to counter an explosive finish by Lahiri that saw him birdie the last seven holes.
Pavit Tangkamolprasert pictured during the Pro-am today. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Armed with those inspiring memories he has been eagerly anticipating the start of what is the 20th edition of the Macao Open this week.
He says: “I’m really looking forward to this week, I really like the course. I mean it’s challenging, but after I won, we only played there for one year in 2017, and this is like six years. I have been looking forward to going back.”
The victory was also significant because it helped him finish 10th on the Asian Tour Order of Merit – meaning for the first time in eight years playing on the Tour he was able to finish in the top-60.
“Well, I was very surprised, because first I just wanted to keep my card,” adds the 34-year-old.
“Even before the last day, if I finished well, I would have managed to keep my card and I just wanted to get in the top-60. But the last day I shot seven-under-par and beat Anirban in the playoff, which was unexpected, it was just my week.”
Pavit had started the final round playing in the penultimate group, one shot behind the leader Lahiri.
The Thai got off to a hot start and was four under for his first seven holes, while Lahiri was two over through his first seven.
Pavit found himself in the lead going into the back nine, but his Indian opponent stormed back into contention by birdieing his way home from the 12th for a 65.
“Honestly, there was no leaderboard after 11, and at that point I was maybe three or four shots ahead. From the 11th until the 17th hole, I didn’t know what was going on,” said Pavit.
“I birdied 12 and 13 and I thought it was done, but when I walked on the 16th and I saw him doing a fist pump on 17, as he had made a birdie, and I looked at the walking scorer and I thought oh, he’s coming. I was like, it’s impossible for him to make six birdies straight in those conditions. But he did, and he almost made a chip for eagle on the last too, and I thought wow, that was good.”
Pavit Tangkamolprasert. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Pavit had to birdie the par-five 18th to force the tournament into overtime and he made another four on the same hole to win on the first extra hole, after Lahiri found water with his second.
After a slow start to 2023 Pavit has managed to turn his game around and showed a marked improvement when he tied for fifth at the Mandiri Indonesia Open in early August and followed that up with top-10s in the International Series England and the Yeangder TPC in Chinese-Taipei.
“Yeah, after Indonesia I kind of found something, my rhythm. I have been doing alright for the past three weeks, played very solidly. With my driver I’ve hit more fairways, and my putting has been very good,” he said.
Just the right preparation as he looks to add to his two Asian Tour wins to date – he also claimed the Sabah Masters in 2019 – and his record seven titles on the Asian Development Tour.
Gaganjeet Bhullar’s excitement to be competing in this week’s US$1 million SJM Macao Open at Macau Golf and Country Club is understandable: he is the defending champion, and a two-time winner – on both occasions, incredibly, wire-to-wire.
“You know, I’m very, very excited,” said Bhullar, of being back for Macau’s national Open, which was last played in 2017.
“Of course, I do have a lot of positive and good memories of Macau, having won the tournament twice and, by the way, I came second once. It brightens my whole aura, and it brings back all the positives and all the happy memories for me.”
Six years ago he beat countryman Ajeetesh Sandhu and Filipino Angelo Que by three, in 2012 he triumphed by two over American Jonathan Moore, while in 2009 he was runner-up to Thailand’s Thaworn Wiratchant.
Marquee players at today’s photo call. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
He added: “You know, I’ve been coming to Macau since 2007 – it was actually my first year on the Asian Tour. I mean, I have actually seen Macau grow up. We used to stay in the older part of town and then drive all the way to the golf course, and there used to be nothing on the Cotai strip, nothing. And now it’s been close to 10 years, we have not been to the old town, and I’ve stayed in some of the biggest five-star resort casinos in the world. It just gives you the buzz you know, it’s buzzing with light and life and everything. So, I think that is one thing which I’ve seen in Macau which has changed over the period of years.”
The 35-year-old is the most winningest Indian player on the Asian Tour with 10 victories and this week he is bidding to become the first player to win this event three times, as are Australian Scott Hend and Zhang Lianwei from China. Hend, 50, won here in 2013 and 2015, while Zhang, now 58, back-to-back in 2001 and 2002.
Macau Golf and Country Club, which has been the event’s regular home since its launch in 1998, features dramatic elevation changes on some holes – including the spectacular par-three 17th – and due to being right on the south coast of Coloane wind can also be a big factor. With his extensive experience on the course, Bhullar seems to have figured out what is needed to do well on the challenging layout.
“I personally think if you are driving the ball well on this golf course it gives you an edge, and all my good finishes in Macau came years when I drove the ball really well. Because if you are in the fairway throughout the round, it gives you so much of good momentum, it basically sets you up for really, really good birdie chances,” says the Indian.
“And if you’re ending up putting well, I mean, you’re unstoppable. This works for everybody and anybody who drives the ball well and putts well, but on this particular golf course, I’ve noticed, if the ball is in play off the tee, then the course is short, and the birdie opportunities open up.”
His most recent win on the Asian Tour came in last year’s Mandiri Indonesia Open, which was yet another start-to-finish victory and also his third success in the event, and ahead of this week’s tournament, which starts on Thursday, he knows there is work to be done.
“Well, if I look from my stats point of view, I’m quite happy,” said Bhullar, who is tied third on the Asian Tour’s all-time winners list.
“But if I look from the scores point of view, I think there are a few things which do not match, the scores are not matching the stats. But I’m working with my team. I’m trying to narrow down those mistakes, and I’m trying to narrow down all the small little errors which I make during the rounds. And once I end up narrowing that gap, I think the scores will definitely follow my stats.”
A detail view of the winner’s names on the base of the Macao Open trophy. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Australian Min Woo Lee, Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho, Miguel Tabuena from the Philippines, Thai Poom Saksansin and China’s Li Haotong, are some of the big guns here this week looking to win in Macau for the first time.
China’s Liang Wenchong, the Asian Tour number one in 2007, has also entered. The 45-year-old coached China in the recent Asian Games.
David Puig strolled to a majestic five-shot win in the US$2 million International Series Singapore today – to register his maiden victory in the professional game.
He completed a stunning wire-to-wire triumph after firing a final round one-over-par 73 to finish the Asian Tour event on 19-under, with Jaewoong Eom from Korea finishing in second place, after carding a 69.
American Andy Ogletree took another step closer to securing both the Asian Tour and International Series Order of Merits by closing with a 69, which featured a hole-in-one on the par-three fourth, to finish in a tie for third with Thailand’s Poom Saksansin, in with a 68.
Puig had a nine-shot lead at the start of the day thanks to rounds of 64, 66 and 66 and was never challenged. Playing conservatively, he made the turn in one under with a birdie on eight, before a minor wobble with bogeys on 11 and 14. The 21-year-old had a six-shot lead playing 18, which playing partner Eom birdied.
David Puig. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“It’s awesome,” said Puig, who won US$360,000, and became the youngest winner of an International Series event.
“You know, this is my first year as a professional, but I think I deserved a win probably two or three months before this day. But, yeah, it’s awesome, it’s the best feeling in the world. That’s why I practice so hard and yeah, very happy.”
His win comes as no surprise, as since turning professional in September last year he has been close to winning on numerous occasions, including in his first event the International Series Morocco, where he was third, and the International Series England in August, when he tied for fourth.
This was only his ninth start on the Asian Tour and moved him into second position on the International Series Order of Merit and fourth place on the Asian Tour merit list.
His success comes off the back of an outstanding season on the LIV Golf League, where he has been playing for Torque GC – the dominant team this year, having won four times.
He added: “It has been an awesome journey. I had a good opportunity to join LIV right after college and I think I took advantage of that and played pretty good this year. Also, I want to say thanks to my team, the Torque team, they have always been very helpful to me, and I learned a lot from them. And yeah, playing against these guys, it’s a dream come true. But I think I should be here and then today I showed that.”
Jaewoong Eom. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Today’s victory is the perfect preparation for next week’s LIV Golf Jeddah – the final regular-season event of 2023. He’ll be hoping to improve on his best individual finish on LIV Golf, which is joint fourth place at LIV Golf Greenbrier in August.
Eom’s strong finish allowed him to match his best performance on the Asian Tour, as he tied for second in the New Zealand Open in March.
“I’m very pleased with the way I played this week,” said Eom.
“Nice to finish with a birdie on the last. I actually had a lot of chances out there, but it was just too hot outside. I was feeling dizzy out there, that’s why I made a bogey on the 15th. But I managed to hang in there and finish well to claim second. It feels good to finish runner-up in a big tournament like this. It’s also going to help me keep my card for next year.”
The Korean injured his left wrist a couple of years ago, underwent surgery and spent a year and a half recuperating before making a comeback last year.
Ogletree’s ace was the result of a magnificent five iron from 230 yards that flew straight into the cup.
He said: “Yeah, it was crazy. I didn’t see it. I just had a really bad hole on three and was trying to decide between a four and a five. I said let’s hit the five and give it a chance, and it flew in. Crazy. We heard it hit the pin, but we didn’t know where it went. We got up there, and there it was in the hole.”
It was his ninth hole in one and he also chipped in on the next hole for a birdie.
Remarkably, moment earlier, Japan’s Jinichiro Kozuma won a brand new BYD SEAL EV thanks to a superb ace on the par-three 16th. He fired in a perfect nine-iron and claimed the keys to the electric vehicle.
Singapore amateur Ryan Ang also finished in a blaze of glory holing his second shot on the par-four ninth, his final hole, for an eagle two and a 68. His six-under total meant he finished as the leading local player in a tie for 23rd.
Andy Ogletree. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
The SJM Macao Open is the next stop on the Asian Tour and tees-off on Thursday at Macau Golf and Country Club. It is the first time the event has been played since 2017, when India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar won the event for the second time.
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