Coaching puts Tour ace Sihwan back on plane
Current Asian Tour number one Sihwan Kim says he is gradually starting to fix his game after a surprising loss of form which he says has, on occasion, put him in “no man’s land”.
The American tees-off in the US$1.5 million International Series Singapore, on the impressive and imposing Tampines Course at Tanah Merah Country Club on Thursday, encouraged with the work he has been doing on his technique.
“Game is getting better,” said the 33 year old, who has missed the cut in his last two Asian Tour events, as well as The Open at St. Andrews.
“I got some coaching over the last three weeks. Trying to fix some things in my swing. It’s getting better.”
During The Open and the week after he worked with renowned coach Jamie Gough, who counts Li Haotong amongst his clientele and is the brother of former Rangers, Tottenham and Scotland defender Richard.
“It’s just old habits I have, just getting too narrow throughout my swing. I don’t know why it happened, obviously your ball striking goes off and on. I am just missing it to both sides, and it wasn’t looking pretty. I just had to get it looked at,” added the American, who took part in a shoot at Gardens By The Bay today, which is National Day in Singapore.
SINGAPORE-L-R – Sihwan Kim of the USA, Patrick Reed of the USA, Mardan Mamat of Singapore and Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe pose with the International Series Singapore trophy at Gardens by the Bay ahead of the US$ 1.5 million Asian Tour event to be staged at Tanah Merah Country Club (Tampines Course) August 11-14, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“It’s going right and left. If it’s going right all the time, you just aim left and hit that shot but when I hit that shot and it goes left I am in no man’s land.”
He currently leads the Order of Merit with earnings of US$517,858 having won The International Series Thailand in March and Trust Golf Asian Mixed Stableford Challenge in April, also in Thailand.
He added: “I don’t think about the Order of Merit title race that much, you just want to play your best every week. Winning twice a year, you have pretty much done your duty. Obviously, if you win more that’s better. How many people win more than twice a year, know what I mean? Not many.”
He has also been playing in the LIV Golf Invitational Series this year and despite the fact that they are 54-hole events and there is no cut he says the pressure is still very much on.
“It has been a great experience, it was a lot of fun. With guaranteed money and when you are playing for so much you would think there is less pressure going into the tournament but because you are playing for so much money, there is more pressure,” said Kim.
This week is the third International Series event of the year. He tied for sixth in the International Series England in June, so has a liking for the series and having fine tuned his game be could return to the leaderboard this week.
By Olle Nordberg, Contributing Editor – Asian Tour
Hong Kong amateur star Taichi Kho came very close to punching a ticket to the 2022 Masters when he narrowly lost to Keita Nakajima of Japan on the second playoff hole at the 2021 Asia Pacific Amateur Championship.
It was a brilliant performance by the University of Notre Dame standout that opened the door for him to play on the Asian Tour this year, such as in the star-studded Saudi International, the International Series England in Newcastle, and last week’s Mandiri Indonesia Open – where he sensationally shared the lead after day one following a sublime eight-under-par 64.
The 21 year old eventually tied for 11th on Sunday, a fine performance that will give him confidence heading into this week’s International Series Singapore – where he will hope to become the second amateur to win on the Asian Tour this year after Ratchanon Chantanauwat of Thailand’s victory in the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup in April.
“It’s just been a great experience so far,” said Kho at the weekend in Jakarta.
“I think whenever I can be out here and play against professionals, it’s the best experience I could ask for. And yeah, so far, I’ve just been really relishing it, the nerves on the first tee and you know, like, just kind of the environment here.”
Kho, who had his dad Victor on the bag, added rounds of 70, 70 and 71 to his brilliant first day score to finish the event on 13 under.
He added: “I feel like I’ve been managing my game really well. Just having a really solid game plan and having a lot of discipline to that. I feel like that’s been the main driver of some low scores this week.”
Taichi Kho of Hong Kong pictured during round four on Sunday August 7, 2022 of the Mandiri Indonesia Open 2022 at the Pondok Indah Golf Course, Jakarta, Indonesia. The US$500,000 Asian Tour event is staged from August 4-7, 2022. Picture by Graham Uden / Asian Tour.
Even with his strong credentials as a runner-up at the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship and a successful college career at Notre Dame, taking your game from the amateur ranks to tour events against some of the best players in the region, or in the case of the Saudi International in the world, can be a different proposition altogether.
“I feel like it is nice to kind of feel a sense of belonging, like in Newcastle that gave me a lot of confidence. In Saudi as well, it was nice to be exposed to some of the world’s best players. And I feel like from those experiences, it’s just given me a lot of confidence that I do belong out here. I have just really enjoyed this experience so far,” said Kho.
Playing so well against stiff competition while still playing an amateur, it is no surprise the Hong Kong native is repeatedly asked if, or rather when, he will turn pro. However, Kho is not done with his educational goals yet.
“I’m actually going back for a one-year Master’s degree at Notre Dame, so I’ll play another year of amateur golf and hopefully that goes well, and we’ll see where that takes me,” he says.
“There are some Korn Ferry Tour opportunities with college golf right now, so hopefully that goes well. And you know, if there’s an Asian Tour Q-school later in the year, I’m definitely looking forward to that too.”
Being from Hong Kong which has seen some of the strictest COVID-19 measures in the region has certainly not made it easy for Kho to go home for visits while at school in the U.S., but he recently had the chance to go home and take a break from this summer’s hectic golf schedule.
He added: “I was able to go back this past month actually, which was really nice. After Newcastle I played a couple of amateur tournaments in Europe, and I decided it was time for a break because August is really busy. So, I went back home and saw some family and friends.”
Taichi Kho, Hong Kong amateur golfer pictured on Friday, June 3, 2022, during round two of the International Series England at Staley Hall Hotel, Spa and Golf Resort, Hunting Course, an Asian Tour US$ 2 million event. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Kho’s busy August schedule continues next week with the International Series Korea and after that he will represent Hong Kong at the world’s premier amateur team event.
“Yeah, after Korea I have the Eisenhower Trophy playing for Hong Kong one week later. It’s in Paris this year at Le Golf National so I look forward to that too. So, it’s a really busy August, but these are the strongest tournaments I could play in, and I’m just really grateful to be out here.”
First up is the International Series Singapore, which tees-off on the Tampines Course at Tanah Merah Country Club on Thursday, and who knows what else the impressive young golfer has in store for his growing army of fans.
Korean Joohyung Kim, the Asian Tour’s reigning Order of Merit winner, stunned the golfing world at the weekend by winning the Wyndham Championship.
The 20 year old star carded a sensational final round nine-under-par 61 for a 20 under total and a five-stroke victory over compatriot Sungjae Im and American John Huh at Sedgefield Country Club.
In doing so he became the second-youngest winner on the PGA Tour this century and first born in the 2000s.
The two-time winner on the Asian Tour, who remarkably had a quadruple-bogey on his opening hole on Thursday, went into the final round two strokes off the pace but pulled clear of the field thanks to an eight-hole eight under stretch.
“I can’t believe it,” said Kim. “I didn’t know golf was this stressful.”
Kim fired rounds of 67, 64, 68 and 61 to become a full-time member of the PGA Tour, which makes him eligible to compete in the season-ending FedExCup play-offs.
Joohyung Kim of Korea celebrates with Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand after putting in to win on the 18th green during the final round of the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club on August 07, 2022 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
He drained putts from 20 feet and 25 feet for back-to-back birdies from the second and added another from 12 feet at the fourth, before a brilliant approach into the par-five fifth set up an eight-foot eagle that took him five under after just five holes.
A 20-foot birdie at the next was followed by an impressive save from 10 feet at the seventh, with successive gains from the eighth seeing Kim reach the turn in 27 and equal the second-lowest nine-hole score in PGA Tour history.
Kim began the back nine with a bogey after a wayward tee shot and missed a six-foot birdie opportunity at the par-three 12th, only to end a run of pars by making a two-putt birdie at the par-five 15th.
A superb tee-shot into the par-three 16th set up a close-range birdie to move Kim to nine under and leaving him requiring a birdie-birdie finish to card a sub-60 round, only for him to complete a sensational victory with back-to-back pars.
It is another stage in the remarkable journey of Kim who won on the Asian Tour in 2019 aged just 17 at the Panasonic Open India, making him the second youngest professional to win on the Asian Tour.
Joohyung Kim of Korea plays his shot from the 16th tee during the final round of the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club on August 07, 2022 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar claimed the US$500,000 Mandiri Indonesia Open today at Pondok Indah Golf Course to make history by becoming the first player to win the tournament on three occasions.
He produced one of the finest rounds of his career to return a bogey-free seven-under-par 65 for a tournament total of 20 under, and a two-shot victory over England’s Steve Lewton, who carded a 64, and India’s Rashid Khan, in with a 68.
Khan had started the day in front with Thailand’s Atiruj Winaicharoenchai but Bhullar was unstoppable and a man on a mission, making three birdies on the front, and four on the back – which included three on the trot from the 13th.
Bhullar showed no sign of Sunday nerves and put on a putting masterclass, holing brilliant birdie putts and crucial par saves, to record his 10th win on the Asian Tour and first since 2018. He has also won more titles on Tour than any other player from his country.
“I played like a champion tee to green and gave myself so many birdie opportunities,” said the 34-year-old Indian, who won this event in 2013 and 2016, with the latter win here at Pondok Indah.
“I was riding high on confidence, hit the ball really good. It is a great week, I had a lot of positive memories having won this tournament two times previous, that was definitely on my subconscious mind. The goal was just to go out there and give my 100 percent.”
Steve Lewton. Picture by Graham Uden / Asian Tour.
Bhullar also won his first event on Tour in Indonesia back in 2009 and joins an elite group of players who have won a National Open in Asia at least three times. The list includes Peter Thomson, Hong Kong Open and Indian Open; Jyoti Randhawa, Indian Open; Adam Scott, Singapore Open; Jumbo Ozaki and Tommy Nakajima, Japan Open; Lu Liang-Huan, aka ‘Mr Lu’, Philippine Open and Taiwan Open; and Miguel Angel Jimenez, Hong Kong Open.
“This is my first win after becoming a father and I would like to dedicate this win to my 11- month-old daughter. Also, after over two difficult years because of COVID it’s just amazing the Asian Tour is back in this wonderful country. The support for me here has been incredible.”
Lewton stormed through with four birdies in the last seven holes, including on 17 and 18.
He said: “It was fun. Yeah, played really good this weekend. It felt like I left quite a few out there, but on the whole, seeing as I haven’t played for a while, I played really well.”
Khan also made up ground over the closing holes with four birdies on the homeward stretch having started with nine straight pars.
“It was a little confusing for me the start,” said the Indian.
“I couldn’t make any birdies on the first nine holes, so it was a little difficult for me to come back after that. I had my first birdie on the 10th so I got a little thinking that I can make few more. When I checked the score Bhullar played a really good round today, shot seven under and bogey free.”
Bhullar, Lewton and Khan and the rest of the field now head for next week’s International Series Singapore next week at Tanah Merah Country Club.
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India’s Rashid Khan and Atiruj Winaicharoenchai from Thailand took advantage of late lapses over the closing holes by their opponents to take the third round lead in the US$500,000 Bank Mandiri Indonesia Open, at Pondok Indah Golf Course.
Khan posted a sublime bogey free eight-under-par 64 while Atiruj, who carded a magnificent 63 yesterday, fired a 68 for a tournament total of 14 under.
Indian Gaganjeet Bhullar, who is bidding to win this event for a record third time after his successes in 2013 and 2016, shot 68 and is one shot back with Thailand’s Itthipat Buranatanyarat (72), the leader after rounds one and two, and Chapchai Nirat (68), plus Chinese-Taipei’s Chang Wei-lun (72).
While Khan birdied the par-five 18th and Atiruj carded a par, Gaganjeet and Chang drop shots, Chapchai finished double bogey and bogey while Itthipat staggered home with bogeys on 13, 15 and 17.
Hong Kong amateur star Taichi Kho, joint leader on the opening day, came in a 70 and is just two off the lead.
“Yeah, it was a pretty good round, I was minus five after nine,” said Khan, who has won twice before on Tour, both in 2014.
Atiruj Winaicharoenchai. Picture by Graham Uden / Asian Tour.
“I had that somewhere in my mind that I can close the gap [on the leaders] but I had no idea that it was going to be this situation in the end. I made really good birdies on 11 and 12 so I was seven under after 12, and knew we had like two or three good holes coming up. And I knew the stretch wouldn’t be easy. And so the pars I saved on 14, 15 and 17, you know that gave me a momentum.”
Atiruj recorded his maiden wins on The All Thailand Golf Tour this year and his form has certainly not deserted him.
He said: “I mean today’s putting good, but it was quite windy today so I didn’t hit that that close so less birdies than yesterday. I have to find more fairways I guess, in today’s wind I didn’t hit the fairways enough.”
The Thai made brilliant eagle on the par five 14th.
“I hit driver off the tee and a hybrid for my second shot, that left me an eagle putt from like eight feet and I just made it,” he said.
Thailand Poom Saksansin carded a 63, the joint lowest score of the week, and Brazil’s Adilson Da Silva returned a 66, and are joint seventh with Kho.
Itthipat Buranatanyarat. Picture by Graham Uden / Asian Tour.
Thailand’s Itthipat Buranatanyarat said this week he has benefited greatly from playing in two star-studded LIV Golf Invitational events this year, and it showed today as he added a second round five-under-par 67 to his first round 64 to take the lead in the US$500,000 Mandiri Indonesia Open.
He leads the Asian Tour event on 13 under par at Pondok Indah Golf Course, having not dropped a shot in two days and carded 13 birdies.
Korea’s Minkyu Kim, winner of the Kolon Korea Open in June, and American Berry Henson, chasing his first win on Tour in 11 years, both carded 67s to sit two back.
Weather delays on Thursday meant the event is playing catch up: 24 players were unable to finish today. They include Hong Kong amateur star Taichi Kho, the joint-first round leader with Itthipat, and Chinese-Taipei’s Chang Wei-lun. Kho is 11 under with four to play and Chang 12 under with two to go.
Minkyu Kim. Picture by Graham Uden / Asian Tour.
“Today I started with not hitting my tee shots so well; I hit hooks on three holes in a row. But I tried to get my confidence back, and it came back,” said Itthipat.
“Then I started hitting the fairways so I could hit the greens. So today was one more round for me with no bogeys, bogey free again two days in a row. So yeah, I feel good.
“I have a new good partner, my caddie Jee. Oh, he pushed me. When we have weeks off he’s pushed me to practice, we work together all the time. You know a good partner means I can talk to him about everything which makes me more confident. Everything is better. I got some new ideas playing with the highly ranked players at the LIV London event, it changed my mind set to do something I never did before. Perspective changes when you are surrounded by better players and see how they play.”
Minkyu Kim, the 21 year old who won on Europe’s Challenge Tour when he was 17 in 2018, is one of his country’s great young hopes and is clearly in the mood for more success.
“I’ve played pretty solid since Korea and this is my first Asian Tour event since winning the Kolon Korea Open; so, I’m very excited to be in contention this weekend,” he said.
“I feel much more confident when I am in contention now, and I think I can get this, I can get another win. So, a lot of positive things coming to me.”
Hua Hin-based Henson, one of the Tour’s most consistent players who hasn’t missed a cut since the Tour restarted last year after COVID-19, set himself a challenge this week.
Berry Henson. Picture by Graham Uden / Asian Tour.
“Yeah, fantastic. Yeah, feel great,” said the 43 year old.
“I mean, I set a little goal for myself this week and made a little hiccup today on that goal, but, but other than that, I’m very pleased with where I’m at.
“I kind of wanted to come in this week and try not to make any doubles, no bogeys on the par fives, and no three putts. But I lost a little focus on number five today and three putted from about 20 feet. It was a little tricky pin.”
His last win came at 2011 Philippine Open.
He added: “I went back home for four weeks, and I changed up a few things with my team, and I hired a new coach and we created more of a team atmosphere. I think that’s what I’m missing from being away from home so much. In Thailand I’m kind of by myself so we put a little bit more emphasis on kind of like creating more of a team atmosphere, and that seems to be paying off so far.”
Thailand’s Atiruj Winaicharoenchai carded the best round of the week so far, a 63 and is three behind the leaders. Preferred lies are being played so it is not a course record.
“Yeah, I just want to play under par every round, that’s my goal. Just play my best and after that, I’ll take it,” said the Thai golfer, who has won twice on the All Thailand Golf Tour this year.
Atiruj Winaicharoenchai. Picture by Graham Uden / Asian Tour.
The Asian Tour’s new and ground-breaking International Series of events will visit Korea for the first time this month for the International Series Korea boasting a formidable field with eight out of the top-10 on the Asian Tour Order of Merit competing.
Tour Order of Merit leader Korean-American Sihwan Kim, third-placed Bio Kim from Korea, and fourth ranked Scott Vincent from Zimbabwe will lead the way when the US$1.5 million tournament is played at Lotte Skyhill Jeju Country Club from August 18-21.
Shiwan Kim has claimed two titles this year, including the International Series Thailand in March, which was the first International Series event to be played, and the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Stableford Challenge, also in Thailand, in April; while Vincent won the International Series England, the Tour’s first-ever event staged in the UK.
Bio Kim has been playing some of the finest golf of his career and will be one of the hot favourites to claim the US$270,000 first place cheque on Jeju. In May he won his maiden Asian Tour title at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open, on home soil, and a month later he was triumphant in the SK Telecom Open – one of the biggest events on the Korean PGA Tour.
Minkyu Kim pictured during the Pro-am event on Tuesday August 2, 2022 ahead of the Mandiri Indonesia Open 2022 at the Pondok Indah Golf Course, Jakarta, Indonesia. The US$500,000 Asian Tour event is staged from August 4-7, 2022. Picture by Graham Uden / Asian Tour.
Korean Minkyu Kim, who currently leads the Korean PGA moneylist and is fifth on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, will also compete. In June he showed why he is considered to be one of Korea’s most exciting young players when he recorded a brilliant victory in the Kolon Korea Open.
Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana, sixth on the rankings having enjoyed a breakthrough season, will also play in Korea. He won the Singapore Open in January and produced a record setting performance in The Open at St Andrews last month, finishing joint 11th – the best performance by a player from his country in the game’s oldest Major.
Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond, the Tour’s number one player in 2019 and winner of six-titles on Tour, and his brilliant compatriot Phachara Khongwatmai, have also entered, as well as: India’s Shiv Kapur and Gaganjeet Bhullar; South African Justin Harding, Australians Wade Ormsby and Brett Rumford; plus Korean star Jeunghun Wang, the three-time DP World Tour champion, who has just completed 18-months national service in Korea.
The tournament will also welcome a host of prominent international players, including Americans Chase Koepka, the brother of four-time Major champion Brooks, and Peter Uihlein, and a number of the game’s rising stars who have recently turned professional: former US Amateur champions James Piot and Andy Ogletree from the US, American Turk Pettit, who claimed last year’s NCAA Division 1 individual title, Australian Jediah Morgan – winner of the Australian PGA Championship in January by a record 11 shots – and Jovan Rebula from South Africa, the 2018 Amateur Championship victor, and the nephew of South African great Ernie Els.
Scott Vincent is sprayed by Joohyung Kim on the 18th green during the final round of the International Series England at Staley Hall Hotel, Spa and Golf Resort, Hunting Course, an Asian Tour US$ 2 million event. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
The Tour is in Indonesia this week, with the first round of the Mandiri Indonesia Open being played today at Pondok Indah Golf Course, before players head to the International Series Singapore at Tanah Merah Country Club next week.
Hong Kong’s impressive young amateur star Taichi Kho and Thailand’s Itthipat Buranatanyarat fired stunning bogey-free eight-under-par 64s to take the clubhouse lead in the rain and lightning-interrupted first round of the Mandiri Indonesia Open today at Pondok Indah Golf Course.
Kho, ranked 100th on the World Amateur Golf Ranking, sensationally took the lead in a professional event for the first time when he holed his third shot on the par-five ninth, which was his 18th, to join Itthipat at the top of the leaderboard.
A total of 59 players where unable to finish their rounds due to two weather-delays earlier before play was abandoned due to fading light.
Two of Thailand’s most decorated golfers Prayad Marksaeng and Chapchai Nirat shot 65s, while Tirawat Kaewsiribandit carded a 66.
Indonesian amateur Almay Rayhan Yagutah impressively flew the flag for the host nation with a 67, along with Chinese-Taipei’s Chang Wei-lun.
Itthipat Buranatanyarat of Thailand. Picture by Graham Uden / Asian Tour.
The US$500,000 event is the 11th stop of the season on the Asian Tour.
“It was great,” said Kho, whose father Victor is caddying for him.
“I was really happy with the way I played. I stuck to my game plan. I managed to hit some good shots on my back nine.
“On nine I was out of position off the tee, but I managed to get it back in play. I had 93 yards for my approach, I hit it really nice, but I did not expect it to go in.”
Kho, who plays his college golf at the University of Notre Dame, hit the headlines last year when he finished second in the Asian Amateur Championship.
“Eight birdies, no bogeys, wow!” said Itthipat.
“I could see the lines on the greens, and my caddie did as well. And I like the course, I have played well here before.”
Thailand’s Prayad Marksaeng. Picture by Graham Uden / Asian Tour.
He played in two LIV Golf Invitational events this year, in London and Portland, and feels he is a better player for the experience.
“I played with the big names and learned so much. I have reset the things I work on now because of it,” he added.
Ten-time Asian Tour winner Prayad, aged 56, rolled back the years making seven birdies and no bogeys.
“It’s my first time playing here, so I didn’t expect too much, just planned to stay on the fairway. Luckily, my tee shots were the best part of my game today,” said the Thai veteran, who won on the senior tour in Thailand in May in his hometown of Hua Hin.
“And, I made a great birdie on the first hole, that helped. I feel chilled this week, happy to see so many familiar faces.”
Chapchai, a four-time winner on the Tour, mirrored Prayad’s seven birdie bogey free performance. The 39 year old has not won on Asian Tour since 2014.
Unlike his three countryman ahead of him Tirawat did make a couple of bogeys but was happy to continue to play well after discovering some form in Thailand recently.
“I have been playing well on the All Thailand Golf Tour over past two weeks, a top-five and a top-10, so I am feeling good about this week,” he said.
“I got off to the perfect start, two birdies on first two holes. I like the course but it’s a little bit difficult for tee shots, but today that part of my game was okay.”
Minkyu Kim of Korea. Picture by Graham Uden / Asian Tour.
Korean Minkyu Kim, who won the Kolon Korea Open in June, was the leading player on the course at five under playing hole number 14.
India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar returned a 68; he is bidding to win the event for a record third time, following his successes in 2013 and 2016.
Indonesia’s Naraajie E. Ramadhanputra, winner of the OB Golf Invitational in June on the Asian Development Tour, came in with a 69, while his country’s leading player Rory Hie carded 70.
Indonesia’s Rory Hie – the golfer who has the honour of being the first, and to date only, player from his country to win on the Asian Tour – has battled back from a debilitating bout of the Chikungunya virus to be ready in time for the Mandiri Indonesia Open, which begins tomorrow at the Pondok Indah Golf Course
Hie succumbed to the dengue-like illness for two difficult weeks in June and has gradually been working his way back to full fitness.
“I played the Asian Development Tour here in Jakarta at the start of June and I was feeling really unwell that week for some reason and it turned out that I got the Chikungunya virus,” said the 33 year old.
“It was caused by a mosquito bite. I’m good now. Just those two weeks were really, really, painful. I had no energy and had massive headaches every day. So glad to get through that without any scratch.”
The Indonesian has come close to winning his National Open once before, in 2011 when he took second place behind Thailand’s Thaworn Wiratchant, and like all local players he has extra motivation when playing in the event, which has been won once before by an Indonesian, Kasiadi in 1989.
He added: “I like playing at home in Indonesia. I seem to do better when we’re playing here. I just think it’s a big advantage for us local players because we know the course a little bit better compared with the guys from overseas. But having said that, this course is not that tricky, you can just play it once and you know what to do.”
The Mandiri Indonesia Open 2022 at the Pondok Indah Golf Course, Jakarta, Indonesia. Left to right… Amadeus Christian Susanto [Indonesia], Naraajie E. Ramadhanputra [Indonesia] ,Rory Hie [Indonesia],Sihwan Kim [USA],Bio Kim [Korea]. Picture by Graham Uden / Asian Tour.
He has been troubled by inconsistent form since then but feels he is working his way through the problems by being more positive.
“I think I have just got to deal with pressure better, so that I am able to perform, and perform like I did as if it was only the first two rounds,” adds Hie.
He has been able to play in some local events recently and has been encouraged by how he is playing.
“I would say I had some good rounds coming in here. We played a Pro Am last week and conditions were really tough, but I played well in the first round. I also played well in that ADT event in June as well, I just didn’t score as well as I wanted to, but the games there. Just got to put it together for four rounds.”
Rory Hie pictured during the Pro-amahead of the Mandiri Indonesia Open. Picture by Graham Uden / Asian Tour.
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