Koepka overcomes Uihlein after extra time thriller
Brooks Koepka returned to the winner’s circle after a title drought that stretched 20 months by beating his dear friend and Smash teammate Peter Uihlein in the LIV Golf Invitational Jeddah, following a thrilling play-off that lasted three holes. Joy Chakravarty was in Jeddah to cover the action.
Koepka birdied the par-five 18th hole of Royal Greens every time he played it on Sunday, including in regulation, and Uihlein responded in similar fashion each time except on the third playoff hole; when his third shot from the bunker caught a small stone and ballooned into the water.
Both players had finished on 12-under par after 54 holes, which led to a six-shot win for team Smash (-33) over the Sergio Garcia-led Fireballs (-27). Koepka shot a one-under par 69 after weathering a tough stretch of three straight bogeys from the 11th hole onwards, while Uihlein overcame two double bogeys on the front nine in his 70.
Garcia finished in tied third place at 11-under par, unable to make the all-important birdie on the 18th hole after hooking his drive into the bushes. Garcia (68) tied at 11-under with Chile’s Joaquin Niemann, who shot the best round of the day, a 65.
India’s Anirban Lahiri was best-placed among the Asian Tour players, closing with a 69 that included a holed-out eagle from 106 yards on the par-four first hole, his penultimate hole having started from the third. He was tied 10th at eight-under par.
Team Captain Brooks Koepka of Smash GC celebrates with the individual award during day three of the LIV Golf Invitational – Jeddah at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club on October 16, 2022 in King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Chris Trotman/LIV Golf via Getty Images)
Sihwan Kim, currently ranked second in the Asian Tour Order of Merit, achieved his goal of finishing inside the top-24 of the LIV Individual Points List, which ensures him full playing privileges for the 2023 season. A late double bogey on the par-four 17th and a bogey on the first (he started on 2nd hole), pushed the American to the edge, but the final numbers fell in his favour.
Koepka, who revealed there was a time last year when he was so frustrated with his spate of injuries that he was thinking of quitting the game for good, said: “It’s pretty cool. We’ve known each other for so long. That’s what you want to do, right? You want to compete with some of your very good friends, go toe-to-toe.
“But I’m so excited now. This team thing has revived me. I blew my knee out and my foot was pointed that way, almost backwards and sideways. Eventually, I’m going to have to have knee replacement in a few years, but I wasn’t sure whether I could even move the same way and if I wanted to play if I couldn’t move the way I wanted. I’m fortunate be in the spot that I’m in right now.”
It was a bitter pill to swallow for Uihlein, who would have finished second in the Individual Points List and earned a US$8 million bonus if he won. Instead, the second-place finish meant he was third and will have to be content with US$4 million bonus. South Africa’s Branden Grace, who participated in Jeddah despite an intercostal muscle tear, was rewarded for his bravery with the second-place bonus instead.
Uihlein said he was aware of the calculations at the start of the round, and added: “Consolation. Still a good chunk of change.
“You should not be winning titles after making two double bogeys on Sunday. But I fought back and I played solid on the back. Holed some nice putts for par. I felt like if I can keep staying one back of the lead going into the last couple, I could at least give myself a chance.”
Lahiri was putting together a fantastic round in the difficult, windy conditions and moved to three under par with birdies on the fourth, eighth and 10th holes. That took him to 10-under par, but he then fared one shot worse than Koepka on the 11-13 stretch, including a double bogey on the 13th hole.
Anirban Lahiri of Crushers GC plays his shot from the 14th tee during day three of the LIV Golf Invitational – Jeddah at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club on October 16, 2022 in King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Chris Trotman/LIV Golf via Getty Images)
However, a fantastic wedge second shot on the first hole, which he spun back straight into the cup, put the smile back on his face.
“It was a relief after all the bloodbath,” said Lahiri, whose team Crushers finished third in the tournament and second overall, thus gaining a bye to the second round of the team match play in Miami.
“It was easily the windiest day of the week. So, you could see all the scores kind of started flattening out because of that.”
Lahiri, who was on the verge of pulling out of the tournament after contracting a severe bout of the ‘flu, added: “If you’d have given me a top-10 place on Friday morning, I would have taken it gladly. But I definitely think I left a few out there and it could have been much better.
“I still don’t feel 100 percent, so I am looking forward to going back to Florida and be with the kids. Just relax a bit and get ready for the season-finale in Miami.”
Kim’s double bogey on the 17th came when a two-iron tee shot sailed right to the edge of fairway, and left him with a stance in the desert which was almost a foot lower than his ball.
“Obviously, the idea was to come here and play well. I did that except for the closing holes. I was very disappointed with that finish, but I have achieved my other main goal, which was to make sure that I am in the top-24 which secures my card for the next season,” said Kim.
Among the Asian Tour players, Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai once again produced a strong finish. A 67 improved him to tied 25th place. Australia’s Wade Ormsby (71) was tied 35th place at one-under par 68, while Sadom Kaewkanjana from Thailand (71) tied for 38th at one-over par.
Sihwan Kim of Iron Heads GC hits a shot during day three of the LIV Golf Invitational – Jeddah at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club on October 16, 2022 in King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Chris Trotman/LIV Golf via Getty Images)
An eagle-birdie finish gave Peter Uihlein a one-shot lead over his captain and close friend Brooks Koepka, as Smash took a commanding six-shot advantage on the top of the team leaderboard at the US$25 million LIV Golf Invitational Jeddah. Report by Joy Chakravarty in Jeddah.
At the Royal Greens course in King Abdullah Economic City, the two Americans, who started their professional careers at almost the same time on the European Challenge Tour, dominated the proceedings despite both making costly double bogeys on the tough par-fourth 13th hole.
The 33-year-old Uihlein started with four birdies in a row from the second hole and the double bogey was his only mistake in a round of seven-under par 63. He started the day three behind his four-time Major champion teammate Koepka, who needed to make late birdies on the 16th and 18th holes to ensure he was just one behind.
Among the Asian Tour players, Sihwan Kim added a bogey-free 65 to his overnight 68 and jumped to tied seventh place at seven-under par alongside India’s Anirban Lahiri, who was feeling a lot better physically compared to his opening round and moved up with a 66.
Even though they have been the closest of friends, Koepka and Uihlein have never played a competitive round together, but that will change when they go out with the leadergroup on Sunday.
“I don’t think we’ve played together. You play with a teammate, it’s always fun, and then competing for the team thing and the individual thing, I think it’ll be exciting. I haven’t been in this position, so it’s exciting. Got the juices flowing, and it’s always good,” said Koepka, who has had just one top-10 finish in LIV Golf, a tied eighth place last week in Bangkok.
Asked about his double on the 13th and his hot start, Uihlein said: “I just fatted it in the water on the 13th. I hit the big ball first.
JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA – OCTOBER 15: Team Captain Brooks Koepka of Smash GC tees off on the second hole during day two of the LIV Golf Invitational – Jeddah at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club on October 15, 2022 in King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Charles Laberge/LIV Golf via Getty Images)
“Yeah…I started hot. I made a nice putt on the second, hit it close on third, good putt again on the fourth and had a good shot on the fifth. It was just a nice solid start, a dream start really. Just kind of held on from there and finished with a flurry, so it was nice.”
The 33-year-old Kim, who is placed 24th in the points list and needs a good finish this week to secure his card on LIV Golf next season (the top-24 keep it). He did his chances no harm with a solid 65.
“I played okay. I played smart off the tee. I hit it too many times from the desert yesterday, so decided to hit more three-woods off the tee and keep it in the fairways. I hit my three-wood about 15 odd yards shorter than my driver, but it is a lot straighter,” said Kim about his second round.
“I had some trouble on the 13th, but ended up making close to a 20-footer for par. That felt like a bonus, because that hole is playing tough. To be bogey-free was special.
“I think the course is pretty tough, but obviously, the scores are very good. Even with the wind high up, you’ve got to shoot almost three- or four-under to stay in place. My goal this week is to be able to go above that mark. There is a lot of birdie holes out there, so I can’t stay too passive.”
Lahiri, a seven-time winner on the Asian Tour, said after his round of seven birdies and three bogeys: “It was far better than yesterday. I was bracing for the worst, but I was pleasantly surprised to get up today and I could feel my appetite coming back, and I could feel less need for sleep. Those are all good signs that I was beginning to heal up.
Sihwan Kim (Photo by John Phillips/LIV Golf/Getty Images).
“Started with a birdie on the 18th, but chipped it over the green on the first and ended up making a bogey. I missed a few putts today actually. But then I made a couple of them coming in. Having said that, I enjoy putting on Paspalum grass and I always have to back myself with that club.”
In the team championship, Smash are six ahead of the Sergio Garcia-led Fireballs.
Among the Asian Tour members in the field, Australia’s Wade Ormsby moved to tied 30th place with a 68, while Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai overcame a terrible start to finish at one-over par 71, to be tied 36th at one-under par total. Zimbabwean Scott Vincent (71) and Sadom Kaewkanjana (68) were tied 40th at even-par.
As Phachara Khongwatmai walked towards the green, he quickly caught a glimpse of the severity of shot his playing partner faced. ‘Impossible’, was his first thought, writes Joy Chakravarty, who is in Jeddah covering this week’s LIV Golf Invitational event.
That ball belonged to the former Masters champion Patrick Reed. He was lying short of a green that was sloping away from him. There was a gaping bunker in front of him, and the pin was right behind the bunker.
“I took one look at it and thought Patrick would be happy to get away with a bogey on that hole. He had absolutely no room to hit any shot close to the flag, which was less than two yards from the bunker,” reminisces Phachara of that second round at LIV Invitational in Bedminster, in July.
“And that’s when he showed why he is such a world-class player. He hit the most incredible flop shot, launched it high in the air, landed it soft and was left with a tap-in par putt. My jaw just fell open at the beauty of that golf shot.
“People say I have a good short game, but I don’t think I could have pulled off that shot even if you gave me 10 balls from there. And it was a big lesson for me. It’s not a shot that you’d normally practice, but I have done it many times now after seeing Patrick’s shot.”
PATHUM THANI, THAILAND – OCTOBER 07: Phachara Khongwatmai of Iron Heads GC putts on the fourth green during Day One of the LIV Golf Invitational – Bangkok at Stonehill Golf Course on October 07, 2022 in Pathum Thani, Thailand. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/LIV Golf via Getty Images)
What happened with Reed was just one of the several moments that the young Thailand star cherishes in his association with LIV Golf this year. Forget the money he has made, what’s been priceless is playing and interacting with some of the biggest stars in the game and learning for them.
“I have loved every minute of being part of LIV Golf. Above everything else, they have treated the players like kings. They have taken such good care of us, our caddies, our managers and our families. It’s unbelievable how helpful everyone in the staff has been,” said Phachara, who is currently eighth in the Asian Tour Order of Merit.
“The thing I have loved the most is playing my rounds with these legends. Obviously, I don’t want to ask them questions during the round, and my English is not very good, but I try to ask myself why did he hit a shot like that from there? Why did he hit a draw instead, when I decided to hit it straight to the pin on a par-three? These questions and observations have made me a better player.”
Phachara has also loved the team aspect of LIV Golf. He is part of the Kevin Na-led Ironheads, who have come very close to a podium finish at least twice. In Boston, they were leading the rampant 4Aces by five shots going into the last nine holes, before things fell apart. In Bangkok, they missed third place by one shot, and both times, Phachara had to deal with extremely unlucky shots.
In Boston, his second shot on the fifth hole was a beauty, but hit his playing partner Chase Koepka’s ball on the green and ricocheted off into the rough for a bogey when it looked destined for a birdie. In Bangkok, he hit a stunning second to his closing 10th hole, and the ball took one bounce, smashed into the flagstick and rolled away almost 15 yards for him to make a par.
BEDMINSTER, NEW JERSEY – JULY 26: Phachara Khongwatmai is seen during a practice round prior to the LIV Golf Invitational – Bedminster at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster on July 26, 2022 in Bedminster, New Jersey. (Photo by Mike Stobe/LIV Golf/via Getty Images)
“The one in Bangkok hurt more. It was on the last hole and there were so many of my friends, family and fans around. It should have been a tap-in birdie if the ball did not hit the flag. We have never finished in the top-three, and for a team with two Thai players to do it in Thailand would have been amazing,” he said.
“I won’t say it has put any extra pressure on us, but I am so excited before every round, and if I don’t have a good first round, I am so pumped up for the next two rounds. I am like ‘Let’s go…I want to make my score count for the team’. It really is a different feeling from the usual individual events that we play on other Tours.”
He was part of the field at the Asian Tour-sanctioned Saudi International at the Royal Greens course earlier this year. He had a decent outing to finish tied 28th, but was left disappointed with a closing round two-over 72 that prevented a possible top-10 finish.
“I started very well, but did not have the best finish. However, I thought I played well that whole week and I like the golf course,” said the 23 year old, who won his maiden title on the Asian Tour at the Laguna Phuket Championship in December last year.
“Having said that, this golf course is playing a lot different in October. Because of the heat, they have to water it more, and that has made it soft. And there is also slightly different wind at this time of the year. So, it does feel like a different course.”
Phachara started the LIV Golf Invitational Jeddah yesterday with a round of two-under par 68, to be tied for 16th place. Having never finished outside the 31st place in his six starts, he’d love to better the tied 13th place in Bedminster, which is his best performance for the LIV Golf season so far.
Anirban Lahiri, a seven-time winner on the Asian Tour, put together a heroic effort in the opening round of the LIV Invitational Jeddah, as he hobbled home in exhaustion after a three-under par round that tied him for ninth place and five shots behind the resurgent Brooks Koepka.
At the Royal Greens course in King Abdullah Economic City, the American four-time major champion took full advantage of the soft conditions, made slightly tricky by the afternoon wind, and put together a bogey-free round of eight-under par 62, which included four pars in his last four holes, writes Joy Chakravarty in Jeddah.
South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel, winner of the inaugural LIV Golf event in London, was two behind Koepka after making four birdies in his last five holes.
Hideto Tanihara of Japan, and the American duo of Patrick Reed and Peter Uihlein were tied for third place at five-under par 65.
In the team championship, Smash surged ahead by five shots at -15, thanks to the low rounds of Koepka and Uihlein. Fireballs were at -10 with Carlos Ortiz contributing four-under par 66, and a couple of 67s from captain Sergio Garcia and Abraham Ancer.
Among the Asian Tour members in the field, Lahiri was the best-placed, followed by American Sihwan Kim and Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai at two-under par. Zimbabwean Scott Vincent was on -1.
There were signs of Koepka returning to form in Bangkok last week, when he opened with a five-under par 67, before finishing tied eighth.
Brooks Koepka, who put together a bogey-free round of eight-under par 62, including four pars in his last four holes. Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images.
“I think last week was kind of a turning point for me. I’ve worked pretty hard with Claude (Harmon III), with Pete (Cowen) and Jeff (Pierce) over these last few months. This is the first time I’ve played back-to-back weeks since February, which was tough to build a rhythm. But I could see it coming and I’m very pleased with it,” said Koepka.
One of the reasons for the uptick in the form of the 32-year-old is the fact that he is feeling a lot healthier now.
“I had hip issues all year. I didn’t know if we were going to go under the knife or not. So, just been dealing with that. Everything’s starting to come together. Body is coming together,” said the two-time US Open champion.
“This is the best I’ve felt in three years. And then, the golf swing is starting to come around. I’m excited. Kind of sucks we only have this event and Miami left, but it will be fine. Just keep doing what I’m doing. If I’m healthy, I can make a golf swing where I can compete again.”
Being healthy was something Lahiri would have appreciated. He picked up a bug on his final day in Thailand, and has spent the majority of time since Sunday sleeping. On Friday morning, he was still undecided about teeing up.
He showed up eventually, but an ugly double bogey early in his round on the short par-4 17th hole made the decision look like a bad one.
“I somehow made it through. So very happy that I didn’t collapse out there,” said Lahiri, who followed up the double bogey with four birdies over the next five holes.
“I putted like a king today. I holed so many putts and I really needed to because I didn’t have the strength to muscle the ball around.
“I hit it close on 18 and to about 5 feet on the first. Made a nice 20-25 footer on the second and a 15-footer on four. I also made many 10-12 footers for par. That was good to keep the round going.
“It helps that I am fond of playing on Paspalum, which is definitely one of my favourite grasses to putt and chip on. So, felt very much at home on the greens.”
Dustin Johnson of 4 Aces GC is congratulated by Anirban Lahiri of Crushers GC after winning the LIV Golf Invitational – Boston on the first playoff hole at The Oaks golf course at The International. Photo by Joe Scarnici/LIV Golf via Getty Images.
Lahiri, who lost to Dustin Johnson in a play-off in his debut LIV Invitational event in Boston, said the key to his second round would be how he gets his energy back.
“I’ve got no energy. I think I probably slept 20 hours leading into today. That’s what helped me get through the day. So, the challenge will be how much sleep I get over the next 15-16 hours. So, sleep and hydration, food and then sleep some more.
“I will try and just recover and do the same thing tomorrow try and minimise the mistakes.”
Kim began in the same vein as he left in Bangkok – making three birdies in his first five holes. He needs a decent finish this week to retain his card for LIV Golf’s 2023 season, and did well to be tied 16th. Khongwatmai birdied his first and last hole and had three bogeys nullify his three birdies in the remaining 16 holes.
It has happened before in golf. Form can inexplicably switch from the sublime to the ridiculous in a matter of one swing. Many of the sport’s greatest have experienced this mind-numbingly fickle nature of the sport. Add Sihwan Kim’s name to that list of befuddled stars. Story by Joy Chakravarty, at the LIV Golf Invitational Jeddah.
Earlier this year, the 33-year-old American could have done no wrong, even if he wanted to. He won the International Series Thailand and then backed it up with his second title at the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Stableford Challenge, also in Thailand.
And when he finished sixth at International Series England, he was not only number one on the Asian Tour Order of Merit (OOM), but also leading the International Series OOM, which earned him a spot in the lucrative LIV Golf Invitational events.
And then, golf happened.
Kim completely lost control of his driver. His trusted club started behaving more like Mr Hyde than Dr Jekyll. He’d aim for the centre of the fairway, and then pray silently for the shot to have a desired result. For more than two months, Kim had no idea what the golf ball was going to do.
In 11 starts in Official World Golf Ranking-listed events, Kim missed the cut in seven. In four LIV Golf events in that period his best finish was a tied 11th in Portland, and he was outside the 40th place in other three.
PATHUM THANI, THAILAND – OCTOBER 08: Sihwan Kim of Iron Heads GC plays his shot from the seventh tee during Day Two of the LIV Golf Invitational – Bangkok at Stonehill Golf Course on October 08, 2022 in Pathum Thani, Thailand. (Photo by Charles Laberge/LIV Golf via Getty Images )
For casual golf fans, Kim’s performance last week in the LIV Golf Invitational Bangkok – where his total of 15 under was joint third best – may seem like a surprising turnaround, but the player now ranked second on the Asian Tour OOM had to spend bucketloads of blood, sweat and tears to engineer that.
“I kind of found something in Korea the week before. I mean, I just kind of got a feeling and tried to play with that and was lucky with the golf course in Thailand and how wide it was off the tee. So, I was just a little more comfortable off the tee than other weeks, and my irons and my putting was pretty good,” said the always amiable Kim, who is competing in this week’s LIV Golf Invitational Jeddah.
“I mean that’s golf, isn’t it? I had one of my first wins with the best ball-striking of my life and then it just kind of felt downhill from there. I can’t possibly tell you what happened, and why it happened. Obviously, a golf swing is like a condition of your body…it always keeps on changing. That’s why it’s so difficult to be consistent in this game. Just glad that I was able to produce a good finish last week.
“When you’re missing it both ways, it’s hard to even hit a safety shot… especially with the degree of how much I was missing it by. If it’s 20 yards right or left, you can still think of putting a safety shot in your game, but I was missing 40-50 yards on both sides. You just can’t work on a safety shot when you are hitting it that wild. No matter how soft you swing, it’s gonna come out weird.”
However, the good thing was that he knew he had not completely lost the plot. In the LIV Golf Invitational Bedminster, he shot rounds of 78 and 77, but there was a 69 in between. The most dramatic was his 24-shot swing when a 63 followed an 87 in Boston.
The 87 was not just a result of bad swing. Kim had contracted COVID-19 the week before and was feeling the after-effects in Boston. Typical of his nature, he never complained and carried on with his hard work.
PATHUM THANI, THAILAND – OCTOBER 09: Sihwan Kim of Iron Heads GC plays his shot from the fourth tee during Day Three of the LIV Golf Invitational – Bangkok at Stonehill Golf Course on October 09, 2022 in Pathum Thani, Thailand. (Photo by Charles Laberge/LIV Golf via Getty Images )
“I did not pay much attention to all those comments. I had my own battles,” Kim added.
The finish in Bangkok helped Kim climb to 24th place in the LIV Golf Individual Points List. If he can maintain that position, he will earn one of the 24 year-long LIV Golf contracts for 2023.
“It was a very important finish for me. Like, aside from the money, the fact that I was able to get some kind of confidence back with my long game was a huge thing for me,” Kim explained.
“The points I was able to get last week, I can pretty much keep my card with a decent finish here. So that’s very important. But the most important thing, really, was to be able to just find some way to play this game.”
Trending in the right direction with his form, Harold Varner III returns to the scene of his greatest triumph this week, writes Joy Chakravarty in Jeddah.
The American will be playing the LIV Golf Invitational Jeddah at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City near Jeddah with incredible memories of his visit to the course in February this year.
At the US$5 million PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers, the season-opening event on the Asian Tour’s 2022 schedule, Varner holed a stunning 92-feet putt for eagle on the 18th hole on Sunday to beat his close friend and two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson by one shot.
It was the biggest win of his career and catapulted Varner from 99th place in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) to 45, paving the way for a first-ever appearance at the Masters.
The 32-year-old Varner joined LIV Golf in Boston, where he finished tied 31st. He then improved to tied 21st place two weeks later in Chicago, before his best result of tied 6th place at the LIV Invitational Bangkok, last week.
And even though the Royal Greens course will be significantly different from what it was in February – the October heat making the paspalum dynasty grass used throughout the golf course a lot softer – Varner is confident he’d be able to replicate his winning performance.
(L-R) Graeme McDowell of Cleeks GC, Team Captain Dustin Johnson of 4 Aces GC and Harold Varner III of Niblicks GC are interviewed by the media during a press conference prior to the LIV Golf Invitational Jeddah at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club on October 12, 2022 in King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia. Picture by Chris Trotman/LIV Golf via Getty Images.
“I think it’s pretty simple… we like to win. The golf course is great but at the end of the day, you play to win tournaments. And I haven’t won as much as these guys (referring to Dustin Johnson and Graeme McDowell – two past champions of the Saudi International), but the way I’ve won is pretty awesome. So that’s what I’m saying,” said Varner.
“That win meant a lot to me. I got into the Masters and I got into every other Major. Obviously, things went a little crazy when I got back to the States. May be, I’ve seen adversity in my life, so to have that after you win is weird and funny.”
When asked if he has already tried to have another go at the 92-feet putt on the 18th green, Varner replied: “I have not, no. But I saw the video yesterday. I hope to do it again and get on the podium. That would be pretty awesome.”
The LIV Invitational Bangkok was besieged by heavy rain, thunderstorms, and extremely hot and humid conditions. There certainly won’t be any rain this week in Saudi Arabia, but change in conditions is not going to change anything in the way Varner plays his golf.
“Going to lose a lot more weight for sure. It’s hot,” said Varner, who went on to emphasise the team aspect of LIV Golf and his desire to be on the podium with his Niblicks GC team.
“I think I’m going to attack it the same way. Our team played well in Bangkok. I’m just really invested in the team. I’d really like it when we are on the podium.
“We are stupid underdogs, trying to take out the 4Aces (the Johnson-led team which has won all four team championship titles in the US). It’s just competitive. I think all 48 of us, we just want to compete, and the team aspect just makes it more fun.
“Is it different? You still have to play well for your team to do well. It’s a lot of fun. Last week was good for me. We finished fourth, and it’s that part of me being an underdog that makes it so much fun.”
Harold Varner III celebrates after holing an eagle putt on the 18th at Royal Greens to win the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers, back in February. Picture by Paul Lakatos, Asian Tour.
Varner is now ranked No46 in the world. He could soon fall out of the top-50 in absence of OWGR points for LIV Golf, but he exuded confidence that the Tour will get it soon.
“I think we knew what we were getting into. I think it’s easy to sit here and say what could happen, what should happen. But obviously for me, I knew what was going to happen. It wasn’t going to be easy,” said Varner.
“I think the people at LIV have done an unbelievable job…but I knew what could happen in my career and I accept that.
“Obviously, they have been talking to us the whole time and giving us updates. Do we deserve it? Yeah. It feels unbelievable and it’s sad sometimes. I like playing golf. These guys are a lot of fun. I think it’s really cool that we hang out and do things that we don’t do as much on the PGA Tour.
“Whenever you leave a family, you become hated. But in a real family, no matter what your son or daughter does, they are family and you take care of them.”
The US$20 million tournament, the penultimate event of the 2022 season, starts Friday.
Reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit champion Joohyung Kim has hit global headlines once again after becoming the first player since American Tiger Woods to win two PGA Tour titles before turning 21 after claiming the Shriners Children’s Open at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas.
The Korean star, aged 20, who triumphed in the Wyndham Championship in August, won again at the weekend by three shots from Patrick Cantlay, helped by the American making a triple-bogey on the final hole.
“I’m a five year old at Disneyland,” said Kim, who won The Singapore International in January to help win the Merit title and start an incredible year of golf.
“It’s really amazing. A few months ago I didn’t have any status in the US and now being a two-time winner on Tour, having that place with Tiger, it’s an unbelievable feeling for me.”
Woods earned his first two Tour wins in 1996 – with the first of those also in Las Vegas.
Added Kim: “It’s an honour and definitely a dream come true. I’ve worked really hard. My team has worked really hard to this point and I’m just really grateful. I’m having fun playing on the PGA Tour.”
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 09: Tom Kim of South Korea celebrates with his caddie after winning the Shriners Children’s Open at TPC Summerlin on October 09, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
He started the final round sharing the lead with Cantlay, and they were still even heading to the 72nd hole.
The American hit an errant drive next to a bush from where he could only move his ball a couple of feet into more trouble. He was forced to take a penalty drop and then hit his fourth into a pond by the green.
Kim made a par for the victory, completing a bogey-free week, with a final-round five-under-par 66 to end on 24 under.
It is now two wins in four events for the Korean, who does not turn 21 until next June. He is six months younger than 15-time major champion Woods was when he claimed his second title.
“I got very lucky on the 18th, I’m not going to lie,” added Kim.
“Patrick played awesome and it was an honour to battle with him and to come out on top, I feel very fortunate.”
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 09: Tom Kim of South Korea plays his shot from the 13th fairway during the final round of the Shriners Children’s Open at TPC Summerlin on October 09, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
Sihwan Kim enjoyed an unforgettable first LIV Golf Invitational event in Asia today when the American, currently second on the Asian Tour Order of Merit with two wins this season, tied for third.
He shot a four-under-par 68 at Stonehill, just outside Bangkok, to end four strokes behind the winner, Spanish rookie sensation Eugenio López-Chacarra.
López-Chacarra fired a 69, for a tournament total of 19 under, while American Patrick Reed finished three shots back in second following a 67.
Englishmen Paul Casey (65) and Richard Bland (68) shared third place with Kim, in what was the richest sporting event ever to be played in Thailand.
Kim’s fine performance was rewarded with the biggest pay day of his career as he earned a cheque for US$1.175 million.
In another epic battle in the team competition, Kim’s Iron Heads GC team – made up of fellow Asian Tour stars Sadom Kaewkanjana and Phachara Khongwatmai from Thailand, and their captain Kevin Na from America – agonisingly missed out on finishing in the top three and ended fourth. Only the top three teams earn prizemoney.
Fireballs GC, consisting of captain Sergio Garcia from Spain, the unstoppable López-Chacarra, and Mexico’s Abraham Ancer and Carlos Ortiz won the team title.
PATHUM THANI, THAILAND – OCTOBER 09: Sihwan Kim of Iron Heads GC plays his shot from the fourth tee during Day Three of the LIV Golf Invitational – Bangkok at Stonehill Golf Course on October 09, 2022 in Pathum Thani, Thailand. (Photo by Charles Laberge/LIV Golf via Getty Images )
Kim’s two wins this season have both come in Thailand – the International Series Thailand and the Royal’s Cup – and the Land of Smiles brought out the best in him once again this week.
Remarkably he only dropped one shot over the three days, on the seventh today.
“Overall, it was a great week,” said Kim.
“I think points wise I will be pretty close to keeping my card for next year’s LIV events, I am more happy because of that.
“The money is definitely at the back of your mind but at the same time you have to try and compete and score the best. Money comes second, I was more focused on the points.
“It was a lot of pressure, I dealt with it very well. Really happy I only made one bogey all week. I hope this continues into Jeddah next week.”
His game has been out of sorts over the past few months and although the wide fairways helped deal with errant driver issues, he played flawless golf suggesting he will once again be a threat to win the Asian Tour Order of Merit title.
He said: “It was just a different feeling this week. I don’t know really. I have been trying to work things out with my swing the last two weeks. My irons have been spot on this week, because of nerves I hit some divers right and left. And my putting has been great. I’m just very happy about things.”
An hour and a half delay caused by heavy rain and lightning stopped play with most players having four holes remaining, but it had little effect on the runway winner, who only turned professional in June.
The Oklahoma State University graduate started the day with a five-shot lead and was never really threatened.
PATHUM THANI, THAILAND – OCTOBER 09: Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra of Fireballs GC celebrates with the trophy alongside Greg Norman, CEO and commissioner of LIV Golf, after winning the individual award during Day Three of the LIV Golf Invitational – Bangkok at Stonehill Golf Course on October 09, 2022 in Pathum Thani, Thailand. (Photo by Pakawich Damrongkiattisak/LIV Golf via Getty Images)
Said the 22 year old: “Feels great. I mean, I don’t think there’s a lot of secret. Just trusting yourself and working hard every day. That’s what they teach me when I was young and what these guys tell me you need to do, and trusting your team, having a good team, and just work and work I would say.”
The rising star earned a cheque for US$4 million as well as one for US$750,000 for being on the winning team.
“I knew it was going to be hard today,” he added.
“It was going to be a long day. There’s such good players coming from behind and they want to win as much as I do. I just stayed patient, and I feel like when the rain and the cold out on 15 helped me a lot. I needed some time off.
“I was kind of pretty nervous, and being with my family, my coach and my best friend Gonzalo kind of helped me relax and just see how life is and how nice is my life right now and just kind of going out there and trust all the work I’ve put in.”
Sihwan Kim, the Asian Tour’s number two ranked player, once again showed his close affinity for Thailand today after he fired a fine five-under-par 67 in the US$25 million LIV Golf Invitational Bangkok at Stonehill, to sit just two off the lead on the opening day.
South African Branden Grace, England’s Richard Bland and Spanish rookie Eugenio López-Chacarra led the way with 65s – in what is the first LIV Golf Invitational tournament to be played in Asia, and the richest sporting event ever to be held in Thailand.
Australian Marc Leishman and England’s Ian Poulter carded 66s, while Kim was one of five players to shoot five under.
American Kim has enjoyed a breakthrough season on the Asian Tour, winning twice here in The Kingdom– in the International Series Thailand and the Royal’s Cup – and he is clearly relishing the opportunity to be back in a country which has brought him so much success.
“Good to be back in Thailand!” said Kim.
“I hit 18 greens and put some putts in. Conditions wise it is very good and fortunately it is pretty wide off the tee, which takes pressure off my driver. And the greens are quite new, so the grain has not really settled. I had a hard time reading the greens a bit but hopefully it will get sorted out over the next two days.”
A shotgun start at 10.15am local time saw the tournament get underway with Kim starting on the 11th tee, along with Japan’s Hideto Tanihara and Laurie Canter from England.
PATHUM THANI, THAILAND – OCTOBER 07: Sadom Kaewkanjana of Iron Heads GC plays his second shot on the second hole during Day One of the LIV Golf Invitational – Bangkok at Stonehill Golf Course on October 07, 2022 in Pathum Thani, Thailand. (Photo by Charles Laberge/LIV Golf via Getty Images )
He birdied 16 and 17 on the back nine, and made further birdies on three, four and his last hole he 10th.
He added: “I played really conservative towards the greens, tried to miss the short side here, the contour of the greens here is quite severe in some places so you can’t miss it. I was patient and really conservative.”
The 33 year old has endured a bad run of form mid-season, mainly due to problems with his driver, so today’s round was a huge boost of confidence for a player bidding to win the Asian Tour Order of Merit.
“My game is coming along, obviously I have been on a pretty bad stretch,” he said.
“The problem is still the driver issue and that kind of creeps in towards the rest of my game. Obviously being a larger fairway here helps quite a bit.
“And I just love it here in Thailand, I know it’s quite hot, but I know how to stay as cool as possible and stay hydrated.”
His strong start also helped his Iron Heads GC team – comprising of captain Kevin Na (67) and Asian Tour members Sadom Kaewkanjana (71), and Phachara Khongwatmai (71) – move into fourth place with a score of 11 under. Fireballs GC, led by their captain Sergio Garcia from Spain, are in front on 14 under.
The Iron Heads team had looked set to win the team prize at the LIV Golf Invitational Boston before stumbling badly on the back nine and so they will be looking to make amends for that this week.
Both Sadom and Phachara were paired in high profile groups today; the former with six-time Major winner Phil Mickelson and reigning Open champion Cameron Smith, and the latter with Dustin Johnson and Bryson Dechambeau.
PATHUM THANI, THAILAND – OCTOBER 07: Phachara Khongwatmai of Iron Heads GC putts on the fourth green during Day One of the LIV Golf Invitational – Bangkok at Stonehill Golf Course on October 07, 2022 in Pathum Thani, Thailand. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/LIV Golf via Getty Images)
“Cameron’s short game was fantastic – I can learn a lot from him,” commented Sadom, while Phachara said: “It was an honour to play with DJ and Bryson. I was quite nervous as it was definitely the highest standard of player I have been grouped with in my career. I was very pleased and happy how friendly they are; DJ talked quite a bit.”
American Johnson, who leads the LIV Golf ranking, returned a 70.
Thailand welcomes the very first LIV Golf Invitational event to be played in Asia this week at Stonehill, but among its all-star line up of golfing elite are a wealth of players who are certainly not first timers to Thailand or the region, who boast a treasure trove of Asian Tour trophies.
They have also been visitors to this part of the world for decades, and none more so than Englishman Lee Westwood – the proud winner of nine Asian Tour titles, which includes two Thailand Golf Championships, two Malaysian Opens, and three Indonesian Masters.
Indeed, from-the-get-go, a mere 28-years ago, Asia has been on his travel schedule.
He says: “Right from the beginning of my career, 1994, I think my second or third event ever was the Johnnie Walker Classic in Phuket, Blue Canyon, and fell in love with Asia then, and have always enjoyed coming back here.”
It took him just two years to win in the region after that first visit, at the 1996 Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters on the Japan Tour (where he was also victorious the ensuing two years) before he claimed his first Asian Tour title at the Malaysian Open in 1997.
“It’s nice to be back,” said Westwood, who turns 50 next April.
“It’s a part of the world I look forward to come and play in and I’ve been successful, which makes it even better. It’s nice to be here with LIV and taking golf around the globe again. Obviously wasn’t possible through COVID over the past couple of years, three years, and I’ve missed it.”
Ian Poulter (picture by Joe Maher/LIV Golf/Getty Images).
Close friend and compatriot Ian Poulter, the winner of the nationals Open of Singapore and Hong Kong, also started his Asian campaign not long after turning professional in 1995.
“[I have played here] right from the year 2000, once I got my European Tour card, traveling around Asia, playing, and having a level of success,” said Poulter, who like Westwood has also won in Japan and Australia.
“[I’ve] so enjoyed the aspect of playing internationally and obviously just not in one place. I’ve loved my success in all the years that I’ve been traveling for the last 24 years.
“We really didn’t have that option through COVID, but obviously now the new schedule and how it’s going to lay itself out with LIV, it’s a fantastic opportunity because we’ve got so many fans that we’ve picked up through all the years of winning great tournaments in this part of the world, and it will be great to see them all again.”
Australian Cameron Smith, the current world number three who won the LIV Golf Invitational Chicago last month in just his second start on the LIV Golf Series, is another player who is no stranger to the Asian Tour, even though it was just one season.
In 2014, the year after making the transition to the play for pay game, Smith competed on the Asian Tour and impressively finished in the top-10 seven times before ending in fifth position on the Order of Merit.
Said the reigning Open champion: “My time when I was a young professional over in Asia are some of the best times of my life. Traveling with good friends and playing really good tournaments was something I will never forget, and I’m really looking forward and really excited for what this Tour [LIV Golf] is going to bring to the golf world.”
Kevin Na (picture by Charlie Crowhurst/LIV Golf/Getty Images).
And American Kevin Na, before embarking on a successful career on the PGA Tour where he has triumphed on five occasions, also cut his professional teeth in this part of the world, most notably winning the Volvo Masters of Asia in 2002.
When asked if he plans to play more in Asia having spent the best part of his life playing in North America he responded: “You just said best part of my life I played on the PGA TOUR. I don’t know, I think the best part of my life is coming. I played Asian Tour in 2002 and 2003. I really enjoyed it.
“I had a lot of great memories playing the Asian Tour, and I was able to see guys [this week], former players that work for the Tour or in TV, it’s nice to catch up with them and see that they’re still in the golf world.
“Yes, I plan to play a little bit more in Asia here and there. It’s nice that we’re in Thailand. The last time I played in Thailand was probably 2013, and I really enjoyed playing there, playing in Thailand then, and I’m already enjoying it now.”
The list of players with success in Asia goes on, and on – Spaniard Sergio Garcia has six Asian Tour trophies and South African Louis Oosthuizen three – and there is no doubt they will all dearly love to add the first LIV Golf Invitational event in Asia title to their ongoing Asian narrative.
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