Kolon Korea Open: Preview What They Said
Jazz Janewattananond (Tha)
I feel very refreshed coming into this week. I had a week off. I was back home last week after being on the road for like four weeks in a row. It’s been a long month, but I got one week off to rest and I’m ready to compete again this week.
I worked on my game a bit back home as well so hopefully the efforts will pay off. I am happy with the way I finished in Japan for the back-to-back top-fives. I didn’t start off well, but it got better and better and I ended up capping good results.
I felt tired when I was in Kansai but somehow, I managed to pull through it and it got better every week. The good finishes I had in Japan really boosted my confidence as I have always struggled to play well in Japan. I guess I am more used to the greens and grass in Japan now.
It was nice to put up a good run and gave myself a chance to qualify for the U.S. Open. Came close and it all came down to the last putt. Would have loved to hole that putt to qualify but it’s alright. I guess it happened for a reason. If I holed that putt, I probably won’t be here this week.
I have The Open coming up and there are still a lot for me to play, like the Order of Merit chase on both the Asian Tour and the Japan Golf Tour, as well as breaking into world’s top-50 in the next couple of weeks to qualify for the World Golf Championships – FedEx St. Jude Invitational.
I need to play well these few weeks to give myself a chance though. I have the Kolon Korea Open this week and the next two weeks in Japan to try and break into top-50. The course is tough this week, so you need to come up with a good game plan.
I managed to spend time with my family and friends last week. I haven’t seen them for a month, so it was good to see them. I managed to sleep a lot too which is good.
Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand
Scott Hend (Aus)
The course is looking alright. I expect the greens to be a lot quicker when the tournament starts tomorrow. Nice weather this morning when I played the practice round. It’s been great in Korea so far. It’s my second week here. I played a local event last week.
It’s always good to spend time with my good friend Young Nam, who will be on my bag this week. He’s been painful and because he has no friends, so I got to be his friend (laughs).
He’s like a stepbrother to me really. We look out for each other and I am fortunate to have a friend like him. I am looking forward to coming back here for his wedding already. It’s going to be pretty cool.
It’s been a long time since I last played the Korea Open. The last time I played was in 2007. I remember making the halfway cut and I remember some of the putts being quite slippery in the weekend. It can be very difficult out there.
There are always things to play for in every event. It will be nice to play well enough to contend for another title. It’s always a good thing to get into The Open championship too. Just got to take every week as it is and work on it.
Sanghyun Park (Kor)
I have been achieving good results recently, so I am very happy. I don’t see myself having too much pressure as I have already qualified for The Open prior to this event. I have played well here the last few years, so I am definitely hoping to do as well or even better this time.
I have played here a lot of times. I can expect where the pin positions will be each day and I guess that helped me to put up good results on this course. This is a very challenging course. You must have experience here to get a good score.
I have had that experience, so I think it is safe for me to say that I always play well here.
Scott Vincent (Zim)
I have been so close to winning so many times, that it is a relief to finally get my first win under my belt. Coming into this week at the Korean Open with some confidence is great. Of course, each week is new, but my game is coming into some good form and I am excited to compete this week. There is a little bit more to play for as well with the spots in The Open up for grabs.
I just have to focus on my game this week. All I can try do it put myself in position for Sunday and see what happens. This is a tough course with some tricky pins in the past, so I’ll have to be sharp. I have had some nice finishes in Korea with a couple of second place finishes and a third-place result as well so I’m hoping to add to that.
I will always credit the Asian Tour for helping me get my game to the next level. There are so many opportunities with several co-sanction events and good tournaments. Asian Tour has some of the best perks for doing well.
My thoughts on this course are that it is a high demanding golf course where you cannot hide any weaknesses in your game. It requires extreme precision because of hole locations. It’s a challenge but I’m looking to improve on my finish here last year.
Minchel Choi of Korea
Minchel Choi (Kor)
I am feeling the pressure being back here as the defending champion. But at the same time, I am very excited to defend my title. My game is pretty alright as of late. I remembered hitting a very good third shot on the last hole 18th which went straight at the hole and I almost made an eagle. That was really memorable.
A lot of changes for me since I won last year. Many people recognize me now and I can choose the tournaments that I want to participate in. It’s been really amazing. Of course I am aiming for The Open spot again this year. I had a great experience last year so I’m definitely hoping to tee up at The Open again.
It’s really important to have the right strategy at the Woo Jeong Hills. You need to tackle it shot by shot and trust your judgements based on the situations.
Tirawat Kaewsiribandit (Tha)
I feel confident with my game right now, having won another title on my local circuit back home two weeks ago. The game feels good for this week. I am hitting it better off the tees but my iron-play still need a little bit more work.
I have been working on my fitness too so hopefully the efforts pay off this week. The par-threes are very difficult on this course. They are long par-threes and my plan is to play shot by shot and just focus on hitting fairways and greens, keeping it as simple as possible.
It has been a learning curve for me since winning in Pakistan last year. I am really happy and proud because it has been my long-time dream to win on Tour. Even though my results have not been great this year, I gained a lot of valuable experiences from the big events that I have played so far and that helped my game as well.
June 2: Japan’s Yuta Ikeda continued to shine on home soil after signing for a six-under-par 66 to take the third round lead at the Gateway to The Open Mizuno Open on Saturday.
Former Asian Tour player Chan Kim of the United States trails Ikeda by one after returning with a 69 at the Royal Golf Club while Thailand’s Poom Saksansin is five shots back of the Japanese leader in tied-ninth place after compiling a three-day total of one-under-par 215.
Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananod and Gunn Charoenkul share 11th place, six shots back of Ikeda on 216 total at the event which is part of The Open Qualifying Series.
Four players who finish in the top 12 and ties at The Mizuno Open who are not already exempt will earn places in The 148th Open at Royal Portrush from 14-21 July 2019.
At the Belgian Knockout, Malaysia’s Gavin Green remains the only Asian Tour player left with a chance of winning the event after defeating local star Thomas Detry to advance to the quarter-finals where the 2017 Asian Tour Order of Merit winner will meet Scotland’s Ewen Ferguson.
The Belgian Knockout is one of European Tour’s non-conventional format events, which starts with stroke-play for the first 36 holes followed by 9-hole medal match-play before going on to determine the winner from there.
Over in the United States where the Jack Nicklaus hosted Memorial Tournament is taking place, reigning merit champion Shubhankar Sharma of India made the first-ever Albatross on the par-five fifth hole to make the cut by two shots after starting the day on the 10th hole.
Other Asian Tour players who are featuring in the weekend include David Lipsky, Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Anirban Lahiri.
Germany’s Martin Kaymer is currently leading the field after rounds of 67, 68 and 66 at the Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio.
Ends.
Sentosa, Singapore, May 27: Filipino star Angelo Que rounded off a commendable campaign at the Kansai Open Golf Championship after marking his best efforts of the week with a closing seven-under-par 65 to finish in a share of fourth place on Sunday.
Que, who started the round with a seven-shot deficit, returned with a flawless card highlighted by seven birdies, including five for a front-nine 31, to end his campaign with a 15-under-par 273 total at the KOMA Golf Club in Nara.
The 40-year-old Que, a three-time Asian Tour champion, would finish four shots back of eventual winner Tomoharu Otsuki of Japan, who defeated compatriot Rikuya Hoshino on the fourth extra hole to claim his first ever title since turning professional nine years ago.
Que broke through on the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO) when he won the Top Cup Tokai Classic last October, four years since he started plying his trade in Japan. That victory also ended an eight-year title drought for Que, a proud father of two.
Rising Thai star Jazz Janewattananond signed for a 71 to settle for a tied-25th place finish at the Kansai Open. The 23-year-old Jazz would slip one spot to 70th position on the latest Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) following his outing in Japan.
Over at the Made in Denmark presented by FREJA, American John Catlin marked his best outing in 14 starts on the European Tour with a tied-12th place finish, thanks to a closing five-under-par 66 at the Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort.
The 28-year-old Catlin, who enjoyed a breakout season on the Asian Tour in 2018 thanks to three victories, settled seven shots back of winner Bernd Wiesberger after compiling a four-day total of seven-under-par 277.
India’s S.S.P. Chawrasia would return with a sizzling 65 to finish two shots back of Catlin in tied-18th position while Thai veteran Thongchai Jaidee grabbed a share of 33rd place following a solid 66.
American Kevin Na claimed his third PGA TOUR title in style at the Charles Schwab Challenge after closing with a four-under-par 66 to win by four shots. The former Asian Tour winner gave a restored 1973 Dodge Challenger, which is the reward for the winner, to his caddy Kenny Harms right after his winning putt fell.
Kevin Na of the United States with his wife, Jullianne Na, and daughter, Sophie Na.
A total of 33 players, including a handful of Asian Tour members, are vying for the three coveted spots on offer for the upcoming U.S. Open at the Sectional Qualifying in Japan on Monday. The 36-hole event is held at the Kuwana Country Club in Mie Prefecture.
Asian Tour members in the field include Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond, who sits in second place on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings, Maverick Antcliff of Australia, Zimbabwean Scott Vincent, Filipino ace Angelo Que, as well as Thailand’s Danthai Boonma, Poom Saksansin and Sadom Kaewkanjana.
Ends.
By Olle Nordberg, Former Asian Tour and European Tour professional
This week’s PGA Championship will be held at the Bethpage Black Course on Long Island, New York, a publicly owned course which hosted the U.S. Open in 2002. It was the first public course to host the U.S. Open then.
At 7,459 yards and par-70, it is known to be one of the toughest tests in Major Championship golf and it famously has a disclaimer by the clubhouse stating: “Warning. The Black is an extremely difficult course which we recommend only for highly skilled golfers”.
This week the Black will definitely see a field full of highly skilled golfers, and while the 3 ½ to 4 inch rough may not be as high and thick as during a U.S. Open, it will still be quite a challenge for the world’s best golfers. The fairways are expected to be cut to similar widths as at the 2009 U.S. Open, and finding them will be very important.
So how difficult is the course going to play? It is a fact that in the two U.S. Open Championships played at Bethpage Black, in 2002 and 2009, it played as the most difficult course on the respective PGATOUR seasons in relation to par.
In the two FedEx Cup play-off events held at the Black in 2012 and 2016 it was the 16th and 12th hardest, much of the easier scoring thanks to the course being played as par-71 instead of par-70 as at the U.S. Opens.
The main challenge of this course is said to be tee-to-green, since the greens are relatively flat with gentle slopes. The players will also want to avoid the deep greenside bunkers that saw a below 50% sand-save percentage last time a FedEx Cup play-off event was held here in 2016.
The general opinion is that this course heavily favors the longest hitters, and this may be even more true this year with the event played quite early in the season for the U.S. northeast. If the conditions remain soft as expected, the course will play to its full length.
The weather forecast is for temperatures ranging between 10-20*C, with showers and gusty winds forecast for Thursday morning.
Tiger Woods of the United States
My two star-player picks and why:
There is no doubt that Tiger Woods will be one of the favorites to hoist the Wanamaker Trophy this Sunday following his epic comeback win at the Masters Tournament last month.
Having finished second to Brooks Koepka in the 2018 PGA Championship, Woods has been first, second and tied-sixth in his last three Majors played.
He won the U.S. Open here in 2002 when he was the only player under par at the end of the week, winning on a score of three-under-par 277 to beat Phil Mickelson by three shots.
In the 2009 edition of the event Woods finished in a tie for sixth-place, four shots behind the winner Lucas Glover.
Woods currently leads the PGATOUR in GIR percentage with 75.56%, which bodes well for a course that requires pin-point play tee-to-green. The only time in his career he has had a higher percentage than this was in 2000, a season in which he won nine events and three Majors.
The current world number six also has a chance to reclaim the OWGR number one ranking he has not held since early 2013. If he wins and Dustin Johnson finishes outside the top-10, and Justin Rose and Brooks Koepka do not finish second, Woods will again become number one in the world. A feat that seemed impossible not too long ago.
The defending champion Brooks Koepka has won three Majors since the 2017 U.S. Open and was tied-second to Woods at Augusta recently, reversing their positions from the PGA Championship at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri in August last year.
With his current form and recent Major record, he should perhaps be considered the number one man to beat this week.
Since the 2016 PGA Championship Koepka is a massively impressive 55-under-par in Majors, a full 15 shots better than the next player on the list. In that span of Majors, Koepka has won three times (two U.S. Open Championships and one PGA Championship) and no missed cuts.
The years he spent playing the European Tour, in what can be sometimes very trying weather conditions, means he should be ready for whatever weather the late Long Island spring will throw at him.
With a morning tee-time on Thursday, and the weather forecast as of today, coping with cool temperatures, rain and wind in the first round might prove to be extremely important.
Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand
Asian Tour Players in the field:
This week we have an impressive six Asian Tour players in the field, all making it into the event by their OWGR rankings.
Kiradech Aphibarnrat is mostly playing PGATOUR these days and the 2013 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion is coming off a tied-fifth finish in last week’s AT&T Byron Nelson, his second top-five finish of the year following a tied-third at the WGC-Mexico Championship.
A very popular figure on the U.S. Tour, he might well have very good backing from the notoriously rowdy and harsh New York sports-fans. A factor not to be underestimated this week.
Kiradech should be long enough of the tee to contend this week, but his Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green rank of 168th on the PGATOUR this season is perhaps a bit worrying.
However, his rank in Strokes Gained: Putting is near top of the class, and he currently sits at number three so far this season.
Justin Harding has since his win at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters been playing almost exclusively in the U.S., and like Kiradech had a good finish in Dallas last week finishing tied-tenth.
With a tied 12th finish at the Masters Tournament last month he is a proven Major Championship contender, and his playing record since the start of 2018 until now is extremely impressive.
Already known among his South African peers as a great putter, he is currently ranked number one in Strokes Gained: Putting in the 2019 PGATOUR season. On a long demanding course with punishing rough, hitting the fairways will play a big part in who comes out on top this week. In addition to his impressive putting statistics above, Harding is ranked number five in Total Driving, and sixth in Driving Accuracy.
Jazz Janewattanond has perhaps been the breakout star of the 2019 Asian Tour season, although it must be said that his ascent to the top-ranks of the game started in 2018.
Since late May last year, Jazz has racked up an impressive 15 top-10’s (11 of them top 5’s) in his last 30 events played, including two wins at the 2019 SMBC Singapore Open and the 2018 Queen’s Cup Presented by Bangchak.
This will be Jazz’s second career Major Championship following his debut at last year’s Open Championship and going by course reputation will be a totally different challenge compared to Carnoustie last year.
With a very solid all-round game, Jazz will be looking to make a big impact on the world stage at the year’s second Major.
Shaun Norris had a great 2018 season with a total of 12 top-10’s worldwide, including a win at the JGTO HEIWA PGM CHAMPIONSHIP in early November, a second at the Japan Open Championship and tied-second at the SMBC Singapore Open.
He finished second on the 2018 JGTO Money Rankings, having earned JPY103,942,450 or roughly US$950,000.
This will be Norris’s third Major but first on U.S. soil, having previously made the cuts at The Open Championship in 2017 and 2018.
A naturally big and strong player, Norris may be able to handle the thick rough should he miss the fairways at Bethpage Black this week.
Kurt Kitayama has added a couple of victories to his resume since late last year, winning the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open last December, and the Oman Open this March.
Known as one of the longest drivers on the Asian and European Tours, the course might suit Kitayama’s game just fine.
This will be Kitayama’s first career Major Championship.
David Lipsky is enjoying a very solid stretch of tournaments since his win at the Alfred Dunhill Championship last December, coming off consecutive top-5’s in his last two events to go along with a tied-10th at the WGC-Mexico Championship.
Playing in his third Major Championship and first in the U.S., Lipsky will be looking to improve on his current best Major performance of a tied-58th finish in The Open Championship in 2015.
Asian Tour members and notables’ tee-times:
7:07 AM Brandt Snedeker Kiradech Aphibarnrat Max Homa
7:18 AM Henrik Stenson David Lipsky Richard Sterne
7:29 AM Mike Lorenzo-Vera Justin Harding Sam Ryder
8:13 AM Lee Westwood Shaun Norris Charles Howell III
8:24 AM Brooks Koepka Francesco Molinari Tiger Woods
1:38 PM Rory McIlroy Phil Mickelson Jason Day
2:11 PM Jazz Janewattananond Tyler Hall Michael Kim
2:22 PM Dylan Frittelli Andrew Filbert Kurt Kitayama
Tournament Facts:
Prize money: TBA (US$11 million in 2018). Winner’s share: TBA (US$1.98 million in 2018).
Defending champion: Brooks Koepka
Previous Majors at Bethpage Black:
Year Date Tournament Winner Score To par
2002 Jun 13–16 U.S. Open Tiger Woods 277 −3
2009 Jun 18–22 U.S. Open Lucas Glover 276 −4
Bethpage, New York, May 18: Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond continued his remarkable debut at the PGA Championship by signing for a second round two-under-par 68 to take a share of 10th place on Friday.
Jazz, who is playing on a special exemption at the year’s second Major, showed no signs of nerve as he took on the world’s best players at the demanding Bethpage Black course.
After opening with a 70, the three-time Asian Tour winner, resumed his charge by marking his card with three birdies and a bogey for a two-day total of two-under-par 138, 10 shots back of American history-maker, Brooks Koepka, who recorded the lowest 36-hole score in a Major championship after he signed for a 65.
“I didn’t feel any pressure on the golf course. I love it (playing here). It’s my first time playing in such a crowd and hearing them shout my name. I don’t know how to react to it. They give me some really funny names but I try not to remember it,”said Jazz.
While he may only be playing at Bethpage Black for the first time, Jazz is already putting his limited knowledge of the course to good use.
“If you’re in the rough here, you just got to take your medicine. You’ve to try to get it back to the fairways with a short iron. You have to be patient and try your best not to get a bogey. That’s all I need to know,” said Jazz.
American Kurt Kitayama, a one-time Asian Tour winner, safely made it into the weekend rounds after returning with a 68 to take a share of 47th place.
Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat, together with 2014 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion, David Lipsky and South Africa’s Justin Harding are also through after they made the cut which was set at four-over par.
South Africa’s Shaun Norris meanwhile made the early exit after posting rounds of 73 and 74.
Ends.
ROUND ONE REPORT
Bethpage, New York, May 17: Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond opened his campaign with an even-par 70 to trail defending champion American Brooks Koepka by seven shots in the first round of the PGA Championship on Thursday.
The 23-year-old Thai, playing on a special exemption on the PGA TOUR this week, took a share of 17th place along with American David Lipsky, who matched Jazz’s opening day efforts at the challenging Bethpage Black course.
Jazz, a three-time Asian Tour winner, traded three birdies against as many bogeys to finish two shots ahead of reigning Masters champion Tiger Woods (72) who sits in tied-51st.
Koepka, who is looking to become first player to successfully defend a PGA title since Woods did in 2007, set the course record with his spectacular bogey-free round of 63.
South Africa’s Shaun Norris posted a 73 to take tied-74th place while countryman Justin Harding sits in tied-91st alongside American Kurt Kitayama on matching 74s.
Thailand’s number one player Kiradech Aphibarnrat, who is making his sixth appearance at this week’s Major, struggled to a 76 to take tied-123rd place.
Ends.
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