David Lipsky (Usa) First round 65 (-7)
I played well and I got my putter working today. I hit it alright, not great, but I think I holed 150 feet of putts today so that always helps. I was trying to be aggressive and it didn’t work out for me. I was just trying to get it to 15-20 feet from the hole and luckily I kept making them. Everything’s in good shape out here. The greens are pure and you have a perfect lie every time so it’s definitely good playing conditions. The ball isn’t going quite as far this week, the air’s a little bit heavy but you adjust. I just need to try execute the shots tomorrow and hole a few more putts.

Tapio Pulkkanen (Fin) First round 65 (-7)
It was a great round, I started slowly with only two birdies in the front nine but five birdies on the back nine so it was great. It’s a quick recovery from Morocco – I had a good flight and I feel good physically so it’s nice to be up there now. I think I played my best score today. I had some struggles today but had a couple of good up and downs, a couple of good bunker shots so I’m happy. I was the best player in the field on the par fives last week in Morocco so I continued that into this week, which is important on this course, and I feel like I can use my length to this long course so that’s good. I’m going to use the same game plan and I only played seven holes in the practice round so I wasn’t sure about the back nine, but now I know it better, so same again tomorrow.

John Catlin (Usa) First round 66 (-6)
I definitely hit a lot of good shots out there. I love this golf course and the greens are in terrific shape. I felt like I hit a lot of the greens which definitely helped, having a lot of putts on those greens takes a little bit of the pressure off and I was able to hole a couple of the long ones too.
I made a great one on nine, probably a 45-footer so that was a nice bonus too. I’m very happy with an opening round 66. There are some holes you can be aggressive on, for sure, and then there are some holes you have to play smart – 18 for example, for me the wind wasn’t really ideal so I took a three-wood knowing I was going to have a longer club going in but I knew I could get the ball on the fairway. A couple of holes were like that where I felt I would have a longer club going in but in the fairway. Some holes, you’re definitely hitting driver to get it down there a little further, some holes you’re playing back a little bit but I had a good game plan and luckily I was able to execute it. The par fives are definitely where you can make up some birdies – I wish I could have gotten one on 17 there, it was a tough shot. There is thick sand this week and I just got under it but I was able to make a nice putt for par to save it. We have a long way to go – 54 more holes – so you’ve just got to keep going.

Gavin Green (Mas) First round 67 (-5)
It’s nice to have eight birdies on my card today and you can really go low here. There were a few holes which I got myself out of position and struggled to make par. But if you’re in play and you’re having a good iron day, you can go pretty low on this course. The greens are receptive and they are pretty good, smooth but some pins are tough and you got to be careful. It has been a solid day. I hit lots of two-irons and didn’t miss many fairways today. There were a couple of holes where I was contemplating whether I should take the risk or not but I stuck to my game plan. I got it onto the fairway, wedged it close and made birdies. So that’s going to be the game plan for the week.

Miguel Tabuena (Phi) First round 67 (-5)
It was a pleasant surprise to be really honest as I was out of action for about a month because of my back injury. I didn’t have any expectations as I only started to hit balls last week! I changed my putter and it was simply hot today. I just got to work on my driving. It was hard seeing my friends competing when I had to take a break. I had to pull out from Malaysia and India and I was in good form heading into those events. But I got the all-clear from the doctor last Tuesday to start practicing and not play actually. So far, so good and let’s see how it goes from here.

Taehee Lee (Kor) – First round 67 (-4)

This is a very tough course. I didn’t make a lot of mistakes today and I saved a lot of pars. That’s what led to my good score today. I made a long birdie putt from about nine yards on the seventh. That’s the most memorable one today. I putted well today.

This is where I started playing golf. It is my home course from 2003 to 2010. I was training under our Korean legend Sangho Choi on this golf course then. I picked up the game here and I turned professional here too.

I am pretty familiar with this course but I don’t think it’s so much an advantage for me because a lot of renovations have been done to the course over the years. The set-up has changed quite a bit.

I actually have to try and not think too much about how the course used to be and just play it as it is. That was what I learnt from the past few years. But having said that, I feel very comfortable playing here because of the time that I used to spend here in the past.

I love the environment here and it helps me stay relaxed. I think you just need to minimize errors on this golf course to do well. If you make mistakes out there, you will be penalised a lot.

Kyeongjun Lee (Kor) – First round 67 (-4)

I putted well today. I made some long putts from about six metres for birdies on two par-fives. My tee shots were not that good but it’s alright.

This is not really a course that suits my game so I am really pleased with my score today. I played pretty good last year so I was feeling confident coming into the week.

Soomin Lee (Kor) – First round 69 (-2)

It’s pretty good out there today. The season started on the local Tour two weeks ago. I didn’t play well the first week but I played really nicely last week to finish tied-third. That gave me a lot of confidence and I felt very comfortable coming into this week.

I think that’s the reason why I played well. I started from the 10^th, made two birdies in a row. I rolled in from about 20 feet. My putting was good today. I think the greens are going to get faster. I am pretty familiar with Namseoul.

It’s not an easy course. The fairways are narrow and the greens are fast. It’s going to get faster through the week so putting is key to score on this course. I am happy with the way I started. Hopefully I can play better tomorrow.

Poom Pattaropong (Tha) – First round 70 (-1)

It was great out there. I did everything well. I hit my drives pretty straight today so that helped make things easier. I just had one bad hole on the 16th. I took the wrong game plan.

I hit a hybrid off the tee and was way too far for my second shot. I had about 250 yards in and I hit it out of bounds. I just try to forget about it after that and keep playing.

This is a very difficult course. It’s my first time playing here. You just got to keep it in play and make some putts out there. I made a good birdie on the 18th hole. I made a 25-footer there. It was just a nice way to end the round.

It’s been really nice here in Seoul. I am enjoying myself here. I love the food and I like the people here as well. Looking forward to the rest of the week.

Phachara Khongwatmai (Tha) – First round 70 (-1)

It was really cold this morning and it made things pretty difficult. Condition was a little wet as well. I didn’t get off to a good start but after playing two to three holes, I got used to it and started playing better.

The weather turned warmer too so I played better as well. I made two birdies on the par-threes today. I hit the ball really good. My iron-play wasn’t great, especially coming down the last few holes today.

Luckily, I was still able to hold things together with my putting which is good. I just want to play my game and with no expectations.

Seongnam, Korea, May 1: India’s Chikkarangappa S. will continue his quest for a breakthrough victory on the Asian Tour when he tees off for The 38^th GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship which starts on Thursday.

The talented 25-year-old arrived in the Land of the Morning Calm on the back of a rich vein of form, having claimed two victories on his domestic circuit and notched a solid top-10 finish on the Asian Tour to sit in current seventh position on the Habitat for Humanity Standings.

Chikka’s game has matured considerably over the years. A joint runner-up outing at the Mauritius Open last November, along with his fine run so far this season, have strengthened his belief that a breakthrough is imminent.

He will feature in the 144-man field alongside defending champion Sanghyun Park of Korea, who is chasing for an unprecedented treble, in the KR₩1,200,000,000 (approx. US$1,067,000) event, which is celebrating its 38^th edition this week.

Young Thai Phachara Khongwatmai, who turns 20 years old on Friday, plans to make his birthday week a memorable one as he looks to improve on his tied-12^th place finish from 12 months ago at the fabled Namseoul Country Club.

Spaniard Javi Colomo endured a four-month layoff due to a shoulder injury before returning to competitive golf in Singapore earlier in January. Playing in his second start on Tour this season, Colomo is looking to get his game back on track with a fine performance in Korea.

Yikeun Chang of Korea is back seeking redemption in the event, where he had agonizingly missed out on his maiden Asian Tour win last year after being defeated by Park on the third play-off hole.

Other notable players include K.T. Kim of Korea, a two-time winner of the Maekyung Open, Thai duo Prom Meesawat and Danthai Boonma, as well as Australian Jason Norris and Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh.

The 38th GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship is the first of the three Asian Tour events to be played in Korea this season. It has been dominated by Koreans since 2005. American Mark Calcavecchia was the last foreigner to win the tournament in 2004.

The Namseoul Country Club was opened in 1971 and has been the host venue of the GS Caltex Maekyung Open since 1982 except for five occasions in 1984, 1998, 1999, 2004 and 2006.

Did you know?

• Chikkarangappa S. sits in seventh place on the latest Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings with a current haul of US$77,128.

• He is enjoying a rich vein of form, claiming two victories on his domestic circuit and a tied-10^th place finish at his National Open on the Asian Tour this season.
• Chikka, who started the season in 498^th place on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), has risen to a current 272^nd position, thanks to his solid results.
• He is also a two-time winner on the Asian Development Tour (ADT).
• The 25-year-old Indian came in tied-55^th at the Maekyung Open last year. He is chasing a breakthrough win on the Asian Tour.

• Phachara Khongwatmai enjoyed a tied-12^th place finish at the Maekyung Open last year.
• He became the youngest winner of a professional tournament when he won on home soil in July 2013 at the age of 14. Came into prominence when he won the 2015 PGM CCM Rahman Putra Championship to become the youngest ADT winner at the age of 15.
• Phachara finished a career-high third place on the Asian Tour Merit standings in 2017, thanks to four top-five finishes which include three runner-up results.

• The Thai grabbed the last Asian Tour card on offer in 2015 when he won his second ADT title at the season-ending event to take the fifth spot on the ADT Order of Merit.
• Phachara will be turning 20 years old on Friday.

• Javi Colomo made the headlines when he became the first ever player in the Asian Tour, European Tour and Sunshine Tour history to sink a hole-in-one on a par-four. The Spaniard needed a birdie on the 322-yard hole to make the cut at the 2015 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, but instead he made it to the weekend with two shots to spare after holing his drive for an unprecedented albatross.
• Colomo, who started plying his trade on the Asian Tour in 2012, came in tied-40^th at the Maekyung Open last year.
• Colomo was out of action for about four months last year after he suffered a shoulder injury in August. He returned to competitive golf earlier in January where he played the Boonchu Ruangkit Championship on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) before going on the play the Asian Tour season-opener in Singapore a week later.
• Yikeun Chang topped the Asian Tour Qualifying School in 2016. It was his second attempt. He missed the mark in his first attempt in 2014. Chang, however, did not manage to keep his card for 2017 as he finished 101^st on the 2016 Order of Merit.
• The 25-year-old Chang would regain his card at the 2017 Qualifying School after finishing tied-eighth. He ended the season in 48^th place on the Merit rankings and kept his card for 2018.
• In 2017, Chang also won his National Open for his first professional title after prevailing on the third play-off hole. That victory earned him a coveted spot at The Open at Royal Birkdale that year where he made his Major debut.
• Chang enjoyed his best season yet in 2018, claiming two top-10 results which included a joint runner-up finish at the Maekyung Open. He went the distance with countryman Sanghyun Park last year but agonisingly missed out on his first Asian Tour win after Park defeated him on the third play-off hole.
• Chang would end the season in a career-high 18^th place on the Habitat for Humanity Standings to retain his card for 2019.
• He came in tied-12^th at the season-opening Singapore Open in January.

Shenzhen, China, May 1: Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond believes his early season good form has placed him on the road map to success as he tees off as one of the genuine contenders for the Volvo China Open which starts on Thursday.

Jazz is currently in second place on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings and has been on a red-hot streak since the end of 2018. He has notched seven top-five in his last 11 events which dates back to last December.

The world number 72, who credited his coach Peter Cowen for his achievements, got his season off to a flying start by winning his third Asian Tour title in Singapore and has already secured starts in the US PGA Championship in May and The Open Championship in July.

Jazz’s title ambitions at the Volvo China Open will be put to a stern test by a strong field that includes defending champion Alexander Bjork of Sweden, France’s Alexander Levy as well as the Chinese duo of Wu Ashun and Li Haotong, who is the highest ranked player at world number 39 on the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) this week.

Li became the youngest winner of the tournament when he won in 2016 at the age of 20 while Wu lifted the Volvo China Open trophy in 2015. Levy is the only player to have won the Volvo China Open twice.

The Frenchman first won the title in 2014 when he cruised to a four stroke victory at Genzon Golf Club which is also this year’s host venue.

Did you know?

• Jazz Janewattananond’s real name is Atiwit but he switched to his nickname Jazz which was given by his father, a judge, due to the latter’s musical preference.
• Jazz has notched seven top-five in his last 11 events played worldwide, which dates back to last December.
• He won his third Asian Tour title at the season-opening SMBC Singapore Open and was on top of the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings before being dislodged by Australia’s Scott Hend who won his 10th Asian Tour title at the Maybank Championship in March.
• Jazz first played his way into the history books of the Asian Tour in 2010 when he became the youngest ever player, at the age of 14 years and 71 days, to make the halfway cut at the 2010 Asian Tour International in Bangkok.
• Jazz won his first Asian Tour title at the 2017 Bashundhara Bangladesh Open by four shots.
• The victory was particularly sweet for him as he finished outside the top-60 on the 2016 Order of Merit and missed the grade at the 2017 Qualifying School.
• Li Haotong became the youngest winner of the Volvo China Open when he won in 2016 at the age of 20.
• Wu Ashun emerged victorious in the 2015 edition of the Volvo China Open when he pipped England’s David Howell to the title by one shot.
• Alexander Levy is the only player to have won the Volvo China Open twice. He first won the title in 2014 when he cruised to a four stroke victory at Genzon Golf Club.
• Alexander Bjork became the first Swede to lift the prestigious Volvo China Open trophy last year.

Ends.

Players’ Quotes

Jazz Janewattananond (Tha)
I’m feeling really good coming into this week. I’m having fun and enjoying myself. The Volvo China Open is a big event and a very good opportunity to regain my number one spot on the Asian Tour Order of Merit. The biggest reason why I’m playing so well is because of my new coach, Peter Cowen. I’ve been working with him since the middle of last year and things sort of clicked towards the end of the year and have been continuing since then. I owe my success to him. I’m very excited about playing the PGA Championship for the first time. I don’t know how I’m going to prepare myself for that yet as I heard the golf course is probably one of the toughest golf courses in America. I’m going there with an open mind and not expecting anything. It’s good to have options because of my world rankings and wins. I can choose which Tour I want to play and which tournament and courses I like to play in. I didn’t have much options in the past but now I have the flexibility of picking and choosing the best events for myself.

Alexander Bjork (Swe)
It’s different coming to an event as defending champion and it’s also different his year because it’s a different location here at Genzon. But it’s fun to see your face on posters and stuff and it’s a good feeling, I’m looking forward to the week. I played here two years ago and I thought the course was really good. I had a decent week in Morocco last week with a top-10. I didn’t play my best but putted well so if I can get the long game going this week I think I can have a good chance.

Li Haotong (Chn)

My game is feeling quite good at the moment, especially after two weeks off here in China, so I’m looking forward to this week. Of course I feel comfortable here this week, especially in Shenzhen. I will have a lot of friends coming here to watch me play this week and hopefully I can play some decent golf for them and maybe hold the trophy again. The course is a little bit soft from the recent rain but I think they will be good conditions for the tournament. I think for Chinese golf, this tournament has been huge for us, especially as you can see other Chinese players are doing well on the bigger tours now so I think our game is going to grow and grow.

Wu Ashun (Chn)
My game is quite good right now. I played last week in Morocco and it wasn’t great but I’ve found something in my game and I’m feeling good for this week. I’m happy to come back to the Volvo China Open. I have very good memories of this tournament, it was my first win on the European Tour and I also played in Genzon when this tournament was here last in 2014 so it’s always good to come back and play here. It’s always nice to come back to China, with good food and good fans here so you’re always going to enjoy this week.

Alexander Levy (Fra)
I’m really pleased to be back here on this golf course, it’s a lovely place, and this course is where I won my first event on the European Tour. So I’m happy to be back. I think it’s a golf course that suits my game pretty well, you have to hit some draws and that’s the trajectory I like most. It’s nice to come to a golf course you like and when I saw that the tournament was coming back to Genzon I was really happy.

S.S.P. Chawrasia (Ind)
The Volvo China Open is one of the biggest events for me. It will mean a lot to me if I can do well here as there are many things at stake for me this week. This includes keeping my card and more playing opportunities. I haven’t been playing well but my confidence is slowing returning and I feel that I can ride on that now. I’ve played at Genzon Golf Club on several occasions and I know what needs to be done to do really well this week. I have not been consistent and that’s my biggest problem. I just need to play four solid rounds and if I can do that, it’ll solve a lot of things for me.

Sadom Kaewkanjana (Tha)
It’s really exciting to be playing in the Volvo China Open this week. This will be my first time playing in this event but my confidence is really very high now and I feel like I’m capable of taking on the world! I’m not being over confident but I just feel that the win in Bangladesh has sparkled something in me and I can go on to do better things. Anytime you win a golf tournament, especially against a strong field, you begin to feel very assured of yourself. I’m going to approach this week like how I approach every event that I tee up. I want to win again.

Zhang Lianwei (Chn)
I’ve never missed any edition of the Volvo China Open and I won’t want to miss this event for anything! As an Asian Tour board member, I’m obviously pleased the event is being sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and Chinese Golf Association again. It will further promote the event and also the development of the sport in Shenzhen. With the event being held in Shenzhen this year, it will be another good publicity for the city and can hopefully further promote tourism here.

Shenzhen, China, April 30: India’s S.S.P. Chawrasia is hoping to regain the form that led him to six Asian Tour titles when he tees up for ‘one of his biggest tests’ at the Volvo China Open which starts on Thursday.

Chawrasia’s last victory dates back to 2017 when he last won on home soil. He has only one top-10 finish on the Asian Tour last year and missed the cut in all four events he played in the Middle East since the start of this year.

The 40-year-old, however bounced back by featuring in the weekend rounds in Malaysia and India last month and sees that as a sign of better things to come as he readies himself for the challenge at the Volvo China Open which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana is also hopeful of continuing his lightning start to his rookie season following his breakthrough in Bangladesh earlier this month.

Sadom is the record fastest Qualifying School graduate to win on the Asian Tour. He won his maiden Asian Tour title in what was only his first start on Tour after making the grade at Qualifying School last December.

Playing in the Volvo China Open for the first time as the newest Asian Tour champion, the 20-year-old is confident of taking on a strong field which features over 40 Asian Tour champions and five Order of Merit winners at the Genzon Golf Club.

Asian Tour board member Zhang Lianwei, who won the event in 2003, will continue to feature at the Volvo China Open. The Chinese veteran will be teeing up for the 25th time this week since the event was inaugurated in 1995.

Did you know?

• S.S.P. Chawarasia’s best result at the Volvo China Open came in 2017 when he finished tied-36th.
• Out of his six wins on the Asian Tour, Chawasia’s lone win outside India came at the Resorts World Manila Masters in 2016.
• He finished in 83rd place on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings last year.
• Sadom secured his 2019 Asian Tour card in his first attempt at the Qualifying School last December.
• He turned professional at the end of 2018 and broke through on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) after claiming his first professional victory at the Thongchai Jaidee Foundation in February.
• Sadom enjoyed an illustrious amateur career prior to joining the play-for-pay ranks. He was ranked as high as 10th position on the Official World Amateur Rankings and his amateur wins include the 2017 Malaysian Amateur Open, 2017 All Indian Amateur and the 2018 Dutch International Junior Open.
• The Thai also won the 2017 Singha Pattaya Open on his domestic circuit as an amateur.
• The Volvo China Open is the longest running professional golf tournament in China and is tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and the China Golf Association.

Ends.

Sentosa, Singapore, April 26: The Asian Tour will head to East Asia where an exciting run of events in China, Korea and Japan is poised to reignite the Order of Merit battle after a three-week break.

The Volvo China Open will be staged concurrently with The 38th GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship next week. The two events will take place at the Genzon Golf Club, Shenzhen and Namseoul Country Club, Seoul respectively.

Close to US$4 million in total prize purse will be on offer at both the Volvo China Open and GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship which are celebrating its 25^th and 38^th editions respectively.

The Tour will then move to the Land of the Rising Sun for the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup, which was founded in 1973 but co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO) since 2014.

Australia’s Scott Hend, who will be teeing up at the Volvo China Open, took over pole position on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity standings after his memorable victory at the Maybank Championship last month and has already declared his intentions to win the Order of Merit crown again.

The 45-year-old became the first Australian to clinch the merit title in 2016 and is the fourth player after Thailand’s Thaworn Wiratchant, Thongchai Jaidee and Prayad Marksaeng to record 10 wins or more on the Asian Tour.

“I’m leading the Asian Tour Order of Merit at the moment and it gives me a good chance to win it again. It’ll be another fantastic achievement and I would like to do it again,” said Hend.

Korea’s Sanghyun Park will be another player to look out for as he returns as the defending champion for The 38th GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship.

Park enjoyed a memorable 2018 season when he finished second on the Habitat for Humanity Standings with over half a million (US$) in earnings and was also named the Asian Tour Rookie of the Year.

The 36-year-old Korean might have missed the cuts in his first two events on the Asian Tour this season, but with the home event featuring early on the Tour’s schedule again, Park is hopeful of restoring some form of self-belief on home soil.

“Winning the Maekyung Open last year changed my plans for the rest of the season. As it came early in the season, it gave me a lot of confidence and I guess that was what led me to three wins last season,” said Park.

The Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup, which will be held at the Sobu Country Club the following week, will then be the Asian Tour’s first stop in Japan this season.

Korea’s K.T. Kim and Chinese Taipei’s Chan Shi-chang remain as the only foreign players to have won the event in 2015 and 2016.

Japan’s Tetsuji Hiratsuka (2014), Daisuke Kataoka (2017) and Yuta Ikeda (2018) were the other winners since 2014, when the Asian Tour came onboard as a sanctioning partner of the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup.

Ends.