Published on April 5, 2019

Published on

Dhaka, Bangladesh, April 5: Young Thai talent Sadom Kaewkanjana stands on the verge of his Asian Tour breakthrough after signing for a three-under-par 68 on Friday to take a two-shot lead heading into the final round of the Bangabandhu Cup Golf Open.

The 20-year-old Sadom, who is making his first start on Tour after coming through the Qualifying School last December, marked his card with four birdies against a bogey to stay atop the leaderboard with an 18-under-par 195 total at the Kurmitola Golf Club.

Sadom’s overnight three-shot lead was reduced to two by his closest rival Rashid Khan of India, who narrowed the gap after carding a bogey-free 67, highlighted by an eagle and two birdies, to sit in second place at the US$350,000 Asian Tour full-field event.

India’s Ajeetesh Sandhu returned with the day’s best score of a 65, thanks to six birdies, including four in-a-row from the 11^th hole, to trail by six shots in solo third in the tournament, which is celebrating its fifth consecutive edition on the Asian Tour this week.

Siddikur Rahman remained the highest-placed Bangladeshi after posting a flawless 68 to tie in fourth place with Australia’s Maverick Antcliff (69) on 202. Last year’s joint runner-up Jack Harrison of England settled a further shot back in sixth following a 68.

Sadom, who has already broken through on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) last month, is chasing to become the third Thai player following Thitiphun Chuayprakong (2016) and Jazz Janewattananond (2017) to win the National Open of Bangladesh.

Should he accomplish the feat on Sunday, he would also become the record fastest Qualifying School graduate to win on the Asian Tour.

The Bangabandhu Cup Golf Open 2019 welcomed a new title sponsor in the National Bank Ltd, a public limited bank in Bangladesh. The tournament has been named in honour of the father of the nation of Bangladesh, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Did you know?

• Sadom Kaewkanjana leads the field in birdies made with 19 after three rounds. He is also tied for the lead with 81.48% greens in regulation.
• 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 a tied-sixth finish on the Asian Tour when he played the 2018 Queen’s Cup presented by Bangchak as an amateur last year.
• 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. Also won the 2017 Singha Pattaya Open on his domestic circuit as an amateur.
• Sadom first played at the Kurmitola Golf Club four years ago where he came in second at the 30th Bangladesh Amateur Golf Championship.
• Rashid Khan, who turned professional in 2010, is a two-time winner on the Asian Tour. He won twice in Thailand and India in 2014.
• Khan has been enjoying a good run of form since winning on his domestic circuit in Mumbai last December. He won again in Bangladesh last month before claiming a solid top-10 finish at the Hero Indian Open last week.
• Khan averaged 1.5 putts per Green in regulation and is ranked first in the field in that statistic category.
• Ajeetesh Sandhu is a one-time winner on the Asian Tour. A week after claiming his first Asian Tour title in Chinese Taipei in 2017, Sandhu went on to win the Taiheiyo Club Challenge Tournament on the Japan Challenge Tour.
• Sandhu claimed three top-10 finishes in 2018 to finish in 28^th position on the Habitat for Humanity Standings.
• He has not dropped a single shot in his last 46 holes at the 2019 Bangabandhu Cup Golf Open.
• Siddikur Rahman marked the best ever result produced by a Bangladeshi at the 2017 Bangladesh Open. He birdied the 18th hole to close with a five-under-par 66 and a 13-under-par 271 total, finishing four shots shy of winner Jazz to take second place on his own.
• The Kurmitola Golf Club is the home course of Siddikur, who used to work as a ball boy at the club to support his studies. He is currently attached to Kurmitola Golf Club as an honorary member.
• Siddikur became the first player from Bangladesh to win on the Asian Tour when he emerged victorious at the Brunei Open in 2010. Also became the first sportsman from his country to qualify for the 2016 Olympics on merit and was accorded the honour of becoming Bangladesh’s flagbearer during the opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro.

Published on

Sadom Kaewkanjana (THA) – Third round 68 (-3), Total 195 (-18)

I am happy with the way I played today. I played better than I expected. I will aim to play better tomorrow. This is my first Asian Tour event as a professional and as a Qualifying School graduate. But I told myself to play like how I used to play when I was an amateur and not think about prize money and all.

I just want to enjoy my game and think about how to play this course. I hope to keep things the same, especially my putting game. Putting is important for every event. You need to try and make as many birdies as you can out there.

I like this course. It’s in a good condition. It’s narrow but not long. It suits my game. I started well today. I made a 10-footer for birdie on the first. That gave me some confidence heading into the round.

Rashid played well but I told myself to just focus on my game. My goal was just to hit fairways and greens and make putts. If I can hit the fairway, it will be easier. I spoke to my parents after my round yesterday and they were very encouraging.

I remembered finishing second in a tournament here when I was an amateur four years ago. Good memories coming back here. I won’t be thinking much about tomorrow. My aim for this season is to keep my card but I will try my best tomorrow.

Rashid Khan (Ind) – Third round 67 (-4), Total 197 (-16)

I was a bit off today. I hit the ball bad. I didn’t take advantage of my birdie opportunities. But I finished well. I had an eagle on 14 and a birdie on 15. Overall, it was fine. I made a couple of up and downs. I was struggling to find fairways and greens.

I hit a driver and a rescue to the front edge of the green on 14 and holed that putt for eagle. For the birdie on the next, I hit a driver and a nine-iron to about six feet and holed that putt. It was tough out there. It started raining on the last few holes.

Sadom’s been playing very well. I hope to keep up my good performance and continue to do the same tomorrow. Hopefully I can change something.

Ajeestesh Sandhu (Ind) – Third round 65 (-6), Total 201 (-12)

The four birdies in a row today was the highlight for me. I missed the fifth one by a whisker but it’s alright. I am happy with the way I finished. I did pretty much the same that I have been doing last few weeks.

The scores just didn’t come in last week but this week, I just managed to hit it a bit closer and dropped a couple more putts. It’s nothing really special that I have done. My best birdie today would probably be on the 13^th hole. I hit it on the fairway but I was right behind a tree in the middle.

The flag was stuck all the way left. I hit a good draw with a pitching wedge to about four feet. That was a really good birdie I thought. We kind of dodged the rain a bit. We were already on the 17^th green when it rained. I just managed to hit it on the right spots today I think.

You really have to be patient even though you have a wedge in your hands. The pin positions are tricky today. I think I did that well. I was just cruising through the round. I didn’t make any mistakes. I have been bogey-free for the last 45 holes now. That’s always good. I will try and get aggressive from the first hole tomorrow. Everyone can score out there.

Siddikur Rahman (Ban) – Third round 68 (-3), Total 202 (-11)

It’s great to shoot another bogey-free round. Everything was good today except my putting. I didn’t putt as well as I did in the last two rounds. But I hit the ball well again and my second shots were good too. I managed to hit it close to the pins but left some putts out there.

I hope to make more putts tomorrow and jump up a little bit higher on the leaderboard. I made a long birdie putt on 17^th from about 15 feet. That was my longest putt today. Made the birdie on 14^th from about five-feet and sank an eight-footer for another birdie on seventh.

This is the fifth year we’re playing in my National Open on the Asian Tour. To be honest, the main difference for me so far is that I am not feeling the pressure that I felt in the past. This time, I feel more comfortable and I don’t take pressure at all honestly.

Previously, I said I won’t feel any pressure but actually I was still pretty stressed. This is our National Open and it’s a big tournament for us. Of course, it is important and I want to play well. But I am really enjoying myself this week.

Published on April 4, 2019

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Tzc9xndIOE[/embedyt]

Published on

Dhaka, Bangladesh, April 4: Tour rookie Sadom Kaewkanjana of Thailand stole the limelight after carding his personal-best round of a nine-under-par 62 to storm to the top of the leaderboard, seizing the halfway lead at the Bangabandhu Cup Golf Open on Thursday.

The 20-year-old Thai, who came through the 2019 Asian Tour Qualifying School last December, fired an eagle and eight birdies against a bogey to grab a three-shot lead with his 15-under-par 127 total at the highly-rated Kurmitola Golf Club.

Sadom’s commendable round saw him set the lowest 18-hole and 36-hole scores in the National Open of Bangladesh. His three-shot advantage is also the largest halfway lead recorded in the tournament, which is celebrating its fifth edition on the Asian Tour this week.

In-form Rashid Khan of India returned with a bogey-free 64 in the afternoon to grab second place on his own while overnight leader Maverick Antcliff of Australia slipped six shots off the pace to third following a battling 70 at the US$350,000 Asian Tour event.

Local hero Siddikur Rahman emerged as the highest-placed Bangladeshi on the leaderboard after posting a 68 to share fourth place with Japan’s Mikumu Horikawa (67) and Viraj Madappa of India (66) on matching 134s.

Starting from the 10^th, Sadom reeled in two straight pars before a birdie on the 12^th sparked a hot streak which saw him go five-under in the next four holes. He dropped a shot on the 17^th hole but would gain it back swiftly with a birdie on 18^th to turn in 30.

Sadom went on to add three more birdies on his back nine to cap a superb round, which saw him navigate his way around the greens in only 24 putts, including a 13-footer for eagle on the par-five 14^th hole.

A total of 70 players, including a record number of 12 local professionals, survived the halfway cut set at one-over-par 143.

The Bangabandhu Cup Golf Open 2019 welcomed a new title sponsor in the National Bank Ltd, a public limited bank in Bangladesh. The tournament has been named in honour of the father of the nation of Bangladesh, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

 

Did you know?

• Sadom Kaewkanjana secured his 2019 Asian Tour card in his first attempt at the Qualifying School last December.
• Sadom, who turned professional at the end of 2018, broke through on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) after claiming his first professional victory at the Thongchai Jaidee Foundation in February.
• The 20-year-old Thai enjoyed a tied-sixth finish on the Asian Tour when he played the 2018 Queen’s Cup presented by Bangchak as an amateur last year.
• 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. Also won the 2017 Singha Pattaya Open on his domestic circuit as an amateur.
• Sadom is making his first start on the Asian Tour this season. He first played at the Kurmitola Golf Club four years ago for the 30th Bangladesh Amateur Golf Championship where he came in second.
• Rashid Khan, who turned professional in 2010, is a two-time winner on the Asian Tour. He won twice in Thailand and India in 2014.
• Khan has been enjoying a good run of form since winning on his domestic circuit in Mumbai last December. He won again in Bangladesh last month before claiming a solid top-10 finish at the Hero Indian Open last week.
• Maverick Antcliff enjoyed a tied-fourth place finish when he made his Asian Tour debut at the Asian Golf Championship in China two years ago.
• Antcliff secured his 2018 Asian Tour card in what was his first attempt at the Qualifying School. The Australian, however, failed to keep his card for 2019 after finishing outside of top-60 on the Habitat for Humanity Standings.
• Antcliff is making his debut appearance at the Bangabandhu Cup Golf Open this week. It will be his third Asian Tour start this season. He missed the halfway cuts in his last two starts in Perth and New Zealand.
• Siddikur Rahman marked the best ever result produced by a Bangladeshi at the 2017 Bangladesh Open. He birdied the 18th hole to close with a five-under-par 66 and a 13-under-par 271 total, finishing four shots shy of winner Jazz to take second place on his own.
• The Kurmitola Golf Club is the home course of Siddikur, who used to work as a ball boy at the club to support his studies. He is currently attached to Kurmitola Golf Club as an honorary member.
• Siddikur became the first player from Bangladesh to win on the Asian Tour when he emerged victorious at the Brunei Open in 2010. Also became the first sportsman from his country to qualify for the 2016 Olympics on merit and was accorded the honour of becoming Bangladesh’s flagbearer during the opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro.
• Two weeks ago, Siddikur finished tied-15th at the lucrative Maybank Championship in Malaysia. He sits in 18th place on the Merit rankings.

Published on

Sadom Kaewkanjana (THA) – Second round 62 (-9), Total 127 (-15)

My goal today was just to shoot under-par. I didn’t expect to play so well. I am really happy. My putting is very good. I got off to a solid start. I had a great run from the 12^th hole. I was just hitting fairways and greens and then making putts. It felt great.

It’s my first time playing this tournament but I have played here before when I was still an amateur four years ago. I played at the Bangladesh Amateur Open. I like this course. It’s in a good condition. It’s not too long and you just need to hit it straight off the tees.

I am really excited now. It’s been a good journey so far since I turned professional. I don’t think there’s much difference being a pro and an amateur. I just want to enjoy and not think so much about making money. Just play my game and be happy on course.

Winning on the ADT has given me a lot of confidence in my game. It feels good to be in the lead after two rounds in my first Asian Tour start this season too. I hope to continue my good form over the next two days and see how it goes.

Rashid Khan (Ind) – Second round 64 (-7), Total 130 (-12)

It was a good round. The way I started was great. I missed the greens on my first three holes but managed to make up and downs for pars. Made a really long putt for birdie on fifth. I think it’s about a 20-footer. I carried on that good momentum and birdied sixth and seventh and made another one on ninth to turn in four-under.

I made some good putts after the turn. Just rolled past the hole. I hit it to about two-feet on the 13^th and made another birdie there. Made up and down for birdies on 14^th too. Overall, it’s a good round. I made a lot of up and downs and I holed some putts. Hit one or two bad shots but I recovered really well.

I tried my best today. Just three shots back now so I think it will be a good fight over the next two days. I have never played well on this course. This is my best round here. I took out my three-iron and put in a gab-wedge today. That’s the only difference compared to yesterday.

I felt good coming back to Bangladesh. I won a tournament here about three weeks ago, although on a different course. I played good golf there and I shot 24-under total to win by seven shots. I felt the good vibes coming back to Bangladesh. It has given me a lot of confidence.

It’s been awhile since I last won on the Asian Tour. It’s always been at the back of my mind, to win on the Asian Tour again. I will just play the same tomorrow, give myself chances and keep trying my best.

 

Maverick Antcliff (Aus) – Second round 70 (-1), Total 133 (-9)

It was alright. I was hitting it nicely at the start. Just got into a bit of trouble on the 17^th and 18^th holes. A couple of three-putts there but played really nicely on the fifth and sixth. Unfortunately, three-putted from 12 feet to bogey the eighth hole coming in but overall, it was still pretty solid.

Wind was up a little bit but that was expected every afternoon. I made a nice birdie on 10^th which got me settled down for a little bit. I hit a nice shot to about six feet and then on the 12^th, I hit a nice shot to about two-feet for birdie too.

Siddikur Rahman (Ban) – Second round 68 (-3), Total 134 (-8)

It was another good round, except for the last hole. I made a silly bogey there. But I have no complaints, it was a wonderful day. I am happy to shoot eight-under for the first two days here. I am happy with the way I played.

I putted well today. I am hitting the ball good too. Making putts will be the key to score this week. I wish to keep to the same rhythm, nothing changes. I am hoping for the best. Hopefully I can keep up with my fitness for the next two days.

My family and friends are out here to support me. I feel energized to see them and they kept me going out there. It’s good to see our local boys doing well. I can see that they are getting more experienced now. It’s happy to see how the development of golf in Bangladesh has grown.

 

Published on

Published on

Maverick Antcliff (Aus) – First round 63 (-8)

I am really happy with the way I played today. I wanted to come and play here last year but couldn’t get my visa approved in time. It’s nice to be here finally. I have been working hard on my game after my first few events back home.

It’s nice to get off to a nice start. I am really happy with my birdie on the third hole. A bit of a niggly hole but it was nice to get a birdie there as I managed to get some momentum going from there. I just tried to stay in the present and keep it going really.

Mohammad Muaj (BAN) – First round 65 (-6)

This is the best round I have shot on this course. I am really pleased. I didn’t expect myself to shoot six-under. It feels really nice. I gave myself a lot of birdie chances actually but I made a few mistakes out there.

I just stay in it and kept the good momentum going. Everything was good for me today. I managed to hit it close. All my birdies were from within six feet. I putted very well today as well.

Settee Prakongvech (THA) – First round 65 (-6)

I putted really well. I hit my short irons good too. I made some long putts. I made a good birdie on the ninth which is my last hole. I hit a hybrid to the middle of the fairway and then hit a good second shot with my 50-degree wedge to about three-feet. That was a good shot, I think.

I think I am more familiar with this course now. I came back with a better game plan as well and it helped. I practiced a lot before coming here. I am happy that it is paying off. I will stick to my game plan for the rest of the week. I just want to play my own game.

Jazz Janewattananond (THA) – First round 65 (-6)

I started off really good. I made a lot of birdies but it kind of slowed down on the back. But overall, it’s still pretty good round. I hit a bad drive on the 17th hole, hit the cart path and bounced into the water. It’s the only bogey of the day so it’s not too bad.

I just managed to hit it on the greens for the other birdies. I hit it close and made some putts. It’s still a long way to go. I just need to keep playing my game, keep hitting fairways and greens and keep making putts.

Siddikur Rahman (Ban) – First round 66 (-5)

I felt really comfortable out there today. It was nice to come back with a bogey-free round with five birdies. I left a few birdies putts out there but overall, it was good. My hitting was excellent. I putted well too.

I had a really tricky line on the 18th but I made it and it reminded me of my birdie on that hole to finish second place two years ago. It was nice to finish off with that birdie again. I think that’s my lucky hole! I holed it from about 15 feet today.

I just want to keep to the same rhythm for the next few days and enjoy myself out there.

Rashid Khan (Ind) – First round 66 (-5)

It was a good round. The greens are quite tricky here so to shoot a five-under today I am very happy. Even if you know the line, you still have to make a really good putt. I didn’t start well actually. I three-putted for bogey on the 12th but I made a good comeback with birdies on 13 and 14.

I hit a good shot on the 18th hole but it went over the green and I didn’t manage to makeup and down from there. It was nice to finish off with three straight birdies as well. I made up and down on the seventh hole about 70 yards from the left rough. It was a really good up and down. I made a three-footer and a two-footer on the last two holes for birdies. It was very good.

I have been riding on a good form for the past seven to eight weeks. I won in Mumbai last December and then won in Bangladesh last month before my top-10 finish back home last week. It’s been a good run. I have been very focused. I feel more confident now.

Trevor Simsby (USA) – First round 66 (-5)

I played really well on the front nine. I was kind of just feeding off my playing partner Maverick. We were just rubbing the good vibes off each other out there. I played really solid. I didn’t play as well on the back nine, even in my practice rounds. Still got to figure out the back nine a bit more. Overall, I am very happy.

This is my first start on the Asian Tour. I have played a couple of Asian Development Tour events earlier and that helped me warmed up for the season. It was quite an easy transition, even though this is a bigger tournament but I felt more acclimated to the weather conditions here in Asia now.

I have been here in Asia for four months now. I have a friend in Singapore who has allowed me to stay with him but I was in Kuala Lumpur last week looking to make there as my home base in Asia as well. I am trying to find a place to live and practise now.

Md. Sajib Ali (BAN) – First round 66 (-5)

Everything was good for me today. I played very well. This is my home course and I am very familiar with this course. I made a 30-footer for birdie on the second hole and that was good. I putted well today.

I am really happy with the way I played. I hope to continue my good form for the next three rounds. My lowest round on this course was a nine-under. Hopefully I can get that score again this week.

Published on April 2, 2019

Dhaka, Bangladesh, April 2: Sweden’s Malcolm Kokocinski hopes to get his season back on track with a successful title defence at the US$350,000 Bangabandhu Cup Golf Open 2019, which gets underway at the Kurmitola Golf Club on Wednesday.

Kokocinski, who started plying his trade on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) in 2013, broke through on the premier Asian Tour after capping an inspiring victory last year where he won by three shots following a closing six-under-par 65.

Despite struggling to replicate his success since making his ascent onto the Asian Tour, Kokocinski remained patient as he believes the experiences will help him regain his confidence when he challenges for top honours again on his favourite hunting ground.

Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond, the highest-ranked Asian Tour player in the 150-man field this week, is relishing his return to the Kurmitola Golf Club for the first time since securing his maiden win on the same venue two years ago.

Now a three-time Asian Tour winner, the 23-year-old Jazz is looking to ride on the beautiful memories in his chase for a fourth title and a second one this season to become the first player to win the Bangladesh Open more than once.

Home hero Siddikur Rahman will spearhead the local charge, which consists of 41 professionals and six amateurs, in what is the National Open of Bangladesh. They will aim to become the first Bangladeshi to lift the trophy since the event was inaugurated in 2015.

The Bangabandhu Cup Golf Open 2019, which is the National Open of Bangladesh, welcomed a new title sponsor in the National Bank Ltd, a public limited bank in Bangladesh.

The tournament has been named in honour of the father of the nation of Bangladesh, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The highly-acclaimed Kurmitola Golf Club continues to provide top-class hospitality as the home of the Bangladesh’s National Open.

Did you know?

• Malcolm Kokocinski of Sweden became the third straight player in the tournament history to claim his Asian Tour breakthrough at the event, where he triumphed by three shots last year.
• Kokocinski had enjoyed a superb run on the Asian Development Tour (ADT), where he had claimed four top-three results in six starts, prior to securing his first Asian Tour win.
• Out of his four top-three results on the ADT last year, two were obtained at the Kurmitola Golf Club where he finished second at the City Bank Amex Dhaka Open in January and tied-third at the BTI Open in April.
• Kokocinski, however, has struggled to find success since his Asian Tour breakthrough. He made the halfway cuts on seven occasions in his next 14 starts before ending the 2018 season in 51^st place on the Order of Merit.
• The 27-year-old Swede also missed four consecutive cuts after finishing tied-38^th at the 2019 season-opener in Singapore.
• Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand is the highest-ranked player in the 150-man field this week. He sits in second place on the latest Habitat for Humanity Standings and 73rd on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).
• Jazz will return to the venue where he claimed his maiden Asian Tour title in 2017. That victory was especially sweet for him because it came shortly after he lost his Asian Tour card when he did not finish inside top-60 on the 2016 Order of Merit and failed to regain his playing rights at the Qualifying School.
• The amazing career turnaround two years ago also marked the start of Jazz’s epic rise as he went on to notch five other top-10s to finish in ninth place on the 2017 Order of Merit. He secured a second win and first on home soil before making his Major debut at The Open in 2018.
• Jazz’s solid form continued into 2019 as he claimed his third title and his career’s biggest win yet at the season-opening SMBC Singapore Open in January. The talented young Thai also capped back-to-back top-five finishes in New Zealand and Malaysia in his last three starts on Tour.
• Siddikur Rahman marked the best ever result produced by a Bangladeshi at the 2017 Bangladesh Open. He birdied the 18th hole to close with a five-under-par 66 and a 13-under-par 271 total, finishing four shots shy of winner Jazz to take second place on his own.
• The Kurmitola Golf Club is the home course of Siddikur, who used to work as a ball boy at the club to support his studies. He is currently attached to Kurmitola Golf Club as an honorary member.
• Siddikur became the first player from Bangladesh to win on the Asian Tour when he emerged victorious at the Brunei Open in 2010. Also became the first sportsman from his country to qualify for the 2016 Olympics on merit and was accorded the honour of becoming Bangladesh’s flagbearer during the opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro.
• Two weeks ago, Siddikur finished tied-15th at the lucrative Maybank Championship in Malaysia. He sits in 18^th place on the Merit rankings.
• All the past champions of the Bangladesh’s National Open will feature in the field this week. They are Singapore’s Mardan Mamat (2015), Thai duo Thitiphun Chuayprakong (2016) and Jazz Janewattananond (2017), as well as defending champion Malcolm Kokocinski of Sweden.