Published on August 27, 2019

Jakarta, Indonesia, August 27: South Africa’s JC Ritchie believes the Bank BRI Indonesia Open can be his springboard to more success when he tees up at the country’s longest-running golf tournament which starts on Thursday.

Playing on a sponsor’s invitation this week, Ritchie is aware of the benefits that his compatriots have reaped from playing on the Asian Tour and hopes to follow their same path to glory.

Ritchie, who is leading the Order of Merit on the Sunshine Tour, will have his title ambitions put to test against a strong international field where players from 24 countries have gathered for the US$500,000 full-field Asian Tour event.

In one of the marquee groups for the opening two rounds, Ritchie will be playing alongside Indonesia’s number one Danny Masrin and Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond who is expected to feature prominently on the leaderboard, having already won twice this season and finishing strongly at the Pondok Indah Golf Course in the 2017 edition.

Sweden’s Daniel Chopra is looking forward to another memorable ‘homecoming’ as he returns to the Pondok Indah Golf Course, ready to rekindle all the fond memories he has of the host venue.

All eyes will also be on Indonesia’s George Gandranata who is among the 31-strong local contingent at the Bank BRI Indonesia Open which is also the Asian Tour’s first stop in Indonesia this season.

Did you know?

• JC Ritchie turned professional in 2013 and is currently leading the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit.
• He holds three wins on the Sunshine Tour is ranked 120^th in the world.
• The South African is visiting Indonesia for the first time.
• Jazz Janewattananond is the highest ranked player in the field this week. He is in 58^th place on the latest Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) and is also the leading Thai player in the world.
• Jazz is the current Asian Tour Order of Merit leader after enjoying a solid season that has been highlighted by two victories and three top-five finishes so far.
• Jazz’s best result at the Indonesia Open came in 2017 when he finished tied-third.
• Jazz broke into top-100 on the OWGR after winning his third Asian Tour title in Singapore in January and marked his career-best ranking when he rose to 52nd position following his fourth victory in Korea in June.
• Jazz’s tied-14 finish at the 2019 PGA Championship, which was his second Major start, was the best-ever result by a Thai player in that Major tournament.
• Prior to his victory in Korea, Jazz also notched back-to-back top-five finishes on the Japan Golf Tour.
• Daniel Chopra has won twice on the PGA TOUR and also once at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters in 2001. He topped the Asian Tour Qualifying School in 2015.
• Gandranata remains the only Indonesian to have won once on the Asian Development Tour (ADT), a feeder circuit of the Asian Tour, in 2016.
• He is currently second behind Danny Masrin on the domestic circuit’s money list.
• In the spirit of closer collaborations and reciprocal opportunities with the Sunshine Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia, invitations have been extended to leading players from these Tours to play at the Bank BRI Indonesia Open.

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JC Ritchie (Rsa)
The Bank BRI Indonesia Open really changed Justin Harding’s life completely. He went from being almost 1000 in the world to being top-50 in the world within a span of 8 months. So, I’m definitely hopeful that this event can change my life too. I’ve always wanted to come to Asia and I’ve always wanted to play on the Asian Tour. I’m glad I finally got the opportunity to do so this week and I’m hoping this tournament can be as important for me as it’s been for the other guys. This is my first time playing in Indonesia and Asia. A lot of our guys that play in South Africa have all said this is one of the better routes to go. Obviously straight to Europe or web.com is tough, but if you can’t do that, then this is definitely the way to go. I have been playing well recently and I’m really looking forward to the week and enjoying it out here. The golf course is beautiful so I’m looking forward to it.

Jazz Janewattananond (Tha)
I missed the event last year so it’s a good place to come I always like this golf course. I got a lot of memories here and have played here since I was really young. Indonesian Open is one of my first events where I finished strongly. I like to come back to Pondok Indah as well because it’s next to the mall and there’s a lot of rain delays. So if there is any delay you can just walk to the mall and eat something and come back. I’m just here to enjoy the week and I just want to make the best out of it.

Daniel Chopra (Swe)
I’ve quite an amazing relationship and past experience here in Indonesia. I first came here in 1987 as a junior golfer, my coach was based here at Pondok Indah so I would come and spend two or three months every year for a period of four-five years. So when I first had the opportunity to come back and play the Indonesia Open at Pondok Indah a couple years ago, I jumped at the chance to come back. This is like a second home to me with all the memories I have growing up and running around the property as a kid and causing all kinds of mischief. It’s a place that I truly come back to and feel totally and completely at home. I came out a day early, didn’t even play the golf course. I just kind of walked around, got in all the surroundings, got all the memories, I didn’t want to be a little bit over awed the first time I played. I’ve to thank Pak Po specifically for personally inviting me to come and play. I was sitting on the couch when I got the call from the Asian Tour that Pak Po had asked me to come and play. I went straight to the computer and booked a flight to come out here.

George Gandranata (Ina)
There are definitely good vibes coming into this week as this course is very close to where I grew up and where I live. It’s a championship course with a beautiful layout and it’s very challenging. It’s in very good shape as well so I’m really excited, I hope we have a lot of crowds and that one of the Indonesians can contend. I thought I was playing quite well about two months ago but I’ve had a bit of a putting and driving trouble the last two weeks, but I worked on it last week and I’m feeling pretty good so hopefully it will come to fruition this week. Hopefully I’m peaking at the right time so we’ll see.

Micah Lauren Shin (Usa)
I’m in pretty good shape right now and I’m feeling confident coming into this tournament. I want to win again. Obviously, everyone does but to be honest my game has been on and off, like I wasn’t really playing the way that I wanted, especially some parts of my game. I had a swing change before Malaysia, maybe a little over a month ago and it’s been helping me a lot. I had an injury layoff from June to September last year. I had an injury on my hip and I had to rest for a while because I could barely walk. But I’m ok now. My dad’s on my bag again this week and he takes care of everything for me so I don’t really have to worry about doing anything else and just focus on golf.

Quincy Quek (Sgp)
It was quite nice to receive an invite to this event as I didn’t think I would be playing this week until Saturday night when I received a text to say that I was in. So yeah, I’m pretty excited to be able to play. Otherwise it would have been two weeks off before I go to China. Hopefully, I can carry on the good form to this week. I guess initially after that first win I was wondering when the next one will come, and then after a few years, you begin to switch your focus on winning to trying to turn in good results and hoping everything will go your way and fall into place. I always feel that everyone has a chance of winning but it just requires a little bit of luck for the ball to bounce the right way or for the putts to drop at the right time. I think that happened for me the last week. I came close to keeping my card on the Asian tour a number of times over the years. But it’s not as easy when you’re just playing full field events. you know 300-500k events it’s quite hard to actually break into that top-60. The ADT is definitely a very good Tour for you to sort of hone your skills and try to learn how to get those good finishes constantly. Trying to bring it to a top-10, top-five and I think that’s quite a lot for your game. I think it has done quite a lot for my game and I feel like when I go and play an ADT event now, I can aim for a top-10 or top-five and trying to get closer and closer to the championship. So I feel like I’m now able to bring that confidence with me to Asian Tour and hopefully this will be a good week.

Benita Kasiadi (Ina)
This Indonesia Open holds a very special place for me in my heart. This is because my father is the only one Indonesian to have won the Indonesian open. I’m very proud of my father and I hope to play good this week. He’s coming to watching me this week and I’m feeling very excited and motivated to do well. He has been giving me lots of advice on my technique and course management.

Published on August 22, 2019

New Delhi, India, August 22: Thailand’s Chapchai Nirat will return to the scene of his historic victory when he tees up at the inaugural Classic Golf and Country Club International Championship next month.

The US$300,000 event, sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), will welcome back the four-time Asian Tour winner to the Classic Golf and Country Club when it makes its debut from September 12-15.

Chapchai wrote a slice of history in 2009 and took his place in golfing folklore when he recorded the world’s lowest 72-hole score with a 32-under-par to win the third of his four Asian Tour titles then.

Recalling his famous victory, the 36-year-old Thai vividly remembers it was because of nationalistic pride that actually prompted him to fly to India and tee up for the event.

“The Thailand Open was held a week before the Sail Open then and Jyoti Randhawa won our national open.

“So, some of my friends actually urged and said to me, why don’t you go to India to win the tournament, since an Indian came to win in Thailand. You need to go and win a trophy back,” smiled Chapchai.

As fate would have it, Chapchai only dropped two shots all week and had an amazing 34 birdies in four rounds, storming to a commanding 11-shot victory with his world record total at the Classic Golf and Country Club.

“My target was just to win and I did not think of the record so there was no pressure during the final birdie putt which helped me break the record.

“But there was also a dose of good luck for me then. Because my ball was in the divot and I managed to chip that to about three feet from the pin before holing that birdie putt,” said Chapchai.

Chapchai will be part of an international field that also features Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert, a one-time Asian Tour winner and Korea’s Taehee Lee, who claimed his maiden Tour win on home soil in May.

Invitations have also been extended to three players each from the Sunshine Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia

The local charge is likely to be spearheaded by Khalin Joshi and Ajeetesh Sandhu, who have both won once on the Asian Tour.

Prior to hosting its first Asian Tour event in 2009, the Classic Golf and Country Club was also home to the prestigious Indian Open in 2000 and 2001. Over the past few years, it has also played host to several tournaments on the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI).

Ends.

Published on August 16, 2019

Kuching, Sarawak, August 16: Thai rising star Jazz Janewattananond put himself in prime position for a fifth Asian Tour win after posting a solid eight-under-par 64 to grab a one-shot advantage at the halfway stage of the Sarawak Championship on Friday.

The 23-year-old Jazz, who has already won twice this season, sparkled with a flawless round highlighted by eight birdies to sit atop the leaderboard with a 15-under-par 129 total at the Damai Golf and Country Club.

Miguel Tabuena of the Philippines, who played alongside Jazz, also kept the blemishes off his card as he signed for a second straight 65 to share second place with Chinese Taipei’s Hung Chien-yao (66) and Australian Andrew Dodt (64) in the US$300,000 Asian Tour event.

Dodt, a two-time Asian Tour winner, got off to a sizzling start with an eagle on the 10^th hole followed by four successive birdies from 11 before turning in 30. The 33-year-old Australian is playing in his first event since suffering a two-month injury layoff in April.

Thai trio Pavit Tangkamolprasert, Danthai Boonma and Sadom Kaewkanjana shared fifth place on matching 133s following respective rounds of 65, 66 and 67 at the full-field event, which is celebrating its second edition on the Asian Tour this week.

The halfway cut was set at four-under-par 140 with a total of 72 players progressing into the weekend rounds.

The Sarawak Championship is supported by the Sarawak State government. It is also the Tour’s second stop in Malaysia this season.

Did you know?

• Jazz Janewattananond hit 18/18 greens in regulation en route to his round of 64.
• His two-day total of 15-under-par 129 is one shot better than the 36-hole score recorded in the inaugural edition of the Sarawak Championship last year.
• The 23-year-old Jazz is bidding for a fifth Asian Tour title and a third one this season to give himself a chance of automatically qualifying for the International Team, led by Captain Ernie Els, for the Presidents Cup.
• Currently placed 10th on the International Team standings, Jazz needs to move inside the top-eight on the rankings when the Sarawak championship concludes on Sunday. A victory at the Sarawak Championship will likely seal his move there along with an automatic spot for the match-play event which will be held in Melbourne at the end of the year.
• Sitting in 56th position on the latest Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), Jazz is the highest-ranked player in the 156-man field. He is also the highest-ranked Thai player in the world.
• Jazz came in joint runner-up at the Sarawak Championship last year after firing a birdie and an eagle in his closing three holes for a solid eight-under-par 64. Ended his campaign one shot shy of winner John Catlin of the United States.
• Hung Chien-yao of Chinese Taipei broke his personal 36-hole record after carding rounds of 64 and 66 to cap a two-day total of 14-under-par 130.
• He hasmissed two cuts in six starts so far this season. His best result is a tied-34th place finish at the season-opening SMBC Singapore Open and he sits in 64th place on the current Order of Merit.
• The 27-year-old Hung finished tied-20th at the Sarawak Championship last year.
• Hung has yet to win on the Asian Tour but has one Asian Development Tour (ADT) title which he won on home soil in 2013.
• Hung won the TPGA Championship on his local circuit for the third consecutive year last month.
• Andrew Dodt is a two-time Asian Tour winner. He won the 2010 Avantha Masters and the True Thailand Classic in 2015.
• He endured a two-month injury layoff starting from April due to a bulging disc in his back which was stemmed from his gym session in Morocco after a long-haul flight from Sydney.
• Dodt is playing in his fourth start on the Asian Tour in 2019. He sits in 59th place on the Order of Merit and will be focusing on the Asian Tour for the remainder of the season as he wants to retain his card for next year.

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Kuching, Sarawak, August 16: Read what players have to say following the second round of the Sarawak Championship on Friday.

Jazz Janewattananond (Tha) – Second round 64 (-8), Total 129 (-15)

It was a pretty solid round. I holed a lot of putts, missed some as well but overall, it was good. You just had to go out there and try your best. Every part of the game was pretty solid. Driver wasn’t as great but I kind of got away with it.

All the birdies today were pretty similar. Nothing stood out really. The greens are better this year and we were able to roll in more putts out there. It was nice playing alongside Scott Hend and Miguel Tabuena as well.

Scott made a good comeback with two closing birdies as well. It was fun to watch him fight back. It’s going to be the same tomorrow, just focus on hitting fairways and greens and we’ll see how it goes.

Hung Chien-yao (Tpe) – Second round 66 (-6), Total 130 (-14)

I felt really relaxed out there, just like yesterday. I told myself to try and play my best for every hole and every shot. I got off to a good start with three straight birdies, but I was more like watching my playing partner Andrew Dodt put on a show with his incredible run.

I wasn’t trying to chase him or anything. It was nice to watch and we just had fun out there. I left two good birdies chances out there today but overall, it was still a good round. I rolled in a long putt for birdie on 11^th. It was about 25 feet and probably my best birdie today.

I just want to keep the spirits up and finish the last two rounds. Hopefully it will get better and better! Everyone is playing well on this course. You never know what will happen so I just have to try my best. This should be the lowest 36-hole score in my career.

Andrew Dodt (Aus) – Second round 64 (-8), Total 130 (-14)

I didn’t hit a good drive on 10 actually. I pulled it in the left rough and holed it from 87 yards straight in for eagle. I holed some nice putts on 11 through 14 from between eight to 15 feet. Nice putts to get the round going. The drive on 10 wasn’t great but when I holed the second shot it got me into gear.

A bit of a dry spell though the second part, having said that the first few holes on the front nine, if you don’t quite hit the fairway you are probably scrambling for pars. I missed a few fairways and made some good saves and then birdied eight. Unfortunately, I missed a four-footer on the last (for birdie) but all in all a good day.

In the gym in Morocco, I was on the rower and managed a bulged disc in my lower back, so I was not good for about two months, but a lot of physio and rest to strengthen my core so I am feeling good now. I haven’t played since April so I feel like I’m in a good place now.

Miguel Tabuena (Phi) – Second round 65 (-7), Total 130 (-14)

I’m striking it well. I left about three or four putts out there but I am still happy with the way I played. It’s a good position to be going into the last two rounds.

I took my fitness more seriously the last two months and I’ve been in the gym about four times a week now. I think I have gained some distance. It’s more about injury prevention stuff actually. I got injured about three months ago and I was out for a month and that cost me a lot of tournaments.

I played one tournament about three weeks ago back home and finished third, and I feel like my game is turning in the right direction and it’s nice to be up there again.

It’s actually a pretty wide open and straight forward course you know, it’s a place where you can make a lot of birdies but if you make a bogey you will lose your position quite a bit, so you have to know when to attack and when to take your medicine.

If you’re long enough, you can actually make birdie or better on all the par-fives and I think my distance is there. All parts of the game are pretty good but my putting is standing out this week.

Published on August 15, 2019

Kuching, Sarawak, August 15: Malaysia’s Ben Leong rose from his sick bed to grab a share of the opening round lead after firing a flawless eight-under-par 64 on a low scoring day at the US$300,000 Sarawak Championship on Thursday.

Leong, who was down with a fever on Tuesday night, recovered just in time to post a commendable round highlighted by one eagle and six birdies, matching the day’s efforts of Chinese Taipei’s Hung Chien-yao and Justin Quiban of the Philippines at the Damai Golf and Country Club.

Asian Tour Order of Merit leader Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand reeled in six birdies in-a-row en route to his opening 65, which placed him in fourth place alongside Japan’s Daisuke Kataoka and Miguel Tabuena of the Philippines.

Thai veteran Prayad Marksaeng produced the shot of the day when his five-iron tee shot found the bottom of the cup on the par-three 14th hole from 202 yards. It was the 14th ace he has recorded in his illustrious career.

The 53-year-old Prayad signed for an eventual 68 to tie in 30th position alongside a host of players including Australian Scott Hend, who turns 46 years old today, at the full-field event, which is celebrating its second edition on the Asian Tour this week.

The Sarawak Championship is supported by the Sarawak State government. It is also the Tour’s second stop in Malaysia this season.

Did you know?

• Ben Leong is a one-time winner on the Asian Tour.
• He remains as the only Malaysian player to win an Asian Tour event on home soil when he triumphed at the 2008 Worldwide Holdings Selangor Masters.
• Leong missed only one green and four fairways in his commendable round of 64, where he navigated his way around the greens in only 28 putts.
• Leong suffered a disc prolapse in 2012 but has shown signs of returning to his best form in the last few years.
• He is a two-time winner on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) and he has claimed two top-10s on the Asian Tour in 2018.
• Last November, Leong also represented Malaysia alongside Gavin Green in the ISPS HANDA Melbourne World Cup of Golf. The duo enjoyed a dream start after signing for an opening nine-under-par 63 to trail by one shot in the first round’s fourball format.
• Leong, however, has struggled to find form in 2019 as he made only two cuts in six starts. He sits in 97^th place on the Order of Merit.
• Hung Chien-yao of Chinese Taipei missed two cuts in six starts this season. His best result is a tied-34th place finish at the season-opening SMBC Singapore Open and he sits in 64th place on the current Order of Merit.
• The 27-year-old Hung finished tied-20th at the Sarawak Championship last year.
• Hung missed only two greens and one fairway in his solid round of 64 where he amassed 26 putts.
• Hung has yet to win on the Asian Tour but has one Asian Development Tour (ADT) title which he won on home soil in 2013.
• Justin Quiban turned professional in 2014. His best result on the Asian Tour was a tied-fifth place finish which he secured at the Resorts World Manila Masters in 2017.
• The 23-year-old Quiban is playing in his first start on the Asian Tour this season. It is also his first visit to Sarawak this week.
• Sitting in 56th position on the latest Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), Jazz Janewattananond is the highest-ranked player in the 156-man field. He is also the highest-ranked Thai player in the world.
• Jazz came in joint runner-up at the Sarawak Championship last year after firing a birdie and an eagle in his closing three holes for a solid eight-under-par 64. Ended his campaign one shot shy of winner John Catlin of the United States.
• Jazz is bidding for another win this week as it could help him to automatically qualify for the International Team for the Presidents cup.

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Kuching, Sarawak, August 15: Read what players have to say following the opening round of the Sarawak Championship on Thursday.

Ben Leong (Mas) – First round 64 (-8)

Expectation was really low. I had a really bad fever on Tuesday night and had to pull out from the Pro-Am on Wednesday. Went to see the doctor on Wednesday morning and got everything sorted out. I’m alright now. I am just glad that I can finish 18 holes today, to be honest.

I played only nine holes on Tuesday. I thought I was going to play the Pro-Am on Wednesday and I try to pace myself out. But unfortunately, I was sick and didn’t manage to get a full practice round in. I’m glad with the way I played today, considering the fact that I do not have a full practice round.

I was just trying to get the ball flying straight today, make some putts, birdies are bonuses. Finishing 18 holes is already a bonus really. Got off to a very good start. I birdie the 10^th, hit it to 12 feet and made that putt.

Hit a five-wood to about five-feet and made that eagle putt on 11 and on the next hole, I hit it to 12 feet and made the birdie putt too. It was a good start. It boosted my confidence from there but I told myself to take it one hole at a time, stick to my game plan and just finish the round.

I missed a few birdie putts after making the turn but fortunately, I was able to finish with two birdies. It’s been a rough year so no expectations. I just want to play one shot at a time.

Hung Chien-yao (Tpe) – First round 64 (-8)

I didn’t expect myself to play so well actually. I told myself to play shot by shot. My goal was to play my best. I think I was lucky today too. My iron-play and approach shots were great. I was able to hit it close and give myself a lot of chances for birdies.

I think I’m pretty familiar with this course. Some of the par-fives here, if I am not 80% confident of getting it on in two shots, I would choose to lay up. I like my short game too so I would prefer to chip it close and give myself birdie chances.

I made all my birdies from with 12 to 15 feet. It was all about the same. I saw Ben shot a 64 this morning and I just thought it was a very good round. Didn’t expect myself to do the same. After making the five birdies in-a-row, I thought I might be able to do that. Not so much about chasing Ben but I was trying to break my own record which is a 62.

I won the Taiwan PGA championship a few weeks back. I won that tournament for the third consecutive year already. It feels good and I hope to continue the momentum this week.

Justin Quiban (Phi) – First round 64 (-8)

Coming into this week, I was not confident at all. Even yesterday, I was trying to look for my swing. But I managed to find something yesterday, after talking to my dad over the phone last night. I think it helped me out a lot.

Surprisingly, my iron-play was good today. Before this week, I had no trust in my irons at all. Today, I just hit my irons really good. My putting was good too. I made a long 40-footer putt for birdie on the par-three 14^th. That was my highlight today.

This is my first time in Sarawak. I didn’t feel this course could generate such low scores. My driving has always been the strongest part of my game. I hope to continue that and hopefully make some putts tomorrow.

Jazz Janewattananond (Tha) – First round 65 (-7)

I started off pretty slow but got hot in the middle and slowed down again. I hit it really good in the middle of the round. Didn’t really maintain it but I will try and get it back tomorrow. It was nice to shoot six birdies in a row

I was just trying to hit it close and give myself a lot of opportunities. I managed to take advantage of it. I remember playing good on the first day yesterday. I don’t really have a number to shoot in mind. I will just play hole by hole.

I know I might have a chance to get into the International team for the Presidents Cup if I win. It’s a good target to aim for. I will try my best. It will be great if I can get that but if I don’t, it’s alright too.

Daisuke Kataoka (Jpn) – First round 65 (-7)

I played very well today. I was having problems with my putter earlier but today, I’m feeling good with it again. It’s my first time playing on this course. I really like the layout here. The views are really beautiful too.

Tee shots are important on this course. You need to hit a lot of fairways to score. Putting is key too. I was to try for a good result this week and boost my ranking on the Order of Merit. The aim is to finish inside top-60 and keep my card for next season.

Published on August 14, 2019

Kuching, Sarawak, August 14: Asian Tour Order of Merit leader Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand will be seeking to go one rung better when he challenges for the title again at the US$300,000 Sarawak Championship, which starts on Thursday.

The 23-year-old Jazz, arguably the hottest player on the Asian Tour this season, enjoyed a joint runner-up finish last year after closing with a superb eight-under-par 64 to finish one shot shy of the winner at the Damai Golf and Country Club.

He returns to the same venue this week, bidding for a fifth Asian Tour win and a third one this season to give himself a chance to automatically qualify for the International Team, led by Captain Ernie Els, for the Presidents Cup.

Jazz, who is currently placed 10th on the International Team standings, needs to move inside the top-eight on the rankings when the Sarawak championship concludes on Sunday. A victory at the Sarawak Championship will likely seal his move there along with an automatic spot for the match-play event which will be held in Melbourne at the end of the year.

Sitting in 56^th place on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), Jazz is the highest-ranked player in the field. He will headline the popular event alongside Australian Scott Hend, who trails him by over US$200,000 in second place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit.

Hend is relishing his return to Malaysia for his first appearance in the Sarawak Championship. He had tasted success earlier in the country, having won his 10^th Asian Tour title at the Maybank Championship in March.

India’s Shiv Kapur, who will be moving his base to Dubai next week, is determined to turn the corner after making only two cuts in seven starts so far this season.

The full-field Asian Tour event, which celebrates its second edition this week, is supported by the Sarawak State government. It is also the Tour’s second stop in Malaysia this season.

Did you know?

• Sitting in 56th position on the latest Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), Jazz Janewattananond is the highest-ranked player in the 156-man field. He is also the highest-ranked Thai player in the world.
• Jazz is leading the Asian Tour Order of Merit with a current haul of US$738,093, thanks to two victories and three top-five finishes.
• Jazz came in joint runner-up at the Sarawak Championship last year after firing a birdie and an eagle in his closing three holes for a solid eight-under-par 64. Ended his campaign one shot shy of winner John Catlin of the United States.
• Jazz broke into top-100 on the OWGR after winning his third Asian Tour title in Singapore in January and marked his career-best ranking when he rose to 52nd position following his fourth victory in Korea in June.
• Jazz’s T14 finish at the 2019 PGA Championship, which was his second Major start, was the best-ever result by a Thai player in that Major tournament.
• Prior to his victory in Korea, Jazz also notched back-to-back top-five finishes on the Japan Golf Tour.
• Arguably the hottest player on the Asian Tour this season, Jazz is bidding for another win this week as it could help him to automatically qualify for the International Team for the Presidents cup.
• Scott Hend became the first Australian to win the Asian Tour Order of Merit in 2016. He is regarded as the most successful international player on the Asian Tour.
• Hend is making his debut appearance in the Sarawak Championship and will be turning 46 years old on Thursday.
• Hend trails Jazz by over US$200,000 in second place on the Order of Merit.
• He claimed his 10th Asian Tour title in Malaysia in March and took home his career’s biggest prize purse of US$500,000 to become the second highest-earning player on the Asian Tour’s Career Money List.
• Hend is one of the biggest hitters on Tour, having led the Driving Distance category in 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013.
• Hend, who claimed all his 10 victories in Asia, is the fourth player after Thailand’s Thaworn Wiratchant (18), Thongchai (13) and Prayad Marksaeng (10) to obtain 10 wins or more on the Asian Tour.
• Shiv Kapur is making his first appearance in the Sarawak Championship this week.
• Kapur, the Asian Tour rookie of the year in 2005, ended an 11-year title drought when he won the Yeangder Heritage in Chinese Taipei in 2017. He went on to win two more titles and became the only player to win three tournaments that season.
• Kapur enjoyed four top-10 finishes in 2018, including a joint runner-up at the Royal Cup in Thailand.
• He has made only two cuts in seven starts so far this season. He sits in 81^st place on the Order of Merit.
• Kapur, who hails from New Delhi, will be based in Dubai from next week.

Published on

Kuching, Sarawak, August 14: Read what players have to say ahead of the US$300,000 Sarawak Championship which starts on Thursday.

Jazz Janewattananond (Tha)

The course is looking good, better than last year I think. It’s going to be exciting. The greens are better but you still need a lot of luck on these greens. It’s hotter than last year though. We play a bit later this year. Just need to handle the heat this week as well.

I had a good break before coming here. I didn’t do much. Just stayed home in Hua Hin for about two to three weeks. It was good to be home, good to do nothing for awhile. I was really busy for the first part of the year. And it looks like I will be even busier in the second half.

It was good to take a break. I needed that. I got myself a puppy not long ago. It’s a shiba inu. I’m going to miss it a lot now that I’m travelling again. I have two dogs already so it’s nice to add one more to the family.

I feel good coming into this week as well, especially with the way I finished last year. I will try and do the same again and see what happens. A lot of good players this week so we will see how it goes. It’s going to be fun.

You need to try and make putts here. A lot of guys can hit the greens so it’s important to putt well. I putted well last year but I have been changing putters every week now so we will see what happens (laughs).

Scott Hend (Aus)

I had good fun in Korea last week, celebrating one of my best friend Young Nam’s wedding and finally seeing him get married. It’s my first time here in Sarawak. I have only played one round of golf in the last four weeks so it was nice to see the range again this morning.

I am as refreshed as I can be because it’s quite hot here obviously. I haven’t been in this heat for awhile. I tried to work out during the break, drink some wine as well and then work out again (laughs).

I will just try and play golf this week and see what happens. I have no high expectations obviously. It would be good if I can drop some putts this week. I have a few events more to play in Asia. The WGC-HSBC Champions is a huge one for me definitely.

I plan to play the Panasonic Open Golf Championship in Japan and the Mercuries Taiwan Masters as well. Hopefully I can find some form and try to win again. Jazz is playing well but I am hoping to close the gap on him by playing well in these events.

It’s nice to be back in Malaysia after winning the Maybank Championship in Kuala Lumpur earlier. Actually, it’s nice to be back in Asia. I love playing in Asia, anywhere in Asia is good.

Shiv Kapur (Ind)

It’s my first time here in Sarawak. It’s a very pretty place. The two nine holes are very different to each, the mountain 9 and the ocean 9. Putting will be key this week. The main challenges will be on the greens. It’s pretty difficult to read.

But tee to green, I think it’s quite a straightforward course. Seems like it’s a low scoring course based on the results last year. I think the other challenge will also be when the wind gets up in the afternoon. Basically, it’s going to be important to putt and chip well around these greens.

It’s been a long break for me before coming here, although I played a couple of events in Europe in the summer. I had probably like four to five weeks off. I’m in the midst of moving my base to Dubai with the family so we’re currently going through lots of changes.

I’m moving next week. A few reasons for the move actually, from the golf perspectives as well as my daughter as we plan to put her in school over there. A lot of factors but the timing was good. I had a little bit of off season to do all of that.

It’s just nice to get back to playing golf this week. Everyone is itching to play I believe. We have a great stretch of events coming up so it’s going to be great to get a good start this week. The game’s feeling good actually. Normally you feel rusty coming off such a long break but I felt like I got straight into tournament mode when I played the practice round yesterday.

The season’s been disappointing to be honest. 2017 was a big year for me obviously and I carried those expectations into 2018 but the start of the 2019 season has been pretty slow. The tournaments that I used to play well in ended up not doing very well.

I thought I found some early season form in Perth and New Zealand but I seemed to lose that magic a little after that. The break came at the right time. I managed to reset and refocus on the things that I used to do. I’m looking forward to play almost every week in the second half.

Scott Vincent (Zim)

I am excited to be back again this year. I have had a nice break this last month so I’m looking forward to sharpening my game at the course this week. I remember the scores being low last year so it will take some good golf to compete. Sarawak is a nice place to relax between the golf so my wife and I will enjoy that! 

I had a great time back in Zimbabwe with my wife and family this last month. We went on an amazing safari trip to Kavinga safari camp. We really appreciate being in one place for more than a week also.

I have had a pretty good start to the season, my target is still to get my fist win in the Asian Tour. 

Khalin Joshi (Ind)

I was looking forward to this week. I have had a good break. The game is feeling much better. I haven’t been playing well the whole year. Something’s off every week. The break has really helped and I can’t wait to start the remainder of the season.

I have been trying to make a change but kept making old mistakes in the past few months. So no swing thoughts right now, I just want to focus on scoring. Swing’s feeling good and putting is feeling good too. This is a scoring course. You need to putt well obviously.

It was nice to get into the bigger events, including some in Europe, after winning my first Asian Tour title at home last year. It has been a huge change but I haven’t really capitalise on all the opportunities I have had this year which is disappointing.

I need to play well in the remainder of this season and try to keep my card. That will take away a lot of pressure. I just turned 27 years old two days ago. I had a good celebration with my friends just before coming here so I’m feeling really positive coming into this week.

I worked out a lot during the off season. I had a bit of injury on my neck and lower back as well so I was just trying to get healthy over the past few weeks. I needed to work on that because there are a lot of golf to play from now till the end of the season. I also managed to spend time with my friends and family which was good.

I just want to be fresh coming out here to play again. A win, as soon as possible, will do great for my confidence. I am just looking forward to playing some good golf finally.

Danthai Boonma (Tha)

The game is getting better. I’m hitting my irons better than how I did in the first half of the season. This course is pretty short. You need to focus on your putting. If you can putt well, you will have more chances to make birdies. Short game is key to score out there.

I feel good coming back here this week. I putted well last year and gave myself a chance to go for the title. Hopefully I can better that result this week. The season hasn’t been so good for me on the Asian Tour actually.

But winning the Japan Challenge Tour event a few months back gave me a lot of confidence. I had a couple of weeks off before coming here and I have been working on my short game and my fitness. I have planned to play seven weeks in a row so I need to keep up the stamina.  

Published on August 13, 2019

Kuching, Sarawak, August 13: A rejuvenated Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe will resume his bid for an Asian Tour breakthrough when he steps up to the tee at the US$300,000 Sarawak Championship which starts on Thursday.

Fresh off a well-deserved break with his family at home, the 27-year-old Vincent is eager to launch another title assault at the Damai Golf and Country Club, where he enjoyed a tied-seventh place finish in the inaugural edition last year.

Placed ninth on the Order of Merit, Vincent will also be eyeing a fine showing to boost his rankings as he aims to move inside the top-four by October 21, which is the qualifying cut-off for the prestigious World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions.

Vincent will feature in the 156-man field alongside Thailand’s rising star Jazz Janewattananond and Scott Hend of Australia who are placed first and second respectively on the Asian Tour Order of Merit.

Danthai Boonma of Thailand and India’s Khalin Joshi will both be looking to turn their seasons around on the Asian Tour with a good result at the full-field Asian Tour event, which will be the Tour’s second stop in Malaysia this season.

A total of 156 players from 22 countries will be vying for top honours at the Sarawak Championship, which returns to the Asian Tour for its second edition this week and is supported by the Sarawak State government.

Other notable players in the field include American Micah Lauren Shin, India’s Shiv Kapur, Thailand’s Prayad Marksaeng, Prom Meesawat and Sadom Kaewkanjana, who became the first ever rookie to win in his first start on Tour at the Bangabandhu Cup Golf Open in April.

Did you know?

• Scott Vincent, the only Zimbabwean member on Tour, enjoyed a tied-seventh place finish at the Sarawak Championship last year.
• Vincent claimed his first international win at the Landic Challenge 7 held on the Japan Challenge Tour in June.
• He notched three top-10s in Australia, Japan and Korea to sit in ninth place on the latest Asian Tour Order of Merit. He has not missed a single cut in seven starts so far this season.
• Vincent was crowned the Asian Tour Rookie of the Year in 2016 after ending his season in 28th place on the Order of Merit.
• Since securing his Asian Tour card in his first attempt at the Qualifying School in 2016, Vincent has come close to claiming his maiden win on multiple occasions.
• In 2018, Vincent secured a total of nine top-10 finishes, including three runner-up results, to finish in a career-high fifth place on the money list.
• Vincent also represented Zimbabwe alongside compatriot Benjamin Follett-Smith for the first time at the ISPS HANDA Melbourne World Cup of Golf the same year.
• He sits in 176th place on the latest OWGR and is currently the highest ranked player from Zimbabwe.
• Khalin Joshi, who turned professional in 2013, secured his breakthrough victory at the Panasonic Open India last season.
• Prior to his breakthrough, Joshi has come close to winning his maiden title on several occasions. His previous best result on the Asian Tour was a runner-up finish at the 2017 TAKE Solutions Masters, which was held on his home course in Bengaluru. He has also enjoyed two top-10 finishes in 2018 prior to his win.
• Joshi, however, has endured a lacklustre 2019 season, making only one cut in nine starts on the Asian Tour so far.
• Joshi finished tied-43rd at the Sarawak Championship in 2018.
• Danthai Boonma claimed his breakthrough victory on the Asian Tour in Singapore in 2015. He is also a one-time winner on the ADT in 2017.
• Danthai has won twice this season, one on his domestic circuit in February and one on the Japan Challenge Tour two weeks ago.
• Danthai is looking to get his season back on track as he has only made three cuts in nine starts to sit in 70th position on the Order of Merit.