Asian Golf 215 by Asia Pacific Golf Group

The finishing hole at nasty Carnoustie was very reminiscent of the big gunfight duel in the Italian spaghetti movie, The Good, Bad and The Ugly. Like the classic movie’s hero, Clint Eastwood, Italy’s little giant killer, Francesco Molinari kept his cool and pulled the trigger when it really mattered to wipe out the competition which included Tiger Woods who was paired with him for the final round of the 147th British Open. Like a crack gunslinger, Molinari, perhaps the most in-form golfer on tour right now, hit the bulls-eye with his deft putting skills to become the first Italian to win a major. “It is absolutely amazing ….I think it will take a long time to sink in. It has been a great week,” Molinari said. For the win, the Italian maestro took home a check for US$1,890,000.

ISSUE

215

AUGUST 2018

One of the primary missions of the Asia Pacific Golf Summit is to serve as a knowledge-platform for the golf industry. Over its 12year history, it has evolved into a world class industry Summit that has taken the lead to bring innovation and solutions to the industry. This year is no different as APGS 2018 heads to the golf hub of Southeast Asia, Thailand. The bustling city of Bangkok will play host to the movers and shakers of the region’s golf industry from November 1 – 3, 2018.

EQUIPMENT FOCUS 24 BONANZA Phoenix-based PING has delivered a slew of products for the month of August. It’s an absolute BONANZA of new products and it’s an epic launch. ASIAN GOLF is unveiling all the new products, their outstanding features - in fact, the complete low-down on the bells and whistles of the newbies from PING! The new products are the PING i500 and i210 irons, the Glide Forged Wedges and the ProdiG Junior clubs.

24 40

34 48

34 SAVIOURS FROM TAYLORMADE HEAVEN! In keeping with its long tradition in producing incredible “rescue” clubs, TaylorMade has launched a brand new family of “joy-sticks” that have been speciﬁcally designed and engineered to deliver maximum performance to ﬁll distance gaps in the long game.

40 THE “MIRACLE” RED BALL! It’s the brand new Odyssey putter which is said to speciﬁcally address and improve on two things - proper set up and proper alignment. Out now!

48 PING STEPS OUT IN STYLE! PING has just unveiled its new performance driven 2019 Spring/Summer men’s apparel range - the new line features innovative Sensor Cool Cotton, engineered with COOLMAX® fabric, to deliver enhanced comfort and feel.

REGULARS 8 EDITORIAL TEAM

10 SHARED THOUGHTS: FROM PUBLISHER | THE THAI JUGGERNAUT!

SPECIAL FEATURE 54 PGA TOUR: A POLISHED 2018-19 PGA TOUR! The world’s most powerful TOUR, the PGA TOUR has rolled out a signiﬁcantly revamped 2018-19 schedule. The new season will feature 46 action-packed tournaments which will culminate with three FedExCup Playoff events.

1 64

58 NASA – A LITTLE ROCKET FROM JAPAN! While the ladies’ game is still singing the praises of the Asian superstars, up comes along another name seeking the bright lights of the LPGA. Meet the latest export from the Land Of The Rising Sun, Japan – Nasa Hataoka!

64 KIM – A BUNDLE OF DYNAMITE! This is ASIAN GOLF’s special tribute to Sei Young Kim - a great Asian golfer who has gone on to achieve what nobody has done to date and that is to set two brand new LPGA scoring records.

70 PGA TOUR: AN UP- CLOSE LOOK AT THE NEXT BIG KOREAN STARS!

GAME-IMPROVEMENT 94 BLACK HAT TIPS: KNOCK AND ROLL! Tony Meechai has a sure-ﬁre way of getting all golfers to improve on their putting because as he says, he is “absolutely tired of watching golfers get hammered at the scoring-end of the game!” Are you ready for his latest tip?

Introducing Sungjae Im and Kyoung-Hoon Lee. Both have sights set on the future after successful runs on the Web.com Tour. One makes it a point to smell each and every fresh new golf ball the moment he pulls it from its sleeve. The other is a karaoke aﬁcionado who would probably be an artist in a different life, if only he weren’t such a darn wizard with the golf club in his hands.

82 PGA TOUR: IT’S THE BIG TIME FOR THE BIG BOY! Thailand’s big-hitting Kiradech Aphibarnrat has garnered sufﬁcient FedExCup points to virtually become the ﬁrst Thai golfer to earn a PGA TOUR card for the 2018-19 PGA TOUR season. ASIAN GOLF together with the PGA TOUR takes a look at how Asian stars are stepping up to the PGA TOUR.

Mike Sebastian Editor/Chief Executive Ofﬁcer [mike@asiapaciﬁcgolfgroup.com]

INTERNATIONAL ROVING EDITORS

James Graham Prusa Correspondent

Alan Campbell (China/Middle East) Correspondent

Angela Raymond President [angela@asiapaciﬁcgolfgroup.com]

Andy Stangenberg Club Services Advisor

SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS

Tony Meechai (Black Hat Golf Tips -Thailand) Raquel Arcega Executive Creative Art Director [raquel@asiapaciﬁcgolfgroup.com]

INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES

Alice Ho Email: alice@asiapaciﬁcgolfgroup.com

ASIA PACIFIC GOLF GROUP(2014) PTE LTD

Alice Ho Business Executive [alice@asiapaciﬁcgolfgroup.com]

1 Yishun Industrial Street 1, #07-23 A’posh Bizhub, Singapore 768160 Tel: +65 6323 2800 | Fax: +65 6323 2838 Company Registration No.: 201405689G

Wayne Lwee Head, Digital Network/Video Editor [wayne@asiapaciﬁcgolfgroup.com]

Myra Paras Accounts Executive [myra@asiapaciﬁcgolfgroup.com]

No part of Asian Golf may be reproduced in any other publications, printed or published without the written permission of the publisher. Opinions in Asian Golf are the writers’ and are not necessarily endorsed by Asian Golf. Asian Golf accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, transparencies or other materials. Manuscripts, photographs and artwork will not be returned unless accompanied by appropriate postage.

We began 2018 by making a bold prediction that Asian golfers would be making their presence felt on all of the major international tours. Slightly over half a year has gone by and players from Asia are scorching the fairways with their tournament winning performances.

erhaps the most dramatic example of players shifting to their high gear is evidenced by the stylish performances turned in by players from Thailand on the LPGA Tour – the toughest and most challenging Tour on the global professional circuit.

As it now stands, there are about ten professionals from

Thailand who have their playing cards to play the LPGA Tour. The climb to the pinnacle of glory by Thailand’s “Queen of Golf”, Ariya Jutanugarn and her older sibling Moriya is nothing short of being spectacular. Ariya ﬁrst signalled to the world that she was coming to scalp the best in the professional game when she was just eleven years old. Today, the Thai superstar shines above the world’s best as she tops the LPGA’s Order of Merit – the CME Race To The Globe - and it is quite apparent that she will lift the title again this year. Guess who is in the second place – her sister Moriya! What is important to remember is that the Jutanugarn sisters, together with the trail-blazing South Korean stars, have demonstrated to many young girls in Southeast Asia in particular and Asia in general, that if one sets one’s sights high, nothing is impossible!

WHILE THE DEPTH OF ASIAN TALENT IN THE LPGA IS DEEP, THERE IS PROMISE OF NEW TALENT JOINING

The latest to join the ranks of Asian winners on the LPGA circuit is Thidapa Suwannapura who turned out the lights on LPGA veteran Brittany Lincicome in a sudden-death play-off at the Marathon Classic in July, The spunky Thai, had determination written all over her face as

ASIAN ARMY OF FEMALE THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME FOR ASIAN

she chased down her ﬁrst win on the LPGA Tour. Tied at 14-under

WOMEN TO SHINE ON THE

onstrated the superiority of Asian players on the LPGA Tour to steal

THE

GOLFERS.

WORLD’S STAGE.

THERE IS

REALLY NO LOOKING BACK FROM

– THE BATTLE CRY IS GOING TO BE ASIA FOREVER ONWARD AND FORWARD! SHOOT FOR THE STARS! THIS POINT ON

par, Suwannapura made no mistake in the play-off by striking a birdie in the ﬁrst play-off hole to sink Lincicome. The win was historic for Suwannapura – once again, she dem-

yet another win for Thailand and Asia. The rookie’s win banked a winner’s check of US$240,000 for the Thai. While the depth of Asian talent in the LPGA is deep, there is promise of new talent joining the Asian army of female golfers. There has never been a better time for Asian women to shine on the world’s stage. There is really no looking back from this point on – the battle cry is going to be Asia forever onward and forward! Shoot for the stars!

ECCO BIOM® HYBRID 3 WITH TRI-FI-GRIP ™ AND GORE-TEX ® CONSTRUCTION

ROTAT I O N A L S U P P OR T · S TA BIL I T Y · D U R A B I L I T Y

100% waterproof GORE-TEX®

ECCO Tri-Fi-Grip ® outsole technology

ECCO YAK leather upper

construction and

for excellent grip, stability,

for increased breathability

HYDROMAX® treated leather.

durability & flexibility.

and durability.

golf.ecco.com

“The Future Is Now!” This is a slogan that has been around for a while but there seems to be no definitive record as to who coined it or when it was said. It is such a profound slogan that it has been used by world leaders, corporate chieftains, sports coaches and almost anyone who has tried to inspire and invoke nations, corporations and people to rise to face a challenge. One search attributes the slogan to American artist Nam June Paik while another source points to NFL Hall of Fame coach George Allen for having coined the phrase while running the Washington Redskins in the 1970s. For this article, ASIAN GOLF has taken poetic license to give this slogan a new twist. For relevance, we have modified it somewhat and our slogan is “The Age Of Nowness!” It is a perfect fit for the main theme of the 2018 Asia Pacific Golf Summit (APGS 2018) which is ENGAGEMENT. We feel that the time has come for the golf industry in Asia to seize the moment, engage with the opportunities that are presented and work towards bringing about major shifts and improvements to the industry as a whole. We are developing the programme for APGS 2018 with precisely this focus – a focus that is sharp and designed to transform innovative thoughts to impactful changes! Most importantly, to ACT NOW!

ne of the primary missions of the Asia Paciﬁc

Since that ﬁrst airing, very little has really been done to

Golf Summit is to serve as a knowledge-platform

ate and grow the awareness of sustainability in the golf indu

for the industry. Over its 12-year history, it has

It has now reached a stage when nations and governments,

evolved into a world class industry Summit that

porations and NGOs have come to the realisation that some

has taken the lead to bring innovation and solu-

has to be done urgently.

tions to the industry. This year is no different as APGS 2018 heads

It is serious – serious enough for the 10-nation bloc of

to the golf hub of Southeast Asia, Thailand. The bustling city of

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to have jus

Bangkok will play host to the movers and shakers of the region’s

inked the historic SINGAPORE DECLARATION on environme

golf industry from November 1 – 3.

sustainability which calls for urgent collective action and su

Among some of the key topics that will be addressed at APGS

port of all in society, from individuals to businesses and acr

2018 will be an issue that has been discussed on a perennial basis

government and civic organisations. The call is out and it is

by the global golf industry. It has to do with sustainability and this

serious one.

matter was tabled at the inaugural Summit back in 2007. It was raised in the context of the impact that the 5000 over golf courses in Asia have on the environment and the vital role that the industry has to play on helping Planet Earth protect its environment.

The golf industry has to respond and it is not somethin be kicked under the rug and to be forgotten!

APGS 2018 will be staging sustainability as one of its k

points of focus and in this context, it will be showcasing the

o cre-

Mission Hills Group of China and how it is delivering on its com-

ustry.

mitment to sustainability across its 22 golf courses, the world’s

cor-

ething

single largest golf complex! To narrate the Mission Hills success story, APGS is proud to announce that Tenniel Chu, Group Vice-Chairman will be in

f the

Bangkok to deliver in person what is being done in the area of

sustainability practices.

ental

A quick overview will reveal that Mission Hills’s award-win-

up-

ning practices have achieved outstanding results in the following

ross

areas:

Energy savings Water conservation

ng to

Carbon sinks Rich biodiversity

key giant

Reduced use of herbicides TENNIEL CHU

Reduced use of fertilisers

VERY LITTLE HAS REALLY BEEN DONE TO CREATE AND GROW THE AWARENESS OF SUSTAINABILITY IN THE GOLF INDUSTRY. IT HAS NOW REACHED A STAGE WHEN NATIONS AND GOVERNMENTS, CORPORATIONS AND

NGOS

HAVE COME TO THE REALISATION THAT SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE URGENTLY.

DO YOU KNOW THAT SOME 90% OF AMATEUR GOLFERS PLAY WITH THE WRONG EQUIPMENT? LEAST DO THEY REALISE THAT CLUBS NOT IDEALLY SUITED TO ONE’S SWING WILL RESULT IN AN ARRAY OF ERRANT SHOTS.

THE WRONG SHAFT LENGTH OR FLEX WILL CAUSE LACK OF DISTANCE, HOOKS OR SLICES. PLAYING WITH THE WRONG LIE WILL AFFECT TRAJECTORY RESULTING IN PULLS OR PUSHES

. ERIC NG

And the b Asia’s golf co

ability movem

ability practic Another

need to grow

this matter, a

with a view to

act is NOW. T

of challenges enjoyment fa

Do you k

wrong equipm suited to one

wrong shaft l

slices. Playin

pulls or push

No wond

sound like an

element is fac

up totally loom

There’s g lution. But it

course owner

to help make

truly enjoying

It’s really

invariably is g

they notch up

ment. The pro

JEFFREY BOSE

beneﬁts go on. The point is made! The time is NOW for

urses to step up to the plate and join in the sustain-

DEREK SCHADE

TONY MEECHAI

The solution – CUSTOM CLUB FITTING! Now, don’t walk away from this. It is not a problem for the equipment manufac-

ment and to take the lead in seriously adopting sustain-

turers to resolve – it needs the collective and concerted effort of

ces.

golfers, equipment manufacturers, club fitters and golf course

issue that is as vital as sustainability is the urgent

owners to come together and offer custom fitting services. This

the game of golf. While there is incessant talk about

is a solution that impacts all – the golfer, the manufacturer

again, very little is being done to address the problem

and the golf course. When a golfer is FIT with equipment that’s

o bringing about lasting solutions. Again, the time to

RIGHT for him or her, the probability of playing better golf is

There is no denying the golf industry faces a myriad

heightened appreciably. Heck! IT MOST DEFINITELY WILL RE-

s but one that threatens the future of the game is the

SULT IN A BETTER GAME!

ctor experienced by golfers.

Custom club ﬁtting will take centre-stage at the 2018 Asia Pa-

know that some 90% of amateur golfers play with the

ciﬁc Golf Summit (APGS 2018) because unless all parties concerned

ment? Least do they realise that clubs not ideally

ENGAGE with this downplayed aspect of golf, we can’t grow the

’s swing will result in an array of errant shots. The

game. Let it be known that custom club ﬁtting is not JUST FOR THE

length or ﬂex will cause lack of distance, hooks or

PROFESSIONALS. It is for everyone who plays golf!

ng with the wrong lie will affect trajectory resulting in

hes. You get the message! er so many golfers suffer with their game! This may overly simplistic deduction but when the enjoyment

ctored out of the game, the likelihood of just giving it

Given its profound importance, a team of experts will tackle this subject from all angles and they will be on a simple mission to INFORM and EDUCATE and to hopefully start an Asia-wide movement amongst golf courses to work with club-ﬁtters and equipment manufacturers to help golfers play a better game.

ms threateningly.

got to be a way around this problem and there is a so-

The experts are:

is a solution that needs the total commitment of golf

ERIC NG, Founder and Managing Director of BIG FISH GOLF, the

rs and golf clubs to work with the equipment industry

man who ﬁts champion golfers Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn of

the game easier to play thus resulting in golfers

g their game.

y no fun when golfers purchase new equipment (which

Thailand. JEFFREY BOSE, Manager, Fitting & Education of WINGOLF. TONY MEECHAI, PGA of America certiﬁed coach and Founder/

ood), but instead of shooting better scores, quite often

President of BLACK HAT GOLF.

horrendous scores. The problem is not with the equip-

DEREK SCHADE, General Manager of Lotus Valley Golf Club,

oblem, put simply is that the clubs don’t FIT the golfer!

Thailand and PGA of Canada certiﬁed coach.

Together, these experts have an intimate understanding of the game, how it is played and how golfers should be matched

life, soul and spirit of a community.

That said, the APGS 2018 will be showcasing an examp

with the right equipment. They all share one common goal

of how a vibrant community can be built around a world-cla

which is to get everyone playing and enjoying golf with equip-

golf course. The country is India; the golf course is the awa

ment that ﬁts!

winning DLF Golf Club in Gurgaon and its community is ma

The time has come for custom club ﬁtting to be treated as a mainstream aspect of golf and all stake-holders have a vital role to play in transforming the 90% of golfers from despondent hackers to happy golfers. It’s really that simple. We all just need to engage and have an open mindset for the general good of golf. Another key topic of engagement at APGS 2018 will be on sustainable Golf Communities. Virtually every golf course

up of a socially active and vibrant group of people who live, and play by the golf course.

For those of you who are not familiar with the name DL

here’s a quick primer on what the three letters represents.

It is the largest commercial and real estate developer on th

sub-Continent and it’s widely regarded as the multi-billon d conglomerate responsible for “Building India”.

Almost a decade ago Arnold Palmer was asked by DLF

developer who embarks on a golf course project in Asia has his

chairman, K. P. Singh what he envisioned for a course, and

eyes set on building a golf course with a thriving golf community

reply was: “Give me a course that will be better than the be

on it. It is normally predicated by the desire to build property for

in world!” This set the tone for the template for Palmer’s ﬁ

sale, normally expensively priced property.

signature course in India and the commencement of DLF’s

There is nothing wrong with building high-priced villas, bungalows and condominiums on golf courses, but whether

into the realm of world class golf courses and golf commun

Whichever way one looks at the DLF Golf Course, it is a

these physical structures on their own will constitute a success-

masterpiece. “This is precisely what we wanted in the ﬁrst

ful golf community presents the big challenge.

and this is what we got – a golf course that is absolutely sp

Many parts of Asia are pockmarked with golf communities that have become ghost towns purely because the developer built a golf course and populated it with grand homes sans a

tacular and a one-of-a-kind,” exclaimed Aakash Ohri, Exec Director of the DLF Home Developers organisation.

“I believe that we have been very successful in creating

plan to create a socially vibrant community. It’s a crying shame

world class golf course that ﬁts in with the natural environm

that scant attention was paid to injecting these facilities with the

and landscape like a glove,” Ohri explained. This has served

as an excellent backdrop for DLF’s residential developments

ple

around the course. The club’s landscape is surrounded by plush

ass

sky-scraper condominiums and these exclusive apartment

rd-

buildings form a majestic backdrop for the golf club.

ade work

“It was always our intention to create a highly unique environment for golf living and we believe that we have achieved that objective,” Ohri pointed out. He went on to add, “Our aim is

LF,

to provide a well-managed, sustainable and ideal setting for our residents to live in, work and play.”

dollar

The latest in DLF’s life-style projects is its new development phase called “The Camellias”. Plush and exclusive apartments priced at US$5 million each. Through this and its other

F’s his

est

rst foray

completed projects, DLF has demonstrated that property and golf, planned and managed well can become an extremely viable commercial undertaking. DLF is a classic example in Asia where a throbbing, thriving and sustainable community has been built around a fabu-

nities.

lous golf course. Come and share in the experience of how this

incredible project was brought to life and see how it is continue

place

to grow and prosper.

ecutive

Three major issues impacting and affecting golf clubs in Asia. APGS 2018 will be examining all these issues with a view to sharing best practices with like-minded professionals

in the golf club industry. Make a date to attend APGS 2018

ment

and delegate registration is now open at:

https://secure.golfconference.org/

AAKASH OHRI

MANY PARTS OF ASIA ARE POCKMARKED WITH GOLF COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BECOME GHOST TOWNS PURELY BECAUSE THE DEVELOPER BUILT A GOLF COURSE AND POPULATED IT WITH GRAND HOMES SANS A PLAN TO CREATE A SOCIALLY VIBRANT COMMUNITY.

CUSTOM BALANCED. PRECISION MILLED.

Tour-Caliber Performance

Sole Weights Custom weighting options in steel, tungsten and aluminum are offered to match a golfer’s feel and balance preferences.

The next generation of PING’s 100%-milled putters are crafted and engineered to provide tour-caliber touch and performance through proven innovations like patented True Roll Technology and a new custom-weighting system. Visit a PING Fitting Specialist or PING.com today.

Premium mium m Finishes hes Three ﬁnishes nishess — Stealth, Copper Coppe Cop oppe p r and Platinum um — are available, blee, bl depending on model. model mo del. del

Flexing, Forgiving The G700 iron’s hollow-body construction positions weight away from the face, creating a frame for metal-wood-like ﬂexing and high COR to greatly increase ball speed and produce higher launching results and tighter dispersion patterns. All this comes without sacriﬁcing other performance attributes, such as consistency and feel, in a slim, pleasing shape.

Powerful Design The hollow body and cavity geometry amplify ﬂexing for big distance, a higher trajectory and extreme forgiveness.

Visit a PING Fitting Specialist or PING.com today.

Faster Face Machined maraging steel increases ball speed and doubles ﬂexing, creating our longest, highestﬂying iron to date.

The geniuses in the desert have been hard at work! Normally, one new product is enough to stir up a whole bunch of excitement but when a new product launch bulletin comes out of Phoenix cradling a bundle of new products, it takes excitement to a whole new level. It becomes ecstasy and that’s precisely what PING delivered for the month of August. It’s an absolute BONANZA of new products and it’s an epic launch. ASIAN GOLF is unveiling all the new products, their outstanding features - in fact, the complete low-down on the bells and whistles of the newbies from PING! The new products are the PING i500 and i210 irons, the Glide Forged Wedges and the ProdiG Junior clubs. (Featured on opposite page).

he ASIAN GOLF spotlight ﬁrst falls on the

i500 and i210 irons. Before we bring these

clubs into focus, it would help to understa the history and pedigree behind PING’s historic “i” series. The original Ping Eye

irons were introduced in 1978. The clubs featured an eye shape in the cavity that helped to improve feel while

creating a higher standard in golf club aesthetics. The

Ping Eye2 irons were launched just four years later

with “numerous improvements.” The iconic irons

would quickly go on to become the best-selling

irons in the game. Throughout the 1980s, the

Ping Eye2 irons were seen globally produc great shots. The spanking new i500 and i210 continue with this rich heritage and

tradition as leaders in high-perfor-

mance iron designs engineered to

provide the exceptional distance,

forgiveness and precision today’s golfer demands.

Commenting on the new irons, John K. Solheim, PING

President said, “Unlike a lot of irons on the market, PING

THE I500 DELIVERS UNBELIEV-

and

irons are created without sacriﬁcing the performance at-

ABLE DISTANCE WITH AMAZINGLY

tributes all golfers need to improve the distance, accuracy and consistency they require from their iron play.” “In the i500 and i210, we’re offering two distinctly different technology platforms to give golfers additional

HIGH BALL FLIGHTS. IN OUR TESTING,

15 YARDS WITH THE I500. IN THE I210 IRON, WE FOCUSED ON DESIGNING A CLUB THAT ENSURES A SOFT, BUTTERY FEEL SOME GOLFERS GAINED AS MUCH AS

choices and ﬁtting options. The i500 delivers unbelievable

distance with amazingly high ball ﬂights. In our testing,

some golfers gained as much as 15 yards with the i500. In

the i210 iron, we focused on designing a club that ensures

WITH THE DISTANCE PRECISION TO ATTACK

a soft, buttery feel with the distance precision to attack

cing

ﬂagsticks. We’re already seeing a lot of our tour players

FLAGSTICKS.

seamlessly transition into the i210 iron,” Solheim added. The sleek-shaped i500 iron employs much of the same technology as the popular G700 iron in a smaller,

more compact, muscle-back appearance. Its forged, C300

maraging-steel face is precision milled and combined

with a 17-4 stainless steel body to create metal-wood-like performance, generat-

ing significant ball-speed increases and lower-spinning, higher-flying shots with stopping power. “With the forged, maraging-steel face and metalwood-like construction of the internal cavity, we’re seeing five times the face flexing,” Solheim said. “Golfers are experiencing significant ball-speed gains, which translates to more distance and a higher overall ball flight so the ball holds the green. The trajectory is unlike anything we’ve seen in an iron its size. They can expect to hit one less club into the green when properly fit for the new i500 iron. They’ll be amazed at the power and performance engineered into an iron this size. On top of that, it has a blade-style look at address with less offset, which a lot of golfers prefer.” In the compact i210 iron, PING’s engineers put a premium on the feel and precision by leveraging a patented multi-material construction

that combines a 431 stainless steel head with a larger

“The soft feel of the i210 irons is unlike any we’ve ever

and softer elastomer insert. The additional volume of the

offered,” exclaimed Solheim. “We know players who rely

custom tuning port, which also increases perimeter weight-

on precise iron play also require exceptional feel to control

ing and provides swing-weight ﬁne tuning, allows for a 30%

their ball ﬂight and trajectories. The improvements to the

larger insert and creates 25% more face contact, resulting

tuning port and elastomer insert along with the exacting,

in activation of the elastomer to produce a soft and pleasing

reﬁned details of the i210 iron offer a new level of perfor-

feel. They also took great care in reﬁning the shape and look

mance for this style of iron.”

to ensure the iron appealed to the discerning golfer’s eye.

The i210 iron’s face and grooves are precision milled

as is the cavity, giving it a high-end appearance. Tighter groove spacing in the pitching wedge and U-wedge provides greater precision and helps prevent fliers on shots where control matters most. A new hydro pearl chrome 2.0 finish repels water to greatly improve consistency from the rough and wet conditions. Matching the innovation in the new irons is the Glide Forged wedge. This new offering is forged from 8620 carbon steel with sizing and shaping influenced by PING tour professionals and advisors. The Glide Forged wedge is the

THE GLIDE FORGED WEDGE IS THE COMPANY’S NEWEST WEDGE ENGINEERED AND CRAFTED FOR GOLFERS WANTING TO IMPROVE THEIR SHOT-MAKING BY EMPLOYING A SLEEK, HIGH-SPINNING BLADE-STYLE DESIGN WITH A SOFT, PLEASING FEEL.

company’s newest wedge engineered and crafted for golfers wanting to improve their shot-making by employing a sleek,

smooth transition through grass and sand while providing a

high-spinning blade-style design with a soft, pleasing feel.

captured look at address.

“The Glide Forged wedge represents an exciting new

“Everything about the Glide Forged wedge is created

direction for us,” said Solheim. “First and foremost, it

around quality and performance,” Solheim said. “From

offers the performance we engineer into every PING club,

the 8620-carbon steel that produces the incredible feel

including an amazing feel. It’s also our ﬁrst fully forged

to the tungsten toe weight that ensures forgiveness in a

wedge offering in several years and it comes with the

blade-style wedge, we made sure every detail was covered,

ability for golfers to create a truly unique wedge by adding

including milling the back of the wedge to create a distinct,

custom graphics, stamping and paint ﬁlls. The combina-

visually appealing pattern. Several of our tour professionals

tion of the wedge’s technology and the customization

have already added Glide Forged wedges to their bags since

options gives golfers a great opportunity to improve their

debuting them last month. They really love the feel and

short games while creating a wedge that’s totally unique

are especially excited about the added spin and trajectory

to them.”

control they are experiencing.”

A sole design with a rounded lead edge and more heel-

As part of the introduction, PING has launched a new

toe camber allows for greater shot-making and creativity

website where golfers can create one-of-a-kind Glide

around the green. The gooseneck-tapered hosel ensures a

Forged wedges customized to their personal preferences.

Rounding out the BONANZA launch is something for

team created a junior ﬁtting chart (a variation of the compa-

junior golfers – the revolutionary Prodi G Series. These new

ny’s iconic colour code chart developed nearly 50 years ago)

clubs are engineered with the score-lowering technolo-

that takes into account a junior’s height and wrist-to-ﬂoor

gies of PING’s adult line and inspired by its commitment

measurement to determine the appropriate lie angle and

to introduce more juniors to the game. It is the highest-

club length. The Prodi G clubs are recommended for juniors

performing junior clubs to date.

4’5” to 5’2” and can be ordered in custom lengths based on

“The Prodi G junior clubs feature a lot of the same

the results of a ﬁtting session.

technologies and undergo the same rigorous testing as

As part of the launch of the new clubs, the company

all of our products,” said Solheim. “From a performance

also announced the Prodi G “Get Golf Growing” programme,

standpoint, our research reveals the clubs far out-perform

an industry-ﬁrst junior golf equipment initiative that offers

the competitive junior sets on the market, including the

custom-ﬁt and custom-built junior clubs that include a one-

Prodi G driver being 15 yards longer with a moment of iner-

time, no-cost adjustment to sets of ﬁve clubs or more. The

tia that’s 50% higher than the top-selling junior driver.”

programme helps address an all-too-common occurrence

“For the ﬁrst time, junior golfers can play the same technology as mom or dad that is custom ﬁt and custom built just for them,” Solheim said. “We believe that has an

that results in a lot of junior golfers playing clubs not suited to their games. “One of the biggest barriers parents of junior golfers’

appeal all its own and will help get kids interested in play-

face is investing in a set of clubs that their kids will outgrow

ing more.”

in a short time,” Solheim explained. “As a result, they often

In developing the new products, PING’s Fitting Science

buy clubs that don’t ﬁt their kids in hopes they’ll grow into them or they cut down old clubs. Neither option is ideal and impedes the junior’s golf develop-

ment. Our ‘Get Golf Growing’ program is designed to be an affordable way to get juniors into high-performance customﬁt clubs while bringing more boys and girls to the sport. The Prodi G clubs grow with the kids. We believe if juniors are exposed to better equipment, they’ll enjoy golf more, which will ultimately help grow the game as the kids fall in love with golf and play it for a lifetime.” The proven technologies applied to the new line include

AS PART OF THE LAUNCH OF THE NEW CLUBS, THE COMPANY ALSO ANNOUNCED THE PRODI G “GET GOLF GROWING” PROGRAMME, AN INDUSTRY-FIRST JUNIOR GOLF

turbulators on the driver for increased clubhead speed,

EQUIPMENT INITIATIVE THAT OFFERS

and irons with a custom tuning port to allow for precise

CUSTOM-FIT AND CUSTOM-BUILT JUNIOR

swing weighting during the custom-building process. Two lightweight graphite shaft ﬂexes are optimized for weight and balance to match junior swing speeds. The custom-engineered set comprises 11 clubs: a 15˚ titanium driver, 22˚ fairway wood, 27˚ hybrid, perimeterweighted irons (6-9, PW), two specialty wedges (52˚ & 56˚) and a blade-style putter. The lightweight clubs can be ordered in any combination and all are custom built at PING’s Phoenix headquarters. Two sizes (34”, 3.5 lbs. and 30”, 3 lbs.) of the Hoofer Prodi G carry bags can be purchased separately.

CLUBS THAT INCLUDE A ONE-TIME, NO-COST ADJUSTMENT TO SETS OF FIVE CLUBS OR MORE.

Tof the 21st Century is just around he end of the second decade

the corner. It’s a time during which the world has witnessed change and disruption on a scale never experienced before. Dominant old technologies have been unceremoniously dumped making way for new technologies that were never envisioned until recent times. Corporate behemoths like General Motors and IBM have been pushed off their lofty pedestals to make way for fastcharging corporate upstarts like Apple, Amazon and Google. The world and everything on it has been turned on its head – but it has all proved to be for the better. It has brought about change on an unprecedented scale. Individuals, corporations and nations that have been quick to Ãi âi > ` i }>}i Ü Ì V > } } ÌÀi `Ã] >Ûi Lii Ài>« } Ì i Li iwÌÃ v disruption. The pace of change is something that the golf industry needs to seize and i }>}i Ü Ì }Ài>Ì }ÕÃÌ ° Ì ii`Ã Ì w ` iÜ > ` iÝV Ì } Ü>ÞÃ Ì V «i younger generations to take up the game and replace the rapidly depleting legions of older players from past generations. New formats of play must be

explored; the must be factored young; costs of equip must be made affordable a must be reduced. Golf needs a new cater and retain new blood.

/ i Ì i Ì i }>}i Ã Üt / i Óä£n ƂÃ > 2018) will serve as a platform to explore, d mindset to break free from tradition and em Ü>ÞÃ Ì > i } v >ÌÌÀ>VÌ Ûi] Û >L i > ` «À Talk alone is not good enough. It’s time to

APGS – The 12th edition. One Of The Industry’s B

e element of fun d in to appeal to the pment and apparel and the cost to play w template to draw in,

*>V wV v -Õ Ì Ƃ* - iscuss and come up with a new mbrace revolutionary new path wÌ>L i >VÀ ÃÃ Ì i L >À`° ACT and ENGAGE!

Best!

This is great news for all golfers who have problems trying to work out distances especially in their long game. The dilemma normally centres around what long iron or metal wood to use to get the ball to go the correct distance and invariably, most golfers goof up big time in the distance calculus. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really frustrating and for those of you who ďŹ nd yourselves in this quagmire, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fret as there is hope. Taylormade, has come out with a divine solution to the challenge and it is really like getting an assist from an angle sent from the heavens!

n keeping with its long tradition in producing incredible “rescue” clubs, TaylorMade has launched a brand new family of “joy-sticks” that have been speciﬁcally

GAPR IS A TRIO OF CLUBS AND IT IS AIMED AT GOLFERS WHO

designed and engineered to deliver maximum perfor-

HAVE A GAPPING CHALLENGE IN THE LONG

mance to ﬁll distance gaps in the long game.

PART OF THEIR SET; SPECIFICALLY, THE

“More Tour players are adopting utility clubs to bridge

the gap between their longest iron and shortest fairway wood.

DIFFICULT-TO-MANAGE YARDAGE BETWEEN

GAPR provides innovative options for players to conﬁdently

THE LONGEST PLAYABLE IRON AND THE

hit a speciﬁc yardage with a speciﬁc trajectory,” said Tomo

SHORTEST METALWOOD.

Bystedt, Senior Director, Product Creation, Metalwoods. Now, if the GAPR works for professionals on Tour, these new clubs are truly heaven-sent! The only problem we have with these newbies is the name of the clubs – GAPR. Taylor-

the difﬁcult-to-manage yardage between the longest playable iron and the shortest metalwood. With a majority of players not comfortable hitting

Made, you could have done better with a name choice during

3, 4 and even 5 irons consistently to precise yardages or

the christening process! Anyway, it’s the only negative that we

with any dependable accuracy and 5, 7 and 9 woods often

could think of – otherwise the clubs are simply celestial!

difﬁcult to control, TaylorMade set out to engineer a line of

GAPR is a trio of clubs and it is aimed at golfers who have a gapping challenge in the long part of their set; speciﬁcally,

products that allow golfers to get the distance, carry and control needed to fill these gaps. The result is GAPR, three distinct products which invite golfers to choose their shape, find their distance and bridge their gap. In recent years, the majority of hybrid clubs have gradually evolved into extensions of the iron set or simply smaller fairway woods. Few compelling options for golfers to upgrade their hybrids exist unless they purchase them as part of an iron set. On Tour, the number of wood-style hybrids has steadily declined. Players are starting to adopt iron-style utility clubs and driving irons for better control and workability. In each of the three different GAPR models, TaylorMade engineers have incorporated the company’s innovative SpeedFoam technology, which was first introduced in the globallysuccessful P790 irons last fall. SpeedFoam serves the dual purpose of generating ball speed while also dampening vibrations to create optimal sound and feel. SpeedFoam is injected into the club head in liquid form before expanding within the club, providing increased face support while maintaining the soft, solid sound and feel that golfers prefer. Additionally, strategically-placed ultralow centre of gravity in each GAPR model creates a hotter, higher launch for more distance and improved playability. Now, let’s do a drill-down on each of the clubs:

GAPR LO

GAPR LO Designed primarily for players with faster ballspeeds, GAPR LO is the smallest of the three models and features a low-forward CG for extreme distance with a mid-to-low trajectory. It’s driving iron-type shape has a players proﬁle that allows for excellent ﬂighting and workability, and the mid-thin sole width delivers maximum performance and versatility for the stronger player.

GAPR MID Slightly larger in size than the GAPR LO, GAPR MID was designed with players of all skill levels in mind. Featuring a CG that is ultra-low and forward for maximum distance and a midhigh trajectory, GAPR MID has an iron face proﬁle that inspires conﬁdence and easy alignment and a medium-wide sole width for ease of play and versatility.

GAPR HI Similar to the GAPR MID, GAPR HI was engineered for the widest range of players. The largest of the three models, GAPR

GAPR MID

HI features an ultra-low/back CG for maximum distance and a high, penetrating trajectory. Where the HI differs from the other two models is its shaping, which features modern Rescue™ shaping with a high-toe, peanut shaped clubhead. The dropped crown feature provides lower CG and improved alignment. There you have it – the GAPR trio of saviours – you now have the performance and adjustability to ﬁne-tune their long game for the right combination of distance, versatility and precision.” GAPR HI

Not to be out-done by performance putter heads available in a gazillion different colours, Odyssey Golf has decided to dabble with colours also. However, unlike TaylorMade’s Spider putter which can be conﬁgured in a kaleidoscope of colours, the brand new Odyssey putter has just settled for one colour – the colour RED!

o, wh at’ st he It’s it, big “W c Af ter e b alle ad d t deal dr u inn all i h es l wi a ha ov s a t the e R th ati vin lign ed nd th ne m ve gt is B e i w B m all n nt he wh ne ut ew O p . ” p d w r ich r wh o u y i N de gh v off s t o th e t , s y er sig w, ts ey Od er on es on a e n ing n y R n t c t e s o int wo e is op d s a u d g e r fro pa as all en olf eo th yw B t h all m de n e t h i a f h n a d r as bo th ec gs Od s ds pu wo ali ut th ys o t tar e pu quic g r t m e t e n g se p h r e m tl pa kt “re ro s t h y? t e ine tter sp is pe ny ing os nt db s sa ec rs p na ot on i y s a u lt iﬁc ou ll” et ts cr pb ha ev c all uc an up pr be t it er ac op ial y e yp ar an ’s k: er gu inc for d p to “W n ins ut l y e t.” re e’v ro er an p w d o pe Ah ted ith y ep s i r ha bly e t ut ins ition play !T as er, hat. th ed ha e d ide yt an o t v oa tm h i er dt lig stinc e sc ak th his nt eb es o tR he all se ed pe? ns fac T . Ba o e! et ll i ot ns he ide

WE BUILT THE NEW ODYSSEY RED BALL PUTTERS SPECIFICALLY TO ADDRESS AND IMPROVE ON TWO THINGS

PROPER SET UP AND

PROPER ALIGNMENT. “Combined with the black and white framing from our proven Versa high contrast alignment, this forgiving mallet removes the variables in your set up. And that’s how you’re able to get the right set up and the proper line every time you’re over the ball.” Brilliant! That’s not all, According to Odyssey, “with all of this technology, and the legendary sound, feel and roll from its White Hot RX insert, a golfer will have everything he needs to become a more consistent putter.” In short, the Red Ball addresses two speciﬁc areas: proper set up and proper alignment. Let’s now sit back and wait to see how golfers rush to get the Red Ball putter into their bags!

A truly stunning golf vista that undulating landscape.

White frothy lined waves rolli onto a brilliant white sandy b gently rolling hills.

Running through this gift from ticulously manicured green tu and native shrubbery. A mast

KN Royal Golf Links Ca Hotline: (+84) 0989 79787

t rises and falls in an almost never-ending

ing in from the South China Sea lapping each set against a distant backdrop of

m the heavens are verdant pathways of meurf carefully punctuated by pockets of sand terful tapestry of a classic work of art.

The artist behind this spell-binding creation is one of golf’s greatest legends – champion golfer and golf course architect extraordinaire Greg Norman. One look at this landscape was all that Norman needed to transform it into Asia’s only true links golf course. A course that is already destined to earn its right to be ranked amongst the world’s best. KN Royal Golf Links Cam Ranh – opening soon for play. The game the way it should be played in the true traditions of links golf.

am Ranh - Long Beach, Northern Peninsula Cam Ranh - Khanh Hoa, Vietnam. 78 | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Camranhlinks/

Normally the apparel brand names that a courses in Southeast Asia are the more p like FootJoy, Adidas and Nike. Strangely, n mentioned brands produce any golf e brands are nevertheless popular with ly when it comes to apparel and ac ever, one name that is huge with golf equipment is PING and here has not really enjoyed too much the apparel scene. This is all PING is making a c make its quality men and wo t

re familiar on golf redictable names none of the aforeequipment but the golfers especialccessories. Howthe production of etofore, this brand of a presence on l set to change as concerted push to y apparel for both omen available in the Asian marketplace.

ING has just unveiled its new performance driven 2019 Spring/Summer men’s apparel range, which takes its inspiration from the company’s heritage - for the ﬁrst time, the new line features innovative Sensor Cool Cotton, engineered with COOLMAX® fabric, to deliver enhanced comfort and feel. Strengthening the brand’s commitment to helping golfers look and play

their best, the latest collection has been designed and engineered to combine premium performance fabrics, with the meticulous attention to detail that is synonymous with the brand. Inspired by the rich colours and natural landscape of Sedona, Arizona, the collection features a ‘Sedona Sunrise’ theme, which encapsulates the natural gradients found in the desert state and provides a visual connection to the PING brand and its longstanding heritage. The direction of the collection’s polo shirts is showcased by the Karsten III and Raymond, both of which feature the innovative Sensor Cool Cotton, which is blended with technologically advanced COOLMAX® fabric, to deliver the exceptional softness and comfort expected from a cotton-based polo. Lasting performance is guaranteed in the Karsten III and Raymond, as COOLMAX® ﬁbres move moisture away from the body, keeping the skin temperature low and enabling the wearer to feel cooler and more comfortable during the round. Stretch properties combine with a modern ﬁt and considered detailing throughout, to deliver soft-touch, cotton performance polo shirts, which can be worn on and off the course. Bringing further performance-based designs to the SS19 collection are the visually striking Gradient and Ridge polos, which are engineered with Sensor Cool technology. Both polos incorporate a yarndyed fabric and deliver performance-driven properties, such as quick-drying and stretch, that are found in all PING garments featuring this acclaimed proprietary technology. So, if you want to look different, step out in style with the PING look!

THE LATEST COLLECTION HAS BEEN DESIGNED AND ENGINEERED TO COMBINE PREMIUM PERFORMANCE FABRICS, WITH THE METICULOUS ATTENTION TO DETAIL THAT IS SYNONYMOUS WITH THE BRAND.

We are reaching out to the best golfers in the golf club industry to come and do battle at one of Asia’s premier golf clubs – the award-winning Thai Country Club. The gem of Bangkok will be the host venue for the only golf tournament specially organized for golf club owners, operators and managers. The Asia Pacific Golf Group together with the Thai Country Club will be hosting the 2018 Asia Pacific Inter-Club Golf Tournament. The tournament will be staged in conjunction with the 2018 Asia Pacific Golf Summit. It will be played with two-man teams drawn from clubs within the Asia Pacific footprint. This tournament is all about good, clean fun and more importantly, it is about networking. It’s the fourth in the series. The tournament will be run on November 1, 2018. There is no entry-fee to participate in this tournament. To qualify, players need to register as delegates to attend the 2018 Asia Pacific Golf Summit and there are 80 slots available. Entry will be on a first-come-first-serve basis and a two-man team from each club can register on-line through the APGS website.

For more information please visit www.golfconference.org or email to Alice Ho at alice@asiapaciﬁcgolfgroup.com or call +65 6323 2800 for more details

2018-

exciting gets rea world’s revamp The tournam Playoff In u scribed as they which w tive sea Shangh THE CJ Co Monaha has com were in achieve “It’ sequen engage

-19 PGA TOUR SCHEDULE

here is no denying that the PGA TOUR is the richest and best staged professional tour on the Planet. Each season, its tournaments pit some of the best professional golfers in the world to do battle on some of the most g and stunning venues that golf has to offer. As it ady to wrap up yet another successful season, the most powerful TOUR has rolled out a signiﬁcantly ed 2018-19 schedule. e new season will feature 46 action-packed ments which will culminate with three FedExCup events. unveiling the new schedule, the PGA Tour dethe new season as an exciting change for players and fans will be able to engage in – and better follow – a cadence of will again feature three events in Asia for a second consecuason - the World Golf Championships - HSBC Champions in hai, China, the CIMB Classic in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and CUP @ NINE BRIDGES on Jeju Island, South Korea. mmenting on the new season, PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay an said, “We are extremely pleased with the way the schedule me together, particularly with the number of changes that volved and the strength of the partnerships required to e this new look.” ’s been our stated objective for several years to create better cing of our tournaments that golf fans around the world can in from start to ﬁnish. And by concluding at the end of Au-

WE ARE EXTREMELY PLEASED WITH THE WAY THE SCHEDULE HAS COME TOGETHER, PARTICULARLY WITH THE NUMBER OF CHANGES THAT WERE INVOLVED AND THE STRENGTH OF THE PARTNERSHIPS REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE THIS NEW LOOK.

– JAY MONAHAN

gust, the FedExCup Playoffs no longer have the challenge of sharing the stage with college and professional football. This will enhance the visibility of the FedExCup Playoffs and overall fan engagement with the PGA TOUR and the game as a whole.” Monahan credited the TOUR’s largest partner, FedEx, umbrella sponsor of the FedExCup, and title sponsors for their crucial role with the revamped schedule. “Our 10-year extension with FedEx last May and the longterm agreements we have in place with a signiﬁcant number of title sponsors were critical in allowing us to make these changes to the schedule,” Monahan said. “Our thanks to these tremendous partners for their ﬂexibility and support during this process, as we feel strongly that elevating the FedExCup Playoffs will also heighten interest in all tournaments on our schedule.”

Photo Credit: Getty Images

NEW

SOFTEST. LONGEST. STRAIGHTEST.

AVAILABLE IN 7 COLORS

SOFTEST CLAIM: BASED UPON INTERNAL BALL COMPRESSION TESTING PERFORMED AT WILSON INNOVATION CENTER ON 3/14/17. DISTANCE AND SPIN CLAIMS BASED UPON INTERNAL FLIGHT TESTING PERFORMED AT WILSONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S RESEARCH TEST FACILITY IN HUMBOLDT, TN ON 5/20/17. (90 MPH DRIVER TEST)

This article is in direct response to a reader’s question relating to the dominance enjoyed by Asian players on the LPGA Tour. His question was: “What do you people have back in Asia – a production line for female golfers?” Actually, this is a very fair question when you consider the number of players from South Korea, Japan, Thailand and China who have virtually taken over the top echelons of the ladies’ professional game. The ﬂoodgates were ﬂung wide open when Se Ri Pak from South Korea busted the glass ceiling for Asians on the LPGA Tour. Since her historic breakthrough, Pak has provided the impetus to other Asian golfers to follow in her footsteps. So, back to the original question – it certainly looks like we have production lines in Asia to produce a continuous stream of star power. Names like Shin Jiya, Imbee Park, Shanshan Feng and the Jutanugarn sisters from Thailand have already reserved their hallowed spots in the annals of history. And while the ladies game is still singing the praises of the Asian superstars, up comes along another name seeking the bright lights of the LPGA. Meet the latest export from the Land Of The Rising Sun, Japan – Nasa Hataoka!

WHAT PARTICULARLY IMPRESSED ME WHEN WATCHING

MISSION HILLS WAS THE WAY IN WHICH SHE HANDLED HERSELF. DESPITE HER AT

BEING YOUNGER AND SMALLER THAN MOST OF HER RIVALS IN THE TOURNAMENT, SHE WAS FAR FROM OVER-AWED.

SHE ACTUALLY SEEMED TO RELISH THE CHALLENGE. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; NICK FALDO

he diminutive 19-year old from Japan made her presence felt when she ﬁrst appeared a little over two years ago at the Girls’ Under-16 tournament at the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final. Not only did she make a massive impression with her play, but she stole the title, thus announcing her entry into big-time golf. In the 10th Faldo Series Asia Grand Final at China’s Mission Hills Golf Club in

March, 2016, Hataoka impressed with her shot-making skills and calm demeanour. A plus-ﬁve handicapper at that time, she was 60th in the R&A’s World Amateur Golf Ranking but

was already being hailed as one of Asia’s brightest female prospects. Among many highlights in 2015, she had been a runaway winner in the Girls’ 15-17 segment at the IMG Academy Junior World Golf Championships at San Diego’s Torrey Pines as well as emerging victorious in the Faldo Series Asia Japan Championship. Further kudos came her way when she contended in the Japan LPGA Tour’s Hisako Higuchi Ponta Ladies tournament, eventually finishing in a share of seventh place. Hataoka secured her LPGA Tour card by being a medallist at the 2016 Qualifying Tournament at the age of 17. After a year of acclimatisation during her rookie season, Hataoka has gone on to take the LPGA Tour by storm with five top-10 finishes in her last six starts, including a play-off loss to Thai superstar Ariya Jutanugarn at May’s Kingsmill Championship. This signalled that she was well on her way to her first win on the LPGA Tour and that came in June. Measuring up to a whole five-foot two-inches in height, this did not prove to be a handicap as she posted her maiden LPGA Tour win at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. “It was a fantastic performance,” said six-time Major champion Nick Faldo. “To shoot a 63 in the final round and end up winning by six shots was truly remarkable. “Based on what I saw of her during the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final, I don’t think it’s a surprise that Nasa has done so well – even if it’s happened a little bit quicker than we might have expected,” exclaimed Faldo.

Recalling her performance as an amateur two years ago, Faldo said, “What particularly impressed me when watching her at Mission Hills was the way in which she handled herself. Despite being younger and smaller than most of her rivals in the tournament, she was far from over-awed. She actually seemed to relish the challenge.” Last Month, at the PGA Women’s Championship, Hataoka proved yet again that she is the “real deal”. She finished a hop, skip and a jump shy of her first major title. She began the final round 9-strokes back of the lead and waited more than an hour and a half to see if the leaders would fall back to her at 10-under par. She was eliminated in the three-way play-off against the eventual winner, Sung Hyun Park and So Yeon Ryu. Talking about Hataoka, her caddie, Dana Derouaux said,”Ahead of each shot, Hataoka shrugs her shoulders and hops in the air. It’s a unique pre-shot routine that’s she’s done since she was 14-years-old. It keeps her loose on the course when her body tenses up as she gets nervous. Nasa doesn’t get real excited, she stays pretty steady,” said Derouaux. “She’s got a heart of goal. She really does.” So, you have been alerted. Watch this little rocket as she grows in prominence.

She’s 25-years old and her achievements at the highest level in professional golf would give one the impression that she’s much more mature than her declared age. Not only is she an absolute power-house but she is pint-sized when stacked up against some of her American and European counterparts on the world’s most powerful Tour for women – the LPGA Tour!

She was on ﬁre at last month’s LPGA Thornberry

player in LPGA Tour history to go lower than 30 under in a

Creek Classic when she entered into territory no one had

performance so dominant that she now has the tour scor-

ever been in on the LPGA Tour. She reached an unbe-

ing records all to herself.

his is ASIAN GOLF’s special tribute to

won the 2001 Standard Register Ping at 27 under, the

a great Asian golfer who has gone on to

tournament where the Swede shot 59. Kim also set the

achieve what nobody has done to date and

72-hole scoring record at 257, ﬁnishing with three straight

that is to set two brand new LPGA scoring

pars to break the mark by one shot.

records.

Kim has gone down in the history books as the ﬁrst

lievable 30-under par in the fourth round before adding

Kim won for the ﬁrst time this year and joined

another birdie to close with a 7-under 65 for a record

Canada’s Brooke Henderson as the only players on the

shattering 31-under for a nine-shot victory.

LPGA Tour with at least one victory in each of the last four

This represented the “best golf that I’ve ever played”

seasons.

said Kim who paid special tribute to You Tube – yes You

Kim plays on the LPGA of Korea Tour and the LPGA

Tube. Speaking to a reporter after sinking her last putt,

Tour. She has won ﬁve times on the LPGA of Korea Tour

she attributed her record breaking performance to watch-

and six times on the LPGA Tour.

ing mind-conditioning videos on You Tube. Kim said that these videos toughened her and prepared her for the record breaking run. At least she is different! Kim’s 31-under broke by four shots to par the record she had shared with Sweden’s Annika Sorenstam. Kim won the 2016 Founders Cup at 27 under, while Sorenstam

KIM HAS GONE DOWN IN THE HISTORY BOOKS AS THE FIRST PLAYER IN

LPGA

TOUR HISTORY TO GO LOWER THAN 30 UNDER IN A PERFORMANCE SO DOMINANT THAT SHE NOW HAS THE TOUR SCORING RECORDS ALL TO HERSELF.

A First Class Tradition

Owned and managed by The Peninsula Hotels and often voted as possessing the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Best Clubhouse in Asiaâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Best Course in Thailandâ&#x20AC;?, Thai Country Club is less than 45 minutes from downtown Bangkok and is renowned for having the friendliest staff of professionals in the Kingdom committed to providing the Ultimate Golfing Experience. For registered guests of The Peninsula Bangkok, We are happy to arrange a tee-time at a substantial reduction from our normal visitorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rate. Extend your business trip in Bangkok, or book a get-away golfing package. When it comes to exclusive golfing with impeccable hospitality â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we play off scratch.

:LQQHU 9LMD\ 6LQJK :LQQHU 7LJHU :RRGV

VOLVO MASTERS

ASIA

:LQQHU 6KLY .DSXU

:LQQHU 7KRQJFKDL -DLGHH

:LQQHU 3UD\DG 0DUNVDHQJ

:LQQHU /DP &KLK %LQJ

Winner: Rattanon Wannasrichan

7KDL &RXQWU\ &OXE ZZZ WKDLFRXQWU\FOXE FRP 7HO LQTXLU\#WKDLFRXQWU\FOXE FRP 7KH 3HQLQVXOD %DQJNRN ZZZ SHQLQVXOD FRP 7HO SEN#SHQLQVXOD FRP

It was only in the last decade or so that Asian players have made real in-roads in the professional ga

smashed through the glass ceiling to send out a warning that Asians were coming. Power-lifter K.J. C by the historic win at the 2009 PGA Championship when Y.E. Yang brought down the seemingly invi

of Pak Se-Ri who busted through the ranks of the LPGA and subsequently threw open the flood-gate

professional tour. Looking back through the years, there has never been a better time for Asian men

in partnership with the PGA Tour, the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most powerful professional tour, the following article s Chris Cox, senior manager - Communications at the PGA TOUR reports:

ame. The most dramatic breakthroughs came via South Koreans who

Choi cut a name for himself on the PGA Tour and this was followed

ncible Tiger Woods at his peak. Then came along the meteoric rise

es for waves of Asian players to challenge on the world’s top women’s

n and women to shine on the world’s stage. In this issue of ASIAN GOLF,

shines the spotlight on this continuing trend of rising stars from Asia.

K.J. CHOI

Y.E. YANG

PAK SE-RI

o matter how unassuming they may appear at ﬁrst glance, together they form a young, curious, thrilling duo ready to assume the mantle of the next great South Korean golfers. And, perhaps more importantly, they appear primed to become household names

around the globe as they inch closer toward receiving their ﬁrst

PGA TOUR cards later this season. “As a Korean player myself, it’s great to see so many Koreans out there,” two-time TOUR winner Si Woo Kim said. “I’m incredibly proud of all of their accomplishments, and I hope more Korean players can win and make a name for themselves around the world.” So, who are these unknowns, these masters of accuracy and precision, these sniffers and singers? Sung-jae Im and Kyoung-hoon Lee. Start learning the names now - you’ll be hearing them often in the years to come. Before discussing their talents off the golf course, first consider their talents on it. Their paths to stardom have converged into one on the Web.com Tour, their futures on display for everyone to marvel at. And possibly no greater moment symbolized what lies ahead for these two than at the Tour’s first event of the season, where Lee was there waiting on the 18th green to douse his friend and colleague in a ceremonial shower after winning the Bahamas Great Exuma Classic. With the victory, Im became just the 16th player in Tour history to win in his first career start, and at just age 19, the circuit’s second-youngest champion behind only Jason Day. “We’ve been close ever since we met,” Lee said. “Since it’s my third year here, I want to give him advice about the course and such if he has questions, but he’s been doing so well I don’t know if he really needs it.” Of course, the same could be said of Lee, who, after a string of solid performances, finds himself third on the Web.com Tour money list, just two spots back of the wun-

Introducing Sung-jae Im and Kyoung-hoon Lee. Both have sights set on the future after successful runs on the Web.com Tour. One makes it a point to smell each and every fresh new golf ball the moment he pulls it from its sleeve. The other is a karaoke aďŹ cionado who would probably be an artist in a different life, if only he werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t such a darn wizard with the golf club in his hands.

derkind Im. The top 25 on the money list at the end of the regular season will gain automatic entry onto the PGA TOUR, and 25 more will receive membership cards based on who earns the most cumulative money in the four Web.com Tour Finals events. At Nos. 1 and 3, respectively, each is in excellent position to stake their claims to a place on next season’s TOUR roster. This particular friendship traces its roots to the Japan Tour, where the pair played a handful of events together during both the 2016 and 2017 seasons. And while they’re teaming up once more now on the Web.com Tour, and soon again on the PGA TOUR, their paths to this point couldn’t have been any different. Im established himself as a true golf prodigy early on, separating himself from the other children around him long before his adolescent years began. He found himself following his parents onto the range by

EVERY TIME YOU SEE BOTH OF THEM, THEY HAVE BIG FAT SMILES ON THEIR FACES AND THAT WAS EVEN BEFORE THEY PLAYED THIS WELL. SO, IT’S JUST A TESTAMENT TO HOW KIND THEY BOTH ARE. – SCOTT LANGLEY the time he was 4 and received his ﬁrst full set of clubs just

unwanted pounds before his teenage years set in, Lee took

three years later.

to the course believing the walking of 18 holes—and the

Like his own unique version of a toddler Tiger Woods,

quirky twists and turns of a typical golf swing—could help

Im vividly remembers shooting a 77 in the opening round

round him into better form. It was only then he discovered

of his ﬁrst career tournament. It was abundantly clear then

his uncanny knack for the sport.

that golf was his future. “I started to love competing and playing in tournaments

“I feel like golf and diet aren’t really related, but back then I thought it was going to help me lose weight,” he

(after that),” he said. “And within a year and a half, I started

said. “My dad ﬁrst took me out to play, and I saw it as a

playing in more tournaments and thought they were so

form of exercise. I was a lot bigger when I was younger, so

much fun.”

I thought it was a good way to exercise. But as I kept play-

Lee’s pathway to professional golf didn’t begin so much with discipline and training as it did good intentions. A husky boy looking to shed some

ing, it was so much fun. I loved seeing the ball soar in the air, so I took it seriously as a player.” As his golf ball soared, so, too, did his skill level. What began as short shots traveling just 10 meters eventually developed into full swings that rapidly helped distance him from peers and ultimately set him on his current direction.

“I loved how far the ball was going,” he said. “It was so

lowing intently and

cool. As I kept playing, I experienced both good shots and

TOUR pros ofﬁcially

bad shots, and that always motivated me to practice even

on notice. Im, ranked

more.”

No. 109 in the Ofﬁcial World

While the differences in what brought them here may

Golf Ranking, is well on his way

be vast, the two nevertheless share one key thread tying

to joining Kim and the cadre of South

them together.

Korean stars on the PGA TOUR, and the

“Every time you see both of them, they have big fat

26-year-old Lee isn’t far behind. The latter

smiles on their faces,” American Scott Langley said. “And

also has ﬁve top-10 ﬁnishes this year, including

that was even before they played this well. So, it’s just a

three runner-up performances, and has two career

testament to how kind they both are.”

wins on both the Japan Golf Tour and the Korean Tour.

Those who see Im and Lee during a tournament would have a difﬁcult time catching either in a poor disposition. They’re jovial characters with a deep love both for their

Natural-born talent aside, it’s their tireless work ethic which have their peers so impressed. “They’re so driven,” Drewitt said. “I don’t know how

friends and the game—which is largely a testament to the

they do it, but they’re out here for 15 hours a day. It’s

family around them.

ridiculous.”

When observers encounter Lee, they’ll typically ﬁnd his

Lee’s iron game has been particularly strong this

ﬁancé, Jooyeon Yu, close by. The tight-knit pair are slated to

season, he said, and more consistent putting has led to his

marry on Dec. 15. Im, meanwhile, can often be found with

most recent success. And while he’s still looking for his ﬁrst

his parents, Ji Taek and Mi, who travel with him to every

win in his third year on the Tour, he knows he’s closer than

tournament.

ever to achieving his ultimate goal.

Those bonds pay dividends in a faraway land so differ-

“I’m sure any player out here can relate, but the PGA

ent from daily life back home in South Korea. While they’ve

TOUR is the dream Tour,” he said. “I see so many great

been pleasantly surprised by the abundance of native foods

players like Tiger Woods on TV, and just the thoughts of

available at the various Tour stops, the language barrier and

having the opportunity to play with players like that gets me

lack of permanent homes still occasionally take their tolls.

excited.”

“Since I don’t have a home in the U.S., living out of ho-

Im hasn’t won since that opening week, but he’s still

tels has been extremely difﬁcult,” Lee said. “But I’ve grown

maintained his top position as the season winds to a close.

accustomed to that lifestyle, and it’s been great having my

He received advice at the U.S. Open from Kim on how to

wife travel with me.”

improve, where the former PLAYERS champion encouraged

Having conﬁdants close by certainly helps Im, too, con-

him to keep working on his short game. But he knows his

sidering 20-year-olds cannot legally rent a car in the United

mental approach will prove just as valuable once he inevita-

States. It’s another reminder of just how incredible his ac-

bly makes the transition to the TOUR.

complishments are—he has ﬁve top-10 ﬁnishes already this season—given his relatively young age. “I had the pleasure of playing with Sung-jae a couple

“I still want to practice the parts of my game that I’m lacking, but I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself,” he said. “I want to play relaxed mentally. I know that

of weeks ago, and playing with him was kind of… his swing

if I play with too much on my mind, I’ll never play to my full

is so rhythmic and smooth,” Australian Brett Drewitt said.

potential, so I want to be able to play freely.”

“It’s the same every time. It’s kind of hard not to play good (around him), to be honest.” That swing is what has media so intrigued, fans fol-

When he arrives, it will rekindle a friendly rivalry with Kim that dates back to their childhood days. The pair played several amateur events together, from Im’s time in the Jeju

THEIR TALENTS BOTH ON AND OFF THE COURSE ARE READY TO RISE TO THE NEXT LEVEL.

THE PGA TOUR

STAGE WILL BE BIGGER AND

LEE, THE PERFORMER, AND THE THICK, DISTINCT AROMAS THAT SURBRIGHTER FOR

ROUND THE BIGGEST GOLF TOURNAMENTS IN THE WORLD ARE SURE TO MAKE IM HAPPY.

“dreamers kids” programme all the way to when Kim was in high school and Im in middle school. “When we were in elementary school, we would always see each other at tournaments, and now we’ve both

That, of course, makes Im the sniffer. “I have a keen sense of smell,” he said. “Especially with things that are new, like golf balls, I always smell it ﬁrst. I think that’s an interesting fact about myself.”

become accomplished players and have reached the U.S.

This shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. Perhaps the

Open,” Kim said. “His game seemed to be in great shape,

Jeju native has hyperosmia (a heightened sense of smell)

and I’m looking forward to having him on the TOUR. I

or maybe even benign masochism, which is an unpleas-

think it’ll make my time on the TOUR a lot more fun.”

ant activity that a person actually enjoys.

If you haven’t guessed by now, Lee is the singer. A

Or it could be that he’s just naturally drawn to the

bit less reserved than his friend Im and a few more years

rubber-like thermoplastic cover of the ball, his deep

matured, he’s not as shy about announcing his unique

connection to the sport playing out in more ways than

skill. Though he remains just as humble with that as he

one. After all, it would make total sense Im would have

is his supreme golf talents - “I was a better singer in the

a personal attachment to the thing that’s carried him so

past,” he said, “but not that great now.”

far in his life.

But he still maintains he’d likely be a singer today if

Their talents both on and off the course are ready to

he weren’t playing golf. He likes both American music—

rise to the next level. The PGA TOUR stage will be bigger

Michael Jackson, most notably—and the Korean tunes

and brighter for Lee, the performer, and the thick, dis-

he’s grown accustomed to over the years, like the Girls

tinct aromas that surround the biggest golf tournaments

Generation tracks that draw their share of inspiration

in the world are sure to make Im happy.

from the King of Pop. He’s proud to list on his Web.com Tour bio that Psy is the most famous person he’s ever met (the two connected at a concert in Seoul), and the

Or maybe it’s just the smell of all the wins soon headed their way. “I like (K.H.) a lot,” Im said. “It’s a great feeling to

artist’s “Gangnam Style” would no doubt be his ﬁrst-tee

know we’re both playing well, and I really hope we both

entrance song.

earn our TOUR cards together.”

ECCO BIOM® HYBRID 3 WITH TRI-FI-GRIP ™ AND GORE-TEX ® CONSTRUCTION

ROTATI O N A L S U P P OR T · S TA BIL I T Y · D U R A B I L I T Y

100% waterproof GORE-TEX®

ECCO Tri-Fi-Grip ® outsole technology

ECCO YAK leather upper

construction and

for excellent grip, stability,

for increased breathability

HYDROMAX® treated leather.

durability & flexibility.

and durability.

golf.ecco.com

I am PELLE

EDBERG and my life revolves around

Black Mountain. As a professional golfer, I have constant access to a world class golf course that helps me stay at the top of my game. I love life and Black Mountain offers the ideal setting for quality living in a perfectly managed and well-balanced environment. Black Mountain is safe and a perfect place to enjoy life. What more can I ask for? Come and be part of Black Mountain. Black Mountain Golf Club – a small piece of heaven on earth.

Black Mountain Golf Club – Asia’s Winningest Golf Club

Petchakasem Rd, Hua Hin, Hua Hin District, Prachuap Khiri Khan 77110, Thailand Tel: +66 32 618 666 | Email: proshop@bmghuahin.com | www.blackmountainhuahin.com

If all roads lead to Rome, it would be an apt sporting analogy to accede that all

in their bid

fairways meandering across the world of golf will steer the dreamers and gifted

talents from

into golfing heaven that is known as the PGA TOUR. Representing the pinnacle of

their Amer

professional tournament golf, the PGA TOUR undoubtedly attracts the greatest

latest. Kirad

golfers on the planet which now includes a cosmopolitan line-up of 88 international

Thai golfer

players from 27 nations. Interestingly, each member has undertaken unique journeys

special coll

beginning from different starting points but eventually reaching their ultimate

senior dire

destination. And many will attest that Tiger Woods has been another major inspiration

takes a look

d to shoot for the stars. For Asia, a growing legion of young and exciting

m South Korea, China, Japan, India and Chinese Taipei are now realising

ican dream, with Thailand’s big-hitting Kiradech Aphibarnrat being the

dech has garnered sufficient FedExCup points to virtually become the first to earn a PGA TOUR card for the 2018-19 PGA TOUR season. As part of a

laboration between ASIAN GOLF and the PGA TOUR, Chuah Choo Chiang, ctor for communications of the PGA TOUR based in TPC Kuala Lumpur

k at Asia’s rising stars!

he 28-year-old Kiradech began his golﬁng adventure on the Asian Tour where his success led him to the European Tour. From there, he secured multiple victories to gain entry into the World Golf Championships and two top-ﬁves in the WGC-Mexico Championship and WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play have

since paved his way to the PGA TOUR this year. In the case of Japan’s rising son Hideki Matsuyama, the 26-year-old simply skyrocketed into the big league in 2013 after amassing six top-25s in seven starts to earn his card via the non-member category. His talent was for all to see after he won the Asia-Paciﬁc Amateur Championship twice (2010 and 2011) and he has since won ﬁve times on the PGA TOUR, including two World Golf Championships tournaments.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

KIRADECH APHIBARNRAT

Other Asian aspirants have ventured on windier routes.

BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth. In the following

One such golfer is South Korea’s Byeong Hun An, known

year, he produced ﬁve top-25s in 14 starts to earn his PGA

better as Ben An. He learned to play the game when

TOUR card through the non-member category and the

he was ﬁve despite both parents being Olympic Games

amiable South Korean has continued to knock on the door

medallists in table tennis and as his interest in golf

to a ﬁrst victory in America, coming agonisingly close in

grew, he was sent to the United States at 15 to attend

June when he lost in a playoff to Bryson Dechambeau at

school and undergo the golf programme at the IMG

the Memorial Tournament.

Academy at Bradenton, Florida. In two years, not only did he learn to speak and

“The PGA TOUR is the ultimate. I was always prepared to move up slowly. I lost my European Challenge

write in English, An sensationally won the prestigious

Tour card in the ﬁrst year, went back to Q-school and then

U.S. Amateur, becoming the youngest champion in the

ﬁnished 30th and fourth to earn my European Tour card.

tournament history. A college career at University of

And now I’m on the PGA TOUR. It’s worked out,” said An.

California-Berkeley ensued but the powerful South Korean cut short his college stint as he knew profesat PGA TOUR Qualifying School and landed on the European Challenge Tour, sending him to the far reaches at destinations such as Kenya, Azerbaijan, Oman and Kazakstan. However, the hard knocks on Europe’s secondary circuit toughened him up and An’s class eventually shone as he played his way onto the European Tour, and then breaking through with a massive win at the 2015

THE PGA TOUR IS THE ULTIMATE. I WAS ALWAYS PREPARED TO MOVE UP SLOWLY. I LOST MY EUROPEAN CHALLENGE TOUR CARD IN THE FIRST YEAR, WENT BACK TO Q-SCHOOL AND THEN FINISHED 30TH AND FOURTH TO EARN MY EUROPEAN TOUR CARD. AND NOW I’M ON THE PGA TOUR. IT’S WORKED OUT.

BYEONG HUN AN Photo Credit: Getty Images

sional golf was his calling. An failed in his ﬁrst attempt

In contrast, Zecheng ‘Marty’ Dou’s path be-

2016, winning four times to earn playing rights

gan at home, with the PGA TOUR Series-China,

on the Web.com Tour in the U.S. His career

one of three development tours run by the PGA

continued to trend upwards when he made

TOUR, playing a pivotal role. As a six-year-old,

history by winning the Digital Ally Open outside

he learned the game in Vancouver where he

Kansas City last July, which made him the ﬁrst

spent ﬁve years in Canada with his family as his

Chinese to win on the Web.com Tour. He ﬁnished

father wanted he and his sister to learn English

16th on the money list to become the ﬁrst golfer

and experience Western living. Dou started

from mainland China to earn a priceless PGA

winning junior tournaments including the World

TOUR card.

Junior 13-14 age-group, represented China in

“It’s like a dream come true as since I was

the Asian Games, dreamed of playing alongside

young, I’ve always wanted to be on the PGA

Woods and turned professional at a tender age

TOUR. It’s been 12 years of practice and a lot of

of 17 after accepting an invitation to compete in

hard work. You have to give up a lot of your own

the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai.

things, your hobbies,” said Dou, who is an avid

With the PGA TOUR Series-China prospering, the teen phenom swept all before him in

E-sport gamer and a regular user of WeChat to keep in touch with family and friends in China.

IT’S LIKE A DREAM COME TRUE AS SINCE I WAS YOUNG, I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE ON THE PGA TOUR. IT’S BEEN 12 YEARS OF PRACTICE AND A LOT OF HARD WORK. YOU HAVE TO GIVE UP A LOT OF YOUR OWN THINGS, YOUR HOBBIES.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

ZECHENG ‘MARTY’ DOU

I HAD TO SPEND A FEW WEB.COM, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT MY PRO CAREER, IT TOOK ME 15 MONTHS TO GET ONTO PGA TOUR, WHICH I’M HAPPY ABOUT. IT’S MY DREAM. I ALWAYS FELT I BELONG ON THE PGA TOUR. THOUGHT

YEARS ON

C.T. PAN Chinese Taipei’s C.T. Pan, into his second season on the PGA TOUR, also took the development tour route. Following a strong amateur career where he was a four-time All-American at the University of Washington, he competed on the Mackenzie Tour PGA TOUR Canada and quickly won twice in 2015. After gaining ‘promotion’ onto the Web.com Tour, the 26-year-old registered seven top-10s to ﬁnish 11th on the money list to secure his PGA TOUR card. He enjoyed three top-10s in his rookie season last year and has seven top-25s to date in 2018. “I thought I had to spend a few years on Web.Com, but if you look at my pro career, it took me 15 months to get onto PGA Tour, which I’m happy about. It’s my dream. I always felt I belong on the PGA TOUR,” said Pan. From growing up in cities like Taipei and Vancouver and then competing in destinations such as Toronto, Muscat and Nairobi, the likes of Pan and a growing band of Asian rising stars have shown

Photo Credit: Getty Images

there are more than just one way to get onto the PGA TOUR.

MAX

Faster Face Engineered to increase ﬂexing and deliver a powerful sound and feel, the forged T9S+ face produces hotter ball speeds for more distance.

MOI to the MAX *

Fairway-Finding Forgiveness

G400 G400 MAX

7,474

7,832

6,587

6,000

7,636

7,720

8,000

9,263

10,000 9,902

Both the G400 Max and G400 drivers have combined moment-of-inertia (MOI) measurements exceeding 9,200 [G-CM 2 ], elevating forgiveness levels to new heights and resulting in the tightest dispersion in golf. That means more consistent distance and accuracy, round after round. Visit a PING Fitting Specialist or PING.com today.

Competitors * MOI comparisons as of January 1, 2018

G400 MAX

G400

A great ﬁt for players looking to add distance through stability and forgiveness.

Streamlined shape increases speed throughout swing. Also available in G400 LST and G400 SFT.

G400 Max (460cc) compared to G400 (445cc)

Eye Appeal The Stealth ﬁnish inspires conﬁdence and improves ball interaction for added spin.

Find Your Grind Four sole options (SS, WS, TS & ES) to ﬁt your game.

Tour Look and Feel. Combining the soft, responsive feel of 8620 carbon steel, sharper grooves and a distinguished dark ﬁnish, the Glide 2.0 Stealth wedges will ﬁt the game and the eye of players for whom performance and appearance go hand in hand. Visit a PING Fitting Specialist or PING.com today.

PRECISION-

MILLED GROOVES

Face Innovation Precision-milled ½ groove low on the face improves engagement with the ball to greatly increase spin for precise control.

Y c o a

Yes, our resident golf guru is back at his usual antics that go against the grain of what is the accepted norm in golﬁng tips. Tony Meechai has a sure-ﬁre way of getting all golfers to improve on their putting because as he says, he is “absolutely tired of watching golfers get hammered at the scoring-end of the game!” Are you ready for his latest tip? Take it away maestro!

ell, I am on my way to San Diego to

course that he has just purchased from me on his putting game and

same tips with all my readers at A

Like most club golfers, my fri

putter as opposed to simply “rolling” it. This is a bad hab engrained in his muscle memory.

What I wanted him to do was to produce a consistent

and attempting to hit or “knock” the ball across the gree to roll the ball on the chosen line while on the green.

Realising that some people learn visually, I decided t

of a golf cart. I took out the tire and rolled it on the green

o help a friend of mine plan for the launch of a golf . He is also a friend who has been getting some tips while teaching him, it gave me an idea to share the

ASIAN GOLF. end has the tendency of “knocking” the ball with his

it and I set out to sort him out before it got ﬁrmly

t putting stroke and to stop him from using his wrists

en. Knocking the ball is bad, PERIOD! It is important

to demonstrate by using a tire from one of the wheels

INSTANTLY, my friend understood what “Rolling”

Set-up to the ball mindful that it has to roll to the

Now, make a stroke so that the ball begins to roll

meant and immediately started rolling the balls into the hole. Simple really! To ensure that you roll the ball consistently, follow this routine:

target.

on the line. Make absolutely certain that your wrists are still

Start behind the ball.

Begin by choosing the line. Visualize the ball rolling on that line.

and that there’s no ‘knocking’ action. Practice this over and over and you’ll be on your way to ROLLING more putts in the hole!

ABOUT TONY MEECHAI Born and brought up in the United States, Tony Meechai won his first golf tournament at the age of nine. He began working in the golf industry when aged 15 and competed in various Mini-Tour and PGA Tour qualifiers after turning professional in 1994. Armed with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from New Mexico State University and a degree in Marketing and PGA Professional Golf Management, he has made a name for himself in Asia over the past decade, during which he has served as Director of Instruction at Thailand’s Heartland Golf Schools and Springfield Royal Country Club as well as presenting tips on numerous golf television shows. His signature Black Hat Golf Camps and Schools offered at various clubs in Thailand, including Lotus Valley Golf Resort, portrays the unique Club-Focused Instruction curriculum and teaching philosophy. Voted 2015 and 2016 Top 3 Best Professional Golf Coach in Asia Pacific, he continues to strive to grow the game of golf in Asia. For further information, please visit www.tmggroupasia.com or email tony@tmggroupasia.com. Like Black Hat Golf Tips page on facebook.