PLAY VIDEO
The new TS Metals offer two distinct designs that bring more speed to your game. TS2 lets you swing aggressively with maximum forgiveness across the face, while TS3 offers an adjustable sweet spot for speed-tuned performance. For more info visit titleist.com.sg
Š2018 Acushnet Company.
Titleist has launched its latest – the TS2 and TS3 drivers and woods. This launch is titantic in the sense that these new products represent a paradigm shift and to put it in simple terms, the TS2 and TS3 are absolute game-changers! The TS2 and TS3 are not iterations of the previous generation of Titleist drivers and woods. They are representative of a new engineering era with products born with a brand new DNA! These clubs are hitting the market with a proven track record on the world’s toughest tour – the PGA TOUR! Justin Thomas earned his first World Golf Championships title with a four-shot victory at Firestone, crediting the performance gains of his TS3 9.5º driver. Read the full review on the newbies from Titleist.
16 SPECIAL FEATURE 26 APGS 2018 – ALL SET TO ENGAGE! After months of planning, the 2018 Asia Pacific Golf Summit (APGS 2018) is all primed and set to take-off. As you flip through this edition of ASIAN GOLF, there are just a few weeks to go before the curtain raises on the 12th staging of what is the Asia Pacific’s longest running annual Summit on the business of golf. With a proven pedigree, everything points to a very successful launch of APGS 2018.It will be staged in the brand new 5-star property, the Hyatt Regency Bangkok Sukhumvit from November 1 – 3.
34 THE GOLD STANDARD IN GOLFING EXPERIENCES With over 30,000 golf courses in the world, it cannot be said that golfers are not spoilt for choice when it comes to deciding where to play a round of golf. Although there are many to choose from, it always helps if there is a way to make a good decision and pick the right course to play at. Given this scenario, ASIAN GOLF has partnered with IMG which designs, operates and manages quality golf courses in Asia and elsewhere.
48 THE ROAR IS BACK! Given up as a washed up athlete by many, due to numerous physical injuries and surgeries combined with personal and emotional set-backs, Tiger came charging back in the final round of the FedEx Cup play-offs to completely obliterate a top30 field made up of the reigning world number one and a few past world number ones to win!
26 48
ISSUE
217
OCTOBER 2018
EQUIPMENT FOCUS 42 PSSSST ….. “LIGHTER” IS THE NEW BUZZ WORD FOR GEAR! The latest clubs from COBRA Golf are the F-MAX Superlite driver, fairways, hybrids and irons. These new driver is reengineered with a 6-gram lighter clubhead that maintains a stunning MOI (moment of inertia) of greater than 5,000. The same applies across the board with the other new products.
54 BIG BOY APHIBARNRAT CREATES HISTORY! Kiradech Aphibarnrat has created history by becoming the first Thai professional golfer to earn full playing rights on the world’s leading professional golf circuit.
60 IT’S THE BIG LEAGUE FOR HERO!
54 64
Hero MotoCorp is an Indian corporation with a bold vision. Helmed by one of India’s most forward-thinking entrepreneurs, Pawan Munjal, has been the sponsor of the Hero World Challenge. Besides sponsoring the PGA TOUR tournament, he was smart enough to secure the services of Tiger to be the host of the event.
64 MOVE OVER MR. LU – HERE COMES MR. PAN! One of the hottest names in golf today belongs to a young Taiwanese. His name is C.T. Pan and just 26-years old, he has had a great year on tour this year. He has wrapped up 2018 with two strong finishes in the 2018 FedEx Cup play-offs. For an in-depth look at his meteoric rise on the PGA TOUR, ASIAN GOLF turned to the TOUR’s Chuah Choo Chiang, senior director, Communications. Check out his report on C.T. Pan.
70 OLYMPIC OUTLOOK: A REPEAT FOR ROSE?
REGULARS
From his son’s teary congratulatory phone call to the fiery tug on his Great Britain polo, perhaps no golfer greater exemplified the meaning of golf’s return to the Olympic Games than Justin Rose.
6 EDITORIAL TEAM | 10 SHARED THOUGHTS: FROM PUBLISHER
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
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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.
PURE. PRECISION.
©2018 PING
NEW The new i210 iron. Its softer insert ensures a feel you’ve never felt before with the distance and precision to play shots you’ve never tried before. It’ll change your entire approach to the game. Get fit today or visit ping.com.
PURE. DISTANCE.
TRUE INNOVATION. NEW The new i500 iron. Its massive distance and towering ball flight come from a forged face and metal-woodlike construction. Its look appeals to players who put a premium on performance. Get fit today or visit ping.com..
Thailand’s sweet-heart golfer Ariya Jutanugarn, has done her country and Asia Proud Again! Queen Ariya was crowned with the prestigious Rolex Annika Major Award for 2018 by golf legend Annika Sorenstam. The Thai has won this award for the first time. The Rolex Award, recognizes the player who has the most outstanding record in all five major championships during the current LPGA Tour season.
SHE IS THE FIRST GOLFER, MALE OR FEMALE, FROM
THAILAND TO WIN A MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIP.
SHE BECAME THE NUMBER ONE RANKED GOLFER IN THE
WOM-
EN’S
WORLD GOLF RANKINGS IN JUNE 2017.
T
he ace golfer Jutanugarn received the honour because of her spectacular win at the U.S. Women’s Open, her second career major championship victory, and ties for fourth place at the ANA Inspiration and the Ricoh Women’s British Open.
The 22-year-old, now joins Michelle Wie (2014), Inbee Park
(2015), Lydia Ko (2016) and So Yeon Ryu (2017) as winners of the prestigious award. She was crowned in a ceremony on the 18th green at The Evian Championship, concluding an exciting season of majors in 2018. “I feel great! I feel really honoured to join the list of the previous big name winners,” said Jutanugarn. “I have watched Annika Sorenstam since I was young. She is my idol. Look at how she has done - I really want to follow in her footsteps. She inspires me a lot. And I really want to thank her for all the great things that she has done for the LPGA. It’s amazing!” Besides topping the Rolex Award, Ariya continues to hold the top spot in the LPGA’s Top-10 finish of the season. She holds the top spot with her Tour-leading 13 top-10 finishes. The LEADERS Top 10 competition awards a US$100,000 bonus to the LPGA player with the most top-10 finishes through the completion of the Blue Bay LPGA (Nov. 7-10). She is the first golfer, male or female, from Thailand to win a major championship. She became the number one ranked golfer in the Women’s World Golf Rankings in June 2017.
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
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
It’s funny how the When the produc tepid reaction is by the time the pr er trial-testing th new Titleist TS2 a shift and to put it nological advanc numeral sequenc ment dynamic at ers and woods. T
e world reacts to new technology that is introduced way before the actual product is launched. ct is officially launched to the world, the reaction oftentimes is sort of ho-hum and perhaps this attributable to the fact that the mystique of the product and its amazing technology is old-hat roduct is made available for general use. This reception is also partly due to the manufacturhe product prior to general launch. Anyway, ASIAN GOLF happens to view the launch of the and TS3 products as being titantic in the sense that these new products represent a paradigm in simple terms, the TS2 and TS3 are absolute game-changers! Besides the significant techcements and the breakaway from the naming of the products in accordance to a traditional ce, these new offerings from Titleist are the end result of a whole new research and developt the company. The TS2 and TS3 are not iterations of the previous generation of Titleist drivThey are representative of a new engineering era with products born with a brand new DNA!
THE NEW TS2 LETS GOLFERS SWING AGGRESSIVELY WITH MAXIMUM FORGIVENESS ACROSS THE FACE, WHILE
TS3 OFFERS SPEED-TUNED DISTANCE WITH DYNAMIC FORGIVENESS THROUGH
SUREFIT CG.
A
SIAN GOLF had the opportunity of having a oneon-one sit down session with the folks at Titleist Southeast Asia and unlike most new product reveals, this was an up-close, no-holds barred session that was anchored by Gene Saunders,
golf club product and ďŹ tting manager. Saunders is pretty much a veteran when it comes to launching new products for Titleist but the launch of the TS2 and TS3 was different. He was genuinely excited and thrilled with the new clubs and his enthusiasm was at a high throughout the review session. This served as an excellent introduction to the TS2 and TS3 clubs because not only did Saunders introduce the clubs with incredible passion but he was proud of the fact that the clubs were hitting the market with
a proven track record on the world’s toughest tour – the PGA
to post a victory with the new Titleist TS driver, winning the
TOUR!
John Deere Classic by a record eight shots. For the tourna-
At the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, the first week
ment, Kim averaged five yards more off the tee (294.8) and
that TS drivers were available for competition, it became im-
was nearly 30 percentage points (82.14%) higher in Driving
mediately clear that the new TS2 and TS3 models had passed
Accuracy compared to his 2017-18 season averages.
the test. Seventeen players put TS drivers in play – including
In his preamble, a wide-eyed Saunders disclosed that
Justin Thomas, who unleashed a career-long 422-yard drive
the TS2 and TS3 were the end-result of a two-year mis-
in Round 1 – an unprecedented shift for the week of a major
sion to design greater speed into every detail of driver and
championship. Three starts later, Thomas earned his first
fairway wood technology. The mission was tagged as the
World Golf Championships title with a four-shot victory at
“Titleist Speed Project,” and it began with a challenge from
Firestone, crediting the performance gains to his TS3 9.5º
the game’s best players to make Titleist drivers as fast as
driver. How’s that for a super-impressive track record!
possible. What followed was a relentless pursuit to solicit
In June, Michael Kim (TS2 10.5º) became the first player
speed from every micron and milligram of the driver head, culminating with the development of two new driver models – TS2 and TS3 – engineered to deliver faster ball speed with higher launch, lower spin and increased MOI for more distance and game-changing forgiveness. Upon doing a drill-down on the new Titleist drivers, we discovered the following features:
THE TS2 IS THE LONGEST, MOST FORGIVING TITLEIST FAIRWAY WOOD EVER, GENERATING EXPLOSIVE SPEED WITH FORGIVENESS AND ACCURACY ACROSS THE FACE WHILE THE
TS3 DELIVERS SPEED-TUNED PERFORMANCE THROUGH TITLEIST’S ADJUSTABLE SUREFIT CG TECHNOLOGY WITH DYNAMIC FORGIVENESS AND SHOT CONTROL, The TS2 and TS3 drivers have a 20 percent thinner titanium crown than their predecessors, the 917 drivers, allowing weight to be placed lower and deeper for lower CG (centre of gravity) and higher MOI (moment of inertia, a measure of forgiveness). The faces also use variable thickness for faster ball speeds across the face, and with the new drivers, the faces have been made 6 grams lighter. We also discovered that because the faces of the driver
are so thin, the scoring lines have been lasered onto the faces instead of being etched, as with previous generations. With the combination of weight savings from the face and crown, the new drivers have the lowest CG ever for a Titleist driver, and MOI is 12 percent higher than the 917 drivers. The T2 and T3 drivers must have spent a good deal of time in wind-tunnel testing because this is obvious in the enhanced aerodynamic shaping of the club heads which we
AS A WRAP UP, IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR GENUINE GAME-IMPROVING DRIVERS AND FAIRWAY WOODS, YOU WOULD DO WELL TO CHECK OUT THESE NEW OFFERINGS FROM TITLEIST. NOT ONLY ARE THESE GREAT PRODUCTS BUT THEY ARE ALSO VERY FRIENDLY CLUBS.
are told reduces drag by up to 20 percent. Remember the trademark Titleist “Active Recoil Chan-
how easy it is to get up in the air. TS3 is also incredibly fast and
nel”? Well, that’s been taken out of the drivers.
forgiving and allows those players who like to work the ball or need more shot control to really dial-in their performance.”
“TS drivers bring more speed to golfers through two
Here’s a drill-down on the new TS fairway woods:
distinct designs” according to Saunders who went on to say,
Ultra-Thin Crown. Reduction in crown thickness – 27 per-
“The new TS2 lets golfers swing aggressively with maximum
cent thinner than the prior generation 917 fairways – allows
forgiveness across the face, while TS3 offers speed-tuned
weight to be shifted lower and deeper.
distance with dynamic forgiveness through SureFit CG.”
Thinner, Faster Face. Refined VFT (variable face thick-
Both models feature Titleist’s patented SureFit hosel with 16
ness) delivers faster ball speeds and increased forgiveness.
independent loft and lie settings to create a more consistent
Optimized Weight Distribution. Refined crown and face
and optimized ball flight through precision fitting.
thicknesses create a lower CG for higher launch and
Next on deck are the new TS fairway woods – the TS2
lower spin. The resulting MOI is up to 11 percent
and TS3. Like the new drivers the Titleist TS fairway metals
higher than 917, creating a powerful combination
are designed to drive faster ball speeds with higher launch,
of speed and stability.
lower spin and increased MOI for more distance and gamechanging forgiveness. “The TS2 is the longest, most forgiving Titleist fairway
A special feature of the fairway woods is the IMPROVED ARC 3.0. An enhanced
wood ever, generating explosive speed with forgiveness and
Active Recoil Channel (ARC) merges with
accuracy across the face while the TS3 delivers speed-
the Titleist Speed Chassis to launch
tuned performance through Titleist’s adjustable SureFit
the ball off the face with higher launch,
CG technology with dynamic forgiveness and shot control,”
lower spin and more speed. ARC 3.0 has
according to Saunders..
a taller design than its prior generation,
Adding to this, Josh Talge, vice president, Titleist Golf
producing even greater face flexibil-
Club Marketing said, “The Titleist Speed Project taught us
ity for a more consistent deflection and
how to unlock the speed and distance in every detail of met-
increased ball speeds across the face. While
alwood design. It’s the culmination of all those little things
the Titleist Speed Chassis obsoleted the need
that get you big results.”
for ARC in TS drivers, it has remained a crucial
According to Talge, “The new TS2 fairway is unlike any fairway we’ve ever made. It is a high-launching, low-spinning distance machine that is unbelievably forgiving and will change the way many players look at a fairway wood with
technology for TS fairways due to shots being hit off the turf, low on the face. TS fairways bring more speed to golfers through two distinct designs. Similar to TS drivers, TS2 fairways lets golfers
swing aggressively with maximum forgiveness across the
at the PGA Tour’s Quicken Loans National – including Jus-
face, and TS3 offer an adjustable sweet spot for speed-
tin Thomas, who earned his first World Golf Championship
tuned performance. Both models feature Titleist’s patented
title at Firestone with TS3 15º fairway wood.
SureFit hosel with 16 independent loft and lie settings to
As a wrap up, if you are looking for genuine game-im-
create a more consistent and optimized ball flight through
proving drivers and fairway woods, you would do well to check
precision fitting.
out these new offerings from Titleist. Not only are these great
If you are ready to place the TS fairway woods in
products but they are also very friendly clubs. Many golfers
your bag and need validation, here’s a quick fact for you
are of the opinion that Titleist is only meant for better players.
to consider. More than 75 players around the world have
Do yourself a favour and see and feel for yourself how friendly
switched to new TS2 and TS3 fairways since they debuted
the TS2 and TS3 drivers and woods are!
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
NEW
JUNIOR CLUBS
GROWN-UP TECHNOLOGY FOR KIDS.
Engineered with the score-lowering technology and performance of our adult clubs and inspired by PING’s goal to introduce more boys and girls to golf, the custom-fit, custom-built Prodi G set makes the game easier and more enjoyable for juniors.
“GET GOLF GROWING” PROGRAM. As junior golfers grow, so does the need to ensure they are properly fit for their equipment. The PING Prodi G “Get Golf Growing” program offers a one-time, no-charge adjustment service*. It’s like buying two sets for the price of one. Ask a sales associate for more details. * To be eligible, consumer must purchase a minimum of five Prodi G junior clubs (any combination) in one transaction. Purchases of fewer than five clubs are not eligible. Consumer is entitled to a one-time, no-charge service to have the clubs re-shafted or lengthened, re-weighted, and re-gripped. See a sales associate for more details. ©2018 PING
OPTIMIZED ZED
FOR AGES GES
7- 13 3
NEW
PURE. FEEL. The new Glide Forged Wedge. A shot-maker’s wedge, made from 8620 carbon steel for a soft feel with a tour-inspired size and shape. Its compact head size and precisionmilled grooves ensure creativity and control around the green. Get fit today or visit ping.com.
CUSTOMIZE & PERSONALIZE. Design a one-of-a-kind Glide Forged wedge customized to your personal preferences. Various graphic, stamping and paint-fill options allow you to create a wedge totally unique to you and your game. Experience ping.com/glideforgedcustom.
CUSTOM GRAPHICS
PRECISION-MILLED, WHEEL-CUT GROOVES
CUSTOM STAMPING Scattered Mr. PING logo or 2 characters scattered.
Boomerang
Mr. PING
Up to 3 characters in one of three locations (heel, center or toe).
©2018 PING
Flag
Desert
12 color choices
WE ARE DELIGHTED THAT A TRULY GREAT GLOBAL STAR AND A LEGEND IN
2018 ASIA PACIFIC GOLF SUMMIT AND THE 2018 ASIAN GOLF AWARDS AS OUR HONOURED VVIP GUEST. – MIKE SEBASTIAN THE GAME WILL BE ATTENDING THE
SGREGORY P. GILLIGAN SGREG NORMAN
SMASASHI ISHII
STODD M. RHINEHART
E
ach year since APGS started back in Singapore in 2007, it has been known to attract some of the biggest names in the golf industry. To date, the super-stars of golf who have spoken at the Summit include Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, the late Peter Thomson, Annika Sorenstam, Tony Jacklin and Robert Parsons, the chairman and founder of the maverick golf equipment brand, PXG. This year is no different. The big name super-star who will be showing up in Bangkok is the golf legend Greg Norman aka “The Great White Shark”. One of the greatest all-time golf legends, the Australian golfing Phenom is best known for winning 91 international tournaments, which included 20 PGA Tour tournaments and two majors – The Open Championships in 1986 and 1993. His championship reign was marked by 331 weeks as the world’s Number 1 ranked player on the Official World Golf Rankings. Besides his winning performances as a professional golfer, Norman has gone on to build a very impressive career where he has built a lucrative brand and is among the highestearning athletes of all-time. “We are delighted that a truly great global star and a legend in the game will be attending the 2018 Asia Pacific Golf Summit and the 2018 Asian Golf Awards as our honoured VVIP guest.” declared Mike Sebastian, chief executive officer of the Asia Pacific Golf Group, the owner and producer of APGS 2018. While in Bangkok, Norman will be inducted into the Asia Pacific Golf Hall Of Fame. His success on the golf course is matched by his on-going success in the world of golf. It is estimated that Norman’s career earnings exceed US$705 million and still growing. Amongst his varied business interests and partnerships are Greg Norman Golf Course Design, Greg Norman Estates, Shark Experience, Greg Norman Champions Golf Academy. Norman is a multi-dimensional man and someone who is constantly motivated to change and grow. It is this passion that has kept him at the cutting edge of business where he continues to win in whatever endeavour he embarks upon. Another big development for APGS 2018 will be the first official appearance of the PGA TOUR, the most powerful and richest professional golf tour on the Planet. Its top players are amongst the richest sportsmen in the
world with Tiger Woods ranked almost at the top with a net worth exceeding US$1 billion. The facts speak for themselves and it just goes to prove that the PGA TOUR is without doubt the most powerful organization in golf! Of late, this powerhouse has forged its way into Asia and now stages three of the richest tournaments in Asia under the PGA TOUR banner and another under the Champions Tour in Japan. Collectively, these tournaments offer US$29 million in prize money. This is huge by any standards and if anything at all, it’s good for Asia, Asian professional golfers and golf fans who can now be treated to seeing in person some of the world’s best players in action. The PGA TOUR has a physical presence in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Beijing in China and Tokyo in Japan. All the offices are helmed by senior executives who know the lay of the land in their respective regions and who are committed to growing the game of golf in Asia. All three of these PGA TOUR executives will be heading up a high-powered panel session at the Summit. The executives are: MASASHI ISHII – PGA TOUR Vice President/Managing Director of Asia GREGORY P. GILLIGAN – PGA TOUR Vice President/Managing Director; Greater China TODD M. RHINEHART – PGA TOUR Vice President & Executive Director Looking East makes good business sense for the PGA TOUR and also for the future of golf. With a solid presence in Asia, the tour will play a big role in developing heroes which has already started with super-stars like Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, Si Woo Kim of South Korea and Li Haotong of China. With the development of heroes will come new tournaments in Asia which in turn will give the game of golf a massive all-round boost on all fronts. APGS 2018 will serve as a platform for the PGA TOUR to share its plans for growth in Asia and this will serve as an excellent opportunity for serious stake-holders in the region to become actively involved with the push forward. No major international conference staged in Asia can afford not to train the spotlight on China. This giant nation is a looming powerhouse for golf tourism. Based on industry research, more than 150 million mainland Chinese travellers ventured overseas in 2017 – the
largest number from any nation. And this is predicted to grow beyond 200 million annually in the next five years. Admittedly, 68 million of the present total were travelling to Hong Kong and Taiwan, but that still meant 83 million travelled more intrepidly. And this is of course just the start of the wave. At present, about 4.3 billion holidays are taken every year by Chinese people within China itself. As many of these join the aspiring middle classes, it must be a certainty that they will soon be converting those domestic holidays into international ones. Already, for many countries keen to build their tourism industries, China is the single largest source of international travellers, and the most important source of tourism dollars. Take New Zealand as an example – the local tourist authority predicts Chinese visitors will number 913,000 by 2023 – about 20 per cent of their total visitors. New Zealand’s tourism officials say Chinese visitors spend an average of NZ$297 (US$215.50) a day, compared with NZ$240 among US travellers, NZ$223 among Japanese, and a comparatively miserly NZ$130 among British visitors. China’s international tourists today spend around US$161 billion a year on their travels, and as this number grows, so an increasing number STENNIEL CHU
of economies worldwide will remain eager to capture their share – even if significant stresses arise as they try to manage the flows. Apply these staggering numbers to the golf industry, and it automatically
CHINA IS NOT A
becomes a major target for golf tourism. China is not a market to be ignored as far as golf tourism is concerned. It is just too big a market and the numbers
MARKET TO BE
in term of potential golfers offers tremendous business opportunities. APGS 2018 will be placing special focus on golf tourism from China and the man who will be walking everybody through what China can offer is Ten-
IGNORED AS FAR AS GOLF TOURISM IS CONCERNED. IT IS JUST TOO BIG A MARKET AND THE NUMBERS IN TERM OF POTENTIAL GOLFERS OFFERS TREMENDOUS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES.
niel Chu, Group Vice Chairman of the giant Mission Hills Group, China. As the world’s largest golf resort with more than 20 world class golf courses open for play, there is no better authority than Mr. Chu to help golf course owners and operators in Asia obtain a firm grasp on how China can be tapped for golf tourism revenue. The organisers are pleased to release the programme for APGS 2018 – http://www.golfconference.org/programme/ The speakers booked for APGS 2018 can be viewed at http://www.golfconference.org/speakers/ The 2018 Asian Golf Awards, the “Oscars” of the Asian Golf Industry also promises to be a glorious and grand celebration of the very best in Asian golf! If you have not registered to attend the APGS 2018, you can get your seat booked for the Bangkok extravaganza at: https://secure.golfconference.org/event/asia-pacific-golf-summit-2018
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 à Üt / i Óä£n Ƃà > 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!
https://www.imgprestige.com
With over 30,000 golf courses in the world, it cannot be said that golfers are not spoilt for choice when it comes to deciding where to play a round of golf. Although there are many to choose from, it always helps if there is a way to make a good decision and pick the right course to play at. Given this scenario, ASIAN GOLF has partnered with IMG which designs, operates and manages quality golf courses in Asia and elsewhere.
ration, is collabo s part of th ew vi LF will re ASIAN GO rses u of golf co a number able st Prestige in the IMG ed p o h nth. It is every mo e id u g luable rve as a va se l ul il rf w e d is n that th have a wo o want to h w e th rs f e o lf e to go olf in som playing g . a experience si A r in es on offe best cours
A
JINJI LAKE GOLF CLUB - CHINA L
ocated in the Suzhou Industrial Park, in Suzhou, China, this 27-hole championship course was designed by Gary Player. The course has 3 distinct 9 hole layouts - Links, Wetlands and
the night lit Forest course. A 10,000 square meter clubhouse offers members and guests a variety of world class amenities to complement the outstanding golf course. The ďŹ ve-star Kempinski Suzhou Hotel is located next to the club. The club is an exclusive, Members Only private golf club and is recognized as one of the very best in China. Commencing from the Grand Opening in 2005, the Club has won many awards including Top 10 Championship course in China and Best Golf Club in China. The club also hosted the Volvo China Open in 2010 and the PGA Tour China series in 2018. IMG manage Jinji Lake Golf Club. http://www.jinjilakegolf.com/en/
BA NA HILLS GOLF CLUB - VIETNAM D
esigned by British professional golfer Luke Donald in association with IMG, the stunning Bana Hills Golf Club is set in the foothills and native forests of the famed Ba Na Hills,
only 25 minutes from Da Nang City, Vietnam. Opened in 2016, the course has already won many awards including Best new course in the world in 2016, Best Course in Vietnam and Best Course in Asia. The course is surrounded by magniďŹ cent scenery that offers spectacular views on every hole. Playing to a par of 72, this highly regarded championship layout, offers a great test of golf and a wonderful golf experience. A world class driving range and magniďŹ cent clubhouse add to the excellent facilities. The golf course is also fully lit for night golf. IMG manage Bana Hills Golf Club. http://banahillsgolf.com/
There seems to be a sort of conspiracy amongst golf equipment manufacturers. It looks like they have all gotten together to see how they can work on a common design template to produce golf clubs that are lighter than ever before. The focus is on “lighter” and faster club head speeds designed to launch and drive the golf ball to greater distances. It all sounds terrific so long as it helps the average Joe play better, score better and more importantly, enjoy a round of golf! The latest in the drive to get into the “let’s make ‘em lighter” campaign is COBRA Golf.
T
he latest clubs from COBRA are the F-MAX Superlite drivers. These newbies are re-
THE F-MAX SUPERLITE DRIVER
engineered with a 6-gram lighter clubhead
WILL BE THE PERFECT SOLUTION
that maintains a stunning MOI (moment of
FOR PLAYERS WHO NEED THE ADDED SPEED
inertia) of greater than 5,000.
OF LIGHTWEIGHT DESIGN WITHOUT SACRIFIC-
Additionally, a 5-gram lighter shaft, and a 7-gram lighter
ING FORGIVENESS; THOSE THAT WILL
grip design yield 18 grams in weight-savings, bringing the total overall weight to 287 grams. Wow, this is like the driver has been put through some miraculous weight-loss diet
BENEFIT FROM HAVING A CLUB THAT ALLOWS THEM TO MAXIMIZE THEIR SWING SPEED AND
programme! “We are very excited about this driver …. we’ve been able
LAUNCH ANGLE.
to engineer an incredibly forgiving, powerful club and keep the overall clubhead weight to less than 300 grams,” said Tom
feature re-engineered clubheads that are 4-grams
Olsavsky, Vice President of R&D for COBRA Golf.
lighter yet maintains the same high MOI. A 5-gram
“The F-MAX Superlite driver will be the perfect solution
lighter shaft and a 7-gram lighter grip design, strip-
for players who need the added speed of lightweight design
off another 16 grams in weight-savings for faster club
without sacrificing forgiveness; those that will benefit from
and ball speed for golfers with moderate swing speeds.
having a club that allows them to maximize their swing speed
“Building off of the success of our original F-MAX
and launch angle.” There you go guys – seems COBRA has
lightweight design, we’ve re-engineered Superlite to be our
gone to great lengths to help the average golfer with a super
lightest, fastest and most forgiving game improvement clubs
light, all forgiving big bomber!
ever. Any player with a moderate swing speed will benefit from the design innovations in this product line,” said Olsavsky.
Complementing the new driver are COBRA’s F-MAX
The new “lightweights” will hit the market in October and
Superlight Fairways which boast the same weight-saving considerations as the driver, but feature a low profile, shallow
if you would like to put the magic touch of Rickie Fowler and
face design.
Bryson DeChambeau into play for yourself, treat yourself to
The company has also extended the platform to include hybrids and irons. The COBRA Golf F-MAX Superlite Irons
COBRA Golf’s F-MAX Superlite drivers, fairway woods and irons.
BUILDING OFF OF THE SUCCESS OF OUR ORIGINAL F-MAX LIGHTWEIGHT DESIGN, WE’VE RE-ENGINEERED SUPERLITE TO BE OUR LIGHTEST, FASTEST AND MOST FORGIVING GAME IMPROVEMENT CLUBS EVER. ANY PLAYER WITH A MODERATE SWING SPEED WILL BENEFIT FROM THE DESIGN INNOVATIONS IN THIS PRODUCT LINE.
– TOM OLSAVSKY
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 Golf Link Hotli
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 Golf Links – Cam Ranh – opening soon for play. The game the way it should be played in the true traditions of links golf.
ks – Cam Ranh | Long Beach, Northern Peninsula Cam Ranh - Khanh Hoa, Vietnam. ne: (+84) 0989 797878 | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Camranhlinks/
A
search for the ideal superlative to
sonal and emotional set-backs, Tiger came charging back
describe Tiger Woods’ phenomenal come-
in the final round of the FedEx Cup play-offs to completely
back win proved absolutely futile. What
obliterate a top-30 field made up of the reigning world
the 42-year old has achieved in sports is
number one and a few past world number ones to win!
monumental to say the least.
Given up as a washed up athlete by many, due to nu-
merous physical injuries and surgeries combined with per-
The amazing Tiger Woods is back! The victory at the Tour Championship is his first since the Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone in August 2013 — 1,876 days ago,
to be exact. The “Great One” is now ranked at No. 13 in the world. Not bad for a 42-year-old with four back surgeries who returned to competition in December ranked at No. 1,199. He finished at 11-under 269 and won US$1.62 million, along with a US$3 million bonus for finishing second in the FedEx Cup.
W
hat a year it has been for Justin Rose! The English-
man has now
been crowned the FedEx Cup winner for 2018 which comes as the crowning glory for a man who has won virtually every top honour there is to be achieved in professional golf. He got into the 2018 FedEx Cup play-offs with one PGA Tour victory at the Forth Worth Invitational in May and entered the play-offs fourth in the points list behind Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas and Brooks Koepka. After missing the cut at the opening FedEx Cup
The win allowed Rose to claim the season-long race for the FedExCup trophy and the US$10 million bonus. Rose has now consolidated his position as one of the
play-off tournament, the Northern Trust tournament, he
world’s greatest golfers by winning the gold medal at the
finished second in both the Dell Technologies Champion-
Rio Olympics in 2016, the U.S. Open and the British Open
ship and the BMW Championship.
besides numerous wins on the European Tour and the
In the final event, the Tour Championship, Rose finished jointh fourth which was good enough for him to win the title.
PGA Tour. He can also claim as being one of only five players to have played and won tournaments on all six continents.
After winning the title, Rose said, “Today is going to
And let it not be forgotten that he is a member of the
take a lot of absorbing but I can’t wait to go over to Paris
prestigious Golf Hall Of Fame and the reigning world
(for the Ryder Cup).”
number one!
PHOTO CREDIT: TAYLORMADE GOLF
TODAY IS GOING TO TAKE A I CAN’T WAIT TO GO OVER TO PARIS (FOR THE RYDER CUP). – JUSTIN ROSE LOT OF ABSORBING BUT
#LIVEUNDERPAR © 2018 PGATOUR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Player appearance subject to change.
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 WILSON’S RESEARCH TEST FACILITY IN HUMBOLDT, TN ON 5/20/17. (90 MPH DRIVER TEST)
Kiradech Aphibarnrat has created history by becoming the first Thai professional golfer to earn full playing rights on the world’s leading professional golf circuit. The 29-year-old earned his PGA TOUR card for the 20182019 new season through the non-member category. The affable Thai, who loves food, watches and fiery Ferraris, entered the 2017-18 PGA TOUR Season ranked 147th in the Official World Golf Ranking and is presently No. 38.
Todd Rhinehart, Vice President and Executive Director, PGA TOUR with Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand.
I HAVE GAINED A LOT OF EXPERIENCE BY
and Executive Director, PGA TOUR said, “This wonderful achievement will inspire a new generation of Thai and Asian players and
COMPETING AROUND THE WORLD AND
I
n marking the historic occasion, Todd Rhinehart, Vice President
I FEEL REALLY COMFORT-
continue to accelerate the growth of the game across Asia.” Responding, Aphibarnrat said, “It means a lot to get my
PGA TOUR card. I don’t really know how to describe it. From a little boy
ABLE NOW PLAYING ALONGSIDE
born in a little country in Asia, and to get my card and play on the PGA
THE WORLD’S BEST PLAYERS.
TOUR, my dream has come true. I am honored and so excited to become
I
the first Thai golfer to earn a PGA TOUR card. It is certainly my goal to
LOOK FORWARD TO PLAYING MY
win tournaments on the PGA TOUR and I hope to have numerous oppor-
BEST GOLF ON A WEEKLY BASIS
tunities to contend in the upcoming 2018-19 season,” he said.
ON THE
PGA TOUR. I HOPE I
“I have gained a lot of experience by competing around the world and I feel really comfortable now playing alongside the world’s best play-
CAN MAKE MY COUNTRY PROUD
ers. I look forward to playing my best golf on a weekly basis on the PGA
WITH MY ACHIEVEMENTS.
TOUR. I hope I can make my country proud with my achievements. I also
I
ALSO HOPE TO INSPIRE OTHER
THAI GOLFERS AND I’M SURE I WON’T BE THE FIRST AND LAST THAI PLAYER TO GET A PGA TOUR CARD.
hope to inspire other Thai golfers and I’m sure I won’t be the first and last Thai player to get a PGA TOUR card,” Aphibarnrat added. In 41 career starts on the PGA TOUR, Kiradech has collected five top-10s, highlighted by a T3 at the 2013 CIMB Classic, which is the only PGA TOUR-sanctioned tournament in Southeast Asia. He is the winner of five international titles, most recently the 2018 ISPS HANDA World Super 6 in Perth, Australia.
Big professional golf tournaments cost millio However, today, this is no longer the situation per year or more. That money covers a portio the tournament. That’s quite a bit of cash to la length of a few years, you’d be looking at a lo a tournament. It would be terrific if Tiger Woo However, if he is contracted and committed t side is a corporation from India. Who would h big league?
ns to stage. There was a time when these events had more takers than they wanted. n. Sponsoring a regular PGA TOUR event costs in the neighbourhood of US$7 million on of the purse, a television advertising commitment, a fee to the PGA TOUR and to ay-out. When viewed over a contract period for a tournament which may cover the ot of cash! Success of a sponsored event also depends on the star quality lined up for ods is on the cards, but given his massive fan appeal, he is becoming difficult to get. to play in a tournament, the BIG SHOW is on! One smart sponsor who has Tiger on its have ever thought that an Indian corporation would have the vision to get into golf’s
Pawan Munjal & Tiger Woods
TOGETHER WITH TIGER WOODS AND THE TGR FOUNDATION, WE HAVE HAD A MEMORABLE JOURNEY OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS, AND WE ARE GLAD TO FURTHER BUILD ON THIS HIGHLY ENRICHING RELATIONSHIP.
– PAWAN MUNJAL, CHAIRMAN, HERO MOTOCORP
T
he Indian corporation with
encapsulate the essence of the Hero
a bold vision is Hero Mo-
World Challenge.
toCorp. Helmed by one of India’s most forward-thinking entrepreneurs, Pawan
Munjal, has been the sponsor of the Hero World Challenge. Besides sponsoring the PGA TOUR tournament, he was smart enough to secure the services of Tiger to be the host of the event. When compared to the big corporate names backing PGA TOUR tournaments, Hero MotoCorp is a relative
“This is a unique platform that brings together the best of the global golfing world, not just to compete with each other but also to contribute towards larger community development. Undoubtedly, this marquee tournament has been a significant catalyst and enabler in the ever-rising global profile of Hero MotoCorp,” declared Munjal. Tiger is fully aware of the importance of Hero’s
new comer to golf. Considered the world’s largest
continued sponsorship. Recently, while commenting on the
producer of motor-cycles, the flashy Indian company
cancellation of the Quicken Loan PGA tournament, Tiger
has decided to continue its support. It has extended its
said, “We just haven’t got the sponsorship dollars …. this is
title sponsorship of the Hero World Challenge.
a tough climate right now and to ask a company for US$7,
“The Hero World Challenge has evolved into a
US$8 or US$9 million, it’s tough.”
global event highlighting the world’s best golfers year
Against this setting Hero MotorCorp of
after year,” said Tiger. “I’d like to thank Pawan Munjal
India has proved that it has the toughs of a
and Hero MotoCorp for their continued support of the
true HERO!
tournament.” Hero MotoCorp first title sponsored the Hero World Challenge in 2014 at Isleworth Golf & Country Club before moving to Albany in 2015. “Together with Tiger Woods and the TGR Foundation, we have had a memorable journey over the past four years, and we are glad to further build on this highly enriching relationship,” said Munjal, chairman, Hero MotoCorp. Brand Hero symbolizes excellence, fortitude and endurance - the qualities that aptly
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Here’s a blast from the past. How many of today’s golfers remember the great Lu Liang-Huan, known affectionately as Mr Lu from Taiwan? As a 34-year-old, the Taiwanese player captured second place behind Lee Trevino at the 1971 British Open at Royal Birkdale. Mr. Lu has gone down in the annals of golf history as the greatest golfer from Taiwan. He blazed a trail of glory for golfers from this Asian nation and what he had achieved stood the test of time until a youngster from Taiwan who answers to the name C.T. Pan came along. ASIAN GOLF had kept a close watch on this Taiwanese youngster and watched him blaze the fairways in North America as an amateur on the American college circuit. After he graduated, he worked hard to get onto the PGA TOUR and since his rookie days on the big tour, Pan has gone on to prove that he is in it for the long haul on the professional tour. He has had a great year on tour this year and wrapped up his year with two strong finishes in the 2018 Fed Ex Cup play-offs. For an in-depth look at his meteoric rise on the PGA TOUR, ASIAN GOLF turned to the TOUR’s Chuah Choo Chiang, senior director, Communications. Here’s his report:
T
wo brilliant top-five finishes in his last three
just couldn’t find a way to put four good rounds together.
starts have propelled Chinese Taipei’s C.T.
However, my mentality has been better the past few weeks
Pan to new highs on the PGA TOUR and
and it started when my wife caddied for me at Wyndham.
he is crediting his wife, Michelle for the
It was good to have her on the bag because when I made
breakthrough.
a bogey that week, she would encourage me by saying it
The 26-year-old finished tied second at the Wyndham
was fine. It made me realise that you don’t have to play a
Championship when Michelle caddied for the first time and
perfect game to contend and that changed my perspective,”
he extended his rich vein of form with an equal fourth place
said Pan, who was a four-time All American at the Univer-
at the Dell Technologies Championship - results which
sity of Washington during his amateur days.
shot him up to a career best 33rd place on the FedExCup
“Michelle knows me so well on and off the golf course
points standing and 98th in the Official World Golf Ranking.
and in between shots, she reminded me to make my mind
Unfortunately, he did not make the cut for the final tourna-
up for a shot and to be totally committed. When necessary,
ment of the four-tournament play-offs.
she told me to slow down my tempo and it was a lot of fun
Following his Wyndham high, he also enjoyed a
that week. She ‘fired’ me after that … caddying is a tough
special treat when his idol Tiger Woods congratulated him,
job but I’m glad she got to experience being inside the
prompting Pan to post on his Instagram: “Bumped into @
ropes. More importantly, it taught me some good lessons
tigerwoods this morning before my tee time and he said
about myself.”
‘good playing last week’ to me. I was so excited, just like the kid in this video.” “Since summer, my game has felt good and solid. I
Competing in only his second season on the PGA TOUR, the slender Pan finished 88th in last season’s FedExCup points standing to safely keep his card. His
performance in the 2018 FedEx Cup Play-off has validated his status as one of Asia’s rising stars. The youngest of six children (four sisters and
AND SOLID.
five. His mother worked as a caddy at a local golf
FIND A WAY TO PUT FOUR GOOD
course near his home. He started winning junior tournaments and arrived in the United States,
ROUNDS TOGETHER.
without knowing English, when he was 15 to at-
MY MENTALITY HAS BEEN
tend the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. His
BETTER THE PAST FEW WEEKS
talent was good enough to get him into the Uni-
AND IT STARTED WHEN MY WIFE
and he reached No. 1 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking for eight weeks in 2013. He won gold medals in the individual and team competitions at the 2014 Asian Games before turning professional in 2015. Now that he is slowly establishing himself on
I JUST COULDN’T
CADDIED FOR ME AT
HOWEVER,
WYNDHAM.
IT WAS GOOD TO HAVE HER ON I MADE A BOGEY THAT WEEK, SHE THE BAG BECAUSE WHEN
WOULD ENCOURAGE ME BY
the PGA TOUR, Pan is eyeing a winning break-
SAYING IT WAS FINE. IT MADE ME
through. “I want to keep being in contention as it’s
REALISE THAT YOU DON’T HAVE
an amazing feeling. Wish I can do that every week.
TO PLAY A PERFECT GAME TO
I feel I have the ability to win, it’s just a matter of time. Need to put my mind in the right place to have a greater chance to win.”
A spectator was hit on the head with a golf ball by C.T. Pan, left, on the 18th hole during the Honda Classic golf tournament in Palm Beach Gardens in 2017. According to the Palm Beach Gardens Fire Rescue team, the man was given minor first aid treatment. Pan gave the man a signed golf ball after the incident.
GAME HAS FELT GOOD
one brother), Pan learned the game when he was
versity of Washington where he won eight events
Photo Credit: Getty Images
SINCE SUMMER, MY
CONTEND AND THAT CHANGED MY PERSPECTIVE.
– C.T. PAN
I am THONGCHAI JAIDEE 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. As a family man, Black Mountain is safe and a perfect place to grow my family. 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
With slightly less that two years to go, the image of Justin Rose being crowned as the Olympic gold medalist is still very fresh in the minds of golf fans the world over.
Remember 2016? The year that golf made its re-entry into the Olympic Games. With a lot of fanfare, golf triumphantly rejoined the Olympic fold as the best professionals and amateurs put their best foot forward to do battle for national pride. The host nation was Brazil, note a nation noted for its love of the game of golf, Nevertheless, the capital city stepped up to the plate and provided a world class golf course that was specially built for the Olympic golf tournament. It went off successfully and established golf as a game that had earned its rightful place in the Olympics. The 2020 Olympics in Tokyo is fast approaching and in collaboration with the PGA TOUR, ASIAN GOLF is proud to present a special report
Photo Credit: Getty Images
on golf in the Olympics. Chris Cox, the PGA Tour’s senior manager, communications reports:
I
mages ranging from his son’s teary congratula-
two years, when golf returns to the 2020 Summer Olympic
tory phone call to the fiery tug on his Great Britain
Games in Tokyo.
polo, perhaps no golfer greater exemplified the
“Obviously I love competition and I love competition
meaning of golf’s return to the Olympic Games
at the highest level,” he said. “And for me that’s what the
than Justin Rose.
Olympics is all about, across many sports. It’s about the
When a short birdie putt on the Reserva da Marapendi
best of the best going head to head and bringing their best
Golf Course’s final hole in Rio de Janeiro sealed his
times. The amount of times you see great athletes break
destiny as golf’s first Olympics champion in more than
world records when they need it most and they are able to
a century, emotions rightfully poured out of the always-
turn up at the track or the pool or wherever it might be,
competitive PGA TOUR star.
the tennis court, and bring out their best stuff.”
“That was a really surreal moment to be honest with
The next Olympic men’s golf competition, slated for
you,” he said afterward. “It’s a moment you’ve seen in
July 30-Aug. 2, 2020, is only two years away. And so, it’s
many other sports and moments we’ve witnessed this
never too early to dive into whether Rose will receive the
week prior to our event, if you’ve been along to some other
opportunity to repeat as a gold medalist, or what potential
events. The medal ceremony is what it’s all about, really.
contenders could lie in wait.
That’s what everyone is striving for here in Rio.” Rose’s celebration, which came after he and Sweden’s Henrik Stenson entered the final hole of a tense round all-square at 15-under, best represented the impact golf’s presence can have on the world stage. And it’s no doubt a moment he’ll look to recreate once more in
In regard to qualifying, the world rankings will determine the field in the following way for both men and women: The top-15 world-ranked players will be eligible for the Olympics, with a limit of four players from a given country. Beyond the top-15, players will be eligible based on the world rankings, with a maximum of two eligible players from each country that does not already have two or more players among the top-15. The host country will be guaranteed a spot, as will each of the five continents of the Olympics. Players have two full years left to jockey for position, as the qualification period is slated to end on June 22, 2020. Rose, with wins this season in the World Golf ChampionshipsHSBC Champions and the Fort Worth Invitational, would be securely in the field if
OBVIOUSLY I LOVE COMPETITION AND I LOVE COMPETITION AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL,” HE SAID. “AND FOR ME THAT’S WHAT THE OLYMPICS IS ALL ABOUT, ACROSS MANY SPORTS. IT’S ABOUT THE BEST OF THE BEST GOING HEAD TO HEAD AND BRINGING THEIR BEST TIMES. THE AMOUNT OF TIMES YOU SEE GREAT ATHLETES BREAK WORLD RECORDS WHEN THEY NEED IT MOST AND THEY ARE ABLE TO TURN UP AT THE TRACK OR THE POOL OR WHEREVER IT MIGHT BE, THE TENNIS COURT, AND BRING OUT THEIR BEST STUFF.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
it ended today. At No. 2 in
Photo Credit: Getty Images
THE RESULTS FOR BOTH ACUSHNET AND CALLAWAY ARE IMPRESSIVE. ACUSHNET HAS REPORTED TO WALL STREET IT EXPECTS CONSOLIDATED NET SALES FOR THE YEAR TO BE APPROXIMATELY US$1.615 TO US$1.635 BILLION. AND CALLAWAY HAS INCREASED ITS FULL YEAR 2018 SALES GUIDANCE TO US$1.210 BILLION - US$1.225
the ranking, he is seven spots ahead of the next closest Englishman, Tommy Fleetwood, who sits at No. 10. Paul Casey, at No. 12, would round out the Great Britain team. Any gold medal defense for Rose would likely go through a stacked United States lineup that currently features three of the world’s top four players in the Olympics rankings—Dustin Johnson (No. 1), Justin Thomas (No. 3) and Brooks Koepka (No. 4). Jordan Spieth, at No. 8, rounds out the current team. Assuming none of these major champion winners withdraw, that would exclude TOUR mainstays such as Rickie Fowler, Patrick Reed, Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson—a true testament to the current depth of the U.S. field.
BILLION AS COMPARED TO ITS PRIOR
“I had secretly fingers crossed hoping players would
US$1.170 BILLION US$1.185 BILLION.
pull out,” bronze medalist Matt Kuchar said after qualify-
GUIDANCE OF
ing in 2016, after players ahead of him chose to withdraw. “I was sitting at a spot where I needed a couple guys to
South Korean team that features Byeong Hun An at No. 21 and 2017 PLAYERS champion Si Woo Kim (No. 23). The Indian duo of Shubhankar Sharma (No. 33) and Anirban Lahiri (No. 36), who have taken the PGA TOUR by storm in 2018, should also prove a challenge to contend with. So, too, should Spain’s combination of Jon Rahm (No. 5) and Sergio Garcia (No. 16). Stenson, at No. 14 in the rankings, is well within the grasp at a second chance to earn a gold medal. All told, 34 different countries are represented in the first-look rankings. Each of those in the field will have to contend with a Japanese home team that features PGA TOUR winners Hideki Matsuyama (No. 13) and Satoshi Kodaira (No. 20), who should have the backing of a local crowd at Kasumigaski Country Club in Saitama, Japan, a venue that’s no stranger to elite competition. Since its creation in 1929, the course has hosted such events as the Canada Cup, Japan Open and the Asian Amateur Championship. The three who manage to conquer the course will become part of a select group to call themselves Olympic champion golfers. Charles Sands of the United States was the sport’s first gold medalist at the 1900 Paris games, a competition that featured 12 men and 10 women, while Canada’s George Lyon emerged from a group of 77 male golfers to claim gold at the 1904 games in St. Louis. The sport was absent for the next 112 years, until Rose finally claimed gold in its return at the 2016 Games in Brazil. The sport will return to Paris for the 2024 Olympics and again to Los Angeles in 2028. pull out for me to be able to qualify. I always was thrilled,
“Just having the opportunity to play in the Olympics
always had a hope I could make it. I made a great run, kind
and have golf be a part of it and help grow the game of
of just before the deadline, to sneak inside the Top 15 in
golf, it’s huge,” Reed said in 2016. “I think it will do every-
the World Rankings so it was possible that I could make it.
thing it possibly could to help the game. … When it comes
I was thrilled when the opportunity came for me to be able
closer to Olympics time, that’s all anyone ever talks about.
to be part of the Olympics.
To now have golf back in the Olympics, it’s just going to
“It’s one of those things, as a fan of sport, it’s kind of a boyhood dream. You think, wouldn’t that be amazing? If it
help the game as much as possible.”
ASIAN OLYMPIC PROSPECTS AS OF AUG. 1, 2018
wasn’t golf, just something; what
China
Haotong Li (No. 22)
could you do to be an Olympic
Chinese Taipei
C.T. Pan (No. 48)
athlete? And to be here now, it’s
India
Shubhankar Sharma (No. 33), Anirban Lahiri (No. 36)
quite amazing.”
Japan
Hideki Matsuyama (No. 13), Satoshi Kodaira (No. 20)
Other notable rosters include Australia—which boasts Jason Day (No. 9) and Marc Leishman (No. 15)—as well as a youthful
Malaysia
Gavin Kyle Green (No. 49)
Philippines
Miguel Tabuena (No. 59)
South Korea
Byeong Hun An (No. 21), Si Woo Kim (No. 23)
Thailand
Kiradech Aphibarnrat (No. 17), Jazz Janewattananond (No. 41)
A First Class Tradition
Owned and managed by The Peninsula Hotels and often voted as possessing the “Best Clubhouse in Asia� and “Best Course in Thailand�, 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 visitor’s rate. Extend your business trip in Bangkok, or book a get-away golfing package. When it comes to exclusive golfing with impeccable hospitality – we play off scratch.
:LQQHU 9LMD\ 6LQJK :LQQHU 7LJHU :RRGV
VOLVO MASTERS
VOLVO MASTERS
VOLVO MASTERS
VOLVO MASTERS
ASIA
ASIA
ASIA
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