Asian Golf Issue 263 : October - November 2022

It simply does not g hailed as one of the b

In its fourteenth year, A much-needed shot-in-the an exciting new post-pande

More than twenty world-clas entire range of new ideas an a rapidly changing business

et any better! The Asia Pacific Golf Summit (APGS), best summits on the business of golf is back!

APGS 2022 has been meticulously planned to deliver a e-arm to power the golf industry in the Asia Pacific into emic era of change and growth.

ss speakers have committed to address APGS on an nd strategies to re-imagine golf and to transform it to fit environment.

The envelop will be pushed to the very edge of change and disruption. All serious stakeholders in golf must make an effort to be at APGS 2022 to witness the emergence of new trends designed to take the industry to new heights. Be part of this exciting change!

Host nation Vietnam is set to drive the change – delegate registration is open now –CLICK HERE to reserve your seat at the world’s most complete summit on golf!

ASIAN GOLF has been around for more than twenty-two years and in that time, the magazine has been witness to the emergence of many young talented players, both men and women. Players who broke out of their home countries to ply their game throughout Asia, Australia and some who even ventured to distant shores like Europe and America. These were players who were driven by a desire to play golf at the highest level and to be successful. While some of them did relatively well and made a decent living from the professional game of golf and many still continue to do so, Asia has not seen a player transcend national boundaries on the Continent and rise to become a household name, embraced by one and all like the universal recognition and adulation that is accorded to Tiger Woods.

The Continent of Asia will be brought into professional golf’s big league when LIV Golf rolls into Bangkok to stage its multimillion-dollar Invitational Series. In keeping with its history-making journey to Asia, LIV Golf will stage its inaugural Asian tournament at the exclusive and luxurious Stonehill Golf Course just north of Bangkok on October 7 – 9.

EQUIPMENT FOCUS

PING continues to draw on its incredible putter legacy and the latest chapter in the brand’s leadership revolution in putter technology has taken a new twist with the launch of its latest range of putters – a total of ten! The ten new PING putter are each individually designed to achieve the proper balance of feel and forgiveness in a confidence-inspiring look using various combinations of the company’s proven putter technologies.

The Swedish shoe brand ECCO has always represented quality of the highest standards and it has always strived to deliver the best possible product to the market. It’s newest range, the BIOM G5 is yet another example of technology taken to a whole new level.

Young American Scottie Scheffler bolted away with the 2021-22 PGA Tour Player Of The Year Award! Scheffler pulled in 89% of the vote from tour players.

Work on the staging of the 2022 edition of the Asia Pacific Golf Summit (APGS 2022), the only and longest running international golf conference originating in Asia is on the launch-pad and ready to go. After a forced two-year hiatus, caused by the global lockdown, it is fully primed to show the world that APGS 2022 is rolling down the tracks again loaded with new and compelling information and knowledge from some of the best industry brains designed to get the golf industry in Asia firing on all cylinders! The venue for APGS 2022 is Vietnam, without doubt, the most dynamic country in the world as it relates to the growth and development of golf. This Southeast Asian nation is leading the world in terms of new and exciting golf courses and this forward thrust is expected to continue in the near future. The host venue is the multi-billiondollar Hoiana Resort and Golf complex which is located by the historic United Nations Heritage site of Hoi An in Quang Nam Province in Central Vietnam.

The Asia Pacific’s budding young guns will be gathering in Thailand this month for a big shoot-out to determine the next batch of potential champions from the region. The tournament that will showcase the emerging stars is the 13th Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC), that will be contested at the award-winning Amata Spring Country Club in Chonburi, Thailand, from 27-30 October.

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

INTERNATIONAL ROVING EDITOR

Alan Campbell (China/Middle East) Correspondent

GLOBAL EDITORIAL ADVISORY PANEL

Angela Raymond

[angela@asiapacificgolfgroup.com]

Gregg Patterson

President, Tribal Magic Inc.

Andrew Wood Founder/President, Legendary Marketing

James Cronk

Raquel Arcega

Executive Creative Art Director [raquel@asiapacificgolfgroup.com]

President, Cronk Group

IT Consultant

Tech-Know Integrators

Alice Ho

INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES

Alice Ho

Email: alice@asiapacificgolfgroup.com

ASIAN GOLF

www.asiapacificgolfgroup.com

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Mike Sebastian

FROM THE PUBLISHER

SHARED THOUGHTS

ASIAN GOLF has been around for more than twenty-two years and in that time, the magazine has been witness to the emergence of many young talented players, both men and women. Players who broke out of their home countries to ply their game throughout Asia, Australia and some who even ventured to distant shores like Europe and America. These were players who were driven by a desire to play golf at the high-

est level and to be successful. While some of them did relatively well and made a decent living from the professional game of golf and many still continue to do so, Asia has not seen a player transcend national boundaries on the Continent and rise to become a household name, embraced by one and all like the universal recognition and adulation that is accorded to Tiger Woods.

Asia has seen outstanding players like South Korea’s Se Ri Pak, the pioneering lady who threw open the floodgates to draw in Asian women to play in the toughest professional tour in the world, the LPGA Tour and Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, arguably the most successful Asian player on the world stage, but none of them have attained the recognition that Tiger commanded and continues to command.

One wonders why these players, superstars in their own right, have not gone on to become idols outside of their home countries? There are many reasons that are offered up – from the sublime to the ridiculous and some are absolutely outrageous. Perhaps the one plausible reason could be that Asia’s superstars are to blame because they did very little to learn the language of golf which for all intents and purposes is ENGLISH.

Golf’s big dollar markets are still in the Western Hemisphere and to endear oneself to that market, proficiency in the English language is without doubt a necessity. Fluency in English makes an athlete both acceptable and highly marketable and we conclude that the lack of mastery of the English language has served as a barrier towards Asian professional golfers becoming global household names.

educated and speak English fluently and understand the nuances of the language well enough to be sought after by Western media. Once the media spotlight is trained on them, this is the start of the exposure journey to blossom from just being an Asian star and to transform into a global superstar!

Case in point are two exciting young talents from Asia – one from Thailand and the other from South Korea representing both genders. From Thailand, we have Atthaya Thitikul, only 19-years old and causing a sensation in North America, already a two-time winner on the LPGA in this, her rookie year!

The other young golfer turning heads is South Korea’s Joo Hyung Kim aka Tom, a 20-year-old plump kid with a one-

Asia is producing a whole new breed of professional golfers who have spunk and swagger built into their DNA. They have all grown up like their counterparts in the Western world watching the same movies, listening to the same hip hop music, playing the same video games and adopting the look and feel of what has become a global culture and way of life.

But all that seems to be changing now! Asia is producing a whole new breed of professional golfers who have spunk and swagger built into their DNA. They have all grown up like their counterparts in the Western world watching the same movies, listening to the same hip hop music, playing the same video games and adopting the look and feel of what has become a global culture and way of life.

These youngsters are totally at home in their motherland and anywhere else on the Planet. The have no fear and they settle down and assimilate just as well in any new environment.

Most importantly, many of these Asian youngsters who are breaking out onto the global stage of golf are better

track mind that is focused on winning regardless of the odds! Like Thitikul, he has gone down as the youngest winner on the PGA Tour in the New Millennia. Both Thitikul and Tom (the T-Forces) epitomise energy, excitement and charisma which sets them apart from the rest of the pack on tour today. Thitikul, who displayed world-beating qualities as a youngster playing in amateur tournaments has grown up playing all over Asia, excelling on the Ladies European Tour as its best player two years ago and now poised to conquer the LPGA – she oozes charm and confidence and shows no fear or signs of intimidation playing against the best in the world week in and week out.

She hits the tee-boxes with her disarming smile and walks down fairways looking relaxed and poised, like a champion should. She never seems to lose her cool and

is always in control with a stunning recovery rate after a mishap. She is a star, and she knows it and she knows how to put it all together in a package that everyone is willing to snap up. And she is not afraid to speak her mind in English, that one special quality that is going to take her all the way to the top of the world.

Like Thitikul, Tom has all the same qualities – he is fearless, confident, plays a lethal game and is packed with fun and exuberance. Still looking as though he has some baby fat to dispose of, Tom has no reservations to place his devil-may-care game-face on public display when he scores big or collapses in a ball of fire. He bares it all with naked pride that bursts through with power-packed fist pumps signifying victory or guttural yells of despair to let everyone know his disgust when he messes up. The beauty of the young man is that he does not plunge into despondency when he is down – he is quick to gather himself up and get

right back into the swing of things and charges on to get the job done. This is an attitude that is good to have and great to watch from a spectators’ perspective.

Besides all that, the one big differentiating factor that sets Tom apart is his excellent grasp of the English language. This kid speaks it like a native-born American and his animated antics are precisely what will gain him quick adoption by the Western media which he already seems to have achieved through his dramatic performance at the recent Presidents Cup.

So, it looks like Asia is at the cusp of creating two global superstars in Thailand’s Thitikul and Korea’s Tom Kim. Both have age on their side, skills to win at the highest level of the sport, rock star qualities, inhibition-free and the ability to speak English – that special juice to transform them into universally marketable athletes.

Thitikul and Tom – say HELLO to the world!

Both have age on their side, skills to win at the highest level of the sport, rock star qualities, inhibition-free and the ability to speak English – that special juice to transform them into universally marketable athletes.

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The Continent of Asia will be brought into professional golf’s big league when LIV Golf rolls into Bangkok to stage its multi-milliondollar Invitational Series. In keeping with its history-making journey to Asia, LIV Golf will stage its inaugural Asian tournament at the exclusive and luxurious Stonehill Golf Course just north of Bangkok on October 7 – 9.

Forty-eight of the best golfers on the planet will be battling to claim a share of the massive US$25 million-dollar prize purse, the biggest ever on offer in Asia!

Commenting on the epic Bangkok tournament, LIV Golf CEO and Commissioner Greg Norman said: “Everyone at LIV Golf is enormously excited to bring our innovative format and elite competition to Thailand and

the people of Asia, one of the most exciting and rapidly developing golf landscapes in the world. At LIV Golf, we’re committed to creating opportunities that grow the game and reach new audiences around the globe. Thailand is our first Asian stop as we continue our launch, and the LIV Golf Invitational Bangkok promises to be a truly incredible week for players and fans alike.”

“I’ve been looking forward to saying this for a long time:

SADOM KAEWKANJANA

HENRIK STENSON

DUSTIN JOHNSON

LOUIS OOST

IAN POULTER

CAMERON SMITH

PATRICK REED

STONEHILL IN BANGKOK WILL HOST THE

Asia, here we come,” Norman declared.

A star-studded field including the reigning world number three and defending Open champ Cameron Smith will be on show. Smith, the winner of the Chicago stage of the series will play in a field that will include the big-hitting Bryson DeChambeau and multiple-major winners Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka who are all confirmed to tee it up in Bangkok.

Others in the stellar field will include two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson and all the big-name stars will be joined by hometown heroes Sadom Kaewkanjana and Phachara Khongwatmai, plus a host of Ryder Cup and Major-winning stars including Henrik Stenson, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia, Louis Oosthuizen and Patrick Reed.

The full field will feature no less than 12 Major cham-

LEE WESTWOOD

BRYSON DECHAMBEAU

PHACHARA KHONGWATMAI

HUIZEN

SERGIO GARCIA

BUBBA WATSON

LIV GOLF INVITATIONAL BANGKOK, OCT 7-9

pions and four former World No.1s set to be on the hunt for individual and team glory.

The sixth event of eight in LIV’s inaugural year, will be the first international tournament to be staged at the all-new Stonehill Golf Club.

The new tournament format of LIV Golf aims to raise the excitement levels in the sport of golf. Each event sees a world-class 48-man field compete in 12 teams of four, with a shotgun start, on-course music and entertainment that creates an electric atmosphere.

The quality of the field is unlike any golf event that will ever have competed here, which makes this a huge moment for not only golf, but sport in Thailand and in Asia.”

“These LIV events bring together the best golfers in the f Each event sees a n 12 teams of four, with nd entertainment that

an individual and team US$25 million shared. atured in all five tdillfifthithis aturedinallfiveofthis

After three rounds of golf, both an individual and team champion is crowned and a prize of US$25 million shared.

Thai star Khongwatmai has featured in all five of this year’s LIV Golf Invitationals, earning his spot through some top performances in the Asian Tour’s new marquee International Series events, which are supported by LIV Golf.

“These LIV events together the best golfers in the world, in a new format which works for both players and spectators. The atmosphere has been in credible in all the events I have played so far, and to be able to experience the same on home turf is something I’m really going to relish. It’ll be something very special for Thai golf and golf fans.”

g ’s new Interna ported Golf e young his scale at home in Thai dreamed of up.

Reacting to the tournament, the young Thai professional said: “To be playing in an event of this scale at home in Thailand is something I could only have dreamed of growing up.

There is no denying that the scores of golf fans in Asia are going to be in for a massive treat where they will be able to enjoy some world-class golf featuring some of the best in the game.

I’ve been looking forward to saying this for a long time: Asia, here we come.

– GREG NORMAN

LEE WESTWOOD (LEFT) IS ANOTHER OF THE BIG NAMES PLAYING AT STONEHILL NEXT WEEK

These LIV events bring together the best golfers in the world, in a new format which works for both players and spectators. The atmosphere has been incredible in all the events I have played so far, and to be able to experience the same on home turf is something I’m really going to relish. It’ll be something very special for Thai golf and golf fans.

AUSTRALIA’S CAMERON SMITH (LEFT) AND DUSTIN JOHNSON OF THE USA (RIGHT) WILL GO HEAD-TO-HEAD ONCE AGAIN AT THE LIV GOLF INVITATIONAL BANGKOK

Everyone at LIV Golf is enormously excited to bring our innovative format and elite competition to Thailand and the people of Asia, one of the most exciting and rapidly developing golf landscapes in the world. At LIV Golf, we’re committed to creating opportunities that grow the game and reach new audiences around the globe.

– GREG NORMAN

SADOM KAEWKANJANA

Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana is probably the best golfer in Southeast Asia at the moment.

The 23-year-old has already won four times in his last nine tournaments. This run also includes two second-place finishes and two top-10 finishes.

Kaewkanjana is one of the most talented players in Asia and he is slowly becoming recognised at world level too.

He holds entries in the Saudi International and the Royal’s Cup on the Asian Tour in February. In 2019, he became the fastest Asian Tour Qualifying School graduate to win on the tour at the Bangabandhu Cup Golf Open.

Another rising star is Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai - a prodigiously talented 23 year old, who won his first professional title on the All Thailand Golf Tour at the age of 14.

His first major win on the Asian Tour came at the end of 2021 when he claimed the Laguna Phuket Championship.

Phachara is part of the Iron Heads team, which features an all-Asian Tour members team captained by American Kevin Na.

A POWERFUL FEELING

Introducing the i525, a players-distance iron that puts you in complete control. More ball speed means higher-launching, longer shots that land softly and closer to the hole. More grooves mean more consistency throughout the set. It all adds up to a lot more fun.

More speed, more distance.

Work on the staging of the 2022 edition of the Asia Pacific Golf Summit (APGS 2022), the only and longest running international golf conference originating in Asia is on the launch-pad and ready to go. After a forced two-year hiatus, caused by the global lockdown, it is fully primed to show the world that APGS 2022 is rolling down the tracks again loaded with new and compelling information and knowledge from some of the best industry brains designed to get the golf industry in Asia firing on all cylinders! The venue for APGS 2022 is Vietnam, without doubt, the most dynamic country in the world as it relates to the growth and development of golf. This Southeast Asian nation is leading the world in terms of new and exciting golf courses and this forward thrust is expected to continue in the near future. The host venue is the multibillion-dollar Hoiana Resort and Golf complex which is located by the historic United Nations Heritage site of Hoi An in Quang Nam Province in Central Vietnam.

Leading the thrust forward is Mike Sebastian, owner and producer of APGS 2022. The theme for APGS 2022 is Dynamic New Vistas and as Sebastian points out: “The pandemic has served as a timely reason for all to stop, think and look for new ways to grow our respective businesses.” He continued, “There is no doubt that the global plague has impacted all industries and no business big, medium or small has been spared and with this as a backdrop, we wanted APGS 2022 to serve as the backdrop to float new ideas and concepts to insulate us to be prepared for future set-backs and to pump up our businesses to be more streamlined and better equipped to encounter challenges ahead and to seize new opportunities.”

As Sebastian puts it: “We just cannot go back to the staid and conservative old normal – everything has been turned on its head and this includes the availability of manpower, the supply chain, rising costs and a myriad of new challenges that call for smart strategies to get ahead of a rapidly changing marketplace and new customer mindsets.”

Entering its fourteenth year, APGS 2022 is all set to unveil an exciting three-day show with fresh new ideas and strategies to help drive the golf and golf club industry into its next exciting phase.

“If there is one international business and knowledge event that golf course owners, general managers and executives must attend, it has to be APGS 2022 – there is simply nothing better!” declared Sebastian.

“All golf course owners, operators and general managers should make it a point to attend APGS 2022 as it will help bring everyone up to speed on how to help pick up the pieces and get back on the growth path.”

The keynote address will be delivered by David Abeles, “The Man With The Midas Touch”, President and CEO of the giant TaylorMade Golf Company.

“To secure the commitment from the head of the leading golf equipment brand in the world to

speak at APGS 2022 is huge and to have a visionary like David Abeles speak at the event is a massive win for APGS 2022,” said Sebastian.

Abeles, a long-time career professional at TaylorMade Golf is the executive who was credited to turning around the once ailing company and transforming it into the global powerhouse that it is today.

Abeles has been described as “an unparalleled sales professional whose passion, persistence and customercentric approach has enabled him to continually deliver results that are far beyond ordinary. His attention to detail and forward-thinking leadership style allows him to manage every business process effectively, and he will not hesitate to roll up his sleeves to help ensure the job is done the best way possible. He treats his customers, colleagues, family and friends with the utmost integrity and respect.”

“We are indeed delighted to have David as the man who will help set the tone and direction at APGS 2022 and we know that given his immense knowledge about the global state of golf and the enthusiasm that he has for the game, his address will prove to be a game-changer,” Sebastian pointed.

Another force in the golf industry is the 108-year-old brand, Wilson Golf, the longest established name in golf and it will be represented at APGS 2022 by its President and CEO Tim Clarke.

Clarke is a 25-year veteran of Wilson Sporting Goods, starting his career in 1997 and during his tenure, Wilson Golf has achieved its strongest financial performance in history.

“Being a 100-plus years old company, it’s a pretty exciting brand with an amazing longevity story. What’s exciting for golf specifically is that we have put the brand back in a position to compete worldwide, and the future is bright,” said Clarke.

According to him, “Wilson has stood the test of time. When you look at legends like Arnold Palmer and Sam Snead, Gene Sarazen, Patty Berg, Babe Zaharias, and the 62 major championships won with Wilson irons, and now guys like Padraig Harrington and Gary Woodland – when you stop and think about it, it’s incredible to realize you’re the guy at the helm of such a legacy.”

Clarke went on to add that with 62 majors won (which is more than any other brand) and at least one in every decade, Wilson has done it for a very long time. “I would imagine most of the other brands would love to have the legacy and history that we have. What gets me excited is the future because we’re doing things right and making headway. I think the next 10 years are really going to add to our legacy,” Clarke stressed.

Being a 100-plus years old company, it’s a pretty exciting brand with an amazing longevity story. What’s exciting for golf specifically is that we have put the brand back in a position to compete worldwide, and the future is bright.

– TIM CLARKE

All golf course owners, operators and general managers should make it a point to attend

2022 as it will help bring everyone up to speed on how to help pick up the pieces and get back on the growth path.

– MIKE SEBASTIAN

From one legend to another and the spotlight shifts to focus on the Legendary Golf Guru Andrew Wood. Wood is a man who is constantly evolving and changing, and nothing stays static with him. This is what makes him so fascinating as a speaker and purveyor of revolutionary thinking when it comes to the marketing of golf clubs on a global basis.

The one-time highly successful black-belt karate entrepreneur turned consummate golf marketing guru has spent the last two years during the raging global pandemic turning up brilliant new ideas on how to crank up the golf club industry. While many were trapped in lockdowns, Andrew was whipping around North America and Europe in his high-powered chilli-red Corvette and stunning black Maserati checking out how golf clubs and golf resorts were coping with the plague.

“Being the sort of guy who never ceases to ask and ask, he unearthed a mound of problems and challenges that clubs

were battling with,” observed Sebastian. He is back brimming with new ideas and innovative ways to not only help golf clubs navigate their way through all the challenges created by the pandemic but to also work on a new road map to operate in a totally changed business environment.

“His primary thrust will be on getting golf clubs to sharpen their marketing programmes with the singular focus of opening up new areas of business and to help create and generate new streams of revenue,” said Sebastian.

“And that’s exactly what I plan to do,” fired back Andrew. “In the last two years, I have travelled thousands of miles and visited a ton of clubs in America and in Europe and through keen observation, I believe I now have a thrilling blueprint to share with golf course owners and operators to help them grow in the fast-paced and constantly changing 21st Century!

FOR “In conjunction with APGS 2022, we will be staging the 2021/2022 Asian Golf Awards which also suffered the same fate of cancellation due to the pandemic,” added Sebastian.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, please e-mail: mike@asiapacificgolfgroup.com or alice@asiapacificgolfgroup.com

FORMATION, e-mail:

In the last two years, I have travelled thousands of miles and visited a ton of clubs in America and in Europe and through keen observation, I believe I now have a thrilling blueprint to share with golf course owners and operators to help them grow in the fastpaced and constantly changing 21st Century!

It all began back in January 1966 when golf visionary Karsten Solheim, the founder of PING, designed the Anser putter. The idea came to him, as inspiration often does, in a flash. He sketched the design on the dust jacket of a 78-rpm record. The putter’s design was the first of its kind, featuring an offset hosel that provided golfers a clean view of the face. Clearly, Karsten had designed a revolutionary putter. The Anser went on to become the winningest putter in golf history, with more than 500 Tour wins, including 19 men’s major championships. More than 50 years later, PING continues to draw on this incredible legacy and the latest chapter in the brand’s leadership revolution in putter technology has taken a new twist with the launch of its latest range of putters – a total of ten!

The ten new PING putters are each individually designed to achieve the proper balance of feel and forgiveness in a confidence-inspiring look using various combinations of the company’s proven putter technologies.

“What’s most exciting about our new PING putter models is how different they are from each other,” said John K. Solheim, PING CEO and President.

“Rather than applying one common technology to every model, our engineers took a more singular approach, applying proven innovations to different head styles to improve the performance of our most popular designs while introducing some brand-new models,” Solheim explained.

For example, several of the new models offer milled faces for a firmer feel and others provide a softer feeling insert. In the blade models, which includes the Tony Finauinspired Anser 2D design, PING put a priority on delivering high-MOI, clean-looking designs by placing tungsten weights in the heel and toe.

According to Solheim, “The use of aluminum and stainless steel in the larger mallet designs has resulted in some of our most forgiving models to date, led by the Tomcat 14 and each model also provides confidence-inspiring alignment cues, from single lines to multi-line alignment aids.

It’s a very diverse offering but the one thing they all have in common is they offer precision performance on putts of every length,” said Solheim.

The 10 models, consisting of high moment of inertia blades and ultra-forgiving multi-material mid-mallets and mallets and can be custom fit for stroke type, length, lie, loft and grip type.

Put simply, PING has come up with a model to fit every golfer. Golfers can choose from high-MOI multimaterial blades, mid-mallets and mallets. Traditional blades include the Anser and the Kushin 4 – both originally designed by PING founder Karsten Solheim – and the new Anser 2D. The new Mundy design, a multi-material traditionally shaped mallet, is named in honour of PING’s first business manager and long-time employee, Jack Mundy. The tour proven DS72 and Prime Tyne 4 return with a new look and feel while ensuring the performance that’s earned them multiple trips to the winner’s circle in the last few years.

Another new entrant to the mallet category is the Tyne G, a hybrid of the original Tyne and popular Fetch (complete with a “gimme” ball-pickup feature). All three stroke types (Straight, Slight, Strong) are represented within the 10-model selection.

Rather than applying one common technology to every model, our engineers took a more singular approach, applying proven innovations to different head styles to improve the performance of our most popular designs while introducing some brand-new models.

– JOHN K. SOLHEIM

Describing it as technology you can feel, Solhiem pointed out, “From firm milled faces to soft-feeling inserts, the face technology is engineered based on feedback from our tour staff to match a variety of feel preferences and deliver control and consistency on putts of every length. Two face milling techniques, smooth (firmest) or shallow, are found in seven of the models while the rest deliver the soft feel of our PEBAX insert surrounded by the smooth or shallow milling.”

Another aspect of the new putters is the attention paid to alignment for accuracy. “Knowing golfers respond to different alignment aids, the new putters offer a variety of solutions. Single alignment cues or multiple lines combine with appealing colour blocking to match a golfer’s eye to inspire confidence where it matters most – on the green,” Solheim said. The use of platinum and matte-black finishes in several models provides enhanced contrast to assist in alignment while creating a premium appearance. For golfers who prefer the simplicity and influence of a matte-black look, the Anser 2D, Mundy and Tyne G will best fit their eye.

The following are descriptions of each of the ten new putters:

ANSER

The winningest putter in history is updated using tungsten toe-heel weights to provide stability and forgiveness, and the shallow milled face delivers a firmer feel and consistent ball speed with pleasing acoustics. Employs colour blocking where the platinum topline contrasts with the black cavity, drawing focus to the front of the putter for improved aiming.

ANSER 2D

Made popular by multiple-time winner Tony Finau, a PEBAX insert with shallow milled surround ensures a softer feel and consistent ball speed with pleasing acoustics. Tungsten toe-heel weights provide stability and forgiveness, a single white alignment line contrasts with the matte-black head, and a ball-width cavity floor help frame the ball to make aligning to the target easier.

KUSHIN 4

Tungsten toe and heel weights provide stability and forgiveness for improved accuracy, and the shallow milled face ensures a firmer feel and consistent ball speed with pleasing acoustics. A platinum topline contrasts against a black cavity to draw the focus forward, where a short alignment line and ball-width cavity floor frame the ball. Fits a strong-arc stroke type.

The use of aluminum and stainless steel in the larger mallet designs has resulted in some of our most forgiving models to date, led by the Tomcat 14 and each model also provides confidence-inspiring alignment cues, from single lines to multi-line alignment aids. It’s a very diverse offering but the one thing they all have in common is they offer precision performance on putts of every length.

SHEA

Forgiveness is high in the mid-mallets, aided by tungsten toeheel weights to ensure stability, while the shallow milled face delivers a firmer feel and consistent ball speed with pleasing acoustics. A platinum topline contrasted against a black cavity with its longer alignment line draws the focus forward, and the ball-width cavity floor helps frame the ball.

DS72

Named in honour of Doug Sanders, who served as Karsten’s chief engineer for many years, the DS72 has a shallow milled face to deliver a firmer feel and consistent ball speed with pleasing acoustics. A platinum topline contrasts against the black cavity where a white alignment line and ball-width cavity floor focus the eye. The more squared off profile will be aesthetically pleasing to the mid-mallet player. Fit for straight and slight-arc stroke types.

DS72 C

The centre-shafted head offers a visual symmetry, and tungsten toe-heel weights ensure stability for improved accuracy. The shallow milled face provides a firmer feel and consistent ball speed with pleasing acoustics. The colour-blocked head features a platinum topline contrasting against the black cavity with its white alignment line to draw the focus forward.

DS72 ARMLOCK

Built with a longer shaft and grip and more loft to perform for the armlock style of player, the DS72 offers a shallow milled face delivers a firmer feel and consistent ball speed with pleasing acoustics. A platinum topline contrasts against the black cavity where a white alignment line and ball-width cavity floor focus the eye. The more squared off profile will be aesthetically pleasing to the midmallet player.

TYNE G

A trio of white lines, ball-width cavity floor and ball-pickup cutout feature distinguish the easy-to-aim Tyne G. The cutout redistributes mass to the perimeter for added stability and forgiveness to improve accuracy with the added benefit of a “gimme” ball-pickup feature. A PEBAX insert with shallow milled surround ensures a softer feel and consistent ball speed with pleasing acoustics.

PRIME TYNE 4

A top performer evolves for 2023, featuring the customary twin forks that make the head highly stable to ensure forgiveness and accuracy. The shallow milled face delivers a firmer feel, consistent ball speed and pleasing acoustics. New colour blocking utilizes a platinum topline contrasted against the black cavity to draw the focus forward.

MUNDY

Forgiveness is driven way up by joining a lighter aluminum body to a 304 stainless steel sole plate for positioning the centre of gravity low/back. A PEBAX insert with a smooth milled surround delivers a softer feel and consistent ball speed with pleasing acoustics. Three full-length, ball-width alignment lines draw the eye to the point of contact with the ball, simplifying aiming.

TOMCAT 14

Multi-material construction creates extreme MOI in the Tomcat 14, built with a lighter aluminum body joined to a 304 stainless steel sole plate for positioning the center of gravity low/back for forgiveness. Ball-width runwaystyle dotted lines track all the way to the ball to aid in alignment. The smooth milled face delivers the firmest feel of the newest PING putters, and slightly faster ball speed.

On the surface, it’s an elegantly designed, precisioncrafted forged blade. Inside, it’s another story—a story that makes it different from any iron ever engineered. With AlumiCore Technology, we’ve elevated forgiveness in a clean, impactful way. You may not need it on every shot, but it’s always there for you.

Designed to optimize friction for the high spin and control you need to save strokes and lower your scores.

The Swedish shoe brand ECCO has always represented quality of the highest standards and it has always strived to deliver the best possible product to the market. This tradition has been in place ever since the company started business in 1963 and it has never looked back. In keeping with its tradition to innovate, back in 2006, ECCO sought inspiration in the performance of African runners – not just any African runner but those who ran barefoot. The company was fascinated with how these runners performed so well without shoes and this led to ECCO understanding the construct of the African human foot which eventually led to the launch of the game changing BIOM technology which is one of the premier technologies in performance shoe design today.

ince the launch of its very first golf shoe featuring BIOM technology, the brand has gone through a number of innovative iterations, the latest being its next generation - the BIOM G5. It describes the G5 as “a cleated shoe which promises athletic performance in a premium, progressive and sporty design”.

The updated BIOM NATURAL MOTION, originally developed by ECCO by scanning more than 2,500 feet, offers additional support and superior control while enabling the foot to move naturally whilst walking the course.

The new model, which takes inspiration from the BIOM G3 and the BIOM H4, is equipped with world-renowned GORETEX construction that offers 100% waterproofing, while still allowing the foot to breathe. The shoe has been engineered to incorporate ZARMA-TOUR spikes, which are combined with innovative hybrid grooves to offer year-round traction and stability.

– ANDRZEJ BIKOWSKI, HEAD OF DESIGN FOR ECCO GOLF

The BIOM G5 has been yet another fantastic achievement in design and innovation for us. Following the huge success of BIOM G3, and BIOM H4, the next iteration of our cleated BIOM series needed to be a true step-up in both comfort and technology, and this is something we truly feel we’ve achieved with the BIOM G5.

Andrzej Bikowski, Head of Design for ECCO GOLF, said: “The BIOM G5 has been yet another fantastic achievement in design and innovation for us. Following the huge success of BIOM G3, and BIOM H4, the next iteration of our cleated BIOM series needed to be a true step-up in both comfort and technology, and this is something we truly feel we’ve achieved with the BIOM G5.”

Crafted from ECCO Performance Leather and a sporty mesh, the BIOM G5 comes with a choice of a laced or BOA Fit System on the side of the shoe.

FLUIDFORM Direct Comfort Technology ensures a finely tuned balance of cushioning and rebound, while creating an integral, flexible and durable bond without the compromises common with stitched and or glued assemblies.

The Boom G5 comes in five styles for men and five styles for women.

OUR MOST FORGIVING DRIVER. EVER

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Total MOI pushes 10,000 in the G425 MAX, a new standard in long and straight. A 26g tungsten CG shifter increases MOI an average of 14% across the Draw, Neutral and Fade settings.

At PING, we measure success in the lab and on your scorecard. Led by our most forgiving driver ever, the G425 MAX, big performance gains were achieved across the new G425 family. The proven innovations engineered into G425 clubs deliver score-lowering results off the tee, from the fairway and into and around the green so golfers of all skill levels can enjoy the game more.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

SPECIAL FEATURE

Young American Scottie Scheffler bolted away with the 2021-22 PGA Tour Player Of The Year Award! There was absolutely no doubt in anyone’s mind that the 26-year was the favourite to poll the highest number of votes and that’s exactly what he got. Scheffler pulled in 89% of the vote from tour players.

With the Player of The Year Award, Scheffler has made a clean sweep of four titles this year including his first major crown at the Masters.

Australia’s Cameron Smith, the world number two who bolted from the PGA to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series earlier this month, and Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, who edged Scheffler for the FedEx Cup playoff crown, were the other finalists for the award.

Scheffler has joined Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson, Fred Couples and Ian Woosnam as the only players to win the Masters while world number one. He also joined Woods as the only players to win a major and WGC title among four triumphs in a PGA season.

Scheffler, the 2020 PGA Rookie of the Year, has won US$14,046,910, the most in a single season in PGA Tour history, breaking the mark of US$12,030,465 by Jordan Spieth in 2014-15. Bonus money boosted Scheffler’s season income to US$24,796,910.

Scheffler has joined Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson, Fred Couples and Ian Woosnam as the only players to win the Masters while world number one.

The Asia Pacific’s budding young guns will be gathering in Thailand this month for a big shoot-out to determine the next batch of potential champions from the region. The tournament that will showcase the emerging stars is the 13th Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC), that will be contested at the award-winning Amata Spring Country Club in Chonburi, Thailand, from 27-30 October.

The Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship was created in 2009 and the winner receives an invitation to play in the Masters Tournament and The Open while the runner(s)-up gain a place in The Open Qualifying Series for The Open.

Over the AAC’s 13-year history, the championship has served as a springboard to some of the world’s top players today. AAC alumni have gone on to win 23 PGA Tour tournaments, with the most prominent being Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama at the 2021 Masters and Australian Cameron Smith at The Open in 2022.

The last winner of the ACC was Japan’s top-ranked Keita Nakajima who captured the 2021 AAC title.

The big favourite for the 2022 tournament is Thailand’s teenage phenom Ratchanon “TK” Chantananuwat. At No. 12

in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, Chantananuwat is the highest-ranked player in the field and is looking to become the first player from Thailand to win the AAC.

The prodigious 15-year-old Chantananuwat is focused on being this year’s champion. Last April, he became the youngest male player to win on one of the game’s major tours with his triumph at the Asian Tour’s Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup. He also finished runner-up in the R&A Junior Open.

“I am really looking forward to playing my first Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship,” said Chantananuwat. “No Thai player has ever won the title and I want to be the one who does that, especially this year when the championship is also being hosted in our country. Playing the Masters at Augusta National and The Open would be a dream come true for me, and I have the chance to realize that dream by doing well in the AAC.”

No Thai player has ever won the title and I want to be the one who does that, especially this year when the championship is also being hosted in our country. Playing the Masters at Augusta National and The Open would be a dream come true for me, and I have the chance to realize that dream by doing well in the AAC.

– RATCHANON CHANTANANUWAT

THE REGION’S TOP AMATEUR GOLFERS PREPARE TO BATTLE THE 13TH ASIA-PACIFIC AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP OR “AAC” AT AMATA SPRING COUNTRY CLUB, CHONBURI PROVINCE.

Chinese players are expected to provide a formidable challenge with three inside the top 50 of WAGR. Led by two-time AAC winner Yuxin Lin (2017 in New Zealand and 2019 in China), the contingent also features Oklahoma State University standout Bo Jin and reigning U.S. Junior Amateur champion Wenyi Ding, who is currently the second highest WAGR player in the field at No. 17. With the win, Ding became the first Chinese male player to win a USGA title.

Australia, which has always produced some of the top players in the region, will once again send a strong set of contenders with three of their players ranked in the top 50 of WAGR. Connor McKinney leads at world No. 27, followed by Hayden Hopewell at No. 33 and Harrison Crowe at No. 49.

Japanese players will be looking to win a third title since

2018 (Takumi Kanaya/2018, Keita Nakajima/2021) and will be led by No. 101 Masato Sumiuchi. Sumiuchi will be looking to follow the legacy of Kanaya, Nakajima and Matsuyama, who won back-to-back AACs in 2010 and 2011 and went on to become the first Asian-born player to win the Masters Tournament in 2021.

Another player eager for the return of AAC action is Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho, who lost in a playoff to Nakajima last year after posting weekend rounds of 64-65.

“It’s a pleasure to welcome our players back for the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship I am sure we will have a fantastic and worthy champion following four days of intense competition to follow in the footsteps of such remarkable AAC alumni as Hideki Matsuyama and Cameron Smith,” said Taimur Hassan Amin, chairman of the APGC.

YUXIN LINWENYI DING