Issuu 176 by Asia Pacific Golf Group

ISSUE

176

M AY 2 0 1 5

COVER STORY

Golf’s First Ever Town Hall Debate The Asia Paciﬁc Golf Summit is back but with a BIG DIFFERENCE. It will be staged under a new format called “The Town Hall Debate”. It is designed to get general managers, golﬁng managers, owners and operators plus other management personnel from Asian golf clubs to become PROACTIVE and to act as a POWERFUL and COHESIVE group to shift the club industry into a high gear going forward! It’s time to talk back!

EQUIPMENT FOCUS 28 Exotics DG Tour Series Putter: Glod’s Flat-Stick Magic!

For those of you who have experienced the power of fairway woods from Tour Edge, you will understand this review on the company’s new line of putters. If there is one small manufacturer in golf that is punching way above its weight, it’s got to be Tour Edge. The company simply keeps churning out drivers, woods and hybrids that keep raising the bar with every new product iteration.

30 KZG’s OS-II Fairway Wood – A Game Saver! KZG has introduced the OS-II Fairway Woods featuring a large offset designed specifically for golfers who leave the club face open at impact or push the ball. It is a super slice saver!

32 The Cool New Swoosh Look! There’s an evolution that is taking place in golf apparel and the company that is spear-heading this thrust is Nike. Asian Golf provides a special preview of the Nike Golf Club Collection which lays emphasis on this premise - you train in the gym, you go to the course, you practice, and then you come home and hang out. The evolution that is the new Nike Golf Club Collection essentially questions why a golfer should have to change five times?

MAY 2015

ISSUE 176

SPECIAL FEATURES 18 It’s Happened – Finally Club Managers Get To Play And Compete! The Asia Pacific Golf Group in conjunction with the staging of the 2015 Asia Pacific Golf Summit will be organizing the Inaugural Asia-Pacific Inter-Club Challenge Tournament. This tournament, played with two-man teams drawn from clubs within the Asia Pacific footprint will challenge for the coveted Le Van Kiem Inter-Club Trophy.

20 Bill Morgan- Entrusted To Keep A Trusted Legacy Going Many golfers the world over who place their total trust on a Titleist Pro V golf ball may not be aware of one man who presides over the kingdom that is ruled and reigned over by what is without doubt the winningest golf ball in golf. And that man is Bill Morgan, Senior Vice President of Golf Ball R&D at Titleist. ASIAN GOLF had the opportunity to sit down for a wide-ranging discussion on

the one golf ball that golfers the world over have learned to trust to deliver the results they seek.

36 2015 Presidents Cup: Will Asia Make The Difference? The 2015 Presidents Cup is fast approaching and one wonders if this will be yet another walk-over for Team America or if Team International will put up a better performance. Asian Golf presents its first preview of the clash.

42 Moribund Report: Asian Tour – What’s Happening Guys? A special commentary on the moribund state of the Asian Tour by Mike Sebastian.

46 China Takes Charge! At the start of 2015, the Asia Pacific Golf Group exhorted Asian stake-holders in golf to take charge and be responsible for managing and growing the game of golf. For too long, the golf industry in Asia, especially Southeast Asia, China and India has left the manage-

ment and promotion of golf events, tournaments and even the routine management of clubs in the hands of international companies operating in the region.

50 The Chinese Dragon Stirs! With the Rio Olympic Games just slightly one year away, ASIAN GOLF has decided to take a serious look at what some Asian countries are doing to get ready for the games. We commissioned Mathew Scott to give us an assessment of what he sees happening in China. His first report looks at the progress being made with the ladies game:

54 Made In Mission Hills! There is no organization, public or private anywhere in Asia that can match the effort made by the Mission Hills Group of China to grow the junior game of golf. What is most impressive about the group’s initiative is that it is motivated towards growing the game of golf throughout Asia and not only in China. Asian Golf takes a look at what’s happening at its impressive production line.

GAME-IMP GAME-IMPROVEMENT 58 Black Hat Tips: W Wipe The Windshield Rain From Your Wind 60 Pro Tour Golf Coll College: How to Make Changes to Your Golf Swing without Affecting Your Scori Scoring Ability Developing and improving improvin your golf swing is more difficult the closer to par you get simply because making changes to golf swings at this level usually means an increase in the amount of mistakes made on the golf course and a score average averag that starts to climb.

6 Asian Golf Editorial Team

8 Shared Thoughts From Publisher

64 Next Issue

MIKE SEBASTIAN Chief Executive Officer/Managing Editor

ANGELA RAYMOND President

[ mike@asiapacificgolfgroup.com ]

LAWRENCE YOUNG Editor (New Equipment)

[ lawrence@asiapacificgolfgroup.com ]

[ angela@asiapacificgolfgroup.com ]

ALICE HO Marketing Executive

[ alice@asiapacificgolfgroup.com ]

RAQUEL M. ARCEGA Art Director & Ezine Development

SAIFUL SUFIAN Art Director

[ raquel@asiapacificgolfgroup.com ]

MYRA PARAS Accounts Executive

[ myra@asiapacificgolfgroup.com ]

[ sufian@asiapacificgolfgroup.com ]

WAYNE LWEE Video Editor/Streaming services

[ wayne@asiapacificgolfgroup.com ]

MEDIA PARTNER

Photographers

GETTY IMAGES

Contributing Professionals

IMG ACADEMY, TONY MEECHAI, CHRIS SMEAL, DAVID MILNE & LAWRIE MONTAGUE (PRO TOUR GOLF COLLEGE), NICK RANDALL, STEVEN GIULIANO

Correspondents

ROBIN BARWICK (EUROPE), RISHI NARAIN (INDIA)

Contributing Editors

TERRY ANTON, ALAN CAMPBELL, KATHERINE ROBERTS, AAERISHNA SHAHSTHY

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INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Contact: Mike Sebastian Email: mike@asiapacificgolfgroup.com or Mobile No: +65 9152 8162

[ 231 Bain Street, #02-83 Bras Basah Complex, Singapore 180231 ]

Address

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SHARED THOUGHTS From The Publisher

W Just when the king-makers of golf started looking around for a worthy successor to the charismatic Tiger Woods, a 21-year old Texan steps up to answer the call. It’s none other than Jordan Spieth, the second youngest to win the U.S.Masters after Woods and the third-youngest player in PGA Tour history to win multiple events before turning 22. 8

9 ASIAN GOLF

hat more is there to say than to declare that a new mega star in golf has arrived! Asian Golf witnessed the arrival of this Texas whirlwind when he played as an amateur in the PGA Tour’s HP Byron Nelson Championship in 2010. He played and made the cut, becoming the sixth-youngest player to make the cut on a PGA Tour event. He played amongst the pros and ended in a tie for 16th. That’s when we realised that we had a potential star for the future – not just a star but an extraordinary champion! His spectacular victory at the 2015 U.S.Masters has convinced us that golf is in good hands in the post-Woods era. Spieth – is a massive talent - only 21-years old and he has attained success way beyond the imagination of guys his age. Besides his victory, golf has finally witnessed the emergence of a star who will give the game a clean, scandal-free and unblemished face. How refreshing is this! He is the all-American package which is going to inspire and draw more juniors to the game. What he did at Augusta was historic – the Texan tore out the old pages of the record book and re-wrote the new records he set. What Spieth did matched everything that his home-state Texas is known

for – BIG!. He pulled off a win that was massive and in the process, he blew away every single record set by golfing legends like Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. As he walked up to the 18th tee at Augusta, fans of golf rose to their feet and sang out praises to the game’s new hero. Spieth had been coronated the new king of golf! Not only did he win the U.S. Masters, but he clinched it in a record-tying performance, shooting an 18-under 270 to become the first wire-to-wire winner since 1976. Spieth became the first Masters champion to lead after every round since Raymond Floyd 39 years ago, and only the fifth in the history of the tournament. He already set new Masters benchmarks for 36 holes (14-under 130) and 54 holes (16-under 200). While history was created by Spieth, let it not be forgotten that it was a historic day also for Asia as five stars from the Continent made the cut and went on to prove that they had what it takes to survive playing at the Masters. Best performance was turned in by Hideki Matsuyama who played the match of his life to come in 5th with a score of 11-under par, just one stroke behind world number one Rory McIlroy. Other Asians included Sang-moon Bae (T33), Seung-Yul Noh (T38), Anirban Lahiri (T49) and Thongchai Jaidee (55).

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Since its introduction, the PING G30 has been the #1-selling driver in golf. Its performance is proven in the labs and on the course by golf’s most respected clubtesters and ﬁtters. Most importantly, it’s proven every day by golfers of all skill levels who rely on the G30 driver’s added distance, forgiveness and consistency. Get ﬁt today and see why more golfers have put a G30 driver in their bags than any other brand since last summer. You’ll be better for it.

13 ASIAN GOLF

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2007 S I N G AP O R E

➠

2008 SHENZHEN, CHINA

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2011 BANGKOK, PATTAYA

➠ 2013 JAKARTA, INDONESIA

AND

2012 BRUNEI DARUSSALAM

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The Asia Paciﬁc Golf Summit (APGS) had its birth back in 2007 when the inaugural conference was staged in Singapore. It almost seems surreal that eight summits later, one of the true great golf conferences of the world is entering its ninth straight year. In that time, APGS has toured the region with shows staged in China, Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam and Indonesia. All the great legends of golf like Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, PeterThomson, Greg Norman, Tony Jacklin and Annika Sorenstam have shared the APGS stage over the years not to mention most of the major gurus of the golf industry. This has been the strength and appeal of APGS. The 2015 edition of APGS will once again be staged in Singapore but it will be an event with a difference – a major DIFFERENCE!

2 0 0 9 K UALA LUM PUR , M ALAYSIA

2 0 1 4 SINGAPOR E

➠

2 01 5 SIN G A PO RE

2010 BANGKOK, T H A

COVER STORY 2015 APGS

fter eight years, the time has come for a major overhaul to the Asia Pacific Golf Summit. One of the hallmarks about APGS has been its bold outlook towards the golf industry. From the very first summit, it has always extolled the need for change and the need for the industry to stay relevant to the times. Perhaps the best adjective to use to describe the stand taken by APGS over the years would be contrarian. It was not being contrarian for the sake of being different and controversial. It adopted this stance for one reason and one reason only and it was brought about by different quarters in the industry waxing lyrical about how golf was growing in Asia. APGS just wanted to tell it like it is and uncovering the truth and telling it like it is, is never an easy undertaking, especially when there are numerous naysayers with differing agendas. But it is a job and someone has to do it! What many of these proponents of the “reported growth in golf” were not quite aware of are the trends affecting the growth or lack of it in the industry. In a marketplace where there is no empirical rule in place and no reliable market statistics available, how does one even begin to talk about the growth or decline of golf in Asia? The past few years have opened the eyes of many in the golf industry in Asia to realise that the challenges faced by the industry in the developed world are in no way dissimilar to what has been happening in Asia. The only difference being that in the developed world, there is market intelligence to inform the players why the industry is tanking but unfortunately, we don’t have the same information to guide us in Asia. Out here in Asia, like in any new frontier being developed, the industry generally flies by the seat of its pants. This is a fact – it would interest many to know that up till a few weeks ago, there was no reliable data-base to tell us how many golf courses there are in Asia. Need we say more? By now, most of you would have gathered where we are headed with this tack. It is our believe that the time has come for golf course owners and operators to take centre-stage and give us the low-down on what is actually happening to the golf industry in Asia as seen through their eyes. We want them to come forth and share with the industry: ■ as to whether rounds are up or down; ■ if there are more golfers using their club facilities; ■ is there active recruiting and retention of members;

■ innovative marketing and communication strategies; ■ if their food and beverage services are to the taste and desire of members and golfers; ■ if women are taking up the game of golf; ■ if more opportunities are being created for juniors to learn to play golf; ■ state of recruitment and training of operational personnel for clubs; ■ making and keeping clubs vibrant and profitable; All of the above are critical areas which need to be addressed and the industry needs to have the practitioners of the trade to step up to the plate and share with everyone their challenges and their victories, their highpoints, aspirations and their frustrations. Because therein lies the intelligence and direction to take the golf industry in Asia forward! We talked about a major overhaul to APGS. It is more than just a major overhaul. We need to turn everything on its head and create a universal platform for the industry to provide a roadmap for sustainable growth that will serve as the guide to success for golf club owners, operators and the golf trade for every country that makes up Asia. The people best qualified to take charge of this will be those who have their hands on the very pulse of the club industry – the general managers. The Town Hall Debate format is therefore designed to get general managers, golfing managers and other management personnel from Asian golf clubs to become PROACTIVE and to act as a POWERFUL and COHESIVE group to shift the club industry into high gear going forward! The Town Hall Debate will be all about interactivity which in today’s world is the only way to address issues. It’s the sharing of ideas amongst like-minded people that will open up minds and make way for innovation and change for the better! The Town Hall Debate format will involve moderation of the floor by highly skilled experts who understand the art of directing group thinking in an orderly manner. Each debate session will be for

The past few years have opened the eyes of many in the golf industry in Asia that the challenges faced by the industry in the developed world are in no way dissimilar to what has been happening in Asia.” 14

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It’s the sharing of ideas amongst like-minded people that will open up minds and make way for innovation and change for the better!” the duration of 90 minutes with the floor inter-acting for most of that time. “This is not only going to be different but it is going to be participative, controversial, sometimes combative but that’s what debates are all about – we want to witness the high energy of the cut and thrust of debate involving the movers and shakers of the club industry in Asia,” explained Mike Sebastian, chief executive officer of the Asia Pacific Golf Group, the owner and producer of APGS 2015. APGS 2015 will be staged in Singapore on October 14 and 15 at the award winning Orchid Country Club and Resort. Full programme details will be announced on the APGS web site and On-line booking to attend APGS 2015 is now open at www.golfconference.org

Golf’s First Ever Town Hall Debate

IT’S DIFFERENT. IT’S REVOLUTIONARY. IT’S GAME-CHANGING!

It’s a refreshing change. Golf club management professionals and the golf industry will engage in a highly exhilarating discourse over two days that will feature the industry’s most engaging and engrossing dialogue led by delegates to the Summit. Official Venue & Hotel

Strategic Business Partners

Albatross Sponsorship

It will be all about the vocal cut and thrust of debate at its very best. Delegates will share thoughts and ideas, challenges and frustrations and discuss trends shaping the future of the golf club industry. The dialogue sessions will

be moderated by world class public speakers. Come and be part of golf’s ﬁrst ever Town Hall Debate. The dates are October 14 and 15 and the venue is the award winning Orchid Country Club in Singapore.

Eagle Sponsorship

Official Business Partner For Beverages

Book your seat now and be a part of golf’s evolving history in Asia! $UKC 3CEKæE *QNH 6WOOKV r (ZEKVKPI &QORGNNKPI 7QVCNN[ 'KHHGTGPV For More Details Visit Official Website www.golfconference.org

Official Media Partners

To Register Go To http://tinyurl.com/APGS2015

OTHER EVENTS HIGHLIGHTS

Voting Ends – Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Go to: agmawards.asiapacificgolfgroup.com

Go to: tinyurl.com/APGS2015

SPECIAL FEATUIRE Golf Tournament

Did you know that golf club managers rarely get a chance to play golf? It’s a fact because most of the managers that we know hardly get out to play a round of golf. Of course there are exceptions but as a general rule, it seems that if you want to give up the game of golf, join a club’s management team! 18

19 ASIAN GOLF

he normal excuse given is that they have too much work to be able to find time to play a round of golf, especially on their own course. The reasons for this are numerous but whatever the reason, the issue at hand is why aren’t club managers playing golf? Well, there are plans afoot to change all this. The Asia Pacific Golf Group in conjunction with the staging of the 2015 Asia Pacific Golf Summit will be organizing the Inaugural AsiaPacific Inter-Club Challenge Tournament. This tournament, played with two-man teams drawn from clubs within the Asia Pacific footprint will challenge for the coveted Le Van Kiem Inter-Club Trophy. “This is a no-brainer and it’s been just waiting to happen,” said Lawrence Young, the tournament director. “This tournament is all about good, clean fun and more importantly, it is about networking,” he pointed out. Young has a point – besides the fun aspects of the tourna-

ISSUE 176

MAY 2015

It is our hope that this inter-club tournament will get the ball rolling so that we can seed the marketplace to develop better co-operation and a spirit of camaraderie amongst club managers in the region.” – Lawrence Young ment, what is really needed amongst club managers in the region is good social and business networking. “Unlike America, Europe and Australia, where club managers have an opportunity to get together under the auspices of their respective associations and association organized business conferences,” Young said. He went on to add that this sort of networking provides great opportunities and conduits to exchange ideas and share thoughts. “It is our hope that this inter-club tournament will get the ball rolling so that we can seed the marketplace to develop better cooperation and a spirit of camaraderie amongst club managers in the region,” Young explained. The tournament will be run on the first day of the 2015 Asia Pacific Golf Summit which will be held in Singapore on October 14 and 15. The venue for the tournament will be the Orchid Country Club, an award-winning 27-hole golf course that has played host to a variety of golf tournaments including the Asian Tour. “We selected Orchid Country Club because it has all of the qualities and facilities to make the tournament a fun event – a great course, brand new buggies, outstanding food and beverage catering facilities and a friendly ambience,” Young revealed. Fun will be central to this tournament. There will be drink stops serving quality beer and energy drinks, food kiosks that will ensure that golfers are kept well-nourished and novelty activities galore.

“As I said, we want to have fun while playing golf and we’ve selected to use a two-ball format which is perhaps specially designed for players to have fun.” There is no entry fee to participate in this tournament. To qualify, players need to register as delegates to attend the Summit and there are 144 slots available. “Entry will be on a first come first served basis and a two-man team can register on-line at the Summit’s web site or contact Alice Ho at the APGG headquarters in Singapore,” according to Young. The Summit delegate registration link is:

https://secure.golfconference.org/event/asia-pacificgolf-summit-2015 The contact details for Alice Ho are: e-mail: alice@asiapacificgolfgroup.com | Tel : 65-63232800

SPECIAL FEATURE Focus On The Titleist Golf Ball

21 ASIAN GOLF

ISSUE 176

Many golfers the world over who place their total trust on a Titleist Pro V golf ball may not be aware of one man who presides over the kingdom that is ruled and reigned over by what is without doubt the winningest golf ball in golf. More professional golfers and amateur golfers are I\V`LK I` H [YLTLUKV\Z SL]LS VM JVUÄKLUJL ¶ JHSS P[ [OL JVUÄKLUJL [V ^PU ¶ ^OLU [OL` [LL \W H beauty bearing the Titleist Pro V branding. This is no idle, baseless boast. It is a fact and has been so year after year for many years.

BILL MORGAN Senior Vice President Golf Ball R&D at Titleist

MAY 2015

SPECIAL FEATURE Focus On The Titleist Golf Ball

ou want proof? Well, let’s lay it on you! The 2015 season has just seen three months go fleeting by, and Titleist was the number one ball for more players and more champions across the worldwide professional tours. At the time of writing this report, Titleist golf ball players had already recorded 29 victories around the world, compared to 10 for the nearest competitor. You want to be even more impressed? How does this grab you - since its introduction in 2000, the Pro V1 golf ball franchise has been the golf ball of choice for more than 2,200 champions worldwide. And no other brand comes anywhere close to this impressive record. Since this special feature is devoted to the most-played balls on the PGA Tour, there’s full justification to shine the spotlight on some outstanding statistics scored in the 2013-14 wraparound season: ■ Just imagine - The Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x combined for 26 PGA Tour victories. The closest competitor – a real laggard at 7 wins. ■ Just imagine - a Pro V1 or a Pro V1x was played by a competitor 3,355 times. The next most-played ball was used 707 times. ■ Just imagine - 93 golfers used a Pro V1 or Pro V1x at the 2014 U.S. Open at Pinehurst. The closest competitor: 20. It’s no contest – It is like having the most trusted and most reliable ally on your side when you go to battle …. on a golf course! Now, let’s get back to the man who car-

23 ASIAN GOLF

ries a massive burden (a good one at that) to ensure that the winning streak enjoyed by Titleist rides the wave of success year in and year out without fail. He heads up the Titleist Golf Ball R&D team, a unique job driven by a commitment to continuous improvement and innovation. It will amaze you to know that this crack team is made up of chemists, physicists, mathematicians, computer scientists, engineers and technicians, as well as PGA Professionals and turf management specialists. All this for the production of a golf ball? You bet! There’s no compromise and nothing is left to chance in the production process. It now becomes very obvious why the man charged with leading a team comprised of over 1,100 associates has got to be the best man for the job. He is the custodian of a process where every team member is accountable to ensure that every Titleist golf ball is manufactured to exacting standards. This is vitally important to assure that every golf ball performs consistently for every golfer, every round and on every type of shot. And that man is Bill Morgan, Senior Vice President of Golf Ball R&D at Titleist. ASIAN GOLF had the opportunity to sit down for a wide-ranging discussion on the one golf ball that golfers the world over have learned to trust to deliver the results they seek.

The following are excerpts from the discussion:

ASIAN GOLF: Fifteen wonderful years at the top – the sweet smell of success for the Pro V1 franchise must be undeniHIS` H ]LY` PU[V_PJH[PUN I\[ M\SÄSSPUN HUK rewarding experience. How does Titleist look back on its phenomenal record? Perched at the very pinnacle of success for such a long time takes some doing!

Bill Morgan: We take great responsibility in being the leader and continually delivering the best performing, most consistent golf balls to players at every level of the game. It took our founder, Phil Young, three years to develop the first Titleist golf ball and when it was introduced in 1935, there was no question it was the best golf ball ever made. Our history and heritage drives us every day. Pro V1 has been around for nearly 15 years now, but Titleist has been the most played golf ball at the U.S. Open for 66 years and counting. Our mission and purpose has never changed. We want to help golfers play their best. So we come to work every day focused on making the best golf balls in the game even better. We know that every time a golfer tees up a Titleist golf ball, they have entrusted their game to us. We don’t take that for granted.

ISSUE 176

AG: The Pro V1 brand has been unchallenged ever since it hit the world’s greens and fairways and it has been the ball of choice amongst both professionals and better club players. Give us a sense of how the brand has sustained its leadership position in what is generally described as a very JVTWL[P[P]L IH[[SL ÄLSK&

BM: The reason for the success of Pro V1 and Pro V1x both on tour and in the marketplace is simple – they perform the best for golfers of all skill levels and swing speeds. Whether you’re a tour player or someone who only gets to play on the weekend, Pro V1 or Pro V1x will give you the best opportunity to shoot your lowest score. I’m often asked

00 about the original Pro V1 launch back in 2000 – what was the magic formula? Simple. For the first time, the best performing golf ball ng for tour players was also the best performing golf ball for everyone. For pros, for amateurr golfers, for you and me. Pro V1 gave you everything – distance, short-game control, soft feel plus durability – you don’t have to give anything up. From day one, Pro V1 has been synonymous with complete, totall performance. It is designed with every shott in mind – not just your driver, not just your wedge. It’s designed for every single shot you’re going to hit throughout the course of a round. And because of the investment o and commitment our company has made to e research and development, we’ve been able

We make Titleist golf balls, and we have complete ownership over every step in our process – it’s that degree of control that allows us to provide the highest quality, consistency and performance in every golf ball. We know that every shot depends on it.”

MAY 2015

to consistently make the performance of each successive generation even better.

AG: From a layman’s point of view, a ball is a ball and how much technology can be engineered into it. This is really a misconception wouldn’t you HNYLL& >HSR \Z [OYV\NO [OL HTV\U[ VM research and development that goes into the Pro V1 franchise to ensure that the ball delivers superior perforTHUJL HS^H`Z&

BM: What sets Pro V1 and Pro V1x apart from other golf balls? It’s everything we do. We are golf ball makers. We have more people with

SPECIAL FEATURE Focus On The Titleist Golf Ball

more experience designing and making golf balls than anyone in the industry. In Golf Ball R&D we have more than 70 people who come to work every day with one singular goal – to make a better golf ball. These people are physicists, engineers, mathematicians, chemists, computer scientists – the list goes on and on. And they don’t leave any stone unturned. Of course, a golf ball design isn’t worth much if you can’t make it properly. Every single Titleist golf ball is manufactured by our own associates. They’re made to our performance, material, process and quality specifications. We don’t buy golf balls from anyone else and we don’t make golf balls for anyone else. We make Titleist golf balls, and we have complete ownership over every step in our process – it’s that degree of control that allows us to provide the highest quality, consistency and performance in every golf ball. We know that every shot depends on it.

AG: Ever since the brand was introduced, it has never ceased to raise the bar on performance and quality with every product upgrade. This to the end user is intriguing – give us a sense of how you engineer the ball to travel longer distances and with better control in terms of trajectory, spin etc.?

BM: Within R&D we have different teams working on a variety of concepts that are considered for each generation of product. Some of those concepts may work this year. Some may work in five years. Many will never work, but we can’t know that until they’ve been tested. We have an aerodynamics group that works on dimple patterns as well as the tooling we use to mold our golf balls. We have a materials research group that’s looking at new core, layer and cover formula24

25 ASIAN GOLF

tions. We have a team working on new paint and coating systems. We have a construction team that experiments with all the parts and pieces and assembling them in different ways. And there are teams working on things I can’t tell you about. Eventually everything coalesces and we begin the final product development phase. We put the product together and begin testing it with golfers. Finally, we implement the final prototypes in our ball plants to assess any manufacturing changes and confirm the new product meets all of our performance specifications and quality standards.

AG: The two dominant models in the Pro V range are the Pro V1 and Pro V1X. Again, from a layman’s perspec[P]L ^OH[ HYL [OL KPɈLYLU[PH[PUN X\HSPties between the two balls?

BM: Both Pro V1 and Pro V1x offer exceptional distance. They’re long for golfers of all skill levels. They’re long with the driver, long with the irons, long in all aspects of the game. Pro V1 has slightly more long game spin than Pro V1x. They both have a very tight and consistent flight and are very easy to control in windy conditions. Pro V1 has a lower, more penetrating trajectory. Pro V1x launches higher. Both Pro V1 and Pro V1x provide the best short-game scoring performance in the game because of their patented thermoset urethane elastomer cover. With the new 2015 models, we focused on improving short-game control by softening the cover formulation, which gives you more control on shots into the green. It also makes the ball sound and feel a little bit softer, which many golfers tell us gives them more confidence. Like previous generations, Pro V1 will feel softer than Pro V1x.

AG: Every generation of the Pro V se-

ries delivers something that creates user-buzz – like the current range is being positioned as the best ever from the Titleist stable. In this regard, how much attention does the company pay to player feedback, especially from players on tour?

BM: Our process begins and ends with golfers. They tell us what the next new Pro V1 and Pro V1x are going to be – not a robot or a computer or anything else. We’re always out in the field, talking to golfers, asking them what we can do to help them shoot lower scores. We test prototypes with them and gather their feedback. We have a group in R&D that spends all their time on tour, working with pros on the range and walking inside the ropes with them during practice rounds. Every week, our Golf Ball Fitting teams are at courses around the world, talking with golfers of all skill levels and swing speeds. We also routinely send out test balls to our Team Titleist community and ask for their feedback. We sent Pro V1 and Pro V1x prototypes to more than 45,000 golfers this year. We conducted one test with about 6,000 Team Titleist members last March that really guided us in finalizing the specs of the new Pro V1x. We put every prototype through rigorous machine testing, but golfer testing and validation is the most important part of the process. AG: From a player’s standpoint, the Pro V1 series is the “perfect product” and this is borne out by the fact that it is the winningest ball in play on the world’s professional tours. In this context, how much more can you really do to make it better? BM: That sounds like the perfect challenge. We gladly accept.

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All golf balls are not created equal – from brand to brand, there are many differences in quality and performance, particularly when it comes to the scoring shots into and around the green. If you want to shoot your lowest scores, one of the first steps should be finding the golf ball that helps you play your best – and then playing that same model every round.” AG: There is an exact science to what you do to produce a Pro V1 ball and quite a bit of this has to do with the utilization of materials. In the area of materials, there is constant innovation taking place with new and improved products being produced. This obviously impacts your R&D and manufacturing process. Talk to this?

BM: We have a team inside R&D that is constantly researching and testing any new rubbers, plastics, paints or other materials that come on the market. If there’s a new material out there that we think might help us make a better golf ball, those guys know about it. AG: Looking into your crystal ball, are coloured balls going to become a mainstay? BM: There will always be golfers who want to play a coloured golf ball, whether it’s just personal preference or, because of their eyesight, they can see it better. But, according to our research, we haven’t seen a growing demand for them. AG: Finally, there has been a lot of [HSR HIV\[ IHSS Ä[[PUN HUK P[Z WVZP[P]L impact on game improvement. This

is fairly central to your core business philosophy – share with us why you [OPUR NVSMLYZ ZOV\SK NL[ IHSS Ä[[LK and why it is important to play with the right ball?

BM: The golf ball is the only piece of equipment you use on every shot, yet it’s remarkable how many players still tell us that they play “whatever ball I find in my bag.” That decision will cost you strokes every round. All golf balls are not created equal – from brand to brand, there are many differences in quality and performance, particularly when it comes to the scoring shots into and around the green. If you want to shoot your lowest scores, one of the first steps should be finding the golf ball that helps you play your best – and then playing that same model every round. You wouldn’t use a different set of irons each round, would you? AG: Keeping on track with game improvement, how is the revolutionary “green to tee” programmer introduced by Titleist doing?

BM: It really resonates with golfers when we talk to them about the importance of their scoring shots – their approach shots, pitches and chips. These are the shots you need to focus on when choosing a golf ball. The fact

is that all golfers hit more shots to the green than they do drives. In a round of 85, a golfer is hitting about 37 shots to the green. Every golfer only hits about 14 drives per round – so what sense does it make to choose your golf ball based entirely on that one shot? There are no sacrifices when it comes to the performance of Pro V1 and Pro V1x. They provide exceptionally long distance for golfers of all swing speeds with the best short-game scoring control in the game. One of the biggest keys to shooting lower scores is hitting the ball closer to the hole, whether it’s an approach shot or a chip or pitch around the green. And every golfer makes more putts the closer they get to hole. The best way to figure out which ball is best for your game is to go to the golf course and play. Bring a couple models, along with the ball you typically play, and compare their performance side-by-side. Start around the green, and spend some time hitting different types of chips and pitches. Hit some bunker shots. Move back and hit some partial wedge shots, then full wedges, short irons, mid-irons – all the way back to the tee. You’ll see bigger differences on some shots than others, but by the time you’ve gotten to the tee it’ll be obvious which one will help you play your best.

SPECIAL FEATURE Focus On The Titleist Golf Ball

s though being the winningest golf ball on the PGA Tour was not enough. Titleist had to add to its string of wins with another major victory to its cap â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the 2015 U.S. Masters won by 21-year old Texan, Jordan Spieth. Not only did he win the U.S. Masters, but he clinched it in a record-tying performance, shooting an 18-under 270 to become the first wire-to-wire winner since 1976. Spieth became the first Masters champion to lead after every round since Raymond Floyd 39 years ago, and only the fifth in the history of the tournament. He already set new Masters benchmarks for 36 holes (14-under 130) and 54 holes (16-under 200).

And his partner in success was the Titleist Pro V1x!

Bubba Watson presents Jordan Spieth of the United States with the green jacket after Spieth won the 2015 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 12, 2015 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

27 ASIAN GOLF

Jordan Spieth celebrates on the 18th green after his four-stroke victory at the 2015 Masters Tournament.

Serapong No.14

EQUIPMENT FOCUS Exotics DG Tour Series Putter

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ISSUE 176

o, what’s so great about the new Exotics DG Tour Series Putter? This is the question Asian Golf posed to the company’s visionary founder David Glod and he shot right back, “The changes to this year’s model are not only cosmetic, but the personal feel of

the putters has been improved substantially. I’m proud to engrave my name on every Exotics putter.” Well, you can’t say that the man does not speak with conviction – he is absolutely emphatic! The new series of putters continues with artful conception and are personally designed and hand-crafted by Glod to me-

MAY 2015

ticulous detail and in true Exotics fashion, are truly one of a kind. “Putters are the most personal club in a golf bag. My new Tour Series Putters have been a labour of love and I couldn’t be happier with the results,” he said. To deliver the ultimate in feel and touch, the putters are entirely CNC milled from a solid block of carbon steel. The milled Xgrip face pattern provides unprecedented feel and control on the green and reduces skidding. “The responsive, pure feel and feedback of the face design translates to incredible accuracy and touch and in addition, each putter has a hand-rolled leading edge ensuring that each stroke glides smoothly through the ball, even in the longer grass on the fringe,” Glod explained. The David Glod Tour Series putters feature three tour inspired designs with a high-toe profile to eliminate the tendency to raise the toe at address, causing putts to go left of the hole. Further enhancing the setup, the putters feature a True Temper step-less steel shaft that provides a clean appearance at address and a firm, responsive feel. Two sophisticated finishes are available, a silver-bead finish or black PVD finish in three models: V1.3 (full offset cavity back blade), V2.3 (half offset cavity blade), and V3.3 (semi-mallet). Each putter comes with Tour Edge’s lifetime warranty and a 30-day play guarantee.

The changes to this year’s model are not only cosmetic, but the personal feel of the putters has been improved substantially. I’m proud to engrave my name on every Exotics putter.” – David Glod

EQUIPMENT FOCUS Slice Saver!

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2A. OHZ PU[YVK\JLK [OL 6: 00 -HPY^H` >VVKZ MLH[\YPUN H SHYNL VɈZL[ KLZPNULK ZWLJPÄJHSS` MVY NVSMLYZ ^OV SLH]L [OL JS\I MHJL VWLU H[ PTWHJ[ VY W\ZO [OL IHSS 7HPYLK ^P[O [OL YLJLU[S` YLSLHZLK 6: 00 +YP]LY [OL` WYV]PKL LHZL VM WSH` HUK TH_PT\T MVYNP]LULZZ

o you always slice your ball on hits from the fairway? You know how frustrating that can get – well, no need to hang your head in despair anymore. There’s a new club that will help kick this problem for good! KZG, the world’s number one custom club builders and fitters has just launched the OS-II Fairway Woods that have been designed to help eliminate a slice and to assist those with a late release swing pattern. It’s a niche requirement that professional club fitters have been calling for. The OS-II Fairway Woods are perfect

for those players who are just starting out and are looking to quickly eliminate a slice with less frustration. Put the club to the test and golfers will be thrilled when they see their typical slices landing on the fairway. The mid-profile design assures solid contact from any lie. Moreover, the face insert is made from KZG’s proprietary alloy, giving superior rebound and distance. “KZG is dedicated to growing the game, and what better way than to provide golfers with perfectly fit and perfectly built custom clubs” reports Dr. Jennifer King, President of KZG. “And to meet that goal, there must be a wide offering of models so that the fitter can select the design options he or she

needs to achieve that perfect combo of club and shaft. The OS-II Fairway Woods are designed specifically for golfers with unique swing patterns.” Better players who swing from the outside in with a late release will also gain accuracy using the OS-II Fairway Woods. The large offset design feature literally moves the centre of gravity behind the axis of the shaft, thus assuring a squaring of the club head at impact. This design characteristic will also increase trajectory to help get the ball airborne. The OS-II is one of six models of fairway woods offered by KZG. The slice saver is here and there’s no need to fear!

KZG is dedicated to growing the game, and what better way than to provide golfers with perfectly fit and perfectly built custom clubs.” – Dr. Jennifer King

FASHION TREND Looking Good!

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Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an evolution that is taking place in golf apparel and the company that is spear-heading this thrust is Nike. Asian Golf provides a special preview of the Nike Golf Club Collection which lays emphasis on this premise - you train in the gym, you go to the course, you practice, and then you come home and hang out. The evolution that is the new Nike Golf Club Collection essentially questions why a golfer should you have to JOHUNL Ă&#x201E;]L [PTLZ&

MAY 2015

FASHION TREND Looking Good!

ou’ve got to hand it to Nike for its innate ability to sense new trends and to strike out to grab the first mover advantage before anybody even begins to stir. It’s a company that is engineered from the ground up to be part of the evolution of sport. Heck, its founder, the legendary Phil Knights lives, breathes and swears by evolution and it’s the ethos of Nike. This philosophy has manifested itself in the latest golf apparel line from Nike where the company, recognizing that the lives of golfers have changed, has spun out a range of clothes that tears away from traditional golf attire. “There’s nothing wrong with all the wonderful traditions around golf, but for so long, we let rules dictate what people should wear,” says Kelly Tweeden, VP/Category Creative Director of Golf. Golfers, just like other athletes who blend training and life, want to express themselves on and off the course. “The idea of putting on a costume to play golf is an old idea,” Tweeden says. “You train in the gym, you go to the course, you practice, and then you come home and hang out. Why should you have to change five times?” The Nike Golf Club Collection is one in which performance and personal style go hand-in-hand. This certainly makes a lot of sense! The Nike Golf Club Collection offers key items for mixing and matching to express personal style. One of the hallmarks is the Nike M-Swing Movement Polo, which has a tailored fit and a retrofitted Nike Golf logo. “We wanted the logo to

35 ASIAN GOLF

There’s nothing wrong with all the wonderful traditions around golf, but for so long, we let rules dictate what people should wear.” – Kelly Tweeden

be a signal that we’re going to push the boundaries,” Tweeden says. The Nike Golf M-Washed Dot Shorts are a radical departure from traditional golf pants, but with fresh polka dots as a pattern, they still playfully nod to golf’s history of graphic pants. “I’m pretty sure that most guys would say that it takes some pretty bad weather to make them put on pants,” Tweeden continues. “You want to wear what feels right to you, what makes you feel like yourself, and the pants is not that defining style anymore.” Shorts are a bold move, but one that makes sense. Golfers are first and foremost athletes, and they require innovative apparel to meet their performance needs. The bulk of the Nike Golf Club apparel collection is made with Dri-FIT technology, to keep players cool on and off the course. “Innovation is the thing that always improves performance,” says Tweeden. “Dri-FIT transfers moisture from the skin to the surface of the material, so it keeps you feeling drier than regular fabrics like cotton.” Fit is a key element in making apparel perform as well as it looks, especially for a generation of athletes who push the limits of training. “Our players are getting more and more athletic, and they really are in top shape,” Tweeden says. “You want minimal distraction, you want close to the body, you want the best fit possible.” “Through body mapping, we have data that tells us where sweat patterns are likely to form,” Tweeden says. The Nike Golf M-Washed Dot Shorts have interior waist tape and stretch fabric to help support a range of motion. The Nike Golf M-Lockup Tee has a rib crew neck with interior tape to provide comfort”.

SPECIAL FEATURE 2015 Presidents Cup

KJ CHOI & NICK PRICE TEAM INTERNATIONAL

The Presidents Cup is a series of menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world minus Europe. The Presidents Cup has been held biennially since 1994. Initially it was held in even numbered years, with the Ryder Cup being held in odd numbered years. However, the cancellation of 36

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JAY HAAS & FRED COUPLES TEAM AMERICA

the 2001 Ryder Cup pushed both tournaments back a year, and the Presidents Cup is now held in odd numbered years. It is hosted alternately in the U.S. and in countries represented by the International Team. The 2015 Presidents Cup will be hosted in :V\[O 2VYLH [OL Ă&#x201E;YZ[ [PTL [OH[ [OL [V\YUHTLU[ ^PSS IL WSH`LK VU Asian turf.

MAY 2015

SPECIAL FEATURE 2015 Presidents Cup

he 2015 Presidents Cup is fast approaching and one wonders if this will be yet another walk-over for Team America or if Team International will put up a better performance. This is the big sixty-four thousand dollar question. Historically, Team International has never had a chance against the Americans and form-watchers feel that Team International will again be clobbered. Looking at the form book, Team International will have an uphill battle to overcome Team America which has a whole gaggle of hot, young players to select from. The captains of the respective teams have already been announced. Team International will be led to battle by Nick Price

■ Billy Horschel

who will be ably supported by his deputy, South Korean K.J. Choi. Team America’s boss will be Jay Haas who has selected the affable Fred Couples to assist him. Haas is not faced with a selection dilemma because he has a massive pool of young and highly talented players to pick from. Based on the current Official World Golf Rankings, this is the talent available to him:

■ Brooks Koepka ■ J.B. Holmes ■ Kevin Na ■ Chris Kirk ■ Ryan Palmer ■ Zach Johnson And veterans like Phil Michelson and Jim Furyk are going to be still available to him. Against this formidable selection, what has Price have as his options? It’s not too bad really. To start with, his deputy Choi is still a serious contender on the PGA Tour having eight tour wins under his belt. Besides Choi there are three or four Australians like Adam Scott, Jason Day, Marc Leishman and John Senden. Throw in a few

■ Bubba Watson ■ Jordan Spieth ■ Dustin Johnson ■ Jimmy Walker ■ Rickie Fowler ■ Matt Kuchar ■ Patrick Reed

CHRIS KIRK

RYAN PALMER

BILLY HORSCHEL

J.B. HOLMES

ZACH JOHNSON

KEVIN NA

BUBBA WATSON

DUSTIN JOHNSON

MATT KUCHAR

RICKIE FOWLER

BROOKS KOEPKA

JORDAN SPIETH

JIMMY WALKER

PATRICK REED

JAY HAAS ➠ TEAM AMERICA

ISSUE 176

include a number of Asian players on Team International. He will have a number of in-form players to pick from and the most likely candidates include the following: ■ Hideki Matsuyama (16) ■ Anirban Lahiri (33) ■ Thongchai Jaidee (43) ■ Koumei Oda (73) ■ Hiroshi Iwata (80) ■ Sangmoon Bae (84) ■ Shingo Katayama (96) Price and Choi would do well to include Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, Anirban Lahiri of India and Thongchai Jaidee from Thailand. Sangmoon Bae also deserves con-

sideration. It will be interesting to see how many of the identified Asians will make the cut on Price’s international team. The Presidents Cup has been held six times in the U.S., twice in Australia, once in South Africa and once in Canada. Each time, the Americans have dominated and the score to date stands at 8-1-1, including five straight wins by a combined score of 95-75. Will 2015 make a difference? Will this be the year for Team International to pull off their first victory? As it stands now, it only looks probable and a fairly distant probability at that. Who knows – Price and Choi may pull the team together and if they make the players gell as a tight, cohesive fighting team, Team America better watch out. Maybe kimchee power will do the trick for Team International!

KOUMEI ODA

NICK PRICE ➠ TEAM INTERNATIONAL

ANIRBAN LAHIRI

SANG-MOON BAE

HIDEKI MATSUYAMA

HIROSHI IWATA

THONGCHAI JAIDEE

South Africans for good measure like Charl Schwartzel, Louis Oosthuizen, Brendan Grace, George Coetzee and veteran Ernie Els and it looks like Price and Choi may have their work cut out for them. What makes this year’s clash between the Americans and the international boys different is the fact that the tournament will be played on the Jack Nicklaus course in Incheon, South Korea. This is the first time that the Presidents Cup is being played in Asia and this should count for something. Home ground advantage coming in the form of a very passionate South Korean fan base should prove helpful. Choi should also prove to be a major rallying force which could serve as an adrenaline boost for Team International. The big question is whether Price will

MAY 2015

SHINGO KATAYAMA

LONG THANH GOLF RESORT, HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM

NOVEMBER 1 & 2, 2015

In Celebration Of Fathers And Sons Asia Paciﬁc Father and Son Golf Tournament is back again. Fathers and sons or direct related members of a family will do battle to see who emerges as the best of the best in the region.

The tournament is open to any combination of family members – father, daughter, uncle/ aunty and nephew/niece. This arrangement provides for a wider family involvement and participation.

This prestigious tournament will be staged on The winning team will walk away with the November 1 & 2, 2015 and the host venue is Asia Paciﬁc Father and Son Trophy presented the award winning Long Thanh Golf Resort in by Vietnamese philanthropist Le Van Kiem. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Come and Be Part of the Region’s Only Total Family Golf Event ... The 2015 Asia Paciﬁc Father and Son Golf Tournament! Entry fee is set at US$450 per player and this will include: Daily two-way transfer from the Sheraton Saigon Hotel to the golf course. Lunch, refreshment and dinner on both days. Prizes and goodie bags. One practice round on October 31.

The Father and Son Tournament is designed to promote greater family involvement in golf and clubs are encouraged to enter club teams to participate in what promises to be a fun tournament!

ONLINE Registration is open at: http://tinyurl.com/fsgt2015

DOWNLOAD PDF – RULES & REGULATIONS: http://tinyurl.com/fsgt-rr2015 For enquiries, please contact Alice Ho at alice@asiapacificgolfgroup.com or call +65-63232800

ORGANISED BY: LONG THANH GOLF RESORT

SPECIAL FEATURE

The Moribund Report

The mission of the Asian Tour is to expand tournament golf so as to substantially enhance the careers of its members, thereby developing and growing golf in Asia while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. Its principal role is the sanctioning, management, marketing, technical administration, development and promotion of professional golf tournaments in the region that form the series of events known as the Asian Tour. The Asian Tour’s core activity is to generate playing opportunities and increase prize money for its members through the sanctioning and, in some cases, ownership of Asian Tour events.

ere’s a question for serious stake-holders in golf – how many of you have looked at the Asian Tour lately or even bothered to find out what the Tour has been up to of late? Chances are, I would draw very disinterested responses from the majority. And there’s a bloody good reason for this “darn it, who cares” attitude. You see, the Asian Tour has really been, for the lack of a better word to describe it, INACTIVE. I just go check out its tournament calendar for 2015 and if I was a professional golfer with a valid tour card, I would find it very difficult to feed myself and my family, bring up the kids and give the family dog a decent meal once in a 42

43 ASIAN GOLF

This is Good Friday, a holiday and a day of worship for Christians the world over. It was a perfect day for me to chill out and ponder over some issues troubling the game of golf all over the world with Asia as the primary focus. while! C’mon guys, for the current calendar year, there are only three tournaments that have been brought in by the Asian Tour. There are two more still waiting to be confirmed and only the Divine Force knows whether these tournaments will ever materialise. The prize money for the three confirmed events adds up to a princely,

eye-popping US$4.8 million and some change. That’s hardly enough to keep the back office of the Asian Tour properly funded let alone provide for a cash pool to pay playing professionals. Something is not right and this being a day of solemnity and worship, I don’t want to delve into an issue that would result in the opening of a can of worms. It’s amazing

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how much political skullduggery is involved and the mind games and agendas that grown men indulge in while the guys who depend on the game for their very survival are kept in limbo. I kid you not – out of 71 players on the Asian Tour 2015 Money List, 52 guys have made less than US$49,186.28 cents, which is the poverty line in Australia for a couple with two kids.

The guy at the 71st spot has only taken home a pay-check of US$2,993! For this kind of money, wives, girl-friends, mistresses and the dog will leave home, never to return! For comparison sake, let’s check out the player on the 71st spot on the American PGA Tour this year – it’s Lee Westwood who has banked in US$569.036. And he’s got his wife, kids and dogs living in grand style with him both in America and in England!

MAY 2015

Now that you have a better picture of the plight of the Asian Tour professional, let’s ask why there are so few events on the calendar? The tour will argue that they have a whole bunch of events lined up, but under their breath, tour officials will whisper that they have joint-sanctioned events between the Japan Tour, the US PGA Tour, the International Federation of PGA Tours and of course the European Tour.

SPECIAL FEATURE

The Moribund Report

I don’t have a bone to pick with this – what I want to know is what’s happened to the healthy line-up of Asian Tour events that used to provide our Asian professionals a tidy pool of cash to play for? This has literally evaporated into thin air. The Asian Tour can’t take credit for co-sanctioned events. These are events that come from North America and Europe and more often than not provide additional playing opportunities for players from their respective tours with slim pickings for our Asian Tour players.. Another look at the 2015 Asian Tour tournament calendar will give you a sense of how lop-sided things are with regards to co-sanctioned events versus those organized exclusively by the Asian Tour. A mischievous thought just entered my mind – is the stage being set up for both the PGA Tour and the European Tour to walk on to Asian turf and claim all the empty slots in the name of the “Globalisation of golf”? It’s no laughing matter – it is a serious possibil44

45 ASIAN GOLF

Another look at the 2015 Asian Tour tournament calendar will give you a sense of how lop-sided things are with regards to co-sanctioned events versus those organized exclusively by the Asian Tour.” ity and it can’t be ruled out because both the American and European tours already occupy space in Asia and this is set to grow. Again, we can’t see the Asian Tour warding off these offshore forays because the tour lacks muscle, finance, sponsors, media support and television rights. Now, what does the man at the helm of the Asian Tour, Mike Kerr have to say about the current state of af-

MIKE KERR

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While the Asian Tour struggles to create a “pot-of-gold” for its players to shoot for, perhaps it can check out to see how Commissioner Mike Whan of the LPGA is striving hard to add more money to the players’ purses. According to a recent Reuters report, Whan has set his sights on establishing a “grander stage” for the LPGA Tour by giving it increased television exposure and making it more on a par with the men’s equivalent for prize money. fairs? To be fair to him, I did not reach out for his comments. Kerr, the chief executive officer of the Asian Tour was an invited guest speaker at the 2014 Asia Pacific Golf Summit and he spoke with great optimism about the future of the tour. I won’t comment because you can listen to him by watching this video: https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dyVrDujYkI One point that Kerr is very proud of is that the co-sanctioned programme has been very successful for the Asian Tour. He was recently reported to have said: “It allows Asian players to play against some of the best in the world. I see us working closer and in more tournaments and more markets around the world in the future,” he added. No comment from me because I’d like time to be the judge of this statement. Anyway, all that I would like to see is for those involved in the promotion of the professional game of golf in Asia to set aside their differences, egos, agendas and whatever else that’s eating them up to come to the negotiating table and to work towards the greater interest of the players who make a tour happen. So long as we let the cancers that trouble the industry to fester and grow unchecked without finding lasting solutions, let’s prepare to kiss the Asian Tour goodbye and roll out the red carpet to welcome the proponents of the globalization of the professional game – the money machines that are captained by Tim Finchem and George O’Grady!

o, how does he plan to get the LPGA to that grander stage? First, let’s put everything into perspective. At the recently concluded Kia Classic, winner Cristie Kerr probably made about as much money as somebody who came in 10th place at a similar event on the PGA Tour. She earned a check for US$255,000 with her victory. That same day, little-known American Scott Pinckney came away with US$179,800 after tying for eighth at the PGA Tour’s Texas Open. Whan told Reuters, “If we can expand that viewership footprint for the LPGA, we will create greater purse opportunities, greater financial opportunities.” According

MIKE WHAN

to him, once a player has made it to the PGA Tour, he is financially set. He went on to add that making it to the LPGA Tour is just phase one. Phase two is making it on the LPGA Tour financially. Whan felt that financial security was guaranteed on the LPGA Tour only by players who had established themselves in the top 70. “That’s something I’ve got to change …. I’ve got to make it that if you’re one of the best 200 female golfers on the planet, then there ought to be an opportunity on this tour to be financially successful.” Since What took over the reins at the LPGA in 2010, he has increased purses by 50 percent to more than US$60 million this season and television coverage has doubled.

If we can expand that viewership footprint for the LPGA, we will create greater purse opportunities, greater financial opportunities.”

SPECIAL FEATURE China Takes Charge!

([ [OL Z[HY[ VM [OL (ZPH 7HJPÄJ .VSM .YV\W L_OVY[LK (ZPHU Z[HRL OVSKLYZ PU NVSM [V [HRL JOHYNL HUK IL YLZWVUZPISL MVY THUHNPUN HUK NYV^PUN [OL NHTL VM NVSM -VY [VV SVUN [OL NVSM PUK\Z[Y` PU (ZPH LZWLJPHSS` :V\[OLHZ[ (ZPH *OPUH HUK 0UKPH OHZ SLM[ [OL THUHNLTLU[ HUK WYVTV[PVU VM NVSM L]LU[Z [V\YUHTLU[Z HUK L]LU [OL YV\[PUL THUHNLTLU[ VM JS\IZ PU [OL OHUKZ VM PU[LYUH[PVUHS JVT WHUPLZ VWLYH[PUN PU [OL YLNPVU >OLU `V\ JVUZPKLY [OL ZPaL VM [OL THYRL[WSHJL [OL YLZV\YJLZ HUK [OL O\THU JHWP[HS [OH[ ^L OH]L PU [OL YLJYLH[PVU HUK OVZ WP[HSP[` PUK\Z[YPLZ P[ THRLZ NVVK ZLUZL [OH[ (ZPHU JVYWVYH[PVUZ HUK (ZPHUZ ZOV\SK IL PU JOHYNL ¶ OLUJL [OL JHSS MVY (ZPH ;V ;HRL *OHYNL 46

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t is indeed both heartening and encouraging that the Chinese have taken the lead to take charge of their own activities in golf. With effect from last year, the China Tour – organized by the PGA Tour of China and is sanctioned by the General Administration of Sport of China. The China Tour is developed in partnership with the China Golf Association (CGA), the PGA Tour of America with management and promotion being provided by the China Olympic Sports Industry Company Limited (COSI). The organization that we are excited

about is COSI as this is the outfit that will now assume the responsibility of organizing, marketing, managing and promoting golf events in China. Put simply, this is an example of a national organisation taking full responsibility and accountability for its own events in golf and other sports. The China Tour is a series that builds upon the PGA Tour’s longstanding relationship with the CGA by providing an opportunity to advance to the world stage through open competition and a quality tour for elite players from China and other countries. When the China Tour was launched,

MAY 2015

PGA Commissioner Tim Finchem said, “The establishment of China Tour–PGA TOUR China Series provides an opportunity for elite golf professionals from China to compete and develop on a quality tour and advance to the world stage.” The China Tour actually builds upon the PGA TOUR’s longstanding relationship with the CGA, providing an opportunity to advance to the world stage through open competition and a quality tour for elite players from China. It also provides access to the Web.com Tour in America – the pathway to the PGA TOUR for the season’s top players and awards Official World Golf Ranking

SPECIAL FEATURE China Takes Charge! points, which are the eligibility mechanism to participate in golf at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The series started in 2014 with 12 tournaments and the 2015 series which started with the Buick Open at Mission Hills in Haikou features 13 tournaments. Prize money in 2015 for each tournament will be approximately US$196,000, with approximately US$35,400 going to the winner. Speaking at the original launch ceremony, the CGA’s Executive Vice President and Secretary General Xiao Ning Zhang said, “This partnership between the China Golf Association and PGA TOUR will definitely help for the better development of the game of golf in China as well as the golf players in China and it will provide an opportunity for China golfers to stay in their home to compete in much higher level tournaments”. At the same ceremony, COSI’s President Li Ping Sun said, “It is a great honour for China Olympic Sports Industry Company, COSI, to operate and promote the PGA TOUR China series. In cooperation with the China Golf Association and PGA TOUR, this

China is now in total control of the development of its elite golf events and its elite players. The Middle Kingdom has set a good example for the rest of Asia to follow and to take control of its own events and tournaments because it is the only way to grow the game of golf in Asia!” will be a milestone for golf in China. I firmly believe that this is the key component to continuing the development of the golf industry and increasing golf’s popularity in China”. Central to the success of a professional tour is television coverage and COSI has this covered. It has multiple existing broadcast partners in China and a digital partnership with SINA Corporation. A retail licensing

PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem flanked by Xiao Ning Zhang, Vice President and Secretary General of the CGA and Li Ping Sun President of COSI

49 ASIAN GOLF

agreement has established nearly 40 PGA TOUR-branded stores in China, with more planned. China is now in total control of the development of its elite golf events and its elite players. The Middle Kingdom has set a good example for the rest of Asia to follow and to take control of its own events and tournaments because it is the only way to grow the game of golf in Asia!

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SPECIAL FEATURE Rio Olympic Build-Up

51 ASIAN GOLF

ISSUE 176

MAY 2015

anet Lin Xiyu certainly didn’t look out of place when set up beside a trio of Major winners in Inbee Park, Suzann Pettersen and So Yeon Ryu during promotional activities before the recently concluded World Ladies Championship at Mission Hills Haikou. The 19-year-old wasn’t fazed by the fact the tournament’s organisers had somehow managed to have Haikou’s famous Century Bridge closed for a photo shoot, either. Such experiences are all part of the game today, Lin later explained, as the game continued to expand its reach into Asia, and into China in particular. “There is more and more attention on Chinese players and in golf in China,” Lin said. “I am just happy to be a part of it. Spending time with the top players, watch-

ing how they prepare for tournaments and involve themselves in these things is all part of the learning process I am going through.” Lin is at the forefront of a generation of Chinese golfers who are making the game sit up and take notice, not only of their talent as they rise through its ranks across any number of tours around the globe, but of their approach to the game and all that surrounds it today. There were 17 Chinese players among the field at Mission Hills Haikou for an event co-sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour and the China LPGA Tour. As well as the world 74-ranked Lin, there is 18-year-old Jennifer Yan Jing, who

SHI YUTING (left) & SHI YULI (right)

With the Rio Olympic Games just slightly one year away, ASIAN GOLF has decided to take a serious look at what some Asian countries are doing to get ready for the games. Golf will be making a re-appearance at the Rio Games and there has been a lot of hype that this development will result in golf being given a big boost especially in Asia. With the possible exception of South Korea, China and nd Thailand, very little is being seen in any inspired move by governments nts or national golf associations to get ready for the games. mes. We commissioned Mathew Scott to give us an assessment ssessment of ^OH[ OL ZLLZ OHWWLUPUN PU *OPUH /PZ ÄYZ[ YLWVY[ SVVRZ Z[ YLWVY[ SVVRZ at the progress being made with the ladies es game. ■ By Mathew Scott

SPECIAL FEATURE Rio Olympic Build-Up

There is more and more attention on Chinese players and in golf in China, I am just happy to be a part of it. Spending time with the top players, watching how they prepare for tournaments and involve themselves in these things is all part of the learning process I am going through.” – Lin Xiyu

ZHANG JIENALIN

53 ASIAN GOLF

is also part of the lucrative LPGA Tour this year, plus rookie LET player Zhang Jienalin, the 18-year-old from Henan. Chinese 16-year-old Shi Yuting also teed it up and was making it a family affair with 12-year-old sister Shi Yuli taking on the role of her caddie. As well, there was plenty of attention being focused on 13-year-old amateur Ye Lei. Feng Shanshan, the current world No.5 and winner of the LPGA Championship in 2012 – the same year she captured the inaugural World Ladies Championship – has been the ground-breaker in terms of Chinese players on the ladies tours. She emerged in 2007 and is continuing to add to a record of achievements that now stands at 13 pro events won to go along with the Major. Both Lin and Yan say the 25-year-old Feng has been a major influence – and friend

– to Chinese players emerging on tour, and claim that the experiences she shares have been vital in terms of their own learning curves as they start to play among the pros. “Shanshan is always there for all of us,” said Yan, top amateur at last year’s Evian Championship, the last Major event of 2014. “She invites us out for dinner and she will help with simple things like suggesting what hotels to stay at when we travel, what restaurants to eat at and what we can expect from the courses we play on. “I have been working hard – I think we all work really hard on our games. Overall I have just been trying to get better at everything. It’s the little details that matter. Fitness is a big issue as well as I’m young and have a lot to learn.” So far this season Lin has been a shining star for China after bouncing back from what

ISSUE 176

MAY 2015

LIN XIYU

was a tough start to her LPGA career. She regrouped late in 2014, her performances giving her enough points to retain her LPGA card for this season. Then came a five-stroke win in last November’s Sanya Ladies Open, her first win on the LET, while a joint third in December’s Hyundai China Ladies Open at Mission Hills Shenzhen secured her the China LPGA Tour Order of Merit title. “My game is getting better,” said Lin. “I

YE LEI

took some time off at the end of last year so I’m a little bit rusty but I am feeling better the more I play. We Chinese players get together for dinners and talk about how we are doing, help each other out, and I think that support really helps our growth as players. We have a lot to learn – but we are getting there.” One might say the same about the 13-year-old phenomenon Ye, who divides her time between the golf course and international school in Shanghai. Like Lin, she spends the week at Mission Hills Haikou looking totally at ease with her surroundings. At the recent World Ladies Championship, Ye finished in 55th place to claim the leading amateur prize – a feat that was previously beyond even the extraordinary talents of current world No.1 Lydia Ko of New Zealand, who played the event as a 14-year-old amateur in 2012 (when Yan took the amateur title). While accepting plaudits from the star

players, Ye has remained totally focused on her game and where she wants it to go. “I played really well the first day and that gave me more room to make the cut,” she said. “I’ve noticed from playing in professional tournaments that putting is my weakness. I hope to improve and turn professional someday.” Lin, finished alongside Pettersen on 10-under par, three strokes behind eventual winner Ryu and two strokes behind the second-placed Park – three big-name players all ranked in the world’s top 10. China is most certainly getting a crack team of youngsters ready and besides providing the opportunities, young players are also being given a chance to play amongst the world’s best. This is what is going to make China not only a force to be reckoned with on the women’s professional tours, but just as much a force when it comes to battling for Olympic medals at the Rio Games.

SPECIAL FEATURE Junior Golf Development

As part of its initiative to foster junior golf in China, the Mission Hills Group launched an ambitious programme whereby all junior golfers under the age of 16 would have free access to three of the resort operator’s golf courses starting in 2013. “We very much hope that this will beneﬁt junior golf development right across the region and with golf now set to return to the next Olympics, these exciting developments will provide a clear pathway for junior golfers to play their way to the Olympics”, declared Tenniel Chu, vice chairman of the group. ■ By Viv Best

55 ASIAN GOLF

ISSUE 176

MAY 2015

ory McIlroy and Tiger Woods could not believe what they were hearing when they visited Mission Hills in China some 18 months ago. The two superstars were astonished – and impressed – that the country’s premier golfing brand keeps three of its 22 courses open, yearround, free of charge, for players aged 16 and under. “I think it is such a great initiative, it’s incredible. It will bring more and more juniors to play golf,” was McIlroy’s verdict. “I wish that when I was growing up, which wasn’t that long ago, we had places like this where we could play golf for free. It doesn’t happen very often.” Woods was equally effusive. “It’s definitely a model people should be looking at, it should be duplicated around the world. They’re making golf accessible,” he said. Mission Hills has always played a pioneering role in China’s golf development – bringing global superstars and world class tournaments to a whole new audience – and this extends to running the biggest and most comprehensive junior programme of any golf club in the world. Not only does the club make golf accessible, it provides a career path from beginner to elite level. Overall winners of the Mission Hills Jack Nicklaus Junior Championship and the Annika Invitational – hosted at the club by Swedish legend Annika Sörenstam – are guaranteed starting slots in professional tournaments. “We create opportunities for new young golfers,” said Head of Academies Andy Kelly. “The first step is taking golf into local schools, providing cost-effective and sometimes free tuition.

SPECIAL FEATURE Junior Golf Development

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy pose with golf juniors at Blackstone Course Mission Hills, Haikou, China.

Tailored field trips have brought countless numbers of children to our resorts where they have had their first taste of a game that can potentially last them a lifetime. “Many of these first-time visitors sign up to our increasingly popular summer and winter camps, which give them a more indepth learning experience while broadening other skills that are required for golf progression. “At some point, many of them start wanting to be like their golfing idol. So progression from group coaching to private tuition is advised when the time is right. One-to-one coaching takes our driven students to the next level using structured lessons, goal setting and advice about fitness and diet. “After this, juniors can start gaining valuable tournament experience in our monthly Academy Cup, which introduces them to rules, etiquette and course management. The next step is the Mission Hills Junior Series and, further up the ladder, the Nicklaus and Annika events plus the Faldo Series China.” So it was that Nicklaus girls champion Sui Xiang was able to play alongside superstars Inbee Park, Suzann Pettersen and So Yeon Ryu at the recent World Ladies Championship. Annika winner Yin Yuanru 56

57 ASIAN GOLF

After this, juniors can start gaining valuable tournament experience in our monthly Academy Cup, which introduces them to rules, etiquette and course management. The next step is the Mission Hills Junior Series and, further up the ladder, the Nicklaus and Annika events plus the Faldo Series China.” would have joined her if not for study commitments. A year earlier, Annika champion Ji Rong went to the World Ladies Championship and stepped up to the challenge by making the cut. Even without guaranteed places in the field, Mission Hills Golf Academies protégés are good enough to get in. Four graduates from the club’s myriad junior tournaments – 2013 Masters sensation Guan Tianlang, Jin Cheng, Liu Yanwei and Wang Yichen – teed it up at the PGA China Tour’s Buick Open at Mission Hills Haikou in early April. Aware that nothing beats meeting your idols in the flesh, Mission Hills encourages

visiting superstars to do their bit for junior golf. In the past 18 months alone, the club’s young golfers have received clinics or first-hand advice from the likes of Woods, McIlroy, Sörenstam, Park, Pettersen, Ryu, Nick Faldo, Greg Norman, Feng Shanshan, Justin Rose and Ian Poulter. “We will continue to create opportunities for the children of China. Firstly to be introduced to golf, secondly to take the right steps to grow,” said Kelly. “Our methods combine fun, structure and development. And for us, as teachers, it is just fantastic to see youngsters grow to love the game as much as we do.”

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GAME IMPROVEMENT

Black Hat Golf Tips

In Thailand, the month of May is the start of many valuable golf course promotions. Golfers, both domestic and international, look forward to playing Thailand golf courses this month to enjoy the great value. 58

59 ASIAN GOLF

ay is known for the start of the rainy season in Thailand. However, the rain doesn’t affect golfers all that much. It tends to rain maybe 30 minutes a day which is good for the golf course turf. What I like to remind golfers gearing up to play more golf starting this month is to always focus on keeping the swing motion simple. The image in mind that has helped numerous students is to visualize “windshield wipers” and how they work. The wiper goes back and forth brushing off rain from the windshield. As seen in the pictures, with every golf club, the swing motion

ISSUE 175

APRIL 2015

should incorporate the fundamental move. I like to demonstrate to my students to imagine the golf club swinging back and forth just like if the golf club was an imaginary windshield wiper (upside down). This paints a good picture to create more consistency and keeps the swing motion “simple”. First, stand in an address position. Then, swing the whole club back and forth. I like to flip the golf club handle so that the golfer holds the club head and the grip end of the club is in the address position. Then, I have the golfer swing back and forth. This image helps golfers make better swings and the impact of the clubhead and the ball is more centre. So remember, every time it rains while you are driving, think of the windshield wiper working and how it can be applied to your golf game to keep your swing simple and consistent! Trust me! You’ll hit better shots in no time!

ABOUT TONY MEECHAI Born and brought up in the United States, Tony Meechai won his first golf tournament at the age of nine. He began working in the golf industry when aged 15 and competed in various Mini Tour and PGA Tour qualifiers after turning professional in 1994. Armed with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from New Mexico State University and a degree in Marketing and Professional Golf Management, he has made a name for himself in Asia over the past decade, during which time he has served as Director of Instruction at Thailand’s Heartland Golf Schools and Springfield Royal Country Club as well as presenting tips on numerous region-wide golf television shows. Recently, he founded the Tony Meechai Golf Academy that combines a curriculum including academics and golf education for aspiring Tour professionals. Programmes are in conjunction with international institutions throughout the world. For further information, please visit www.tmggroupasia.com or email to tony@tmggroupasia.com

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GAME IMPROVEMENT Pro Tour Golf College

eveloping and improving your golf swing is more difficult the closer to par you get simply because making changes to golf swings at this level usually means an increase in the amount of mistakes made on the golf course and a score average that starts to climb. Not to mention the hit your confidence level takes. So how do you make changes to your golf swing where you go from not yet competent to competent without dramatically affecting your performances on the golf course in tournaments? If you are a serious golfer then playing in tournaments is a priority for you. Therefore the key to managing the swing change process is to identify the ideal time in your schedule to make the change so that you can be ready to perform when your tournaments come around.

The Swing Change Taper

David Milne (left) and Lawrie Montague (right).

We were talking the other day about how much easier it would be for serious amateurs and even professional golfers to improve their golf swing if they understood some very simple planning concepts that would make it much easier to determine when to perform work on their golf swing and when not to.

61 ASIAN GOLF

For example, imagine that your tournament season started in March, when do you think would be the best time to work on swing changes in preparation for the start of your season? If the tournaments begin in the middle of March, you should have ceased working on technical changes at least 6 weeks out from your first tournament. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right; you need this much time to make the transition from technical skill development into targeting skill (shot-making) development. So how long do you spend in the technical phase to ensure that your change is habituated enough to perform with it? Well it depends, but ideally your swing development process would start at the end of your previous season, so letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s say that your season ended in October, then you would work on your swing change through November, December and January and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d finish the technical phase by the start of February. You can see that you would be spending fully 12 weeks working on making the changes and giving you enough lead time to develop your shot-making powers prior to competing in your first tournament.

ISSUE 176

Golf Swing Change... Keep It Simple

Now there is a caveat or cautionary note here. The change to your golf stroke should rate as very low on the complexity scale. That is, the more complex the change (i.e. more elements involved in the change), the longer it will take.

The 70 Percent Rule We have known amateur and professional golfers who have attempted complex swing changes with their golf swing instructor whilst trying to compete in tournaments. This makes not one bit of sense. To compete in tournaments you need all your skills to be at a very high level of competence, trust and confidence. In

MAY 2015

GAME IMPROVEMENT Pro Tour Golf College our program at Pro Tour Golf College we suggest to our students that they reach a 70 percent threshold in skill competency before they take their new swing changes into battle. When you make a change to your golf stroke (any type of stroke) you will begin at a low level of competence where mistakes are high and confidence and trust is low. This is a normal part of the change process and every golfer has to go through this. But there’s a way to ensure that the change you make is manageable so that you can achieve a high level of competence, trust and confidence within your 18 week development window.

Reduce Complexity to Increase Competency When you are planning to make the change to your golf stroke you should sit down with your instructor to determine what needs to change and why. Why you make the change is very important, and the rule here is simple; only make the change if you know that it will lead to a lower score average. Do not make the change to make the stroke look better, it must function better, and ultimately lead to a lower score average. The professional

63 ASIAN GOLF

golf tours are full of golfers with great looking golf swings who can’t make nearly enough cuts to make a living on tour. This is a sad reality of elite golf, and from our perspective it doesn’t have to be this way. The point we are making here is make the change to improve your score average, or don’t make the change at all, because once you start on the path to change you can’t go back. Now you may not agree with this advice, but ask yourself why you want to improve some aspect of your golf stroke. I’m sure when all is said and done you wanted to write lower scores on your score card right? We have seen many golfers who had good intentions of changing their golf swing only to discover that they got worse, and worse yet, they never got back to their original performance level.

Seriously, Keep It Simple So how you manage the change process begins with an informed decision about how much of your stroke needs to change. Think about it like this, if you can change just one aspect of your stroke— say moving a right hand grip position from too weak to neutral, then that would be a change in the low complexity sphere. However, also add a change to

how you cock the club on the backswing as well, and the complexity level of the change skyrockets upwards. Golfers have an inclination to try to do more to their golf swing to somehow accelerate the change process, but they do this without realizing that the change they thought would take a short time to habituate actually takes a lot longer than they anticipated. And it is a lot more painful mentally and emotionally as well. The old saying of “keep it simple” is good advice here. Keep you change down to one simple and easy to learn chunk of information. Think about it like this, one part of the stroke is one chunk of information; it should be relatively easy to learn and do. If it is relatively easy to learn and do you will learn it faster. Now give it the lead time it needs, we suggest at least 12 weeks to implement a minor technical change, and fully 6 weeks after that to get it ready for a tournament. Making changes to a golf swing technique need not be difficult or even painful if you plan for the change process well in advance. In next month’s article we’ll show you a really good way to design your golf swing change process so that you can be ready and able to perform at your best when your first tournament of the season comes around. See you then. Lawrie Montague and David Milne Pro Tour Golf College - Perth / Jakarta

A G O L F B at t l e F I T F O R O N LY

THE BEST! We knew that this headline

would grab your attention!

winning 27-hole golf course in Singapore that has played host to a variety of golf tournaments The Asia Pacific Golf Group in conjunction with the staging including the Asian Tour. of the 2015 Asia Pacific Golf Summit will be organizing the There is no entry fee to participate in this tournament. Inaugural Asia-Pacific Inter-Club Challenge Tournament. It will be played with two-man teams drawn from clubs To qualify, players need to register as delegates to attend within the Asia Pacific footprint for the coveted Le Van the Summit and there are 144 slots available. Kiem Inter-Club Trophy. Finally club managers get to play and compete in a tournament all their own.

This tournament is all about good, clean fun and more importantly, it is about networking. The tournament will be run on October 14. The venue will be the Orchid Country Club, an award-

Entry will be on a first come first served basis and a two-man team from each club can register on-line through APGS official website at www.golfconference.org or email Alice Ho at alice@asiapacificgolfgroup.com or call +65 63232800 for more details.

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STEP 2:

STEP 3:

TWO-MAN TEAM FROM EACH CLUB

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ASIAN GOLF ISSUE 177

ASIA’S MIDDLE CLASS

HARRY ARNETT

– NEW HOPE FOR GOLF? Countries like Indonesia, India, the Philippines and China are all reporting rapid growth in a key segment of their population base – the middle class. The numbers are staggering and the disposable income of this group cannot be overlooked. Does this growing wealth trend offer opportunities for golf to grow in the region? This is the proverbial sixty-four thousand dollar question. Asian Golf probes for answers.

Three years have gone fleeting by since the man with the Midas touch, Chip Brewer took charge of one of the greatest brands in golf. Under his leadership, Callaway navigated through rough seas and has turned in a good report card for the past three years. Asian Golf talked to Harry Arnett, senior vice president, marketing, who attributes the success to teamwork and a laser focus on delivering premium performance on all fronts of the company’s operations.

We plan to have some fun working on simulated scenarios where we pit Nike Golf’s Irish super-star Rory McIlroy against the newly ascendant poster boy for apparel brand Under Armour, Jordan Spieth. As much as possible, we plan to be very fair in our head to head comparisons and we plan to make a commitment and a forecast as to who we think will be the leading face of golf for the next few years to come.

ASIAN GOLF

For all the latest news and views from the Asian golf scene, subscribe to Asian Golf – Asia’s most powerful golfing voice!

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