APGC
Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation Journal
December 2017
Lin leads Chinese charge to title Contents Lin leads Chinese charge to title China on the move in world golf Kei Muratsu new APGC Chairman The global reach of the AAC Chairman’s message Japanese fight back for Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup Thailand maintains Sea Games edge Thailand scores breakthrough win Kiwi triumphs in APGC senior title Masters boss Ridley points to value of championship
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A barnstorming finish propelled Chinese teen Lin Yuxin to a three-shot victory in the ninth Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Royal Wellington Golf Club in October as China dominated the tournament, taking four of the top five spots.
The 17-year-old left-hander stormed home, picking up three shots in his closing two holes after a birdie at the 17th and a masterful eagle at the final hole. He finished with a final round six under par 65 to finish 14
under par on 270 for the event. Lin’s victory means he has won automatic places in both next year’s Masters and The Open at Carnoustie. He finished ahead of compatriot Andy Zhang, who fired a final-day 67 and as runner-up at 11 under par, wins a berth in The Open Qualifying Series. Yuan Yechun (68) and Australia’s Min Woo Lee (71) – younger brother of LPGA star Minjee Lee – shared third place at seven-under, one ahead of
Winner: Lin Yuxin
2015 champion Jin Cheng (65), also of China. The Beijing-based Lin, who turned 17 on October 12, is the third Chinese player to win the championship following victories by Guan Tianlang in 2012, aged 14, and Jin, who was 17 when he won. “I’m very, very happy I got the chance to win this event and play two majors,” said Lin, who trailed Zhang for much of the round. “I’m very proud of n Continued page 2
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myself. It means a lot to me to play in the Masters and The Open next year. It’s a great experience. “Andy played really solid today,” Lin said. “He didn’t make a single mistake until 15. His iron shots were really good and he made a lot of putts. I actually thought it might not be my day, but I had a good finish. “I was just trying to stay aggressive and hit as many drivers as I could. Even though I wasn’t playing that well for 12 holes, I still stuck with that plan. Andy is a very steady player, but I had to stay aggressive and get birdies.” Lin started the day at eightunder, one ahead of playing partners Lee and Zhang, China’s top-ranked amateur. And it was Zhang, the 19-year-old sophomore at the University of Florida, who quickly took control with birdies at one and three to take the lead, which he held for much of the round. Both Zhang and Lin birdied the par-five fourth, and the two Beijing-born Chinese players also birdied six to move to 11-under and 10-under, respectively. Lin birdied eight but from the 10th went bogey-birdie-bogey to stay one behind after 12 holes. Zhang doubled his lead with a birdie at 13, but Lin bounced back with a crucial birdie at the next hole. When Zhang bogeyed 15, the pair drew even at 11-under and remained level with two holes to play. That’s when Lin’s power game and selfconfidence came into play. The solidly built teen drove the green at the 361-yard, par-four 17th to set up a tap-in birdie. On the par-five 18th, he smashed his drive down the middle of the fairway then watched as his stunning fiveiron from 216 yards landed just six feet from the flag, holing the putt for an eagle three and punching the air in victory. “I was definitely trying to drive it on the green at 17 and put some pressure on Andy,” Lin said. “I hit a really good drive pin high so I was pretty satisfied. 2 ❘ APGC Newsletter ❘ December 2017
Nice swing: Australia’s Min Woo Lee.
“On 18, I was going to hit a four-iron because it was a bit into the wind, but then I thought it might roll over the green, so I hit a five. I thought it was a bit short but it turned out that it was pretty good.” Zhang, who competed in the US Open at 14, was playing with Lin for the first time in competition and was full of praise for his younger compatriot. “For Lin Yuxin to finish threethree-three and to match the course record, you can’t really argue with that,” said Zhang, who has been based in Florida since he was 10. “He played very well and I needed my best but I didn’t have my absolute best. “It shows you how good China is getting at golf,” Zhang explained. “The next generation is coming up and China will be a big country up there.” Two years after winning the title in Hong Kong, Jin – who played in last year’s Masters Tournament – was among Lin’s teammates congratulating the
champion on the 18th green. “He’s going to be the third amateur to represent China at Augusta National (and the first to play in The Open), and it’s going to be a great honour for our country,” said Jin. “Lin’s a really good junior golfer and as he grows up he’s getting better and better. He’s going to be a great player.” Nick Voke, New Zealand’s top-ranked amateur, carded a 69 to finish three-under and was among four locals to finish in the top 10. “What an absolutely incredible week, right from the start,” Voke said. “Words can’t do justice to how good it was. I was talking to Frank Nobilo last night and we were talking about playing in your home country, playing in front of all the crowds, and having such a prestigious event come here. It was incredible, not only for myself and the team, but for the country. You should have seen the crowds out there today and yesterday. “Words can’t describe it.”
Royal Wellington’s Daniel Hiller was New Zealand’s top finisher, sharing sixth place at five-under with Chinese Taipei’s Yu Chun-an and Australia’s Shae Wools-Cobb. Kerry Mountcastle, also a Royal Wellington member, was alone in ninth at four-under. Guan Tianlang, the talk of the golfing world when he made the cut at the US Masters in 2013 and became the youngest player, at 14, to tee off at Augusta, had a forgettable tournament, missing the cut with rounds of 75-76 to be nine over the card. The AAC is organised by three Founding Partners – the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation, the Masters Tournament and The R&A. This week’s event featured 116 players from 38 APGC member associations. Television coverage included three hours of live broadcast on each of the four days and a 30-minute highlights show, and was aired in more than 160 countries, once again making it the world’s most televised amateur golf tournament.
CHINA ON THE MOVE IN WORLD GOLF – ZHANG International golf needs to prepare for the imminent Chinese challenge, according Andy Zhang, 2017 AAC runner-up in Wellington to Lin Yuxin.
Chinese youngsters swamped the competition in New Zealand, snaring four of the top five places – but that was no surprise to Zhang, who had predicted a victory by one of his countrymen. “Like I said before the tournament started, I thought that … us, Australia, New Zealand, we were the top contenders here at Royal Wellington,” Zhang said. “We played extremely well this week. I’m actually really proud of the guys. “We just played really good and that just shows you how good China is getting at golf. We came in a little late but the next generation is coming up and China is going to be a big country up there with everyone else very soon.” While unable to claim victory himself, Zhang was at least happy another Chinese player won. “Now that I think of it, I would actually hate to lose to someone else, like anyone else who is not a Chinese player,” he said. “After all, we’re all Chinese. We take pride in who we are. He played fantastic and I don’t feel as bad losing to him than someone else, I would say. “I think he’s a fantastic player and I’m excited to see what’s to come for him.” Like many of his compatriots, Zhang has fine-tuned his golf in the US coaching system and considers he is equally influenced by both China and the US. “I would say a mix of both. I’m almost 20 now. I spent half my life in China and half my life in the States. The culture, my
Impressive: Andy Zhang.
‘We just played really good and that just shows you how good China is getting at golf.’ parents, is what made me who I am but also, the last 10 years spent in America has made me who I am, as well. “I definitely have traces of both cultures and without either of the two, I wouldn’t be who I am today.” Zhang is uncertain about his
plans for the immediate future but believes he is on track for the ultimate aim of competing on the US PGA Tour. “I was going up with my game on the way here, and this week, I think it’s a reflection of just where I am right now. “Confidence-wise, this
definitely gives me a lot of confidence going forward. I know that I can do it. But down the road, finishing up the college season this coming spring, we’ll see where it leads after that.” But post-Wellington he was planning a break. “I think I’ll have a few weeks off,” he said. “I really need it because I’m going to catch up with a lot of homework. I think I have a few more tournaments between now and February, and spring season starts for us at home at the Gator Invitational for the University of Florida.” December 2017 ❘ APGC Newsletter ❘ 3
Kei Muratsu new APGC Chairman The new Chairman of the AsiaPacific Golf Confederation is Japanese businessman Keisuke Muratsu, based in Kobe and Tokyo. He takes over the reins from Australia’s Dr David Cherry who presided over two productive two-year terms.
Mr Muratsu is the proprietor of Naigai Holdings Inc, which owns several manufacturing companies engaged in pharmaceutical packaging, electronic parts and testing machineries. He has also been in an advisory business for finance and asset management. Mr Muratsu has served on the board of various private corporations as well as educational institutions including the Asian Executive Board of Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He is Executive Board Member of the Japanese Olympic Committee and Administrative Trustee of Konan University. A member of Hirono Golf Club established in 1932 and designed by Charles Hugh Alison and Kobe Golf Club established
in 1903 by Scot Arthur Hesketh Groom, Mr Muratsu attended the R&A Referee School in 1994 and became the first Japanese internationally qualified referee. Mr Jeff Hall, of the USGA, was a classmate. He has been Rules Committee Chairman and Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman and is Managing Director of the Japan Golf Association. He became a Board member of the APGC in 2009 and Vice Chairman in 2015. He currently plays to a handicap JGA/USGA index of 8.9. Born and raised in Kobe, in the western part of Japan, Mr Muratsu graduated from the University of Tokyo (BA, Economics) and Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (MBA, Finance). Aged 68, he lives in Minato-ku, Tokyo, with his wife, Masumi. He has two children and two grandchildren. He is a master of Katoubushi Singing, a 300-year-old Japanese music style that mixes elements of Noh and Kabuki. He loves to drink single malt whiskies.
Handover: Former APGC Chairman Dr David Cherry congratulates his successor Mr Kei Muratsu.
The global reach of the AAC The Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC), the region’s premier amateur golf tournament, was televised across 160 countries and reached millions of homes around the world, the event’s Founding Partners – the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), the Masters Tournament and The R&A said.
A 120-player field competed in the 72-hole stroke play event from October 26-29 at Royal Wellington Golf Club in New Zealand. In addition to the contributions of the Founding Partners, the Championship is supported by six Proud Partners – AT&T, 3M, Mercedes-Benz,
‘The relationship with our broadcast partners has always been imperative to our mission of advancing the game of golf throughout the region.’
– former APGC Chairman David Cherry
Samsung, Zurich and UPS – and two Scoring Partners, Rolex and IBM. Asian Tour Media produced the high-definition broadcast, which included three hours of live coverage on each of the four
competition days. A 30-minute highlight show was to be created after the conclusion of the event, all of which makes the AsiaPacific Amateur Championship the most televised amateur golf tournament in the world.
For the ninth year, the AAC gathered the top male amateur players from across the AsiaPacific region. The champion, China’s Lin Yuxin, received an invitation to compete in the 2018 Masters Tournament and The 147th Open at Carnoustie, while runner-up Andy Zhang, also from China, gained a place in The Open Qualifying Series for The Open. Hosted in New Zealand for the first time, this year’s AAC continued efforts to raise the visibility of the game in the region and give the players the opportunity to compete on the world stage. “The relationship with our n Continued page 5
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Chairman’s message
APGC Chairman Kei Muratsu This is my first report as Chairman of the APGC. Before being elected last October during the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) at Royal Wellington Golf Club, I had served on the Executive Board for eight years. It was the year the AAC started at Mission Hills and we had two international championships and the Bonallack Trophy then. Now we have six international championships and two Trophies, a lot owing to the unification of Ladies Associations in 2015. By having the new women’s championship, Women’s Amateur Asia Pacific (WAAP), at Sentosa, Singapore, in February next year, the APGC almost has full calendar of international events.
First of all, I have to thank my predecessor, Dr David Cherry, now our Honorary Chairman, for his supreme leadership and personal commitment to accomplish these. I am extremely delighted to report that KJ Lee from Korea, our exceptional General Secretary will continue to stay in the position while Philip Hassall from New Zealand remains as Treasurer. Taimur Amin from Pakistan, our new Vice Chairman, I am sure, will add significant values with his long-time experiences to us in addition to his superb golf skill. Three lady board members, Rae-Vadee Suwan from Thailand, Raby Abbas from Malaysia and Nicki Hirayama from Japan, are the
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broadcast partners has always been imperative to our mission of advancing the game of golf throughout the region,” said David Cherry, Chairman of the APGC, ahead of the event. “This year is no exception, and we are very thankful for their continued support along with our Proud Partners and Scoring Partners, who help make this endeavour and its success possible. As the most televised amateur golf tournament, the AAC will once again showcase the bright talent in this region,
frontrunners for our growing women’s games. Mohammed Al Naimi from Qatar is working hard for the forthcoming Bonallack Trophy and Patsy Hankins Trophy at Doha Golf Club. Ishwar Achanta from India and Wang LiWei from China, representing two most populated countries in the world, will play an important role to further enhance our activities in the world of golf. It is also good news that John Hopkins from Australia joins the board and chairs our Championship Committee. For the players’ side, it is also amazing. We have both defending champions, Australia for the Eisenhower Trophy and Korea for the Espirito Santo Trophy. SI Ngai from Macau won the individual title of the APGC Junior Championship at Hong Kong G.C. and played in the Asia-Pacific Open Championship in Japan. Lin Yuxin from China, winner of the AAC at Royal Wellington, is going to play at The Masters next April and the Open at Carnoustie in July. Hye-jin Choi from Korea, individual winner of Queen Sirikit at Shuangshan G.C., China, became runner-up in the US Women’s Open in July and turned professional soon afterwards. In the Nomura Cup last month, at Sungai Long Golf & Country Club, Malaysia, Team Thailand won for the first time with record breaking 56 under par in 54 years of history. Our geographic coverage is huge – from
and we look forward to bringing the action at Royal Wellington Golf Club to viewers around the world.” The English-speaking commentary team included Bill Macatee, a regular member of The Masters Tournament television broadcast, who was announcing his eighth Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship. Frank Nobilo, one of New Zealand’s most successful golfers and CBS analyst in the United States, returned for the sixth consecutive year and was joined by Fox Sports Australia
American Samoa to Lebanon and from Mongolia to New Zealand. Furthermore we are highly diversified in language, religion, colour, culture, food and climate. In my part of the region, Japan, there are few golf activities and almost no championship game during February and March (we call “winter”), but the 2018 APGC calendar begins with our inaugural event, the Women’s Amateur (WAAP) in February in Singapore and the Bonallack/Patsy Hankins Trophy in March in Qatar. But no need to worry. We are connected well thanks to the irresistible attraction of golf in the innermost part of our mind. Undoubtedly the singularity of its rules helps. The French poet Paul Geraldy said: “We must resemble each other a little in order to understand each other, but we must be a little different to love each other.” Through golfing we can know each other more. We continue to provide opportunities in the best possible way for many players in our region to compete for their future career and create mutual friendship. Finally we are truly thankful to our great partners, the R&A and The Masters and our sponsors Rolex and Mitsubishi Corporation who made our achievements possible and will be indispensable for our future growth. I hope we can look outward together in the same direction. Wishing you all a Happy New Year.
broadcaster Paul Gow. Gow and golf journalist Bruce Young handled player interviews and on-course reporting duties. With a host of broadcast partners around the globe, golf fans were able to follow the AsiaPacific Amateur Championship through TV channels covering key markets on five continents across Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, North and South America. Sky broadcast the AAC live across New Zealand via a dedicated AAC channel. Fox Sports provided live coverage of the event throughout the region,
including Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. Tokyo Broadcasting System and iQiyi also provided live coverage for their territories in Japan and China, respectively. Eurosport delivered coverage live across continental Europe. Other broadcasters included ESPN2 (United States), ESPN (Latin America), TSN (Canada), SuperSport (Southern Africa) and OSN (Middle East). The championship was also distributed via extended highlights on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom. December 2017 ❘ APGC Newsletter ❘ 5
JAPANESE FIGHT BACK FOR ASIA-PACIFIC DIAMOND CUP Just as he had done in two of his previous domestic wins, Japan’s Daisuke Kataoka again had to leapfrog the pack and battle back before raising the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup.
Kataoka began his final round one shot off the pace locked in a fight with Thailand’s Poom Sakansin and countryman Tadahiro Takayama at the Caledonian Golf Club. But he sailed home with birdies on three of his last five holes to win his maiden Asian Tour title by two shots. “I didn’t think I had a chance to win today until Poom made the triple bogey on the ninth hole. The chances came for all of us,” said the Japanese. “It’s easy to make bogey out there if you hit it to the wrong positions, even on the fairways.” While Kataoka savoured his breakthrough which propelled him to fifth place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, the Japanese hopes his next victory will not be such a hard-fought one. “I started putting good from the third round. All my wins were come-from-behind victories,” he said. “Maybe next time I should manage it better and make it an easy way to win. “I have been struggling with my game,” Kataoka revealed. “I wasn’t making scores so I was
‘I had some bad shots and some good shots. I was just able to take advantage of the few chances I had.’
frustrated. I reviewed my swing with my coach. “It was back to basics for me. I was not sure even until the last moment if I can stick to my basics. “I had some bad shots and some good shots. I was just able to take advantage of the few chances I had today. He said a series of practice periods at the course a few years ago had helped. “I had a training camp here after I turned professional, when I was 21 to 25 years old. “Those years, I had at least one month of training here every
year so I am familiar with the greens. I knew where to hit it to according to the pin positions. That was my advantage this week. “I hit it 120 yards to the pin and made birdie on 14 and then I tried not to bogey 15. I made a good putt to save par from about three metres. I played really well on the last five holes. “I am happy to get exemptions on both the Asian Tour and the JGTO with this win. “I was thinking about trying for European Tour Qualifying School actually, but to do that I have to skip three to four events on the local Tour. It’s my home
tour so it was difficult. I am ready to travel now. I think the tournaments will keep me busy this winter. I am glad.” Despite missing out on another grandstand finish, Poom was delighted to be in the running to qualify for the CIMB Classic where the leading 10 players on the money list as of October 9 qualified for the lucrative event in Malaysia. “It’s still a great week for me overall. I have two more tournaments to play in Chinese Taipei before the cut-off date for CIMB Classic so hopefully I can continue to play well to stay inside the top 10,” said Poom. Australia’s Scott Hend continues to lead the money list with US$416,929 while Korean-American David Lipsky and Malaysia’s Gavin Green are in second and third place respectively.
Thailand maintains Sea Games edge Thailand has continued its dominance of golf at the SouthEast Asian Games with ThaiJapanese Kosuke Hamamoto edging Singapore’s Marc Ong for individual gold.
Hamamoto’s win meant Thailand has swept the men’s individual medals at the past four editions of the SEA Games. However, Singapore gained 6 ❘ APGC Newsletter ❘ December 2017
some measure of revenge, the Straits Times reports, when their team took out the nation’s firstever golf team gold medal. Ong had to settle for silver after coming agonisingly close to ending Singapore’s 28-year wait for a golf gold. Hamamoto fired a 68 for a three round aggregate of 204 – nine under par – at The Mines
Resort and Golf Club in Kuala Lumpur in August. Ong, 21, shot a 69 to finish one stroke behind Hamamoto. There was joy, however, for Singapore, after they took gold in the teams section. The team of Gregory Foo, Joshua Shou, Ong and Joshua Ho beat Thailand in a sudden-death playoff after both sides were
tied at the end of the match-play competition, the Straits Times reports. This is the second consecutive Games that Team Singapore have been involved in a sudden-death playoff for gold. In 2015, Johnson Poh lost the individual gold to another Thai, Natipong Srithong, at the Sentosa Golf Club’s Serapong course.
Thailand scores breakthrough win
Sealed with a kiss: Thailand’s Nomura Cup winning team.
Thailand outgunned the traditional Nomura Cup bighitters to claim an historic victory in the Nomura Cup teams event in Kuala Lumpur in November.
The Thai team of Kammalas Namuangruk, Sadom Kaewkanjana, Atiruj Winaicharoenchai and Kosuke Hamamoto combined to steal wins in both the individual and team events at the 28th edition of the Asia-Pacific Golf Team Championship at the par-72 Sungai Long Golf and Country Club. Thailand have long been a dominant force in amateur golf in South-East Asia, with a long history of success at the SEA Games, but the victory in Malaysia added a new chapter to
the country’s amateur profile at the continental level. The Bangkok Post reported the Thai quartet cruised to a massive 14-stroke victory, upstaging two powerhouse nations – nine-time champions Japan and 10-time winners Australia – in the process. They combined for a 56 under 808 overall, dethroning defending champions Japan, who had to settle for the runners-up spot after finishing on 44 under 280. Australia came third on 39 under 825, while New Zealand finished fourth on 832, followed by South Korea (840), Taiwan (841) and China (842) respectively. Kammalas completed a personal double after landing the
individual title, edging Japanese rival Kazuya Osawa by a single stroke. He shot a two under par 70 to finish on 18-under 270 overall, while Osawa was unable to catch his Thai opponent despite a slightly better final-round effort of a three under 69. Kammalas’ teammate Sadom came third on 16 under 272 after an impressive 67. Atiruj was a stroke further back in fourth place, while Malaysian hopeful Afif Fathi was fifth on 274. Thai-Japanese Hamamoto finished ninth on 12 under 276 after he concluded with a three under 69. For three of the team members – Kammalas, Sadom and Hamamoto – the Nomura Cup win added to
their successful year which saw the trio help Thailand win an individual gold medal (Hamamoto) and a silver medal in the team event at the SEA Games in Malaysia in August. Sadom and Kammalas also upstaged seasoned professionals when the duo had a 1-2 finish at the Singha Pattaya Open. The biennial tournament, which was initiated in 1963, attracted top amateur golfers from 23 nations including Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Nepal, Fiji, Guam, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan and Thailand. December 2017 ❘ APGC Newsletter ❘ 7
KIWI TRIUMPHS IN APGC SENIOR TITLE New Zealander Brent Paterson held off a gaggle of Australians to emerge with the APGC Senior Amateur Championship at Royal Adelaide Golf Club in South Australia.
Paterson was the only player in the international field to break par, shooting a three-round total of 215 to finish one under the card. He began with an opening round 74 before producing a superb three under 69 and closing with an even par 72. Paterson won by a whopping nine shots from Australian runner-up Kym Olsen (+8) who edged out countryman Stefan Albinski (+9) by a shot while two other Australians, Ian Frost and John Davey, tied for fourth at 11 over par. Outgoing APGC Chairman Dr David Cherry collected the 70 and over age prize
Winning smile: New Zealand’s Brent Paterson is congratulated by APGC Chairman Dr David Cherry.
when he shot a total of 243, finishing a creditable 24th overall. During the tournament, from October 1820, Paterson relied heavily on his accuracy off the tee, avoiding the dangerous hazards greeting wayward shots. “Playing Royal Adelaide with treacherous
rough put an emphasis on driving accuracy,” Paterson said. He was able to stay on the fairway and hit 16 greens in regulation during each of the first two rounds. “The course is a beautiful design and was in great condition with firm greens. “Players had to be strategic on par-fives and needed to score well on holes 1-11 as the remaining holes were very tough,” He said. Paterson also produced great touch on the greens, particularly with tricky one to twometre putts. But he said conditions made low scoring difficult with the wind gusting and changing direction during the round.
Masters Chairman points to value of Championship Masters chairman Fred Ridley believes the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship now acts as a key spur towards promoting golf internationally.
Ridley said during the AAC tournament at Royal Wellington in New Zealand that, while the event was only in its ninth year, it was clear it had cemented many of its most important goals. “We feel that we have an obligation to support the game and promote the game, and this championship really is a manifestation of that founding principle of our club, and we just have been so excited about
the growth and the success of this tournament over the past nine years,” Ridley said. “We think that it is accomplishing many of its goals to increase awareness of the game throughout this region. It’s a vast region with many countries that support golf in many different ways. “We think this has become a catalyst for increasing interest in the game, and certainly has… in the past, created heroes that can go back home to be examples for young golfers in their homeland. So, we’re very excited. “The R&A has granted a full
exemption to the winner of this tournament (which) indicates the stature that it’s attained throughout the world. “We’re now seeing every year more and more players in the Top 100 of the World Amateur golf rankings, and I think other than The Amateur Championship and the US Amateur, this event is producing more players in the Top 100. I think those are a few of certainly the objective data points, and I’m sure there are others. “I think more than that, it really is bringing out the potential for the future, and that’s what we’re the most excited
about. These young golfers going back to their home countries and spurring interest for more development in those countries. “But those are a few that we’ve already seen, and we’re really happy about those.” The AAC, he said, was an event which aligned well with the basic principles of The Masters. “I think there’s a common bond throughout the members at Augusta National and that’s a genuine concern for the game of golf and its best interests, and that’s actually something that was first set by our co-founder Clifford Roberts.”
Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation
Chairman Mr Keisuki Muratsu
Vice Chairman Treasurer Mr Taimur Amin Mr Philip Hassall
General Secretary Mr Kyungjae Lee
Mr Ishwar Achanta
Mr Mohammed Faisal Al-Naimi
Rae Vadee T.Suwan
Nobuko Hirayama
Dato’ Rabeahtul Aloya Abbas
Ning Li
The Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation encourages all member nations to contribute news from their countries for inclusion in the APGC journal. News items can be emailed to editor Robert Grant at rob.grant1948@gmail.com 8 ❘ APGC Newsletter ❘ December 2017