APGC
ASIA-PACIFIC GOLF CONFEDERATION NEWSLETTER
SEPTEMBER 2013
Returning champ: Guan Tianlang is set to defend his title in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Nanshan in China.
CONTENTS APGC Schedule of Events 2013
1
Guan aims for successive Asia-Pacific victories 1-2 Facing the Nanshan test
3
Liang takes up new role with The R&A 3 The rise of golf in China
4
Fitzpatrick, Ko win McCormack Medals 5 Dale has challenge on his hands
5
Australia on track for Nomura Cup
6
China golf gets boost from Bose
6
asiapacificgolf.org
Picture: CHRIS TROTMAN
Young gun Guan returns to defend Asia-Pacific title Golf prodigy Guan Tianlang will be aiming to match Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama and claim back-to-back titles when he tees off in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Nanshan in China.
The 14-year-old, who has raised eyebrows across the golfing world, stunned his rivals when he beat Chinese Taipei’s Pan Cheng-tsung by a shot for the 2012 championship at Amata Spring Country Club near
APGC SCHEDULE OF EVENTS 2013 OCTOBER 24-27, Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, China NOVEMBER 14-17, Nomura Cup, Santiburi Country Club, Chaing Rai, Thailand NOVEMBER 20-23, Senior Amateur Championship, Vietnam
Bangkok and then created history by becoming the youngest player to make the cut at the Masters Tournament this year. The Chinese teen shamed many of the seasoned professionals at Augusta when
he won the cup for low amateur with impressive rounds of 7375-77-75. He then followed up with another record-setting performance a fortnight later when he became the youngest player for more than 110 years to make the cut at a US PGA Tour event when he lined up at the weekend in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. ›
After his Masters experience Guan is determined to repeat his achievement and equal Matsuyama, who won the prestigious Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in successive years in 2010-2011. “For sure I am excited,” the teenager said. “I had a magical 12 months, winning the AAC against such a tough field and then playing the Masters and rubbing shoulders with these great champions. “Making the cut at Augusta was a dream come true and it was an experience that taught me so much. “Pan pushed me really hard last year and I will need to be on top of my game to defend my title at Nanshan International Golf Club. I am looking forward to the challenge.” Guan and his family have been gathering experience in the US, where they have settled in well, although his father Guan Hanwen is keeping a close eye on both his on-course activities and his schooling. “He has a long way to go,” says Hanwen, who walks with him during his practice rounds offering advice. Guan is home-schooled in the US by his father, a former doctor, and his mother, Lin Hong yu, who is an engineer. The family have brought Guan to the US several times, beginning in 2005 and the young star is feeling more and more comfortable in his new surroundings. “The people here are really nice and the golf courses here, especially when you’re playing the PGA events, they’re really nice,” he said. Despite his accomplishments, he plans to stay an amateur into the near future. “This year is a great year for me, but we are not scheduled to turn pro yet,” he said. “I hope I can keep doing well and we’ll see what’s going on.” Pan, who reached the top of the World Amateur Golf Rankings this year and was No.5 in September, has also thrown out a major challenge 2 ❘ APGC NEWSLETTER ❘ SEPTEMBER 2013
Rising star: Chinese Taipei’s Pan Cheng-tsung, 21, is keen for revenge in Nanshan after missing out by a shot to Guan Tianlang, 14, in 2012.
at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship following a formidable season. He qualified for a place in the US Open at Merion, which proved too much for many of the experienced professionals, made the cut – as Guan did at the Masters Tournament – and eventually finished in a share of 45th. Pan, a 21-year-old student at the University of Washington and All-American, is keen for revenge in Nanshan after missing out by a shot to Guan in 2012. “Tianling is an amazing player, especially for his young age,” Pan said. “Last year I came so close and I have been encouraged by some good performances over the past year so I am feeling confident. “I hope to have my game in top form during the Asia-Pacific championship.” Meanwhile, Guan admits he has been inspired by the feats
of Matsuyama, who turned professional in April and has since won two tournaments and scored two top-10 finishes in majors – at the US and the British Opens. He was also tied for 19th in the USPGA Championship. Already, Matsuyama has rocketed into the top 50 in the world. “It is amazing what Matsuyama has done in his career so far,” Guan said. “We have competed against each other and he is a real inspiration for me. “I hope that eventually when I turn professional my career will take off in the same way that his has done, or even better. I think we have to thank the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship because it is a world class tournament with stiff competition, which prepares us to reach our dreams.” Guan and Pan are expected to face tough competition from
two highly-ranked Australian amateurs at Nanshan – Oliver Goss, who finished third behind Guan and Pan last year, and Brady Watt. Watt is ranked No.6 on the WAGR and began 2013 by finishing second in the Australian Master of the Amateurs tournament. He then won the Ten Nations Cup thanks to a second round 62 and took out the highly-regarded Riversdale Cup in Melbourne, the Western Australian Amateur Championship. Goss, eight on the amateur table, almost won the US Amateur Championship in August, reaching the final but losing to England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick. A University of Tennessee player, the West Australian won the 2013 General Hackler tournament in just his third college golf event.
Facing the Nanshan test The fifth Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship will be staged at Nanshan Danling Golf Club’s Garden Course, regarded as the most challenging of the group in the city of Longkou, from October 24-27.
The club, which is part of the China Golf Association Nanshan International Training Centre, has hosted many national and international events, including the Nanshan China Masters on the OneAsia Tour and the China-USA Youth Golf Match. Opened in May, 2012, as a base to nurture the country’s future golf professionals, Nanshan International is used as a training base for China’s national men’s and women’s teams as well as the youth team. Former world No.1 and dual British Open winner Greg Norman has taken up a role as adviser to China’s national golf team and recently visited Nanshan to coach team members. The Danling Garden Course presents a testing 7397-yard layout with bent grass, with the fairways distinctively lined by orchards. China Golf Association executive vice chairman and secretary general Zhang Xiaoning said he was proud China would be hosting the AAC for the second time. “We’re delighted to again co-operate with the APGC, the Masters Tournament and the R&A to put up a great event for the players across the Asia-Pacific region,” Zhang said.
Helping hand: Greg Norman is an adviser to China’s national golf team
Liang takes up new role with The R&A China’s most successful golfer Liang Wen-Chong has taken up a new ambassadorial role with The R&A to support the development of golf in his home country and to promote understanding of its rules and values.
Liang, the winner of 18 tournaments worldwide, has become The R&A’s third Working for Golf ambassador and attended a special signing ceremony at The Royal and Ancient Clubhouse at St Andrews with Consul Degang Wan of the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Edinburgh. A ceremonial Chinese lion dance was held to wish Liang good luck in his new role. “I am honoured to be working
with The R&A and helping to promote golf and its values in China”, Liang (right) said. “I have been very fortunate to become a professional golfer and enjoy a successful career. Golf has been good to me and this is an opportunity for me to give something back to the game. “I look forward to working with The R&A to promote greater understanding of the game’s rules and values in China.” Consul Degang Wan said there were many links between China and Scotland and that relationship was further
enhanced by a mutual love of golf. “This is an excellent new initiative which should help improve knowledge and understanding of the game in China,” he said. “Liang is a well-known sportsman at home and in this role I believe he will make an invaluable contribution to the growth of the game there and also to the ever-increasing friendship between our two peoples.” Duncan Weir, R&A Working for Golf’s executive director, said Liang was the first player from his country to play in The Open Championship in 2008, which is a great achievement. “He has led the way for golf in China and will bring a great deal
of experience and expertise to his new role,” he said. “The R&A is already working hard with the China Golf Association to encourage people to learn more about golf and its values. Liang will help us to communicate these messages to an even wider audience.” Liang will front a TV, online and print media campaign across China that will highlight and explain some of the commonly misunderstood aspects of golf. The campaign will be launched later this year. He joins two-time Open champion and former USPGA Championship winner Padraig Harrington and 2007 LPGA champion Suzann Pettersen as R&A Working for Golf ambassadors. SEPTEMBER 2013 ❘ APGC NEWSLETTER ❘ 3
The rise of golf in China Golf has already moved beyond a sport in China and become the hallmark of a desirable lifestyle, according to one of the leading instructors working in the country.
And its popularity was given a sudden surge with the performance of teenager Guan Tianlang, who at 14 became the youngest player to compete in the Masters Tournament when he teed off this year. Guan was the only one of six amateurs to make the cut at Augusta National and has become symbolic of the rapid rise of the game in China, which built its first course just 18 years ago. There are now more than 300 golf courses in China, with more under construction every year. But, as is the case in Japan, the game has become the precinct of the wealthy and a sign that club members are the financial elite in the country. “It’s definitely like a social status, to be a member at a big club and have that opportunity just to play,” leading teacher Cyrus Janssen told Penn State University student Mike Still in a recent interview. Janssen is head instructor at Shanghai’s world-renowned Sheshan International Golf Club and says: “In China, in Asia, golf is more than just a sport. It’s a lifestyle. That’s the type of lifestyle they’re looking for.”
On par: The Nanshan Danling Golf Club will host the fifth Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship.
majority of Chinese. “The boom of interest in golf, as you can see throughout golf’s history, goes with economic growth, hand in hand. Whether it’s the UK, the States Japan, Korea or Taiwan,” Lee said. “Now China ... economic growth, and then there’s more people interested in golf.” He said the game began to explode in China in 2002, in parallel with the boom in the country’s economy. Membership at Tomson now costs $US200,000. Still said members at Tomson pay for a clubhouse with five-star amenities, including a second-floor restaurant that overlooks the championship-quality course. Female caddies
“The boom of interest in golf goes with economic growth, hand in hand. Whether it’s the UK, the States, Japan, Korea or Taiwan.” Still sought out the comments of a number of key players in the country to trace the rapid development of golf, among them Yan Wang, chairman of the board of Changchun Guoxin Investment Group, a Chinese private enterprise company that got its start in real estate development in 1998. Wang, 55, said he began playing golf out of curiosity 10 years ago. He now tees up several times a month and due to frequent travel, has memberships at golf clubs all over China. David Lee, a golf course developer and consultant for the highly-rated Tomson Golf Club in Shanghai’s Pudong district, said golf was beyond the means of the vast 4 ❘ APGC NEWSLETTER ❘ SEPTEMBER 2013
dressed in pink pull golfers’ bags through the 18-hole, 7400-yard course. But most will never will get the chance to play and those who do are still grappling with the game’s historical etiquette. Sheshan hosted the World Golf Championship-HSBC Champions from 2005 to 2011, a tournament won by players such as Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia. Janssen said crowds would begin to understand their role on the course as Chinese golfers gain experience. “Every year it gets better and better, people are getting more knowledgeable,” he said. “Even in social rounds, when people go play by themselves, less and less people use
their mobile phones. ... It’s only going to take time.” But golf is also being taught from a young age, says Still, who cites Tianma Country Club, near Sheshan, where a small group of golfers aged from eight to 16 are learning the game. The academy works in partnership with the Yani Tseng Sports Management Co. Tseng, a 24-year-old Taiwanese professional golfer, has twice been named LPGA Tour player of the year. Arnaud Garrigues, senior vice president and the director of instruction at Tianma’s academy, said his students were dedicated to getting better each day. “We try to be very focused,” said Garrigues, who works with 18 students in the program. “Try to do some relaxed training, have competitions between each other to keep it fun. They have to understand that just because they’re having fun doesn’t mean they can’t learn and improve.” Jenna Gao, 16, has been training at Tianma for nearly three years and now participates in the school’s long-term program. She began playing with her father since she was 10. She said she loved the hard work as she hoped to play professionally one day. “I like this lifestyle,” Gao said. “It’s hard to explain. I just love it.” Tianma’s long-term program charges about $14,000 for a full year’s tuition – more than most can afford – but it is hoped the success of players like Guan will encourage younger players to take up golf on their own. “(They) are getting more exposure ... starting to travel abroad. More tournaments are coming to China,” Janssen said. “In time, there will be more and more tournaments here, because the growth is out here.”
Fitzpatrick, Ko claim McCormack Medals Briton Matthew Fitzpatrick and Lydia Ko have won the Mark H McCormack Medals as the leading men’s and women’s amateur players in the 2013 World Amateur Golf Ranking.
Fitzpatrick has enjoyed an outstanding season, winning the Silver Medal as the leading amateur at The Open Championship, becoming the first Englishman to win the US Amateur Championship since 1911 and reaching the final of the English Amateur Championship. He secured his place in the field for next year’s Open Championship at Royal Liverpool (Hoylake), the US Open at Pinehurst and will receive an invitation to play in the Masters Tournament. New Zealander Ko has won the McCormack Medal for the third year in succession after another excellent year in which she has played in four Major Championships and several events on the LPGA Tour as well as other worldwide professional events. The 16-year-old’s best finish of the year was tied third in the Australian Women’s Open but she also tied 17th in the Wegmans LPGA Championship and 25th in the Kraft Nabisco Championship. The R&A and United States Golf Association award recognises the outstanding performances of both players this year. Fitzpatrick was ranked No.2 before overtaking Pan Cheng-tsung of Chinese Taipei after his 4&3 victory over Australian Oliver Goss, ranked eighth, in the 36-hole final of the US Amateur Championship. Ko, who won the inaugural Women’s McCormack Medal in 2011, has led the rankings for 122 weeks.
Matthew Fitzpatrick
Lydia Ko
Fitzpatrick said he was delighted to win the McCormack Medal. “For this to come along at the same time as winning the US Amateur Championship is really special,” he said. “I had a fair idea that if I had a good finish I might be able to scrape it but it was great that it went my way. It has been an amazing few weeks for me ever since The Open and I am really happy to have achieved so much.” Ko also said the award meant a lot. “To have won the medal three years in a row makes it more special,” she said. “It’s awesome. To have maintained my position for the last three years has been meaningful. I won the US Amateur last year. I wanted to win that championship so much and to have won it, it was great. Without winning it I may not have been able to maintain my position.” John Bodenhamer, USGA senior managing director (rules, competitions and amateur status), congratulated the pair. “On behalf of the USGA, I extend our congratulations to both Matt and Lydia for their outstanding performances in the last competitive year,” he said. “We are impressed by their record of successes, particularly at spotlight events. “They have earned our respect for their
talents as golfers as well as their positions in the WAGR, which continually showcases the quantity and quality of amateur golf around the world.” The WAGR, which is supported by Rolex, was established in 2007 when the men’s ranking was launched. The men’s WAGR encompasses more than 2900 counting events, ranking more than 6500 players representing 100 countries worldwide. The women’s ranking was launched in 2011 and has a calendar of more than 1700 counting events with more than 3400 ranked players representing 78 countries worldwide. Fitzpatrick won the 2012 Boys Amateur Championship at Notts (Hollinwell) Golf Club. He came through Local Final Qualifying to secure his place in The Open Championship at Muirfield, finishing 10-over-par on 294 to win the Silver Medal as the leading amateur. His rich form continued when he reached the final of the English Amateur Championship where he lost by 4&3 to Callum Shinkwin, and on August 18 he won the US Amateur at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, becoming the first Englishman to do so since Harold Hilton in 1911. Ko became one of the youngest winners of a professional golf championship, in 2012, when she won the New South Wales Open on the Australian Ladies Professional Golf Tour aged 14. She also won the Australian Women’s Amateur and was runner-up in the Australian Women’s Stroke Play Championship. In last year’s US Women’s Open Ko received the silver medal as the leading amateur and she was a semi-finalist at the US Girls’ Junior Championship.
Dale has challenge on his hands Australian Denis Dale will almost certainly have to work a lot harder this year than last if he is to successfully defend his Asia-Pacific Senior title.
The tournament, at Hong Kong's Discovery Bay Golf Club, was hit by fog, rain and wind last year which made play after
the opening round impossible. Dale had fired a first round 73 – which was to remain the winning score – ahead of runners-up New Zealander Frank Borren and Hong Kong's William Cheung. The Australians also took out the teams event with a round one total of 301 from the best
four scores posted. This year's event will be staged at the Montgomerie Links course, located midway between Hoi An and Danang, Vietnam’s vibrant third largest city. The layout is described as one of the most attractive in Asia with its unique Central Coast location ideal for recreational
and cultural attractions. The links-style course was designed by eight-times European Order of Merit winner and Ryder Cup-winning captain Colin Montgomerie and has already drawn high praise with the 2012 Forbes Travel Guide rating it one of Asia's 10 most elite courses. SEPTEMBER 2013 ❘ APGC NEWSLETTER ❘ 5
Australia on track for Nomura Cup Australia will be out to extend its recent dominance when it defends its Nomura Cup title at Thailand's Santiburi Chiang Rai Country Club in the province of Siam from November 14-17.
The Australians last won in Fiji in 2011, extending their list of victories to nine. Japan is the country with the second highest number of wins on seven and took out the inaugural biennial tournament in 1963. While Australia collected six Nomura Cups from 1999 their winning streak was broken when Korea tasted success in 2009. The 2013 Cup will be staged at the scenic Santiburi Chiang Rai Country Club, owned by
Santi Bhirombhakdi, president of Boon Rawd Brewery Co Ltd, a former president of the Thailand Golf Association. The course was opened in October 1992 and was chosen to host the 51st Putra Cup 2011 and was the venue for the Singha Masters Golf tournament for 14 consecutive years. Santiburi Chiang Rai Country Club is the first championship golf course in the province and features the fist nine holes dotted along the hillsides and the second nine climbing steadily uphill, where the clubhouse is situated at the pinnacle. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr, the fairways are Bermuda 419 and the greens are planted with Tifdwaft. A central
Host with most: The Nomura Cup will be played at Thailand’s Santiburi Chiang Rai Country Club in the province of Siam from November 14-17.
huge lake and several ponds post a special challenge for players while contrasting narrow and wide fairways cater to golfers of every skill level. Fairways are guarded by thick and sticky rough while the contours of the greens allow for varying and challenging pin positions. The clubhouse offers stunning panoramic views in all seasons, with a range of facilities including pro shop, restaurant, sauna, locker room and beer
garden during the cool season. The par 72 Santiburi course is nestled into a complex hillside setting with lush green fairways. Among the most testing holes are the par four second which features water waiting to catch wayward tee shots and the par five sixth which is the longest and toughest hole. Finishing at the par five 18th players will be greeted by curvy hillsides and beautiful waterfalls along the fairway.
China golf gets boost from Bose The PGA Tour and Bose Corporation have announced a three-year sponsorship agreement for category rights in China, marking the first official corporate sponsorship the tour has
made with exclusive rights outside the United States.
The Bose Shanghai-headquartered subsidiary joins the Tour’s official marketing partner program and has been granted
Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation Executive Committee
President Mr Kwang-soo Hur
Vice-president Dr David Cherry
Chairman Dato’ Thomas ML Lee
Secretary – general Honorary secretary Mr Dilip Thomas Mr Kyungjae Lee
Committee members
Mr Philip Hassall
Mr Taimur Hassant Mr Keisuki Muratsu Mr Zhang Xiaoning Mr Rungsid Luxsitanonda
6 ❘ APGC NEWSLETTER ❘ SEPTEMBER 2013
Mr Colin Phillips OAM
designations as Official Home Theatre Systems, Home Audio Systems, and Headphones of the PGA Tour and Champions Tour in China. As an official sponsor, Bose will have the right to use the PGA Tour and Champions Tour logos in China to promote products in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau. “We are extremely excited to announce this historic sponsorship that gives Bose exclusive rights in China while further expanding the PGA Tour brand in the Chinese marketplace in association with a company that has an impeccable reputation for quality,” said Tom Wade, PGA Tour global commercial officer. “The PGA Tour is a very wellrespected brand in Greater China,” said Joel Tzo, general manager of Bose Greater China. “Our focus is always on innovation, and this initiative is a new and exciting way to reach more people with the benefits of our products.”