Chapchai tops leaderboard after Friday #SingOpen2018

Sentosa, Singapore, January 18: Sergio Garcia of Spain and Kurt Kitayama of United States shot matching five-under-par 66s in round one to share the clubhouse lead at the US$1 million SMBC Singapore Open.

Garcia took a while to warm up at the Asian Tour season-opener. The reigning Masters Tournament champion, who teed off at the 10th hole, started with a streak of pars that was ended by a bogey on the 15th.

However, a birdie-eagle finish on his opening nine helped him find his rhythm and he went on to sink another three birdies before he ended his round.

After finishing tied-third at the Asian Tour Qualifying School last week, Kitayama is physically tired but in high spirits after a great opening round.

It was his first time playing on the award-winning Serapong course and he did exceptionally well, evident from his near-flawless performance. The 25-year-old American scored six birdies against one bogey.

Casey O’Toole of the United States, Koumei Oda of Japan and ex Singapore Open champion Jyoti Randhawa carded matching 68s to share second place.

O’Toole scored the first ace of 2018 at the par-3 second hole of Sentosa Golf Club’s Serapong course. He teed off with a seven-iron, 168 yards from the pin. The American won a five-year Golden Circle membership worth 500,000 points, which is equivalent to a 25-night stay in an executive suite at the Shangri-La Hotel in Tokyo.

Tirawat Kaewsiribandit of Thailand was on his way to share, or even seize the lead before play was suspended at 5.03pm due to lightning risk. The 28-year-old is five-under-par through 16 holes.

Tirawat birdied the fourth and fired three consecutive birdies from the 16th to 18th to make the turn at 31. The siren sounded after he teed off from the 8th tee box.

78 players have yet to complete round one. They will resume play on Friday, 7.40am.

Did you know:

Kurt Kitayama celebrated his 25th birthday just a week ago, on 14th January.
The American is enjoying a rich vein of form at the moment. He was tied-third at the Asian Tour Qualifying School (and earned his Asian Tour card for 2018) and finished first at the SMBC Singapore Open Qualifying Tournament.
He hails from Chico, California and he went to school at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. Kitayama is ethnically Japanese but he doesn’t speak the language.
Sergio Garcia officially switched his equipment brand in early 2018.
He won the 2017 Masters Tournament on what would have been compatriot Seve Ballesteros’ 60th birthday.
Garcia is expecting the arrival of his first child in March this year, just in time before he defends his title at this year’s Masters Tournament.
Along with the one he scored in Singapore, Casey O’Toole has two hole-in-ones in his professional career. He scored one last year in Malaysia at the Royal Selangor Golf Club, also with a seven iron.
He won the Asian Development Tour (ADT) Order of Merit in 2015. The ADT is the feeder circuit of the Asian Tour.
O’Toole kept his Asian Tour card for 2018 by virtue of his 58th place finish on last year’s Asian Tour Order of Merit list.
Tirawat Kaewsiribandit enjoyed a tied-11th finish at last year’s SMBC Singapore Open. He shot a five-under-par 66 in round three to get within one shot of the lead, but his tournament unraveled after a 74 on Sunday.
He is a winner on the Asian Development Tour. He won the Betagro All Thailand Championship by three strokes. More impressively, he did it while fighting a back injury.
Tirawat was close to winning his maiden Asian Tour title at the Indonesia Open, but Panuphol Pittayarat was just in irresistible form during that tournament.

Player Interviews:

Kurt Kitayama (Usa) – First Round 66 (-5)

I feel really good about my round. I started with a birdie and I just let it roll from there. I had some good tee shots, which I think, is the biggest thing for this course.

Compared to the Tanjong, the Serapong is a lot tighter. The Serapong is a great course. It is tough off the tee and it has big greens. It’s great to have a good round early in the tournament, as it proves that I am able to score well.

I didn’t realise that there’s the possibility of qualifying for The Open this year at this tournament. I’m not too focused on that, to be honest. Although, I know that finishing top-five this week will get me into the tournament next week, in Myanmar.

I’m a little tired, but I’m hanging in there. Whenever I have time off, I’ll try not to think too much about golf.

Now that I have an Asian Tour card (after finishing tied-third at the Asian Tour Qualifying School), I’m definitely looking forward to playing on the Asian Tour this year.

Sergio Garcia (Esp) – First Round 66 (-5)

The course is in great shape. You have to drive the ball well and the shots to the green have to be accurate otherwise you may leave yourself with some tricky putts. This is a great tournament to start the year with.

I was one-over-par after seven holes, even though I didn’t feel like I’m playing badly. But, I hit two good six-irons in a row on 17 and 18th, where I made an eagle. That settled me a bit and I was able to play solidly over the back nine.

I’ll keep trusting myself. I’m really comfortable with the equipment that I have. The driver feels great and the ball is amazing. It’s a matter of believing and being positive.

I’ll probably chill a little bit. I did a lot of things right, but I still have lots to work on. I’ll try to stay cool, have a nice dinner and get ready for tomorrow.

Casey O’Toole (Usa) – First Round 68 (-3)

It was a good number for me with the wind. My caddie and I decided to hit three-quarter seven-iron and I hit it; it was solid. The ball landed just short of the hole and released right in. It was a really good shot.

I just got engaged, so my fiancée will probably have a lot to say on how those points will be used. We’ll figure it out.

Tirawat Kaewsiribandit (Tha) – five-under through 16 holes

I putted very well today. I also hit irons well and found many fairways. Before this tournament, I had an injury on my foreman. I need to relax and look to playing well.

I’m very happy now, despite not being able to finish my round. I’m just looking forward to carding a good score after 18 holes tomorrow.

Scores after round 1 of the SMBC Singapore Open being played at the par 71, 7398 Yards Sentosa GC course (am – denotes amateur):

66 – Sergio GARCIA (ESP), Kurt KITAYAMA (USA).

68 – Casey O’TOOLE (USA), Koumei ODA (JPN), Jyoti RANDHAWA (IND).

69 – Hiroshi IWATA (JPN), Hiroyuki FUJITA (JPN), Ryo ISHIKAWA (JPN), LIANG Wenchong (CHN), Javi COLOMO (ESP), Gregory FOO (am, SIN), HUNG Chien-yao (TPE), Giwhan KIM (KOR), Masahiro KAWAMURA (JPN), Terry PILKADARIS (AUS).

70 – Gunn CHAROENKUL (THA), David BRANSDON (AUS), Kunihiro KAMII (JPN), Danthai BOONMA (THA), Thaworn WIRATCHANT (THA), Matthew GRIFFIN (AUS), Ben LEONG (MAS), Yuki INAMORI (JPN), Ryutaro NAGANO (JPN).

71 – Panuphol PITTAYARAT (THA), Danny MASRIN (INA), Younghan SONG (KOR), Gavin GREEN (MAS), Shariffuddin ARIFFIN (MAS), Prom MEESAWAT (THA), Daisuke KATAOKA (JPN), Miguel TABUENA (PHI), Brendan JONES (AUS).

72 – CHAN Shih-chang (TPE), Prayad MARKSAENG (THA), Yusaku MIYAZATO (JPN), Rahil GANGJEE (IND), Mikumu HORIKAWA (JPN), Michael HENDRY (NZL), Seunghyuk KIM (KOR), Keith HORNE (RSA), Chikkarangappa S. (IND).

73 – Shota AKIYOSHI (JPN), Danny CHIA (MAS), Sihwan KIM (USA), Jake HIGGINBOTTOM (AUS), Yasunobu FUKUNAGA (JPN), Daisuke MARUYAMA (JPN), Rikuya HOSHINO (JPN), Chiragh KUMAR (IND).

Ends.

About Asian Tour

As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), FENIX XCell (Official Apparel Supplier), Titleist (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.

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Sentosa, Singapore, January 17: Prayad Marksaeng of Thailand is feeling physically fantastic and he is ready to defend his title at the US$1 million SMBC Singapore Open that starts tomorrow.

Last year, the 51-year-old held off the challenge of the likes of compatriot Phachara Khongwatmai and Korea’s Younghan Song, golfers who are a fraction of his age, to lift the coveted trophy at the Asian Tour season-opener.

Prayad is one of the most successful golfers on the Asian Tour with 10 titles under his belt. He has also been immensely successful on the Japan Senior Tour, winning four times and topping the money list for the second consecutive year.

The affable golfer attributed his good form to a clean and healthy lifestyle. He sleeps early, exercises regularly and refrains from smoking as well as drinking.

Marquee golfers Sergio Garcia of Spain and Ryo Ishikawa of Japan will also be teeing off at the Sentosa Golf Club.

Garcia will be remembered for winning the Masters in 2017. He started well in Singapore last year, finishing tied-11th, and his form led to a win in Dubai before his victory at Augusta National Golf Club. He’ll be looking to put on a solid display of golf this week.

Ishikawa has recovered from his back injury that has hampered his tenure on the PGA Tour. He is now feeling 100 per cent and he will be focusing his efforts on the Japan Golf Tour in 2018, which opens with the SMBC Singapore Open.

The SMBC Singapore Open is jointly-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Japan Golf Tour Organization.

Did you know:

Prayad Marksaeng was never in the top-10 in the first three rounds of the 2017 SMBC Singapore Open. He was four shots off the leader, Adam Scott, going into Sunday.
He waited for two hours before he was confirmed as the champion. Prayad was in the earlier groupings and he had the privilege of enjoying his lunch while seeing the leading pack falter.
Prayad will be teeing off on Thursday with 2016 SMBC Singapore Open champion Younghan Song and Japan Golf Tour Organization 2017 prize money list leader Yusaku Miyazato.
Apart from his win in 2017, Prayad’s best performance at the Singapore Open was tied-10th in 2010.
Sergio Garcia is competing at the SMBC Singapore Open for the second consecutive year. In 2017, he carded a five-under-par 279 total and finished tied-11th.
The Spaniard has been very successful in the region. He won the 2012 Iskandar Johor Open in Malaysia, 2013 Thailand Golf Championship in Thailand and the 2015 Ho Tram Open in Vietnam.
Garcia is nominated for the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award this year for his Masters triumph in 2017.
Ryo Ishikawa is the youngest player to win on any of the major tours worldwide. He was 15 years old when he won the Munsingwear Open KSB Cup.
He turned professional when he was 16 years old and has won 14 times on the Japan Golf Tour so far.
Ishikawa received a special exemption to the Masters in 2013. That year, he finished tied-38th.

Player interviews:

Prayad Marksaeng (Tha)

I play at the end of the year at the Royal Cup and practiced a lot to prepare for this tournament and hopefully, play even better than last year and defend my title.

I’ll see how I do in the first round, and if I don’t play well then, I’ll skip the driving range and then save my energy a bit and just go for putting and chipping. I’m over 50 years old now, so I need to save more of my energy during the rounds.

I’m in good shape and am ready to play against the younger players. I take care of myself quite well – I sleep early, don’t drink or smoke, exercise and practice a lot to prepare myself.

I don’t feel any pressure. I come here to try and play better, entertain the crowd, and show that even at 53 years old you can play well. I’m just here to try my best, and I’ve been on the golf course for a long time.

I want to perform my best for the Asian Tour, Japan Golf Tour and Japan Senior Tour and hope to be the champion for Japan Golf Tour.

Sergio Garcia (Esp)

Last year was amazing but it definitely went by fast. It doesn’t feel like it’s been a year, and we’re back here again. Usually when it goes quickly it’s because it’s fun.

I just want to hopefully stay healthy, and try to keep improving on aspects of the game that I know I can get better at. If I can manage to do that then it’s fine. [I’d like to] put myself in situations to win tournaments like I did last year, and situations to win Majors and see if we can pull off another one like we did last year in April.

My off-season was good. I had a little bit of time off, obviously. Practiced a bit, tried to get used to the new equipment with Callaway, and tried to maximise my time as much as possible coming into the season. I think we’re ready for it, so hopefully we’ll have a great year.

Winning is nice – it doesn’t matter which time of the year. Obviously, the earlier you do it, the more confidence you get. Last year I played decently here, had a solid week, and then we went onto Dubai and I managed to win there. So that was obviously a nice kick-start.

It would be nice to play well – if we can manage to win here it would be amazing, but even if we don’t, we can still hopefully take a lot of positives out of it. That first week of the year is always interesting, because you’re testing yourself a little bit as you haven’t played tournaments for a couple of months, and everything is a little bit fresher. Hopefully we can get going nicely and have a good, solid week, and build up from there.

Ryo Ishikawa (Jpn)

The people (in Singapore) are so kind. The weather looks like it is going to be alright. Today, I played in the pro-am, which had nice weather. My flight mates are nice and I enjoyed the round.

The golf course tough and it is in great shape. The greens are fast, the fairways look great and the rough is so thick. You have to hit fairways and greens. There are hazards all around and the winds are strong. My key focus is to drive well and keep it on the fairway.

My game getting better. My last event was November, which was in Japan. I finished tied-second, just a shot behind. I have a good feeling coming into this week. It all depends on my driver and irons. My chipping and putting feels good. So, it’s going to be interesting.

I’m 100 per cent. It was tough when I had my back injury. I was only chipping and putting for three months. I had a six month break and when I restarted, it was tough to catch the feeling. Now, my back is normal. This year, I’m going to play on the Japan Golf Tour.

The tournament has an elite field. If anybody wins, they’ll get two Tour cards. I’m looking forward to play with Sergio (Garcia) and Gavin (Green). They hit the driver 20-30 yards farther than me. I’m just a normal Japanese, not too tall and not too big.

I’m 26 years old and I hope to still have the time to win a major in the next five to 10 years. That’s my big goal. This is my 11th year, but it’s also like a new start for me. Although, my big goal will never change.

There are so many Japanese here in Singapore. I was in Orchard Road, my countrymen were greeting me. I’m happy to be here. I want to show my best golf to my fans here.

I’ve managed to win four times in 2009. That’s my record. I just want to beat that record. I’m just going one step at a time and hopefully, start with win here.

Ends.

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On the eve of the first round of the 2018 SMBC Singapore Open, and to the delight of everyone involved with the tournament, SMBC revealed they will renew their relationship with the tournament from 2019 to 2021.

The Japanese financial institution first came on board in 2016 as part of a three-year deal and the tournament has prospered since it was held at Sentosa Golf Club and as an event jointly-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour Organisation.

“SMBC are very proud to be associated with one of the premier golf tournaments in Asia, so much so that we have taken the decision to continue on as title sponsor,” said Makoto Takashima, President and CEO, SMBC.

“Singapore continues to be a key component of our global strategies and the country’s National Open provides us with the perfect way to connect with our audience. Furthermore, we hope the tournament acts to further promote the popularity of golf throughout Asia, as well as inspiring a new generation of players.”

SMBC’s support of the Singapore Open was well and truly validated last season when the event was voted the “Best Tournament” by the members of the Asian Tour, and Sentosa’s Serapong layout was acknowledged as the “Best Course”.

The Singapore Golf Association, the proud guardians of the Singapore Open, welcomed the renewal and also announced they will extend their contract with Lagardère Sports, the event promoter, until 2021.

“The Singapore Golf Association is truly delighted that SMBC have committed to our tournament for an additional three years,” said Ross Tan, President, Singapore Golf Association.

“This year marks the 52nd staging of the Singapore Open and it is incredibly encouraging to see its future look so bright thanks to SMBC. They will help add to the Singapore Open’s long and storied history.”

The first round of the US$1 million SMBC Singapore Open tees-off tomorrow on the Serapong Course at Sentosa Golf Club boasting a stellar field including reigning Masters champion Sergio Garcia from Spain, South African Louis Oosthuizen, Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa and Pat Perez from the United States.

American Jordan Spieth, ranked number one in the world at the time, was the star attraction at the SMBC Singapore Open in 2016 and finished second in the tournament. Korean Younghan Song took the title while last year Prayad Marksaeng from Thailand triumphed.

“This is outstanding news for the Singapore Open,” said Patrick Feizal Joyce, Vice President, Golf – Asia, Lagardère Sports.

“SMBC have been a valuable and committed title sponsor and the fact that they have extended their partnership means we are in store for another three exciting years. They have been outstanding to work with and we look forward to promoting the tournament for them until 2021.”

Ends.

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Sentosa, Singapore, 16 January: Gavin Green will be unfazed by the big names and the pressure of being the Asian Tour Order of Merit champion at the SMBC Singapore Open that starts on Thursday.

The big-hitting Malaysian had a very successful 2017 on the Asian Tour, evident from his number one position on the merit list. The 24-year-old enjoyed three second-place finishes and a win, at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters.

During the year, he also had the chance to play alongside elite players such as major champion Justin Thomas and 13-time European Tour winner Paul Casey. Last week, he was up against the best golfers from Europe at the biennial EurAsia Cup.

The experiences on Tour have helped shaped Green into a better golfer and he’ll be looking to use the things that he has learned in 2017 to excel this year, starting at the SMBC Singapore Open.

Quincy Quek of Singapore will also be teeing up at this year’s SMBC Singapore Open, a tournament that will always remain close to his heart. Last year, his daughter was born just a few days prior to the event. He will look forward to playing in front of the home crowd again.

Pat Perez is enjoying a career revival after recovering from his shoulder injury. Perez, who won in Malaysia last year, will be competing on Sentosa Golf Club’s Serapong course for the first time. He gives the layout a seal of approval after practicing on it on Monday.

The Asian Tour season opener features a US$1 million prize purse and it is jointly-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO). Apart from Perez, other marquee names such as Sergio Garcia, Louis Oosthuizen and Ryo Ishikawa will also be competing at the SMBC Singapore Open.

Did you know:

Gavin Green is the second youngest Order of Merit champion in Asian Tour history. Korean Noh Seung-yul was 19 years old when he won the merit race in 2010.
He is the first Malaysian to win the Order of Merit.
Green is ranked first in driving distance in 2017, averaging 314.08 yards off the tee.
Quincy Quek’s tied-26th finish at the SMBC Singapore Open was his best on the Asian Tour in 2017.
He won once on the Asian Development Tour, at the 2012 Orchard Golf Championship.
The SMBC Singapore Open will be part of The Open Qualifying Series for 2018. The leading four places (not otherwise exempt) who finish in the top 12 and ties will secure their spots at The 147th Open at Carnoustie from July 19 to 22.
This year marks the 52nd edition of Singapore’s National Open.
The SMBC Singapore Open is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the JGTO for the third consecutive year.

Player Interviews:

Gavin Green (Mas)

It’s fun. I enjoy it (being an Order of Merit winner). But I still had to perform and play well. There are obviously more expectations and pressure. I have to practice harder and step up my mind game as well.

I am going to play in two Tours, as I also have my European Tour card this year. Adjusting to European weather and atmosphere is going to be a challenge for me. Goal-wise, being in the world top-100 is one of them and winning a European Tour event is also one of them. The rest are more detailed which I’m still trying to figure out. I’m going to take it event by event and enjoy the game as much as I can as it’s not that often that I can get to play on two Tours. However, Asia will always be home no matter what.

2017 has taught me that I can do it. It has showed in my results. It was tough at first as I was learning about the Tour and the players. But now, I’ve got to know the professional game a lot better. Things change very quickly at a tournament and results switch really fast. I’m thankful for the things that happened during the year and I’m grateful to be able to get the experience. I’m going to use it to my full potential and become a better player. Winning the Order of Merit again will be great, but I’ll just go out there, play my best and see what happens.

I’ve played here (on the Serapong course) a few times. I was leading at some point too. I think it suits me well as I can hit the longer irons. Some holes are really long and I have no problem with that, too. The breeze makes it tougher for everyone. Those who control their ball flight and manage the course well will win the event.

Quincy Quek (Sgp)

When SMBC are the title sponsors of the tournament, the event has been done really well and the turnout has been really good. I look forward to playing in front of the home crowd.

Last year was memorable for me. My daughter was born a few days before the event started. It was quite a messy few days for me leading up to the event. I was sleeping in the hospital ward with my wife and baby. It was different and I guess it will be something I will never experience again. It is always nice to play in this event and the course is in great shape.

I’m just looking to go out there and play well just like every other week. If I can keep it on the fairways, hit the greens and create birdie chances, then the score will inevitably be a good one.

Pat Perez (Usa)

I actually love it (Singapore). I have come to Asia a bunch now. I was in KL a few months ago. I do like it though. I can’t believe how awesome that city is over there. Clean, nice, people are fantastic here. And it has been a great experience so far.

I have been playing well for about 15 months now. I have a lot of confidence in what I am doing and I am very excited to be playing so well.

I had surgery and I was out for eight months. It was a lot of motivation to come back. I wanted to continue my career and not be one of those guys who has surgery and disappeared. The work I put in, I didn’t really think I was going to get some success out of it. It has been amazing and I am just enjoying the ride.

I don’t really worry about it (being himself) at all. I have a lot of friends out here and I have been around a long time. I have found myself and just my way of life, being 41 now and I have been through a lot of things. 17 years on the PGA Tour. It is like anything, you grow, and what works and what doesn’t work.

I don’t worry about outside opinions or comments. I think that has really helped me in the last 16 months. It is not trying to impress everybody and fit in. I fit in because I am three-time winner on the PGA Tour and I have never lost my Tour card. I just do me, that’s it.

Ends.

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Sentosa, Singapore, January 15: American Kurt Kitayama earned a spot at the SMBC Singapore Open after carding a six-under-par 65 at the Qualifying Tournament today.

It has been a great start to 2018 and a fruitful venture to Asia so far for the 25-year-old golfer. Yesterday, he celebrated his birthday by finishing tied-third at the Asian Tour Qualifying School to earn playing rights on the Asian Tour.

After topping the Qualifying Tournament, he’ll be looking forward to playing alongside the best players from the Asian Tour and the Japan Golf Tour at the US$1 million event.

“The greens were really smooth and I made some really good putts. I adjusted to the speed early and I felt that I was in control for the rest of the day,” said Kitayama, who has plied his trade mainly in America.

Kitayama scored seven birdies at Sentosa Golf Club’s Tanjong course and his scorecard would have been flawless if not for a bogey on the 12th.

Gunn Charoenkul of Thailand also qualified for the SMBC Singapore Open after finishing in second place, one shot behind Kitayama. Gunn, also 25 years old, attributed his good round to his excellent driving and he’ll be looking to do better this year, after finishing tied-71st in Singapore last year.

“I have good memories of playing here. In the 2012 tournament, I finished tied-24th. But last year, I was just a few shots from being in the last place! My putting wasn’t great then, but I’m putting better this week!” he said.

Wolmer Murillo of Venezuela took the third and final spot after beating Puk Pradittan of Thailand and Narutoshi Yamaoka of Japan in a playoff, which was contested at Tanjong’s par-four 18th. The trio finished with matching 67s.

Yamaoka was first to go after faltering at the first playoff hole. At the third playoff hole, Puk carded a bogey after his approach shot landed into the greenside bunker. Murillo tapped in for par, and a spot at the SMBC Singapore Open.

“The greens here inspire you to play good golf and they give you an opportunity to assess your game. The ball listens to you because the greens are pure. They are lovely to play on,” said Murillo, who recovered brilliantly from the disappointment of missing the mark at Qualifying School the previous week.

“I can’t wait to play on the Serapong. I heard it’s a great golf course!” he added.

Ends.

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Shah Alam, Malaysia, January 14: Team Europe, captained by Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn, dominated the Singles matches to earn a hard-fought win over Team Asia with a 14-10 victory to retain the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM on Sunday.

After trailing Team Asia over the last two days, Europe surmounted a gallant fightback to win eight out of 12 matches in the Singles format at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club.

“It was a great performance today from every single one of them, they came off the golf course yesterday and there was a determination and a will of wanting to win this,” said Bjorn.

“From there, to then go out and do the job the way they did today shows a lot about the character of these 12 guys and it shows a lot about the character of European golf and it shows a lot about what we are,” added the Dane.

Alex Noren of Sweden delivered the day’s first point with a convincing 4&2 win over Malaysia’s Nicholas Fung. Asia’s number one Gavin Green of Malaysia then fell victim to Spain’s Rafa Cabrera Bello 4&3

Europe’s number one Tommy Fleetwood earned another point for his team when he brought down India’s S.S.P. Chawrasia 2&1 before Thailand’s Poom Saksansin gave Asia a brief reprieve, beating England’s Paul Casey by one hole.

Major winner Henrik Stenson put another point on the board for Europe when he won 2&1 against Japan’s Hideto Tanihara before Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger took them three clear with a 2&1 victory over Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai.

France’s Alexander Levy then brought Europe to within a point of retaining the EurAsia Cup when he defeated Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat 3&1.

The winning moment for Europe came on the 18th hole when Belgium’s Thomas Pieters beat Korea’s Byeonghun An by one hole.

“It always nice to get the winning point. We all have to do our own part today. We knew that and we knew what we had to do. You can see early on that we wanted it badly because the board was pretty blue,” said Pieters.

England’s Tyrrell Hatton then won 2&1 against India’s Anirban Lahiri to make it 13 ½ -7 ½ with three matches remaining.

Korea’s Sunghoon Kang and England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick shared the spoils before Japan’s Yuta Ikeda and China’s Li Haotong salvaged some pride for Team Asia by beating England’s Ross Fisher (1 hole) and Ireland’s Paul Dunne (3&1) respectively.

“These kind of events always become closer than you think sometimes, and that’s always good to know. When you go out there as a team, you’ve got to play. You play for very few points the first two days and then you play for a lot of points on Sunday, and that’s the way these events are.

“It can swing very much on the last day and we showed today that if you are good and strong on Sundays, you can win these things,” said Bjorn.

Ends.

About DRB-HICOM

DRB-HICOM Berhad (“DRB-HICOM”) is one of Malaysia’s leading conglomerates with core businesses in the Automotive, Services & Education, as well as Property sectors. With more than 90 active companies in its stable and over 59,000 employees group-wide, DRB-HICOM’s aim is to continue adding value and propelling the nation’s development. In the Automotive sector, DRB-HICOM is involved in the manufacturing, assembly and distribution of passenger and commercial vehicles, including the national motorcycle. In Services & Education, DRB-HICOM is involved in various businesses, including concession and financial-related services. In Property, DRB-HICOM is involved in residential and commercial developments.

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About the European Tour

The European Tour celebrates men’s professional golf on a global stage. In 2017, the European Tour International Schedule features a minimum of 47 tournaments in 26 countries, including eight Rolex Series events, all part of the Race to Dubai.Celebrating the global connectivity of the European Tour and Dubai, the Race to Dubai is a season-long competition to crown the European Tour’s Number One player, an honour which in 2016 went to Sweden’s Henrik Stenson for the second time, and which since 2009 has also been achieved three times by Rory McIlroy, as well as by Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer and Luke Donald. Formerly known as the Order of Merit, points are accumulated based on prize money won, with the top 10 ranked players at the end of the season sharing a $5million Race to Dubai bonus pool.Since its formation in 1972, the European Tour has witnessed 26 Members celebrate a total of 52 Major Championship titles between them, enjoyed ten Members attaining the pinnacle of World Number One and has celebrated its diversity as players from 36 different countries have won on the Tour.The European Tour also manages the Challenge Tour, which featured 28 tournaments in 22 countries in 2016, and the Senior Tour, which featured 13 tournaments in nine countries in 2016. It is also the Managing Partner of Ryder Cup Europe, the body which, alongside the PGA of America, administers golf’s greatest team contest, The Ryder Cup.The European Tour broadcasts live coverage of its tournaments to more than 490 million homes in more than 150 countries every week, generating in excess of 2,200 global broadcast hours for each event. It also enjoys the support of many of the world’s leading business brands with Rolex, BMW, Emirates and Titleist as Official Partners.

About MMC Corporation Berhad

MMC Corporation Berhad (MMC) is a leading utilities and infrastructure group with diversified businesses under three divisions, namely ports & logistics, energy & utilities and engineering & construction.Its key businesses under the Ports and Logistics division include the operations of Port of Tanjung Pelepas Sdn Bhd, Johor Port Berhad, Northport (Malaysia) Bhd, Penang Port Sdn Bhd, Kontena Nasional Berhad and JP Logistics. Internationally, MMC has an associate stake in Red Sea Gateway Terminal Company Limited, a container port terminal within the Jeddah Islamic Port, Saudi Arabia.Under the Energy & Utilities division, MMC is the single largest shareholder of both Malakoff Corporation Berhad and Gas Malaysia Berhad.MMC’s Engineering & Construction division has further established itself in the sector with a leading role as the Project Delivery Partner (PDP) and underground works package contractor for the 51km Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (KVMRT) project (Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line) and Line 2 project (Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya Line). Prior to this, MMC has successfully completed the 329km Ipoh-Padang Besar Electrified Double Tracking Project as well as the innovative Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (SMART) motorway, the first-of-its-kind dual-purpose tunnel in the world.MMC continues to make inroads in the construction industry, securing key civil and infrastructure projects in the country namely Langat Centralised Sewerage Treatment Plant, Langat 2 Water Treatment Plant, civil and infrastructure works for RAPID Pengerang Cogeneration Plant. Additionally, MMC has a 20% effective interest in Borneo Highway PDP Sdn Bhd (BHP) which has been appointed as PDP for the Sabah Pan Borneo Highway Project.In other businesses, MMC owns Aliran Ihsan Resources Berhad, a water treatment plant operator and Senai Airport Terminal Services Sdn Bhd, the operator of Senai International Airport in Johor Bahru; a major aviation hub and the main air transportation gateway to Iskandar Malaysia. Additionally, MMC’s Group Property arm manages close to 6,000 acres of industrial developments in Iskandar Malaysia, Johor and Kulim, Kedah, namely Senai Airport City, Tanjung Bin Petrochemical & Maritime Industrial Centre (TBPMIC) and Northern Technocity in Kulim. The Senai Airport City, TBPMIC and NTC (NTC) developments come under the ambit of Group Property’s three operating companies – Senai Airport City Sdn Bhd, Seaport Worldwide Sdn Bhd and Northern Technocity Sdn Bhd respectively.

Shah Alam, Malaysia, January 14: Team Asia’s captain Arjun Atwal praised his charges despite falling 10-14 to Team Europe at the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM on Sunday.

Atwal’s team had led for two days after the Fourball and Foursomes matches but were outplayed by Team Europe in the Singles matches at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club.

“I’m very proud of these guys. They are all awesome players and it’s just unfortunate we lost today. We just didn’t make enough putts and they, on the other hand, made a lot more putts than us,” said Atwal.

While his team fell short on the final day, Atwal was delighted to witness the talent on display, particularly from the young Thai duo of Poom Saksansin and Phachara Khongwatmai.

“The sky’s the limit for them. It’s unbelievable. They are all fantastic players. I got to know some of these guys a lot better this week and by just watching them play, I know they can achieve anything they want. They can win majors. They can win big tournaments on big tours. There’s no limit,” added the Indian.

Poom, who was making his debut at the EurAsia Cup, showed no fear as he brought down seasoned Ryder Cup campaigner Paul Casey in the Singles match by one hole. Together with Korea’s Sunghoon Kang, the 24-year-old also created the biggest upset on the opening Fourballs when they won 5&4 over Henrik Stenson and Alexander Levy.

Phachara proved to be another star in the making when he put up a masterclass in putting in the first two days. The young Thai put two points on the board for Team Asia and showed he can be the man for the big occasion.

“Look at the way he (Phachara) handled himself under pressure. If I was 18, I don’t know if I would be able to do what he did this week by playing in this type of pressure,” said Atwal.

With the conclusion of the third edition of the EurAsia Cup, Atwal hopes to revive his memories and stand proud as a captain one day again.

“I had a lot of fun and I had an absolute blast this week. Even though we didn’t win, they are all champions and for me personally, I would do this in a heartbeat again,” said Atwal.

Ends.

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About the European Tour

About MMC Corporation Berhad

Shah Alam, Malaysia, January 14: Thailand’s Poom Saksansin emerged as one of the stand-out performers for Team Asia in the Singles matches which were dominated by a victorious Team Europe at the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM on Sunday.

The 24-year-old Poom defeated world number 14 Paul Casey of England in a pulsating match, emerging victorious by 1-hole at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club.

Despite his win, Team Europe won eight other Singles matches while one match was halved as they successfully retained the EurAsia Cup with 14 points against Team Asia’s 10 points in the third edition of the biennial showpiece.

Yuta Ikeda of Japan enjoyed a perfect debut in the tournament after winning his match against Ross Fisher by 1-hole. Another debutant Li Haotong of China secured a 3&1 win over Paul Dunne of Ireland.

The baby-faced Poom was in the second Singles match of the day and recorded Asia’s first point of the day after holding his nerve to defeat Casey on the 18th hole.

“I feel proud of myself that I get a point for Team Asia. He (Casey) played very good but maybe he had bad luck because the ball doesn’t go into the hole,” said Poom.

His victory in the Singles was his second point in the tournament as he combined with Sunghoon Kang in the Fourball format on Friday. Poom was clearly delighted to exceed expectations in the tournament.

“I feel very good because my goal was to get one point which is good enough but I got two so I’m very happy. On the 18th hole (today) I felt very nervous and I start to shake a little bit. But I won,” he smiled.

“I’m so happy I made Arjun proud as well. He told me ‘Good job, I love you,” said Poom.

The world number 36 Ikeda contributed three points to Team Asia and remained unbeaten in the EurAsia Cup when claimed his third victory in the showpiece.

“Today’s match was so close. I started two holes, birdie, and then number 16, I missed, bogey. On 17, an up and down so that was good. On the last hole I was lucky so I’m happy. Three matches, three wins so I’m very happy with the week,” said Ikeda.

First timer Li held his head high after contributing 2 ½ points which included the final point earned by Team Asia in the Singles matches.

“I think our team did great this week. I’m very happy to win 2 ½ points. I’m also very happy to meet a lot of new friends and hopefully we play well the rest of the season and come back better the next time,” said Li.

Ends.

About DRB-HICOM

About Asian Tour

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About the European Tour

About MMC Corporation Berhad

MMC Corporation Berhad (MMC) is a leading utilities and infrastructure group with diversified businesses under three divisions, namely ports & logistics, energy & utilities and engineering & construction.Its key businesses under the Ports and Logistics division include the operations of Port of Tanjung Pelepas Sdn Bhd, Johor Port Berhad, Northport (Malaysia) Bhd, Penang Port Sdn Bhd, Kontena Nasional Berhad and JP Logistics. Internationally, MMC has an associate stake in Red Sea Gateway Terminal Company Limited, a container port terminal within the Jeddah Islamic Port, Saudi Arabia. Under the Energy & Utilities division, MMC is the single largest shareholder of both Malakoff Corporation Berhad and Gas Malaysia Berhad.MMC’s Engineering & Construction division has further established itself in the sector with a leading role as the Project Delivery Partner (PDP) and underground works package contractor for the 51km Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (KVMRT) project (Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line) and Line 2 project (Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya Line). Prior to this, MMC has successfully completed the 329km Ipoh-Padang Besar Electrified Double Tracking Project as well as the innovative Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (SMART) motorway, the first-of-its-kind dual-purpose tunnel in the world.MMC continues to make inroads in the construction industry, securing key civil and infrastructure projects in the country namely Langat Centralised Sewerage Treatment Plant, Langat 2 Water Treatment Plant, civil and infrastructure works for RAPID Pengerang Cogeneration Plant. Additionally, MMC has a 20% effective interest in Borneo Highway PDP Sdn Bhd (BHP) which has been appointed as PDP for the Sabah Pan Borneo Highway Project.In other businesses, MMC owns Aliran Ihsan Resources Berhad, a water treatment plant operator and Senai Airport Terminal Services Sdn Bhd, the operator of Senai International Airport in Johor Bahru; a major aviation hub and the main air transportation gateway to Iskandar Malaysia. Additionally, MMC’s Group Property arm manages close to 6,000 acres of industrial developments in Iskandar Malaysia, Johor and Kulim, Kedah, namely Senai Airport City, Tanjung Bin Petrochemical & Maritime Industrial Centre (TBPMIC) and Northern Technocity in Kulim. The Senai Airport City, TBPMIC and NTC (NTC) developments come under the ambit of Group Property’s three operating companies – Senai Airport City Sdn Bhd, Seaport Worldwide Sdn Bhd and Northern Technocity Sdn Bhd respectively.

Rayong, Thailand, January 14: Korea’s Seungtaek Lee outclassed the field by closing with a second straight four-under-par 67 to claim a one-shot victory at the Asian Tour Qualifying School Final Stage presented by Sports Authority of Thailand on Sunday.

The 22-year-old Lee, playing his first attempt at the Asian Tour Qualifying School, fired three birdies in his closing four holes to top the 243-man field with a five-day total of 14-under-par 341 at the Rayong Green Valley Country Club.

Lee is among the 44 players, including former winners Australian David Gleeson, India’s Himmat Rai, Thailand’s Thammanoon Sriroj and Udorn Duangdecha, who secured their Tour cards for the new season after finishing inside top-35 and ties following the 90-hole battle.

Overnight co-leader Sorachut Hansapiban of Thailand stumbled with a bogey on the last to sign for a 68 and finish second on his own. The 27-year-old Thai took solace with his runner-up finish as he finally earned his Tour card after missing out in his last two consecutive attempts.

American Kurt Kitayama, who turns 25 today, gave himself the perfect birthday present when he closed with a 66 to finish three shots back in third place alongside Thailand’s Jakraphan Premsirigorn (66), Australian duo Travis Smyth (68) and Steven Jeffress (70).

The 2018 Asian Tour Qualifying School Final stage saw 243 hopefuls from over 30 countries vying for their playing rights at the start of the week. The first cut was made after 36 holes and a total of 153 players made it into the third and fourth round.

A further cut was made after 72 holes and 78 players progressed into the fifth and final round where a total of 44 players from 12 countries securing their Tour cards for the 2018 season after making the cut-off mark set at two-under-par 353.

Players who missed the grade are eligible to play on the Asian Development Tour (ADT), which was launched as a gateway to the region’s premier Tour in 2010. The top-five finishers on the ADT Order of Merit at the end of the season will be awarded with playing rights on the Asian Tour for the following season.

Did you know?

Seungtaek Lee topped the class in his first attempt at the Asian Tour Qualifying School. He became the second Korean following Yikeun Chang in 2016 to win the Asian Tour Qualifying School.
Lee earns an elusive spot at the prestigious SMBC Singapore Open next week, thanks to his victory at the Qualifying School.
The 22-year-old Lee had enjoyed a tied-13th place finish previously at the 2017 Shinhan Donghae Open on home soil.
Lee turned professional three years ago and has been plying his trade on his domestic circuit prior to his campaign at the Asian Tour Qualifying School this week.
Lee opened his campaign with three consecutive 69s before closing with two straight 67s to top the field.
Sorachut Hansapiban secured his Asian Tour card in his third attempt at the Qualifying School this week. He missed the grade in his last two attempts in 2016 and 2017.
The 27-year-old Sorachut has been plying his trade on the ADT since 2016 and has come close to winning on several occasions.
Kurt Kitayama, a former University of Nevada-Las Vegas standout, turned professional in 2015 and has played on the Web.com Tour for the past two years. He is currently based in Las Vegas.
Kitayama, who secured his Asian Tour card in his first attempt at the Qualifying School this week, is celebrating his 25th birthday today.
Jakraphan Premsirigorn finally secured his Asian Tour card for the first time in his fifth attempt at the Qualifying School. He had missed out in his previous attempts in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.
Jakraphan is a one-time winner on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) in 2013. He claimed his best result on the Asian Tour following a tied-ninth finish at the 2014 King’s Cup.
The 26-year-old Jakraphan notched seven top-10 finishes on the ADT last year to end the season in 10th place on the final ADT Order of Merit, missing out on his 2018 Asian Tour card by five rungs.
A total of 44 players from 12 countries earn their Asian Tour cards for the 2018 season. The countries represented are Australia (11), Korea (10), Thailand (7), United States (3), Japan (3), England (2), New Zealand (2), India (2), Spain (1), Sri Lanka (1), Argentina (1) and South Africa (1).
Former Tour champions Thammanoon Sriroj and Udorn Duangdecha of Thailand, Himmat Rai of India and Australian David Gleeson, successfuly regained their playing rights on the Asian Tour for the 2018 season. Thammanoon signed for a 69 to finish tied-11th on 347 while Gleeson (69), Rai (74) and Udorn (67) were amongst those bunched in 34th place on 353.

Players’ quotes:

Seungtaek Lee (Kor) – Final round 67 (-4), Total 341 (-14)

I am really happy to win the Asian Tour Qualifying School. This is my first attempt and I have played really well all week. I was a little nervous at the start of the week because of the big field and I know there are a lot of good players here.

I just played my own game out there and not think about anything else. After the three consecutive birdies from 15, I was trying to go for the win. I think I was being too aggressive coming down the 18th hole as I misjudged the distance with my approach shot and hit the roof of the marquee.

Luckily the ball dropped down and rolled back on to the green. I was very lucky there. I didn’t get off to a good start. I made a double-bogey on the fourth but bounced back with an eagle-two on sixth. From there, I just played my own game.

I made a long birdie putt from about 14 metres on 16 and I knocked it down with my second shot on 17 to about two metres before sinking that putt. I had a good run coming home and it gave me a lot of confidence.

It’s been a great week for me. I have a good friend Giwhan Kim who is playing on Tour so I am looking forward to joining him now. I am thrilled to earn a spot at the SMBC Singapore Open next week. I am very excited now because it’s a big tournament.

Sorachut Hansapiban (Tha) – Final round 68 (-3), Total 342 (-13)

I am pretty disappointed with the bogey on the last as it costed me a spot at the Singapore Open next week. But overall, I am pleased with how I played, not just today but the entire week. It has been a grueling test playing 90 holes this week so to finish second, I can’t complain.

This is my third time attempting to get my Asian Tour card at the Qualifying School. I am glad I finally made it. I tried my best this week. I have a lot of positives to take into the new season.

Kurt Kitayama (Usa) – Final round 66 (-5), Total 344 (-11)

I hit a lot better today and I sank more putts. I made a few up and downs as well. I had four birdies in a row today. I know those holes are pretty scorable so I just took advantage of my solid wedge-play today.

I hit the pin on the sixth hole with my wedge shot today before tapping in for birdie. I came through the first stage of the Qualifying School last week. It was quite a grind and I finally got used to everything. It was a lot better this week.

This is my first attempt at the Asian Tour Qualifying School. It was a good experience. I came from Chigo, California and I went to school at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. I have heard about the Asian Tour from my friends before so I thought it will be a good opportunity for me to travel around the world if I can come and try out here.

Jakraphan Premsirigorn (Tha) – Final round 66 (-5), Total 344 (-11)

I putted really good today. I started the week with a four-over 75 so to finish with three straight 66s, I am really happy with the way I played. I made a long putt from about 20 feet to save par on the 14th hole.

This is my sixth time trying out at the Qualifying School. I missed out in all my previous attempts so I am very glad that I finally earn my Asian Tour card this week. I tried to play my way onto the Asian Tour through the ADT last couple of years.

I came close last year but unfortunately didn’t manage to finish inside top-five on the ADT Order of Merit. This week’s result will make up for the disappointments over the years.

Ends.

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Sentosa, Singapore, January 19: Chapchai Nirat of Thailand rolled back the years and carded a blistering seven-under-par 64 and a seven-under-par 135 total to capture the clubhouse lead of the SMBC Singapore Open on Friday. Longtime fans of Singapore’s National Open will remember his many exploits on the Serapong course. In 2012, he surged to […]

This year, the burley 34-year-old did not put a foot wrong in round two as he fired seven birdies to lead by one shot over Tirawat Kaewsiribandit of Thailand and Shaun Norris of South Africa.

Jarin Todd of United States joins Kapur at tied-third. Nine golfers, which includes major winner Louis Oosthuizen, are a shot behind Kapur and Todd at four-under-par.

Choo Tze Huang is Singapore’s best finisher on Friday. He is currently three-under-par.

Round two play was abandoned at 4.42pm local time due to lightning threats. 78 players will resume their rounds at 7.40am local time on Saturday, with round three starting no later than 12.50pm.

Did you know:

Chapchai Nirat holds the Asian Tour record for the lowest 72-hole score. He finished the 2009 SAIL Open 32-under-par 256. Also, his 11-shot winning margin shares the record for third highest on the Asian Tour.
He had a phenomenal run on the Asian Tour. Chapchai has never lost his playing card from 2005 to 2016 and he has earned at least US$100,000 every season. He enjoyed his best year in 2007, when he earned US$442,325.
Chapchai has a pretty good record at the Singapore Open. His best results were tied-seventh in 2008 and 2012. Out of the 10 Singapore Open tournaments he competed in, he only missed the cut twice.
Tirawat Kaewsiribandit ended 2017 ranked 316th on the Official World Golf Ranking list.
2017 marked the first time he was placed within the top-60 of the Asian Tour Order of Merit. He earned US$118,481 and was ranked 36th.
Shaun Norris is a two-time winner on the Asian Tour. He won the Yeangder Tournament Players Championship in 2015 and the Leopalace21 Myanmar Open in 2016.
He will be participating in The Open this year by virtue of his tied-third finish at last year’s Joburg Open. It will be his second consecutive appearance at the major tournament.
Shiv Kapur enjoyed moderate success at previous editions of the SMBC Singapore Open. He has always made the cut, but he finished tied-64th and tied-51st in 2016 and 2017 respectively.
He overcame the disappointment of missing the cut at three consecutive tournaments by winning his first Asian Tour title in 11 years in Chinese Taipei, at the Yeangder Heritage.

Player Interviews:

Chapchai Nirat (Tha) – Second Round 64 (-7), Total 135 (-7)

For this tournament, I didn’t think too much and I didn’t set any target. I’m just enjoying the experience and trying to get used to my new golf swing as well as getting a better swing rhythm.

Tirawat Kaewsiribandit – Second Round 70 (-1), Total 136 (-6)

My highlight was the par-four hole 13th. It is a tough hole and I made long birdie putt, about 20 feet, and that is the changing point of the day. After that I played with more confidence.

My plan in the next two rounds is to try to finish each round with at least two-under-par.

Shaun Norris (Rsa) – Second Round 67 (-4), Total 136 (-6)

We always think it’s (the winning score at the tournament) going to be a lot lower than what it is, I think it can get to about 14-under-par, but we’ll see what happens.

Shiv Kapur (Ind) – Second Round 67 (-4), Total 137 (-5)

Three-putting at the last hole left a sour taste in my mouth. Small margins here, but I played pretty well.

Scores after round 2 of the SMBC Singapore Open being played at the par 71, 7398 Yards Sentosa GC course (am – denotes amateur):

135 – Chapchai NIRAT (THA) 71-64.

136 – Tirawat KAEWSIRIBANDIT (THA) 66-70, Shaun NORRIS (RSA) 69-67.

137 – Shiv KAPUR (IND) 70-67, Jarin TODD (USA) 71-66.

139 – CHOO Tze Huang (SIN) 70-69, Jazz JANEWATTANANOND (THA) 71-68, Poom SAKSANSIN (THA) 70-69.

140 – Arjun ATWAL (IND) 73-67, Yoshinori FUJIMOTO (JPN) 68-72, Thanyakon KHRONGPHA (THA) 70-70, Jesse YAP (am, SIN) 68-72, Shunya TAKEYASU (JPN) 69-71.

Ends.

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Sentosa, Singapore, January 18: Sergio Garcia of Spain and Kurt Kitayama of United States shot matching five-under-par 66s in round one to share the clubhouse lead at the US$1 million SMBC Singapore Open. Garcia took a while to warm up at the Asian Tour season-opener. The reigning Masters Tournament champion, who teed off at the […]

However, a birdie-eagle finish on his opening nine helped him find his rhythm and he went on to sink another three birdies before he ended his round.

After finishing tied-third at the Asian Tour Qualifying School last week, Kitayama is physically tired but in high spirits after a great opening round.

Casey O’Toole of the United States, Koumei Oda of Japan and ex Singapore Open champion Jyoti Randhawa carded matching 68s to share second place.

Tirawat Kaewsiribandit of Thailand was on his way to share, or even seize the lead before play was suspended at 5.03pm due to lightning risk. The 28-year-old is five-under-par through 16 holes.

Tirawat birdied the fourth and fired three consecutive birdies from the 16th to 18th to make the turn at 31. The siren sounded after he teed off from the 8th tee box.

78 players have yet to complete round one. They will resume play on Friday, 7.40am.

Did you know:

Kurt Kitayama celebrated his 25th birthday just a week ago, on 14th January.
The American is enjoying a rich vein of form at the moment. He was tied-third at the Asian Tour Qualifying School (and earned his Asian Tour card for 2018) and finished first at the SMBC Singapore Open Qualifying Tournament.
He hails from Chico, California and he went to school at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. Kitayama is ethnically Japanese but he doesn’t speak the language.
Sergio Garcia officially switched his equipment brand in early 2018.
He won the 2017 Masters Tournament on what would have been compatriot Seve Ballesteros’ 60th birthday.
Garcia is expecting the arrival of his first child in March this year, just in time before he defends his title at this year’s Masters Tournament.
Along with the one he scored in Singapore, Casey O’Toole has two hole-in-ones in his professional career. He scored one last year in Malaysia at the Royal Selangor Golf Club, also with a seven iron.
He won the Asian Development Tour (ADT) Order of Merit in 2015. The ADT is the feeder circuit of the Asian Tour.
O’Toole kept his Asian Tour card for 2018 by virtue of his 58th place finish on last year’s Asian Tour Order of Merit list.
Tirawat Kaewsiribandit enjoyed a tied-11th finish at last year’s SMBC Singapore Open. He shot a five-under-par 66 in round three to get within one shot of the lead, but his tournament unraveled after a 74 on Sunday.
He is a winner on the Asian Development Tour. He won the Betagro All Thailand Championship by three strokes. More impressively, he did it while fighting a back injury.
Tirawat was close to winning his maiden Asian Tour title at the Indonesia Open, but Panuphol Pittayarat was just in irresistible form during that tournament.

Player Interviews:

Kurt Kitayama (Usa) – First Round 66 (-5)

I feel really good about my round. I started with a birdie and I just let it roll from there. I had some good tee shots, which I think, is the biggest thing for this course.

I’m a little tired, but I’m hanging in there. Whenever I have time off, I’ll try not to think too much about golf.

Now that I have an Asian Tour card (after finishing tied-third at the Asian Tour Qualifying School), I’m definitely looking forward to playing on the Asian Tour this year.

Sergio Garcia (Esp) – First Round 66 (-5)

I’ll keep trusting myself. I’m really comfortable with the equipment that I have. The driver feels great and the ball is amazing. It’s a matter of believing and being positive.

I’ll probably chill a little bit. I did a lot of things right, but I still have lots to work on. I’ll try to stay cool, have a nice dinner and get ready for tomorrow.

Casey O’Toole (Usa) – First Round 68 (-3)

I just got engaged, so my fiancée will probably have a lot to say on how those points will be used. We’ll figure it out.

Tirawat Kaewsiribandit (Tha) – five-under through 16 holes

I putted very well today. I also hit irons well and found many fairways. Before this tournament, I had an injury on my foreman. I need to relax and look to playing well.

I’m very happy now, despite not being able to finish my round. I’m just looking forward to carding a good score after 18 holes tomorrow.

Scores after round 1 of the SMBC Singapore Open being played at the par 71, 7398 Yards Sentosa GC course (am – denotes amateur):

66 – Sergio GARCIA (ESP), Kurt KITAYAMA (USA).

68 – Casey O’TOOLE (USA), Koumei ODA (JPN), Jyoti RANDHAWA (IND).

73 – Shota AKIYOSHI (JPN), Danny CHIA (MAS), Sihwan KIM (USA), Jake HIGGINBOTTOM (AUS), Yasunobu FUKUNAGA (JPN), Daisuke MARUYAMA (JPN), Rikuya HOSHINO (JPN), Chiragh KUMAR (IND).

Ends.

About Asian Tour

As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), FENIX XCell (Official Apparel Supplier), Titleist (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.

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Sentosa, Singapore, January 17: Prayad Marksaeng of Thailand is feeling physically fantastic and he is ready to defend his title at the US$1 million SMBC Singapore Open that starts tomorrow. Last year, the 51-year-old held off the challenge of the likes of compatriot Phachara Khongwatmai and Korea’s Younghan Song, golfers who are a fraction of […]

Sentosa, Singapore, January 17: Prayad Marksaeng of Thailand is feeling physically fantastic and he is ready to defend his title at the US$1 million SMBC Singapore Open that starts tomorrow.

The affable golfer attributed his good form to a clean and healthy lifestyle. He sleeps early, exercises regularly and refrains from smoking as well as drinking.

Marquee golfers Sergio Garcia of Spain and Ryo Ishikawa of Japan will also be teeing off at the Sentosa Golf Club.

The SMBC Singapore Open is jointly-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Japan Golf Tour Organization.

Did you know:

Prayad Marksaeng was never in the top-10 in the first three rounds of the 2017 SMBC Singapore Open. He was four shots off the leader, Adam Scott, going into Sunday.
He waited for two hours before he was confirmed as the champion. Prayad was in the earlier groupings and he had the privilege of enjoying his lunch while seeing the leading pack falter.
Prayad will be teeing off on Thursday with 2016 SMBC Singapore Open champion Younghan Song and Japan Golf Tour Organization 2017 prize money list leader Yusaku Miyazato.
Apart from his win in 2017, Prayad’s best performance at the Singapore Open was tied-10th in 2010.
Sergio Garcia is competing at the SMBC Singapore Open for the second consecutive year. In 2017, he carded a five-under-par 279 total and finished tied-11th.
The Spaniard has been very successful in the region. He won the 2012 Iskandar Johor Open in Malaysia, 2013 Thailand Golf Championship in Thailand and the 2015 Ho Tram Open in Vietnam.
Garcia is nominated for the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award this year for his Masters triumph in 2017.
Ryo Ishikawa is the youngest player to win on any of the major tours worldwide. He was 15 years old when he won the Munsingwear Open KSB Cup.
He turned professional when he was 16 years old and has won 14 times on the Japan Golf Tour so far.
Ishikawa received a special exemption to the Masters in 2013. That year, he finished tied-38th.

Player interviews:

Prayad Marksaeng (Tha)

I play at the end of the year at the Royal Cup and practiced a lot to prepare for this tournament and hopefully, play even better than last year and defend my title.

I’m in good shape and am ready to play against the younger players. I take care of myself quite well – I sleep early, don’t drink or smoke, exercise and practice a lot to prepare myself.

I want to perform my best for the Asian Tour, Japan Golf Tour and Japan Senior Tour and hope to be the champion for Japan Golf Tour.

Sergio Garcia (Esp)

Last year was amazing but it definitely went by fast. It doesn’t feel like it’s been a year, and we’re back here again. Usually when it goes quickly it’s because it’s fun.

Ryo Ishikawa (Jpn)

The people (in Singapore) are so kind. The weather looks like it is going to be alright. Today, I played in the pro-am, which had nice weather. My flight mates are nice and I enjoyed the round.

There are so many Japanese here in Singapore. I was in Orchard Road, my countrymen were greeting me. I’m happy to be here. I want to show my best golf to my fans here.

I’ve managed to win four times in 2009. That’s my record. I just want to beat that record. I’m just going one step at a time and hopefully, start with win here.

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Sentosa, Singapore, January 17: In a tremendous development for golf in Singapore and the region, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) announced today they will title sponsor Singapore’s National Open for three more years. On the eve of the first round of the 2018 SMBC Singapore Open, and to the delight of everyone involved with the tournament, […]

“The Singapore Golf Association is truly delighted that SMBC have committed to our tournament for an additional three years,” said Ross Tan, President, Singapore Golf Association.

“This is outstanding news for the Singapore Open,” said Patrick Feizal Joyce, Vice President, Golf – Asia, Lagardère Sports.

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Sentosa, Singapore, 16 January: Gavin Green will be unfazed by the big names and the pressure of being the Asian Tour Order of Merit champion at the SMBC Singapore Open that starts on Thursday. The big-hitting Malaysian had a very successful 2017 on the Asian Tour, evident from his number one position on the merit […]

Sentosa, Singapore, 16 January: Gavin Green will be unfazed by the big names and the pressure of being the Asian Tour Order of Merit champion at the SMBC Singapore Open that starts on Thursday.

The experiences on Tour have helped shaped Green into a better golfer and he’ll be looking to use the things that he has learned in 2017 to excel this year, starting at the SMBC Singapore Open.

Did you know:

Gavin Green is the second youngest Order of Merit champion in Asian Tour history. Korean Noh Seung-yul was 19 years old when he won the merit race in 2010.
He is the first Malaysian to win the Order of Merit.
Green is ranked first in driving distance in 2017, averaging 314.08 yards off the tee.
Quincy Quek’s tied-26th finish at the SMBC Singapore Open was his best on the Asian Tour in 2017.
He won once on the Asian Development Tour, at the 2012 Orchard Golf Championship.
The SMBC Singapore Open will be part of The Open Qualifying Series for 2018. The leading four places (not otherwise exempt) who finish in the top 12 and ties will secure their spots at The 147th Open at Carnoustie from July 19 to 22.
This year marks the 52nd edition of Singapore’s National Open.
The SMBC Singapore Open is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the JGTO for the third consecutive year.

Player Interviews:

Gavin Green (Mas)

Quincy Quek (Sgp)

When SMBC are the title sponsors of the tournament, the event has been done really well and the turnout has been really good. I look forward to playing in front of the home crowd.

I’m just looking to go out there and play well just like every other week. If I can keep it on the fairways, hit the greens and create birdie chances, then the score will inevitably be a good one.

Pat Perez (Usa)

I have been playing well for about 15 months now. I have a lot of confidence in what I am doing and I am very excited to be playing so well.

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Sentosa, Singapore, January 15: American Kurt Kitayama earned a spot at the SMBC Singapore Open after carding a six-under-par 65 at the Qualifying Tournament today. It has been a great start to 2018 and a fruitful venture to Asia so far for the 25-year-old golfer. Yesterday, he celebrated his birthday by finishing tied-third at the […]

Sentosa, Singapore, January 15: American Kurt Kitayama earned a spot at the SMBC Singapore Open after carding a six-under-par 65 at the Qualifying Tournament today.

After topping the Qualifying Tournament, he’ll be looking forward to playing alongside the best players from the Asian Tour and the Japan Golf Tour at the US$1 million event.

Kitayama scored seven birdies at Sentosa Golf Club’s Tanjong course and his scorecard would have been flawless if not for a bogey on the 12th.

“I can’t wait to play on the Serapong. I heard it’s a great golf course!” he added.

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Shah Alam, Malaysia, January 14: Team Europe, captained by Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn, dominated the Singles matches to earn a hard-fought win over Team Asia with a 14-10 victory to retain the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM on Sunday. After trailing Team Asia over the last two days, Europe surmounted a gallant fightback to win eight […]

After trailing Team Asia over the last two days, Europe surmounted a gallant fightback to win eight out of 12 matches in the Singles format at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club.

“It was a great performance today from every single one of them, they came off the golf course yesterday and there was a determination and a will of wanting to win this,” said Bjorn.

France’s Alexander Levy then brought Europe to within a point of retaining the EurAsia Cup when he defeated Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat 3&1.

The winning moment for Europe came on the 18th hole when Belgium’s Thomas Pieters beat Korea’s Byeonghun An by one hole.

England’s Tyrrell Hatton then won 2&1 against India’s Anirban Lahiri to make it 13 ½ -7 ½ with three matches remaining.

“It can swing very much on the last day and we showed today that if you are good and strong on Sundays, you can win these things,” said Bjorn.

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Shah Alam, Malaysia, January 14: Team Asia’s captain Arjun Atwal praised his charges despite falling 10-14 to Team Europe at the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM on Sunday. Atwal’s team had led for two days after the Fourball and Foursomes matches but were outplayed by Team Europe in the Singles matches at the Glenmarie Golf […]

Shah Alam, Malaysia, January 14: Team Asia’s captain Arjun Atwal praised his charges despite falling 10-14 to Team Europe at the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM on Sunday.

Atwal’s team had led for two days after the Fourball and Foursomes matches but were outplayed by Team Europe in the Singles matches at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club.

While his team fell short on the final day, Atwal was delighted to witness the talent on display, particularly from the young Thai duo of Poom Saksansin and Phachara Khongwatmai.

“Look at the way he (Phachara) handled himself under pressure. If I was 18, I don’t know if I would be able to do what he did this week by playing in this type of pressure,” said Atwal.

With the conclusion of the third edition of the EurAsia Cup, Atwal hopes to revive his memories and stand proud as a captain one day again.

“I had a lot of fun and I had an absolute blast this week. Even though we didn’t win, they are all champions and for me personally, I would do this in a heartbeat again,” said Atwal.

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Shah Alam, Malaysia, January 14: Thailand’s Poom Saksansin emerged as one of the stand-out performers for Team Asia in the Singles matches which were dominated by a victorious Team Europe at the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM on Sunday. The 24-year-old Poom defeated world number 14 Paul Casey of England in a pulsating match, emerging […]

The 24-year-old Poom defeated world number 14 Paul Casey of England in a pulsating match, emerging victorious by 1-hole at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club.

Yuta Ikeda of Japan enjoyed a perfect debut in the tournament after winning his match against Ross Fisher by 1-hole. Another debutant Li Haotong of China secured a 3&1 win over Paul Dunne of Ireland.

The baby-faced Poom was in the second Singles match of the day and recorded Asia’s first point of the day after holding his nerve to defeat Casey on the 18th hole.

“I feel proud of myself that I get a point for Team Asia. He (Casey) played very good but maybe he had bad luck because the ball doesn’t go into the hole,” said Poom.

“I’m so happy I made Arjun proud as well. He told me ‘Good job, I love you,” said Poom.

The world number 36 Ikeda contributed three points to Team Asia and remained unbeaten in the EurAsia Cup when claimed his third victory in the showpiece.

First timer Li held his head high after contributing 2 ½ points which included the final point earned by Team Asia in the Singles matches.

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About MMC Corporation Berhad

MMC Corporation Berhad (MMC) is a leading utilities and infrastructure group with diversified businesses under three divisions, namely ports & logistics, energy & utilities and engineering & construction.Its key businesses under the Ports and Logistics division include the operations of Port of Tanjung Pelepas Sdn Bhd, Johor Port Berhad, Northport (Malaysia) Bhd, Penang Port Sdn Bhd, Kontena Nasional Berhad and JP Logistics. Internationally, MMC has an associate stake in Red Sea Gateway Terminal Company Limited, a container port terminal within the Jeddah Islamic Port, Saudi Arabia. Under the Energy & Utilities division, MMC is the single largest shareholder of both Malakoff Corporation Berhad and Gas Malaysia Berhad.MMC’s Engineering & Construction division has further established itself in the sector with a leading role as the Project Delivery Partner (PDP) and underground works package contractor for the 51km Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (KVMRT) project (Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line) and Line 2 project (Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya Line). Prior to this, MMC has successfully completed the 329km Ipoh-Padang Besar Electrified Double Tracking Project as well as the innovative Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (SMART) motorway, the first-of-its-kind dual-purpose tunnel in the world.MMC continues to make inroads in the construction industry, securing key civil and infrastructure projects in the country namely Langat Centralised Sewerage Treatment Plant, Langat 2 Water Treatment Plant, civil and infrastructure works for RAPID Pengerang Cogeneration Plant. Additionally, MMC has a 20% effective interest in Borneo Highway PDP Sdn Bhd (BHP) which has been appointed as PDP for the Sabah Pan Borneo Highway Project.In other businesses, MMC owns Aliran Ihsan Resources Berhad, a water treatment plant operator and Senai Airport Terminal Services Sdn Bhd, the operator of Senai International Airport in Johor Bahru; a major aviation hub and the main air transportation gateway to Iskandar Malaysia. Additionally, MMC’s Group Property arm manages close to 6,000 acres of industrial developments in Iskandar Malaysia, Johor and Kulim, Kedah, namely Senai Airport City, Tanjung Bin Petrochemical & Maritime Industrial Centre (TBPMIC) and Northern Technocity in Kulim. The Senai Airport City, TBPMIC and NTC (NTC) developments come under the ambit of Group Property’s three operating companies – Senai Airport City Sdn Bhd, Seaport Worldwide Sdn Bhd and Northern Technocity Sdn Bhd respectively.

Rayong, Thailand, January 14: Korea’s Seungtaek Lee outclassed the field by closing with a second straight four-under-par 67 to claim a one-shot victory at the Asian Tour Qualifying School Final Stage presented by Sports Authority of Thailand on Sunday. The 22-year-old Lee, playing his first attempt at the Asian Tour Qualifying School, fired three birdies […]

Did you know?

Seungtaek Lee topped the class in his first attempt at the Asian Tour Qualifying School. He became the second Korean following Yikeun Chang in 2016 to win the Asian Tour Qualifying School.
Lee earns an elusive spot at the prestigious SMBC Singapore Open next week, thanks to his victory at the Qualifying School.
The 22-year-old Lee had enjoyed a tied-13th place finish previously at the 2017 Shinhan Donghae Open on home soil.
Lee turned professional three years ago and has been plying his trade on his domestic circuit prior to his campaign at the Asian Tour Qualifying School this week.
Lee opened his campaign with three consecutive 69s before closing with two straight 67s to top the field.
Sorachut Hansapiban secured his Asian Tour card in his third attempt at the Qualifying School this week. He missed the grade in his last two attempts in 2016 and 2017.
The 27-year-old Sorachut has been plying his trade on the ADT since 2016 and has come close to winning on several occasions.
Kurt Kitayama, a former University of Nevada-Las Vegas standout, turned professional in 2015 and has played on the Web.com Tour for the past two years. He is currently based in Las Vegas.
Kitayama, who secured his Asian Tour card in his first attempt at the Qualifying School this week, is celebrating his 25th birthday today.
Jakraphan Premsirigorn finally secured his Asian Tour card for the first time in his fifth attempt at the Qualifying School. He had missed out in his previous attempts in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.
Jakraphan is a one-time winner on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) in 2013. He claimed his best result on the Asian Tour following a tied-ninth finish at the 2014 King’s Cup.
The 26-year-old Jakraphan notched seven top-10 finishes on the ADT last year to end the season in 10th place on the final ADT Order of Merit, missing out on his 2018 Asian Tour card by five rungs.
A total of 44 players from 12 countries earn their Asian Tour cards for the 2018 season. The countries represented are Australia (11), Korea (10), Thailand (7), United States (3), Japan (3), England (2), New Zealand (2), India (2), Spain (1), Sri Lanka (1), Argentina (1) and South Africa (1).
Former Tour champions Thammanoon Sriroj and Udorn Duangdecha of Thailand, Himmat Rai of India and Australian David Gleeson, successfuly regained their playing rights on the Asian Tour for the 2018 season. Thammanoon signed for a 69 to finish tied-11th on 347 while Gleeson (69), Rai (74) and Udorn (67) were amongst those bunched in 34th place on 353.

Players’ quotes:

Seungtaek Lee (Kor) – Final round 67 (-4), Total 341 (-14)

Sorachut Hansapiban (Tha) – Final round 68 (-3), Total 342 (-13)

This is my third time attempting to get my Asian Tour card at the Qualifying School. I am glad I finally made it. I tried my best this week. I have a lot of positives to take into the new season.

Kurt Kitayama (Usa) – Final round 66 (-5), Total 344 (-11)

Jakraphan Premsirigorn (Tha) – Final round 66 (-5), Total 344 (-11)

I came close last year but unfortunately didn’t manage to finish inside top-five on the ADT Order of Merit. This week’s result will make up for the disappointments over the years.

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