Melbourne, November 24: Korea’s Byeonghun An and Siwoo Kim remained in the hunt for their country’s first ISPS HANDA Melbourne World Cup of Golf title after battling to a four-under-par 68 in the penultimate round’s fourball match on Saturday.

An and Kim fired an eagle and four birdies against two bogeys to trail by five shots in second place alongside Abraham Ancer and Roberto Diaz of Mexico (65) and Italy’s (66) Andrea Pavan and Renato Paratore.

It was Belgium’s Thomas Pieters and Thomas Detry who pulled away from the chasing pack after signing for a commanding 63 and a three-day total of 19-under-par 197 at The Metropolitan Golf Club. They had held a share of the overnight two-shot lead with Korea.

Indian duo Anirban Lahiri and Gaganjeet Bhullar, who started the round in tied-third place, conceded they failed to produce their A-games after posting a two-under-par 70. They slipped nine shots off the pace to tie in 11th position at the prestigious US$7 million event.

Despite struggling to keep their momentum going, Malaysia’s Gavin Green and Ben Leong held their heads up as they signed for a 72 to settle for tied-15th place on 208.

The 56-man field from 28 countries, including six Asian nations, is vying to hoist the famous trophy in the event, won previously by many legends of the games.

The tournament will switch back to foursomes format for the all-important final round on Sunday.

Did you know?

• Team Korea of Byeonghun An and Siwoo Kim fired an eagle and four birdies against two bogeys for a round of 68. An contributed the eagle on 16th after sinking an uphill putt from about 60 feet.
• An and Kim, who averaged 25 years old, is the youngest pair amongst the six two-man Asian teams in the 28-nation team competition. Byeonghun An is 27 years old while Siwoo Kim is 23.
• An, highest-ranked player from Korea, is a one-time winner on the European Tour while Kim has won twice on the PGA Tour. Kim is the first player from Asia to win twice on the PGA Tour before the age of 23.
• An is making his second appearance in the World Cup of Golf while Kim is playing for the first time in his career.
• Best results by a Korean team at the World Cup of Golf is fifth place in 1971 (Chang Sang Hahn / Seung Hak Kim) and 1982 (Chang Sang Hahn / Sang Ho Choi)
• Team India of Anirban Lahiri and Gaganjeet Bhullar traded five birdies against three bogeys for a battling round of 70 in the fourball match on Saturday. Lahiri contributed three birdies while Bhullar made two for the team. Lahiri and Bhullar each dropped a shot on the third and 17th respectively.
• They hold a combined total of 16 victories on the Asian Tour, which includes three co-sanctioned wins on the European Tour.
• Lahiri, now a regular player on the PGA Tour, is a two-time International team member of the Presidents Cup. He is also the Asian Tour Order of Merit champion in 2015.
• Lahiri, 31, and Bhullar, 30, have represented India together in numerous team competitions since their amateur days. They featured in the Eisenhower Cup, Nomura Cup and Asian Games, delivering a team silver in 2006, before venturing almost at the same time into the play-for-pay ranks where they also represented Team Asia in the inaugural EurAsia Cup in 2013.
• India’s best finish of ninth place in the event was achieved by Arjun Atwal and Jyoti Randhawa in Portugal in 2005.
• Team Malaysia of Ben Leong and Gavin Green returned with a round of three birdies against an equal number of bogeys. They had carded a commendable 63 in the four-ball opening round on Thursday.
• Malaysia’s best finish was in 1994 when M. Ramayah and the late P. Gunasegaran emerged ninth in Puerto Rico while at the 2016 World Cup in Melbourne, Danny Chia and Nicholas Fung ended up joint 22nd.
• Leong won his first Asian Tour title in 2008 before suffering from a disc prolapse in 2012. He has shown signs of returning to his best form in the last few years. Leong, a two-time Asian Development Tour (ADT) winner, has claimed two top-10s on the Asian Tour so far this season.
• Green, who claimed his maiden Asian Tour victory in Chinese Taipei last year, became the first Malaysian to lift the Asian Tour Order of Merit trophy in 2017.
• Green played his way onto the main Tour from the ADT, where he has won on three occasions. He finished second on the 2016 ADT Order of Merit to earn his Asian Tour card for 2017.

Players’ quotes:

Byeonghun An (Kor)

We struggled all day so it was fun to get that eagle on 16. There aren’t many birdies and we weren’t making any putts.

He didn’t hit it so close on that hole but somehow made a two‑putt from there, and my eagle putt wasn’t the easiest because it was an uphill putt and quite long, probably 60 feet. Making that definitely was my only highlight of the day and that really helps.

Bogey on 17 kind of hurts a little bit, but bouncing back with a birdie on 18 definitely keeps the momentum going. I had a good shot into it and Siwoo made a great putt, so we just got to keep this momentum going tomorrow.

We played well in the foursomes under tough conditions yesterday.  He seems to play better when he’s under pressure.  He had some great drives yesterday with the tough conditions.

As long as we keep driving like we did today and hopefully the putter gets hot, I think we’ll score some low scores.  I’ll try to give plenty of birdie chances for him tomorrow, that’s my goal.

It would be unbelievable if we can pull it off tomorrow. We are five shots back, and if we finish second we will be very happy, first of all, to be realistic because we saw them (Team Belgium) play today and it was flawless.

They seem like good teammates.  You never know what’s going to happen. I think if it was a four‑ball tomorrow I think it would be a little tougher, but foursomes, you don’t know what’s going to happen.

We definitely need our best golf, and to win it, win will be great definitely, representing your country.  It’s not going to be easy, but lifting the trophy definitely will be a bonus in my career, that’s for sure.

Siwoo Kim (Kor)

He gave me less pressure today. He tapped it in for birdie on the last which was good. On the 16th hole, we needed a birdie but he made that eagle.

There are a lot of good teams but I think it’s fine. If we play good tomorrow, we still have a chance.

Anirban Lahiri (Ind)

I think we got off to a bad start and then we recovered quite well.  I think we made like four birdies in five holes on the front nine to kind of get some momentum.  And then just around the turn I think we hit a couple of very good shots on the 11th hole but both of us caught bad breaks there and made bogey.

I think after that, given that today was a day to go low, I think it was a case of also trying a little hard and, you know, sometimes when you push hard, it pushes back. I hit a lot of bad shots and I kind of left him hanging a little bit and that adds pressure. The flow that needs to be there wasn’t there, but it’s over now so we’ve got to focus on tomorrow.

It’s going to be important tomorrow to, you know, stay focused right through the round.  I think there were times on the course that both of us lost focus a little bit, so tomorrow’s going to be a good opportunity because it’s going to be a tougher format. If we go out there and play our best, we can really pick up some ground.

Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind)

It was tough. I think we both didn’t play very well like we did yesterday and the day before.  There were a lot of, you know, weak links today.  I guess they were quite a few holes where we both struggled at the same time and I think in this format one needs to be in play.

But otherwise, I mean, we were very comfortable, we were riding high in confidence, but it was just like one of those days where we tried hard but nothing went inside the hole.

I think yesterday we guys were very comfortable with our game plan and we guys played really solid and the goal is just to repeat what we did and, you know, just work on a few other aspects. Obviously once we finish lunch, we’ll have all will have a chat and make a solid plan for tomorrow.

It’s a different format from what we played back in 2013 and, you know, this kind of format, I think everybody’s enjoying it.  Obviously as a team, you know, we enjoy more of this format than what we played in 2013.

It’s also been five years. We’re both now professionals for around 10 years, so we come in with a lot more experience.  I think that also makes a big difference.  We’ve played together on many teams before, including the EurAsia Cup two times.  I think that’s definitely been an added advantage coming into this week.

Gavin Green (Mas)

It was just frustrating, couldn’t get anything going.  I guess it is what it is. For the foursomes tomorrow, we will just keep it the same as the second day and keep it in play and keep it simple. Hopefully some putts drop for us.

We didn’t drop some putts today. We just walked away with pars and I didn’t capitalize on the par 5s, so struggled there.

Ben Leong (Mas)

Made two birdies today. On the 10th hole, I had a great distance with a wedge shot from 112 yards, hit it to six feet and made the putt. On the 16th hole, I hit a good drive to the front edge of the green, chipped it to eight or nine feet and made the putt.

Ends.

Hong Kong, November 24: England’s Aaron Rai extended his overnight advantage from four to six shots by signing for a third round two-under-par 68 at the HONMA Hong Kong Open presented by Amundi on Saturday.

The 23-year-old traded four birdies against two bogeys to compile a three-day total of 16-under-par 194, a score which comfortably kept his compatriots Tommy Fleetwood and Matthew Fitzpatrick at bay at the Hong Kong Golf Club.

Fleetwood signed for a 66 while Fitzpatrick returned with a 68 to share second place on 200 total while Spain’s Sergio Garcia signed for the day’s lowest score after posting a 64 to take tied-fourth place with Australia’s Jason Scrivener.

Thai legend Thongchai Jaidee showed he still can match up against the best players from Asia and Europe despite recently turning 49.

The three-time Asian Tour Order of Merit champion signed for a 66 to tie France’s Victor Perez for sixth place.

With Korea’s Sanghyun Park making his early exit from the tournament, India’s Shubhankar Sharma could extend his merit lead when he returned with a 67 to share 12th place while close rival, Justin Harding of South Africa fired a 67 for tied-20th place.

Did you know?

1. Aaron Rai has won three times on the Challenge Tour and is seeking his first win on the main European Tour this week.
2. He broke the course record at the HONMA Hong Kong Open with a second round 61.
3. When Rai won the Kenya Open last year, his Kenya-born mother tearfully embraced him on the green. This was the first time his mother had returned to the country of her birth since she left it in 1970.
4. Thongchai Jaidee is regarded as one of Asia’s greatest players, thanks to an unprecedented three Order of Merit crowns and 13 career victories
5. Thongchai’s last victory came in 2016 when he won the 100th Open de France.
6. His best result this season so far has been a tied-eight finish at the BMW PGA Championship on the European Tour.
7. He hit 8/14 fairways, 12/18 greens and made a total of 25 putts.
8. Shubhankar Sharma made a total of 31 putts and hit 9/14 fairways as well as 15/18 greens.
9. Sharma won his first Asian Tour title at the Joburg Open in South Africa last December and went on to claim his second victory two months later in Malaysia.
10. Sharma has played in all four Major championships this year, following the footsteps of Jeev Milkha Singh in 2007 and Anirban Lahiri in 2015 and 2016.
11. He is the youngest Indian to do so and he was awarded the prestigious Arjuna Award from the President of India in September.

Players’ Quotes

Aaron Rai (Eng) Third round 68 (-2), Total 194 (-16)

Of course, nothing is ever done until it’s done, and 18 holes is a lot of golf.  So a six-shot lead, a 10-shot lead, anything can happen. You have to be aware of that.  But again, something which I felt a little bit tricky today was still being able to play in the same way but just be smart at the same time. I felt a little bit too much on the back foot. So I’ll probably go back to the hotel and think about how to approach tomorrow.

Sergio Garcia (Esp) Third round 64 (-6) Total, 200 (-9)

I got off to a great start with three birdies in a row there, on two, three and four. I had a couple of good chances on holes one and five which almost went in, and then made a little bit of a soft bogey on the next.  But you know, I played solid.  I gave myself a lot of chances.  We’re going to need a little bit of help from the leaders finishing up, but you know, at least we’re getting a little bit closer. Hopefully I can come out and get off to a good start like I did today and see how it goes.

Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) Third round 66 (-4), Total 202 (-8)

I really enjoy playing here.  This golf course is very challenging because the greens can be very tricky.  I think you have to be mentally strong on this golf course. If you make a mistake, you must bounce back quickly.  My driving has been good and I’ve finally been able to putt well.

Shubhankar Sharma (Ind) Third round 67 (-3) Total 204 (-6)

It’s not too bad, if you look at the scoreboard. But it really could have been better than this.  Yesterday I was five-under through 13 holes total for the tournament and didn’t really finish too well. Even today I felt like I left a few shots out there but six-under is still not a bad position, and a low one tomorrow can really help me. There’s obviously an opportunity to extend my merit lead. But if I just look at the tournament, I’ll take the top-10 right now.  I really want to shoot a low one tomorrow and play well tomorrow and do the right things. The Order of Merit is obviously on my mind, but we can only see what happens by the end.

Justin Harding (Rsa) Third round 67 (-3), Total 205 (-5)

It’s a big month.  It’s a big month to finish off the year on the Asian Tour.  It’s nice to have all the guys up there close, nearby.  I played with Sihwan today. He’s sitting in ninth place on the list.  He’s playing great. In fact, you have a lot of the guys that are obviously playing well, and you’ve got to think that they are going to continue to do so.  So, it’s a matter of getting the job done and doing your business and seeing if you can get lucky and maybe pass a few of them.

Beau Champ, Mauritius, November 23: Khalin Joshi of India is eyeing even more glory at the €1 million (approximately US$1.14 million) AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open that will be played from November 29 to December 2.

The 26-year-old Joshi won his maiden Asian Tour title on home soil last month. Buoyed by his recent achievement, the Bengaluru-based golfer will be brimming with confidence when he tees up at the Four Seasons Golf Club, Mauritius at Anahita next week.

On winning his first Asian Tour title, he said: “It has raised my personal expectations and reshaped my goals. I’m glad to see to see that there are big events like the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open coming up and I’m looking to finish the year strong.”

Joshi recognised his shortcomings at his previous two Mauritius Open tournaments (he missed the cut in 2016 and 2017) but this year, armed with an improved game plan and a winning mindset, he will be prepared for the challenging conditions at the wind-swept island nation.

“I haven’t had a lot of success at the Mauritius Open in the previous two years but nevertheless, it has always been one of my favourite venues on Tour. Being next to the ocean, the course condition is set to be very windy and it’ll be a great test of golf. The key is to keep the ball low, which is what I’m working on.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge. My aim is to play consistently, keep the ball in play and hopefully come Sunday, I’ll be in contention,” said Joshi.

Malcolm Kokocinski of Sweden

He will be part of an elite 156-man field that features more than 20 Asian Tour champions, including Sweden’s Malcolm Kokocinski and Brazil’s Adilson Da Silva, who both like Joshi, have won for the first time on Tour this season.

Joining them are this season’s multiple-time champions, South African Justin Harding and American John Catlin. They are currently ranked sixth and seventh on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings respectively.

Other notable golfers are World Golf Hall of Fame member Ernie Els, who will be making his debut in the tournament as well as defending champion Dylan Frittelli and two-time European Tour champion, Nicolas Colsaerts.

The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, inaugurated in 2015, is the first tournament in international golf to be tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and the Sunshine Tour.

Bangkok, Thailand, November 23: Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond is eager to defend his title for the first time when he tees it up on home soil at the Queen’s Cup hosted by Jaidee Foundation next Thursday.

The 22-year-old Jazz, who cruised to a four-shot triumph in July after a birdie blitz on the final day, will set his sights on becoming the first Thai player to retain the title at the US$500,000 event.

He will be among the strong Thai contingent gunning for the prestigious trophy at the Legacy Golf Club, including Tirawat Kaewsiribandit, Rattanon Wannasrichan, Pavit Tangkamolprasert and Phachara Khongwatmai.

Jazz first entered the winner’s circle in 2017 when he claimed his maiden victory in Banglasdesh. He enjoyed a fruitful start to the 2018 season, with a tied-fourth finish in Singapore that earned him a coveted spot to The Open Championship.

The young Thai is in fine form, with two top-10 finishes in his last three starts. He will be hoping to secure his first multiple-winning season with the support of his family and the advantage of home soil.

“It’s exciting to be playing in Thailand again and in front of a home crowd. My family will be there to support me. This will also be the first time I will be coming to an event as a defending champion. The field looks good and a lot of Thais are playing this event so hopefully we will keep the trophy at home,” said Jazz, who is ranked 13th on the current Habitat for Humanity Standings.

“I grew up watching Thongchai (Jaidee) play and I have always looked up to him as my golfing idol. He has one of the best work ethics on Tour and I strive to be like him and follow in his footsteps,” added Jazz.

Three-time Asian Tour number one Thongchai is relishing the opportunity to assume responsibility of hosting an event which is held in honour of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, after doing so on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) for three seasons.

“It is an honour to host a tournament back home, especially the Queen’s Cup which is one of the most popular events in Thailand and it is exciting that Jazz (Janewattananond) will be coming back to defend his title,” said Thongchai.

The 13-time Asian Tour winner also hopes a successful event will draw attention to his foundation that was launched in 2009, with the aim of giving back to the under-privileged golfers in his hometown as well as providing more playing opportunities for the region’s rising stars.

“With the Asian Tour season coming to an end, the schedule is very tight and everyone is busy but I look forward to seeing a good field play next week. This tournament will be hosted by my foundation for the first time and hopefully we will run it well so that it will continue to be a regular event on the Asian Tour,” said the 13-time Asian Tour winner.

Korea’s Sanghyun Park, currently ranked second on the Habitat for Humanity Standings, Indian duo Shiv Kapur and S.S.P Chawrasia, both multiple winners on the Asian Tour, will be amongst those who will spearhead the international challenge at the Tour’s fifth stop in Thailand this season.

Other notable players in the 132-men field include Thai veteran star Thaworn Wiratchant who won in 2012 and 2014, as well as compatriots Chawalit Plaphol and Chinnarat Phadungsil, who won the event in 2011 and 2009 respectively.

Melbourne, November 23: Korean duo Byeonghun An and Siwoo Kim stood tall amidst adverse weather conditions at the ISPS HANDA Melbourne World Cup of Golf by battling to an even-par 72 to retain their overnight share of the lead after the Foursomes match on Friday.

Despite the testing conditions with persistent rain and howling winds reaching 32 km/h, An and Kim remained calm as they marked their card with three birdies against three bogeys at The Metropolitan Golf Club.

The duo, who opened their campaign with a solid 62 in the Fourball play on Thursday, holds a two-shot advantage together with Belgium’s Thomas Pieters and Thomas Detry, who posted a 71, on 10-under-par 134 total.

Anirban Lahiri and Gaganjeet Bhullar of India withstood the brutal weather as they returned with a 72 to tie in third place alongside Malaysia’s Ben Leong and Gavin Green, who fought hard for a 73 at the prestigious US$7 million event.

Team Italy of Andrea Pavan and Renato Paratore and England’s Ian Poulter and Tyrrell Hatton also joined Team India and Malaysia in third place following respective rounds of 71 and 74 at the halfway stage of the ISPS HANDA Melbourne World Cup of Golf.

Mexicans Abraham Ancer and Roberto Diaz posted the day’s best score of a 70 to trail by three shots in seventh place while home favourites Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith slipped a further shot back to tied-eighth following a 76.

China’s Li Haotong and Wu Ashun recorded a 76 to tie in 17th place on 142 while Team Thailand and Team Japan were a further three shots back in tied-21st after posting disappointing rounds of 78 and 79 respectively.

The 56-man field from 28 countries, including six Asian nations, is vying to hoist the famous trophy in the event, won previously by many legends of the games.

The tournament will switch back to fourballs for Saturday’s third round, with the final round moving back to foursomes on Sunday.

Did you know?

• Team Korea, who averaged 25 years old, is the youngest pair amongst the six two-man Asian teams in the 28-nation team competition. Byeonghun An is 27 years old while Siwoo Kim is 23.
• An, highest-ranked player from Korea, is a one-time winner on the European Tour while Kim has won twice on the PGA Tour. Kim is the first player from Asia to win twice on the PGA Tour before the age of 23.
• An is making his second appearance in the World Cup of Golf while Kim is playing for the first time in his career.
• Best results by a Korean team at the World Cup of Golf is fifth place in 1971 (Chang Sang Hahn / Seung Hak Kim) and 1982 (Chang Sang Hahn / Sang Ho Choi)
• Team India of Anirban Lahiri and Gaganjeet Bhullar hold a combined total of 16 victories on the Asian Tour, which includes three co-sanctioned wins on the European Tour.
• Lahiri, now a regular player on the PGA Tour, is a two-time International team member of the Presidents Cup. He is also the Asian Tour Order of Merit champion in 2015.
• Lahiri, 31, and Bhullar, 30, have represented India together in numerous team competitions since their amateur days. They featured in the Eisenhower Cup, Nomura Cup and Asian Games, delivering a team silver in 2006, before venturing almost at the same time into the play-for-pay ranks where they also represented Team Asia in the inaugural EurAsia Cup in 2013.
• Bhullar holds the most number of victories by an Indian player on the Asian Tour after claiming his ninth career triumph at the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways in August.
• India’s best finish of ninth place in the event was achieved by Arjun Atwal and Jyoti Randhawa in Portugal in 2005.
• Team Malaysia of Ben Leong and Gavin Green traded three birdies against four bogeys for a round of 73.
• Malaysia’s best finish was in 1994 when M. Ramayah and the late P. Gunasegaran emerged ninth in Puerto Rico while at the 2016 World Cup in Melbourne, Danny Chia and Nicholas Fung ended up joint 22nd.
• Leong won his first Asian Tour title in 2008 before suffering from a disc prolapse in 2012. He has shown signs of returning to his best form in the last few years. Leong, a two-time Asian Development Tour (ADT) winner, has claimed two top-10s on the Asian Tour so far this season.
• Green, who claimed his maiden Asian Tour victory in Chinese Taipei last year, became the first Malaysian to lift the Asian Tour Order of Merit trophy in 2017.
• Green played his way onto the main Tour from the ADT, where he has won on three occasions. He finished second on the 2016 ADT Order of Merit to earn his Asian Tour card for 2017.

Players’ quotes:

Byeonghun An (Kor)

To shoot an even-par under such conditions is definitely very good although we didn’t get off to a good start with the bogey on first. It’s such a tough format with this wind and rain, so I think we did well to shoot even-par today.

Siwoo made some birdie putts which I thought was really nice. I made a birdie on that par-three eighth hole and that was big. And then we made another birdie on the ninth which was good too.

I missed some shots on the back nine, but thankfully he had some good short game which helped us make some good pars. We held on nicely on the back nine.

We tried to stay focused because it’s so tough with the wind and rain which was chaos really. I think we managed to keep ourselves in the game and never got out of it.

Siwoo Kim (Kor)

We did well. I missed some putts out there but it was great to fight back to even-par so I’m happy with it. It was a cold day. We were like just trying to hold on and have some fun and the result was pretty good.

Ben Leong (Mas)

It’s a good score given this condition. We stayed positive and hung in there. We holed a long putt for birdie on the 14th hole and we managed to keep that momentum going. We made the putt from about 25 to 30 feet.

The pars we made today felt like birdies. Even like 18, making a par on 18 is huge.  It’s such a tough hole and there are so many tough holes out there.

It was fun playing alongside Team Australia. I think that’s why we are here playing the World Cup. We like the experience and the opportunity to play alongside some of the best players in the world. Looking forward to the next two rounds.

Gavin Green (Mas)

Anything is possible with this kind of conditions. It was rough out there. The wind was blowing everywhere. It was cold, it was wet and keeping our clubs dry was really a bonus.

It was so hard to judge the wind, but if you told us we will shoot a one-over, we will take it anytime. Actually, I’ll take a 75.

It was just tough, Ben and I really ground it out today. We made a couple of important putts, especially Ben. A lot of good putts, important putts.

We kept it in play as much as we could and just tried to give ourselves as many looks as possible. I think our strategy has worked so far and I hope it continues.  We’ll see what happens the next two days.

Anirban Lahiri (Ind)

I think it’s one of the toughest rounds of golf I’ve played in my career, in a long, long time.  I think we both did really well out there and it wasn’t easy.

Well, this is more like playing in Scotland, I think.  We both had some experience playing links golf and you can draw to that with this and I think that experience came in handy.  We both played a bunch overseas and you need that, you really needed that today.

I think it was just one shot at a time, you know, for both of us.  I think that’s what we do really well. Whether we made a good putt or we hit a bad shot, we didn’t carry that forward, we left it behind and we just focused on the next shot and that’s the only way you can play in conditions like that. I think we both did that well today.

It was pretty consistent. We had a couple lapses in concentration which I did on the front nine.  Maybe I could have made a couple of shorter ones, but Gaganjeet made a lot of par saves and you need that. You’re not going to have easy pars all day on a day like this and we did that really well coming in.

It’s going to be another tough day tomorrow with the weather forecast. Of course it’s a different format, but I think we can only start looking at the leaderboard on Sunday afternoon.

Our goal is to just go out there tomorrow and make a lot of birdies, because you just have to stay in there, you have to give yourself a chance.  The good thing, both of us are playing really well, so I don’t see a weak link in the team at the moment.

Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind)

The plan was to hit all the fairways, all the greens and make most of the putts, and as Anirban said, we played really well today. Anirban hit the ball so well from the tee, but I got all my favorite numbers.

And putting‑wise, I think Anirban had some really good putts and I holed a few par saves.  I think that kept the momentum going and that was one of the reasons we ended up playing well.

That birdie on the first gave us a really good start. We made a long putt like from 40 to 50 feet. After that, the round was pretty smooth all the way until we dropped one shot on the seventh hole but we picked up a shot on the ninth.  Then I think the birdie on the 13th gave us a lot of good momentum.

We made a 25-footer on 13.  I think it was just like one of those rounds where making pars are really good. We were just motivating each other and keeping the ball in play, that was the goal.

Ends.

Hong Kong, November 23: England’s Aaron Rai stole the limelight by breaking the course record with a stunning nine-under-par 61 to strengthen his position atop the leaderboard at the HONMA Hong Kong Open presented by Amundi on Friday.

Rai leads by four over Korea’s Hyowon Park with his two-day total of 14-under-par 126 while Micah Lauren Shin of the United, who won the Asian Tour Rookie of the Year in 2017, enjoyed another good outing at the Hong Kong Golf Club by signing for a 67 to trail the Englishman by seven shots.

Rai took advantage of the ideal scoring conditions in the morning by firing six birdies in his first nine holes before continuing his spectacular run with another three more in his inward-nine to break the course record by two strokes.

Rai, who is still searching for his maiden win on the European Tour, started the day in a three-way tie after opening up with a 65.

The 23-year-old, who teed off on the back-nine 11, reeled off birdies at holes 12, 13, 14 and 15 to move quickly to nine-under.

He picked up further gains on 18 before adding more red numbers on his card with birdies on the first, fourth and sixth holes to complete his stunning day.

“We were lucky today with the conditions. We didn’t have much wind and, starting out pretty early the first nine holes, it feels like you’re playing a round at home, which is nice.

“But I played very well, kept it in play, had a lot of chances and made a lot of putts, too. Everything was on song today,” said Rai.

Shin, who finished tied-seventh at the Hong Kong Open last year, renewed his affinity with event by keeping himself in contention for his second Asian Tour victory despite struggling with his putting.

“Actually I’m not really that happy because I wasn’t really putting well but I’m still satisfied with the score on this golf course. I just have to keep on playing the same and try to work on my putts and hole some more putts. But having said that, I’m definitely confident on this course,” said Shin.

Hong Kong, November 23: England’s Aaron Rai stole the limelight by breaking the course record with a stunning nine-under-par 61 to strengthen his position atop the leaderboard at the HONMA Hong Kong Open presented by Amundi on Friday.

Rai leads by four over Korea’s Hyowon Park with his two-day total of 14-under-par 126 while Matthew Fitzpatrick of England made his move with a 62 to take third place on his own at the Hong Kong Golf Club.

Despite struggling with his putting, Korea-American Micah Lauren Shin, who finished tied-seventh at the Hong Kong Open last year, renewed his affinity with event by signing for a 67 to take outright fourth place.

2014 Hong Kong Open champion Scott Hend is determined to give Rai a run for his money after the Australian signed for a 66 which placed him in a share of fifth place.

Rai took advantage of the ideal scoring conditions in the morning by firing six birdies in his first nine holes before continuing his spectacular run with another three more in his inward-nine to break the course record by two strokes.

Rai started the day in a three-way tie after opening up with a 65. The 23-year-old reeled off birdies at holes 12, 13, 14 and 15 in his back-nine 11, to move quickly to nine-under.

He picked up further gains on 18 before adding more red numbers on his card with birdies on the first, fourth and sixth holes to complete his stunning day.

The weekend cut was set at one-over par with 73 players making it into the final two rounds.

Did you know?

• The previous course record at the Hong Kong Open, 63 (-7) was set by Chris Wood (2012), Lucas Bjerregaard (2015), David Howell (2017), Miguel Angel Jimenez (2018).
• Aaron Rai’s 61 also matches the lowest 18-hole score on the Asian Tour this season.
• Rai has won three times on the Challenge Tour in Europe but is still searching for his first victory on the European Tour.
• Rai is known for wearing two gloves as he feels he cannot control his game if he does not have both of them on.
• Hyowon Park’s father is a famous hair stylist in Korea. He is often referred to as the son of Edward Scissorhands back home.
• He won his first professional event at the Jeju Open last month, 11 years after joining the play-for-pay ranks.
• Micah Lauren Shin won his first Asian Tour title at the Resorts World Manila Masters in 2017.
• The victory came after he called a ruling on himself and was penalised two strokes on the first hole for having 15 clubs in the bag in the final round.
• Shin ended his 2017 season on the Asian Tour in 12th place on the Order of Merit and was deservedly named the Asian Tour Rookie of the Year award.
• Scott Hend became the first Australian to win the Asian Tour Order of Merit title and the fourth player to surpass US$1 million in earnings during a season in 2016.
• His last victory on the Asian Tour came at the Queen’s Cup in 2016.

Players’ Quotes

Aaron Rai (Eng) Second round 61 (-9) Total 126 (-14)

We were lucky today with the conditions.  We didn’t have much wind, and starting out pretty early the first nine holes, it feels like you’re playing a round at home, which is nice.  But yeah, played very well.  Kept it in play.  Had a lot of chances and made a lot of putts, too. Everything was on song today. It started when I was eight years old, so 15 years ago now.  Just happened to be given these two gloves.  The guy who actually makes them sent a pair over and kind of got into a habit of wearing them and then a few weeks down the line, my dad forgot to put the two gloves in the bag and I had to play with one and it was terrible.  Couldn’t play; couldn’t feel; couldn’t feel the grip.  So always stuck with two grips ever since.  I’ll just try and stay as close to the original game plan as much as possible. I think if you get too conservative and if you try and defend the lead a little bit too much, you can start going backwards very easily, but also you can’t get too aggressive around this course.  As hard as it is and as easy as it is to say, you just have to try and stick to what you’re doing and what has got you into this position.

Hyowon Park, Second round  62 (-8), Total 130 (-10)

I’m very happy now.  I played well in my first European Tour tournament. The conditions were tough but I’m glad I did well with my all aspects of my game including my tee shots, irons and putting. I will do same thing on the weekend, so I can go more up the leaderboard.

Micah Lauren Shin (Usa) Second round 67 (-3) Total 133 (-7)

Actually I’m not really that happy because I wasn’t really putting well but I’m still satisfied with the score on this golf course. I just have to keep on playing the same and try to work on my putts and hole some more putts. But having said that, I’m definitely confident on this course.

Scott Hend (Aus) Second round 66 (-4) Total 134 (-6)

I’m just trying to feel how the golf course is and the greens are getting quicker as the week goes.  Now I’ve got to chase down Aaron. I guess he (Aaron) just hasn’t made any mistakes as yet and he’s obviously putting quite well.  This golf course is about keeping it in the fairway and holing putts.  It’s a pretty simple way to play it.  You’ve just got to hole putts and keep it out of trouble, and I guess he’s doing that quite well. I’m always happy to be up there somewhere in the top 15 or top 10 come Saturday, and hopefully you can make a little move on Saturday and be somewhere within reach for the Sunday round.

Melbourne, November 22: Ben Leong and Gavin Green flew the Malaysian flag high at the ISPS HANDA Melbourne World Cup of Golf as they signed for an opening nine-under-par 63 to trail by one shot after the first round’s fourball format on Thursday.

The duo, playing in the World Cup of Golf for the first time, credited their strong teamwork for a strong start as they combined for two eagles and five birdies at The Metropolitan Golf Club in the 28-nation team competition.

Green, the reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit champion, took advantage of his booming drives to nail an eagle on the par-five seventh hole before adding three birdies on holes 10, 13 and 18.

Leong, a one-time Asian Tour winner, overcame a nervy start by contributing an eagle on the par five ninth hole, as well as two birdies on the sixth and 14th holes. He had opened with a double-bogey and a bogey while Green made pars to steady the Malaysian team.

Byeonghun An and Siwoo Kim of Korea emerged as the highest-ranked Asian team after signing for a 62 to share the lead with Team England’s Tyrrell Hatton and Ian Poulter, as well as Team Australia of Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith.

Green and Leong sit in fourth place alongside Team Belgium (Thomas Pieters and Thomas Detry) and Team Denmark (Thorbjørn Olesen and Soren Kjeldsen), who won the first World Cup of Golf for their country, also in Melbourne, two years ago.

The Malaysian duo is part of the six Asian nations in the field hoping to hoist the famous trophy at the US$7 million event, won previously by many legends of the games. They will play alongside Team Australia in the Foursomes (alternate shot) format on Friday.

Ben Leong of Malaysia

Did you know?

• Malaysia’s best finish was in 1994 when M. Ramayah and the late P. Gunasegaran emerged ninth in Puerto Rico while at the 2016 World Cup in Melbourne, Danny Chia and Nicholas Fung ended up joint 22nd.
• Leong won his first Asian Tour title in 2008 before suffering from a disc prolapse in 2012. He has shown signs of returning to his best form in the last few years. Leong, a two-time Asian Development Tour (ADT) winner, has claimed two top-10s on the Asian Tour so far this season.
• Green, who claimed his maiden Asian Tour victory in Chinese Taipei last year, became the first Malaysian to lift the Asian Tour Order of Merit trophy in 2017.
• Green played his way onto the main Tour from the ADT, where he has won on three occasions. He finished second on the 2016 ADT Order of Merit to earn his Asian Tour card for 2017.
• Green kept his European Tour card for the next season after finishing in 84th position on the Race to Dubai rankings.
• Green is visiting Australia for the first time. His father, Gary, is on his bag this week.

Players’ quotes:

Ben Leong (Mas)

It was great, besides the first hole. Having Gavin beside me really calmed me down definitely. It’s been great. I guess we did really well today, we timed it really well. The holes he made par, I made birdie. The holes I made bogey, he made par. It’s been a great day.

It’s not going to change much for the foursomes tomorrow, I think. Gavin’s going to go odd, so we’ll see how it goes.  It depends on the weather as well.

I’ve played in Perth earlier this year. It’s similar, but not quite. I mean, it’s great over here. It’s great coming back to Australia.

I made an eagle on the par-five nine. I had about 230 yards into the green and I hit a three‑wood there and managed to put it on the green and I made the putt from about 20 feet.

Another highlight of our round was on the eighth hole when Gavin made that 25‑footer for par. That helped to keep the momentum going. Par’s a very good score out there really, given the windy conditions today.

We just try to make things easy for each other out there.

Gavin Green (Mas)

It was good team golf really. I think it was just solid all around. Started off strong, gave ourselves a couple of looks but didn’t drop. Obviously, it started to drop in the middle of the round, so we just kind of stayed patient really.

The wind was just all over the place, that was the tough part of it today. The last hole I changed clubs because Ben said, you know what, it’s a little too much. I clubbed down and it came out perfectly.

It’s a great team golf.  Like he said, the holes I birdied, he didn’t birdie, so we always had alternate holes, which we did well on and it is a good thing especially in this format.  We just kind of kept it going, kept it rolling.

Hit a bunch of fairways, hit a bunch of greens and made some putts, some pretty big putts, so it was huge. I think we both hit fades, so it’s easy to see the kind of shots we see.  We got along well and I think it was good.

He’s a little shorter than me and I’m a little longer, so it’s always nice to have that little combination on some holes.  I hit 2‑iron, driver or 3‑wood.  I think it’s a good thing.  We’re looking forward to the next few days. We just want to have fun and do the best we can.

It’s my first time playing a sandbelt course. It’s like a mixture of inland golf and links golf. It’s a bit of everything in one, which is kind of cool, I think.  I’ve never seen a golf course like this with that shape of bunkers and how firm it is on the greens but not so much on the fairways.

If you’re in some of those bunkers, you’re dead, you have no chance. You kind of have to really, really think that first bounce is kind of big and make sure you’re not reaching the other bunker. There are so many bunkers around that you kind of have to be careful.

The eagle I made on the seventh hole, I hit a big drive and only need a 54-degree for my second shot, hit it to about three feet and made the putt.

We just kept the round going. Some par-threes are just so tough, they’re all in the wind and you can’t control it. It’s all over the place and you just don’t know what to do sometimes. Walking away with par, we’ll take it every day. Overall, it was a fun day.

Melbourne, November 22: In-form Anirban Lahiri and Gaganjeet Bhullar of India opted for an aggressive approach in the Fourball match which paid off as they registered an eight-under-par 64 to trail by two shots at the ISPS HANDA Melbourne World Cup of Golf on Thursday.

The talented pair, who also represented India at the 2013 World Cup of Golf, took advantage of their fine form to sign for a flawless card highlighted by eight birdies at The Metropolitan Golf Club.

They trail leaders Korea (Byeonghun An and Siwoo Kim), England (Tyrell Hatton and Ian Poulter) and Australia (Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith) by two shots in tied-seventh place.

Lahiri and Bhullar hailed their great collaboration as they managed to feed off the positive energy from each other to put themselves in contention at the prestigious US$7 million event, which is celebrating its 59th edition this week.

The duo hopes to leverage their strengths effectively as they head into the Foursomes (alternate shot) match on Friday, where they will play alongside Team Ireland’s Shane Lowry and Paul Dunne.

Team India is part of the six two-man Asian teams in the field vying to hoist the famous trophy in the event, won previously by many legends of the games.

Team Malaysia (Ben Leong and Gavin Green) trails the leading trio by one shot in tied-fourth place while Team Japan (Satoshi Kodaira and Hideto Tanihara) and Team China (Li Haotong and Wu Ashun) are tied in 13th following matching 66s.

Team Thailand of Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Prom Meesawat came in a further shot back in tied-20th following a 67.

Did you know?

• Anirban Lahiri and Gaganjeet Bhullar hold a combined total of 16 victories on the Asian Tour, which includes three co-sanctioned wins on the European Tour.
• Lahiri, now a regular player on the PGA Tour, is a two-time International team member of the Presidents Cup. He is also the Asian Tour Order of Merit champion in 2015.
• Lahiri, 31, and Bhullar, 30, have represented India together in numerous team competitions since their amateur days. They featured in the Eisenhower Cup, Nomura Cup and Asian Games, delivering a team silver in 2006, before venturing almost at the same time into the play-for-pay ranks where they also represented Team Asia in the inaugural EurAsia Cup in 2013.
• Bhullar holds the most number of victories by an Indian player on the Asian Tour after claiming his ninth career triumph at the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways in August.
• India’s best finish of ninth place in the event was achieved by Arjun Atwal and Jyoti Randhawa in Portugal in 2005.

Anirban Lahiri of India

Players’ quotes:

Anirban Lahiri (Ind)

We really enjoyed ourselves. We’re both playing good so it was easy for us to be aggressive. It was nice to finish with a birdie on the last. I think both of us felt like we should have made at least two or three coming in. Missed a few opportunities there, but this format is like that, you have to get on a run.  If you make one birdie, it kind of motivates both the players to get more aggressive and one birdie leads to another birdie.  It’s like you just have to stay in that frame of mind.

Absolutely looking forward to the foursomes tomorrow. Obviously the mindset changes overnight, but again, we’ve played this quite a bunch. Gaganjeet and I played a bunch of Eurasia Cups and I’ve played President Cups as well.  That experience is there of playing in the format and you can understand the dynamic.

It depends on the weather and how they set the course up. There were some pins today that were hard to get to. It will be interesting to see how they set up the golf course tomorrow. It might be a case of making more 15‑footers or 20‑footers tomorrow because that’s probably going to be the way to go about it.

That’s a very important aspect of it.  You have to feed off each other’s energy, especially tomorrow because you’re not going to have a perfect round of golf.  You might hit one shot here or there and you can be the partner, but at the end of the day it doesn’t matter.

You go out there, you give it your best, you have fun and you’re enjoying each other’s company which is the privilege.  At the end of the day, that’s what motivates us because it’s not Anirban Lahiri or Gaganjeet Bhullar up on the leaderboard. It’s India that’s on the leaderboard, so we’re really motivated.

Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind)

We both played well today. We had good tee shots and we gave ourselves a lot of good opportunities on the greens. I think it’s a decent start to the tournament. The key is hitting all the fairways, all of the greens and holing most of the putts.

That’s what our goal is going to be. It was a good teamwork, with our caddies as well. They did a great job today. It’s like a team play. You know, just go out there, have fun and give our 100 percent.

This is kind of expected actually. In today’s format, I mean, I’m glad we played well.  As I said, it’s a decent start to the tournament. In this format you expect people to go low and, I mean, talking about our game today, it was quite a good run from the sixth to ninth holes.

We were giving our 100 percent, we were reading the putts well, we were hitting the shots really close. A few errors which we couldn’t convert to birdies, but I think overall the birdie on the last did put a lot of smiles on our faces.

We just hope to keep the momentum going in the next three rounds.

Hong Kong, November 22: India’s Arjun Atwal stayed one shot back of first round leaders Yusaku Miyazato of Japan, Australia’s Jason Scrivener and England’s Aaron Rai after he signed for an opening four-under-par 66 at the HONMA Hong Kong Open presented by Amundi on Thursday.

Atwal took the clubhouse lead in the morning but was dislodged from the top of the leaderboard when the trio made their moves at the Hong Kong Golf Club under more favourable weather conditions in the afternoon.

Based in Florida in the United States, the 45-year-old flew into Hong Kong ready to put up a performance befitting of his reputation as one of Asia’s golf legends.

Atwal, who is no stranger to success having won the Asian Tour Order of Merit in 2003 and enjoying multiple victories across Asia, Europe and the United States, returned with a flawless card that was highlighted by four birdies on holes one, three, four and 17.

Australia’s Sam Brazel, who won the Hong Kong Open in 2016, was also in the mix after carding a 68 where the only blemish on his card came at the par-three eight where he suffered a bogey-four.

Brazel is bunched in tied-ninth place that also includes Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee, India’s Khalin Joshi and compatriot Scott Hend, who also won the event in 2014.

Major winner Patrick Reed of the United States meanwhile had a round to forget after opening his campaign with a disappointing 75 while Spain’s Sergio Garcia signed for a 70 to stay five shots back of the leaders.

Did you know?

• Arjun Atwal made history by becoming the first Indian golfer to win on the US PGA Tour at the Wyndham Championship in 2010.
• He was also the first Monday qualifier to win a tournament in 24 years in the United States
• Atwal’s last victory on the Asian Tour came at the Dubai Open in 2014 and he won the Asian Tour Order of Merit in 2003.
• Atwal hit 10/14 fairways, 15/18 greens and made a total of 29 putts.
• Aaron Rai turned professional in 2012 and has four professional wins.
• He hit 9/14 fairways, 13/18 greens and had 27 putts in total.
• Yusaku Miyazato comes from a golfing family where his younger sister Ai Miyazato is a former world number one.
• He hit 8/14 fairways, 12/18 greens and made a total of 24 putts.

Players’ Quotes

Arjun Atwal (Ind) First round 66 (-4)

It was unexpected, but I’ll take it.  It was really tough out there today.  Especially early in the morning, it was really cold and windy.  Felt like it was coming from all over. I’m really happy with the score. I have no thoughts now because I haven’t really played much the last two months.  The last time I played I pulled out of a tournament in Japan.  I’m just going to take each day as it comes and try my best.  I’m trying to get rid of my jetlag.  I’ve been getting up at like 3.00am every day.  I’m just going to go home and rest and come out tomorrow and try again. I love Hong Kong as a city.  I’ve been lucky enough to win here at Clearwater Bay, but it’s definitely one of my favourite cities, as well, and then the vibe that you get in this tournament, you know, just when you step on the golf course is awesome, for me, anyway.  I love it.

Aaron Rai (Eng) First round 65 (-5)

It was a good round.  I think we were lucky with the weather today.  When we got here this morning, it was kind of blowy, so the guys this morning had it harder than we did, but nonetheless it’s a tough course.  I think any anything under par was a good score and I was very pleased with a 65 to start off. My short game was pretty good.  Missed a few greens early on and got up and down each time, which I think was important.  And also, putted very well, good pace control.  Made a few putts, as well, which is nice. Whether it’s windy or not, you’ve got to play well around here and put it in the right spots.  It’s a fantastic course.  Hopefully the conditions will be kind to us but we’ll see.

Yusaku Miyazato (Jpn) First round 65 (-5)

My putting was really good today and my iron play was excellent as well. I’m very happy to end my round with a birdie. It was getting dark already and I just had to rely on my gut feeling especially with my second shot. I hit it good and managed to get a birdie there.

Sam Brazel (Aus) First round 68 (-2)

It was great.  Obviously nice to be in the red after day one, especially in those tough conditions early.  The wind was quite up.  Yeah, quite blustery.  Yeah, tough out there this morning.  The wind was all moving around and quite gusty, as well.  So you had to be quite careful where you wanted to leave the ball on those greens because they are quite slippery, as well.  Quite gusty and just had to kind of be a little patient out there. I love playing here in Hong Kong.  I love the course.  It suits me nicely and obviously a lot of great memories.  I just have to go out there and try and enjoy it like I did a couple years ago and see what happens.

Leading Scores after round 1 of the Honma Hong Kong Open 2018 being played at the par 70, 6710 Yards Hong Kong GC course (am – denotes amateur):

65 – Aaron Rai (ENG), Jason Scrivener (AUS), Yusaku Miyazato (JPN).

66 – Arjun Atwal (IND), Jack Singh Brar (ENG), Micah Lauren Shin (USA).

67 – Danthai Boonma (THA), Thomas Aiken (RSA).

68 – Sam Brazel (AUS), Alvaro Quiros (ESP), Nicolas Colsaerts (BEL), Thongchai Jaidee (THA), Khalin Joshi (IND), Jeunghun Wang (KOR), Ashley Chesters (ENG), Berry Henson (USA), Scott Hend (AUS), Terry Pilkadaris (AUS), David Drysdale (SCO), Hyowon Park (KOR), Haydn Porteous (RSA), Liu Yanwei (CHN).

69 – Matthias Schwab (AUT), Alejandro Canizares (ESP), Shubhankar Sharma (IND), Jacques Kruyswijk (RSA), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (RSA), Sihwan Kim (USA), Justin Harding (RSA), Jazz Janewattananond (THA), Tommy Fleetwood (ENG), Jake Higginbottom (AUS), Andrew Johnston (ENG), Kim Koivu (FIN), Lin Wen-tang (TPE), David Lipsky (USA), James Morrison (ENG), Scott Fernandez (ESP), Anton Karlsson (SWE), Casey O’Toole (USA).

Ends.