Chiba prefecture, Japan, May 4: The leading players from the Asian Tour are set to light up the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup when they return to the Land of the Rising Sun next week.

The Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup is the Tour’s first stop in Japan this season and promises to showcase the best talents from the region with the event being sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO) again.

The Sobu Country Club, which is located in the Chiba prefecture on the outskirts of Tokyo, will welcome over 50 winners who have won on the Asian Tour.

Eight past champions including defending champion Yuta Ikeda of Japan, Chinese Taipei’s Chan Shih-chang and Thai veteran Prayad Marksaeng will also tee up at the ¥150,000,000 (Approx. US$1,338,067) event.

Chan is one of the contenders looking forward to another good showing at the Asian-Pacific Diamond Cup.

It was at the same event in 2016 where he won his second Asian Tour title to end the year in a career high of fourth position on the Order of Merit then.

“The Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup holds lots of fond memories for me. I won twice that year and that victory in Japan was special as I also became a multiple winner that year. I look forward to going back and let’s see if I can do it (win) again,” said Chan.

The Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup is supported by four key stakeholders. They are Mitsubishi Corporation, Kansai Television, Asia Pacific Golf Confederation and Japan Golf Association.

With the involvement of the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation, the tournament has welcomed a large number of amateurs over the years.

This year, 10 amateurs, including Singapore’s James Leow, India’s Anant Singh and China’s Lin Yuxin will be part of the field.

The Asian Tour was a co-sanctioning partner of the Asia-Pacific Panasonic Open from 2008 to 2013 before the event was renamed as the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup in 2014.

Ends.

By V. Krishnaswamy

Swamy is one of India’s leading sports writers, who has covered over 20 Majors and 250 international golf tournaments.

Augusta, April 15: Justin Harding needed a birdie on the 18^th like none before. This final birdie was to get a recall to the Masters 2020. Harding had bogeyed the 18^th the first two days and was happy to have parred it on the third. But now on the final day, he needed something more from it. Faced with a 22-foot putt on the undulating final green, Harding, who putted like a dream all week did just that. He holed it for an even par 72 and his eight-under-par 280 comprising 69-69-70-72 placed him tied-12^th and ensuring an early ticket to The Masters in 2020. The 72 also ensured that he was par or better all week.

It will also boost his chances for the Presidents Cup, where he is already seventh in the standings. The only player eligible for Presidents Cup’s International Team finishing ahead of him was Jason Day in tied-fifth.

While Harding was securing his return ticket to Augusta, Tiger Woods re-affirmed his status as one of the all-time greats with a comeback that would be talked about for generations.

Fourteen years after fourth Green Jacket, he added a fifth one, and 11 years after his 14^th Major, he added a 15^th. In both cases he came closer to Jack Nicklaus’ Everest-like records of six Green Jackets and 18 Majors. It was also his 81st PGA Tour win, which now leaves him just one behind Sam Snead’s mark of 82.

Coming back to Harding, he said, “It was a relief to finally get a birdie on 18^th and it is nice to book a return to the Masters. I have learnt a lot, but on this course it is never easy.”

Harding was the best of the 17 debutants at this year’s edition and was also among the top putters in the event.

Harding birdied the first, but bogeyed the second and fourth. He birdied the sixth, only to bogey the seventh and turned in one-over. He bogeyed the tenth at which point a finish in Top-12 looked unlikely. But birdies 12^th and 13^th raised hopes only to see them fall with a bogey on 15^th. A final birdie on the 18^th saw him sneak into tied-12th alongside Bubba Watson, Justin Thomas, Matt Kuchar and Ian Poulter.

The whole of 2018 and thus far in 2019, Harding took an arduous route and made it to the Masters in the nick of time by making the World’s Top-50 with barely two weeks left. Regardless of where he is in rankings next year at this time, he will earn a recall to the Augusta National.

This year his Carol, mother, and Stafford, father, were both there as were some friends.

Coming in as an unknown player Harding held a lot of attention. He even held a share of the lead one time and he was tied-sixth at the end of the first and second day and then tied-seventh at the end of 54 holes. On the final day, he five birdies and five bogeys. One more shot better and he would have been inside Top-10 on his debut at the Masters.

Kiradech Aphinbarnrat, making his third trip to the Masters started the week with a superb 69, the same as Harding, but thereafter struggled at times with 72-75-73 on the next three days. On Sunday, starting from the back nine he was four-under with birdies on 14^th, 15^th, 16^th and 18^th, but on the second nine he bogeyed the third and had a nightmarish finish with bogey-double bogey-bogey stretch between sixth and eighth holes to end up with 73.

He finished at one-over-par 289 in tied-49^th place and will need to stay in Top-50 of the world to get a start again next year.

By. V. Krishnaswamy in Augusta National.

Swamy is one of India’s leading sports writers, who has covered over 20 Majors and 250 international golf tournaments. 

Augusta, April 13: There may be no Indians in the field, but the winner of the Par-3 contest, Matt Wallace, and one of the six amateurs in the field, Devon Bling, have an Indian connection.

Masters debutant Matt Wallace of England, the winner of Par-3 contest, began his rise from a distant 151st on World Rankings to his current 36th with a win in the Hero Indian Open 13 months ago.

Wallace, who won India’s National Open went on to, made it to the Masters as he entered the Top-50 of the world comfortably.

His rise in rankings also meant he qualified for the World Golf Championships Matchplay and could not defend his title in India.

He did tweet a message wishing the tournament luck.

Wallace’s win at Par-3 came on the third play-off hole against 1988 Masters champion, Sandy Lyle, who also won the Par-3 in 1997 and 1998. Wallace’s effort included an ace which was the 100th in Par-3 contests since its inception in 1960.

It is said the winner of Par-3 is jinxed and no one has won Par-3 and the Green Jacket in the same year, though 11 players have won the two but in separate years.

Wallace with his girlfriend, Chelsea on the bag, totaled 23-under, as did Lyle, while three players carded 22-under each and one of them was Devon Bling.

Wallace did have a great start, shooting 75.

Amateur Devon, an Indian American, who holds big promise

Devon’s father Nick, an Indian by birth moved to the US in 1978 and met Sara Bling, a London-born physical therapist. Nick and Sara married in 1990.

Devon, 19, grew up in Ridgecrest, California and took to golf early. His love for the sport was nurtured by his mother, Sara, who took him around, while father travelled for his job.

Devon finished runner-up in US Amateurs in 2018 and earned an invite to the Masters, playing where was both his and his mother’s dream.

Devon’s mother Sara was instrumental in the development of his golf. But tragedy struck the family, when Sara died suddenly of a stroke in 2013. Devon has since played and dedicated his golf to his mother. Devon has taken on Sara’s second name.

Devon, who also had an ace on seventh holes, was Tied-third alongside two two-time Major winner, Bubba Watson and Martin Kaymer. Bubba won both his Majors at Augusta.

A delighted Devon said, “I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. First Masters, first Par 3, hit a great shot, it went in, and, yeah, that’s the best thing that’s ever happened in the world.” Devon missed the last par putt to stay at 5-under and a share of the lead, and ended in a tie for third.

In the main event, Devon began with a 74.

Four of the seven Asians at Masters are Japanese

 

The field of 87 has six amateurs and 17 first-timers. It has seven Asians, of which four are Japanese including amateur Takumi Kanaya, who won the Asia-Pacific Amateurs last September to earn an invite to the Masters. The Japanese pros in the field are Hideki Matsuyama, Satoshi Kodaira and Shugo Imahira.

Other than the Americans, who make up for most of the field, there are nine Englishmen, six South Africans, four each from Spain, Japan and Australia. Argentina, Canada, Germany and Sweden have two each, while 11 other countries have one player each.

Golden Bear congratulates, wishes Conners on win and Masters

No one could have got a better man to wish him as he went for the tee off on Thursday. Corey Conners, who was the last man into the field by winning the Valera Texas Open, for which he Monday-qualified.
Corey was in the first group in the morning session on Thursday, who went off soon after the ceremonial tee-off by the legendary Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. Corey got to meet Nicklaus.

Conners revealed, “He just congratulated me on the win, that felt pretty special. Never thought in a million years that Jack Nicklaus would know who I am and it just felt pretty cool. And I watched him and Mr. Player tee off, so it was pretty cool.”

Stenson back with his old caddie, but probably only for Masters

Henrik Stenson is back to his former caddie, fellow Swede, Fanny Sunesson, at least for this week. They were together at Arnold Palmer Invitational, too, though Stenson had another caddie for WGC-Matchplay.

Stenson split up with his former caddie Gareth Lord last November and Lord teamed with Justin Rose for a few events while his regular caddie Mark ‘Fooch’ Fulcher recovered from heart surgery.
Stenson and Fanny worked together from 2007 to 2011 before Sunesson retired. She had formerly caddied for Nick Faldo including during two of his three Masters titles.

Though Stenson does not seem to have any regular caddie right now, it is unlikely Sunesson will continue as she has retired from full time work.

Ernie’s nephew catches the eye

The six-strong contingent from South Africa has no less than Major winners – Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schawartzel and Trevor Immelman, but of the other three, young Jovan Rebula, has been talked about a lot. Rebula is the nephew of four-time Major winner, Ernie Els, and won the 2018 British Amateur, which is how he made it to the Masters.

The other two South Africans are Branden Grace and Justin Harding.
Rebula shot 73 on the first day.

Fragile Jason Day hangs in

Jason Day reportedly injured his back while picking up his daughter before the first round. After an initial scare he managed to hang in and play. He shot 70, but needed on-course treatment and is continuing to play and moving up.

Ends.

By. V. Krishnaswamy

Swamy is one of India’s leading sports writers, who has covered over 20 Majors and 250 international golf tournaments. And if he were to answer the divine call, he will be the first to jump on the plane to Augusta National, which is where he is this week.

Augusta, April 12: It has literally been a journey from Z (Zambia) to A (Augusta) for Justin Harding over the past year. This week last year, the 31-year-old Harding was at home and getting ready to play the Zanaco Masters, an event on the Sunshine Tour in Zambia. He missed the cut.

Twelve months and 52 weeks on, he is playing at Augusta National. He was the clubhouse leader when he finished his round, but was later overtaken by Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau, who each shot 66.

In the period since the start of 2018 he has played 38 tournaments spread over 22 countries and made his way through into World’s Top-50 with five wins, two on Sunshine Tour in South Africa, two on Asian Tour and one on European Tour besides a whole lot of other Top-10s. In the process he climbed more 650 places on World Rankings  from 712 to his current 49^th. “Most of the tournaments I have play on have been new to me,” said Harding.

For Harding oldest of the 17 debutants this year, playing the Masters was the furthest from his mind as he watched it on TV last year.

A win in Qatar Masters and a second place in Kenya Open, both on the European Tour, moved him inside Top-50 to 48^th place just in time before the cut-off for Masters. He was in.

When asked what was the reason for his success over the last 15 months, Harding said, “Consistency.  Becoming a little better mentally.  No longer really going through the highs and lows and emotional roller coaster, so to speak.  But that also comes in not really playing the aggressive mindset game that I was in the past.  I’m hitting three‑woods off tees a little more often now, laying back on drivable par‑fours, just trying to get a little bit smarter on the golf course, making less mistakes and hoping a couple birdies come.”

About his practice here at Augusta, Harding said, “I did nine, nine and nine.  We, I had a terrible front nine on Tuesday and I decided to try it again on Wednesday morning and it was a bit better and I actually negotiated it quite nicely this morning.  But I didn’t really, I didn’t want to overdo it.  Everyone sometimes kinds of comes to Augusta and tries to play as many rounds as they can.  I kind of wanted to stick to the same sort of game plan and setup that I normally have every other week.

On his closing bogey, Harding admitted, “So I would love to have got into the clubhouse at four‑under par, but I was actually trying to give myself another birdie chance, sometimes it doesn’t quite happen.  It’s all right. We got a lot of golf left to play, I’ll be all right.”

Asked if some of the South African stars of the past had given any advice, Harding said, “I haven’t spoken to Gary (Player) yet.  I spoke to Ernie (Els) and chatted to him a little bit about the back nine when I played with him in San Antonio last week. And then obviously I had practice rounds with (Branden) Grace and (Charl) Schwartzel and (Louis) Oosthuizen and Jovan Rebula. Both him (Rebula) and I were just trying to pick each other, pick the big boys’ brains and it’s just helpful.

His mother, Carol and father, Stafford, are both here in Augusta. His father got his visa in the nick of time and was glad to be here to see Harding playing.

By. V. Krishnaswamy

Swamy is one of India’s leading sports writers, who has covered over 20 Majors and 250 international golf tournaments. And if he were to answer the divine call, he will be the first to jump on the plane to Augusta National, which is where he is this week.

“If God were now to decide that I could go to only one golf tournament a year – I would choose the Masters.”

Attending a Masters tournament was never really on my bucket list when I turned down a Management programme to become a sports journalist back in 1982.

Golf was a sport that hardly got a mention in Indian newspaper sports pages and it was only the final day report/ scores that made prominent headlines (meaning double columns or more) and that, too, only occasionally.

Golf names that evoked occasional conversations were still Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Greg Norman.

The first time Masters really came into a conversation in a newsroom in my presence was in 1983 and that was my first full year as a sports journalist.

One of my senior colleagues in the Sports Department of the Times of India, while appreciating Seve Ballesteros’ 1983 win at Augusta, remarked, “He (Seve) started out as a caddie in golf and look where he is now.”

In India, pro golf was still a sport played predominantly by players with caddie backgrounds.

Those days, as now, cricket ruled India, but I was obsessed by athletics and passionate about chess – PT Usha was the emerging athletics star and the future World chess champion Vishy Anand was yet to turn up on the horizon.

Covering an Olympic Games and/ or World Chess Championship was my ultimate dream. I managed both.

Over the years, Usha became a friend and so did Anand and their success, which I covered many times in different parts of the world gave me great joy.

Golf didn’t become an all-consuming passion and a full-time profession till around the turn of the century when I quit my job as a Sports Editor at one of India’s leading dailies to ‘do my own thing’.

The Masters of 1983

Coming back to the Masters of 1983, it wasn’t till recently, more specifically after the passing away of the legendary Dan Jenkins, that I learnt more about the 1983 Masters. I came across one of Jenkins’ fine pieces in the April 18, 1983 issue of the Sports Illustrated.

It was indeed a historic Masters – the 1983 Masters had its first Monday finish since 1973; it was the last time Arnold Palmer made the cut at the Masters; it was also the first Masters from which Jack Nicklaus pulled out after the first round (because of back spasms) and it was the last time Sam Snead played the Masters or for that matter any Major.

I discovered more: It was also the first time the Augusta National had allowed players the use of their own caddies and it was also the first time a female caddie was used by a player (the 1969 Masters champion George Archer) and he had his daughter, Elizabeth on the bag.

None of that was mentioned in the reports that I got to see back in 1983, but it was the year I first heard of the Masters as a 20-year-old rookie sports journalist. Yet, it did not become a part of my life till more than two decades later.

The first ‘sighting’ of Masters

Life has come a long way since. If God were now to decide that I could go to only one golf tournament a year – I would choose the Masters.

I first set foot at the Augusta National in 2007. I was lucky to get credentials despite applying ‘after the closing’ date for applications. My appeal to the committee that I should be allowed because it was the first time an Indian would be teeing off at the Masters, found sympathetic ears.

Jeev Milkha Singh, who from being 377th in the world at the end of 2005 and winless since 1999, had a stellar 2006 winning three events and topping the Asian Tour Order of Merit and rising to 37th in the world to earn an invite to the Augusta National Golf Club for the 2007 Masters.

Jeev, gracious as ever, invited me for the tournament – he would put up me and two other Indian journalists up in a house, barely a stone’s throw from the Augusta National.

What a week it was! Every Indian in Augusta seemed to be on the course or over at the house. Jeev decided to shift to a hotel to stay focused. After the first three days of an exceptionally cold Masters week, Jeev with 72-75-76 was Tied-16th and in sight of a Top-15 finish which would earn a recall in 2008.

Then he made a quadruple bogey on the slick greens of the first hole on the final day and slid to T-37. Jeev did return in 2008 with a special invite and he finished T-25th, still the best by any Indian at the Masters.

Jeev played his third and last Masters in 2009. The only other Indians to have played the Masters have been Arjun Atwal (2011), Anirban Lahiri (2015 and 2016) and Shubhankar Sharma (2018).

Why is Masters so unique?

Much has been written about the history of the course and the tournament. It is easy to find it all over the internet and the countless books, that I have collected since getting ‘smitten’ by golf. But I learnt way more than that by “being at the Masters”.

It was not until I got to the Masters in 2007 that I realised a mobile phone had become an extension of my being. As part of the conditions that I had to agree to get accredited was that I was not allowed to carry the phone onto the ‘grounds’, as the course is called. It was torture for the first few hours and then I forgot about the phone for the rest of the week!

My vocabulary, too, changed. ‘Fans’ became ‘Patrons’; mobile phones were referred to as ‘illegal instruments’; ‘Pimento cheese sandwiches’ entered my list of much-loved food items and I drank beer without knowing the brand – all I knew was whether it ‘light’, ‘medium’ or ‘imported’ for there was no mention of the brands.

Stories of Amen Corner (11th, 12th and 13th) abounded and they were all fascinating; the tradition of ‘skipping’ the ball over the lake at the 16th on the practice days is something you start loving; the Par-3 contest on Wednesday is a tradition former champions and others love, but no Green jacket hopeful wants to win, because of a jinx that no one who wins the Par-3 contest has won the main event.

There is lots more like mobile phones are never allowed and a camera is allowed only from Monday to Wednesday.

The ‘must see’ landmarks include the most famous Magnolia Drive, essentially he driveway to the club, which was unpaved for the first 15 years from 1934 to 1947. It leads to The Founders Circle where countless patrons line up to get photographed by the official lensmen, who then give you a link from where you download your picture.

Other landmarks include the three bridges named after Sarazen, Hogan and Nelson; the two water fountains with plaques named after Palmer (behind the 16th) and the Nicklaus (between 16th and 17th). A third fountain called ‘Record Fountain’ is near the 17th.

The Rae’s Creek is the water body in front of the Par-3 12th green, while The ‘Crow’s Nest’ is the house for amateurs; the ‘Ike’s Pond’ touches the 8th and 9th of the par-3 contest in the Eastern part of Augusta; and the ‘Eisenhower Tree’ used to be to the left of the 17th fairway – the past tense being because an ice storm in 2014 caused so much damage to the tree that it had to be removed. So, memories are all we have now.

For me, the most fascinating landmark is the ‘Big Oak Tree’, the most famous meeting point at a venue, where no phones are allowed. So, a ‘meet-me-at-the-‘Big Oak’-at-6-pm’ means exactly that – meet at 6 pm for changes cannot be communicated till you actually meet.

The other amazing feature is the etiquette of ‘leaving your ‘golf chair’. Choose your point, place your chair and take a stroll. When you return, the chair is exactly where it was and no one is sitting on it. You can leave your wallet with credit cards and it would still be there hours later.

At Augusta, it is all about tradition and I learn a few more each time I go. I have already been there nine times!

I know what I will do each day; where I will watch the action from; from where I am going to get my beer and Pimento cheese or Egg Salad sandwich.

I also know that this week, like every one before this, I will unfailingly buy Pin Flags, hats, a T-shirt and a Masters jacket, and my wife will never raise an eyebrow or ask, “Not another one.”

Instead she asks, “Where’s mine?” Then I pull one out one for her. Tradition rules. Hopefully I will be here next year and every year after that. Amen. Well, make that ‘Amen Corner’.

Ends.