Tributes pour in for Arie Irawan from fellow players
By Olle Nordberg, Former Asian Tour and European Tour professional
The Masters week is finally here!
This week’s edition of Tour Insider will be different from the past few weeks, as this is the week that golf fans and tour players alike have been looking forward to for quite some time.
The iconic Masters Tournament at Augusta National is definitely one of a kind in golf.
The season opener when it comes to Major Championship golf, and together with The Open, these are the Majors that all Tour players have been dreaming about winning since they embarked on their professional careers.
In some cases, maybe even that’s the reason why they got into golf from the beginning, watching The Masters on TV in the spring and being inspired to spend countless hours practicing and imagining having a putt on 18 to wear the famous Green Jacket.
I know I did, and so did most of my junior golf friends growing up.
One thing that makes the Masters Tournament so special among Majors is the fact that it has always been held at the same course since inception in 1934, the players, patrons (no spectators at Augusta!) and regular TV viewers are all very familiar with the course layout. Or in any case, from hole nine onwards, where the traditional television starts.
It is one of the few events that regular golfers and professionals will watch in the middle of the night if on another time-zone. Either staying up late or getting up very early to catch the leaders going through Amen Corner, hole 11 through 13, and challenging the scorable but treacherous “second nine” as they call it at Augusta National.
There have been many famous charges on the final nine holes at Augusta on Sunday afternoons, but maybe none more so than Jack Nicklaus’ six-under-par 30 to don the Green jacket at age 46 in 1986, dashing Greg Norman and Tom Kite’s title hopes in the process.
The second nine at Augusta on Sunday afternoon is definitely one of the highlights on the golfing calendar for any serious golfer, and where history is made by the players battling it out for the victory.
This year, we have the fortune of having two Asian Tour players compete in their first Major of the year – Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Justin Harding of South Africa.
Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand
Kiradech Aphibarnrat
Kiradech qualified by virtue of being inside the top-50 on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) in the end of 2018. He has played the Masters Tournament twice previously in 2016 and 2018. His best result coming in his first appearance when he finished tied-15th. It was a very creditable result for a first-timer, especially on a course where experience is a huge factor and approach precision and strategy is of utmost importance.
In 2018 he also made the cut and finished tied-44th after a rough start with 79 in the first round, and scores of 70, 72 and 71 the last three days.
Kiradech’s record in big events has improved steadily as proven by his world-class play in Majors and World Golf Championships (WGC) the last two years: three top-fives in his last six WGC starts, and a 15th place in last year’s U.S. Open Championship.
No Asian player has won the Masters tournament in its 85-year history. Kiradech does not lack the talent and game to compete with the best players in the world. He could potentially be a dark horse, poised to be the first ever Asian player to win at Augusta National and Thailand’s first Major Championship winner.
Justin Harding
Harding received his invitation by being in the current OWGR top 50 after the WGC-Dell Matchplay and cemented that position by beating Matthew Fitzpatrick and Luke List in the group stage matches. He was perilously ranked number 49 going into the week and those two wins were crucial in order to guarantee a place inside the top-50 at the March 31
He has played some fantastic golf the last 15 months in his rise in the rankings, chalking up five combined wins on the Asian Tour, Sunshine Tour and European Tour: Bank BRI Indonesia Open, Royal Cup, Investec Royal Swazi Open, Lombard Insurance Classic in 2018 and the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters this year.
Harding’s Major Championship experience is limited to the 2013 Open Championship and the 2018 U.S. PGA Championship, and will be making his rookie Masters appearance this week.
Could Harding continue to ride his wave of hot form, and rewrite the history books with a rookie win at Augusta this Sunday afternoon?
Justin Harding of South Africa
The odds are stacked against a first-timer winning at Augusta National. It has happened three times in the past, but you must go all the way back to 1979 to find the most recent one, Fuzzy Zoeller who beat Tom Watson and Ed Sneed in a play-off. The only other two players who have done so on their first try was Horton Smith at the inaugural event in 1934 and Gene Sarazen the following year in 1935.
Jordan Speith came close in 2014 by finishing tied-second to Bubba Watson, before setting the 36-, 54- and 72-hole scoring records in his 2015 win.
Whoever wins this Sunday afternoon, it promises to be an exciting week ahead as we follow two of our Asian Tour stars, battling it out with the best players in the world for the Green Jacket and Masters Tournament trophy.
With lucrative events such as World Golf Championships (WGC) and Majors looming, the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) becomes all important. Here we follow the Asian Tour players that are making a charge up the rankings and their quest to play their way into these events via the OWGR.
Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat, currently ranked number 42 on the OWGR, is already eligible for all the above events.
By Olle Nordberg, Former Asian Tour and European Tour professional.
Last week’s winner of the Bangabandhu Cup Open Golf in Bangladesh, Sadom Kaewkanjana took home 14 OWGR points and rose to number 287 from 628 the previous week. He started the year ranked number 1,350 and has gained over 1,000 spots in a just over three months, a very impressive start to his professional career.
Sadom Kaewkanjana of Thailand
Other Asian Tour players who we are following closely when it comes to qualifying for the upcoming Majors and WGC events via the OWGR:
- Jazz Janewattananond (THA)
Having another solid event and top-five finish in Dhaka last week by placing tied-fifth, Jazz moves up to another career high ranking once again and lands at number 70 this week. Continuing his ascent up the OWGR and looks to have solidified his chances for a special invitation to the US PGA Championship at Bethpage Black in New York May 16-19.
The next important step on the OWGR for him will be breaking into the top-60 by either May 20 or June 10, which are the cut-off dates for exemptions into the US Open Championship at Pebble Beach Golf Links in California June 13-16.
- Justin Harding (RSA)
Harding played the Valero Texas Open last week in San Antonio, Texas, but missed the cut after rounds of 73 and75 and slides down one place on the list to number 49.
Playing in the Masters Tournament this week, he will have an opportunity to make big gains with a high finish in the star-studded field, thereby improving his chances for an exemption into the upcoming US Open.
- Kurt Kitayama (USA)
Kitayama did not play last week and slips to number 107. His immediate challenge is breaking into the top-100 and a chance for a start in the US PGA Championship.
Depending on his playing schedule, there are only two events between now and the cut-off date of May 5 on the Asian Tour and European Tour where he can make up ground , Trophee Hassan II in Morocco and GS Caltex Maekyung Open/Volvo China Open (played same week) in Seoul/Shenzhen.
Sentosa, Singapore, April 7: The Asian Tour is deeply saddened by the sudden passing and tremendous loss of Arie Irawan, who was one of Malaysia’s and the region’s most promising talents.
Arie, who passed away of apparent natural causes at his hotel in Sanya, China where he was competing at the Sanya Championship, will be fondly remembered as a true sportsman- friendly, polite, humble and a role model for many.
After turning professional in 2013, Arie enjoyed his best season in 2015 when he was briefly ranked as the top Malaysian in the world with two victories on the Asian Development Tour (ADT).
He went through a challenging 2016 season where he was injured for four months after a motorcycle accident.
But he made a strong comeback in 2017 and won the local PGM Tour’s season-ending Maybank Players’ Championship.
Arie last competed on home soil at the Maybank Championship last month.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Arie’s wife, Marina and his parents.
We grieve together with them in this difficult time.
Arie meant so much to so many (Courtesy of PGA TOUR Series-China)
The photo shows the golfer with his arm around his caddie. They’re both smiling. They should have been. Last year playing on PGA TOUR Series-China, the player, Malaysia’s Arie Irawan, and the caddie, his wife of three weeks, the former Marina Malek, traveled to Guilin, China, where Arie played well at that week’s tournament and was in contention before eventually settling for a tie for fourth.
Although Marina knew very little about golf, she was ready for the challenge of caddying, she loved who she was working for that week and her “boss” was more than happy with her performance.
“I’m so lucky I have my wife here this week,” Arie said following his first round. “This is the first time Marina is traveling and caddying for me, and she’s also taking care of the food, so that makes it easy. It helps a lot having her out there. It just makes me more calm, and that’s why I didn’t make any bogeys today. She makes me happy.”
That joy turned to sadness in a stunning way Sunday morning in Sanya, China, as Arie never woke up, dying in his sleep in his hotel room as resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful. He was 28.
Arie was in Sanya for another tournament, this time the Sanya Championship, the second event of the PGA TOUR Series-China season. Marina was back home in Malaysia.
Arie had missed the cut a week earlier in Chongqing and didn’t play well in Sanya, not qualifying for weekend play again.
But since he was already in the resort city bordering the South China Sea, he elected to stay on site in a hotel room he was sharing with fellow player Kevin Techakanokboon.
His plan was to then travel to Haikou, about a 90-minute train ride on the north side of Hainan Island, for this week’s Haikou Championship.
News of his death stunned everybody who knew Arie, an international player who travelled all over the world playing golf. Out of deference and respect, Tour officials delayed the start of the Sanya Championship final round and then ultimately cancelled it after announcing Arie’s death.
“In the times I was with him or just around him, there was always a smile on his face—whether it was playing golf, him working out or just hanging out with friends. He always had a smile,” said Shotaro Ban, a Series member who was summoned to the scene early Sunday morning and performed CPR on Arie before emergency personnel arrived.
“I think anyone who met him or knew him realized he was an extremely genuine person. He didn’t have that much to say, but he had a great heart, and his wife is just like him.
Arie exemplified what it means to be a professional golfer, a husband and a friend in the true nature. I’m just devastated by this loss.”
The PGA TOUR’s Todd Rhinehart recently returned to the United States after living in Malaysia and serving as the CIMB Classic Executive Director.
He said it was in 2015 when Arie became more than just an acquaintance.
That year, the native Malaysian qualified for the tournament held in Kuala Lumpur. Irawan was one of three Malaysians in the field that week, the most in the tournament’s history.
“He was 24 at the time and was anxious and nervous to be playing in his first PGA TOUR event,” Rhinehart recalled.
“Over the years, I saw and talked to him at TPC Kuala Lumpur while he was practicing as well as competing in our national qualifier for the CIMB Classic.
He was not only one of Malaysia’s most-talented golfers, he was also an incredible young man who served as a passionate ambassador for junior golf in the country.”
It was in Malaysia where Arie got his start in the game, taking up golf eight years after he was born on August 21, 1990, to Ahmad and Jeny Irawan.
In 2006 and 2007, he finished runner-up at Faldo Series events in Malaysia, and as an 18-year-old, he won the Malaysian Amateur Stroke Play Championship.
With those successes, he began to attract attention from U.S. college coaches interested in securing his services. Arie elected to attend and play golf at the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma.
While in college, he earned four letters, was an Academic All-American his junior year and earned his degree in management information systems.
Upon graduation, he returned to Malaysia to embark on a professional golf career.
“His death has been tough on all of us. Golf being such a tight-knit community, it really is a shock what has happened,” said veteran Benjamin Lein, who became friends with Arie last year when he joined the Tour as a full member.
In February and back in California before the start of the PGA TOUR Series-China season, Lein put together a foursome at Industry Hills Golf Club outside Los Angeles, inviting Arie to join him and fellow Series member Gunn Charoenkul, as well as China’s Haotong Li, for a friendly game.
“It just felt like no matter where in the world we were together, he was always the same, friendly, happy Arie,” Lein noted.
Li agreed with that assessment. The 2014 PGA TOUR Series-China Player of the Year learned of Irawan’s death while preparing to play his final round at the Valero Texas Open in San Antonio. “I can’t believe it. He was such a nice guy, and I feel like it’s so unfair,” said Li, who met Arie for the first time that week in California as Li was preparing for the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship the following week.
“We had a great time playing. It was a really fun day, his wife was there and Gunn’s wife (Vichuda) was there, too. It was very comfortable. He was like an old friend even though I just met him. There’s nothing to say, really. It’s just so very sad. I couldn’t believe it when I read the news.”
“Being on the road away from family is tough, especially numerous weeks at a time. It’s always nice to have someone who points out the positive in every situation to keep us going,” Lein added. “That’s what Arie did.
He was a selfless friend who always made everyone else around him better in different ways. I never was able to thank him for that, but he will forever be close to my heart.”
Like many golfers playing at the PGA TOUR China-Series level, Arie had his ups and downs, the two missed cuts to begin the season certainly disappointing.
His best season as a professional came in 2015 when he won two Asian Developmental Tour tournaments—the PGM Sime Darby Harvard Championship and the ICTSI Eagle Ridge Invitational.
A shoulder injury from a motorcycle accident curtailed his momentum in 2016. He was out of action from March until mid-August that season, and he had since struggled to regain the form he showed in 2015.
“We ran into each other and talked for 10 minutes about the status of his game while I was still in Malaysia,” Rhinehart added.
“He was very excited about the upcoming season on the China Series and was hoping to have a great year to qualify for the Web.com Tour as he had spent some time in California with his swing coach and enjoyed his time there.
“I can’t believe he’s gone,” Rhinehart continued. “My thoughts are about him and my prayers are with his family during this incredibly tough time.”
Perhaps Techakanokboon said it best when he described his close friend. “Arie had a lot of experience and was wise beyond his years. He really carried himself as a professional all the time. I’m going to miss him.”
PGA TOUR Series-China will honor the life of Irawan this week at the Haikou Championship, where the Tour will observe a moment of silence prior to the start of the tournament and players, staff, caddies and all others in attendance will receive an “ARIE” sticker honoring Irawan’s life.
Ends.
Dhaka, Bangladesh, April 6: Young Thai talent Sadom Kaewkanjana became the record fastest Qualifying School graduate to win on the Asian Tour after surviving a nail-biting finish to clinch the US$350,000 Bangabandhu Cup Golf Open by one shot on Saturday.
Sadom, playing in his first Asian Tour start this season, extended his overnight two-shot lead to four with two opening birdies but had to fend off the spirited challenge from India’s Ajeetesh Sandhu after dropping three consecutive bogeys from the 13th to blow the title race wide open.
Sadom Kaewkanjana of Thailand
The 20-year-old Thai, however, fought back gallantly with successive birdies on 16 and 17 to give himself a one-shot advantage over Sandhu, who dropped his first bogey in 63 holes on the par-five 17, heading into the last at the Kurmitola Golf Club.
After hitting his tee shot on the par-four 18 to behind the tree on the left, Sadom chipped it back to the middle of the fairway before hitting to about eight feet. He would eventually nail that par putt to close with a one-under-par 70 and a winning total of 19-under-par 265.
Sadom, who joined the play-for-pay ranks last December, was thrilled to produce a dramatic turnaround in the closing stage to claim his first Asian Tour victory and a second win as a professional after breaking through on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) in February.
Sadom Kaewkanjana of Thailand
With this win, he would also become the third Thai after Thitiphun Chuayprakong (2016) and Jazz Janewattananond (2017) to win the National Open of Bangladesh, which is celebrating its fifth consecutive edition on the Asian Tour this week.
Sandhu, a one-time Asian Tour winner, closed with a second straight 65 to take second place while his compatriot Rashid Khan capped a second straight top-10 finish on the region’s premier Tour after battling to a 70 to settle two shots back in third.
Ajeetesh Sandhu of India
Australia’s Maverick Antcliff posted a 70 to finish in fourth place on 272 while Jazz, highest-ranked player in the field this week, settled a further shot back in tied-fifth after closing with a 69. Zamal Hossain Mollah emerged as the best-placed Bangladeshi for the second year straight after closing with a 65 to finish in tied-10th place.
Sadom will take home a winner’s prize purse of US$63,000 and receive 14 Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points, thanks to his victory.
The Bangabandhu Cup Golf Open 2019 welcomed a new title sponsor in the National Bank Ltd, a public limited bank in Bangladesh. The tournament has been named in honour of the father of the nation of Bangladesh, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Sadom Kaewkanjana of Thailand
Did you know?
- Sadom Kaewkanjana carded the lowest round in the tournament history when he shot a stunning 62 in the second round to lead by three at the halfway stage. He went on to shoot a 68 in the third round to take a two-shot lead heading into the all-important final round.
- Sadom became the fastest Qualifying School graduate to win on the Asian Tour following his victory at the Bangabandhu Cup Golf Open. The record was previously held by Australian duo Kane Webber and Todd Sinnott who won in their second starts after coming through the Qualifying School in 2006 and 2017 respectively.
- Sadom secured his 2019 Asian Tour card in his first attempt at the Qualifying School last December. He is making his debut appearance at the Bangabandhu Cup Golf Open which is also his first start on the Asian Tour this season.
- He turned professional at the end of 2018 and broke through on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) after claiming his first professional victory at the Thongchai Jaidee Foundation in February.
- Sadom enjoyed a tied-sixth finish on the Asian Tour when he played the 2018 Queen’s Cup presented by Bangchak as an amateur last year.
- Sadom enjoyed an illustrious amateur career prior to joining the play-for-pay ranks. He was ranked as high as 10th position on the Official World Amateur Rankings and his amateur wins include the 2017 Malaysian Amateur Open, 2017 All Indian Amateur and the 2018 Dutch International Junior Open. Also won the 2017 Singha Pattaya Open on his domestic circuit as an amateur.
- Sadom first played at the Kurmitola Golf Club as an amateur four years ago. He came in second at the 30th Bangladesh Amateur Golf Championship.
- Ajeetesh Sandhu is a one-time winner on the Asian Tour. A week after claiming his first Asian Tour title in Chinese Taipei in 2017, Sandhu went on to win the Taiheiyo Club Challenge Tournament on the Japan Challenge Tour.
- The 30-year-old Sandhu claimed three top-10 finishes in 2018 to finish in 28th position on the Habitat for Humanity Standings.
- After opening his campaign with three bogeys in eight holes, Sandhu stayed bogey-free for 62 holes before dropping his fourth bogey of the week on the 71st hole at the 2019 Bangabandhu Cup Golf Open.
- Rashid Khan, who turned professional in 2010, is a two-time winner on the Asian Tour. He won twice in Thailand and India in 2014.
- Khan has been enjoying a good run of form since winning on his domestic circuit in Mumbai last December. He won again in Bangladesh last month before claiming a solid top-10 finish at the Hero Indian Open last week.
- Khan’s third-place finish at the Bangabandhu Cup Golf Open would be his second straight top-10 finish on the Asian Tour this season. He came in tied-10th in his National Open at the Hero Indian Open last week.
- Zamal Hossain Mollah emerged as the best-placed Bangladeshi for the second year straight after closing with a 65 to finish in tied-10th position. He enjoyed a tied-fourth place finish last year.
Zamal Hossain Mollah of Bangladesh
Sadom Kaewkanjana (THA) – Final round 70 (-1), Total 265 (-19)
Winning in my first start on the Asian Tour, I feel very happy. I will take a lot of positives from this week and this win will give me a lot of confidence in my game as well. It’s been an unbelievable journey since turning professional last December.
My initial goal was just to keep my Asian Tour card for the next season but now I have won on both the Asian Development Tour and the Asian Tour. I am really happy. I didn’t expect to do so well. I finished second here in an amateur event four years ago. It’s good to come back and get that win now as a professional. I will remember all the good memories here.
I started well today. I got lucky with my second shot. I managed to hit it to within 10 feet and made that birdie putt on the first. I went on to sink a 20-footer for birdie on the next hole which gave me a lot of confidence heading into the round. I had a good par-save on the third as well from 15 feet.
My putter, however, went cold after the first three holes but thankfully I got it back in my closing three holes. I wasn’t feeling the nerves actually. I was just thinking about making birdies, especially after dropping three bogeys in-a-row. I told myself I need to make birdies to get it back. I am glad I did it.
I made the birdie putt from about 10 feet on the 16 and then a 20-footer for birdie on 17 to regain a one-shot lead. After hitting it to behind the tree on the last, I was just trying myself to try and make putt from there. I chipped my second shot back to the middle of the fairway and hit it to the right of the pin and made the par putt from there.
I am happy to win on my first start. I will have to work harder to get even better after this.
Sadom Kaewkanjana of Thailand
Ajeestesh Sandhu (Ind) – Final round 65 (-6), Total 266 (-18)
I knew what I had to do when I started out. I actually did what I needed to so I am quite happy with that. I just made a mistake on one hole. I haven’t made any bogey in three and a half days. It’s not that I played the hole bad. I just missed out on the putt.
I knew I had a one-shot lead after the birdie on 14 but nothing changed for me then. I played 15 and 16 pretty well but I knew I had to probably make one more birdie coming in. I didn’t manage to do that but overall, it’s been a great week, considering how I started the week with three bogeys in my opening eight holes.
If someone had told me I would finish second at the start of the week, I would have taken that. I have been playing well for awhile now. I just didn’t have good finishes. It’s good to cap a good finish this week. A win would have been nice but it’s alright. I will take a couple of weeks off to rest before going to Volvo China Open.
Ajeetesh Sandhu of India
Rashid Khan (Ind) – Final round 70 (-1), Total 267 (-17)
I started alright. I hit it close to give myself opportunities to make birdies on the first few holes. I hit a few good shots but couldn’t hole the putts. It was all good.
I expected it to be better but it’s fine. I just made some mistakes out there but otherwise, I am happy. Overall, it’s still a good finish for me.
Rashid Khan of India
Jazz Janewattananond (Tha) – Final round 69 (-2), Total 273 (-11)
It’s been a good week although I didn’t manage to bring my ‘A’ game out there. I am really happy to come back here to play Kurmitola this week. It treated me well in 2017 but kind of bite back this time round but still, all is good.
It’s good to cap another top-five finish for the season. It’s always nice to finish inside top-five. It could have been better. I left so many shots out there. The season’s been really good for me so far. It’s been tiring too but I have been playing a lot.
I am looking forward to take a few weeks off and prepare for my season on the Japan Golf Tour and my next Asian Tour event at the Volvo China Open.
Zamal Hossain Mollah (Ban) – Final round 65(-6), Total 275 (-9)
I missed a lot of short putts there today. I could have done better. But I hit the ball really well. It’s the best I have done this week so I am still very happy with my round today. This is my home course and I have an advantage here. I am happy with another good finish here.
Zamal Hossain Mollah of Bangladesh
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