Chawrasia ready for ‘big’ test at the Volvo China Open
Shenzhen, China, April 30: India’s S.S.P. Chawrasia is hoping to regain the form that led him to six Asian Tour titles when he tees up for ‘one of his biggest tests’ at the Volvo China Open which starts on Thursday.
Chawrasia’s last victory dates back to 2017 when he last won on home soil. He has only one top-10 finish on the Asian Tour last year and missed the cut in all four events he played in the Middle East since the start of this year.
The 40-year-old, however bounced back by featuring in the weekend rounds in Malaysia and India last month and sees that as a sign of better things to come as he readies himself for the challenge at the Volvo China Open which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana is also hopeful of continuing his lightning start to his rookie season following his breakthrough in Bangladesh earlier this month.
Sadom is the record fastest Qualifying School graduate to win on the Asian Tour. He won his maiden Asian Tour title in what was only his first start on Tour after making the grade at Qualifying School last December.
Playing in the Volvo China Open for the first time as the newest Asian Tour champion, the 20-year-old is confident of taking on a strong field which features over 40 Asian Tour champions and five Order of Merit winners at the Genzon Golf Club.
Asian Tour board member Zhang Lianwei, who won the event in 2003, will continue to feature at the Volvo China Open. The Chinese veteran will be teeing up for the 25th time this week since the event was inaugurated in 1995.
Did you know?
- S.S.P. Chawarasia’s best result at the Volvo China Open came in 2017 when he finished tied-36th.
- Out of his six wins on the Asian Tour, Chawasia’s lone win outside India came at the Resorts World Manila Masters in 2016.
- He finished in 83rd place on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings last year.
- Sadom secured his 2019 Asian Tour card in his first attempt at the Qualifying School last December.
- 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 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.
- The Thai also won the 2017 Singha Pattaya Open on his domestic circuit as an amateur.
- The Volvo China Open is the longest running professional golf tournament in China and is tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and the China Golf Association.
Ends.
By Olle Nordberg, Former Asian Tour and European Tour professional
A big week ahead for a lot of Asian Tour players with concurrent events being held in China and Korea, the approximately US$2.9 million Volvo China Open and the just over US$ 1 million GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship.
Both events have a long and storied history, with the inaugural Volvo China Open played in 1995 and the GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship going all the way back to 1982.
Genzon Golf Club, Shenzhen
Volvo China Open
As the Volvo China Open has been played at a number of different courses over the years, this is only the second time the event will be played at Genzon Golf Club in Shenzhen. On the previous occasion in 2014, Alexander Levy of France beat Tommy Fleetwood by four shots to capture the trophy against a world-class field that also included Francesco Molinari, Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson and Rafa Cabrera-Bello.
Last year’s champion Alexander Bjork of Sweden will be keen to the defend the trophy he won at Topwin G&CC outside of Beijing by one stroke over Adrian Otaegui, but will likely get a strong challenge from some of these players below:
- Li Haotong (CHN)
The highest OWGR ranked player in the field at number 39, he is also a past champion of the event winning the 2016 edition by three shots. Li has had a solid start to the year, finishing second to Dustin Johnson in the Saudi International and tied ninth in the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.
He will be looking to become the first Chinese player to win his National Open twice.
- Scott Hend (AUS)
The current number one player in the Habitat for Humanity Standings and winner of the recent Maybank Championship, Hend will be coming in with good form and well rested after a few weeks back home in Jacksonville, Florida.
He has had some success at Genzon GC in past European Tour events, finishing tied-fourth in the Shenzhen International in 2016 and tied-15th in the 2015 edition. Will be very familiar with the course layout and conditions, which may be an advantage against other “Asian Tour only” players.
- Jazz Janewattananond (THA)
Having been on a hot streak since late 2018, Jazz has had seven top-5’s in his last 11 events going back to last December, including a win at the SMBC Singapore Open in January. He has risen all the way to number 72 on the OWGR and have already secured starts in the US PGA Championship in May, and The Open Championship in July.
As well as he has been playing of late, there is no reason why he shouldn’t be a contender this week yet again.
- Alexander Levy (FRA)
Already a two-time winner of the Volvo China Open in 2017 and 2014, Levy is currently the only player to have won this event twice.
His best finish of 2019 has been a fifth-place at the Saudi International, but if the expression “horses for courses” means anything, he might prove a difficult player to beat.
Of players teeing it up this week is at Genzon GC his record is second to none: a win at the 2014 Volvo China Open, and a fourth and eight-place in the Shenzhen International here bodes well for his chances this week.
- Jorge Campillo (ESP)
Maybe the hottest player on the European Tour at the moment, coming off a win at last week’s Trophee Hassan II in Morocco. He also has a third-place finish at the recent Hero Indian Open, and back-to-back tied-seconds at the Oman Open and Commercial Bank Qatar Masters in early March.
Campillo also finished third in last year’s edition of the Volvo China Open, and it would not be surprising to see him better that this year.
- David Lipsky (USA)
The 2014 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion has shown good form since late last year when he captured the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa. Finished fifth in Morocco last week and tied-tenth in the WGC- Mexico Championship which has been his best results this calendar year.
Lipsky was also in good position to win last month’s Maybank Championship, sitting in second place after three rounds before falling back with a final round 74.
He also has good knowledge of the course this week, having finished tied-fifth in the 2017 edition of the Shenzhen International.
Namseoul Country Club, 18th green
GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship
The GS Caltex Maykyung Open Golf Championship is one of those tournaments that has almost exclusively been held at the same course in its whole history. It has only ventured elsewhere on a few occasions since its inception in 1982 and has been held at Namseoul Country Club since 2006.
An astounding fact about the event is that no foreign-born player has won at Namseoul Country Club since Brandt Jobe did so in 1995, a full 24 years.
Because of this fact alone, the Korean players will remain heavy favorites this week and none more so then than the defending champion Sanghyun Park.
The 2018 Asian Tour Rookie of the Year holds an impeccable record in the GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship. In the last five editions Park has won the event twice (2016 & 2018), finished Runner-Up (2014) and tied-third (2017).
While he will be trying to become the first three-time winner of the event, there is at least a few more home-grown stars likely among those who will try to try to deny him that honor:
- Sanghee Lee (KOR)
The winner of this event in 2017, Lee finished his Japan Tour season strongly in 2018, with three top-10s in his last four events and is currently ranked number 255 on the OWGR. In addition to his win here in 2017, he also finished tied-fifth in 2018, and tied-seventh in 2016.
- Kyungjun Moon (KOR)
Having won here in 2015, finished runner-up in 2017, and sixth in 2016, Moon certainly has an affinity for the course. Having graduated from the Asian Tour Q-School in December last year, he will have a chance to leverage one of his favorite tour-stops into securing his playing rights for the 2020 Asian Tour season.
- Doyeob Mun (KOR)
Opened his 2019 campaign in great fashion by finishing tied-fifth in the SMBC Singapore Open, thereby securing his place in The Open Championship field at Royal Portrush in July. Mun also had a good year in 2018 and finished third on the KPGA Tour money list, in a season that included a win in the 61st KPGA Championship, and three more top-5s on the KPGA and Asian Tours.
Of course, there are other in-form players wanting to get their hands on the trophy, and the winners-jacket that comes along with. Among the top candidates are these players below:
Prom Meesawat of Thailand
- Prom Meesawat (THA)
Just coming off a win at last week’s Butra Heidelberg Cement Brunei Championships ADT event in Brunei, Prom has had a good start to his 2019 season. Starting the year by finishing tied-fifth at the SMBC Singapore Open and qualifying for The Open Championship, Prom also won the Singha Thailand Masters on the All Thailand Golf Tour in March.
He has won in Korea previously, taking home the trophy at the 2006 SK Telecom Open.
- Chikkarangappa S. (IND)
Already a two-time winner on the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) in 2019, the most recent victory only two weeks ago at the Delhi-NCR Open Golf Championship, he also finished tied-tenth at the Hero Indian Open and inside the top-20 at both the Maybank Championship and Magical Kenya Open.
Very much due for his first Asian tour victory soon.
This article was first published on PresidentsCup.com.
When an unfamiliar name popped up on the Masters Tournament leaderboard recently, almost everyone gasped with the same question – “Who is Justin Harding?”
For golf’s fervent followers in South Africa and Asia, Harding is already a familiar name thanks to a combined nine victories on the Sunshine and Asian Tours. Last month, he took another big leap forward in his career by securing his biggest win yet at the Qatar Masters on the European Tour.
The rewards for an amazing five wins over a span of 10 months have included appearances in the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, the Masters and other PGA TOUR starts, including the Zurich Classic of New Orleans this week.
Ranked 712th in the world at the end of 2017, he now sits in 45th place and finds himself mixing it up with the big boys and hanging out with potential teammates for the Presidents Cup.
Justin Harding of South Africa
As a child, Harding grew up in Somerset West, South Africa and played junior golf alongside the likes of Branden Grace, a three-time Presidents Cup International Team member. Surfing was his first sporting love but once his father, a businessman, introduced him to golf, Harding was hooked and later developed into a good amateur golfer.
Strangely though, he had earned the nickname “Hack” as a junior player due to his wayward driving and a taboo that observes is to avoid playing with No. 3 golf balls.“I’ve used them a few times and wasn’t successful .… I’ve banned it,” he laughs.
This is Harding’s fifth consecutive week playing on U.S. soil but it isn’t something new as he played college golf at Lamar University in Texas where he majored in business studies. After graduating in 2010, he turned professional and returned home to cut his professional teeth where he would later win the first of his seven titles later that year.
At the Masters, the unassuming South African didn’t hack it around as he produced a measured performance to finish a commendable T12 which guaranteed a return trip in 2020. It also made the golfing world sit up and take notice of his talent.
Justin Harding of South Africa
Grace, who is teaming up with Harding in the Zurich Classic, isn’t surprised to see Harding showing up on golf’s biggest stage. “He’s very sneaky and streaky,” said Grace.
“He’s always been like that. That’s why he’s got the nickname ‘Hack’. He’s not always as straight off the tee but he gets it going. He’s really good with wedges and a putter in his hand, he’s really deadly and that’s what you need out here. He’s a hell of a grinder.
“I’ve known Justin for like forever. Obviously when you turn pro and you go your separate ways … but it’s nice to be able to get together now and play on the big scene together. He’s a great golfer and obviously we all know the last two years that he’s had, and it’s great to have him out here playing.”
Harding’s recent success has made him a genuine contender to qualify for the International Team for the Presidents Cup against the United States at Royal Melbourne Golf Club, Australia from December 9-15. With countryman and idol, Ernie Els captaining of the squad, Harding hopes to book his seat on the plane to Australia.
As a 17-year-old, he was amongst the throngs of fans gathered at Fancourt when South Africa hosted the Presidents Cup in 2003. There, he witnessed the historic showdown up close where Els and Tiger Woods battled it out like gladiators in sudden-death which ended in a stalemate following three extra holes played in near darkness.
“I went up to it and watched it first-hand. Watching Tiger and Ernie going against each other in the dark was pretty special,” said Harding.
“It’s an opportunity of a life time and I like to not let it slip. There are so many really good players and the team will be strong regardless.”
Ernie Els of South Africa
Els likes what he has seen from Harding after playing several rounds together during the past year. “Incredible story,” said the South African legend. “In less than 18 months, he’s come from absolutely not having a card on the Asian Tour, to winning on the Asian Tour, winning in Europe and finishing 12th at the Masters. And he’s got a great game obviously. He can win worldwide and he’s a great wind player. He could be a great asset to our team.”
Trevor Immelman, who is one of the captain’s assistants, has followed Harding’s career closely as they hail from the same hometown. “It’s a huge thrill for me to see him really starting to break through,” said Immelman, who is a Masters champion.
“In South Africa we’ve known about him for a few years now. Guys that know him have been waiting for him to kind of find his voice, so to speak, in the international game. It’s great to see him starting to compete so well in Europe and win in Qatar and transition that game straight here to the States. I mean, his first Masters, the guy finishes tied for 12th.
“He really doesn’t have too many weaknesses, and mentally what’s exciting is he’s really tough. He wants to play well and won’t be intimidated by anybody. I think it’ll be awesome if he manages to make this team.”
Harding reveals golf drives him to excel as success or failure in the game is totally dependent on his own attitude and effort. “I was pretty sporty but I like the individual aspect of golf, figuring out the puzzle and not relying on team members. If you get further, you get more rewards for an individual,” he said.
Except for this week which is a two-man team competition, Harding is prepared to grind it out on his own over the next four months before qualifying ends in August for the eight automatic slots for the International Team.
“It’s been a good 12 months, I’ve put up some good results and my golf is on an upward curve,” he said.
“It’s awesome I’ve made it out here on the PGA TOUR but by no means I’ve arrived. I’ve got a lot of work to do before I can put on a jersey (for the Presidents Cup).”
Ends.
With lucrative events such as WGCs and Majors looming, the Official World Golf Rankings 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
While there was no Asian Tour event last week, four of our members recorded wins on other Tours and picked up valuable points and improving their OWGR rankings: Chikkarangappa S. on the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) improving his ranking to 274 from 312, Danthai Boonma on the Japan Challenge Tour moving to number 281 from 358, Maverick Antcliff on the China Tour going to 354 from 487, and Richard T. Lee on the Korean PGA rising to 499 from 1014.
Justin Harding of South Africa
For the players battling to secure tickets to the upcoming Majors, there was not as much movement in the rankings:
- Justin Harding (RSA)
Harding missed the cut at the RBC Heritage on the PGA TOUR and drops one spot to number 45, but still has an excellent chance to secure an exemption to the U.S. Open which will be played at the Pebble Beach Golf Links in California from June 13-16. He needs to remain inside the top 60 on the OWGR by either May 20 or June 10, which are the cut-off dates for the exemptions.
Harding will be playing in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans this week, partnering with fellow South African Branden Grace in the $7.3 million two-man team event.
- Jazz Janewattananond (THA)
Jazz narrowly missed the cut by one shot in the Token Homemate Cup on the Japan Golf Tour (JGTO) last week. He would slide down three spots in the rankings to 74. He looks to have secured a special invitation to the US PGA Championship at Bethpage Black in New York May 16-19 by being inside the top 100 on the OWGR till May 5.
The next important step on the OWGR for him will be breaking into the top 60 by either May 20 or June 10, for an exemption into the U.S. Open.
- Kurt Kitayama (USA)
Kitayama did not play last week and slips three places in the rankings to number 109. His immediate challenge is to break into the top 100 and get a chance for a start in the US PGA Championship.
He will be playing in the Tropee Hassan II this week in Morocco and Volvo China Open next week, and need to make up nine places between now and the cut-off date May 5.
*Trophy shot of Danthai: Photo credits to Japan Golf Tour
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