Chikkarangappa S. (Ind)

The game is feeling good, especially after coming off a recent win back home. Overall, all parts of the game are looking nice. It has been a good stretch of the last six months I would say. I am just enjoying every week that I am playing.

I have been working with a new coach since October last year. We made a few changes and it’s been working out well. I have been feeling good since. I think it has got something to do with me. I needed some changes for myself.

I kind of went back to my old strengths and how I used to play, working on a little bit of swing and things that have become weak have gone better now. The blueprint on how I used to play and that has been the key for me. I am confident of repeating it every time now.

I played well here last year, especially the first two days. I struggled a bit on the weekend due to the rain. This course is pretty unique. You need to be careful around the greens. I think that’s the key. The greens are very tricky. You got to be on the right places to get up and down.

Some holes are pretty narrow as well and you do get quite a bit of fliers so just need to watch out on that. If you get a flyer and missed on the wrong side of the green, you will get punished for sure. I think if you can just keep the shots below the flag, I think it will be fine.

It’s been a good season for me so far. I am enjoying every bit of it. I’m just looking out for what I need to do every week now. I am much more a happier person too. I am just accepting everything that is coming my way.

I could have done better at the Indian Open and Maybank Championship but it’s all about continuing the good momentum and bringing it forward. That is what I am doing now.

Chikkarangappa S. of India 

Phachara Khongwatmai (Tha)

I am using a new set of irons this week. I tried it out at a local event in Chiangmai last week and I’m feeling good about them. Hopefully it will be better this week. It’s good to be back playing in Asia. Took me awhile to get used to it again.

I played here last year. You need to hit well on this course. I like the greens here. It feels pretty much like Thailand. The condition is great too. You need to hit it straight off the tee. That’s very important. Some holes are tricky too and you can’t really go for the pins.

I hope to regain my top form and play like how I did last year or two years ago. The season’s been alright but I haven’t reached my peak game yet. I hope it gets better.

Javi Colomo (Esp)

It’s nice to be here in Korea. I’m mentally in peace. I have taken on a few projects back home, like teaching some high-level players and some young pros with a regional federation back home in Spain. It’s pretty exciting and it’s a good experience.

It helps me to be more relaxed. I didn’t practise as much as I would have in the past. But I feel great in every part of my game now. I actually decided to stop playing competitive golf two months ago but because things are going well right now so I guess I will keep playing.

I’m happy to be back on Tour. This is only my second event this season. I haven’t played since Singapore Open but I managed to spend some time with my family over the past few months which was good. I missed them a lot when I was traveling.

I dislocated my shoulder last August. I went swimming in the beach and was caught by a huge wave which pushed me down where I hit against the seabed. That is why I haven’t played from August last year till January. But I have fully recovered since then.

Yikeun Chang (Kor)

It feels nice to be back here. I played well last year although it was a disappointing finish. But I am hitting the ball pretty good right now and the course is looking great as well. I think the greens are going to get faster.

You need to hit it below the hole on this course. Namseoul is known for its tricky greens so my game plan is to hit it below the hole and try and hit as many fairways as I can. You get a lot of fliers from the fairways and the rough here at Namseoul so you got to manage that.

It’s been an up and down season so far. I got off to a great start at the Singapore Open where I finished in tied-12^th place. After that, it wasn’t quite good but I know it’s going in the right direction now so I am looking forward to the week.

Prom Meesawat of Thailand

Prom Meesawat (Tha)

It’s always nice to return to a place where you had very good memories of. I won my first Asian Tour title in Korea so it’s nice to be back, although I have never had a good result at the Namseoul Country Club.

But having said that, I’m hitting the ball good and putting good now so I’m looking to put up a good result this week. Winning in Brunei definitely gave me a lot of confidence coming into the week as well.

I’m happy with the season so far. I’m getting fitter, my body feels good and I feel ready to win tournaments! I am constantly working on my game as well. You need to be good in all aspects to win tournaments so I will keep working on that to stay consistent.

I got the season off to a great start with a good result at the Singapore Open and then secured my spot at The Open this July. I love playing under windy conditions actually and I enjoy playing links course. I am looking forward to playing at Royal Portrush.

I don’t think I need to prepare anything special. My ball flight is pretty low and I hit my irons good in the wind. I just want to go there and enjoy myself and hopefully play well. Some good results these few weeks will definitely help build up my game for The Open.

Danthai Boonma (Tha)

My recent victory on the Japan Challenge Tour has given me a lot of confidence. I feel that my form is getting more consistent this season. The shots I hit are steadier as well.

The only thing that I would like to improve is my putting and short game which is very important if you want to play well at Namseoul.

There are many slopes out there and the greens are very challenging. I hope I can perform well this week.

Aadil Bedi (Ind)

I’m pretty excited to be in Korea this week. It’s my first time here. I have heard a lot about the course. I know it’s a tough track but I’m up for the challenge. Preparations have been good. I played a tournament on my local Tour two weeks ago and came in sixth so I’m pretty confident coming into this week.

The weather is nice here. I heard the course is in good conditions as well and the greens are fast which suits my game. I played earlier in Bangladesh but didn’t do so well there. I worked on my swing after that so hopefully this will be a better week for me.

I turned professional at the Panasonic Open India last November and I’ve played about six to seven events so far. I didn’t play much this season because I was juggling with my high school exams.

I enjoy being a pro. I enjoy meeting a lot of new people and getting to know a lot of the top players out there and learning from them. It’s fun. There are a lot of players whom I look up to, like Jeev Milkha Singh, Gaganjeet Bhullar, Anirban Lahiri, Shubhankar Sharma, Ajeetesh Sandhu, etc. I grew up watching these guys play and it’s inspiring to see how much they have achieved now.

The amount of respect they have on the Asian Tour is huge too. I always ask them for help on how to go about things and they are always keen to help. I used to play amateur golf with Sadom (Kaewkanjana) so it was pretty cool to see him win on his first Asian Tour start in Bangladesh.

The best advice I have received is to play my own game and don’t get too intimidated by what others are doing. I think that was what I learnt in Bangladesh as well. I felt like I should have stuck to my game plan.

I played a lot during my amateur days and I gained experiences playing in big events as an amateur. That has helped in my transition when I turned professional. I just finish high school. I took up the game when I was four, which is about 14 years ago.

Austen Truslow (Usa)

I studied Korean history back in college so it’s pretty cool to finally come out here. It’s my first time in Korea and it’s a beautiful spot. The game feels pretty good, came off a good week in Brunei where I finished third so I’m looking forward to playing this week.

It’s been pretty tough for me since coming to Asia. It’s difficult because you don’t know what to expect every week. There are a lot of variables that you haven’t consider. But having said that, it’s still a lot of fun. I had fun in Brunei last week and Malaysia was good fun too. It’s just really hot in Malaysia.

Every week, you’re just learning. That’s the only thing you can do but it’s a fun learning process. I putted good to finish well in Brunei last week. I hope to continue that this week.

The biggest challenge I have so far is trying to stay within myself, sticking to what I do well and not getting too much into the atmosphere and the environment. Even when the environment changes, the process that you go through should pretty much remain. I am still trying to do that.