Sunshine Coast, December 12, 2010 - Peter Senior will lead the Australian PGA Championship presented by Coca-Cola into a fifth day after the tournament was suspended today due to heavy rain and excessive water on the Hyatt Regency Coolum course.
Play was first suspended at 2.00pm local Queensland time with the decision to call off play for the day coming at 5.00pm.
Tournament officials had hoped to send players back out in the late afternoon, but water on the course forced the day’s play to be canceled.
Play is expected to resume at 6.00am tomorrow, Monday morning.
This will be the first time in over 20 years that an Australian tournament has been forced to conclude on a Monday.
The last postponement occurred during the 1987 Australian Open at Royal Melbourne Golf Club.
As of 2.00pm Sunday Peter Senior led the tournament at -12, while Peter Fowler and Bobby Gates shared second at -11.
Matthew Griffin, Geoff Ogilvy, Richard Green and Andre Stolz share 4th position at -10.
China's No. 1 Liang Wenchong had a bogey-free morning and is the leading Asian player in the tournament at -7. He has seven holes to finish tomorrow.
For the full leaderboard click here.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Asian Players Chase Gates In Bid For Kirkwood Cup
Sunshine Coast, December 11, 2010 - American Bobby Gates will tomorrow hope to become the first international winner of the Australian PGA Championship in over ten years following a thrilling day of play at the Hyatt Regency Coolum.
Gates will start the final round at 12-under par, but will have to overcome the experience of one of Australia’s most successful professionals in Peter Senior who sits in second at 11-under alongside Newcastle’s Aaron Townsend.
Should he win tomorrow, Gates is also almost certain to take out the PGA Tour of Australasia’s Order of Merit which among other benefits will give him an instant start in the US Open and the World Golf Championship-Cadillac Championship.
The win will also give him a start in the World Golf Championships Bridgestone Invitational- not a bad potential haul for a young man who also recently earned his US PGA Tour card for 2011.
"The first five holes were pretty tough today," said Gates. "There weren't many times that we looked up and the wind was doing the same thing as it was 30 seconds ago. But that's the fun of golf, you kind of grind through it and get to where you can make some birdies."
Gates played the round alongside Australia's John Senden and China's Liang Wenchong, who slipped from joint second to share eleventh with South Korea's Jung Ji-ho.
Liang's start to the day was tainted by a double-bogey on the first-hole, which threw him off for the day. The 32-year-old Zhongshan resident had a further three more bogeys throughout the course of the day.
"I pushed the ball to the right and it bounced off a rock into a bunker and I had to chip around a bit," Liang said of the unfortunate first hole. "The wind was also blowing quite hard as I was hitting towards the green, so it wasn't a good start to the day."
The Asian contingent is now led by Japan's Akio Sadakata, who has leapt up the leaderboard on the third day shooting a five-under 67.
"I didn't feel like I had a good round today and I'll have to go low tomorrow if I want to catch up," said the Osaka-based Sadakata. "But I'm in good spirits seeing my fellow countrymen also on the leaderboard putting up a good fight. I still have a chance but we'll see tomorrow."
Play gets underway in the third round from 6.20am on Sunday morning with the leaders teeing off at 11.00am.
For the full leaderboard, visit http://oneasia.asia.
Gates will start the final round at 12-under par, but will have to overcome the experience of one of Australia’s most successful professionals in Peter Senior who sits in second at 11-under alongside Newcastle’s Aaron Townsend.
Should he win tomorrow, Gates is also almost certain to take out the PGA Tour of Australasia’s Order of Merit which among other benefits will give him an instant start in the US Open and the World Golf Championship-Cadillac Championship.
The win will also give him a start in the World Golf Championships Bridgestone Invitational- not a bad potential haul for a young man who also recently earned his US PGA Tour card for 2011.
"The first five holes were pretty tough today," said Gates. "There weren't many times that we looked up and the wind was doing the same thing as it was 30 seconds ago. But that's the fun of golf, you kind of grind through it and get to where you can make some birdies."
Gates played the round alongside Australia's John Senden and China's Liang Wenchong, who slipped from joint second to share eleventh with South Korea's Jung Ji-ho.
Liang's start to the day was tainted by a double-bogey on the first-hole, which threw him off for the day. The 32-year-old Zhongshan resident had a further three more bogeys throughout the course of the day.
"I pushed the ball to the right and it bounced off a rock into a bunker and I had to chip around a bit," Liang said of the unfortunate first hole. "The wind was also blowing quite hard as I was hitting towards the green, so it wasn't a good start to the day."
The Asian contingent is now led by Japan's Akio Sadakata, who has leapt up the leaderboard on the third day shooting a five-under 67.
"I didn't feel like I had a good round today and I'll have to go low tomorrow if I want to catch up," said the Osaka-based Sadakata. "But I'm in good spirits seeing my fellow countrymen also on the leaderboard putting up a good fight. I still have a chance but we'll see tomorrow."
Play gets underway in the third round from 6.20am on Sunday morning with the leaders teeing off at 11.00am.
For the full leaderboard, visit http://oneasia.asia.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Liang Leads Asian Invasion In Coolum
Sunshine Coast, December 10, 2010 - Asian players on OneAsia have finished well in Queensland today as they challenge Australia's finest for the coveted Kirkwood Cup at the Australian PGA Championship presented by Coca-Cola this week.
This is OneAsia's second year in Coolum and despite what are considered difficult conditions to the Asian style of playing, China's No. 1 Liang Wenchong has quickly adapted, leading the Asian contingent of players who have climbed up the leaderboard.
Liang shot a four-under 68 to share joint-second with Australia's John Senden in a bogey-free round that has left him with a ten-under finish, one shot behind 25-year-old American Bobby Gates who posted a 69.
The 32-year-old Zhongshan farmer-turned-golf pro has enjoyed his first two rounds, playing alongside defending champion Robert Allenby and colourful PGA Tour star John Daly.
"These two rounds have been good," Liang said. "My putting was better yesterday so I had more birdies but I am satisfied with my results today. I feel more comfortable on the course and I had no bogeys today. I hope to give the competition my best this weekend and have a good finish.
Liang is full of admiration for his Australian group mate Allenby, a three-time winner of this tournament.
"Robert didn't do too well yesterday but has performed very well under pressure today," he said. "He is a great player as he concentrates on his own game. I hope we will be in the same group again on the final day, to compete for the championship cup."
Korea's Jung Ji-ho shares 9th with three other Australian players including Allenby. He posted a 67 on the water hazard-laden course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr, with a six-under finish after the round.
Jung has had a slew of good finishes on the Korean Tour and is currently ranked 27th on its money list. He has played regularly on OneAsia this year, taking advantage of the increased number of earning opportunities provided across the Asia Pacific region.
"The game was not easy today but my short game helped me with a good final score," said Jung. "I had to concentrate on my putting strategically as my swing has not been feeling good. Luckily that worked out well."
"I'm happy to have managed a good score today and being the leading Korean is encouraging me to play harder. I'll try to keep up the fight till the end for Korea."
Akio Sadakata of Japan is also on track for a good result at five-under after two rounds, sharing 13th alongside the likes of Geoff Ogilvy and Rod Pampling. The Osaka-based professional is playing his first OneAsia tournament this week with a "it's never too late" attitude, and was drawn down under by the prospect of a summertime multi-cultural experience.
"It is good to know other cultures and to play with leading players from around the region," he said. "If I have to chance, I will definitely play more OneAsia tournaments next year for this experience."
Other OneAsia players who will play into the weekend include Gu Cuilin and CJ Gatto of the China Tour, Lee In-woo, Choi Joon-woo and Son Joon-eob of the Korean Tour, Hiroshi Iwata and Tetsuya Haraguchi of the Japan Tour, Panuphol Pittayarat, Borworn Chaisri and Pornpong Phatlum of the South East Asian Mercedes-Benz Tour, and Simon Yates of the Asian Tour.
The cut was made at even par with Adam Scott and John Daly among the big names to miss out on a weekend spot.
This is OneAsia's second year in Coolum and despite what are considered difficult conditions to the Asian style of playing, China's No. 1 Liang Wenchong has quickly adapted, leading the Asian contingent of players who have climbed up the leaderboard.
Liang shot a four-under 68 to share joint-second with Australia's John Senden in a bogey-free round that has left him with a ten-under finish, one shot behind 25-year-old American Bobby Gates who posted a 69.
The 32-year-old Zhongshan farmer-turned-golf pro has enjoyed his first two rounds, playing alongside defending champion Robert Allenby and colourful PGA Tour star John Daly.
"These two rounds have been good," Liang said. "My putting was better yesterday so I had more birdies but I am satisfied with my results today. I feel more comfortable on the course and I had no bogeys today. I hope to give the competition my best this weekend and have a good finish.
Liang is full of admiration for his Australian group mate Allenby, a three-time winner of this tournament.
"Robert didn't do too well yesterday but has performed very well under pressure today," he said. "He is a great player as he concentrates on his own game. I hope we will be in the same group again on the final day, to compete for the championship cup."
Korea's Jung Ji-ho shares 9th with three other Australian players including Allenby. He posted a 67 on the water hazard-laden course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr, with a six-under finish after the round.
Jung has had a slew of good finishes on the Korean Tour and is currently ranked 27th on its money list. He has played regularly on OneAsia this year, taking advantage of the increased number of earning opportunities provided across the Asia Pacific region.
"The game was not easy today but my short game helped me with a good final score," said Jung. "I had to concentrate on my putting strategically as my swing has not been feeling good. Luckily that worked out well."
"I'm happy to have managed a good score today and being the leading Korean is encouraging me to play harder. I'll try to keep up the fight till the end for Korea."
Akio Sadakata of Japan is also on track for a good result at five-under after two rounds, sharing 13th alongside the likes of Geoff Ogilvy and Rod Pampling. The Osaka-based professional is playing his first OneAsia tournament this week with a "it's never too late" attitude, and was drawn down under by the prospect of a summertime multi-cultural experience.
"It is good to know other cultures and to play with leading players from around the region," he said. "If I have to chance, I will definitely play more OneAsia tournaments next year for this experience."
Other OneAsia players who will play into the weekend include Gu Cuilin and CJ Gatto of the China Tour, Lee In-woo, Choi Joon-woo and Son Joon-eob of the Korean Tour, Hiroshi Iwata and Tetsuya Haraguchi of the Japan Tour, Panuphol Pittayarat, Borworn Chaisri and Pornpong Phatlum of the South East Asian Mercedes-Benz Tour, and Simon Yates of the Asian Tour.
The cut was made at even par with Adam Scott and John Daly among the big names to miss out on a weekend spot.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Buckle And Gates Set The Pace At Coolum
Sunshine Coast, December 9, 2010 - With a star studded field assembled at Coolum for the Australian PGA Championship presented by Coca-Cola, no one would have predicted that it would be Queenslander Andrew Buckle and American Robert Gates that would lead the chase for the Joe Kirkwood Cup on day one.
Gates joined morning pacesetter Andrew Buckle at the top of the leaderboard at eight-under following a low-scoring day at the Hyatt Regency Coolum in the final event of OneAsia and the PGA Tour of Australasia.
Buckle made the most of the ideal morning conditions holing eight birdies on the way to a round of 64, while Gates, who earlier this year won the New Zealand Open, began his round with an eagle and picked up seven more birdies to dominate the afternoon field.
Local Sunshine Coast professional Steven Bowditch currently shares third place two shots back at six-under with China’s number one player Liang Wenchong and PGA Tour of Australasia veteran Peter Fowler.
Matthew Millar, James Nitties, Andre Stolz, Kieran Pratt and Japan's Akio Sadakata all sit in equal sixth position at five-under par.
A further 10 players sit in equal 11th position at four-under par including Matthew Griffin, Rod Pampling and New Zealander Gareth Paddison.
Of the tournament headliners, 2010 Australian Open champion Geoff Ogilvy finished at two-under alongside defending champion Robert Allenby, while US import John Daly is at one-under par.
Adam Scott finished the day at one-over with the help of a quadruple bogey eight at the par-four 13th where he found the water twice.
For Aussie leader Buckle, who has gone four years since his last win on the Nationwide Tour, the round was a promising sign for what has otherwise been a disappointing season.
"Today I just tried to get back to just using my instincts a little bit which I haven't really done since I was a kid, so it was a lot of fun to play that way again instead of just thinking about my swing," said Buckle who said he needs to overcome his self-doubt in order to succeed at the highest level.
“I love playing golf for a living and I love doing this as a job and it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do so it’s not easy at times; you travel a lot, you’re away from family, you get away from friends, close friends and things like that – I love it too much- I’ll keep going and get there.”
Gates, who in 2011 will play the US PGA Tour after finishing in the Top 25 on the2010 Nationwide Tour moneylist, said he put the performance down to his relaxed attitude that comes with being on ‘vacation’.
“It’s a long way to come but we enjoy it, it's kind of carefree so we come down and look at it as a way to relax and work on our game while it’s cold at home,” said Gates.
“It’s been awesome, this is one of the National Championships down here and it’s a way for the Australian guys to showcase that they are some of the best players in the world so to come down here and see how my game stacks up against them is pretty awesome.”
Following his win earlier in the year in New Zealand, Gates is also in contention to win the 2010 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit which, if he wins, will give him exemptions into a number of Majors and World Golf Championship events.
China's hero Liang Wenchong is similarly well-placed for the OneAsia Order of Merit title.
He scored a six-under 66 to share joint third with Australia's Steven Bowditch and Peter Fowler. He was on a morning roll with six birdies but missed three putts on the back nine, costing him a second place finish behind the leaders.
"I feel really good about today - It has been an encouraging start and I feel that half the battle has been won with a good beginning," said Liang.
"The course has been wet by the rain in the past week so these softer and wetter conditions are better for me. My coach, Kel Llewellyn, has helped me with my swing over the past three years so I have felt more confident this year."
Having taken victories at the 2010 season-opening Luxehills Chengdu Open and the Thailand Open, the 32-year-old Zhongshan resident is hoping for yet another win to finish the OneAsia season on a high note. He will tee off early tomorrow at 6.10am again alongside Round 1 buddies Daly and Allenby.
Gates is also off early at 6.30am, while Buckle tees off at 11.20am.
Gates joined morning pacesetter Andrew Buckle at the top of the leaderboard at eight-under following a low-scoring day at the Hyatt Regency Coolum in the final event of OneAsia and the PGA Tour of Australasia.
Buckle made the most of the ideal morning conditions holing eight birdies on the way to a round of 64, while Gates, who earlier this year won the New Zealand Open, began his round with an eagle and picked up seven more birdies to dominate the afternoon field.
Local Sunshine Coast professional Steven Bowditch currently shares third place two shots back at six-under with China’s number one player Liang Wenchong and PGA Tour of Australasia veteran Peter Fowler.
Matthew Millar, James Nitties, Andre Stolz, Kieran Pratt and Japan's Akio Sadakata all sit in equal sixth position at five-under par.
A further 10 players sit in equal 11th position at four-under par including Matthew Griffin, Rod Pampling and New Zealander Gareth Paddison.
Of the tournament headliners, 2010 Australian Open champion Geoff Ogilvy finished at two-under alongside defending champion Robert Allenby, while US import John Daly is at one-under par.
Adam Scott finished the day at one-over with the help of a quadruple bogey eight at the par-four 13th where he found the water twice.
For Aussie leader Buckle, who has gone four years since his last win on the Nationwide Tour, the round was a promising sign for what has otherwise been a disappointing season.
"Today I just tried to get back to just using my instincts a little bit which I haven't really done since I was a kid, so it was a lot of fun to play that way again instead of just thinking about my swing," said Buckle who said he needs to overcome his self-doubt in order to succeed at the highest level.
“I love playing golf for a living and I love doing this as a job and it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do so it’s not easy at times; you travel a lot, you’re away from family, you get away from friends, close friends and things like that – I love it too much- I’ll keep going and get there.”
Gates, who in 2011 will play the US PGA Tour after finishing in the Top 25 on the2010 Nationwide Tour moneylist, said he put the performance down to his relaxed attitude that comes with being on ‘vacation’.
“It’s a long way to come but we enjoy it, it's kind of carefree so we come down and look at it as a way to relax and work on our game while it’s cold at home,” said Gates.
“It’s been awesome, this is one of the National Championships down here and it’s a way for the Australian guys to showcase that they are some of the best players in the world so to come down here and see how my game stacks up against them is pretty awesome.”
Following his win earlier in the year in New Zealand, Gates is also in contention to win the 2010 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit which, if he wins, will give him exemptions into a number of Majors and World Golf Championship events.
China's hero Liang Wenchong is similarly well-placed for the OneAsia Order of Merit title.
He scored a six-under 66 to share joint third with Australia's Steven Bowditch and Peter Fowler. He was on a morning roll with six birdies but missed three putts on the back nine, costing him a second place finish behind the leaders.
"I feel really good about today - It has been an encouraging start and I feel that half the battle has been won with a good beginning," said Liang.
"The course has been wet by the rain in the past week so these softer and wetter conditions are better for me. My coach, Kel Llewellyn, has helped me with my swing over the past three years so I have felt more confident this year."
Having taken victories at the 2010 season-opening Luxehills Chengdu Open and the Thailand Open, the 32-year-old Zhongshan resident is hoping for yet another win to finish the OneAsia season on a high note. He will tee off early tomorrow at 6.10am again alongside Round 1 buddies Daly and Allenby.
Gates is also off early at 6.30am, while Buckle tees off at 11.20am.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Dates Announced For fifth Faldo Series Asia Grand Final
Sir Nick Faldo is looking forward to celebrating the fifth edition of the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final when the R&A World Amateur Golf Ranking event returns to the Faldo Course at Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen, China on March 2-4, 2011.
“Five years is a milestone worth celebrating, especially when you consider that the number of Faldo Series Asia tournaments and competitors has almost tripled in that time,” commented Faldo. “And just as important to me is the number of younger children that have been exposed to the game through grass-roots activities at our tournaments during that period.”
The six-time Major Champion continued: “I thank all our sponsors, venues and host organisations, including our major partners Mission Hills, The R&A and ISPS, whose support and vision makes the Faldo Series possible and allows us to continue providing opportunities to young people through golf.”
Tenniel Chu, Executive Director of Mission Hills added: “As the home of the Faldo Series Asia since the start, Mission Hills is honoured to be playing a role in the development of tomorrow’s champions and we are particularly looking forward to the fifth Grand Final in March. Sir Nick should be proud of his efforts, especially with the Grand Final now considered a Major in youth golf and an impressive list of former winners that includes Yani Tseng, Rashid Khan and reigning champion Masamichi Ito.”
After a record season that has seen more than 1,000 talented young golfers compete in 16 Faldo Series Asia tournaments across 12 different countries, the top 80 boy and girl qualifiers, all aged from 12 to 21, will join Faldo at Mission Hills where they will compete over three rounds on the Faldo Course for the title of Faldo Series Asia champion.
Defending his title will be 15 year-old Ito from Japan who, following his play-off victory at Mission Hills last March, became the first player to claim the Faldo Series ‘double’ by also winning the 2010 Faldo Series Europe Grand Final played over the Faldo Course at the Lough Erne Resort in Northern Ireland in September.
Further to the success of the Faldo Series Europe, launched in 1996, the Faldo Series Asia was established in 2006. Underwritten by Faldo himself, it is supported by major partners ISPS, Mission Hills and The R&A, together with official golf wear partner UFL and official equipment supplier TaylorMade. The Grand Final is endorsed by the Asian Tour, the Asia Pacific Golf Federation (APGC) and the Guangdong Golf Association.
For more information on the Faldo Series visit www.nickfaldo.com or follow the Faldo Series on Facebook at www.facebook.com/faldoseries.
“Five years is a milestone worth celebrating, especially when you consider that the number of Faldo Series Asia tournaments and competitors has almost tripled in that time,” commented Faldo. “And just as important to me is the number of younger children that have been exposed to the game through grass-roots activities at our tournaments during that period.”
The six-time Major Champion continued: “I thank all our sponsors, venues and host organisations, including our major partners Mission Hills, The R&A and ISPS, whose support and vision makes the Faldo Series possible and allows us to continue providing opportunities to young people through golf.”
Tenniel Chu, Executive Director of Mission Hills added: “As the home of the Faldo Series Asia since the start, Mission Hills is honoured to be playing a role in the development of tomorrow’s champions and we are particularly looking forward to the fifth Grand Final in March. Sir Nick should be proud of his efforts, especially with the Grand Final now considered a Major in youth golf and an impressive list of former winners that includes Yani Tseng, Rashid Khan and reigning champion Masamichi Ito.”
After a record season that has seen more than 1,000 talented young golfers compete in 16 Faldo Series Asia tournaments across 12 different countries, the top 80 boy and girl qualifiers, all aged from 12 to 21, will join Faldo at Mission Hills where they will compete over three rounds on the Faldo Course for the title of Faldo Series Asia champion.
Defending his title will be 15 year-old Ito from Japan who, following his play-off victory at Mission Hills last March, became the first player to claim the Faldo Series ‘double’ by also winning the 2010 Faldo Series Europe Grand Final played over the Faldo Course at the Lough Erne Resort in Northern Ireland in September.
Further to the success of the Faldo Series Europe, launched in 1996, the Faldo Series Asia was established in 2006. Underwritten by Faldo himself, it is supported by major partners ISPS, Mission Hills and The R&A, together with official golf wear partner UFL and official equipment supplier TaylorMade. The Grand Final is endorsed by the Asian Tour, the Asia Pacific Golf Federation (APGC) and the Guangdong Golf Association.
For more information on the Faldo Series visit www.nickfaldo.com or follow the Faldo Series on Facebook at www.facebook.com/faldoseries.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Ogilvy Looks To OneAsia For Second Win
Sunshine Coast, December 7, 2010 - Australia's Geoff Ogilvy has set his sights on yet another OneAsia victory in Coolum this week. Freshly-minted from his Australian Open win, the Australasian and PGA Tour champion tees up at the Australian PGA Championship presented by Coca-Cola at the Hyatt Regency Coolum from 9 to 12 December.
Following his maiden National Open victory, Ogilvy has leapt up the world-rankings to 31 just above Asian professionals Kim Kyung-tae (32), Ryo Ishikawa (36) and Y.E. Yang (43). He has had much interest watching Asian talent on the rise and looks to OneAsia as the future of his already thriving career.
"Asia is the region where golf is growing the fastest, where it's probably the most scoped to get big and where the interest is," he said. "I think OneAsia is doing great and it is exciting that Australia is involved in what is pretty much a very exciting area in golf at the moment."
Based in Del Mar, California, the 33-year-old Melbournite has battled a hectic schedule which have foiled his intentions on playing on the OneAsia circuit this year.
"There were a couple of times when I nearly made it down, but I could never seem to book a flight back out on the Sunday evening after the tournament which would get me back in time.
"I would love to play more in Asia in the future. It makes more sense for an Australian to play in the Asian region than the United States. This year was especially hard as I'd overplayed the last couple of years.
"I've also had three kids in four years so home life has been busy. But as my schedule balances out, I definitely see myself gravitating back towards OneAsia so I can play closer to home."
Having spent some time with dual OneAsia 2010 winner Liang Wenchong on the first two rounds of the Australian Open, Ogilvy expressed his admiration China's best player's sheer grit on the course.
"Liang is a great player - He's very canny and knows how to put a score together," he said. "Only a good head on his shoulders can have a guy play kind of rough on the first day and still end up having a good tournament. He's obviously a wise golfer and really knows his game well.
"There's definitely a feeling amongst everyone that the top 50 players in the world will be full of Asian players soon."
Ogilvy joins defending champion Robert Allenby and American John Daly who have previously announced that they will contest the Australian PGA Championship.
The Australian PGA Championship will be the final tournament on both the PGA Tour of Australasia and OneAsia, with players competing for a total prize pool of AUD$1,500,000.
The tournament will be showcased on OneAsia's television platform with live coverage for four hours a day across all four tournament days, and broadcast to over 260 million homes in more than 40 countries.
Full coverage of the event will be available domestically on Network Ten, as well as internationally on ESPN Star Sports, Jupiter Golf Network, SBS Golf Channel, Fox International, Sky Sports NZ, ESPN3 & America One in the USA, ViaSat & Bloomberg Television among others in Europe.
Following his maiden National Open victory, Ogilvy has leapt up the world-rankings to 31 just above Asian professionals Kim Kyung-tae (32), Ryo Ishikawa (36) and Y.E. Yang (43). He has had much interest watching Asian talent on the rise and looks to OneAsia as the future of his already thriving career.
"Asia is the region where golf is growing the fastest, where it's probably the most scoped to get big and where the interest is," he said. "I think OneAsia is doing great and it is exciting that Australia is involved in what is pretty much a very exciting area in golf at the moment."
Based in Del Mar, California, the 33-year-old Melbournite has battled a hectic schedule which have foiled his intentions on playing on the OneAsia circuit this year.
"There were a couple of times when I nearly made it down, but I could never seem to book a flight back out on the Sunday evening after the tournament which would get me back in time.
"I would love to play more in Asia in the future. It makes more sense for an Australian to play in the Asian region than the United States. This year was especially hard as I'd overplayed the last couple of years.
"I've also had three kids in four years so home life has been busy. But as my schedule balances out, I definitely see myself gravitating back towards OneAsia so I can play closer to home."
Having spent some time with dual OneAsia 2010 winner Liang Wenchong on the first two rounds of the Australian Open, Ogilvy expressed his admiration China's best player's sheer grit on the course.
"Liang is a great player - He's very canny and knows how to put a score together," he said. "Only a good head on his shoulders can have a guy play kind of rough on the first day and still end up having a good tournament. He's obviously a wise golfer and really knows his game well.
"There's definitely a feeling amongst everyone that the top 50 players in the world will be full of Asian players soon."
Ogilvy joins defending champion Robert Allenby and American John Daly who have previously announced that they will contest the Australian PGA Championship.
The Australian PGA Championship will be the final tournament on both the PGA Tour of Australasia and OneAsia, with players competing for a total prize pool of AUD$1,500,000.
The tournament will be showcased on OneAsia's television platform with live coverage for four hours a day across all four tournament days, and broadcast to over 260 million homes in more than 40 countries.
Full coverage of the event will be available domestically on Network Ten, as well as internationally on ESPN Star Sports, Jupiter Golf Network, SBS Golf Channel, Fox International, Sky Sports NZ, ESPN3 & America One in the USA, ViaSat & Bloomberg Television among others in Europe.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Ogilvy Claims Stonehaven Cup
Sydney - December 5, 2010: Geoff Ogilvy has claimed his first Australian Open title after a final round of three-under at The Lakes Golf Club today.
Showing the class that has helped him to a total of eight other international career titles, Ogilvy maintained his dominance over the chasing pack to claim the Stonehaven Cup by four shots over Victorian Alistair Presnell (67) and Sydney’s Matt Jones (68) who both finished at 15-under.
Ogilvy’s lead never looked under threat throughout the final round of the championship with his third round lead more than enough of a buffer to hold off the chasing pack.
“Today was probably the day I struggled most with my game,” said Ogilvy after his round, “but all I had to do was not mess up really.”
Ogilvy said the win was vindication for what had otherwise been a lackluster year on the golf course other than his early win in the US in his first tournament of the year.
“I won the first week and then play relatively horrible golf all year.”
“I didn’t enjoy golf as much this year because how I was playing.”
“But anytime you win an Australian Open you’ll look back and think you’ve had a great year.”
“This is the 90 year old trophy, this is the real jewel.”
Of the other stories at this week’s Australian Open presented by Century 21, 22-year-old Adelaide professional Jordan Sherratt put his name firmly on the map with a final round of 5-under to finish in equal 4th alongside 2006 Australian Open champion John Senden (69).
Sherratt turned professional just over a month ago and upstaged his more experienced rivals as the tournament came to a close.
American-Korean David Oh had his best OneAsia finish to date, holding his game to the end to tie sixth with Australia's Greg Chalmers and Bronson La'Cassie.
Also making headlines, Andrew Dodt made the only hole-in-one of the tournament, the Queenslander acing the 184m par 3 15th on the final day with the help of his seven iron.
The win is Ogilvy’s second PGA Tour of Australasia title and his first for OneAsia, the AUD$270,000 prize cheque putting the Victorian in the lead for the 2010 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit.
During his acceptance speech Ogilvy thanked all the event sponsors and made particular mention of Century 21’s CEO Charles Tarby who came on board to support the tournament as a presenting partner only days before the championship teed off.
The Australian Open presented by Century 21 is the penultimate tournament on both the PGA Tour of Australasia and OneAsia and was played at The Lakes Golf Club (par 72) from Thursday 2nd - Sunday 5th December 2010.
The PGA Tour of Australasia and OneAsia now move to Queensland’s Sunshine Coast for the staging of the 2010 Australian PGA Championship presented by Coca-Cola.
The Australian PGA Championship will be played at the Hyatt Regency Coolum from December 9-12 for a prizepool of AUD$1,500,000.
Showing the class that has helped him to a total of eight other international career titles, Ogilvy maintained his dominance over the chasing pack to claim the Stonehaven Cup by four shots over Victorian Alistair Presnell (67) and Sydney’s Matt Jones (68) who both finished at 15-under.
Ogilvy’s lead never looked under threat throughout the final round of the championship with his third round lead more than enough of a buffer to hold off the chasing pack.
“Today was probably the day I struggled most with my game,” said Ogilvy after his round, “but all I had to do was not mess up really.”
Ogilvy said the win was vindication for what had otherwise been a lackluster year on the golf course other than his early win in the US in his first tournament of the year.
“I won the first week and then play relatively horrible golf all year.”
“I didn’t enjoy golf as much this year because how I was playing.”
“But anytime you win an Australian Open you’ll look back and think you’ve had a great year.”
“This is the 90 year old trophy, this is the real jewel.”
Of the other stories at this week’s Australian Open presented by Century 21, 22-year-old Adelaide professional Jordan Sherratt put his name firmly on the map with a final round of 5-under to finish in equal 4th alongside 2006 Australian Open champion John Senden (69).
Sherratt turned professional just over a month ago and upstaged his more experienced rivals as the tournament came to a close.
American-Korean David Oh had his best OneAsia finish to date, holding his game to the end to tie sixth with Australia's Greg Chalmers and Bronson La'Cassie.
Also making headlines, Andrew Dodt made the only hole-in-one of the tournament, the Queenslander acing the 184m par 3 15th on the final day with the help of his seven iron.
The win is Ogilvy’s second PGA Tour of Australasia title and his first for OneAsia, the AUD$270,000 prize cheque putting the Victorian in the lead for the 2010 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit.
During his acceptance speech Ogilvy thanked all the event sponsors and made particular mention of Century 21’s CEO Charles Tarby who came on board to support the tournament as a presenting partner only days before the championship teed off.
The Australian Open presented by Century 21 is the penultimate tournament on both the PGA Tour of Australasia and OneAsia and was played at The Lakes Golf Club (par 72) from Thursday 2nd - Sunday 5th December 2010.
The PGA Tour of Australasia and OneAsia now move to Queensland’s Sunshine Coast for the staging of the 2010 Australian PGA Championship presented by Coca-Cola.
The Australian PGA Championship will be played at the Hyatt Regency Coolum from December 9-12 for a prizepool of AUD$1,500,000.
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