Huang Tao fired a brilliant three under par 69 in torrential conditions to win a weather-affected Faldo Series Chinese Taipei Championship at Sunrise Golf and Country Club.
With the fifth edition of the Chinese Taipei event reduced to 18 holes because of flooding, 19 year-old Huang came out firing with five birdies in a round of 69 to win by five and secure his spot in the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final at Mission Hills Golf Club in China on March 2-4.
Also returning to the R&A World Amateur Golf Ranking event hosted by Sir Nick Faldo will be Faldo Series Europe Girls’ champion Liu Yi-Chen. 17 year-old Liu, who became the first Asian winner of the European girls’ title at Lough Erne Resort in Northern Ireland last September, returned a three over par 75 at Sunrise to win by a massive ten shots from her nearest rival in the Girls’ Under-21 category.
The other two Taiwanese teens to join the line up at the fifth Grand Final in Shenzhen are Lee Chieh-Po and Wang Chi, winners of the Boys’ and Girls’ Under-16 categories respectively.
Underwritten by Faldo himself, the Faldo Series Asia is supported by major partners ISPS, Mission Hills and The R&A, together with official golf wear partner UFL and official equipment supplier TaylorMade. It is endorsed by the Asian Tour and the Asia Pacific Golf Federation (APGC).
Further to the success of the Faldo Series Europe, launched in 1996, the Faldo Series Asia was established in 2006 to help develop the region’s next generation of champions. Over 30 Faldo Series tournaments now take place in more than 25 countries across the UK, Europe, South America, the Middle East and Asia and former winners include Rory McIlroy, Nick Dougherty, Marc Warren, John Parry, Melissa Reid, Florentyna Parker and Yani Tseng, all of whom have since won on Tour.
The 2010/2011 Faldo Series Asia schedule features a record 17 tournaments in 12 different countries including six in mainland China plus others in The Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Bahrain, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Japan, Chinese Taipei, Indonesia and Thailand.
For results and more information on the Faldo Series visit www.nickfaldo.com or follow the Faldo Series on Facebook at www.facebook.com/faldoseries.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Lawson Shows Potential At First Stage Of OneAsia Q-School
Melbourne, 17 December 2010 - Australian Deyen Lawson is close to realizing his dream as he moves into the second week of the OneAsia Qualifying School First Stage in Australia. The promising 19-year-old scored three-under after four rounds, making him the halfway leader of the Aussie stage, but also the top contender for a OneAsia card for the 2011 season.
OneAsia, the Asia Pacific-based professional tournament destination for elite golfers, commenced its first ever qualifier in the sand belt of Australia this week, with 69 players vying for access to its Final Stage to contest eligibility to the Tour's 2011 elite schedule.
The two-week First Stage in Australia, held concurrently with the PGA Tour of Australasia Qualifying School, will continue its run at the Peninsula Country Golf Club (North Course) on 20-23 December 2010.
And rookie Lawson knows that there is much at stake as he prepares for next week.
Lawson, who admires Korea's K.J. Choi for his consistency, first picked up a club at the age of ten and has since dreamt of making the game his life at a professional level. He is currently working part-time in the pro-shop at the Sands Torquay in Victoria.
"I'm trying not to worry too much about next week but I'll be so happy if I get my card to play on OneAsia," he said. "It would be a new experience for me, being able to play in Asia and take my career further without having to be too far away from home.
"It would definitely be the start of something big."
Lawson will need to keep on top of his game and finish in the top 30% of all OneAsia Qualifying School entrants next week, to advance to OneAsia's Final Stage in China.
OneAsia's Final Stage will be played at the magnificent Mission Hills Resort Haikou in China from 11-14 January 2011.
An alternative standalone OneAsia First Stage will also be conducted at the same venue a week before from 4-7 January 2011.
Leading players at the end of next week will not only move on to OneAsia's Final Stage to play for a start on all of the Tour's 2011 events, but also gain dual eligibility to play on the PGA Tour of Australasia for 2011.
So far, 13 events have been confirmed on OneAsia's preliminary schedule for 2011, with further additions to be made in the coming weeks and months.
OneAsia will stage a total of 15 to 17 elite tournaments across the Asia Pacific for the 2011 season.
For this week's Qualifying School scores, please visit http://oneasia.asia/2011-oneasia-qualifying-school.html.
OneAsia, the Asia Pacific-based professional tournament destination for elite golfers, commenced its first ever qualifier in the sand belt of Australia this week, with 69 players vying for access to its Final Stage to contest eligibility to the Tour's 2011 elite schedule.
The two-week First Stage in Australia, held concurrently with the PGA Tour of Australasia Qualifying School, will continue its run at the Peninsula Country Golf Club (North Course) on 20-23 December 2010.
And rookie Lawson knows that there is much at stake as he prepares for next week.
Lawson, who admires Korea's K.J. Choi for his consistency, first picked up a club at the age of ten and has since dreamt of making the game his life at a professional level. He is currently working part-time in the pro-shop at the Sands Torquay in Victoria.
"I'm trying not to worry too much about next week but I'll be so happy if I get my card to play on OneAsia," he said. "It would be a new experience for me, being able to play in Asia and take my career further without having to be too far away from home.
"It would definitely be the start of something big."
Lawson will need to keep on top of his game and finish in the top 30% of all OneAsia Qualifying School entrants next week, to advance to OneAsia's Final Stage in China.
OneAsia's Final Stage will be played at the magnificent Mission Hills Resort Haikou in China from 11-14 January 2011.
An alternative standalone OneAsia First Stage will also be conducted at the same venue a week before from 4-7 January 2011.
Leading players at the end of next week will not only move on to OneAsia's Final Stage to play for a start on all of the Tour's 2011 events, but also gain dual eligibility to play on the PGA Tour of Australasia for 2011.
So far, 13 events have been confirmed on OneAsia's preliminary schedule for 2011, with further additions to be made in the coming weeks and months.
OneAsia will stage a total of 15 to 17 elite tournaments across the Asia Pacific for the 2011 season.
For this week's Qualifying School scores, please visit http://oneasia.asia/2011-oneasia-qualifying-school.html.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Kinoshita Captures Faldo Series In Japan
15 year-old Kohei Kinoshita will join compatriot Masamichi Ito at the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final following his commanding two shot victory in the third Faldo Series Japan Championship at Shizu Hills Country Club in Ibaraki.
Kinoshita fired impressive rounds of 68 and 71 to finish on five under par and win by two from a field of more than 100 of Japan’s top young golfers. The talented teenager will now head to Mission Hills Golf Club in China for the fifth Grand Final on March 2-4, 2011 where Ito, 15, will be defending his title.
Also sealing their place at the R&A World Amateur Golf Ranking event to be hosted by Sir Nick Faldo were Yuki Osafune (Boys’ Under-21 winner), Mikumu Horikawa (Boys’ Under-18), Mai Arai (Girls’ Under-21) and Rie Tsuji (Girls’ Under-16).
Underwritten by Faldo himself, the Faldo Series Asia is supported by major partners ISPS, Mission Hills and The R&A, together with official golf wear partner UFL and official equipment supplier TaylorMade. It is endorsed by the Asian Tour and the Asia Pacific Golf Federation (APGC).
Further to the success of the Faldo Series Europe, launched in 1996, the Faldo Series Asia was established in 2006 to help develop the region’s next generation of champions. Over 30 Faldo Series tournaments now take place in more than 25 countries across the UK, Europe, South America, the Middle East and Asia and former winners include Rory McIlroy, Nick Dougherty, Marc Warren, John Parry, Melissa Reid, Florentyna Parker and Yani Tseng, all of whom have since won on Tour.
The 2010/2011 Faldo Series Asia schedule features a record 17 tournaments in 12 different countries including six in mainland China plus others in The Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Bahrain, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Japan, Chinese Taipei, Indonesia and Thailand.
For results and more information on the Faldo Series visit www.nickfaldo.com or follow the Faldo Series on Facebook at www.facebook.com/faldoseries.
Kinoshita fired impressive rounds of 68 and 71 to finish on five under par and win by two from a field of more than 100 of Japan’s top young golfers. The talented teenager will now head to Mission Hills Golf Club in China for the fifth Grand Final on March 2-4, 2011 where Ito, 15, will be defending his title.
Also sealing their place at the R&A World Amateur Golf Ranking event to be hosted by Sir Nick Faldo were Yuki Osafune (Boys’ Under-21 winner), Mikumu Horikawa (Boys’ Under-18), Mai Arai (Girls’ Under-21) and Rie Tsuji (Girls’ Under-16).
Underwritten by Faldo himself, the Faldo Series Asia is supported by major partners ISPS, Mission Hills and The R&A, together with official golf wear partner UFL and official equipment supplier TaylorMade. It is endorsed by the Asian Tour and the Asia Pacific Golf Federation (APGC).
Further to the success of the Faldo Series Europe, launched in 1996, the Faldo Series Asia was established in 2006 to help develop the region’s next generation of champions. Over 30 Faldo Series tournaments now take place in more than 25 countries across the UK, Europe, South America, the Middle East and Asia and former winners include Rory McIlroy, Nick Dougherty, Marc Warren, John Parry, Melissa Reid, Florentyna Parker and Yani Tseng, all of whom have since won on Tour.
The 2010/2011 Faldo Series Asia schedule features a record 17 tournaments in 12 different countries including six in mainland China plus others in The Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Bahrain, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Japan, Chinese Taipei, Indonesia and Thailand.
For results and more information on the Faldo Series visit www.nickfaldo.com or follow the Faldo Series on Facebook at www.facebook.com/faldoseries.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Order Of Merit Triumph For Liang Wenchong
Singapore, December 14, 2010: China's Liang Wenchong has signed off on a remarkable season to win OneAsia's 2010 Order of Merit, after yet another great finish at the season ending Australian PGA Championship.
The Tour's three-event minimum placed Liang at the top of the money list after his inspiring six-event run, which earned him US$560,737.
He had emerged champion at the Luxehills Chengdu Open and Thailand Open, and finished runner-up in the Indonesia Open presented by Enjoy Jakarta. He has since kept on the upward climb with strong placings at the Midea China Classic (8T), Australian Open (24T) and Australian PGA Championship (12T).
"I am very happy and honoured. This is something that China supports and that gives me even more pride to take this trophy home," he said. "This win will be encouraging for the development of golf back at home."
The Tour's three-event minimum was put in place at the start of the season after OneAsia had doubled in size, in order to encourage the success of regular players on the Tour. And Liang, the highest ranked Chinese player in the world, has become one of OneAsia's biggest advocates in China.
"This is all about building a better Tour and getting the countries together to have better opportunities for younger players, so that they have a better chance for their future.
"If younger players want to improve, they need to come to more of these events, and play overseas with other professionals.... I have learnt a lot from playing with Australia's leading players these two weeks... This is the path they need to take to get better."
OneAsia's renewed eligibility structure for the 2011 season will seek to further clarify and simplify eligibility for top players across the region, as well as continue to enhance the opportunities for supporters of Asia Pacific's professional tournament destination for elite players.
The Tour will stage a total of 15 to 17 elite tournaments across the Asia Pacific for the 2011 season. 13 events have already been confirmed on OneAsia's preliminary schedule for 2011, with further additions to be made in the coming weeks and months.
OneAsia kicks off the First Stage of its first-ever Qualifying School in Australia this week, with its China-leg to follow in January. For more information, click here.
OneAsia Order of Merit: Top 20 (after Australian PGA Championship)
For a full Order of Merit listing, please visit http://oneasia.asia.
The Tour's three-event minimum placed Liang at the top of the money list after his inspiring six-event run, which earned him US$560,737.
He had emerged champion at the Luxehills Chengdu Open and Thailand Open, and finished runner-up in the Indonesia Open presented by Enjoy Jakarta. He has since kept on the upward climb with strong placings at the Midea China Classic (8T), Australian Open (24T) and Australian PGA Championship (12T).
"I am very happy and honoured. This is something that China supports and that gives me even more pride to take this trophy home," he said. "This win will be encouraging for the development of golf back at home."
The Tour's three-event minimum was put in place at the start of the season after OneAsia had doubled in size, in order to encourage the success of regular players on the Tour. And Liang, the highest ranked Chinese player in the world, has become one of OneAsia's biggest advocates in China.
"This is all about building a better Tour and getting the countries together to have better opportunities for younger players, so that they have a better chance for their future.
"If younger players want to improve, they need to come to more of these events, and play overseas with other professionals.... I have learnt a lot from playing with Australia's leading players these two weeks... This is the path they need to take to get better."
OneAsia's renewed eligibility structure for the 2011 season will seek to further clarify and simplify eligibility for top players across the region, as well as continue to enhance the opportunities for supporters of Asia Pacific's professional tournament destination for elite players.
The Tour will stage a total of 15 to 17 elite tournaments across the Asia Pacific for the 2011 season. 13 events have already been confirmed on OneAsia's preliminary schedule for 2011, with further additions to be made in the coming weeks and months.
OneAsia kicks off the First Stage of its first-ever Qualifying School in Australia this week, with its China-leg to follow in January. For more information, click here.
OneAsia Order of Merit: Top 20 (after Australian PGA Championship)
| Pos. | Player | US$ |
| 1 | LIANG Wenchong (CHN) | 560,736.57 |
| 2 | KIM Dae-hyun (KOR) | 272,154.31 |
| 3 | Michael HENDRY (NZL) | 247,092.71 |
| 4 | BAE Sang-moon (KOR) | 220.343.74 |
| 5 | Simon YATES (SCO) | 208,759.59 |
| 6 | Kim FELTON (AUS) | 185,900.00 |
| 7 | Matthew GRIFFIN (AUS) | 165,243,26 |
| 8 | Andre STOLZ (AUS) | 160,920.73 |
| 9 | KIM Kyung-tae (KOR) | 132,592.77 |
| 10 | Michael WRIGHT (AUS) | 124,013.97 |
| 11 | Stephen ALLAN (AUS) | 122,769.13 |
| 12 | KIM Bi-o (KOR) | 115,538.44 |
| 13 | Brad KENNEDY (AUS) | 114,413.31 |
| 14 | KIM Hyung-tae (KOR) | 107,298.57 |
| 15 | KIM Do-hoon (753) (KOR) | 104,343.75 |
| 16 | KANG Kyung-nam (KOR) | 103,530.13 |
| 17 | Anthony BROWN (AUS) | 93,317.83 |
| 18 | Mitchell BROWN (AUS) | 82,587.99 |
| 19 | Anthony SUMMERS (AUS) | 81,585.33 |
| 20 | Scott ARNOLD (AUS) | 79,165.38 |
For a full Order of Merit listing, please visit http://oneasia.asia.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Australian Senior Claims First OneAsia Title
Sunshine Coast, December 13, 2010 - Peter Senior has today claimed his third Australian PGA Championship presented by Coca-Cola title, in a thrilling finish at the Hyatt Regency Coolum on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. The victory is his first-ever on OneAsia, Asia Pacific's professional tournament destination for elite golfers.
Senior triumphed in a two-hole playoff over 2008 Australian PGA Championship winner Geoff Ogilvy who missed a putt on the second playoff hole to hand Senior the win.
Playing in the final group Senior chased down clubhouse leader Ogilvy and Andre Stolz who had birdied the 17th to join Ogilvy at the top on 12-under with one hole to play.
Faltering under the pressure Stolz drove his tee shot into the water on 18 and bogeyed his final hole of the tournament to finish at 11-under.
In what was one of the closest finishes in recent years, a number of other players also missed their chances to join the playoff, including Nick O’Hern and Peter Fowler who both missed long birdie putts to finish in equal second position.
But for Senior, it was one of his sweetest victories coming an incredible 21 years after his first Australian PGA Championship title.
"What a great way to finish the year off. I didn’t really play well the first few holes and the two best shots I hit all day were the two down 18, so to finish birdie on the last and to get into the playoffs was just fantastic," said Senior.
Senior, the oldest winner of Australia's oldest professional title, was impressed with the performance of the Asian contingent this week and hopes the event will see an influx of even more Asian talent to give the tournament fresh.
"It definitely injects a different element into the tournament every time when they come to play here and I am hoping to see more of them in the future."
At the 18th green presentation, the inaugural OneAsia Order of Merit trophy was also awarded to China’s number 1 player Liang Wenchong who finished equal 12th in this week’s event co-sanctioned by OneAsia and the PGA Tour of Australasia.
Runner-up Geoff Ogilvy also claimed the 2010 PGA Tour of Australasia Norman Von Nida Order of Merit title at the ceremony.
OneAsia will stage a total of 15 to 17 elite tournaments across the Asia Pacific for the 2011 season. 13 events have already been confirmed on OneAsia's preliminary schedule for 2011, with further additions to be made in the coming weeks and months.
Australian PGA Championship, OneAsia
Leading final round scores – par 72
276 - Peter Senior (AUS) 70-67-68-71
276 - Geoff Ogilvy (AUS) 70-69-71-66
277 - Nick O'Hern (AUS) 70-70-68-69, Peter Fowler (AUS) 66-70-70-71, Andre Stolz (AUS) 67-69-70-71
278 - Matthew Griffin (AUS) 68-70-72-68, Richard Green (AUS) 72-68-70-68, Aaron Townsend (AUS) 68-67-70-73, Bobby Gates (USA) 64-69-71-74
279 - Akio Sadakata (JPN) 67-72-67-73, John Senden (AUS) 69-65-74-71
280 - Liang Wenchong (CHN) 66-68-75-71, Robert Allenby (AUS) 70-68-72-70
Selected Scores:
285 - Hiroshi Iwata (JPN) 70-70-75-70
285 - Jung Hi-ho (KOR) 71-67-71-76
286 - Simon Yates (SCO) 71-73-73-69, Tetsuya Haraguchi (JPN) 69-74-74-69
287 - Panuphol Pittayarat (THA) 70-71-71-75
Senior triumphed in a two-hole playoff over 2008 Australian PGA Championship winner Geoff Ogilvy who missed a putt on the second playoff hole to hand Senior the win.
Playing in the final group Senior chased down clubhouse leader Ogilvy and Andre Stolz who had birdied the 17th to join Ogilvy at the top on 12-under with one hole to play.
Faltering under the pressure Stolz drove his tee shot into the water on 18 and bogeyed his final hole of the tournament to finish at 11-under.
In what was one of the closest finishes in recent years, a number of other players also missed their chances to join the playoff, including Nick O’Hern and Peter Fowler who both missed long birdie putts to finish in equal second position.
But for Senior, it was one of his sweetest victories coming an incredible 21 years after his first Australian PGA Championship title.
"What a great way to finish the year off. I didn’t really play well the first few holes and the two best shots I hit all day were the two down 18, so to finish birdie on the last and to get into the playoffs was just fantastic," said Senior.
Senior, the oldest winner of Australia's oldest professional title, was impressed with the performance of the Asian contingent this week and hopes the event will see an influx of even more Asian talent to give the tournament fresh.
"It definitely injects a different element into the tournament every time when they come to play here and I am hoping to see more of them in the future."
At the 18th green presentation, the inaugural OneAsia Order of Merit trophy was also awarded to China’s number 1 player Liang Wenchong who finished equal 12th in this week’s event co-sanctioned by OneAsia and the PGA Tour of Australasia.
Runner-up Geoff Ogilvy also claimed the 2010 PGA Tour of Australasia Norman Von Nida Order of Merit title at the ceremony.
OneAsia will stage a total of 15 to 17 elite tournaments across the Asia Pacific for the 2011 season. 13 events have already been confirmed on OneAsia's preliminary schedule for 2011, with further additions to be made in the coming weeks and months.
Australian PGA Championship, OneAsia
Leading final round scores – par 72
276 - Peter Senior (AUS) 70-67-68-71
276 - Geoff Ogilvy (AUS) 70-69-71-66
277 - Nick O'Hern (AUS) 70-70-68-69, Peter Fowler (AUS) 66-70-70-71, Andre Stolz (AUS) 67-69-70-71
278 - Matthew Griffin (AUS) 68-70-72-68, Richard Green (AUS) 72-68-70-68, Aaron Townsend (AUS) 68-67-70-73, Bobby Gates (USA) 64-69-71-74
279 - Akio Sadakata (JPN) 67-72-67-73, John Senden (AUS) 69-65-74-71
280 - Liang Wenchong (CHN) 66-68-75-71, Robert Allenby (AUS) 70-68-72-70
Selected Scores:
285 - Hiroshi Iwata (JPN) 70-70-75-70
285 - Jung Hi-ho (KOR) 71-67-71-76
286 - Simon Yates (SCO) 71-73-73-69, Tetsuya Haraguchi (JPN) 69-74-74-69
287 - Panuphol Pittayarat (THA) 70-71-71-75
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Australian Senior Leads Washed Out PGA Into Fifth Day
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.
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.
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.
Ogilvy In Command At Australian Open
Sydney - December 4, 2010: Following another solid round of five-under par at The Lakes Golf Club in Sydney, Victorian Geoff Ogilvy is one round away from capturing his second Australian title.
Extending his lead over the rest of the field, Ogilvy leads the Australian Open presented by Century 21 by five shots. He leads over Matt Jones (71) in second , while Greg Chalmers (66) and Alistair Presnell (67) are a further shot back in equal third at 10-under.
2006 Australian Open champion John Senden (70) is lurking in equal 5th at nine-under alongside Matthew Griffin (72), while American David Oh (67) and Bronson La’Cassie (68) share seventh at eight-under.
But with only 18 holes of play left in the 2010 Australian Open presented by Century 21, the tournament which is co-sanctioned by OneAsia and the PGA of Australasia looks to be firmly in the hands of Ogilvy.
Trading birdies with his playing partner for the duration of the front nine, it wasn’t until Jones bogeyed the seventh that Ogilvy looked to have the tournament firmly in his control.
Ogilvy’s game couldn’t be faulted until the final hole of the day when the World Number 43 missed the 18th green on approach to finish with the only bogey of his round.
“It’s never nice to finish like that no matter what you shoot,” said Ogilvy after his round, although it didn’t take him long to look at the positives.“I feel I played well and made the most of the day.”
“I’ve been blessed so far- I haven’t had to hit a shot in the rain.”
Having captured the Australian PGA Championship in 2008 tomorrow Ogilvy will look to claim his second PGA Tour of Australasia title and his first on OneAsia.
“It will be hard not to think about it," he said. "The Australian Open in general has a pretty impressive honour roll…so it would be a nice one to get.”
Korean Tour regular David Oh of USA enjoyed a bogey-free round finishing with a three-under 67 to tie seventh with Australia's Bronson La'cassie. He birdied five-times on the front nine, with a short game featuring a 12-foot putt on the ninth hole and a 40-foot putt on the twelfth.
"There's something special about Australia for me. I feel really good and relaxed and seem to play well here," he said, referring to his performance in last year's Australian Open where he shared a joint fifth after the third round.
"The Australian Open has a great tournament feel and I was having fun out there so I really wasn't thinking too much until I sunk the 12-foot birdie on the ninth. That was a pleasant surprise and I started to look at the scoreboard a bit, which is probably why I didn't do as well on the back nine.
"I also hit the ball left in the trees on 12 but I managed to make a 35-40 foot par there so I really got away with that one. My short game felt solid."
Fellow American-Korean John Huh carded a 69 for the day to tie 17th with Australians Rohan Blizzard, Michael Campbell, Peter Senior and Steven Bowditch.
The Australian Open presented by Century 21 is the penultimate tournament on both the PGA Tour of Australasia and OneAsia and is being played at The Lakes Golf Club (par 72) from Thursday 2nd - Sunday 5th December 2010.
Extending his lead over the rest of the field, Ogilvy leads the Australian Open presented by Century 21 by five shots. He leads over Matt Jones (71) in second , while Greg Chalmers (66) and Alistair Presnell (67) are a further shot back in equal third at 10-under.
2006 Australian Open champion John Senden (70) is lurking in equal 5th at nine-under alongside Matthew Griffin (72), while American David Oh (67) and Bronson La’Cassie (68) share seventh at eight-under.
But with only 18 holes of play left in the 2010 Australian Open presented by Century 21, the tournament which is co-sanctioned by OneAsia and the PGA of Australasia looks to be firmly in the hands of Ogilvy.
Trading birdies with his playing partner for the duration of the front nine, it wasn’t until Jones bogeyed the seventh that Ogilvy looked to have the tournament firmly in his control.
Ogilvy’s game couldn’t be faulted until the final hole of the day when the World Number 43 missed the 18th green on approach to finish with the only bogey of his round.
“It’s never nice to finish like that no matter what you shoot,” said Ogilvy after his round, although it didn’t take him long to look at the positives.“I feel I played well and made the most of the day.”
“I’ve been blessed so far- I haven’t had to hit a shot in the rain.”
Having captured the Australian PGA Championship in 2008 tomorrow Ogilvy will look to claim his second PGA Tour of Australasia title and his first on OneAsia.
“It will be hard not to think about it," he said. "The Australian Open in general has a pretty impressive honour roll…so it would be a nice one to get.”
Korean Tour regular David Oh of USA enjoyed a bogey-free round finishing with a three-under 67 to tie seventh with Australia's Bronson La'cassie. He birdied five-times on the front nine, with a short game featuring a 12-foot putt on the ninth hole and a 40-foot putt on the twelfth.
"There's something special about Australia for me. I feel really good and relaxed and seem to play well here," he said, referring to his performance in last year's Australian Open where he shared a joint fifth after the third round.
"The Australian Open has a great tournament feel and I was having fun out there so I really wasn't thinking too much until I sunk the 12-foot birdie on the ninth. That was a pleasant surprise and I started to look at the scoreboard a bit, which is probably why I didn't do as well on the back nine.
"I also hit the ball left in the trees on 12 but I managed to make a 35-40 foot par there so I really got away with that one. My short game felt solid."
Fellow American-Korean John Huh carded a 69 for the day to tie 17th with Australians Rohan Blizzard, Michael Campbell, Peter Senior and Steven Bowditch.
The Australian Open presented by Century 21 is the penultimate tournament on both the PGA Tour of Australasia and OneAsia and is being played at The Lakes Golf Club (par 72) from Thursday 2nd - Sunday 5th December 2010.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Refreshed Ogilvy Leads Australian Open
Sydney - December 3, 2010: Victorian Geoff Ogilvy will take a one shot lead into the third round of the 2010 Australian Open presented by Century 21 after a stunning performance at The Lakes Golf Club in Sydney today.
Out early in the morning field Ogilvy made the most of the perfect conditions sinking seven birdies on his way to the outright lead for the event co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour of Australasia and OneAsia.
At the halfway mark Ogilvy leads at 11-under, only one shot ahead of fellow US Tour player Matt Jones who shot an incredible round of eight-under in tough afternoon conditions.
Matt Griffin is a further shot back at nine-under while American Dudley Hart shares fourth position with 2006 Australian Open Champion John Senden.
In the media centre for this first time this week, a refreshed Ogilvy attributed his form to some much needed time off over the last two months back in his home town of Melbourne.
“I am much happier with (my game) this time than I was this time last year. I was pretty over it this time last year. This was my sixth tournament in seven weeks last year,” said an honest Ogilvy who finished outside of the top 30 in the 2009 Australian Open.
“I’m pretty happy with what I have done. I had a really good time away from the game. I have practised pretty hard for a month, starting the week before the Masters. It has been nice to be in Melbourne for two full months.”
Teeing off the 10th hole alongside defending champion Adam Scott and China’s No. 1 player Liang Wenchong, Ogilvy’s day started slowly before holing three consecutive birdies from the 13th.
With two more birdies on 17 and 18 Ogilvy turned at five-under through his first nine holes.
As the wind started to increase in the afternoon Ogilvy sank two more birdie putts on 3 and 8 finishing the morning field in the clear lead leaving it up to the afternoon field to chase down his score.
“It’s a tournament we all want to win as Australians,” said Ogilvy.
“I played really well for the score I had today. If I keep playing like that I’m sure I’ll be there or thereabouts.”
Liang became the joint-top Asian in the field after a bogey-free 68 put him two-under, level with Thailand's Panuphol Pittayarat (72) as well as Korean Tour player John Huh (71) of the USA.
Despite fatigue and a nagging wrist injury that has bothered Liang for several months, the three-time OneAsia winner is still gunning for a good result this week.
"My focus today was not on a low score but performing to my best ability," Liang said. "I am playing with many great players this week so it is a chance to learn from them and to improve myself."
Geoff’s other playing partner Scott fought back to ensure he will be in contention for back to back titles, the Queenslander shooting seven-under to finish day two in a tie for 16th at three-under.
Yuan Hao, China’s biggest hitter, also made the cut after shooting a 71 to lie even-par.
Of the amateurs in the field English import Tom Lewis is faring the best and currently sits at two-under after an even round.
A total of 64 players made the cut at one-over par. For the full Round 2 leaderboard click here.
Play will get underway from 7:51am tomorrow, Saturday morning with Ogilvy teeing off in the final group of the day alongside Jones and Griffin.
For all Round 3 tee times click here.
Transcripts from today’s press conferences are available at www.australianopengolf.com.au .
The Australian Open presented by Century 21 is the penultimate tournament on both the PGA Tour of Australasia and OneAsia and is being played at The Lakes Golf Club (par 72) from Thursday 2nd - Sunday 5th December 2010.
Out early in the morning field Ogilvy made the most of the perfect conditions sinking seven birdies on his way to the outright lead for the event co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour of Australasia and OneAsia.
At the halfway mark Ogilvy leads at 11-under, only one shot ahead of fellow US Tour player Matt Jones who shot an incredible round of eight-under in tough afternoon conditions.
Matt Griffin is a further shot back at nine-under while American Dudley Hart shares fourth position with 2006 Australian Open Champion John Senden.
In the media centre for this first time this week, a refreshed Ogilvy attributed his form to some much needed time off over the last two months back in his home town of Melbourne.
“I am much happier with (my game) this time than I was this time last year. I was pretty over it this time last year. This was my sixth tournament in seven weeks last year,” said an honest Ogilvy who finished outside of the top 30 in the 2009 Australian Open.
“I’m pretty happy with what I have done. I had a really good time away from the game. I have practised pretty hard for a month, starting the week before the Masters. It has been nice to be in Melbourne for two full months.”
Teeing off the 10th hole alongside defending champion Adam Scott and China’s No. 1 player Liang Wenchong, Ogilvy’s day started slowly before holing three consecutive birdies from the 13th.
With two more birdies on 17 and 18 Ogilvy turned at five-under through his first nine holes.
As the wind started to increase in the afternoon Ogilvy sank two more birdie putts on 3 and 8 finishing the morning field in the clear lead leaving it up to the afternoon field to chase down his score.
“It’s a tournament we all want to win as Australians,” said Ogilvy.
“I played really well for the score I had today. If I keep playing like that I’m sure I’ll be there or thereabouts.”
Liang became the joint-top Asian in the field after a bogey-free 68 put him two-under, level with Thailand's Panuphol Pittayarat (72) as well as Korean Tour player John Huh (71) of the USA.
Despite fatigue and a nagging wrist injury that has bothered Liang for several months, the three-time OneAsia winner is still gunning for a good result this week.
"My focus today was not on a low score but performing to my best ability," Liang said. "I am playing with many great players this week so it is a chance to learn from them and to improve myself."
Geoff’s other playing partner Scott fought back to ensure he will be in contention for back to back titles, the Queenslander shooting seven-under to finish day two in a tie for 16th at three-under.
Yuan Hao, China’s biggest hitter, also made the cut after shooting a 71 to lie even-par.
Of the amateurs in the field English import Tom Lewis is faring the best and currently sits at two-under after an even round.
A total of 64 players made the cut at one-over par. For the full Round 2 leaderboard click here.
Play will get underway from 7:51am tomorrow, Saturday morning with Ogilvy teeing off in the final group of the day alongside Jones and Griffin.
For all Round 3 tee times click here.
Transcripts from today’s press conferences are available at www.australianopengolf.com.au .
The Australian Open presented by Century 21 is the penultimate tournament on both the PGA Tour of Australasia and OneAsia and is being played at The Lakes Golf Club (par 72) from Thursday 2nd - Sunday 5th December 2010.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Griffin Marches To Round 1 Lead At The Australian Open
Sydney - December 2, 2010: Victorian Matthew Griffin made the most of the morning conditions to fire a bogey-free 7-under par 65 to take the lead following the opening round of the Australian Open presented by Century 21 at The Lakes Golf Club in Sydney.
Starting on the first tee, Griffin birdied the second hole before completing three birdies in a row between the sixth and eighth holes. Birdies on the 13th, 14th and 17th completed the 65 and a clean slate.
“No blemishes. That does not happen too often,” Griffin said.
“Almost the most pleasing thing is not to have a bogey. I was standing over a three-footer at the last and telling myself to make sure I got it.”
Griffin has played across the Asia-Pacific on OneAsia this year and is hoping for his first big win at the AU$1.5 million (approximately US$1.48 million) event, which is co-sanctioned by OneAsia and the PGA Tour of Australasia.
"This has definitely been my best round on OneAsia so far," he said. "There are a lot of top quality players to beat this week but if I play four rounds like today, I think we'll be right there on Sunday."
2006 champion John Senden holds second place following an impressive 6-under par 66 as the wind picked up in the afternoon.
The Queenslander said he was pleased with his position.
“I had a good day. My preparation has been good and I feel like I’ve been playing well going into this event so want to continue that.”
Alistair Presnell, who in contention early at the JBWere Masters, is in third place at five-under par.
“I feel a lot better about my game this week. At the Masters I was not overly comfortable with it. I was thinking that if I made the cut, the week would be fine. This week I have done some work with my coach and have had a couple of weeks’ break,” Presnell said.
Nine players are tied in fourth place at 4-under par including Geoff Ogilvy, Stuart Appleby, Peter Senior, Rod Pampling and Marc Leishman.
Chinese Taipei's Yeh Weitze shot a satisfying first round this morning, finishing 69 at three-under par alongside two time Major champion John Daly and Aussies Greg Chalmers and Steve Collins. The 2006 Sega Sammy Cup star has played most of his golf in Japan this year and the Australian Open marks his first-time in Australia.
"I was concerned about the unfamiliarity of the environment but my performance has surprised me," Yeh said. "I did not expect to do as well as I did this morning. Hopefully, I can be in contention this weekend."
Other promising Asian players include Korea's Bang Doo-hwan and Thailand's Panuphol Pittayarat who have tied for 18th at two-under 70 at the end this round.
The Australian Open presented by Century 21 is the penultimate tournament on both the PGA Tour of Australasia and OneAsia.
Starting on the first tee, Griffin birdied the second hole before completing three birdies in a row between the sixth and eighth holes. Birdies on the 13th, 14th and 17th completed the 65 and a clean slate.
“No blemishes. That does not happen too often,” Griffin said.
“Almost the most pleasing thing is not to have a bogey. I was standing over a three-footer at the last and telling myself to make sure I got it.”
Griffin has played across the Asia-Pacific on OneAsia this year and is hoping for his first big win at the AU$1.5 million (approximately US$1.48 million) event, which is co-sanctioned by OneAsia and the PGA Tour of Australasia.
"This has definitely been my best round on OneAsia so far," he said. "There are a lot of top quality players to beat this week but if I play four rounds like today, I think we'll be right there on Sunday."
2006 champion John Senden holds second place following an impressive 6-under par 66 as the wind picked up in the afternoon.
The Queenslander said he was pleased with his position.
“I had a good day. My preparation has been good and I feel like I’ve been playing well going into this event so want to continue that.”
Alistair Presnell, who in contention early at the JBWere Masters, is in third place at five-under par.
“I feel a lot better about my game this week. At the Masters I was not overly comfortable with it. I was thinking that if I made the cut, the week would be fine. This week I have done some work with my coach and have had a couple of weeks’ break,” Presnell said.
Nine players are tied in fourth place at 4-under par including Geoff Ogilvy, Stuart Appleby, Peter Senior, Rod Pampling and Marc Leishman.
Chinese Taipei's Yeh Weitze shot a satisfying first round this morning, finishing 69 at three-under par alongside two time Major champion John Daly and Aussies Greg Chalmers and Steve Collins. The 2006 Sega Sammy Cup star has played most of his golf in Japan this year and the Australian Open marks his first-time in Australia.
"I was concerned about the unfamiliarity of the environment but my performance has surprised me," Yeh said. "I did not expect to do as well as I did this morning. Hopefully, I can be in contention this weekend."
Other promising Asian players include Korea's Bang Doo-hwan and Thailand's Panuphol Pittayarat who have tied for 18th at two-under 70 at the end this round.
The Australian Open presented by Century 21 is the penultimate tournament on both the PGA Tour of Australasia and OneAsia.
PGGC Monthly Tournament - 9 December 2010
The December 2010 edition of the Permata Gading Golf Club (PGGC) monthly tournament will be held on:
There are many attractive prizes to be won in this tournament, including tours to Yogyakarta and Bali as Hole-In-One prizes.
For registration please contact PGGC Secretariat at:
Graha Cempaka Mas, Blok B/9, Jakarta 10640, phone (021) 426 3758, fax (021) 426 3760, mobile 0816 148 3801.
| Date | : Thursday, 9 December 2010 |
| Location | : Riverside Golf Club |
| Registration | : 06.30 WIB |
| Tee Off | : 07.00 WIB |
| Registration Fee | : Rp 405,000 (members, all-in) : Rp 650,000 (guests, all-in) |
| Jackpot | : Rp 50,000 for all |
For registration please contact PGGC Secretariat at:
Graha Cempaka Mas, Blok B/9, Jakarta 10640, phone (021) 426 3758, fax (021) 426 3760, mobile 0816 148 3801.
Kunming Offers Last Chance To Qualify For Faldo Final
Asia’s leading young stars will be given a final chance to qualify for the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final when the Faldo Series Kunming Championship tees off at Lakeview Golf Club in China’s Yunnan Province on January 25-26, 2011.
Played on the award-winning Lakeview course designed by Sir Nick Faldo, the fourth edition of the Kunming Championship is the final qualifying event of a 2010/2011 season that features a record 17 tournaments in 12 different countries across Asia and the Middle East.
With golfers from all across Asia eligible to enter the Kunming Championship, a field of over 50 boys and girls aged 12 to 21 will compete under strict tournament conditions over 36 holes for four places on offer at the fifth Grand Final next March.
With the field in Kunming divided into four age categories, two for boys and two for girls (Under-21 and Under-16), the winners of each category who will qualify for the R&A World Amateur Golf Ranking event hosted by Faldo at Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen, China.
Underwritten by the six-time Major winner himself, the Faldo Series Asia is supported by major partners ISPS, Mission Hills and The R&A, together with official golf wear partner UFL and official equipment supplier TaylorMade. It is endorsed by the Asian Tour and the Asia Pacific Golf Federation (APGC).
Further to the success of the Faldo Series Europe, launched in 1996, the Faldo Series Asia was established in 2006 to help develop the region’s next generation of champions. Over 30 Faldo Series tournaments now take place in more than 25 countries across the UK, Europe, South America, the Middle East and Asia and former winners include Rory McIlroy, Nick Dougherty, Marc Warren, John Parry, Melissa Reid, Florentyna Parker and Yani Tseng, all of whom have since won on Tour.
For details on entry into the fourth Faldo Series Kunming Championship at Lakeview Golf Club on January 25-26, please visit www.lakeview.cn or email stevegong@lakeview.cn. For more information on the Faldo Series visit www.nickfaldo.com or follow the Faldo Series on Facebook.
Played on the award-winning Lakeview course designed by Sir Nick Faldo, the fourth edition of the Kunming Championship is the final qualifying event of a 2010/2011 season that features a record 17 tournaments in 12 different countries across Asia and the Middle East.
With golfers from all across Asia eligible to enter the Kunming Championship, a field of over 50 boys and girls aged 12 to 21 will compete under strict tournament conditions over 36 holes for four places on offer at the fifth Grand Final next March.
With the field in Kunming divided into four age categories, two for boys and two for girls (Under-21 and Under-16), the winners of each category who will qualify for the R&A World Amateur Golf Ranking event hosted by Faldo at Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen, China.
Underwritten by the six-time Major winner himself, the Faldo Series Asia is supported by major partners ISPS, Mission Hills and The R&A, together with official golf wear partner UFL and official equipment supplier TaylorMade. It is endorsed by the Asian Tour and the Asia Pacific Golf Federation (APGC).
Further to the success of the Faldo Series Europe, launched in 1996, the Faldo Series Asia was established in 2006 to help develop the region’s next generation of champions. Over 30 Faldo Series tournaments now take place in more than 25 countries across the UK, Europe, South America, the Middle East and Asia and former winners include Rory McIlroy, Nick Dougherty, Marc Warren, John Parry, Melissa Reid, Florentyna Parker and Yani Tseng, all of whom have since won on Tour.
For details on entry into the fourth Faldo Series Kunming Championship at Lakeview Golf Club on January 25-26, please visit www.lakeview.cn or email stevegong@lakeview.cn. For more information on the Faldo Series visit www.nickfaldo.com or follow the Faldo Series on Facebook.
Stage Set For Australian Open Start
Sydney - December 1, 2010: Despite a heavy rain on Wednesday, the stage is set for the opening round of the Australian Open presented by Century 21 at The Lakes Golf Club in Sydney.
The action gets underway on the 10th tee from 7.15am with marquee group John Daly (USA) joined by two time champion Aaron Baddeley and Marc Leishman. Following them are five-time Australian Open champion Greg Norman with fellow Presidents Cup captain Fred Couples (USA) and JBWere Masters champion Stuart Appleby.
In the afternoon, fans will get their first glimpse of defending champion Adam Scott at 12.10pm on the first tee paired with Geoff Ogilvy and China's No. 1 Liang Wenchong.
Marquee groups:
Morning:
7.15am, 10th Tee, John Daly, Marc Leishman, Aaron Baddeley
7.25am, 10th Tee, Greg Norman, Fred Couples, Stuart Appleby
7.35am, 10th Tee, Nathan Green, Rod Pampling, Takuya Taniguchi
Afternoon:
12.00pm, 1st Tee, John Senden, Craig Parry, Peter Senior
12.10pm, 1st Tee, Adam Scott, Geoff Ogilvy, Liang Wenchong
12.20pm, 1st Tee, Nick O’Hern, Peter O’Malley, Kim Do-Hoon
The Australian Open presented by Century 21 is the penultimate tournament on both the PGA Tour of Australasia and OneAsia.
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 both events 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.
The action gets underway on the 10th tee from 7.15am with marquee group John Daly (USA) joined by two time champion Aaron Baddeley and Marc Leishman. Following them are five-time Australian Open champion Greg Norman with fellow Presidents Cup captain Fred Couples (USA) and JBWere Masters champion Stuart Appleby.
In the afternoon, fans will get their first glimpse of defending champion Adam Scott at 12.10pm on the first tee paired with Geoff Ogilvy and China's No. 1 Liang Wenchong.
Marquee groups:
Morning:
7.15am, 10th Tee, John Daly, Marc Leishman, Aaron Baddeley
7.25am, 10th Tee, Greg Norman, Fred Couples, Stuart Appleby
7.35am, 10th Tee, Nathan Green, Rod Pampling, Takuya Taniguchi
Afternoon:
12.00pm, 1st Tee, John Senden, Craig Parry, Peter Senior
12.10pm, 1st Tee, Adam Scott, Geoff Ogilvy, Liang Wenchong
12.20pm, 1st Tee, Nick O’Hern, Peter O’Malley, Kim Do-Hoon
The Australian Open presented by Century 21 is the penultimate tournament on both the PGA Tour of Australasia and OneAsia.
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 both events 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.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Unwavering Liang Chases OneAsia Order Of Merit Down Under
Sydney - November 30, 2010: China's No. 1 Liang Wenchong continues his Order of Merit chase as he heads Down Under for the Australian Open and the Australian PGA Championship presented by Coca-Cola, co-sanctioned by OneAsia and the PGA Tour of Australasia this week.
Liang, the highest-ranked Chinese player in the world, is OneAsia's most successful player with three championship victories to his name. He was OneAsia's first Chinese champion when he won last year's Midea China Classic, and has triumphed twice this season at the Luxehills Chengdu Open - OneAsia's 2010 season opener - as well as the Thailand Open.
Currently second on OneAsia's Order of Merit with winnings of US$520,200.00, the determined 31-year-old is confident of putting up a good fight at both The Lakes and the Hyatt Regency Coolum, in order to overtake Korea's Y.E. Yang who took the lead after winning the Kolon Korea Open in October.
Liang has had a frenzied globetrotting season, playing in Europe, the United States, as well as all over Asia with seven top ten finishes on the PGA Tour, Japan Tour and OneAsia.
His performance at the US PGA Championship in August boosted his confidence, when he finished eighth in an elite field after shooting a course record eight-under-par 64 in the third round.
"I am looking forward to playing my best at these tournaments. It is coming to the end of the season so I've been feeling a bit tired. But I hope I will be able to cope with the mental challenge," said Liang.
He added, "And as for the OneAsia Order of Merit, I had set my sights on it before and I will try my best to win it."
The Australian Open will be played at The Lakes in Sydney from December 2 to 5, offering a prize purse of AU$1.5 million (approximately US$1.48 million).
The 2010 Australian PGA Championship presented by Coca-Cola will be played at the Hyatt Regency Coolum on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast from December 9-12, 2010.
It will be the final tournament on both the PGA Tour of Australasia and OneAsia, with players competing for a total prize purse of AU$1.5 million (approximately US$1.48 million).
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 both events 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.
Liang, the highest-ranked Chinese player in the world, is OneAsia's most successful player with three championship victories to his name. He was OneAsia's first Chinese champion when he won last year's Midea China Classic, and has triumphed twice this season at the Luxehills Chengdu Open - OneAsia's 2010 season opener - as well as the Thailand Open.
Currently second on OneAsia's Order of Merit with winnings of US$520,200.00, the determined 31-year-old is confident of putting up a good fight at both The Lakes and the Hyatt Regency Coolum, in order to overtake Korea's Y.E. Yang who took the lead after winning the Kolon Korea Open in October.
Liang has had a frenzied globetrotting season, playing in Europe, the United States, as well as all over Asia with seven top ten finishes on the PGA Tour, Japan Tour and OneAsia.
His performance at the US PGA Championship in August boosted his confidence, when he finished eighth in an elite field after shooting a course record eight-under-par 64 in the third round.
"I am looking forward to playing my best at these tournaments. It is coming to the end of the season so I've been feeling a bit tired. But I hope I will be able to cope with the mental challenge," said Liang.
He added, "And as for the OneAsia Order of Merit, I had set my sights on it before and I will try my best to win it."
The Australian Open will be played at The Lakes in Sydney from December 2 to 5, offering a prize purse of AU$1.5 million (approximately US$1.48 million).
The 2010 Australian PGA Championship presented by Coca-Cola will be played at the Hyatt Regency Coolum on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast from December 9-12, 2010.
It will be the final tournament on both the PGA Tour of Australasia and OneAsia, with players competing for a total prize purse of AU$1.5 million (approximately US$1.48 million).
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 both events 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.
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