Gandranata takes aim at the PGM Northport Championship

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 24: George Gandranata of Indonesia hopes to get his season back on track at the PGM Northport Championship that tees off on Wednesday.

The 32-year-old’s bright start to 2018 was halted due to a bout of dengue fever in the middle of the year. Now that he has fully recovered, Gandranata is looking forward to bouncing back at the RM225,000 (approximately US$58,000) event in Glenmarie Golf and Country Club.

“When you are healthy, you tend to take things for granted. Dengue is really bad and I’ve had a terrible experience from it. I’m happy to be practising and competing again,” explained Gandranata.

Gandranata made his career breakthrough on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) in 2016 when he won his first title in Langkawi, Malaysia. At the start of this year’s ADT season, he made the cut at two consecutive events before posting a top-five finish in Indonesia in March.

He is rediscovering his form after playing four competitive rounds at his National Open a fortnight ago.

“I played quite well at the Indonesia Open, except for my shots off the tee. Hopefully, the swing gets better in Malaysia. My putting and short game though, are coming together. So, I’m feeling pretty good and I’m looking forward to competing at the PGM Northport Championship.

“My main goal is to finish the ADT season in the top-seven of the money list and earn an Asian Tour card for next year. Hopefully, I can build a good momentum starting from this week’s tournament,” he added.

Johnson Poh of Singapore

The Indonesian will be one of the leading contenders in Malaysia along with Singapore’s Johnson Poh and Thailand’s Varanyu Rattanaphiboonkij, both who have won on the ADT this year.

Other notable names in the field include Mathiam Keyser of South Africa, Josh Salah of the United States and Martin Dive of Australia.

The PGM Northport Championship is the 10th leg on the ADT’s 2018 schedule. All ADT events are afforded Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) status. The winner of each tournament receives a minimum of six OWGR points while the top-six players and ties earn points on a sliding scale.

The leading seven players on the ADT Order of Merit at the end of the season will earn playing rights on the premier Asian Tour for the 2019 season.

Ends.

About Asian Development Tour

The Asian Development Tour was launched in 2010 with the aim of creating a career pathway for professional golfers in Asia. Sanctioned by the Asian Tour, the Asian Development Tour will ultimately create a new playing platform for emerging stars from across Asia and around the world. Through the Asian Tour Qualifying School, players will qualify for the Asian Development Tour and enjoy the opportunity to hone their games and talent through a secondary circuit in Asia. Designed in the same structure as the Web.com Tour in America and European Challenge Tour, the Asian Development Tour is a stepping stone to the Asian Tour and the exciting world of international golf. The Asian Development Tour has been structured to ensure the best opportunities for its members. The leading five players on the Asian Development Tour will earn coveted Asian Tour cards for the following season, ensuring a proper career pathway for aspiring professionals. All ADT events receive Official World Golf Ranking points.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 25: Sukree Othman of Malaysia carded an opening four-under-par 68 to grab a share of the lead with France’s Erwan Vieilledent, Finland’s Janne Kaske and Thailand’s Tawit Polthai at the PGM Northport Championship on Wednesday.

The 41-year-old Sukree enjoyed a bogey-free round, highlighted by birdies on holes eight, 10, 11 and 16. He has a one-shot lead over the rest of the field at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club.

Seven players, including Asian Development Tour (ADT) champions Varanyu Rattanaphiboonkij of Thailand, Martin Dive of Australia and Mathiam Keyser of South Africa shared fifth place at the RM225,000 (approximately US$58,000) event.

Sukree attributed his good round to his accurate drives and calmness under pressure.

“I managed to keep my ball on the fairway most of the time today. The greens were quite firm, so you’ll need some spin for the ball to stay on them. It’s a lot more difficult if you approach from the rough,” explained Sukree.

He added: “The seventh hole was quite pivotal for me. I drove into the trees on the left, but I managed to hit it within 10 yards of the green from that bad position and eventually made an up-and-down from there. That was quite satisfying and it’ll give me a good momentum into the second round.”

Vieilledent had a round of two halves. He carded two eagles on his opening nine holes but made the turn even-par. The Frenchman then closed the round solidly, as he made four birdies and did not drop a shot.

“I ended the first nine even par, but I was very positive as I was playing well. I remained patient on my back nine and was rewarded with birdies. I hit it very well off the tee and I was comfortable with the wedge, which made it easier for me to post a low score,” said Vieilledent.

The leading seven players on the ADT Order of Merit at the end of the season will earn playing rights on the premier Asian Tour for the 2019 season.

Leading round one scores

68 – Tawit POLTHAI (THA) , Sukree OTHMAN (MAS) , Erwan VIEILLEDENT (FRA) , Janne KASKE (FIN)

69 – Kemarol BAHARIN (MAS) , Annop TANGKAMOLPRASERT (THA) , Varanyu RATTANAPHIBOONKIJ (THA) , Martin DIVE (AUS) , Panuwat MUENLEK (THA) , Mathiam KEYSER (RSA) , Cody O’TOOLE (USA)

70 – Kenneth TOBUSE (MAS) , Josh SALAH (USA)

71 – Akhmal TARMIZEE (MAS) , S. Siva Chandhran (MAS) , Chanat SAKULPOLPHAISAN (THA) , CHOO Tze Huang (SGP) , Amir NAZRIN (MAS) , KHOR Kheng Hwai (MAS) , Brett MUNSON (USA) , Pisitchai THIPPONG (THA) , Jesse SCHUTTE (USA) , Shariffuddin ARIFFIN (MAS) , KOH Deng Shan (SGP) , Shakhawat SOHEL (BAN)

72 – Joshua HO (A) (SGP) , Naoki SEKITO (JPN) , Samarth DWIVEDI (IND) , Jonathan WOO (SGP) , Galven Kendall GREEN (A) (MAS) , Scott BARR (AUS) , R. Nachimuthu (MAS) , Daeng Abdul Rahman (MAS) , Fajar Win NURYANTO (INA)

73 – S. Murthy (MAS) , Muhammad Syakir ADLI AZMI (MAS) , M. Sasidaran (MAS) , Shaifubari MUDA (MAS) , Kimmin CHUL (KOR) , Phanuvich ONCHU (THA) , Hyukchul SHIN (KOR) , Aaerishna SHAHSTHY (A) (MAS) , Airil Rizman ZAHARI (MAS)

Ends.

About Asian Development Tour

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 26: Sukree Othman of Malaysia scored hole-in-one enroute to carding a three-under-par 69 and grabbing a share of the halfway lead at the RM225,000 (approximately US$58,000) PGM Northport Championship on Thursday.

He started the day emphatically by making an ace on hole two followed by birdies on the following two holes. The Malaysian dropped two shots at the sixth but steadied himself before signing for a seven-under-par 137 total at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club.

Mathiam Keyser of South Africa and Thailand’s Chanat Sakulpolphaisan shared the lead after carding 68 and 66 respectively.

The 31-year-old Keyser went on a birdie streak after starting his round with eleven straight pars. In his last seven holes, he traded five birdies against a lone bogey. Chanat impressed with a bogey-free round. The Thai did not put a foot wrong as he made three birdies on both sides of the turn.

Malaysia’s Daeng Abdul Rahman is in lone fourth place after carding a 66. Five golfers, including Asian Development Tour (ADT) winners Varanyu Rattanaphiboonkij and Josh Salah, shared fifth place.

Sukree was able to keep his emotions in check, which paid dividends in the end.

“I felt good after my first three holes. Unfortunately, I made a double bogey at the par-five sixth, which was quite an easy hole to score. I had to recompose myself and move on. Fortunately, I made two more birdies after the turn,” said Sukree.

He added: “For round three, hopefully, I can do as well as I did over the last two days. I’m confident of my chances. Everyone wants to win the tournament, and I’m no different. It’s hard to predict in golf. I’m just going to take it one shot at a time.

Mathiam Keyser of South Africa

Keyser, who enjoyed two top-five finishes in on the ADT in May, was rewarded for his patient approach on the golf course.

“Golf is a funny game. I wasn’t able to get anything going on my opening 11 holes but after making my first birdie on my 12th hole (the par-five hole three, as he started at the 10th tee box), I gained a lot of momentum and things started to go my way,” said Keyser.

Chanat credited his good round to the positive changes to his swing.

“I had problems hitting the ball well previously, but after working with my coach, my swing got a lot better. And because of that, I managed to find more fairways here, which allowed me to attack the pins,” explained Chanat.

Daeng, who is playing in his second year as a professional, kickstarted his tournament at the eighth hole.

“The birdie at the eighth hole game set me up for the back nine. It was a downhill 25-feet putt and I managed to get it in. I didn’t drop a single shot after that,” said Daeng.

Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points are offered on all ADT events with the winner earning a total of six OWGR points while the top-six players and ties earn points on a sliding scale.

The leading seven players on the ADT Order of Merit at the end of the season will earn playing rights on the premier Asian Tour for the 2019 season.

Leading round two scores

137 – Mathiam KEYSER (RSA) 69 68, Chanat SAKULPOLPHAISAN (THA) 71 66, Sukree OTHMAN (MAS) 68 69

138 – Daeng Abdul Rahman (MAS) 72 66

139 – KOH Deng Shan (SGP) 71 68, Josh SALAH (USA) 70 69, Shakhawat SOHEL (BAN) 71 68, Tawit POLTHAI (THA) 68 71, Varanyu RATTANAPHIBOONKIJ (THA) 69 70

140 – Janne KASKE (FIN) 68 72, Panuwat MUENLEK (THA) 69 71, Erwan VIEILLEDENT (FRA) 68 72

141 – Shariffuddin ARIFFIN (MAS) 71 70, Ervin CHANG (A) (MAS) 75 66

142 – R. Nachimuthu (MAS) 72 70, S. Siva Chandhran (MAS) 71 71, CHOO Tze Huang (SGP) 71 71, Kemarol BAHARIN (MAS) 69 73, Lee SONG (KOR) 74 68, Pisitchai THIPPONG (THA) 71 71

143 – Scott BARR (AUS) 72 71, Fajar Win NURYANTO (INA) 72 71, Martin DIVE (AUS) 69 74, Naoki SEKITO (JPN) 72 71, KHOR Kheng Hwai (MAS) 71 72, Jesse SCHUTTE (USA) 71 72

144 – Ratchapol JANTAVARA (THA) 74 70, Joshua HO (A) (SGP) 72 72, Annop TANGKAMOLPRASERT (THA) 69 75, Brett MUNSON (USA) 71 73, Samarth DWIVEDI (IND) 72 72, Phanuvich ONCHU (THA) 73 71

145 – Sam GILLIS (USA) 78 67, George GANDRANATA (INA) 76 69, Cody O’TOOLE (USA) 69 76, Kenneth DE SILVA (MAS) 74 71

About Asian Development Tour

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 27: Shakhawat Shohel of Bangladesh is in line for his career breakthrough after carding a five-under-par 67 to grab at the lead at the RM225,000 (approximately US$58,000) PGM Northport Championship on Friday.

The 33-year-old had a near flawless round that was highlighted by six birdies. His only blemish was a bogey at the par-four seventh. Shakhawat ended Friday on a 10-under-par 206 total for a two-shot lead at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club.

Scott Barr of Australia shot 65, the lowest score of the day, to share second place along with Malaysian amateur Ervin Chang (67) and Chanat Sakulpolphaisan of Thailand (71).

Shakhawat, who is gunning for his first Asian Development Tour title, attributed his good round to his accurate drives and good putting.

“I putted very well today. I also had a few good drives which boosted my confidence. In particular, I was able to take advantage of the par-fives as I birdied three out of four of them,” explained Shakhawat.

He also took advantage of the rain, which disrupted his round towards the end of the day.

“I played 16 holes before the rain came. I quite like the rain though, as it softened the greens and the ball was able to spin on it a little more. I managed a sink a birdie on the 18th,” he added.

Chang was playing better as the days went by. He would be the second amateur, after compatriot Gavin Green, to win an ADT title.

“My good round was due to my good course management. I was able to recover well from bad positions and I was able to put aside the pressure and stress of the tournament,” he said.

He added: “I played in a few ADT tournaments already and I loved the environment and the chance to play with the professionals. I’m in a great position, but there are still 18 holes to play. I’ll do my best and if I do win it, it’ll be a bonus for me.”

Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points are offered on all ADT events with the winner earning a total of six OWGR points while the top-six players and ties earn points on a sliding scale.

The leading seven players on the ADT Order of Merit at the end of the season will earn playing rights on the premier Asian Tour for the 2019 season.

Leading round three scores

206 – Shakhawat SOHEL (BAN) 71 68 67

208 – Ervin CHANG (A) (MAS) 75 66 67, Scott BARR (AUS) 72 71 65, Chanat SAKULPOLPHAISAN (THA) 71 66 71

209 – R. Nachimuthu (MAS) 72 70 67, Josh SALAH (USA) 70 69 70, Sukree OTHMAN (MAS) 68 69 72

210 – CHOO Tze Huang (SGP) 71 71 68, Varanyu RATTANAPHIBOONKIJ (THA) 69 70 71, Tawit POLTHAI (THA) 68 71 71, Naoki SEKITO (JPN) 72 71 67, Daeng Abdul Rahman (MAS) 72 66 72

211 – Kemarol BAHARIN (MAS) 69 73 69, Shariffuddin ARIFFIN (MAS) 71 70 70, Erwan VIEILLEDENT (FRA) 68 72 71, Janne KASKE (FIN) 68 72 71, Mathiam KEYSER (RSA) 69 68 74

213 – S. Siva Chandhran (MAS) 71 71 71, Panuwat MUENLEK (THA) 69 71 73, KOH Deng Shan (SGP) 71 68 74, Ratchapol JANTAVARA (THA) 74 70 69, Lee SONG (KOR) 74 68 71

214 – Annop TANGKAMOLPRASERT (THA) 69 75 70, Pisitchai THIPPONG (THA) 71 71 72

215 – Galven Kendall GREEN (A) (MAS) 72 74 69, Sam GILLIS (USA) 78 67 70, Joshua HO (A) (SGP) 72 72 71, KHOR Kheng Hwai (MAS) 71 72 72

216 – Takanari IWAMA (JPN) 76 70 70, Cody O’TOOLE (USA) 69 76 71, M. Sasidaran (MAS) 73 74 69, Jesse SCHUTTE (USA) 71 72 73, Supakrit RATTANAKAMPHOL (THA) 77 71 68

About Asian Development Tour

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 28: Josh Salah of the United States was victorious after beating Bangladesh’s Shakhawat Shohel after three extra holes at the PGM Northport Championship on Saturday.

Salah and Shakhawat were tied on 13-under-par 275 at the end of regulation play at the RM225,000 (approximately US$58,000) event, hosted by Glenmarie Golf and Country Club.

The 27-year-old Salah, who carded a bogey-free six-under-par 66, had a great chance to win at the first play-off hole, but his ball narrowly lipped out. He also missed another opportunity from six feet at the second extra hole.

The play-off was moved from the 18th hole to the 17th hole and that was where Salah managed to edge ahead of Shakhawat. The Bangladeshi drove it into the right hazard and was not able to get up-and-down, while Salah parred the hole for his second win on the Asian Development Tour (ADT).

Starting the day three shots behind the leader, Salah closed the deficit with birdies on holes one, three and five. Crucial par saves on the ninth and the 18th allowed him to force his way into the play-off.

“At the ninth, I drove my tee shot into the trees. After punching it out, I had about 80 yards left but I hit a huge wedge shot and putted in for par. The 18th was also crucial. I rolled it in for par from around nine feet to keep it at 13-under-par. Otherwise, I would have missed out on the play-offs,” said Salah, who will receive six Official World Golf Ranking points.

He added: “I was planning to play in the Royal Cup Qualifier but I just didn’t feel right about it. I know Glenmarie very well and I liked my chances here. Now that I’ve won, I’ll be aiming for one of the seven Asian Tour cards on offer for the 2019 season. I’m ready for the next step.”

Kemarol Baharin emerged as the top local finisher at the PGM Northport Championship. The Malaysian signed for a flawless 66 to grab lone third place.

“I’ve had an exception round today. My short game was on point and this is the first time I did not three-putt in the entire round. Overall, I’m very happy with my performance. Last week, I won a tournament on the local circuit and that has probably helped set me up for this week,” said Kemarol.

The PGM Northport Championship is the 10th leg on the ADT’s 2018 schedule. The leading seven players on the ADT Order of Merit at the end of the season will earn playing rights on the Asian Tour for the 2019 season.

Leading round four scores

275 – Josh SALAH (USA) 70 69 70 66, Shakhawat SOHEL (BAN) 71 68 67 69

277 – Kemarol BAHARIN (MAS) 69 73 69 66

278 – Varanyu RATTANAPHIBOONKIJ (THA) 69 70 71 68, Ervin CHANG (A) (MAS) 75 66 67 70

279 – KOH Deng Shan (SGP) 71 68 74 66, CHOO Tze Huang (SGP) 71 71 68 69, Chanat SAKULPOLPHAISAN (THA) 71 66 71 71

280 – R. Nachimuthu (MAS) 72 70 67 71

281 – Panuwat MUENLEK (THA) 69 71 73 68, Mathiam KEYSER (RSA) 69 68 74 70, Janne KASKE (FIN) 68 72 71 70, Tawit POLTHAI (THA) 68 71 71 71, Scott BARR (AUS) 72 71 65 73

282 – Sam GILLIS (USA) 78 67 70 67, Ratchapol JANTAVARA (THA) 74 70 69 69, Shariffuddin ARIFFIN (MAS) 71 70 70 71

283 – Daeng Abdul Rahman (MAS) 72 66 72 73, Sukree OTHMAN (MAS) 68 69 72 74

284 – Erwan VIEILLEDENT (FRA) 68 72 71 73

285 – Phanuvich ONCHU (THA) 73 71 75 66, Naoki SEKITO (JPN) 72 71 67 75

About Asian Development Tour

Bengaluru, India, July 30: Japan’s Shohei Hasegawa hopes to make a winning debut at the US$75,000 Louis Philippe Cup which starts on Tuesday.

Hasegawa, a former player in the Japan national team, is one of the standout performers on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) this season where he has won once in March.

Currently ranked third on the Order of Merit, the 25-year-old will have the opportunity to take over top spot on the Merit ranking with a win or a solid result at the Prestige Golfshire Club.

Hasegawa will face strong challenges against the local stars led by Rahil Gangjee, who won his second Asian Tour title in April, Khalin Joshi and two-time ADT champion Chikkarangappa S.

Josh Salah of the United States, who won his second ADT title last week, Mathiam Keyser of South Africa, Martin Dive of Australia and Janne Kaske of Finland, all ADT winners will also feature in the event.

Former ADT Order of Merit winner Casey O’Toole will also contend in the Louis Philippe Cup alongside former PGA Tour player Miguel Carballo of Argentina, who is playing in his first year in Asia.

Hasegawa is in prime position to secure one of the seven 2019 Asian Tour cards on offer but he is not taking his chances for granted as he aims to win the Order of Merit title.

“It will be my first time playing in India. I have never been there before and I don’t know what to expect. But I will just work on my game to prepare myself,” he said.

“My goal would be to win another tournament because I want to win the ADT Order of Merit but my form has been up and down since winning in March. I’ve been struggling with my ball striking but I hope to overcome the problem this week,” added Hasegawa.

O’Toole admits he has been struggling to rediscover his best form and hopes to turn the corner at the Louis Philippe Cup this week.

“I have been struggling with my game a bit. It’s not technical because I hit it well on the range but I’m not trusting myself. It has been a mental struggle mostly from trying too hard and working towards results rather than staying in the process,” said O’Toole.

The Louis Philippe Cup is the 11th leg on the ADT’s 2018 schedule. The leading seven players on the ADT Order of Merit at the end of the season will earn playing rights on the Asian Tour for the 2019 season.

About Asian Development Tour

Bengaluru, India, July 31: Local hope Udayan Mane and Miguel Carballo of Argentina shared the opening round lead after shooting matching seven-under-par 63s at the US$75,000 Louis Philippe Cup on Tuesday.

The 27-year-old Mane was flawless in his round while Asian Development Tour (ADT) regular Carballo registered eight birdies against one bogey at the Prestige Golfshire Club.

Indians Divyanshu Bajaj and Om Prakash Chouhan were a further two shots back alongside Sam Gillis of the United States in tied third place.

Former PGA Tour player Carballo is one of the most consistent players without a win on the ADT so far this year. Playing in his first year on the ADT, the Argentinian has five top-10 results including a second place finish.

He took advantage of a hot putter and a sharp-shooting game to share the opening round honours with Mane, who is also searching for his first ADT title this week.

“My tee shots were very good and I gave myself a lot of opportunities to make birdies. The first shot is important and if you hit a good tee shot, the hole becomes easy. I’m feeling more comfortable in Asia now,” said the 39-year-old Carballo.

Mane, a multiple winner on the PGTI, was delighted with his error-free start highlighted by three straight birdies from the 11th hole.

“I played a bogey free round, but the course was very challenging and for once not to be taken for granted. I am glad to be in the joint lead but we still have three more days to go. The plan forward is to execute as per the plans as the course is set up in such a way that there isn’t any margin for errors,” said the India.

Leading round 1 scores:

63 – Miguel CARBALLO (ARG) , Udayan MANE (IND)

65 – Sam GILLIS (USA) , Divyanshu BAJAJ (IND) , Om Prakash CHOUHAN (IND)

66 – Khalin JOSHI (IND) , Harendra GUPTA (IND)

67 – Manu GANDAS (IND) , Yashas CHANDRA MS (IND) , Sachin BAISOYA (IND) , Mukesh KUMAR (IND)

68 – Hemendra CHOUDHARY (IND) , Marcus BOTH (AUS) , Deepinder Singh KULLAR (IND) , Shivendra Singh SISODIA (IND) , Pawan KUMAR (IND) , Arjun SHARMA (IND)

69 – Syed Saqib AHMED (IND) , Tarik CAN (USA) , Rahil GANGJEE (IND) , Varanyu RATTANAPHIBOONKIJ (THA) , C G SOMIAH (IND) , Kapil KUMAR (IND) , Erwan VIEILLEDENT (FRA) , Mithun PERERA (SRI) , Shohei HASEGAWA (JPN) , Manish GOYAL (IND)

70 – Justin DE LOS SANTOS (USA) , Aadil BEDI (A) (IND) , Digraj Singh GILL (USA) , Shinichi MIZUNO (JPN) , Janne KASKE (FIN) , Gaurav Pratap SINGH (IND) , Josh SALAH (USA) , Vikrant CHOPRA (IND) , Dhruv SHEORAN (IND) , Akshay SHARMA (IND) , Sanjeev KUMAR (L) (IND) , Mohammad SANJU (IND) , Rashid KHAN (IND) , Karan TAUNK (IND) , Sudhir SHARMA (IND) , Sanjay KUMAR (IND)

About Asian Development Tour

Bengaluru, India, August 1: Miguel Carballo of Argentina posted a two-under-par 68 to hold a one-shot lead over Indians Om Prakash Chouhan and Udayan Mane at the halfway stage of the Louis Philippe Cup on Wednesday.

Carballo, who was the joint overnight leader with Mane, mixed his card with six birdies against four bogeys to lead on nine-under-par 131 in the US$75,000 Asian Development Tour (ADT) event.

A host of local talents are breathing down the Argentinian’s neck with Chouhan and Mane trailing closely following rounds of 67 and 69 respectively at the Prestige Golfshire Club.

Divyanshu Bajaj (68) placed fourth on 133 while Rashid Khan fired a sparkling 64 to tie in fifth place with Khalin Joshi (68), as they trail the leader by three shots.

The 39-year-old Carballo was delighted to be in position to win his first ADT title after coming close on several occasions in 2018. Ranked fourth on the Order of Merit, Carballo has five top-10 results including a runner-up finish so far this year.

“It was a tough day for me because of the windy weather along with the heavy downfall. It stopped once before resuming once again, which resulted in four bogeys for me. Although I could putt in six birdies, I would reiterate that it was a taxing day for me. The 16th hole was the toughest of the lot and I would concentrate on each hole separately in the next round, in case I end up hitting a bogey," said Carballo.

The halfway cut was set at two-over-par 142 with a total of 51 players qualifying for the final two rounds.

Leading round 2 scores:

131 – Miguel CARBALLO (ARG) 63 68

132 – Om Prakash CHOUHAN (IND) 65 67, Udayan MANE (IND) 63 69

133 – Divyanshu BAJAJ (IND) 65 68

134 – Rashid KHAN (IND) 70 64, Khalin JOSHI (IND) 66 68

135 – Harendra GUPTA (IND) 66 69, Deepinder Singh KULLAR (IND) 68 67

136 – Mukesh KUMAR (IND) 67 69

137 – Pawan KUMAR (IND) 68 69, Aadil BEDI (A) (IND) 70 67, Justin DE LOS SANTOS (USA) 70 67, Shinichi MIZUNO (JPN) 70 67

138 – Mithun PERERA (SRI) 69 69, Shivnaren SRINIVASAN (IND) 71 67, Syed Saqib AHMED (IND) 69 69, Rahil GANGJEE (IND) 69 69, Marcus BOTH (AUS) 68 70

139 – Digvijay SINGH (IND) 71 68, Sachin BAISOYA (IND) 67 72, Sam GILLIS (USA) 65 74, Janne KASKE (FIN) 70 69, Himmat RAI (IND) 72 67

140 – Chikkarangappa S. (IND) 71 69, Sanjeev KUMAR (L) (IND) 70 70, Arjun SHARMA (IND) 68 72, Tarik CAN (USA) 69 71, M DHARMA (IND) 73 67, Tapy GHAI (IND) 71 69, Matt KILLEN (ENG) 71 69, Shivendra Singh SISODIA (IND) 68 72

About Asian Development Tour

Bengaluru, India, August 2: India’s Rashid Khan and Udayan Mane battled in windy conditions to take a share of the third round lead at the US$75,000 Louis Philippe Cup on Thursday.

Khan, a two-time Asian Tour winner, posted a solid three-under-par 67 while Mane signed for a 69 to share top spot on nine-under-par 201 at the Prestige Golfshire Club.

Overnight leader Miguel Carballo of Argentina posted a 74 to slip to tied fourth place alongside Khalin Joshi (71), as they trail the leaders by four shots in the Asian Development Tour (ADT) event.

The 27-year-old Khan recovered from a slow start where he was one-over through 13 holes before shooting four straight birdies from the 14th hole to charge into contention.

“I couldn’t find the greens on the front nine because it was really windy. I told myself that if I can find the greens on the back nine, I can give myself birdie opportunities and my game plan worked,” said Khan.

Khan struggled with a cold putter earlier this week but has slowly improved on the tricky greens. “I was disappointed with the putter but now I’m feeling more confident. If I can hole more putts, then I have a good chance to win.”

Mane was left frustrated for not taking full advantage of his solid ball striking after trading two birdies against one bogey.

“I hit the ball really well and put myself in great position to attack the flag but nothing dropped for me on the greens. I hit really good putts but a lot of it lipped out,” the 27-year-old Mane lamented.

“You got to keep doing what you’ve doing and somehow pull through and make the most of the situation. It is playing tough for everyone but I’m very confident and comfortable with my game,” he added.

Leading third round scores:

201 – Rashid KHAN (IND) 70 64 67, Udayan MANE (IND) 63 69 69

205 – Khalin JOSHI (IND) 66 68 71, Miguel CARBALLO (ARG) 63 68 74

206 – Sanjeev KUMAR (L) (IND) 70 70 66, Marcus BOTH (AUS) 68 70 68, Rahil GANGJEE (IND) 69 69 68, Mukesh KUMAR (IND) 67 69 70, Om Prakash CHOUHAN (IND) 65 67 74

207 – Akshay SHARMA (IND) 70 71 66, Digvijay SINGH (IND) 71 68 68, Deepinder Singh KULLAR (IND) 68 67 72, Harendra GUPTA (IND) 66 69 72

208 – Tapy GHAI (IND) 71 69 68, Sam GILLIS (USA) 65 74 69

209 – Pawan KUMAR (IND) 68 69 72

210 – Himmat RAI (IND) 72 67 71, Shankar DAS (IND) 72 69 69, Shinichi MIZUNO (JPN) 70 67 73, Abhijit CHADHA (IND) 71 71 68, Aadil BEDI (A) (IND) 70 67 73, Divyanshu BAJAJ (IND) 65 68 77

About Asian Development Tour

Bengaluru, India, August 3: Rahil Gangjee continued his impressive form in 2018 after winning the Louis Philippe Cup with a stunning final round seven-under-par 63 on Friday.

The bubbly Indian equalled the low round of the week to seal the title by three shots with a winning total of 11-under-par 269 at the Asian Development Tour (ADT) event. It was his second win following his victory on the Asian Tour in April.

Overnight co-leader Rashid Khan and Om Prakash Chouhan settled for tied second place following rounds of 71 and 66 respectively at the Prestige Golfshire Club while Marcus Both (67) of Australia and Udayan Mane (72) finished a further shot back on 273.

Gangjee got off to a hot start with three straight birdies before marking his card with four more birdies. He dropped a single shot on 16 but enjoyed a grandstand finish when he birdied the last hole to romp to victory.

“It feels awesome. Today was a dream come true kind of round. I hit everything good and every putt fell. When I got to about nine or 10-under I started to get excited but I told myself to stay calm just like what I did when I won in Japan. The experience of winning earlier in the year did help,” said the Indian, who won US$13,125.

Gangjee, who turns 40 in October, is enjoying a superb season following a stressful 2017 where he had to fight tooth-and-nail to keep his Tour card. He eventually claimed the second last card on offer after finishing in 60th place on the 2017 Asian Tour Order of Merit.

The win in April was a huge confidence booster for Gangjee as he ended a 14-year title drought on the Asian Tour while the latest win at the Louis Philippe Cup will give him an extra spring in his step heading into business-end of the year.

“I can’t even explain how free I’m feeling after this two wins. The first one did the trick and it freed me up. You’ve seen it happen to other players when they win and now it is happening to me,” smiled Gangjee, who moved to Bengaluru two years ago.

Leading final round scores:

269 – Rahil GANGJEE (IND) 69 69 68 63

272 – Om Prakash CHOUHAN (IND) 65 67 74 66, Rashid KHAN (IND) 70 64 67 71

273 – Marcus BOTH (AUS) 68 70 68 67, Udayan MANE (IND) 63 69 69 72

274 – Khalin JOSHI (IND) 66 68 71 69

275 – Harendra GUPTA (IND) 66 69 72 68, Akshay SHARMA (IND) 70 71 66 68, Mukesh KUMAR (IND) 67 69 70 69

276 – Sanjeev KUMAR (L) (IND) 70 70 66 70

277 – Himmat RAI (IND) 72 67 71 67, Sam GILLIS (USA) 65 74 69 69, Miguel CARBALLO (ARG) 63 68 74 72

278 – Aadil BEDI (A) (IND) 70 67 73 68, Abhijit CHADHA (IND) 71 71 68 68, Tarik CAN (USA) 69 71 74 64, Pawan KUMAR (IND) 68 69 72 69, Tapy GHAI (IND) 71 69 68 70

About Asian Development Tour

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Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 24: George Gandranata of Indonesia hopes to get his season back on track at the PGM Northport Championship that tees off on Wednesday. The 32-year-old’s bright start to 2018 was halted due to a bout of dengue fever in the middle of the year. Now that he has fully recovered, Gandranata […]

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 24: George Gandranata of Indonesia hopes to get his season back on track at the PGM Northport Championship that tees off on Wednesday.

He is rediscovering his form after playing four competitive rounds at his National Open a fortnight ago.

Johnson Poh of Singapore

The Indonesian will be one of the leading contenders in Malaysia along with Singapore’s Johnson Poh and Thailand’s Varanyu Rattanaphiboonkij, both who have won on the ADT this year.

Other notable names in the field include Mathiam Keyser of South Africa, Josh Salah of the United States and Martin Dive of Australia.

The leading seven players on the ADT Order of Merit at the end of the season will earn playing rights on the premier Asian Tour for the 2019 season.

Ends.

About Asian Development Tour

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 25: Sukree Othman of Malaysia carded an opening four-under-par 68 to grab a share of the lead with France’s Erwan Vieilledent, Finland’s Janne Kaske and Thailand’s Tawit Polthai at the PGM Northport Championship on Wednesday. The 41-year-old Sukree enjoyed a bogey-free round, highlighted by birdies on holes eight, 10, 11 and […]

The 41-year-old Sukree enjoyed a bogey-free round, highlighted by birdies on holes eight, 10, 11 and 16. He has a one-shot lead over the rest of the field at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club.

Sukree attributed his good round to his accurate drives and calmness under pressure.

The leading seven players on the ADT Order of Merit at the end of the season will earn playing rights on the premier Asian Tour for the 2019 season.

Leading round one scores

68 – Tawit POLTHAI (THA) , Sukree OTHMAN (MAS) , Erwan VIEILLEDENT (FRA) , Janne KASKE (FIN)

69 – Kemarol BAHARIN (MAS) , Annop TANGKAMOLPRASERT (THA) , Varanyu RATTANAPHIBOONKIJ (THA) , Martin DIVE (AUS) , Panuwat MUENLEK (THA) , Mathiam KEYSER (RSA) , Cody O’TOOLE (USA)

70 – Kenneth TOBUSE (MAS) , Josh SALAH (USA)

Ends.

About Asian Development Tour

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 26: Sukree Othman of Malaysia scored hole-in-one enroute to carding a three-under-par 69 and grabbing a share of the halfway lead at the RM225,000 (approximately US$58,000) PGM Northport Championship on Thursday. He started the day emphatically by making an ace on hole two followed by birdies on the following two holes. […]

Mathiam Keyser of South Africa and Thailand’s Chanat Sakulpolphaisan shared the lead after carding 68 and 66 respectively.

Malaysia’s Daeng Abdul Rahman is in lone fourth place after carding a 66. Five golfers, including Asian Development Tour (ADT) winners Varanyu Rattanaphiboonkij and Josh Salah, shared fifth place.

Sukree was able to keep his emotions in check, which paid dividends in the end.

Mathiam Keyser of South Africa

Keyser, who enjoyed two top-five finishes in on the ADT in May, was rewarded for his patient approach on the golf course.

Chanat credited his good round to the positive changes to his swing.

Daeng, who is playing in his second year as a professional, kickstarted his tournament at the eighth hole.

“The birdie at the eighth hole game set me up for the back nine. It was a downhill 25-feet putt and I managed to get it in. I didn’t drop a single shot after that,” said Daeng.

Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points are offered on all ADT events with the winner earning a total of six OWGR points while the top-six players and ties earn points on a sliding scale.

The leading seven players on the ADT Order of Merit at the end of the season will earn playing rights on the premier Asian Tour for the 2019 season.

Leading round two scores

137 – Mathiam KEYSER (RSA) 69 68, Chanat SAKULPOLPHAISAN (THA) 71 66, Sukree OTHMAN (MAS) 68 69

138 – Daeng Abdul Rahman (MAS) 72 66

139 – KOH Deng Shan (SGP) 71 68, Josh SALAH (USA) 70 69, Shakhawat SOHEL (BAN) 71 68, Tawit POLTHAI (THA) 68 71, Varanyu RATTANAPHIBOONKIJ (THA) 69 70

140 – Janne KASKE (FIN) 68 72, Panuwat MUENLEK (THA) 69 71, Erwan VIEILLEDENT (FRA) 68 72

141 – Shariffuddin ARIFFIN (MAS) 71 70, Ervin CHANG (A) (MAS) 75 66

142 – R. Nachimuthu (MAS) 72 70, S. Siva Chandhran (MAS) 71 71, CHOO Tze Huang (SGP) 71 71, Kemarol BAHARIN (MAS) 69 73, Lee SONG (KOR) 74 68, Pisitchai THIPPONG (THA) 71 71

143 – Scott BARR (AUS) 72 71, Fajar Win NURYANTO (INA) 72 71, Martin DIVE (AUS) 69 74, Naoki SEKITO (JPN) 72 71, KHOR Kheng Hwai (MAS) 71 72, Jesse SCHUTTE (USA) 71 72

144 – Ratchapol JANTAVARA (THA) 74 70, Joshua HO (A) (SGP) 72 72, Annop TANGKAMOLPRASERT (THA) 69 75, Brett MUNSON (USA) 71 73, Samarth DWIVEDI (IND) 72 72, Phanuvich ONCHU (THA) 73 71

145 – Sam GILLIS (USA) 78 67, George GANDRANATA (INA) 76 69, Cody O’TOOLE (USA) 69 76, Kenneth DE SILVA (MAS) 74 71

About Asian Development Tour

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 27: Shakhawat Shohel of Bangladesh is in line for his career breakthrough after carding a five-under-par 67 to grab at the lead at the RM225,000 (approximately US$58,000) PGM Northport Championship on Friday. The 33-year-old had a near flawless round that was highlighted by six birdies. His only blemish was a […]