Golf Asia - February 2018

20 GOLF ASIA

GOLFING

BUZZ

TITLEIST PRO V1 AND V1X CNY YEAR OF THE DOG LOGO

Titleist celebrates 2018 with the introduction of the limited edition Year of the

Dog logo Titleist Pro V1 and V1x golf balls with 88 play numbers, which the

Chinese believe symbolises fortune and good luck, since the word 8 sounds

similar to the word wealth, in Mandarin or Cantonese. Available in Singapore,

Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam for a limited period only.

EN ROUTE TO THE 147TH OPEN VIA SINGAPORE

Jazz Janewattananond, Danthai Boonma, Sean Crocker and Lucas

Herbert secured their places in the 147th Open after qualifying at the

SMBC Singapore Open. The tournament co-sanctioned between the

Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour and was the third event in The Open

Qualifying Series, which gives players the chance to book their place at

Carnoustie from 15th to 22nd July 2018. All four players will make their

first appearance in The Open at the iconic Scottish links after finishing

as the leading four players in the top 12 and ties who were not already

exempt. Janewattananond and Boonma, both from Thailand, finished

tied for fourth place on an eight-under-par total of 276, six strokes behind

winner Sergio Garcia and one shot behind Satoshi Kodaira and Shaun

Norris who were tied for second place. Garcia, Kodaira and Norris have

already secured their places in The Open this July. Janewattananond

grasped the first qualifying place courtesy of his higher position in the

Official World Golf Ranking. Boonma took the second qualifying place

despite posting a final round of 73, two-over-par. Crocker rolled in four

birdies on his way to a two-under-par 69 to finish tied for sixth place

with Emirates Australian Open champion Cameron Davis, who secured

his place in The Open in November last year following his win at The

Australian Golf Club. Herbert finished in a tie for eighth place one shot

further back on six-under-par alongside Gavin Green, Miguel Tabuena

and Berry Henson. Green had already sealed his place at Carnoustie after

topping the 2017 Asian Tour Order of Merit and Herbert faced a nervous

moment when Henson had a birdie putt to move to seven-under-par on

the final hole. The Australian’s anxiety turned to elation as the attempt fell

short of the hole and Herbert secured the final qualifying place courtesy

of his higher position in the Official World Golf Ranking, ahead of both

Henson and Tabuena.

(L-R) Sean Crocker, Danthai Boonma, Jazz

Janewattananond & Lucas Herbert qualify for

The 147th Open at the SMBC Singapore Open