Korea’s Im produced a glorious chip-in eagle on the opening hole as he and Canadian partner Adam Hadwin edged Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay 1-up in the second match of the Four-Ball session.

An, a late call-up to replace an injured Jason Day, teamed up with home hero Adam Scott to defeat Bryson DeChambeau and Tony Finau 2 and 1 in a match they never trailed while Pan and Japanese star Hideki Matsuyama earned the fourth and final point for Ernie Els’ team with a thrilling 1-up victory over Patrick Reed and Webb Simpson.

Louis Oosthuizen and Abraham Ancer, one of seven debutants in the team, were the other pair who delivered a point for the International Team while U.S. Team playing captain Tiger Woods and Justin Thomas won the first point of the session with a 4 and 3 win over Marc Leishman and Joaquin Niemann.

This is the first time since 2005 that the International Team has led after the first round in Presidents Cup history. The Internationals, led by Els for the first time, is chasing its second win in the prestigious team event following its lone victory in 1998 when it was staged in Royal Melbourne.

South African legend Els has imparted his knowledge of Royal Melbourne where he holds the course record of 60 to his players and the 21-year-old Im, the 2019 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year, credited his captain for his flying start.

“Surprisingly I wasn’t too nervous. I was going to hit a 3-iron off the tee but Ernie came up and advised me to hit a driver since the pin was to the left and obviously it worked out really well. I’m really happy about my results and I’m excited for tomorrow,” said Im, who will partner Cameron Smith in the last Foursomes match on Friday against Gary Woodland and Rickie Fowler.

“I feel like our teamwork was great. When I wasn’t playing well, Adam (Hadwin) would cover for me and vice versa. I think our teamwork really helped make our match great.”

An was delighted to start his first Presidents Cup on a winning note alongside Scott, who now holds the most appearances in the event with nine for the International Team. “It was crazy. I was a little bit nervous. It was fun playing in front of a home crowd, and then playing with Adam calmed me down a lot, and that’s why I was able to hit some great shots in the first couple of holes,” said the Korean.

“We got in the mood and got some birdies going. Overall we played great. When he’s not playing well the first couple holes, I had him covered, and when I was struggling in the middle, he got some birdies going,” said An.

Pan, the first player from Chinese Taipei to feature for the International Team, was the last pairing out on course as he and Matsuyama fought tooth-and-nail with Reed, nicknamed Captain America for his performances in team events, and Simpson.

The 28-year-old said a special video viewing on Wednesday night during a team function which showcased the International Team’s victory in 1998 rallied him and his teammates.

“The video, even after last night, I watched it a couple of times because I loved it. It’s been 21 long years, and I know it’s day one, but we still have a lot of work to do. That video definitely pumped and excited everyone on the International Team,” said Pan, who won the RBC Heritage in April.

“It’s incredible, especially the last match to finish on 18, as well. The crowd are absolutely amazing and the people, the feeling, it’s making me like speechless. Yeah, I played great. We’re very happy to earn this point.”

Pan paid tribute to Captain Els’ leadership. “It’s great. He has a system going in. We are his soldiers, so we follow his instruction, and that’s what we did today, and it worked great. He’s done so much preparations the last few months. It’s working.”

With their matched tied through 16 holes, Matsuyama drained a 28-foot birdie on 17 to regain a 1-up lead and burst into a fist-pump celebration which ignited one of the loudest cheers of the day.

“Hideki, he’s such a clutch putter. I was close but he made that tough putt, so that was such a crucial putt,” said Pan.

Poom, a two-time winner of the BNI Indonesian Masters in 2016 and 2018, returns to his happy hunting ground at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club this week, bidding to equal Lee Westwood’s record of having three victories in the US$750,000 Asian Tour event.

The 26-year-old Thai hopes to renew his affinity with the course as he takes aim at a fine showing to redeem himself from a lacklustre season where he had made only five cuts in 11 starts to sit in 59th place on the current Asian Tour Order of Merit.

He will headline the talented 144-man field from 21 countries alongside countryman and newly minted Order of Merit champion Jazz Janewattananond, as well as American John Catlin and local hero Rory Hie, who have all won on Tour this season.

“I am very happy to be back glad. I haven’t had a good season to be honest but I hope to regain my confidence with a good result this week. I love the greens here and I feel familiar with the type of grass here,” said Poom, who will be chasing for a hat-trick to match Lee Westwood’s winning record in the tournament.

“I will try and do my best again. Hopefully I can defend my title successfully. That will be a great boost to my confidence. The game is getting better. I feel like I can play better now, compared to the earlier in the year,” added Poom who fended off the challenges from his more illustrious rivals included Justin Rose and Henrik Stensonto to win the Indonesian Masters by three shots for his third Asian Tour victory last year.

Jazz, the highest-ranked player in the field at 57th place on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), will have the goal of breaking into the world’s top-50 at the back of his mind when he tees up for the popular event, where he came in runner-up 12 months ago.

“This week is quite an important week for me. Even though I have won the Order of Merit already, I still have a bonus to play for and that is to try and break into top-50 on the world rankings before the year ends,” said Jazz.

Catlin, who claimed his fourth Asian Tour title in Thailand last month, will be looking to improve on his tied-17th place finish last year when he resumes his chase for more glory at the event, which forms the third leg of the 2019/20 Panasonic Swing.

Hie reckoned the pressure to perform well in front of his home crowd will not get to him this week, having already won his first Asian Tour title in India three months ago. The 31-year-old, however, will have to battle with a recovering thumb injury when he spearheads the 26-man strong local charge at the Indonesian showpiece.

By being the flagship event of the Asian Tour, the BNI Indonesian Masters will award the winner with no less than 20 Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points, ensuring more players benefit from the points breakdown.

The 2019 BNI Indonesian Masters, which is celebrating its ninth straight edition on the Asian Tour this week, will be the penultimate event of the 2019 season.

The winner of the event will again receive a coveted spot in the World Golf Championships – FedEx St. Jude Invitational in 2020.

Li will not see action in the opening day’s Four-Ball session at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club on Thursday but will be ready to give everything he has when Els calls on him in what is his debut appearance in the prestigious team competition.

Chinese Taipei’s C.T. Pan will go out in the fourth match alongside Japanese star Hideki Matsuyama and face Webb Simpson and Patrick Reed. Home hero Marc Leishman and Chilean debutant Joaquin Niemann will square up against Woods and Justin Thomas in the top match followed by Sungjae Im/Adam Hadwin against Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay,  Adam Scott/Byeong Hun An vs Bryson DeChambeau/Tony Finau and Abraham Ancer/Louis Oosthuizen vs Dustin Johnson/Gary Woodland in the final Four-Ball match.

“It’s been fantastic. It’s like a dream come true. Two years ago, I nearly made the team but right now, I feel like everything is unreal,” said Li, who is a two-time European Tour winner.

“Ernie has done a lot and did many things as captain. Hopefully we can take this honour and play well for him. The mood … it’s always happy, always with passion. If you see our locker room, you will see a lot of stuff like logos, like 15.5 (points required to win), that’s our goal. It’s very special.”

Being the first mainland Chinese to play for the International Team, Li hopes to see the game in China maintaining its growth and development. “For sure, golf in China is huge now. There are so many juniors compared to the days when I was playing (junior golf). We have a bright future. Hopefully, we can bring the trophy back,” said Li.

He has enjoyed success in Australia previously when he partnered Ashun Wu to lead China to a T2 finish at the ISPS HANDA Melbourne World Cup of Golf in 2016. With his exuberance and attacking flair, Li endeared himself with the Australian crowds then which he hopes to have the crowds fully behind the International Team this week.

“We need to play our best games. Bring our A-game against them. On this course, we have a lot of chance. Just have to believe you can play well on this course. This course is so different, it’s a special course and you have to play smart,” he said.

Pan, whose maiden PGA TOUR victory at the RBC Heritage in April helped secure his place in the International Team, hopes to rewrite Presidents history by playing a big role in Els’ side. The U.S. Team has won the last seven Presidents Cups.

“I think everyone on the team knows the history of the Presidents Cup, no doubt. It’s in the media. It’s unavoidable. But for the players, we just try to prepare every step, everything we can, especially with this course that’s going to be playing very different. It’s going to play very hard. So we are just trying to get as much preparation done as possible.”

Like Li, Pan is also prepared to give everything he has for his captain. “Captain Els is such an amazing guy, and he definitely made me feel like I’m part of the family. That’s what he’s been trying to do the last three months, and he’s done a great job with everyone on the International Team. It’s been such a great opportunity to be here, and to get to play along with my other teammates, it’s been quite an experience.”

A former world amateur No. 1, Pan is also excited to return to Royal Melbourne where he finished T5 in the 2014 Asia Pacific Amateur Championship. “I think it favors my game for sure because I’m a position player, so this course is about where you position your ball, your second shot, your approach shot, even how you putt. So I think this is going to be quite a fun week. I’m just going to enjoy it.”

Presented by Minister of Tourism and Sports Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, the prestigious award was exclusively presented to 7 organisations and 20 individuals selected by DPE’s judging panel from a rigorous nationwide award submissions. Laguna Phuket is the only awardee from Phuket Province in the organisations category.

“We’d like to thank the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, and Department of Physical Education for the honorable recognition. 2019 is a year of harvest for Laguna Phuket. Our 26^th annual Laguna Phuket Triathlon (LPT) – Southeast Asia’s longest running race has reaped strong international recognitions. This last quarter, our Laguna Phuket Triathlon is ranked 5^th in the <10 Best Triathlons in the World> list by Let’s Do This UK, and placed amongst Top 10 in by Runner’s World UK, and at Mass Participation World Conference and Awards in Singapore.” enthused Prapa Hemmin, Director of Corporate Events and Partnership, Laguna Phuket,

Located by the beautiful Bangtao Beach in Thalang area of Phuket, Laguna Phuket Integrated Resort is the home of annual international-standard sporting events such as Laguna Phuket Marathon, Laguna Phuket Triathlon and PGA championship golf tournaments.

In addition to the 7 resorts all connected with roads and lagoons, Laguna Phuket’s facilities include award-winning spas, 18-hole golf course, lifestyle restaurants, water sports activities and public area open to the community, topped with its popularity as athletes’ training ground, associate running clubs, PGA-branded golf academy and integrated hospitality capacity.

The opening of new MICE and event venues at our resort earlier this year, especially the 1,500 sq.m Angsana Convention and Exhibition Space (ACES), has enabled us to further provide exceptional services and hospitality for the international race and sporting experiences.

“Having an expanded portfolio in MICE & Event venues, we plan to launch new sporting and lifestyle events in 2020 to reinforce Laguna Phuket’s position as Asia’s most premier destination resort and Phuket’s most celebrated sports hub,” she concluded.

Thailand E-Sports Federation had sent Thai e-sport players to compete in six categories of the tournament: StarCraft II, Mobile Legends, Dota 2, Hearthstone, Arena of Valor (ROV), and Tekken 7.

In Tekken 7, Nopparut ‘Book’ Hempamorn won the gold medal by beating his opponent, from the Philippines, a score of 3-2.

In Area of Valor or ROV competition, the Thai e-sport team consisting of Chanon Ketkarn, Tanapol Suntimakorn, Ratthagun Suwanchai, Chitawan Tananitikan, Natthaphong Chaichanasap, and Natpakan Chaisiri struck another gold medal by defeating the Indonesian team with a score of 2-0.

In addition, Thai players also won two silver medals: Anucha Chirawong, Nuengnara Thiramahanon, Anurat Praianan, Thanathorn Sriiamkul, Noparit Prueksaritanon, and Phumphat Traisiriphanit in Dota 2; and Weerit Photiphan in Hearthstone.

Medal Tally from 2019 SEA Games website

The 13-time champions set a target of 121 golds when they launched their campaign 11 days ago and will almost certainly finish outside the top two for the first time in 28 years. As of Tuesday (December 10), Thailand had won 92 golds, 103 silver and 122 bronze medals. Hosts Philippines is assured of placing first with 149 golds, while Vietnam will finish second with 97 golds .

Four sport teams merit praise for their successful harvest of medals in the tournament. The athletic squad won the highest number with 12 gold medals including the men’s and women’s 4×100 relay and men’s 200m.

Thumbs up too to the athletes in the judo, cycling and taekwondo events, as each contributed to seven golds including the brilliant taekwondo world champion Panipak Wongpattanakit in the women’s under-49kg category.

The boxing team featuring some big-names like Chatchai Decha Butdee in men’s bantamweight and Wuttichai Masuk in men’s welterweight hit their target of five gold medals while the Muay Thai team didn’t do badly and will return home with four golds.

Also impressive were Thai sailors as they captured four gold medals while the sepak takraw teams maintained their standard by winning all three events they entered.

As for the new Esports, Thailand showed positive signs by winning two disciplines including the Tekken 7 event by Thai favourite and engineering student Nopparut Hempamorn.

Nevertheless, there were some major flops in certain sports, for example on the football pitch where Thailand failed to win a gold for the first time in a decade.

The tennis team also returned home with no gold, a critical failure for a country which once reigned supreme in this sport in the region. The bowling team also failed to shine and the golfers, seen as one of the better medal prospects for the Thais, won just one gold for the men’s team.

In terms of Olympic disciplines, Thailand also won just 46 golds whereas the Philippines won 53 and Vietnam 55.

The 13-time overall champions have picked up 84 gold medals, surpassing Vietnam (79) and Indonesia (69) to land behind hosts Philippines who with 137 golds will definitely win the overall title with only one more day to go.

The athletic team and boxing squad played a significant role in the Monday’s Thai productivity as they contributed to a combined 10 golds.

Tuntivate Kieran

The Thai domination in track and field began with American-Thai Tuntivate Kieran winning his second gold in the 30th Games from the men’s 5,000m. The Harvard senior student, also a winner in the 10,000m on Saturday, immediately flew back to the US for his exam after the medal presentation ceremony.

Men’s 4×100 relay team

The highlight of the day was in the men’s and women’s 4×100 relay which were dictated by Thai runners. While the men successfully defended their gold, the women salvaged their pride after losing to Vietnam two years ago in Malaysia.

The remaining gold medals in athletics came from women’s high jump and women’s discus throw.

In boxing, Thai fighters hit their targets by winning five events from men’s bantamweight, welterweight , light heavyweight, lightweight and women’s bantamweight.

In martial arts, taekwondo queen Panipak Wongpattanakit, the 2-time world champion lived up to her portfolio by winning the women’s under 49kg category. The Kingdom’s taekwondo team also won in men’s 58kg and 63kg, and women’s 46kg.

In Esports, included in the Games for the first time, Thailand won an historic gold medal from the Arena of Valor category.

Women’s volleyball team wins for the 14th time.

Others gold medals came from archery (women’s team compound, women’s individual compound, men’s individual compound), karate (men’s 67kg kumite, women’s 61kg kumite, men’s 75kg kumite), women’s sepak takraw regu event, women’s air pistol, men’s cycling BMX time trial, women’s volleyball, women’s windsurfing RS: X (8.5m) under19 and men’s jiujitsu under 69kg.

The winner will be entitled to join the Kingdom’s world-class golfing tournament – the Honda LPGA Thailand 2020.

 Registration is open from 11 December 2019 -11 January 2020. Amateur golfers are required to have a Handicap USGA 2.0 or less as of 1 December 2019. Applicants may download the entry form at NATIONAL QUALIFIERS. The National Qualifier round is an ideal opportunity for Thai women golfers to pursue their dreams and an opportunity to play and compete among the 70 top world golfers at the prestigious Honda LPGA Thailand 2020 from February 20-23, 2020, with a prize purse of $1.6 million.

 Sanctioned by the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) and held annually since 2006 at the world-class destination of Pattaya, Thailand, the 2020 tournament continues to promote the aspirational vision of ‘Dream Big’, a concept that aims to inspire interest in golf and build passion among professionals, enthusiasts and junior players from all backgrounds and at all levels.

After the men’s team crashed out in the group stage, the Football Association of Thailand had placed high hopes on the women’s side, who took on long-standing rivals Vietnam at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila, to bring home a gold medal.

Unfortunately, after a 90-minute goaless game, defending champions Vietnam broke the ice in extra-time to retain the gold medal, adding more salt to Thai wounds after having knocked the Thai men’s team out of the competition just a few days ago.

Once the dominant football power in the region, Thailand failed to win a gold medal in the SEA Games football event for the first time since 2009.

Women’s wakeboard gold medalist Patcharaporn Junnguluam

However, there was plenty of good news away from the soccer field as Thai athletes produced the highest number of golds in a single day since the Games started on November 20.

The athletic team proved the most productive, winning four events — women’s triple jump, hammer throw and javelin throw, and men’s hammer throw.

Three gold medals were contributed by the muay thai boxing team who won in the men’s 48kg and 63.5kg and women’s 45kg.

Thailand also won two golds from each of the following sports: wakeboard (men’s and women’s), karatedo (men’s 67kg kumite and women’s 61kg kumite), cycling (men’s individual road race and team’s road race) and taekwondo (men’s under 68kg and over 87kg).

Men’s road racing team

Elsewhere, the men’s sepak takraw regu team won the gold medal for the 17th time, the women’s rugby team defended their crown, fourth victory in the Games overall, and the men’s golf team took the only gold medal from four disciplines after failing in the men’s individual, women’s team and individual.

Other Thai gold medals on Sunday came from fencing (women’s sabre team) and traditional boat race 22-seater 200m.

Men’s golf team

It was an impressive rebound for the 13-time champions, who proceeded through the opening week with a mere 18 gold medals, nowhere the target of 120 golds.

But the tide did eventually turn as the Kingdom moved past Malaysia and Singapore in the medal tally with a haul of 41 golds to land in fourth place. With three more days to go, host the Philippines, who have won 89 golds overall, remain in the lead and are the heavy favourites to win the 30th edition while Indonesia, with 50 golds, and Vietnam with 46, come in second and third.

The sailing team proved the most productive on Saturday, earning five medals from men’s and women’s optimist, men’s and women’s international and laser radial.

Four golds were captured in athletics: women’s triple jump, men’s hammer throw, men’s 1,000m and men’s 200m.

Thai breaststroke king Nuttapong Ketin won his fifth Games gold medal after touching the pool first in the men’s 200m category. He also won this event in 2009, 2001, 2013 and 2017.

Thai women’s table tennis medallists.

In table tennis, Suthasini Sawettabut and Orawan Paranang won the first women’s doubles gold medal for Thailand in 34 years in an all-Thai affair opposite Nanthana Kamwong and Jinnipa Sawettabut.

In rhythmic gymnastics, Benjaporn Limpanich put an end to the long eight-year drought of gold medals for Thailand after reigning supreme in the clubs competition.

The other six gold medals came from traditional boat race – 22-seaters 200m, men’s judo team, women’s taekwondo poomsae team, men’s cycling time trial team, men’s shooting air pistol and men’s Asean chess.