After 18 seasons in the MotoGP™ paddock, five-time World Champion Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda Team) has announced his retirement. The Spaniard was joined by Dorna Sports CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta in a Press Conference at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia to break the news, bringing the curtain down on an incredible career.

Lorenzo made his debut in the 125cc World Championship in 2002, missing the first day of his first Grand Prix because he was still too young. But his 15th birthday fell on qualifying day and the young Spaniard headed out to do the first laps of what would go on to become one of the most successful careers of all time. By his fourth race he had scored his first points, and his best finish that year was seventh, taken in Rio de Janeiro. A year later in Rio, he would win his first Grand Prix.

From there the momentum would grow. Three wins and four further podiums in the 125cc World Championship the following year saw him finish fourth overall, setting solid foundations for a move onto 250cc machinery in 2005. There he took six podiums as a rookie, and his first titles were just around the corner as he began 2006 with back to back wins. He’d wrack up another six by the end of the year, taking his very first World Championship after a stunning season that announced him as a serious force to be reckoned with. In 2007 he stayed in the class to defend the crown and did so, this time with an incredible nine wins. From there, MotoGP™ beckoned with Yamaha.

There are few better ways to make a splash in the premier class than taking pole for your first race, and that’s exactly what Lorenzo did – setting a new lap record that stood for ten years. He was on the podium in both of his first MotoGP™ races too before taking to the top step for the first time on only his third appearance. That was at Estoril, as he beat two men he’d continue to compete with for years to come: Dani Pedrosa and Valentino Rossi, then his teammate. Injury struggles and crashes would mar the rest of 2008 for Lorenzo as Rossi lifted the crown, but 2009 saw the Spaniard bounce back and make his first run at defeating the then eight-time World Champion on the other side of the garage. Rossi was victorious, but 2010 would turn the tables.

Lorenzo took podiums in the first 12 races of that year, only one of which was a third place. Seven were wins. By Malaysia, it was match point and the number 99 wrapped it up with another podium, becoming a MotoGP™ World Champion for the first time. He also rounded out the season with another two wins to make it nine victories overall in one of the most impressive seasons ever put together.

2011 was more difficult. As great rival Casey Stoner took back to the top, the bad luck that had hit Rossi the year before hit Lorenzo, and the Spaniard ceded the title fight after a crash at Phillip Island. But 2012 saw him back in the running from the off as he won the season opener, and he took podiums in every single race bar two – including six wins. At Phillip Island, he was crowned a two-time MotoGP™ World Champion, and then came 2013: a new era in the premier class.

In 2013, Stoner retired, Rossi returned to Yamaha and Marc Marquez made his debut in MotoGP™. The year became the reigning Champion vs the rookie, with the battle going all the way down to Valencia and the season finale. Marquez would ultimately come out on top, but Lorenzo would do everything he could to take him on – and some career-defining moments and races were created on the way.

The journey to the final round wasn’t a smooth one for the number 99. The first hurdle was a collarbone broken on Thursday at the TT Circuit Assen. Lorenzo had already put in a number of iron man-esque performances in his career, but this was another level. After having the collarbone plated after the crash, the number 99 returned to the track to race – and came fifth. It was a stunning statement of intent that he wouldn’t go down without a fight.

The next hurdle, however, came soon after. Another big crash at the Sachsenring damaged the collarbone once again and Lorenzo was forced to forfeit the round, but he was back by Laguna Seca and back on the podium at Indianapolis. Silverstone then staged one of the greatest races of all time as he and Marquez traded provisional pole on Saturday and duelled it out to the line on Sunday. Lorenzo was a man on a mission and a stunning move from the number 99 put him back on the top step and back in the game. Drama for Marquez in Australia saw the rookie disqualified for making a mandatory pit stop at the wrong time – and as the number 93 took home a 0, Lorenzo won. By the season finale, all Lorenzo could do to try and take the crown was win the race, and that he did. It wasn’t quite enough, but the season was an instant classic.

2014 saw Marquez hit top gear, with Lorenzo only winning his first race of the season at Aragon and the momentum remaining with the number 93. But 2015 would flip the form book once again as Lorenzo became the only man to beat Marquez to the crown so far – and the only other name on the trophy since 2011. The season was Lorenzo vs Rossi and one of the most dramatic ever, although it was Marquez and Rossi in the spotlight for a number of incidents. The biggest of which was at Sepang as the two clashed, leaving the Italian with the penalty of starting the season finale from the back of the grid. And Lorenzo? He would aim to take his third premier class crown from pole, and did so with his seventh win of the season.

2016 was another slightly tougher year, but the Spaniard once again took a slew of wins and podiums. And the last win of the season at Valencia was also his last with Yamaha as nine seasons together came to an end after 44 wins, 107 podiums and 39 pole positions. From now, Lorenzo would race in red…

His switch to Ducati was tougher at first, although a first podium wasn’t long in coming as he took third on home turf at Jerez. Flashes of speed shone through but it wasn’t till Aragon that Lorenzo was back on the rostrum, taking another third place, and he was close to the win at a wet Sepang later in the season. A warning shot for his rivals came at the same venue at the start of 2018 as Lorenzo smoked the lap record in testing.

It would take a few more races of speed that the ‘Spartan’ struggled to convert into podiums before a switch suddenly seemed to flick – and what a place for everything to come together. Mugello, Ducati’s home Grand Prix, had seen Lorenzo master its curves on many a Sunday. And in 2018 he did so once again for an emotional first win in red, destroying the opposition. Was this the start of something? Another win at Catalunya said it may well be.

Another of Lorenzo’s best races came later in the season as he won a stunning showdown at the Red Bull Ring in Austria, taking victory from Marquez by only just over a tenth. His final win so far, it was also another rider-defining display of excellence.

After crashes at Aragon and Buriram, injury would then strike again, however, and a difficult period followed. For 2019 though, Lorenzo was back and took on another new challenge as he moved to partner Marquez at Repsol Honda and once again began to adapt to another new bike. But injury struggles struck again, and broken vertebrae interrupted the season, necessitating a long recovery. Although the five-time World Champion once again showed his mettle as he returned to race, Lorenzo has now announced his retirement  – bowing out on home turf, and one of the venues he has ruled more than many.

18 seasons, 68 wins, 152 podiums, 69 pole positions and 37 fastest laps: that’s five-time World Champion Jorge Lorenzo, one of the true greats. He will also be inducted as a MotoGP™ Legend next season at the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez.

The Asian Tour has celebrated a fantastic 2019 season so far, welcoming a total of 12 first-time winners with five of them aged below 30 years old. Chang (25) and Sadom (21), who claimed their breakthroughs in Chinese Taipei and Bangladesh respectively, are among this gifted group to emerge.

Joining the likes of Indonesia’s Rory Hie, Thailand’s Panuphol Pittayarat, American Micah Lauren Shin and homegrown talent Ben Leong, they will head to the highly acclaimed Sutera Harbour Golf and Country Club for the US$300,000 event which will take place from November 21 to 24.

Asian Development Tour (ADT) Order of Merit leader Joohyung Kim of Korea will also feature in the 144-man field. The talented 17-year-old has enjoyed a superb run on the ADT, having won three titles this year to earn his Asian Tour card for the remainder of the 2019 season.

The Sabah Masters, which is the ninth full-field event on the Asian Tour and the Tour’s third stop in Malaysia this season, is supported by Tourism Malaysia with an aim to boost tourism in Sabah, a Malaysian state located on the northern portion of Borneo.

The highly anticipated event also features on the 2019 calendar of the PGM Tour, whom the Asian Tour shares an outstanding partnership with, having sanctioned numerous events together on a yearly basis.

Cho Minn Thant, Asian Tour Commissioner and CEO, said: “On behalf of the Asian Tour and our players, I would like to express our gratitude to Tourism Malaysia and Sutera Harbour for their strong support of the event.

“We hope that our global media outreach will stimulate the tourism sector of Sabah and highlight the outstanding golf on offer in the East Malaysian state through the staging of this event,” Cho added.

Rick Blackie, General Manager of the Sutera Harbour Golf and Country Club, expressed his excitement, saying: “We can’t wait to welcome the Asian Tour and its players to the Sutera Harbour Golf and Country Club. I’m confident it will be an exciting and action-packed week with the top quality golf on show as the players tackle our course.”

Datuk Ahmad Shah Hussein Tambakau, Chairman of the Tourism Malaysia, also lauded the staging of the Sabah Masters. “We are pleased to be supporting the Asian Tour with the staging of the Sabah Masters in efforts to boost tourism in Sabah and Malaysia.

“We hope to showcase the unique wonders, attractions and cultures in Sabah and thereby promoting Malaysia as an outstanding tourist destination,” said Datuk Ahmad Shah Hussein Tambakau.

Designed by leading golf course designer Graham Marsh, the Sutera Harbour Golf Club boasts 27 holes for day and night golfing and has garnered various awards of distinction. The tournament will be held on the Lakes and Heritage courses.

It is located on the island of Borneo where the golf course is finished with Bermuda grass and strategically challenging bunkers. It is beautifully landscaped with undulating terrain and numerous waterways, providing a challenge for both amateurs and top professionals alike.

The Asian Tour last visited Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah state, when it held the 2008 Qualifying School in multiple locations in December 2007. Leong topped the class in front of his home supporters that year for his second straight Qualifying School win.

With nine Asian Tour titles, Bhullar holds the most number of victories by an Indian golfer on the Asian Tour and is also the player with the most number of victories in the field.

Bhullar has been playing primarily in Europe this season following his win in Fiji last year. While it has been a season of mixed fortunes, the 31-year-old hopes to turn the corner with his first Asian Tour victory on home soil this week.

Shiv Kapur narrowly missed out on his fifth Asian Tour title in a play-off defeat in Thailand last week and is hoping to bounce back and reclaim the Panasonic Open India title which he won in 2017.

The 2019 edition will see five of the eight previous winners return to the event with defending champion Khalin Joshi hoping to become the first to successfully retain his title at the Panasonic Open India which tees off at a new venue at the Classic Golf and Country Club this year.

Rory Hie will be hoping to break local hearts and its dominance again when he returns to his winning venue again after two months.

Hie became the first Indonesian to win a title on the Asian Tour and he did so in spectacular fashion with his wire-to-wire victory at the Classic Golf and Country Club International Championship in September.

The US$500,000 full field Asian Tour event will draw the curtain down on what has been a truly memorable season where tour players continued to create an impact in the region and beyond.

Having already played host to several events on the Asian Tour, the Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club is set to roll out the red carpet to the region’s finest players again with the tournament being held on their Mountain and Ocean Course.

The Thailand Masters is promoted by the Jaidee Foundation, overseen by Thai golfing legend Thongchai Jaidee.

Leveraging his legendary status and tournament golf as a vehicle, Thongchai, who recently celebrated his 50th birthday, hopes to draw attention to his foundation launched in 2009.

It aims to support under-privileged golfers in his hometown of Lopburi and pave the way for aspiring talent to follow in his footsteps.

A strong advocate for development of golf in the region, the 50-year-old Thai holds an unprecedented three Asian Tour Order of Merit crowns and has hosted three successful editions of the Thongchai Jaidee Foundation tournaments on the Asian Development Tour (ADT), along with the foundation’s inaugural collaboration with the Queen’s Cup held last November.

“I am always looking for ways to give back to the game which has brought me so much success. I hope we can unearth future talent from the Asian Tour through the staging of the Thailand Maters. I will be extending invitations to 25 selected players from around the world to add strength and depth to the field,” said Thongchai, a 13-time Asian Tour winner.

John Catin

The one-time Asian Tour winner, Catlin and India’s Shiv Kapur were tied at 11 under in the sea-saw battle before the American sealed off the victory with a birdie in the first play-off hole at the Thai Country Club.

“I am very happy with my result this week. I didn’t expect myself to play so good and give myself a chance to win the tournament for my country by getting into the play-off. I am pleased with the way I played even though I didn’t win,” said Pavit Pavit Tangkamolprasert, winner at the 2016 Macao Open and a six-time champion on the Asian Development Tour (ADT), where he was crowned the Order of Merit champion in 2014.

“I knew the last hole was pretty tough. I thought making par would be good enough. Hats off to John (Catlin) really. That second shot into 10 feet was just incredible. This result should boost my Order of Merit ranking quite a bit and take some pressure off my back now,” added Pavit who entered the week in 49th place on the 2019 Asian Tour Order of Merit, having secured a tied-sixth finish in Indonesia earlier. The 30-year-old would move up to 35th place following his joint runner-up finish this week.

With a spectacular approach shot during the play-off, Catlin secured his fourth Asian Tour victory in style and became the first foreign winner in the tournament since South Korean Kim Kyung Tae in 2015.

The 28-year-old Catlin, who claimed three victories over a span of five months in 2018, had missed a birdie chance by an inch on the 72nd hole after chipping from off the green to settle for a closing four-under-par 67.

“This win means a lot to me. It means a lot to me winning in Thailand. I have lived here for three years. The people here has been so kind and this place is starting to feel like a second home to me. To win the National Open here means the world to me. It’s like a dream come true,” said Catlin who was also named the Players’ player of the year in 2018, thanks to his breakout season. Apart from the three wins on the Asian Tour, he has also won the Singha Chiang Mai Open on the All Thailand Golf Tour last September.

“I kept telling myself these guys are so good out here. I am very proud of myself for keeping it going and getting the job done. That chip on 18th in regulation play, I really thought it was going in. I was pretty nervous getting into the play-off but I am glad I still won it in the end,” he added.

“It starts over again once you know you’re in the play-off. You got to go out there and play like your backs against the wall. I was able to hit a good tee shot down that left-hand side of the fairway on the play-off hole. Didn’t have the best of angles there but I had just a great yardage. I trusted my swing and it came off perfect, locked it in there and made the putt,” the American said.

Catlin, who is based in Hua Hin, Thailand, had to go the distance with Kapur and Pavit, who returned with matching 65s, after they were all tied at the top on 11-under-par 273 total in regulation play at the US$300,000 full-field event.

The sudden death play-off, which was held on the par four, 466-yard 18th hole, saw Catlin finding the fairway on the left side with his tee shot while Kapur and Pavit hit into the left and right rough respectively.

Shiv Kapur 

Kapur sent his second shot through the trees and onto the green but left himself a long birdie putt from about 80 feet which he did not manage to convert. Pavit’s second shot found the left bunker, where he hit a 35-yard shot from there to about 12-feet.

Despite failing to pip Catlin to the title, Kapur and Pavit took pride with their runner-up finishes in the Kingdom’s National Open, which would mark their best results yet on the Asian Tour so far this season.

American Trevor Simsby recorded a hole-in-one on the par-three 11th hole after his seven-iron from 176 yards found the bottom of the cup. He would sign for an eventual 63 to match the course record set earlier by Kapur in the second round of the tournament.

Catlin takes home a winner’s prize purse of US$54,000 following his victory and propels to 31st place on the latest Order of Merit.

He will also lead the 2019/20 Panasonic Swing, which is a ranking based on an aggregate point race that spans five events starting with the Thailand Open this week.

Club legend Shaun Wright-Phillips accompanied the trophy tour in Bangkok for a series of exciting fan activities. The tour is a part of the club’s celebrations after making football history by becoming the first English football club to lift six trophies across both its men’s and women’s teams in the same season.

At the Skykick Arena, hundreds of Manchester City fans turned up to take photos with the prestigious silverware and joined an all-day family friendly football festival, a full schedule of fan activities, and a match-day screening event as City take on rivals Liverpool in a highly anticipated Premier League fixture.

As well as being able to have their photos taken with the trophies, fans won prizes, featured in a green-screen player walk out experience and were part of a question and answer session with City legend Wright-Phillips.

Wright-Phillips said, “It is an honour to be out here in Bangkok on Manchester City’s trophy tour to thank all of our Thai fans for their support of the club and it is great to meet them too.”

In the evening, Skykick Arena will be transformed into a match-day screening party. Fans at the CityLive! event will get to hear Wright-Phillips’s match analysis, plus win exclusive giveaways player signed shirts.

Fans were thrilled with this celebratory event, expressing their sincere impression with the opportunity to be a part of this trophy tour in Bangkok.

“I have supported City since 2003. I feel so excited to meet Shaun Wright-Phillips today. He is very friendly,” said one fan.

“Today’s football festival is a very welcoming event. I am very excited to witness the trophy tour in Thailand for the second time. I can’t wait to see the CityLive! match day on the big screen tonight,” gushed another fan.

“I am glad to have a chance to see and take photos with the trophies for the first time in my life. I met a lot of City’s fans and was excited to get up close to our favourite player,” said a fan.

One of the highlights of the trophy tour and football festival was Wright-Phillips’s participation in a coaching session with children.

Manchester City has also supported a number of community initiatives in Thailand, as part of its global community work. In 2017, City partnered with the “Not Just For Kicks” project in Bangkok, which saw Young Leaders rehabilitate play spaces to teach football to young people in their community and provide them with life skills to encourage positive life choices. Since the inception of the project, more than 1,200 at-risk youths have been supported.

In 2018, City coaches and former players put on training sessions for Chiang Mai’s famous Wild Boar football players, whose saga of being stranded in a cave and rescued made world headlines. They also helped the community tackle local water accessibility challenges by building a clean drinking water tower with the Xylem team in Chiang Rai province.

The 14-time JLPGA winner Suzuki played the final two rounds bogey-free and closed with a Sunday 67 to hold off any challengers and capture her first career LPGA title at 17-under par.

“Somehow, I am very settled, and my shot were solid,” Suzuki said through a translator. “So I did not have to worry about other players. I just have to play bogey free round. One thing I wanted to improve is to have some birdies on Sunday back nine. Because I think strong players are like that. I wish I can do that. It was my 15th win. This one is special because US LPGA tour event. It’s beyond Japan, and International Event.”

LPGA major champion Hyo Joo Kim made a late charge playing alongside Suzuki as she birdied her last three holes for her 12th top-10 finish of the season and third runner-up result finishing at 14-under par.

“Next week I will practice more, and then workout a bit hopefully same for CME, top 10,” Kim said of her goals for the upcoming season-ending CME Group Tour Championship.

Minjee Lee posted a final-round 68 to finish at 11-under par and collect her second-straight top-three finish.

“Obviously would be nice to win, but we were pretty much playing for second, I think, so I just tried to make as many birdies as I could out there and just play my game,” Lee said of the final round in Japan.

2019 LPGA Tour rookie Jennifer Kupcho came out firing on Sunday with five birdies on her first seven holes, she cooled off to post a 68 and finish in a tie for fourth with Jing Yan for her third top-five finish of the season. Afterwards Kupcho said she was really pleased to finish off her first Asia swing with a good result and head into the CME Group Tour Championship with a bit of momentum.

“I was hitting the ball really well. Gave myself a lot putts. I even missed a couple, left them on the lip,” Kupcho said. “I played really well this week and I’m pretty happy with it…It’s been really cool just to see all the different countries and different cultures. It’s definitely something I would’ve never dreamed of. It’s pretty cool to be able to see it all.”

Two-time TOTO Japan Classic champion Shanshan Feng finished T6 at -9 alongside Gaby Lopez, Sakura Koiwai and Erika Kikuchi.

Early in the afternoon on Sunday Morgan Pressel had the Seta Golf Course on high alert as she made birdies on her first five holes. Pressel would make the turn in 29 before stumbling with three straight bogeys on holes 13-15. Her hot start was enough to keep her tied for 10th at -8 alongside Azahara Munoz and Hannah Green, for her second straight top-10 finish.

“I really haven’t had my A game for the whole trip, but proud of the way I’ve grinded it out the last two weeks,” Pressel said. “I don’t know if it’ll be a top 10 this week, close to top 10 last week, so definitely proud of the way that we fought out there.”

2019 AIG Women’s British Open winner Hinako Shibuno finished T13 in her third career LPGA start, while the top-ranked American in the field Lexi Thompson finished T24 in her first start since September.

SUZUKI MULLING LPGA TOUR OPTION

For winning the 2019 TOTO Japan Classic, Ai Suzuki is eligible for LPGA Membership for the 2020 season. Suzuki must inform LPGA officials of her decision by November 18, 2019. If she chooses to accept LPGA Membership for the 2020 season, 2020 will be her rookie year and she will be seeded in Category 7 on the LPGA Priority List.

“It was my dream so I feel like I want to challenge,” Suzuki said. “But I can’t speak English. And I need to talk to my family because I need their support. I am not good in Moving around, travelling, and food. 70% I want to but considering all that, It’s 20%. First thing is that I want to be Money winner and want to play ANA inspiration.”

If she chooses not to join the LPGA in 2020, she is eligible for a maximum of six sponsor invitations in 2020, plus she can compete in all five major championships and the HSBC Women’s World Championship. She would not gain entry into the 2020 Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions.

AI SUZUKI NOTES

MONEY

With her win, Suzuki earns $225,000

2019 IN A NUTSHELL ON THE JLPGA

21 events played, 5 victories, 11 total top-10 finishes

PREVIOUS TOTO JAPAN CLASSIC RESULTS

2018 – T60; 2017 – 2; 2016 – T38; 2015 – T12; 2014 – T13

OF NOTE

• Ai Suzuki hit 10 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens, with 27 putts
• Suzuki is the third non-Member winner of the 2019 season, joining AIG Women’s British Open winner Hinako Shibuno and BMW Ladies Championship winner Ha Na Jang
• With her win, Suzuki is eligible for LPGA Tour Membership; she has until Nov. 18, 2019 to accept Membership for the 2020 season
• Suzuki is the 15th different winner from Japan in LPGA Tour history, and joins Kia Classic winner Nasa Hataoka and AIG Women’s British Open winner Hinako Shibuno as 2019 LPGA winners from Japan
• Suzuki is the 23rd different winner on the LPGA Tour in 2019
• One week ago, on Sunday Nov. 3, 2019, Suzuki won for a fifth time this season on the JLPGA
• Suzuki is a two-time major winner on the JLPGA, with wins in 2014 and 2016 at the Japan LPGA Championship Konica Minolta Cup
• Suzuki is the second straight Japanese winner of the TOTO Japan Classic, and the ninth different Japanese player to win in tournament history

CIGANDA CLINCHES AON RISK REWARD CHALLENGE

The season-long Aon Risk Reward Challenge highlight’s the world’s best professional golfers as they tackle the most strategically challenging holes across both the LPGA Tour and PGA TOUR schedules. The player from each Tour on top of the Aon leaderboard at the end of the regular season will receive a $1 million prize.

The TOTO Japan Classic was the final qualifying event for the season-long competition. Entering the week Carlota Ciganda led the standings at -0.841, with Ariya Jutanugarn in second at -0.808 and In-Kyung Kim and Lee-Anne Pace in third at -0.731. Jutanugarn needed two eagles (score to par equal to -4) to pass Ciganda and win the Aon Risk Reward Challenge, while Kim needed an improbable combination of eagle/double eagle.

Jutanugarn played the 476-yard par-5 17th hole at the TOTO Japan Classic par-birdie-eagle while Kim made two pars and a birdie.

Ciganda joins the PGA TOUR’s Brooks Koepka as the inaugural Aon Risk Reward Challenge winners and takes home the equal $1 million prize. It’s a life-changing prize for Ciganda who’s 2019 Official Earnings equal $963,602 with one event left.

The scoring system is identical on both the LPGA Tour and PGA TOUR, and players take their best two scores from each Aon Risk Reward Challenge hole, with the winners having the best average score to par at the end of the season. Players must play a minimum of 40 rounds throughout the season. The Challenge runs across regular season tournaments (29 LPGA Tour; 36 PGA TOUR).

For more information about the Aon Risk Reward Challenge, visit www.lpga.com/statistics/aon-risk-reward-challenge

RACE TO THE CME GLOBE FINALE

The 2019 LPGA Tour season brings a fresh face to the Race to the CME Globe. LPGA Members will accumulate points at each official LPGA Tour event leading up to the CME Group Tour Championship. The top 60 points earners and ties will then earn a spot in the CME Group Tour Championship, with the entire field competing for the $5 million purse and the $1.5 million winner’s check, the largest single prize in the history of women’s golf.

This week’s TOTO Japan Classic was the final chance for players to earn a spot in the CME Group Tour Championship. Entering the week there were five players who could play their way into the season-ending event based on their finish at the TOTO Japan Classic: In-Kyung Kim, Pornanong Phatlum, Sakura Yokomine, Gerina Piller and Mel Reid.

Reid and Phatlum finished T24 while Yokomine was T32 to earn points towards the Race to the CME Globe, but they did not earn enough to move into the top 60 of the Race to the CME Globe.

Information on the Race to the CME Globe and the CME Group Tour Championship can be viewed: https://www.lpga.com/race-to-cme-globe

CME GROUP CARES CHALLENGE – SCORE 1 FOR ST. JUDE

The CME Group Cares Challenge is a season-long charitable giving program that turns aces into donations. CME Group will donate $20,000 for each hole-in-one made on the LPGA Tour in 2019, with a minimum guaranteed donation of $500,000 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

Rei Matsuda’s first-round ace during the TOTO Japan Classic was the 32nd hole-in-one this season. That translated to $640,000 donated thus far to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This more than covers the average cost of $425,000 needed to treat a pediatric cancer patient.

LEADERS TOP 10 COMPETITION

The LEADERS Top 10 competition awards a $100,000 bonus to the LPGA player with the most top-10 finishes through the completion of the TOTO Japan Classic. In the event of a tie in total top-10 finishes, the award will go to the player with the most official wins, followed by most second-place finishes, third-place finishes, etc., until the tie is broken.

With her tie for ninth at the BMW Ladies Championship, Jin Young Ko clinched the LEADERS Top 10 Competition with 12 top-10 finishes. Brooke Henderson collected her 12th top-10 finish of the season at the Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA while Hyo Joo Kim finished third for her 12th top-10 finish of the season in Japan, but Ko wins the tie-break scenario with four LPGA wins in 2019.

Tourism and Sports Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakan, as the chief organiser of the event, said that HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati will preside over the opening ceremony, while HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya will demonstrate her horseback riding skills as well as initiate a light-and-sound multimedia presentation.

This year the competition is being organised at an international level with competitors from Thailand, other countries in Asia, and the Middle East entering the fray in five categories – dressage, jumping, eventing, best farrier and best groom.

The dressage, jumping and eventing categories will be contested under the rules and regulations of both the International Federation for Equestrian Sports) and the Thailand Equestrian Federation. Rules and regulations for the best farrier and best groom competitions are set by the event’s organising committee.

Spectators can savour food and a variety of products from a market, which will be open from November 22-24.

The event will be held from November 19-24 from 8am to 9pm at the Royal Stable Unit and the Royal Horse Guard in Bangkok.

Officials said those interested in witnessing the events should use public transportation, especially the BTS Skytrain to Sanam Pao Station, to avoid traffic jams.

The playing partners, who started the day trailing by one, posted matching three-under-par 68s to seize a one-shot advantage over local amateur Natthaphat Harnchokchaiskul with their three-day total of 10-under-par 203s at the Thai Country Club.

Despite slipping out of the lead for the first time this week, Natthaphat held his head high after registering a second straight 70 as he stays on track to become the first amateur winner on the Asian Tour since 2009 at the US$300,000 event.

The 41-year-old Chawrasia, playing in only his fifth start on Tour this season, is chasing for his seventh victory while Martin, 35, is eyeing a breakthrough on the region’s premier Tour. The last foreigner to win the Kingdom’s National Open is Korea’s K.T. Kim in 2015.

Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai and American John Catlin carded identical 69s to settle three shots off the pace in fourth place with young Thai Suradit Yongcharoenchai (70), who secured his maiden Asian Tour win in Chinese Taipei last month.

The Thailand Open marks the start of the Asian Tour’s 2019/20 Panasonic Swing, which is a ranking based on an aggregate point race that spans five events with the final top-three players chasing a share of a lucrative bonus pool.