Talented Thai rookie Kosuke Hamamoto continued his fine form to sign a bogey-free 67 for a total 18-under-par 270, three behind Chang who signed off with a 267. The 20-year-old Kosuke, born to a Japanese father and Thai mother, impressively kept the bogeys off his card for the last 52 holes.

“To be honest, I was quite nervous going out today because I knew a really good finish could maybe make the rest of the year a lot easier. Because I really want to be in the top 60 next year. I think I should be safe now, but you know the goal is to keep improving on the Order of Merit ranking and just keep going forward,” said the Chiang Mai-born, who came through 2019 Qualifying School last December.

He started the season with a missed cut in Bangladesh, and has since posted a tied-28th, tied-16th and tied-10th finish in Jakarta last week.

“I hung in there really well this week. I felt like I played my own game really well, just did my own process really well today. I’m happy. It’s my first time playing this tournament. I didn’t expect anything but I just knew I was in pretty good form coming here and I just wanted to keep it going,” added the 2017 SEA Games men’s individual gold medallist.

Chang shook off his bridesmaid’s tag when he closed with a flawless six-under-par 66 to seal a three-shot victory for his maiden Asian Tour title

The 25-year-old Chang, a three-time runner-up on the Asian Tour, overcame a one-shot deficit as he rode a hot putter to return with a bogey-free round highlighted by six birdies at the Linkou International Golf and Country Club.

Chang takes home the winner’s prize purse of US$90,000 following his breakthrough. His winning total of 21-under-par 267 is the record lowest 72-hole score in the tournament’s 10-year history.

“This is my first Asian Tour win and it means a lot to me. I’ve been on this Tour for four years and I’ve had like three second-place finishes already. I just couldn’t get it done, but it feels really nice to get it done now. I’m planning to take a one-week break in Taipei before heading back home. I’m looking forward to it,” said Chang, the first Korean player to win the tournament.

Taiwanese hotshot Chan Shih-chang was disappointed not to recapture the trophy on home soil after battling to a 70 to finish in third place on 271. The 33-year-old, however, stayed positive as he capped his best result this season after missing six cuts in eight starts prior to this week.

Overnight leader Lin Wen-tang settled a further shot back in fourth following a 72 but took pride in his commendable result, which marked his fourth top-five finish in 10 attempts at the Yeangder TPC.

The Thai No 1 pair, who had stunned world championships bronze medallists Greysia Polii and Apriyani Rahayu of Indonesia in Saturday’s semi-finals, survived five match points to celebrate their first title of the season 21-19 18-21 28-26 in a see-saw battle lasting over 80 minutes.

“It’s been a load off to finally win a title for the first time since the Thailand Masters [January 2018],” said 26-year-old Jongkolphan from Chiang Mai. “We stuck to our game plan even though we lost concentration a bit in the second game. This win really means a lot to us in terms of our mental condition,” she added.

After a successful season in 2018, when they reached at least the quarter-finals in almost every tournament, the former world No 8 pair had been struggling with their form this year with only two semi-final berths — at the India Open and Malaysia Open.

“It’s been a tough year for us as we have been up and down and didn’t go far in some tournaments. We were confused and didn’t know which style we should play. But things started getting better this week,” said Rawinda, who together with her partner has won five BWF titles and a SEA Games gold medal in Malaysia in 2017.

“We just have to play our game. That’s the key. We’ve beaten a few top doubles teams this week because we stuck to our guns and remained focused,” Jongkolphan said.

The two will next play in South Korea and China. However, they are still reluctant about defending their SEA Games crown as the regional event will clash with the BWF Finals in Guangzhou, China, where they are among the top eight teams according to current standings.

Lin, who started the day two shots off the lead, raised the local cheers when he opened with five straight birdies before closing with two more birdies to take his place atop the leaderboard. 

His three-day total of 16-under-par 200 would mark the lowest 54-hole score recorded in the tournament which has been played annually at the Linkou International Golf and Country Club since it was inaugurated in 2010. 

“It was nice to finish with two birdies and a bogey-free round. I had a nice par save on the ninth hole. I hit it left and had to punch out from the rough. But I hit it too hard from there and injured my wrist. My wrist didn’t feel good after that so I did some stretching and it got better,” said the 45-year-old Lin who has enjoyed three top-five finishes in the event in 2011, 2012 and 2016. He had uncharacteristically missed the halfway cuts in the last two editions. Lin has never missed a single edition since the tournament was inaugurated in 2010. 

“I will stick to my own tempo tomorrow. I don’t want to give myself any pressure. I will take it one shot at a time. The round started off a good note today. Hamamoto came up to me and said he’s very happy to play with me and he remembered the shot I made to win the Hong Kong Open back in 2008. I felt good that someone still knows me and remembers that shot (laughs),”  added Lin who claimed two top-10s last year. He came in tied-second at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters and finished tied-ninth at the Queen’s Cup 2018 hosted by Jaidee Foundation in Thailand.

Overnight co-leader Yikeun Chang of Korea extended his advantage to three after sinking his eighth birdie of the day to go to six-under, but a costly double-bogey resulting from an unlucky break on the last saw him sign for an eventual 68.

The 25-year-old Chang, chasing for his breakthrough win on the Asian Tour, trails Lin by one shot in second place alongside local hotshot Chan Shih-chang, who also returned with a 68, at the US$500,000 event, which is celebrating its 10th consecutive edition this week.

Promising rookie Kosuke Hamamoto of Thailand posted a flawless 68 to settle three shots off the pace in fourth while countryman Phachara Khongwatmai moved into fifth place on 204 after matching the lowest round of the day with Lin with his 65.

“It is actually a pretty good sign that my results are getting better week after week as that definitely gives me and my team a lot of confidence in what we’re working on. I think it’s just getting used to the environment and everything,” said the Thai-Japanese Kosuke. 

“I turned pro at the end of 2018 so this is my first full season. I think everybody is just very good on Tour but I was lucky enough during the national teams I got some invites into some Asian tour events and local tour events, which gave me the experience in professional events. So when I came out here, I kind of knew what to expect,” he added.

ONE: IMMORTAL TRIUMPH rocked the Phu Tho Indoor Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City, electrifying a packed crowd with world-class martial arts action. In the first ever full ONE Super Series event, fans were treated to a bevy of compelling showdowns and dramatic finishes. In the main event, Nong-O Gaiyanghadao of Thailand retained his ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title with a split decision victory over French-Algerian Brice Delval.

Visit the official ONE: IMMORTAL TRIUMPH photo gallery by clicking: https://bit.ly/onephotos

In the main event, Muay Thai legend Nong-O Gaiyanghadao of Thailand put on a striking masterclass to defeat French-Algerian opponent Brice Delval via split decision to retain the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Championship. The taller and longer Delval came out the aggressor, pushing Nong-O back with a relentless barrage of punches and kicks. The Thai icon found his groove in the second round as he began to punish Delval with solid kicks to the body and to the legs all throughout the rest of the fast-paced match. The challenger, however, remained on the offensive as he managed to maintain his pace while also landing good shots on Nong-O. After five rounds of back-and-forth action, it was Nong-O who was declared the winner, remaining undefeated in his ONE career.

In the co-main event, Muay Thai star Kulabdam Sor. Jor. Piek Uthai of Thailand came through in his highly-anticipated ONE Super Series debut, defeating France’s Bobo Sacko by unanimous decision after three rounds. Kulabdam immediately lived up to his moniker of “The Left Meteorite” by landing a solid counter-left hook that had Sacko stunned. Kulabdam continued to outstrike Sacko for the rest of the three-round bout en route to a decision victory in his debut.

Vietnam’s Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat gave his hometown crowd something to cheer for as he picked up a scintillating third-round knockout win over Malaysia’s Azwan Che Wil. Nguyen was one step ahead all match long and put Che Wil down in the second round with a thunderous left high kick. Nguyen took Che Wil out for good in the final round with a well-timed counter-right hook with just 15 seconds left in the bout.

Hard-hitting Brazilian Anderson “Braddock” Silva made quick work of Russian Beybulat Isaev with a stunning knockout victory in the first round. From the opening bell, Silva put the pressure on Isaev, overwhelming the Russian with a hurricane of punches, kicks and elbows. Silva continued to overwhelm Isaev before landing a well-placed uppercut to end the contest abruptly in the opening frame.

Vietnamese-Australian Chris Nguyen announced his arrival on the biggest global stage of martial arts competition in impressive fashion with a dominant unanimous decision win over Japanese veteran Yukinori Ogasawara. The former WMC Victorian Champion picked Ogasawara apart with kicks before getting a knockdown in the final moments of the final round. After three rounds of action, Nguyen was awarded the victory by all three ringside judges, much to the delight of the Vietnamese fans in attendance.

Vietnamese-American Bi Nguyen was triumphant in her return to her native country and to the sport of Muay Thai, scoring a split decision win over India’s Puja Tomar. Nguyen and Tomar went toe-to-toe for three rounds, providing the fans in Ho Chih Minh City with non-stop striking action. Through the majority of the contest, Nguyen proved to be more aggressive with her combinations as Tomar took a mostly defensive stance. In the third and final round, Nguyen picked up the pace and outstruck Tomar to end the bout on a strong note and walk away with the decision win in her home country.

Thailand’s Panpayak Jitmuangnon and Japan’s Masahide Kudo figured in an action-packed flyweight kickboxing contest. The bout started off with both men exchanging fierce strikes at the center of the ONE Championship ring. Panpayak seemed to have a slight advantage in the first round with his more accurate combinations. Kudo picked up the pace in the second, forcing Panpayak against the ropes but the Thai countered well. In the third and final round, Kudo came after Panpayak with a frenzied attack, but Panpayak was far too accurate and elusive. All three judges scored the bout in favor of Panpayak to win by unanimous decision.

Thai superstar Mongkolpetch Petchyindee Academy came out firing thunderous leg kicks against Italy’s Joseph Lasiri in a flyweight Muay Thai contest. Mongkolpetch sent the crowd into a chorus of cheers, as he continuously struck Lasiri with lashing elbows and dynamite-laced hooks in the early going. Lasiri tried his best to stay in front of Mongkolpetch, but the Thai warrior was relentless in his onslaught. Lasiri came alive in the third round, storming his way back to make the bout close. But it was too late as Mongkolpetch ran away with a close majority decision.

In a clash of skilled welterweights, Santino Verbeek of the The Netherlands took on Juan Cervantes of the United Kingdom in a kickboxing showdown. Verbeek put the pressure on early, attacking aggressively with varied striking combinations. A right hand from Verbeek dropped Cervantes with less than a minute to go in the first round. The two men battled valiantly in the second round, with each having their moments. In the third, Cervantes came out with a sense of urgency and landed a flying knee, which Verbeek wore well. In the end, Verbeek did just enough to earn a close majority decision victory.

It was Thailand versus Japan as veteran Singtongnoi Por Telakun faced Kohei “Momotaro” Kodera in a flyweight Muay Thai bout. Looking to score the biggest victory of his career, Momotaro stormed out of the gates, overwhelming Singtongnoi early. Within the first minute of the contest, Momotaro connected on a wild spinning back fist that rocked his Thai opponent. He then swarmed Singtongnoi with punches, elbows, and knees to the midsection. A sharp left hook wobbled Singtongnoi again, and the referee called a halt to the contest.

In a women’s Muay Thai catchweight contest, the United Kingdom’s Amber Kitchen and Slovakia’s Viktoria Lipianska put together an action-packed show for fans in attendance. The majority of the bout saw both women trade strikes with neither backing down. Kitchen attacked with her myriad of kicks while Lipianska preferred to rely on her boxing. In the third round, Lipianska picked up the pace and put pressure on Kitchen with her combinations. In the end, Lipianska took home a close split decision victory.

Kicking off the action at ONE: IMMORTAL TRIUMPH were featherweights Michael Pham of the United Kingdom and Vietnam, and Mohamad Fakri Bin Yusoff of Malaysia who took part in a kickboxing contest. In the early going, Pham played the role of matador, timing Fakri repeatedly with sharp counters. Action continued similarly in the second round, with Pham pulling away slightly with his accuracy and workrate. Pham sealed the deal in the third with well-placed combinations to earn a unanimous decision victory.

Official results for ONE: IMMORTAL TRIUMPH

ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Championship bout: Nong-O Gaiyanghadao defeats Brice Delval by Split Decision (SD) after 5 rounds

Muay Thai Bantamweight bout: Kulabdam Sor. Jor. Piek Uthai defeats Bobo Sacko by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

Muay Thai Flyweight bout: Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat defeats Azwan Che Wil by Knockout (KO) at 2:45 minutes of round 3

Kickboxing Light Heavyweight bout: Anderson Silva defeats Beybulat Isaev by Knockout (KO) at 2:19 minutes of round 1

Muay Thai Flyweight bout: Chris Nguyen defeats Yukinori Ogasawara by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

Muay Thai Women’s Atomweight bout: Bi Nguyen defeats Puja Tomar by Split Decision (SD) after round 3

Kickboxing Flyweight bout: Panpayak Jitmuangnon defeats Masahide Kudo by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

Muay Thai Flyweight bout: Mongkolpetch Petchyindee Academy defeats Joseph Lasiri by Majority Decision (MD) after 3 rounds

Kickboxing Welterweight bout: Santino Verbeek defeats Juan Cervantes by Majority Decision (MD) after 3 rounds

Muay Thai Flyweight bout: Kohei Kodera defeats Singtongnoi Por Telakun by Knockout (KO) at 0:41 minutes of round 1

Muay Thai Women’s Catchweight bout (58.5 kg): Viktoria Lipianska defeats Amber Kitchen by Split Decision (SD) after 3 rounds

Muay Thai Featherweight bout: Michael Pham defeats Mohamad Fakri Bin Yusoff by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

The 22-year-old from Hupei, propelled by a couple of eagles on the first and sixth holes, fired a final round 69 for a combined score of 12 under-par-204  to lift up her fourth title of the year in the tri-sanctioned tournament (Thai LPGA, China LPGA and Australia LPGA). 

“It’s amazing to get two eagles today.  I feel so happy to win this tournament in my first appearance,” said Zhang who earned the winner’s prize money of Bt600,000 for her first win outside China. 

“I really like Thailand. The people are nice and the food is delicious. I love Tom Yum Koong (Spicy Shrimp Soup), curry and seafood,” added the Chinese player who plans to  play in the LPGA Q-School and Ladies Japan Tour Q School events later this year.

Patcharajutar Kongkraphan 

Patcharajutar from Khon Kaen also shot a final 69 to settle two shots behind the Chinese with a total 10 under-par-206. “I just didn’t shoot scores at the front nine and when started making birdies at the back it was too late to catch up with her (Zhang). But overall, it’s still a great week for me,” said the 27-year-old Patcharajutar who won Bt400,000 as runner-up. 

Zhang’s compatriot Du Mohan hit the day round of a 67 to come at third on nine under-par-207, two ahead of Chonlada Chayanun the 2019 Thai LPGA No 1 player.

CEO Sumeth Laomoraphorn said at a press conference that the company has been supporting a number of sports in the country with the latest being the TLGA. 

“We remain committed to the concept of ‘Khaothai-Dekthai Soo Vetheeloke” (Thai rice and Thai youth to the world stage) in our support for Thai sports. Our support has now extended to the Thailand Ladies Golf Association, which has been playing a big part in the development of female golf players for 41 years. We want to see the next generation of female golfers following the footsteps of the country’s leading players including the Jutanugarn sisters, Ariya and Moriya. At present, ‘Jeen’ Atthaya Thitikul,16, is among the rising stars under the guidance of the association and she has already won many titles in recent years. We hope our support would encourage Atthaya and other young golfers to work harder and put on a great performance”. 

The announcement came a few months after Royal Umbrella Rice signed a contract to support Ban Thongyod Badminton School. 

“We want to see young badminton players progressing to the professional levels. The school has produced many great players, such as Thailand’s No 1 Ratchanok Intanon and two-time world junior champion Kulavut Vitidsarn,” Sumeth said. 

Jittakarn Lamsam, president of Thailand Ladies Golf Association, thanked Royal Umbrella Rice for the support, saying that it would help promote the sport in the country. 

“I would like to thank Royal Umbrella Rice for the support. With that, we will have more resources for the development of female golfers at youth level. Some of whom have participated in competitions at both national and international levels, including the Queen Sirikit Cup, won by Atthaya last year, the Thailand Ladies Amateur Open and the Inter-Club Team Championships. Moreover, a Junior Development Fund has been set up to subsidise the training programme for promising junior golfers in preparation of them joining the national team or turning professional”. 

Amateur Atthaya, who has won many professional tournaments and got wildcards to play in many LPGA tour events, was happy to see Royal Umbrella Rice extending its support to female golfers. 

“I want to thank the association for its contribution to the sport and hosting many tournaments for us to hone our skills. Also, I want to thank Royal Umbrella Rice for its support to golf and badminton. I really believe that it would play a big part in helping a player to be successful on the world stage. For me, I would try to play as many tournaments as possible to gain experiences. One of my goals this year is to defend my titles in the SEA Games in the Philippines in December,” said the 16-year-old, who won two gold medals at the 2017 SEA Games in Malaysia. 

Thailand Ladies Golf Association was officially registered as an association on February 12,1978 with Mom Kobkaew Abhakara Na Ayudhya as head of the founding members. Its mission is to support and promote female golfers to compete in the Olympic Games or turn professional. It also hosts tournaments and train amateur golfers for international tournaments. Among the players, who were under the guidance of the association are Virada Gomutputra (Nirapathpongporn), Aree Wongluekiet, Pornanong Phatlum, Thidapa Suwannapura, Budsabakorn Sukapan, Supamas Sangchan, Kultida Pramphun, Tunrada Piddon and Atthaya Thitikul.

The 33-year-old Chan fired six consecutive birdies from the 10th hole before adding back-to-back birdies on fourth and fifth to sit atop the leaderboard alongside Korean duo Yikeun Chang and Doyeob Mun on matching totals of 11-under-par 133s. 

Chang and Mun, who are roommates this week, carded identical 66s to match the efforts of Chan at the Linkou International Golf and Country Club. Chan played a total of 27 holes today as he had to complete the last nine holes of his opening round in the morning where he signed for a 69. 

The leading trio holds a two-shot edge over American Casey O’Toole (67), Thai-Japanese Kosuke Hamamoto (69) and local stalwart Lin Wen-tang, who fired three birdies in his closing four holes for a 68 at the US$500,000 event, which is celebrating its 10th edition on the Asian Tour. 

Play was abandoned for the day at 6.17pm local time due to fading light. A total of 30 players will resume their second rounds at 7.00am on Saturday with the penultimate round scheduled to start not earlier than 9.00am. 

A total of 72 players had returned to complete their opening rounds on Friday morning after four hours of play was lost due to several weather suspensions on Thursday. 

The halfway cut is projected to be at one-under-par 143 where the top 65 players and ties will progress to the next two rounds.

Playing on a soaked field following heavy rains, the two powerhouses of Asean football were engaged in a nail-biting battle that offered several scoring opportunities to both sides. But neither side succeeded in their attempts to score in front of the packed 25,000 stadium. 

Despite four internationals — Chanathip Songkrasin of Consadole Sapporo, Theerathon Bunmathan of Yokohama Marinos, Thitiphan Puangchan of Oita Trinita and Kawin Thamsatchanan of Oh Leuven — figuring in the line-up, the home side failed to subdue the region’s No 1 team, who had inflicted a heart-breaking 1-0 defeat on them in the King’s Cup football tournament in June. 

“The tough conditions made it difficult for us to control the ball. We stuck to the game plan but we just didn’t finish well. The result was not what we had expected. My apology for letting the fans down,” said Chanathip.

The game was the first real test for Thailand’s Japanese coach Akira Nishino, who had spearheaded Japan to the World Cup round of 16 in Russia last year. 

“We hope to win every home game but to get a point is really disappointing. Vietnam is a strong team. But what we have to focus now is the game against Indonesia. We have a lot to improve,” said Nishino. 

The Kingdom will travel to Jakarta where they play Indonesia on September 10 in the next match of the qualification stage. Vietnam will host Malaysia the same day.

A total of 40 teams in eight groups are competing for 12 spots (eight group winners and the four best runners-up) in the third round.

Comprising a race distance of 1.8K swim, 50K bike and 12K run through the scenic backdrop of Phuket province, world champions and pro triathletes from around the world will race against each other on the Sunday vying for a US$20,000 prize purse. LPT also features the “25 For 25 Sprint” short-distance category (0.5K swim, 18.5K bike and 6K run) which was launched last year in celebration of LPT’s 25th anniversary, and the “LPT Charity Fun Run” (2K Kids Run, 5K & 10K Charity Run) which will take place in the late afternoon of Saturday prior to the triathlon races on Sunday.

Last year’s sprint category saw a record-breaking number of participants, and raised more than Bt250,000 for Children First Fund (CFF) in support of more than 400 children at 7 orphanages in Phuket. The aim is to double its charitable causes this year by also supporting Kao Kon La Kao, Thailand’s largest charity run series, in support of hospitals nationwide.

“I’d like to thank all the runners and triathletes who have participated in our annual sporting events, and our partners and sponsors whose support have made Laguna Phuket Triathlon Asia’s longest-standing triathlon race,” said Ravi Chandran, managing director of Laguna Phuket.

“We realise that LPT’s value lies not only in being an award-winning triathlon race, but also in its success as a significant platform to raise funds and awareness for meaningful charitable causes. I am therefore delighted to announce that, in addition to “Children First Fund”, we have added the Kao Kon La Kao Foundation as a charity partner this year. Every kilometre you run at LPT will become a Bt9 contribution to Kao,” he added.

“Laguna Phuket has been supporting Kao Kon La Kao since its first project in 2016. I am delighted that Kao Kon La Kao will be running in Phuket for the first time in October this year. Please join us in the last 10.8K at Laguna Phuket. Special thanks to Laguna Phuket for extending discounted hotel rates to Kao runners,” added rocker Atiwara “Toon Bodyslam” Kongmalai.

“It’s clear that Laguna Phuket and Kao Kon La Kao Foundation share a similar vision in developing a sustainable community and improving the quality of life. I’d like to also thank Laguna Phuket Triathlon and all runners at LPT Charity Fun Run this November for your support in raising more funds for Kao Kon La Kao Foundation to help hospitals in Thailand.”

Thai celebrity and actress-turned-fitness-guru Anorma “Meiji” Cook hosted the “Triathlon Tips for Beginners” session and shared her experience training for the first Laguna Phuket Triathlon. The session was joined by world champion and triathlon legend from Germany, Jurgen Zack, who currently leads Z-Coaching triathlon training camp in Phuket and Sasitat “Boat” Kulsuptrakul, founder and owner of TriHub in Bangkok.

Registration for 26th Laguna Phuket Triathlon, 25 For 25 Sprint and LPT Charity Fun Run is available online at http://www.LagunaphuketTri.com through November 17. Hotels and resorts at Laguna Phuket are offering special rates for the race weekend.

The Classic Golf & Country Club International Championship 2019 will tee off at India’s first Jack Nicklaus Signature course, the Classic Golf & Country Club, on September 12 with a prize purse of US$ 300,000. 

Since 2011, Asian Tour events in India have produced at least two homegrown winners each year, barring once in 2013, when there was just one winner. But in 2013, Indians also had a runner-up in another event and three Top-5 finishers in the third event. 

Indian golfers, who have dominated home events will be strong favourites, with a band of very talented and young players. Leading the pack will be two stars, Viraj Madappa and Khalin Joshi, both from Bengaluru and who broke through on the region’s premier Tour last season with a win each in Bengaluru and Delhi. The field will also include another hugely talented Ajeetesh Sandhu, who won his first Asian Tour event in Taiwan in 2017. 

Chikkarangappa S, who is considered one of the finest young talents in the country and has been a topper on the domestic pro circuit will be looking to etch his name on the newly instituted Trophy. He has won twice on the Asian Development Tour and has also represented India at the World Cup, but is still in search of his first Asian Tour win. 

“I have come close many times, but not quite closed the deal. But now with the Classic Golf and Country International, I am hoping the home atmosphere will help me get past the line,” said Chikka. 

Two-time Asian Tour winner, Rashid Khan, who has, however not won since 2014, will also be in the field as will be Chiragh Kumar, also a winner on the Asian Tour. A new bunch of rookie pros like Aadil Bedi will also be looking at a breakthrough win. 

The field at Classic Golf & Country Club International Championship 2019 represents the international nature of the Asian Tour. Players from South Africa, Australia, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Taiwan and Argentina are taking part in the event, making it a truly global tournament with representation from more than 20 countries. 

The tournament also features recent winners such as Miguel Carballo of Argentina, who is fresh from his win at Indonesia Open; Taehee Lee (Korea) and Malcolm Kokocinski (Sweden). 

The entry list includes former Asia No. 1 Jyoti Randhawa and multiple Asian Tour winner, Mardan Mamat. 

The field also includes two amateurs, Harshjeet Sethie and Kartik Sharma, who will be representing India at the prestigious Nomura Cup later; as well as Saurav Rathi who will be turning professional in this event. 

A full field of 156 players will tee up and as usual Indians will hold centre stage at a course which is very popular with the stars. The course has been a host to numerous Asian Tour events and also premier PGTI events besides top amateur and junior events. 

Though entries are still coming and the date for final entry list is not over, players from more than 20 countries are expected to be seen in action.