The event was held at the Hotel Nikko Saigon last Tuesday, 3 September, just three days before ONE Championship’s inaugural event in Vietnam.

Putting together a demonstration of their skills for select media were Vietnamese athletes Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat and Nguyen Thanh Tung, as well as Vietnamese-English striker Michael “The Beast from the East” Pham, Vietnamese-Australian Chris Nguyen, and Vietnamese-American Bi “Killer Bee” Nguyen.

Bi Nguyen, ONE Championship athlete, stated: “I’m excited to compete in ONE Super Series. This organization has so much talent, and the opportunities for athletes are endless. One of the biggest reasons why I love being in ONE Championship is because I can fully test my abilities in all areas of fighting. I am in no way taking my opponent, Puja Tomar, lightly. I’ve prepared very well to counter her strengths and what she brings to the table. I expect a great performance for the both of us, and the fans happy with the action they get to see. I’m definitely going for the finish if it presents itself!”

Michael Pham, ONE Championship athlete, stated: “I’m pumped and ready to make my ONE Championship debut. Being part of the promotion’s inaugural event in Vietnam, it’s such a huge honor on my part. I’ve always dreamed of coming back here and showcasing my skills. It’s a privilege that I get to put on a show for the Vietnamese people. I just want to make the fans happy with my performance. Anyone who has seen me fight knows I always bring it and I never back down from a challenge. I’m looking forward to getting my hand raised this Friday night.”

Chris Nguyen, ONE Championship athlete, stated: “I’ve trained long and hard for this moment. Getting this opportunity to compete with the world’s best striking talents in ONE Super Series, it’s going to be amazing for my career moving forward. This is the world’s top proving ground for martial arts and the competition is definitely fierce. But I believe it’s my time to shine, and I’m surely aiming for the ONE World Title. Right now however, I’m focused on one thing only, and that’s beating Yukinori Ogasawara decisively.”

Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat, ONE Championship athlete, stated: “I am so happy and thankful that ONE Championship has finally come to Vietnam, my beloved home country. For the past few years, it has been my dream to compete in front of my friends and family here in Ho Chi Minh City. Now, to get to do so under the bright lights of ONE Super Series — the greatest platform in the world for striking martial arts — it excites me to no end. I’m laser focused in putting together the best performance of my career this Friday. Hopefully the fans come out and we can rock the stadium.”

Nguyen Thanh Tung, ONE Championship athlete, stated: “ONE Championship is an incredible organization. The work they have done to bring martial arts to the mainstream and elevate the entire local and international industry, it’s nothing short of awe-inspiring. Because of ONE, athletes like myself are given the chance to shine on the global stage. I plan on making the best of my chance to prove to the world that Vietnamese martial artists are a cut above the rest. I am coming into this organization in the best shape of my career and I can’t wait to come out this Friday night and put on a show.”

Having claimed his second Asian Tour title at the Yeangder TPC in 2014, Prom is enjoying a strong sense of familiarity in Chinese Taipei and he hopes his previous successes in the popular US$500,000 event can lead him to a third victory this week.

The 35-year-old Thai is taking plenty of confidence from a tied-sixth place finish at the Linkou International Golf and Country Club last year, as well as a commendable season so far where he capped three top-10 results to sit in 12th place on the Order of Merit.

“It’s always nice to come back here. I have a lot of good memories here. It’s like coming back to my second home. I have a lot of Taiwanese friends here. I feel comfortable coming back here. I have been playing a lot of good golf since last year. I will keep knocking on the door and hopefully I’ll get the win again,” said Prom.

“This is my fourth week in-a-row playing tournaments. I’m feeling a little bit tired but I am still alright. I played well in Japan two weeks ago so I’m hoping to replicate the good form this week. I played well in Japan last week too, just didn’t make enough putts. The game is good and I’m looking forward to this week.

This course is always windy. You got to keep the ball in play. It’s not a long course but the greens are tricky. Hopefully I can putt well this week. The current goal for me is to try and boost my Order of Merit ranking so that I can qualify for the WGC-HSBC Champions in November. I still have a good chance, just need to play well this week and in the next couple of weeks,” he added.

Prom will spearhead a talented 144-man field that features 40 Asian Tour champions in the full-field event, which is celebrating its 10th consecutive edition on the region’s premier Tour this week.

Viraj Madappa, who became the youngest Indian winner on Tour at the age of 20 following his breakthrough on home soil last August, will be looking to turn his season around with another good showing at the Yeangder TPC, where he finished fourth in his debut appearance last year.

Coming off the back of a runner-up finish in Jakarta last week, Korea’s Yikeun Chang is brimming with confidence as he aims to extend his fine form and launch another title bid for his Asian Tour breakthrough.

Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana hopes to make his dream season even more memorable as he sets sights on a successful debut at the Yeangder TPC. The 21-year-old has been impressive this season with one victory, three top-20 finishes and only a missed cut in six starts.

Did you know?

• Prom Meesawat is a two-time winner on the Asian Tour. He first won in Korea in 2006 before claiming his second victory at the Yeangder TPC in 2014, where he triumphed in a play-off against Miguel Tabuena.
• Prom enjoyed a tied-sixth place finish at the Yeangder TPC last year.
• He won the 20th Singha Thailand Masters on his domestic circuit in March and claimed his first Asian Development Tour (ADT) title in Brunei in April.
• Prom got his season off to a great start when he secured a tied-fifth place finish at the season-opening Singapore Open in January to make a long-awaited second appearance at The Open in July.
• Prom sits in 12th place on the current Order of Merit, thanks to three top-10 finishes so far this season. He is aiming for good showings to boost his ranking and qualify for the 2019 WGC-HSBC Champions.
• The qualifying period for 2019 WGC-HSBC Champions commenced at the conclusion of 2018 WGC-HSBC Champions and will conclude on October 21, 2019.
• The leading 4 members with the best aggregate prize money earned from Asian Tour prize money-counting events during this period and not otherwise exempt will qualify for the 2019 WGC-HSBC Champions.
• Viraj Madappa is playing in his second year as a professional. He came through the Qualifying School in 2018 and claimed his maiden Asian Tour title on home soil last August.
• Madappa holds the record of being the youngest Indian player, at the age of 20, to win on the Asian Tour.
• Madappa enjoyed a fourth-place finish in his debut appearance at the 2018 Yeangder TPC, two months after his breakthrough on home soil. He went on to notch another top-10 finish at the season finale in Indonesia to finish 35th on the 2018 Order of Merit.
• Madappa has endured a lacklustre season, having made only four cuts in 11 starts to sit in 67th place on the money list.
• Yikeun Chang topped the Asian Tour Qualifying School in his second attempt in 2016 but did not keep his card for 2017 as he finished 101st on the Order of Merit that year.
• Chang would regain his card at the 2017 Qualifying School after finishing tied-eighth. He ended the season in 48th place on the Merit rankings and kept his card for 2018.
• In 2017, Chang also won his National Open for his first professional title after prevailing on the third play-off hole. That victory earned him a coveted spot at The Open at Royal Birkdale that year where he made his Major debut.
• Chang enjoyed his best season yet in 2018, claiming two top-10 results which included a joint runner-up finish at the Maekyung Open. He went the distance with countryman Sanghyun Park last year but agonisingly missed out on his first Asian Tour win after Park defeated him on the third play-off hole.
• Chang would end the season in a career-high 18th place on the Habitat for Humanity Standings to retain his card for 2019.
• Sadom Kaewkanjana won on his first start on Tour at the Bangabandhu Cup Golf Open in April and became the fastest Qualifying School graduate to win on the Asian Tour. The record was held previously by Australian duo Kane Webber and Todd Sinnott who won in their second starts after coming through the Qualifying School in 2006 and 2017 respectively.
• Sadom secured his 2019 Asian Tour card in his first attempt at the Qualifying School last December.
• He turned professional at the end of 2018 and broke through on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) after claiming his first professional victory at the Thongchai Jaidee Foundation in February.
• Sadom enjoyed an illustrious amateur career prior to joining the play-for-pay ranks. He was ranked as high as 10th position on the Official World Amateur Rankings and his amateur wins include the 2017 Malaysian Amateur Open, 2017 All Indian Amateur and the 2018 Dutch International Junior Open. Also won the 2017 Singha Pattaya Open on his domestic circuit as an amateur.

The home team went down to Vietnam 0-1 in the June King’s Cup football tournament, suffering another disappointing defeat to their arch-rivals who have been dominating the football circle in the region.

“We will try to turn that loss into an extra motivation to return the favour,” said the 25-year-old winger. “There are the days that we win, and the days that we lose. But we don’t want to lose for the second straight time,” the key player said.

Chanathip will be making his 53rd appearance with the national team on Thursday at the Thamasat Rangsit Campus stadium. But it will be his first under the supervision of Japanese coach Akira Nishino.

“Japanese coaches are known for their discipline. But he [Nishino] has limited time to work with the team and we still need more time to learn from each other,” said Chanathip who has scored seven goals since representing the national team in 2012. “I’m glad to get to work with him. He has modern techniques and focuses on teamwork.”

“Vietnam likes to play an aggressive game. But playing at home, the fans will expect a lot from us. We have to play with hunger for winning and remain aggressive throughout the entire game. We will work hard for the fans,” the star player added.

Apart from Chanathip, Thailand will be strengthened by three internationals comprising Theerathon Bunmathan of Yokohama Marinos, Thitiphan Puangchan of Oita Trinita and Kawin Thamsatchanan of Oh Leuven (Belgium League 2).

Nishino believes the appearances of the four key players will benefit Thailand in the Thursday’s mouth-watering showdown.

“They should be able to apply what they’ve learnt from their experiences overseas to help the team. But overall our team still has a lot to improve,” Nishino said.

On choosing rising star Supachai Jaided as the only forward in his 23-player lost, the Japanese coach said: “I still have several other players who can play this position.”

The Thailand-Vietnam game kicks on at 7pmThursday in Pathum Thani. Tickets have already sold out. Live coverage can be followed on Thai Rath TV 32.

Her first win came in July at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, where she also needed a 5-footer to capture her first career title. It was also a big comeback for the 22-year-old from Perth, who shot a third-round 73 to blow a five-stroke lead after setting the 54-hole scoring record.

“I think yesterday I more nervous want I was today because I pretty much knew it was mine to lose, having a five-stroke lead. I was surprised with how different conditions were from Friday to Saturday, and I really struggled to adjust both with my approach shots in and also putting,” said Green. “Today it felt a lot different, and I think I can definitely say that KPMG, having that experience, definitely helped me, especially the last five holes. Grinding out and making sure that I stayed patient.”

For every victory, there is always someone who finishes second. American Yealimi Noh, playing as a non-Member, came up one shot short of earning automatic LPGA Tour Membership. Noh started Sunday’s final round with a three-stroke lead over Green and held that same advantage as the duo stepped to the 15th tee.

But Noh stumbled down the stretch, while Green rose to the challenge. After Green birdied No. 15, Noh’s 5-foot par putt at No. 16 hit the lip and rolled past the hole. Green then drained a long, downhill birdie putt at No 17 to tie Noh at -21 heading to the final hole.

“A couple of the downhill putts I’ve had this weekend, I’ve left short in the heart. So I wanted to make sure that if it was missing, that I was having an uphill putt for my next,” said Green of that crucial moment at 17. “I felt like I was reading greens really well all day but towards the end, I wasn’t sure if I was over-reading them, so I had my caddie, I told him what point I was looking at and I asked what his opinion was and whether he thinks it was too much or too less. I think just hearing that confirmation to say, yeah, that’s the right line, is just what I needed.”

With the title on the line, both players sent their approach shots to No. 18 over the back of the green. Noh’s chip flew 10 feet past the hole while Green left hers 5 feet short of the hole. Noh could not make her par putt and could barely bring herself to watch as Green calmly drained the winning putt to dash Noh’s dreams.

“Today, yeah, it was all going good till 16 I think, just the last two bogeys on 16, and 18, really hurts, because I was playing okay up until that,” said an emotional Noh. “I really thought I could hang in there, but just made a couple mistakes.”

Brittany Altomare shot a final-round 69 to finish in solo third at -17, one week before she will make her debut for Team USA at the 2019 Solheim Cup. Two-time Cambia Portland Classic winner Brooke Henderson tied for fourth with Japan’s Nasa Hataoka at -15. Defending champion Marina Alex finished tied for seventh at -13.

NOH MAKES BIG SPLASH AT CAMBIA

Yealimi Noh was understandably emotional when leaving the scoring tent following Sunday’s final round. After starting the final round with a three-stroke advantage over Hannah Green, Noh played solid for her first 14 holes, stepping to the 15th tee at 3-under on the day and still three strokes ahead of Green. But as the tournament closed, Noh’s game faltered and two bogeys over her final three holes opened the door for Green to take the win.

If Noh had emerged victorious, she would have earned immediate LPGA Tour status and become just the third Monday Qualifier in Tour history to capture that week’s title. Instead, while Noh certainly made a name for herself in the golf world, she did not secure that elusive Membership and will instead need to rely on advancing through the LPGA’s Qualifying School.

“I played really solid and great,” said Noh, who was also in contention at July’s Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic, where she entered the final round one stroke off the lead and ultimately tied for sixth. “(Green) stayed really strong throughout, so congrats to her. Yeah, it sucks, but hopefully I’ll come back next year after Q-School this year and play on the Tour next year.”

Noh is currently entered in Stage II of the LPGA’s Qualifying School, which takes place Oct. 12-17 at Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Fla. Noh said this week is her final LPGA Tour appearance of 2019, as she has other sponsor obligations and tournaments in Korea and Japan over the coming weeks. Should she play well in those other events and jump into the top 75 of the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, she could skip Stage II and go directly to LPGA Q-Series, a two-week final stage that will be held Oct. 23-26 and Oct. 30 to Nov. 2 at Pinehurst No. 6 and Pinehurst No. 9 in North Carolina.

GREEN GOOD AT THE BOUNCEBACK WIN

Hannah Green went to the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship fresh off missing the cut the previous week. She also came to the Cambia Portland Classic after missing last week’s cut.

Both of those tournaments ended the same way – with Green finding the winner’s circle. Green credited her calm personality and ability to move past those bad moments as keys to her new-found career success. The fact that she really likes Portland doesn’t hurt either.

“I guess I’m pretty good about not dwelling on past results, which is obviously really key in this type of job I guess,” said Green, who said she’s eaten out every night, enjoying Portland’s famed food scene. “Yeah, I actually really enjoy Portland, as well. So pretty much not really thought about golf once I leave the golf course, which I think is really important, too.”

PLAYER NOTES

Rolex Rankings No. 26 Hannah Green (64-63-73-67)

• She hit 11 of 14 fairways and 16 of 18 greens, with 27 putts
• This is Green’s second season on the LPGA Tour; she has one victory at the 2019 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship
• This is Green’s 17th event of the 2019 LPGA Tour season; she won the 2019 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and three other top-20 finishes
• She is competing in her second Cambia Portland Classic; she missed the cut in 2018

Rolex Rankings No. 297 Yealimi Noh (65-68-64-71)

• She hit 10 of 14 fairways and 16 of 18 greens, with 27 putts
• Noh is playing in the seventh LPGA Tour event of her career; her best finish is a tie for sixth at the 2019 Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic, where she was one stroke off the lead heading into the final round
• Noh turned professional in January 2019 after winning the 2018 Girl’s Junior PGA Championship, U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship and Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship in consecutive weeks
• She earned a spot in the tournament via the Monday Qualifier; two Monday Qualifiers have won an LPGA Tour event – Brooke Henderson (2015 Cambia Portland LPGA Classic) and Laurel Kean (2000 State Farm LPGA Classic)
• Noh is playing as a non-Member of the LPGA Tour

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.

The Cambia Portland Classic saw two holes-in-one for a total of $40,000. There have been 23 made prior to the week and a total of $460,000 has been donated thus far in 2019.

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 event held immediately prior to the CME Group Tour Championship. 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 fourth at the Cambia Portland Classic, Brooke Henderson notched her 10th top-10 finish and moved into a tie for first with Jin Young Ko. Four players are tied for third with nine top-10s – Ariya Jutanugarn, Hyo Joo Kim, Jeongeun Lee6 and Nelly Korda.

AON RISK REWARD CHALLENGE HOLE

No. 12, par 5

TOURNAMENT SCORING RECORDS

18 holes: 61 (-11), Sei Young Kim, second round, 2019

36 holes: 127 (-17), Hannah Green, 2019

54 holes: 197 (-19), Yealimi Noh, 2019

72 holes: 267 (-21), Brooke Henderson, 2015; Hannah Green, 2019

The UCLA alumna found the bottom of the cup for birdie on No. 18 at Willow Run Golf Course to cap a final round 8-under par 62 and take the clubhouse lead of 13-under overall. Patty then watched as Yujeong Son from Busan drained her own birdie out of the final pairing, three groups later. From there, they went back to No. 18 tee and the rest is history.

“Definitely very surreal, I didn’t expect to get this win,” said Patty, who entered the day six shots back of the lead. “I just hoped to play well and climb the leaderboard for a bigger cheque to move up the money list. I wanted to be the first player out here to win three times this year, so I accomplished my goal and proved that hard work really pays off.”

As for Patty’s third time in the winner’s circle, new rules mean that the Battlefield Promotion to the LPGA Tour is no longer in play. The change was part of the overall restructuring with the installment of Q-Series in 2018. Although a three-time champion on the “Road to the LPGA” did previously get a position on the LPGA’s priority list for the remainder of the LPGA season, she did not receive official LPGA Tour membership.

Regardless, Patty plans to compete in each of the final four events on the Symetra Tour calendar and fully prepare for what looks like her rookie season on the LPGA in 2020. For now, three wins in eight events even had the young player shocked about the body of work since her debut in June at the Island Resort Championship.

“It’s hard to get a picture of what I’ve been able to accomplish,” she said. “I set my goals and have lived in the moment really well for the past three months since turning pro. I just focus on what I need to do to be a better player. All I want is to improve every time I step on the course. It’s pretty unreal how far I have come and what the future holds too.”

Even though the finish in the Mount Rushmore State was not exactly what Yujeong Son was hoping for, the runner-up result serves as a career-best in her rookie season. It also launched the 18-year-old up 12 spots in the Volvik Race for the Card to No. 15.

Competing out of the final grouping, Son carded a bogey-free, 4-under par 66 to end at 13-under overall and force a sudden-death playoff with the Thai. Over her last seven starts, Son owns five top-10s.

“I didn’t really expect to make my putt on No. 18 the first try, so I felt lucky,” said Son. “Unfortunately, the luck didn’t come in the playoff. Patty played great and I did my best out there, which is the best I can do. It gives me great confidence going into the last four tournaments, hard to believe we only have that many left. I’m excited to see what happens and keep working on the course.”

Carballo, who topped the Asian Development Tour (ADT) Order of Merit last year, found himself in a similar position on the leaderboard when he closed with a flawless five-under-par 67 to clinch his maiden Asian Tour title by three shots over Korea’s Yikuen Chang with his winning total of 17-under-par 271 at the Pondok Indah Golf Course.

The Argentinian is the ninth player on the ADT to go on to win on the Asian Tour and his three-shot victory is the largest margin on the Asian Tour so far this season.

Carballo stormed off the blocks quickly with an opening birdie before adding two more birdies on holes four and six to his card.

After making the turn in 33, he birdied again on the 10th before an audacious 30-foot putt from the edge of the green on 13 saw him make another birdie which gave him the outright lead after overnight leader Naraajie Emerald Ramadhan Putra of Indonesia three-putted for a bogey there.

With Naraajie dropping six more shots in his last five holes and Carballo remaining rock solid with five straight pars coming home, victory for the Argentinian soon became a foregone conclusion.

Chang enjoyed his best result on Tour this season when he signed off with a 64 to take outright second place while compatriot Joohyung Kim, who won his second ADT title in Indonesia last week, was left to rue two dropped shots in his last three holes and had to settle for third place.

Indonesia was left to wait longer for another homegrown champion as Naraajie struggled to a 78 to end his week in fourth place.

Kasiadi continues to remain as the only Indonesian golfer to have won his country’s National open when he lifted the trophy in 1989.

Did you know?

• Argentinian Miguel Angel Carballo won the Asian Development Tour (ADT) Order of Merit in 2018 to secure a card for this year’s Asian Tour season.
• A two-time champion on the ADT, Carballo won the Singha Laguna Phuket Open in 2019 and the Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament in 2018.
• Since turning pro in 2002 the 40-year-old Argentinian has also won twice on the Korn Ferry Tour, the 2007 Movistar Panama Championship and the 2011 Children’s Hospital Classic.
• His best year on that Tour was in 2011 when he finished 10th on the Money List securing a card for the 2012 PGA Tour, where he also played in 2014 and 2016-2017.
• The Bank BRI Indonesia Open is the first cut Carballo has made in six starts on this year’s Asian Tour season.
• With this win, Carballo became the second Argentinian to win on the Asian Tour following Angel Cabrera’s victory at the 2007 Barclays Singapore Open.
• He made pars or better in his last 49 holes of the tournament, his lone bogey of the event came on the fifth hole of the second round.
• Yikeun Chang topped the Asian Tour Qualifying School in 2016 in his second attempt. He missed the mark in his first attempt in 2014. Chang, however, did not manage to keep his card for 2017 as he finished 101st on the 2016 Order of Merit.
• The Korean regained his card at the 2017 Qualifying School after finishing tied-eighth. He ended the season in 48th place on the Merit rankings and kept his card for 2018.
• In 2017, Chang won his National Open for his first professional title after prevailing on the third play-off hole. That victory earned him a coveted spot at The Open at Royal Birkdale that year where he made his Major debut.
• Prior to his performance this week, Chang’s previous best result was a tied-12th finish at the season-opening Singapore Open in January.
• The 17-year-old Joohyung Kim is fresh off a win at last week’s Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament on the Asian Development Tour (ADT), his second win of the year on that Tour after claiming the PGM ADT Championship @ Tiara Melaka in June.
• With those two wins included, he is currently on a stretch of nine top-four finishes in his last 12 events spread between the ADT and the All Thailand Golf Tour (ATGT).
• Kim is currently second on the ADT Order of Merit with US$41,228 in earnings and on track to secure a card for the 2020 Asian Tour season via the ADT. One more ADT win this season would earn the young Korean a “battlefield promotion” onto the Asian Tour.
• Before turning professional, Kim won twice in the Philippines as an amateur, The Philippine Amateur Open Championship and the W Express RVF Cup Amateur Championship, both in the first half of 2018.
• Naraajie Emerald Ramadhan Putra is currently ranked the number one amateur in Indonesia and number 163 in the world.
• He finished tied-second in this year’s Putra Cup, the South East Asian Golf Amateur Championship, in Hanoi, Vietnam.
• The 19-year-old was in contention after three rounds of last year’s Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship but settled for tied-24th after carding a 77 in the final round.
• Naraajie won two professional events on the Indonesian Golf Tour during the 2018 season.
• It would have been the first time an amateur had won a full-field Asian Tour event since Chinnarat Phadungsil won the Double A International Open in 2005, and the first time in any Asian Tour event since Danny Lee won the 2009 Johnnie Walker Classic had Naraajie won the Bank BRI Indonesia Open
• He would also have joined an exclusive group of players that have won their National Open as an amateur. The last amateur to have done that was Shane Lowry when he won the Irish Open in 2009.

Players’ Quotes

Miguel Carballo (Arg) Fourth round 67 (-5) Total 271 (-17)

I’m very happy and this has been a fantastic week. Especially so after winning for the first time on the Asian Tour. My focus today was just to play good and try to go under-par. I felt it was possible and unfortunately for Naraajie, he did not play well and I capitalized on it. The game started to change on 13 when I made a birdie and he made a bogey there. Golf is starting to become popular in Argentina. Angel Cabrera won two Majors- The Masters and US Open and Roberto de Vincenzo won the British open long time ago, it’s very popular but not too much in argentina. We have very good players but there are not many golf tournaments in the country. The best player now is Emiliano Grillo but maybe now I can be either second or third. My schedule’s going to change now that I’m a winner on the Asian Tour and I’ll most definitely be playing a lot over here now.

Yikuen Chang (Kor) Fourth round 64 (-8) Total 274 (-14)

I’ve been struggling for a long time especially with my ball striking and putting and I needed a solid results like this to regain my confidence. I practiced a lot and I seemed to have found something in my game again. I worked with my coach and I felt more comfortable this week. I was hitting a lot of good shots this week. My putting was not the best but I putted really well today. I need to play well especially since my main sponsor’s event, Shinhan Donghae Open is coming up and I really want to be well prepared and do well in that event. Hopefully I play well next week which will give me the momentum to do even better then.

Joohyung Kim (Kor) Fourth round 68 (-4) Total 275 (-13)

Coming into this week on the back of a ADT win last week, I just told myself to continue to stay patient. And I thought I managed to do that well especially today but I kind of lost it on the back-nine. I was under pressure as I knew I had a chance to win. And that did get into my head. But overall it has been a good week. I’ve been able to play a couple of Asian Tour events now so I know what it’s like to play here. And to be inside the top-five is just something that really shows how much I’ve improved this year as a player and I’m really looking forward to playing more on the Asian Tour.

Naraajie Emerald Ramadhan Putra (Ina) Fourth round 78 (+6) Total 276 (-12)

I did sleep well last night and I just had a very bad back-nine. I made my second bogey on nine when I pulled my tee shot into the hazard on the left and had to take a penalty there. I just kind of lost my focus on those last six holes.  I’ve learnt a lot this week and hopefully it can bring me to the next step. I’ll be playing an ADT event next month and then the SEA Games at the end of this year.

Jazz Janewattananond (Tha) Fourth round 71 (-1) Total 278 (-10)

I didn’t bring my A game at all and I didn’t have a good putting day. I didn’t have any day where I said oh wow I hit it good today. Basically, I didn’t have any satisfying rounds so I can’t win. I’m just going to go back and work on my game. I have a week off so we’ll see what happens. I’ll come back to the Asian Tour again at Shinhan Donghae Open. But before that, I need to figure out what putter I’ll be using. Hendy is a good player and if he starts to turn his game on it will be a fun race so we’ll see whether he turns his game on or not.

Leading Scores after round 4 of the Bank BRI Indonesia Open 2019 being played at the par 72,7243 Yards Pondok Indah GC course (am – denotes amateur):

271 – Miguel Carballo (ARG) 69-69-66-67.

274 – Yikeun Chang (KOR) 67-75-68-64.

275 – Joohyung Kim (KOR) 69-71-67-68.

276 – Naraajie E. Ramadhanputra (am, INA) 66-69-63-78.

277 – Naoki Sekito (JPN) 68-70-70-69.

278 – Pavit Tangkamolprasert (THA) 69-69-71-69, Daniel Fox (AUS) 70-68-70-70, Kwanchai Tannin (THA) 69-67-71-71, Jazz Janewattananond (THA) 67-71-69-71.

279 – Jarryd Felton (AUS) 70-72-69-68, Natipong Srithong (THA) 71-69-70-69, J.C. Ritchie (RSA) 69-66-74-70, Shiv Kapur (IND) 68-70-71-70, Daniel Van Tonder (RSA) 67-73-69-70, Kosuke Hamamoto (THA) 66-74-68-71.

The Scotsman has been retired from the professional circuit for seven years but is still considered the most successful snooker player of all time.

Rachapol, better known as Tong Sid Choi, is a national hero, achieving global fame when he turned pro in the ’80s and rising to World No 3 in the 1994-95 season.

He never won a world title but reached the semi-finals in 1993 and 1997 and became the first Asian to score three 147 maximum breaks in competition.

Hendry and Rachapol have played each other 22 times, with Hendry winning 17.

Piti Bhirombhakdi, a well-known entrepreneur and race driver, is staging “Run with Todd” for the second year. The charity event will be held on September 21 by Singha Corporation Co Ltd.

The public is invited to experience running on the legendary Bira Circuit track, which features a long straight, treacherous uphill and downhill corners, a long sweeping turn and two chicanes.

There are two categories, both using mororsports formats. The solo event takes place over three laps (7.23kms in total) and the first to cross the finish line wins. In the endurance race, each team comprises of 2 or 3 runners to cover the 3-lap race.

Organisers said the proceeds from the event will be forwarded to the Piti Bhirombhakdi Foundation before being distributed to other charitable organisations.

Applications can be made at http://go.eventpop.me/Run-with-Todd-2019. Apart from the run, participants also get a souvenir shirt and coin, bib with timing chip, food and drinks coupon, and finish off the day with an exclusive concert (1 follower is allowed).

Goalkeepers

Sivarak Tetsungnern (Buriram United)

Chatchai Butrprom (BG Pathum United)

Kawin Thamsajjanant (OH Leuven)

Defenders

Theerathorn Boonmathan (Yokohama F Marinos)

Sasalak Haiprakhon (Buriram United)

Phansa Hemvibul (Buriram United)

Narabodin Veerawattanodom (Buriram United)

Tristan (Somchai) Do (True Bangkok United)

Manuel Tom Bihr (True Bangkok United)

Nitipong Selanont (Port FC)

Chinapat Lee-or (Singha Chiang Rai United)

Adisorn Phromrak (SCG Muangthong United)

Midfielders

Chanathip Songkrasin (Consadole Sapporo)

Thitiphan Phuangchan (Oita Trinita)

Sarach Yooyen (SCG Muangthong United)

Supachoke Sarachart (Buriram United)

Ekanit Panya (Singha Chiang Rai United)

Sivakorn Tiatrakul (Singha Chiang Rai United)

Pitiwat Sukjitthammakul (Singha Chiang Rai United)

Bodin Phala (Port FC)

Thanaboon Ksearat (Port FC)

Peeradon Chamrasamee (Samut Prakarn City)

Forward

Supachai Jaided (Buriram United)

The Thai national team will play against Vietnam on September 5 at the Thammasart University stadium and against Indonesia in Jakarta on September 10.

The matches will be broadcast live on Thairath TV Channel 32.

The 45-year-old Chopra, who has claimed two of his 15 professional victories in Chinese Taipei, is ready to challenge for top honours again at the Linkou International Golf and Country Club, where he enjoyed a tied-fourth place finish in his debut appearance in 2014.

Buoyed by a recent victory in Florida, Chopra, also a regular golf commentator now, is looking to replicate that success when he tees off for the US$500,000 full-field event, where he will play on a sponsor’s invitation.

“I like the golf course at the Linkou Golf and Country Club. The first time I played there, I finished tied-fourth. I am looking forward to return to Chinese Taipei for the event. Mr. Emmet Hsu (Chairman of the Yeangder Group) is very nice to offer me an invite.

“I won twice in Chinese Taipei and the next time I went back, I came in tied-fourth at the Yeangder TPC. Chinese Taipei has been a good slump breaker for me over the years,” said Chopra, who won the 1995 Taiwan Open and the Mercuries Taiwan Masters for his first Asian Tour title in 2001.

Born in Sweden to an Indian father and a Swedish mother, Chopra moved to India when he was seven where he was raised by his grandparents. In 2015, he returned to ply his trade in Asia and won the Asian Tour Qualifying School.

“I just won one of the small events in Florida recently. The game’s been pretty good. Started to figure out a few things on my game, telling myself to do what I need to do when I see shots in my head. Obviously looking for a good result to play my way back to the Asian Tour,” Chopra added.

Chopra also sang praises for the emergence of talents on the Asian Tour, having followed the rapid rise of Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond and Justin Harding of South Africa over the last couple of years.

“I’m always happy to see guys progressing to play on the world stage through the Asian Tour. I always thought the Asian Tour is a wonderful place for the next generation of golfers to hone their skills and get tested against some of the most amazing players from all over the world.

“I’m not surprised that they do well on the big stage because the variety of challenges you face on the Asian Tour, like the conditions, cultures, type of grasses, etc. You learn so much more when you play on the Asian Tour than any other Tours as a young golfer,” said Chopra, who has also won twice on the PGA TOUR.

Other notable players who will feature in the 2019 Yeangder TPC include India’s Shiv Kapur and Thailand’s Prom Meesawat, as well as Chinese Taipei’s Lin Wen-tang, Chan Shih-chang and Lu Wei-chih, the only local player to have won the event in 2011.

The Yeangder TPC will celebrate its ninth consecutive edition on the Asian Tour next week. It will be the Tour’s first stop in Chinese Taipei this season.