The Thai pair proved no match to the superior teamwork and fast game of the Chinese duo who successfully defended their title following a 21-8 21-12 win.

Despite the loss, Dechapol and Sapsiree still made a history as the first Thai mixed doubles team to reach the final in the tournament.

Thailand, for the first time, had medallists in three categories in the same year. Former champion Ratchanok Intanon and Kantaphon Wangcharoen won the bronze medals in the women’s and men’s singles respectively by reaching the semi-finals.

The 20-year-old amateur won his first tournament showing no sign of nerves as he signed off with a 67 for a total 13 under-par-271 on the par 71 7,029-yard layout.

“I was really happy and proud of myself,” said Tanapat, capping his final day of summer break in Thailand before flying back to the US on Monday to resume his studies in kinesiology.

“I’m playing great golf at the moment and my confidence is high. Somehow I knew I was going to do well.”

He also posted a top-five finish in the Singha All Thailand Memorial, the previous stop on the All Thailand Golf Tour, held last month.

Unlike other Thai golfers, Tanapat opted to retain his amateur status and attend college in the US, where he believes better future opportunities lie.

“I’ve improved a lot since I went to the US. Everything has gone well, ranging from fitness training and technical advice to my diet programme. Overall I’m a better player,” added Tanapat, who became the first amateur to triumph on the All Thailand Golf Tour since Sadom Kaewkanjana won the Singha Pattaya Open at the Burapa Golf and Resort in October 2017.

However, the young gun was ineligible for the Bt300,000 cash prize, which went instead to runner-up Ratchapol, who settled with a 273.

Tanapat will finally earn some prize money when he turns pro next year, after completing college. He has yet to set a particular goal, but would prefer to play in Europe or the US.

“There are a lot of players who can succeed on the PGA Tour after college, like Matthew Wolff [winner of the 3M Open in Minnesota last month]. There’s no hurry for me. I’d like to do things at my own pace.”

But with Canadian phenom Brooke Henderson sitting two strokes behind at -16, the trophy is anything but secure.

Ko and Henderson both returned 65s on Saturday, tied for the low round of the day, while Broch Larsen carded her third consecutive 66. Much to the chagrin of the throngs of Canadian fans, Henderson was 2 over through seven holes. But a special encounter with a young fan turned the switch for Henderson. She was 9 under through her final 11 holes, with an eagle at No. 12 and seven birdies, to surge back up the leaderboard.

“It was a little bit of a struggle there. I felt like I was playing decent golf. Just wasn’t really going my way,” said Henderson. “Then on the seventh green a little boy gave me a high five and then he continued that the rest of the round. I think starting at the time he kind of cheered me up a little bit. I think I tried to get back to even on the front nine. Going to eight tee, I was trying to just make two birdies, get it back to even and then see if I could go really low on the back, which I did.”

The fan roars could be heard all the way around the golf course, meaning Ko and Broch Larsen, playing one group behind Henderson, were well aware of what was going on in front of them.

“We could definitely hear those roars coming in on the back nine. Every time they went a little bit louder than normal I felt like, yeah, you knew Brooke made a birdie,” said Broch Larsen. “I saw she was off to a rough start but made a really good back nine, I guess.”

American Amy Olson shot her third consecutive 68 to sit in a tie for fifth and is in prime position to play her way onto the U.S. Solheim Cup Team, which will be decided following Sunday’s completion of play. Olson, Angel Yin (T8), Brittany Altomare (T22), Ally McDonald (T45) and Annie Park (T49) are among the American players vying for the eighth berth on the Solheim Cup points standings and the two automatic qualifying spots via the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, with an additional two wild-card spots in the hands of Captain Juli Inkster.

WITH A WIN

Jin Young Ko would earn her fourth win of the 2019 LPGA Tour season and become the first four-time winner since Lydia Ko in 2016

Nicole Broch Larsen would become the season’s sixth Rolex First-Time Winner

Brooke Henderson would become the third player in CP Women’s Open history to successfully defend her title, joining Lydia Ko (2012 and 2013) and Pat Bradley (1985 and 1986)

HENDERSON IN PRIME POSITION TO REPEAT

When Brooke Henderson met with the media on Tuesday, she said winning the 2018 CP Women’s Open was “the highlight of my career so far.” Henderson, the winningest Canadian professional golfer on the LPGA and PGA Tours with nine wins, has the chance to add to her national-championship legacy on Sunday as she will start the final round just two strokes off the lead.

While the 21-year-old Canadian has twice successfully defended an LPGA Tour title, winning Club 2015 and 2016 Cambia Portland Classic and the 2018 and 2019 LOTTE Championship, playing Magna Golf Course for the first time this year changes the stakes.

“Unlike those two events, this is a different golf course, so I can’t rely on some great memories from the year previous when I stepped on the tee,” said Henderson. “But I think just knowing how I handled it last year and just if I could shoot another 65 like I did the last Sunday of the CP Women’s Open that would be pretty special. I feel like I would have a good shot at it.”

Henderson used five birdies and an eagle to come home in 29 on Saturday to tie the lowest nine-hole score on a par-72 course for the LPGA this season, a performance she’s hoping she can repeat in the final round.

“Just like any tournament, it’s won on the back nine on Sunday really. Hopefully I can just kind of repeat what I did today. It would be really special. To do it once is incredible. To do it twice would be really awesome.”

If the past three days are any indication, droves of Canadian fans are expected to be following the final grouping on Sunday and Henderson said she really thrives on the support from her home country.

“The Brooke Brigade has been really awesome and all the fans that have been here supporting me since early Thursday morning,” said Henderson. “It’s been surreal and an awesome week, and hopefully I can play well tomorrow.”

NERVOUS BROCH LARSEN SURVIVES SATURDAY CHALLENGE

Nicole Broch Larsen, a native of Hillerod, Denmark, admitted to a good case of nerves as her tee time approached, especially after a restless night that saw her wake up long before her alarm blared. Her 6-under 66 certainly belied those jitters, with her round highlighted by an eagle at No. 14 to go with five birdies and one bogey.

“I felt better when I got out on the course. I felt pretty chilled when I arrived, and then as the tee time got closer I felt like my heartbeat was a little bit faster than normal,” said Broch Larsen. “I just took some deep breaths and was reminding myself of what I planned with my coach. I felt like I did really well today. And, yeah, I’m proud of myself.”

This is the second time that Broch Larsen holds a portion of the 54-hole lead at the CP Women’s Open. She shot a final-round 71 at the 2017 championship to finish tied for third.

NO STRESS, NO PROBLEMS FOR HSU

Coming into the 2019 LPGA season, 2015 rookie Wei-Ling Hsu had high expectations. After having the best year of her career in 2018, where she collected a career-high four top-10 finishes, she thought it was high time she found the winner’s circle. Her plan nearly came to fruition as she finished in third at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open to open her 2019 campaign.

After that things didn’t come as easily for the 24-year-old, as a solo fifth-place finish at the Pure Silk Championship is her lone top-30 finish in her last 18 starts. The difference this week? Hsu said it’s all about her attitude.

“Get rid of the stress. I was very stressed out the past two month and try to improve, but the main thing is just mental game,” said Hsu. “I’m just try to be perfect every time and try to show everybody that I can do it, but actually I just put way too much pressure on my shoulder.”

Hsu’s 54-hole 203 is her career-best mark and she said she’s really enjoying her time at the CP Women’s Open on Magna Golf Club.

“I love this golf course. I will say this is the top three golf course that I like it this season,” she said. “Definitely very happy to see I can able to shoot 7-under today. Just give myself a lot of confidence and getting more comfortable in the close to the leader group.”

USA SOLHEIM CUP POINTS STANDINGS SCENARIOS

The competition for the eighth spot on the USA Solheim Cup points list is down to three players – Brittany Altomare, Ally McDonald and Angel Yin. Altomare holds the final spot by 7.5 points over McDonald and 40.5 points over Yin.

• Brittany Altomare, eighth with 257.5 points, has the most chances with many combinations.
• Ally McDonald, ninth with 250 points, needs a 17th or better finish to have a chance.
• Angel Yin needs to win, have McDonald finish fifth or worse and have Altomare finish 10th or worse. If Yin wins and Altomare finishes ninth, the tiebreaker would be Rolex Rankings.

After the third round, Altomare is tied for 22nd, McDonald is tied for 45th and Yin is tied for eighth.

#CPHASHEART BENEFITS SICKKIDS FOUNDATION

Since CP assumed title sponsorship in 2014, the CP Women’s Open has raised $8.5 million in support of children’s heart health.

The 2019 tournament benefits SickKids Foundation, which raises funds on behalf of The Hospital for Sick Children, a pediatric teaching hospital in Toronto. The foundation is Canada’s largest funder of child health research, learning and care. The funds raised at the 2019 CP Women’s Open will help SickKids updated a Cardiac Operating Unit at the hospital. Additionally, a donation will be made to the Southlake Regional Health Centre.

Perhaps the most visible charitable portion of the tournament is the Birdies for Heart program. For each birdie made at the par-3 17th hole, CP will donate $5,000 to SickKids. Saturday saw nine birdies at No. 17, which translates to $45,000 donated to SickKids. The Thursday donation was $55,000 off 11 birdies, while Friday raised $80,000 off 16 birdies.

For more information, visit cpwomensopen.com/charity-information/

ROLEX WOMEN’S WORLD GOLF RANKINGS PROJECTIONS

Rolex Rankings World No. 1 Sung Hyun Park is the only player with a mathematical chance to overtake No. 1 Jin Young Ko based on her finish at the CP Women’s Open. Park must win and have Ko finish solo third or worse, or she must finish solo second and have Ko finish solo 25th or worse. There may be additional possibilities with tie scenarios and separate projection scenarios would be run to check. After the third round, Ko is tied for first and Park is tied for 36th.

In the race for the top-ranked American, only Nelly Korda can pass Lexi Thompson. Korda, who is currently No. 10, must win and have Thompson, who is currently No. 3, finish solo fourth or worse. After the third round, Thompson is tied for 29th and Korda is tied for 17th.

PLAYER NOTES

Rolex Rankings No. 1 Jin Young Ko (66-67-65) 

• Ko’s 198 is the best 54-hole score of her LPGA Tour career; her previous best was 201, which she shot five times, most recently at the 2019 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship
• Her third-round 65 is tied for the second-lowest round of her LPGA Tour, behind four 64s
• She hit 12 of 14 fairways and 16 of 18 greens, with 28 putts
• Ko is in her second season on the LPGA Tour; she has five career victories, including the 2019 Bank of Hope Founders Cup, 2019 ANA Inspiration and 2019 Evian Championship
• This is Ko’s 17th event of the 2019 LPGA Tour season; she is the only three-time winner of the season, taking victories at the Bank of Hope Founders Cup, ANA Inspiration and Evian Championship
• She is competing in her second CP Women’s Open; she tied for 23rd in 2018

Rolex Rankings No. 173 Nicole Broch Larsen (66-66-66) 

• Broch Larsen’s 198 is the best 54-hole score of her LPGA Tour career; her previous best was 199, which she shot at the 2019 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship
• This is the third time that Broch Larsen has held the lead following any round, joining the third round of the 2017 CP Women’s Open and the second round of the 2019 CP Women’s Open
• She hit eight of 14 fairways and 16 of 18 greens, with 29 putts
• Broch Larsen is in her third season on the LPGA Tour; her best finish is a tie for third at the CP Women’s Open
• This is Broch Larsen’s 16th event of the 2019 LPGA Tour season; her best finish is a tie for 10th at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship
• She is competing in her third CP Women’s Open; she tied for third in 2017 and missed the cut in 2018

Rolex Rankings No. 8 Brooke Henderson (66-69-65)

• She hit 11 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens, with 26 putts
• This is Henderson’s fifth season on the LPGA Tour; she has nine career victories, which is the most of any Canadian professional golfer on the PGA and LPGA Tours
• This is Henderson’s 20th event of the 2019 LPGA Tour season; she has wins at the LOTTE Championship and the Meijer LPGA Classic, and has six other top-10 finishes
• She is competing in her eighth CP Women’s Open; she won in 2018, becoming the second Canadian winner in championship history

AON RISK REWARD CHALLENGE HOLE

No. 14, par 5

The world No 4 players remained the last Thai hope in the tournament after Ratchanok Intanon and Kantaphon Wangcharoen were eliminated from the Saturday’s semi-final competition.

Sapsiree and Dechapol upset world No 1 Wang Yi Lyu and Huang Dong Ping of China 21-16 21-16 in the semi-finals, avenging their loss to this same stage in the Thailand Open at home earlier this month.

“We were playing according to our plan. The side that took the initiative had the advantage,” said Sapsiree who along with Dechapol are now the first Thai mixed doubles players to reach the finals of the World Championships.

Waiting them on the opposite side of the net are nobody else but the defending champions Zheng and Huang who have beaten the Thai duo seven times in eight meetings. The only win Dechapol and Sapsiree posed over the Chinese rivals was in the semi-finals of the April’s Singapore Open where they went on to claim their only title together this year.

“We will maximize our effort out there and have no pressure. We’ve already achieved our goal by winning a medal in this trip,” said Sapsiree. She and her partner are at least guaranteed with a silver by reaching the finals.

Prior to Friday, Thailand had never before had players in three semi-finals of the tournament. But two were knocked out of the Saturday’s actions.

2013 champion Ratchanok Intanon played a formidable first game against 2017 champion Nozomi Okuhara of Japan before being worn down in three games 21-17 18-21 15-21.

“I was playing too defensive in the second game and was moving a bit slowly. I worked hard to get points from her but she earned easy points from my mistakes,” said Ratchanok who despite the loss still took some positive side out of it.

“Since I won here in 2013, I never reached the semis again until this year. It’s a good boost for me to keep working hard and improve my physical strength,” the former world No 1 added.

Kantaphon meanwhile went down to fifth-seeded Anders Antonsen of Denmark 21-15 21-10.

“I was a bit stiff today which allowed him to take control of the match. I was excited (being in the semi-final in a World Championships). My hand was a bit tight,” said the world No 15.

“I’m so proud to be the first Thai man to win a medal here. But I still need to go back and work hard. There’s still a long way for me to go,” Kantaphon added.

Repsol Honda Team’s Marc Marquez took pole number 60 of his career to steal P1 in a Q2 Silverstone stunner, with everything going down to the wire and a three-man freight train of Marquez, Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) fighting it out in the final seconds of the session. Over the line it was Marquez who took the upper hand, with Rossi set to start P2 after taking his first front row since Austin and Miller alongside the two men on the front row in third. Turn 1 is going to be a stunner.It was Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) who made it through from Q1 after finding themselves outside the top ten on Saturday morning, with the number 04 ultimately topping the session by 0.246 to set himself up for an assault on Q2. That Q2 didn’t disappoint, with the grid in the air until the final few seconds.

After the first run it was Free Practice pacesetter Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) who was on provisional pole, but the Frenchman came under threat once the final assault began. Rossi needed a lap time after having his maiden lap cancelled for track limits and ‘The Doctor’, Marquez and Miller came out of pitlane at the same time as a cat and mouse game proceeded on the out-lap, with no one wanting to lead.

After they’d almost ground to a halt on the Wellington Straight, it had to be go-time and needing a lap time the most, Rossi had to bolt. Marquez and Miller slotted into the tow, and all three were up in the first sector. And the second…and then the third – but Marquez was the man with the biggest margin, the reigning Champion a few tenths under Quartararo’s time by the final sector.

As the three barrelled round the final corner, Rossi was first over the line to take over at the top, before being deposed by Marquez just behind him. A split second later Miller stole third, leaving Quartararo relegated to fourth and a Marquez-Rossi-Miller front row.

As it transpired, an alarm on the dash had caused the Frenchman to switch to his number two bike and there wasn’t time to change the front tyre. So Q2 may have been out of reach, but El Diablo’s FP4 pace says he’ll be guns blazing on Sunday afternoon…

Alongside Quartararo on the second row is Rins after a solid session despite the Suzuki rider’s journey through Q1, with Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) slotting into sixth after he’s shown good speed all weekend at the track that saw him take his first premier class win. Dovizioso, who topped Q1, will line up seventh and will be gunning for another characteristic stunner of a start, although the Italian’s fastest laptime was identical to that of Viñales.

Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) was eighth fastest and starts just ahead of Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) after the home hero suffered a crash in Q2, with his teammate Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) completing the top ten.

Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) had a tough day at the track where he took his first podium and was P11, ahead of Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and the Red Bull KTM Factory racing duo of Pol Espargaro and Johann Zarco. Red Bull KTM Tech 3’s Miguel Oliveira was only just off the factory duo in P15.

A Q2 treat sees Marquez vs Rossi take centre stage, but there’s plenty of challengers waiting in the wings. The man who set the pace all weekend is certainly one of them, but a good eight riders will fancy their chances of a win or assault on the podium, so it looks like we’re set up for another Silverstone stunner. Tune in for the race LIVE at 13:00 local time (GMT+1) on Sunday afternoon.

Front row L-R: Rossi, Marquez and Miller
MotoGP™ Legend Jim Redman stops by SilverstoneRedman and MarquezRedman and Rossi

Marquez edges Navarro to take pole by just 0.043Championship leader beats the Free Practice pacesetter to P1 by less than a tenth

Front row L-R: Navarro, Marquez and Fernandez
Arbolino unassailable in the fight for poleItalian bests compatriot Dalla Porta to take the spoils at SilverstoneVNE Snipers’ Tony Arbolino converted his Friday pace into pole position on Saturday at the GoPro British Grand Prix, just escaping the clutches of Championship leader Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Leopard Racing) to take his third pole of the year by 0.079. Behind the duel at the front, an impressive rookie performance from rookie Raul Fernandez (Sama Qatar Angel Nieto Team) saw the Spaniard take P3 and his second career front row.It was Kaito Toba (Honda Team Asia) who topped Q1 to lead the troops through into Q2, with the Japanese rider joined by Fernandez, Ayumu Sasaki (Petronas Sprinta Racing) and the man leading the Rookie of the Year standings, Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) to do battle for the top 18 positions on the grid. The sun was shining, the stage was set and the field were ready to fight it out.

In that fight, a first run left Arbolino fastest and the clock ticking down as the field returned to pitlane. The plan? One final dash, with most the field leaving it late and having only seconds to spare as they streamed over the line for a final fast lap. But in such a huge group squabble, there were few able to improve…and Arbolino’s 2’11:631 was a goalpost too far for the field. The Italian took his third pole of the year, setting him up for an assault on a third win of the year.

Dalla Porta was the only man in the same postcode and the Italian was just 0.079 off his compatriot’s pole position, doing what he needed to do to start from the front row as he pushes to stretch his Championship lead ahead of Aron Canet (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team). Canet, one of the only riders to improve on his second run, which he opted to do in clear air, was 12th.

Raul Fernandez impressed to go from Q1 to the front row, four tenths off Dalla Porta, with Ayumu Sasaki another building on Q1 to impress in Q2. The Japanese rider heads up Row 2, ahead of Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse), who crashed in Q2 but had already done enough. Home hero John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) completes Row 2 as he prepares for battle on Sunday.

Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) qualified ahead of fellow rookie – and key rival in the fight for Rookie of the Year – Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia), with Marcos Ramirez (Leopard Racing) locking out the third row.

Sergio Garcia (Estrella Galicia 0,0) impressed to complete the top ten on his debut at Silverstone, finishing ahead of Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) and Canet. The three all bucked the trend and improved on their final runs. Jaume Masia (Bester Capital Dubai) and Romano Fenati (VNE Snipers) complete the fastest fifteen.

That’s it from Saturday at a sunny Silverstone, with the Championship challengers split, the home hero right in the mix and some fast faces raring to race. Tune in as the lightweight class attack this classic track at the slightly different local time of 11:20 (GMT +1) on Sunday.

Front row L-R: Dalla Porta, Arbolino and Fernandez

The 17-year-old Kim calmly rolled in a four-foot birdie putt to beat Mardan on the first extra hole held on the par-five 18th to pocket the US$19,250 top prize that put himself back in the race for the ADT Order of Merit title.

The Korean had fired a flawless five-under-par 67 to force extra time with Mardan, who battled to a 72, after the duo was tied on 18-under-par 270 total in regulation play at the Damai Indah Golf (BSD Course).

Kim birdied four of his five holes starting from the fourth before picking a crucial birdie on the 18th to match Mardan’s effort.

Mardan, who had held an overnight five-shot lead, could only salvage a 72 after mixing three birdies with as many bogeys, which all came in the opening nine.

Kim was grinning from ear to ear after making up on his earlier disappointment in Indonesia, where he was forced to withdraw from the Gunung Geulis Golf Invitational supported by Nomura due to an injury three weeks ago.

“To be able to come back to Indonesia to win following my injury setback was really fulfilling.

“I had to withdraw from the Gunung Geulis event because of the pain I suffered in between my shoulder and back. I went back to Korea to seek treatment and do my rehab, I was really determined and motivated to get back on my feet ahead of the Ciputra event.

“But today, I certainly did not think I could win as Mardan was playing so well all week long. Being five shots behind is a mountain to climb and I just told myself to give my best shot,” said Kim.

Kim’s victory propelled him to second on the Order of Merit with season earnings of US$41,227.85, just about US$2,000 behind leader Naoki Sekito of Japan (US$43,900.20).

“Game on. With this win, I’m now back in the Order of Merit race and relishing a big battle with Naoki for the rest of the season,” he said.

Kim, who won his first ADT title at the PGM ADT Tiara Melaka in June, is now only one win shy from securing a direct promotion to the Asian Tour.

He has been in a sensational form since the start of the season. Apart from the two titles, he also boast five top-10 results under his belt.

Indonesian top amateur golfer Naarajie E. Ramadhan Putra upstaged his more illustrious compatriots to earn a dream Asian Tour appearance at the Panasonic Open Japan in 2020.

Naarajie closed with an impressive final round 66 to tie for ninth place for his best-ever outing on the ADT. It will be his maiden Asian Tour start outside Indonesia.

Co-sanctioned by the ADT and the Professional Golf Tour of Indonesia, the Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament 2019 presented by Panasonic will be the 11th leg of the 2019 ADT season and the third event to be played in Indonesia this year.

The leading seven players on the ADT Order of Merit at the end of the season will earn playing rights on the premier Asian Tour for the 2019 season.

Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points are offered for all ADT events. The winner will earn a total of six OWGR points while the top-six players and ties earn points on a sliding scale.

Leading final round scores:

270: Joohyung Kim (KOR) 69-68-66-67, Mardan Mamat 66-69-63-72;

272: Micah Lauren Shin (USA) 72-64-69-67, Jack Harrison (ENG) 71-70-63-68;

274: Steve Lewton (ENG) 69-68-69-68, Sattaya Supupramai (THA) 71-68-67-68, Miguel Carballo (ARG) 70-69-67-68;

275: Daniel Fox (AUS) 67-71-67-70;

276: Naarajie E. Ramadhan Putra (INA-a) 73-70-67-66, Aman Raj (IND) 73-70-65-68, Seungjae Maeng (USA) 72-68-68-68, Peradol Panyathanasedh (THA) 71-66-68-71;

277: Udayan Mane (IND) 74-69-67-67, Brett Munson (USA) 68-69-71-69, Oscar Zetterwall (SWE) 75-65-66-71;

278: Kosuke Hamamoto (THA) 71-71-70-66, Seung Park (KOR) 71-72-67-68, Justin QUIBAN (PHI) 71-72-66-69, Jakraphan Premsirigorn (THA) 71-69-69-69, Danny Masrin (INA) 72-67-69-70, Naoki Sekito (JPN) 68-69-70-71, Ryan Troyer (USA) 72-70-65-71, Daiki Tsurumi (JPN) 73-66-67-72.

Fabio Quartararo’s (Petronas Yamaha SRT) savage 1:59.225 was allowed to stand to give the rookie phenomenon the advantage on Friday at the GoPro British Grand Prix with a brilliant new lap record, after the lap was initially disallowed before a photo review. The Frenchman was also fastest in FP1 to make it a full house on Friday, with a significant advantage in both sessions. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) sits as Quartararo’s closest challenger, 0.251 back, with Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) completing the top three as Yamaha stormed the timesheets.

FP1 started under cloudy Silverstone skies as the MotoGP™ riders got their first taste of the new asphalt, and it was Quartararo who came into FP2 with a half-second advantage over the rest. Marquez was again his nearest rival in the opening session and it was the number 93 who instantly led FP2, cutting Quartararo’s advantage to two-tenths on the overall timesheets. Other early improvers were home hero Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol), the British rider dipping into the 2:00s, while Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) and Crutchlow’s teammate Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) climbed into the top 10 as well.

Temperatures in England – believe it or not – were soaring and it seemed the riders were struggling to improve their times from FP1 at first, with Marquez’ benchmark putting him over seven tenths clear of the field for the first half of FP2. However, it wasn’t plain sailing for the seven-time Champion as at the Vale complex, Marquez crashed for the first time since Le Mans Q2 – but rider instantly up and ok. FP1 P4 finisher Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) then moved into second in the session, but then came Quartararo to cut the gap.

With eight minutes left, the timesheets lit up as fresh Michelin rubber was slotted in for a thrilling time attack. Riders like Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) – 10th in FP1 – had slipped down to the lower ends of the timing screens, but the Australian soon jumped up to fourth overall and the two Yamahas were on barnstormers. Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) looked set to go top overall and he did so with a new lap record, but ‘The Doctor’ didn’t stay there long as rookie Quartararo then hammered in his stunning 1:59.225: the quickest ever lap we’ve seen around Silverstone.

Viñales then got overhauled by Marquez as he beat his compatriot with a 1:59.476, with Rossi’s time putting him in fourth. Crutchlow and Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) moved up into fifth and sixth respectively, with Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) strong on fresh tyres to end the day seventh on the combined times.

Oliveira once again impressed to lead the KTM charge in P8, the Portuguese rider improving from P16 in the opening 45 minutes, with Miller’s aforementioned time enough to give him ninth overall. Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) took tenth.

Takaaki Nakagami, another who had their laptime reinstated, ended the day in P11, just ahead of Aleix Espargaro. Espargaro just missed out after the laptime reinstatements despite managing to get back out on his Aprilia Racing Team Gresini machine after first one completely cut out heading into Brooklands corner, and he ends the day in P12. Pol Espargaro, teammate Johann Zarco and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) completed the fastest fifteen.

A fast and furious couple of sessions on Friday now sets us up nicely for Saturday. FP3 should be dry, so there’s still time for the top 10 to change ahead of qualifying. Tune in for a crucial session at 09:55 local time (GMT+1).

1 – Fabio Quartararo* (FRA – Yamaha) 1’59.225

2 – Marc Marquez (SPA – Honda) +0.251

3 – Maverick Viñales (SPA – Yamaha) +0.540

4 – Valentino Rossi (ITA – Yamaha) +0.712

5 – Cal Crutchlow* (GBR – Honda) +0.768

*Independent Team rider

Navarro puts Speed Up in the driving seat at SilverstoneSpaniard leads Gardner and Fernandez on Friday

Campetella Speed Up’s Jorge Navarro went one better than he did in FP1 to finish Friday at the GoPro British Grand Prix as the fastest man in Moto2™, setting a new lap record of 2:04.993 to edge out Remy Gardner (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team) and FlexBox HP 40’s Augusto Fernandez on Day 1.

FP1 saw Navarro and teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio sit pretty at the top of the times as Speed Up got off to a perfect start at Silverstone, but it was Navarro who came out all guns blazing in FP2 as he went 0.8 quicker than the fastest FP1 time with 33 minutes left on the clock. And that was all she wrote in the fight for P1 on Friday.

Gardner and Fernandez moved up the timesheets later, with Lorenzo Baldassarri (Flexbox HP 40) ultimately completing the top four ahead of a solid showing from home hero Sam Lowes (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) in P5. The Brit has been on pole at Silverstone twice before.

Championship leader Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) ended the day in sixth despite a tip off, rider ok, with Austria polesitter Tetsuta Nagashima (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team) for close company. Marquez’ key title rival Tom Lüthi (Dynavolt Intact GP) was P8, ahead of Austria winner Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and veteran Mattia Pasini (Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2).

High profile replacement rider Bradley Smith put his Petronas Sprinta Racing machine in P27 on Day 1, but the Brit cut 1.3 seconds off his laptime from FP1 and there’ll surely be more to come on Saturday…

The times in Moto2™ were blindingly fast as the intermediate class rip around the newly surfaced Silverstone, but will the top 14 change on Saturday morning? The automatic Q2 places are still up for grabs so don’t miss the action at 10:55 local time (GMT+1).

Friday’s fastest:

1 – Jorge Navarro (SPA – Speed Up) 2’04.993

2 – Remy Gardner (AUS – Kalex) +0.129

3 – Augusto Fernandez (SPA – Kalex) +0.289

4 – Lorenzo Baldassarri (ITA – Kalex) +0.314

5 – Sam Lowes (GBR – Kalex) +0.328

Arbolino sets a benchmark to stay ahead of the chasing packItalian fastest overall on Friday thanks to a new lap record in FP1Tony Arbolino (VNE Snipers) set a new fastest-ever lap of Silverstone Circuit on Friday at the GoPro British Grand Prix, putting in 2:12.008 in FP1 and remaining unassailable come the end of FP2. The Italian’s half a second advantage was halved in the afternoon, however, thanks to Sama Qatar Angel Nieto’s Albert Arena as the Spaniard went quickest in FP2. Championship leader Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Leopard Racing) was third quickest, just 0.028 off Arenas.

Sunny skies at Silverstone saw everyone able to stretch their legs, and most riders improved in the afternoon. Darryn Binder (CIP – Green Power) was one of those who took the biggest leap forward, with the South African ending the day fourth overall as he cut more than two and a half seconds off his laptime. Tatsukia Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) also made big gains and completed the top five, just ahead of title contender Aron Canet (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team).

Kaito Toba (Honda Team Asia) was the second rider in the top ten, alongside Arbolino, who didn’t improve in the afternoon but he ends Day 1 in seventh, just 0.007 ahead of Austria winner Romano Fenati (VNE Snipers).

Replacement rider Jeremy Alcoba (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3) impressed to end Friday in ninth, 0.014 off Fenati, with Stefano Nepa (Reale Avintia Arizona 77) another impressive performer on Day 1 as he took tenth.

Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse), Ayumu Sasaki (Petronas Sprinta Racing), and Andrea Migno (Bester Capital Dubai) were next up, ahead of home hero John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing), who also renewed his contract on Friday. Jakub Kornfeil (Redox PrüstelGP) locked out the fastest fifteen.

McPhee and Kornfeil both crashed in the morning, and there was an incident that saw Kazuki Masaki (BOE Skull Rider Mugen Race) hit Dennis Foggia (Sky Racing Team VR46) in FP1. Raul Fernandez (Sama Qatar Angel Nieto Team) and Makar Yurchenko (BOE Skull Rider Mugen Race) also went down in the afternoon.

FP3 gets in gear at 9:00 local time (GMT +2) on Saturday to decide the direct entrants to Q2. Can the lap record get beaten again even before qualifying 12:35 (GMT +1)?

Friday’s fastest:1 – Tony Arbolino (ITA – Honda) 2’12.008

2 – Albert Arenas (SPA – KTM) +0.216

3 – Lorenzo Dalla Porta (ITA – Honda) +0.244

4 – Darryn Binder (RSA – KTM) +0.279

5 – Tatsuki Suzuki (JPN – Honda) +0.407

Marquez was forced to settle for secondViñales ended the day in third despite a tip off in FP1

Sapsiree and Dechapol (file photo)

The unprecedented scenario began when 2013 champion Ratchanok Intanon put up an impressive performance to pick off Singapore’s Yeo Jia Min 21-17 21-11 in the women’s singles quarter-finals, followed by Kantaphon Wangcharoen stunning victory over world No 2, Taiwan’s Chou Tien Chen, 21-16 11-21 21-14 in the men’s actions.

Thailand also had more representatives in the semi-finals when Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai toppled the Netherlands’ Robin Tabeling and Selena Piek 21-11 21-17.

The four Thais have already been guaranteed with at least one bronze medal each. Since winning the title six years ago and setting the record as the youngest women’s singles champion at 18, Ratchanok never made it to the last four until this time.

“I’m finally in the semi-finals again. I lost in early rounds in the past several years and I don’t expect to win or lose on Saturday. I just want to go out there and play at my level,” said Ratchanok who sets up a semi-final date with 2017 winner Nozomi Okuhara of Japan.

Kantaphon Wangcharoen (credit to Badminton Association of Thailand)

Meanwhile, 20-year-old Kantaphon upset the second-seeded Chen to become the first Thai man to reach the semi-final of the World Championships.

“It’s a dream come true. I lost my focus in the second game, so my coach told me to try something different. I’m quite surprised I’ve come this far,” Kantaphon said after beating the Taiwanese for the first time in five attempts. He will play Anders Antonsen of Denmark for a spot in the finals.

“No matter who I play, it will be tough. It’s the semi-final now, nothing is easy. I will try to do my best, and try not to think too much,” the world No 15 Kantaphon said.

Chen said: “I was leading 7-3 in the final game and lost focus. I need to realise what happened. He is so fast, which made it difficult. His smashes were difficult for me to play.”

Masrin is the highest ranked Indonesian on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) while Gandranata remains the only Indonesian to have won once on the Asian Development Tour (ADT), a feeder circuit of the Asian Tour, in 2016.

Kasiadi is the only Indonesian golfer to have won his country’s National open in 1989.

On the domestic circuit, the duo have won a total of 17 titles with both Masrin and Gandranata topping the Order of Merit twice in 2016 and 2018 as well as 2014 and 2017 respectively.

Ranked 970th in the world, Masrin’s best finish at the Indonesia Open was in 2016 when he emerged as the highest-placed Indonesian in tied-14 place.

The 26-year-old believes the comforts of playing at home together with his local knowledge of the Pondok Indah Golf Course will be his strengths as he takes on an international field that features current Asian Tour Order of Merit leader Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand and India’s Shiv Kapur, a four-time winner on the region’s premier Tour.

“I’m going to have a friend on my bag at Pondok Indah next week. He grew up playing there and knows the course very well. I’ve been playing a lot of practice rounds with him there. I’ve been hitting the ball well and it’s just going to come down to the putting and not making mistakes.

“I always enjoy playing at home because there’s a certain level of comfort as you get to stay at home and go through your normal weekly routine. I’ll have many people supporting me because we all know it’s going to be a big week. It’ll be amazing if an Indonesian can win the Indonesia Open. We are also hoping to put Indonesia on the world map,” said Masrin.

Gandranata echoed his compatriot’s sentiments on the benefits of playing on home soil and hopes to put in a noteworthy performance.

“It means a lot to play in our National Open and it’ll be awesome if I can do well that week. I’m a proud Indonesian and I’m expecting large crowds who will come to Pondok Indah Golf Course and support us.

“I’m starting to gain more momentum coming into the tournament and hopefully I can do  well next week,” said Gandranata.

The Indonesia Open has been credited for being the springboard to success for many of the Asian Tour’s players including past champions such as India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar, Thailand’s Panuphol Pittayarat and South Africa’s Justin Harding.

Their victories at the Indonesia Open have paved the way for them to go on and achieve greater success on the international stage.

In the spirit of closer collaborations and reciprocal opportunities with the Sunshine Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia, invitations have been extended to leading players from these Tours to play at the Bank BRI Indonesia Open.

The Bank BRI Indonesia Open is sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Indonesia Golf Association and is also supported by the following sponsors- Batik Air, Pertamina, Telkom Indonesia, Wika, PP Construction & Investment, BRI Life, BRI Agro and BRINS.

The event is the Asian Tour’s first stop in Indonesia this season and will be played from August 29 – September 1.