Storied HSBC Caddie of the Year Award Gets a Twist

The HSBC Caddie of the Year awards have become a mainstay event for both the HSBC Women’s Champions and the HSBC Champions. This year, a twist has been added to give further profile on the unsung heroes in professional golf. HSBC has partnered with Raffles Design Institute to launch a design competition for a unique caddie bib that the HSBC Caddie of the Year will adorn during the HSBC Women’s Champions 2010.

In a first for the tournament, this competition will see second year visual communication students from Raffles Design Institute submit designs that reflect a Singaporean flavour. The winner will be announced in February.

Each year, a caddies’ night is held the week of the tournament where players nominate potentials and the HSBC Caddie of the Year is crowned, recognising what they have done for the sport. This year, as an icing on the cake, a unique caddie bib will be presented to the winner and millions of fans worldwide will be able to catch a glimpse of the winning design when he or she wears it on the weekend.

Last year saw Helen Aldredsson’s caddie Tom Borwick take home top honours and he will be donning the winning design for the first two days of this year’s tournament, following which the 2010 HSBC Caddie of the Year will wear it on the weekend.

The HSBC Women’s Champions 2010 takes place from February 25 – 28 and is sanctioned by the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) and will be the third edition of ‘Asia’s Major’ where 63 of the world’s top female golfers will battle it out over 72 holes of individual stroke play with US$1.3 million prize money at stake.

Defending champions Lorena Ochoa and Jiyai Shin have already committed their participation in the tournament and more stars will be announced closer to the event. Along with two sponsors invites, the field will be completed by the winning Singaporean amateur or professional of a two-day local qualifying tournament taking place at Tanah Merah Country Club on 20-21 January.

Reflecting Back on the 2009 Season

The Asian Tour celebrated momentous milestones both at home and abroad in 2009 which will change the landscape of professional golf in the years to come.

Asian Tour stars sparkled throughout an enthralling season and produced historic achievements, with pride of place going to Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee, who became the first man to win three Order of Merit crowns, and Korean Yang Yong-eun, the first Asian to win a Major with his memorable victory over Tiger Woods at the PGA Championship.

Big-hitting Thai Chapchai Nirat also played his way into golf annals when he shot a stunning world-record 32-under-par 256 aggregate at the SAIL Open in India, which was the lowest 72-hole winning score amongst the six major international Tours.

There were many other notable landmarks, which included a first co-sanctioned tournament with the European Tour on European soil, and the first staging of a World Golf Championships in the region.

While Asian Tour Executive Chairman Kyi Hla Han conceded the global financial crunch affected all the Tours, he was delighted with the achievements of its members and other significant partnerships, which will maintain the game’s growth in Asia.

“As with all businesses, it has been a challenging season for the Asian Tour in respect to the global financial crisis and economic slowdown. However, we launched three new tournaments in Thailand while a number of other tournaments also enjoyed growth in their prize money allocation,” said Han.

“The achievements of Yang, Thongchai and Chapchai were the main highlights for the Asian Tour and it only serves to reinforce the giant strides that our players have made over the years.

“Yang’s historic triumph was a great moment for the Asian Tour. He featured on the Asian Tour for several seasons during the early 2000s and ultimately proved that one of our guys could triumph over the best in the world and win on a Major stage. His achievement has broken down all barriers and this will ensure only more Major success for Asian players in the years to come.”

Han added that Thongchai’s remarkable third Merit crown in a season which saw him miss only two cuts from 29 tournaments in Asia and Europe was another great example of how the Asian Tour has built worthy champions over the years.

“Thongchai’s success was significant as he became the first man to achieve this remarkable feat three times. He is a model of hope for many young players as he started his career on the Asian Tour and has now blossomed into a world-class player,” he said.

The Asian Tour also forged a formal alliance with the European Tour to fortify the existing co-sanction programme. This partnership, which led to the formation of EurAsia Golf Ltd, is essentially aimed at establishing new tournaments, increasing prize money and playing opportunities for players in this growing region.

The Asian Tour also established a partnership with IMG Media, which acts as its global sales agent and the effects have been immediate with new agreements in place with major broadcasters such as Sky Sports in the United Kingdom, Viasat in Scandinavia and Fox Sports in Australia.

Han said: “This year, we also brought in-house our television distribution and production facilities which will allow us greater opportunities to leverage the global appeal of the Asian Tour brand and our players.

“As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, we are the only players’ organisation in the region and our membership includes no fewer than 300 players from nearly 30 different nationalities. This holds a terrific appeal as we represent great players from Jeev Milkha Singh to Thongchai Jaidee, Scott Hend to Liang Wen-chong, Bae Sang-moon to Anthony Kang and Marcus Both to Lam Chih Bing.

“Our partners and sponsors continue to support the Asian Tour and in 2010, we will stage a strong schedule with no fewer than 28 tournaments and US$39 million in total prize fund.”

Han believes the arrival of Asia’s first World Golf Championships event where the HSBC Champions in Shanghai was elevated in its stature was a significant development.

“It showed that Asia has truly arrived as a powerhouse in professional golf and it will raise our profile even greater. Everybody knows that the next frontier for golf’s development is in Asia and we are focussed on our mission to grow the game and providing our players with every opportunity to showcase their talents,” said Han.

“Our forecast over the next three to five years will see the Asian Tour offering over 30 to 35 tournaments with excess of US$45 million in prize money which will reinforce our position as the third largest Tour in the world.

“Our players have consistently performed at home and abroad over the years and we anticipate they will continue to excel next seaszon. It is our belief that our players can continue to make their presence felt in Major championships and World Golf Championships as we now have a big pool of talented players who are capable of succeeding. With the economic climate looking positive, we continue to receive strong feedback from sponsors. They are looking at sponsoring new events and current sponsors are looking at increasing their prize money.

“The Asian Tour has had the right structure and foundation in place over the past five to six years and we are moving forward with our players’ full support and backing. As we are structured within the same framework as the US PGA Tour and European Tour, we are very positive of our future.”

Thongchai Voted Asian Tour Player of the Year

Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee was voted by his peers as the 2009 Asian Tour Players’ Player of the Year, capping a truly memorable season which set him apart from his rivals.

Thongchai won twice during the year, finished top-10 on three other occasions and did not miss a single cut - his lowest finish was tied 30th  ­­- en route to an unprecedented third Order of Merit crown.

Victories at the Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia Open and Ballantine’s Championship in Korea took his career tally to 12 titles, the most wins by a player in Asia, and saw him earn a career-high US$981,931 in 10 tournaments.

The Thai earned further accolades by sweeping the Lowest Stroke Average category with 69.06. It was yet another wonderful reflection of his continued rise in the game as his stroke average was 69.59 and 69.58 when he won the 2001 and 2004 Merit titles respectively.

Unheralded C. Muniyappa of India, whose classic rags to riches tale inspired many when he won the Hero Honda Indian Open, took home the Rookie of the Year title.

The 32-year-old wrapped up his season in 10th place on the Order of Merit with US$223,269 through one win and three other top-25s.

Big-hitting Australian Scott Hend earned bragging rights when he finished atop the Driving Distance category with an average of 318 yards while Korea’s Lee Sung hit the most fairways throughout the season with a 75% fairway hit rate.

Thai veteran Thaworn Wiratchant, who won his 11th Asian Tour title at the Macau Open, claimed the Birdie Leader award after snaring a total of 255 birdies throughout the 2009 season.

South Africa’s Jbe Kruger hit the most Greens in Regulation (GIR) with a strike rate of 79.98% to top the category while Thammanoon Srirot of Thailand took the Lowest Putting Average award with 1.691 putts per GIR.

The Sentosa Golf Club, venue of this year's Barclays Singapore Open, was voted by the players as the Host Venue of the Year for the fourth successive year, reinforcing its position as a premier club in Asia.

Along with the other stat category winners, Thongchai will be honoured at the Asian Tour Awards Gala in Malaysia in March.

2009 Roll of Honour
Order of Merit: Thongchai Jaidee (Tha)
Players’ Player of the Year: Thongchai Jaidee (Tha)
Rookie of the Year: C. Muniyappa (Ind)
Host Venue of the Year: Sentosa Golf Club, Singapore
Lowest Stroke Average: Thongchai Jaidee (Tha)
Driving Distance: Scott Hend (Aus)
Fairways in Regulation: Lee Sung (Kor)
Greens in Regulation: Jbe Kruger (Rsa)
Lowest Putting Average: Thammanoon Srirot (Tha)
Birdie Leader: Thaworn Wiratchant

The 2010 Race To Dubai Announced

The Race to Dubai on The 2010 European Tour International Schedule will feature a minimum of 47 tournaments, including six new events, culminating in the Dubai World Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The 2010 European Tour International Schedule will be launched with four events in South Africa – two either side of Christmas - starting with the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek Country Club, Malelane, this week, and will then travel through four continents before building to a thrilling climax in Dubai from November 25-28, 2010.

The curtain came down on The 2009 Race to Dubai with England’s Lee Westwood finishing the year in style by winning the Dubai World Championship presented by: DP World and securing The Harry Vardon Trophy by finishing European Number One.

The second edition of the Dubai World Championship will again carry a prize fund of US$7,500,000 while The Race to Dubai Bonus Pool remains at US$7,500,000 to be divided between the leading 15 players at the conclusion of the season.

The European Tour’s flagship event – the BMW PGA Championship - will take place over the new-look West Course at Wentworth Club from May 20-23 when the world’s best golfers will encounter the extensive renovations for the first time.

Six new tournaments will feature on the schedule: the Africa Open, at East London Golf Club, Eastern Cape, South Africa, from January 7-10; the Avantha Masters at the DLF G&CC, New Delhi, India, from February 11-14; the Hassan II Golf Trophy at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, Rabat, Morocco, from March 18-21; the Open Cala Millor Mallorca at Pula GC, Son Servera, Mallorca, Spain from May 13-16; The Vivendi from September 23-26 and the Andalucia Masters, at Club de Golf Valderrama, Sotogrande, Spain, from October 28-31.

Meanwhile Omega are the new  title sponsors of the Dubai Desert Classic, Nordea will title sponsor the Scandinavian Masters and Avantha are the title sponsors of the Masters event in New Delhi with which The European Tour International Schedule returns to India.

The highly acclaimed Bro Hof Slott GC, in Stockholm, will be included on The European Tour International Schedule for the first time with the playing of the Nordea Scandinavian Masters from July 22-25, while  the Tanjong course at Sentosa GC, Singapore, will be another new course for the Barclays Singapore Open alongside the Serapong course from November 11-14.

A number of venues also make a welcome return to the fold, such as Killarney Golf and Fishing Club, Co. Kerry, Ireland, which will host the 3 Irish Open for the first time since 1992. It has also been more than ten years since Penha Longa GC featured on the schedule, but the course will host the Estoril Open de Portugal on April 1-4.

The 2010 Ryder Cup, at The Celtic Manor Resort, City of Newport, Wales, from October 1-3, will be a key feature of the 2010 season, with players vying for a place in Colin Montgomerie’s European Team to face the United States until the qualification campaign ends at the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles from August 26-29.

Asian Development Tour Tees-Off in 2010

The Asian Development Tour will be launched in 2010 with a minimum of six tournaments aimed at creating a new playing platform for emerging stars.

The US$75,000 Air Bagan Myanmar Masters 2010 presented by IBTC will kick off the inaugural season at the Pun Hlaing Golf Course in Yangon from January 28 to 31, 2010, with other legs being finalised in the Philippines, Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and India.

Initiated by the Asian Tour, which is the official sanctioning body for professional tournament golf in the region, the Asian Development Tour will allow players who do not have full playing status on the Asian Tour via Qualifying School to hone their games and talent through a secondary circuit in Asia.

Players who compete in the 2010 Qualifying School will be eligible for membership on the Asian Development Tour.

It will be structured along the lines of the Nationwide Tour in the United States and European Challenge Tour and a minimum of three players at the end of the Asian Development Tour season will gain playing status on the Asian Tour in the proceeding year.

“We are delighted to announce the launch of the Asian Development Tour, which will greatly enhance and accelerate the playing standards amongst players who compete in the region,” said Kyi Hla Han, Asian Tour Executive Chairman.

“Through this initiative, we are working closely with regional golf bodies to assemble new and existing tournaments with prize money ranging from between US$60,000 to US$150,000.

“These events will give the current second-tier players on the Asian Tour the opportunity to cut their professional teeth and become better players. At present, there are many young players across the region who do not have direct entry onto the elite Asian Tour and the Development Tour will create the platform for them to gain the necessary playing experience through a competitive environment.

“Ultimately, the aim is for the Asian Development Tour to become the breeding ground for new stars to emerge and compete against the top players from across Asia,” said Han.

2010 Asian Development Tour Schedule
Jan 28-31: Air Bagan Myanmar Masters 2010 presented by IBTC
Jul 21-24: Kariza Classic, Indonesia
Nov 3-6 Indonesia Event tba

ABOUT THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT TOUR
The Asian Development Tour is a platform for emerging stars from around the world to pursue their golf careers where playing opportunities are created across the region to enhance players’ talents and competitive skills. Sanctioned by the Asian Tour, which is the official sanctioning body for professional tournament golf in Asia, the Asian Development Tour will provide the link for aspiring professional golfers to reach for the stars and join the pinnacle of professional golf in the region. 

Asian Tour announces 2010 schedule and also plans for a secondary tour, Asian Development Tour.

The Asian Tour announced their 2010 schedule with a minimum of 28 tournaments, which will include no fewer than five new events.

Kyi Hla Han, Executive Chairman, Asian Tour said the continued backing from major sponsors and golf bodies from across the Asia Pacific region will see next season’s schedule flourishing after a challenging 2009 season caused by the global financial crisis.

Two new tournaments, the Avantha Championship and Nimbus Pro-Am Championship, will be launched in India while two other tournaments will make their debuts in Malaysia.

The Tour is also finalising new events in Chinese Taipei and Vietnam while Han said a secondary circuit, the Asian Development Tour, will be launched in 2010 along the lines of the Nationwide Tour in the United States and European Challenge Tour for emerging players who do not have full playing rights on the Asian Tour.

The total prize fund on offer on the Asian Tour in 2010 will be in excess of US$39 million, reinforcing it as the third largest international Tour behind the US PGA Tour and European Tour.

The Asian Tour will travel to as far as Switzerland in Europe and to the Far East in Japan where players from 29 different nationalities will compete for lucrative purses.

Han said the Asian Tour was forecasting between 30 to 35 events with over US$45 million in prize money from 2012 onwards, thanks largely to the confidence within the marketplace and a number of factors which include the stellar performances of the region’s stars, the establishment of EurAsia Golf Ltd through a formal alliance with the European Tour, and a partnership with IMG, the world’s largest sports marketing company, as the Tour’s global media agent.

Additionally, Han added that bringing in-house the television production and distribution functions have also broadened sponsors’ benefits and enhanced the Tour’s TV platform for wider distribution in new markets and existing key markets. Amongst others, the Asian Tour has struck broadcasting deals with Sky Sports in the United Kingdom, Viasat in Scandinavia and Fox Sports in Australia.

“We are delighted to announce our 2010 Schedule which will include a minimum of 28 tournaments with over US$39 million in prize money, which reaffirms our position as a major international golf Tour,” said Han.

“Through the solid foundation which the Asian Tour has been built upon and through strong and strategic alliances with our sponsors and partners across 17 different countries in Asia and the international Tours, we are looking forward to exciting times for professional golf in Asia in 2010 and beyond.

“As a players’ organisation, the Asian Tour represents the elite professional golfers from across the Asia Pacific region - from the likes of Thongchai Jaidee to Jeev Milkha Singh, Yang Yong-eun to Liang Wen-chong and Lam Chih Bing to Scott Hend– and they will continue to enjoy numerous opportunities to compete in elite tournaments with substantial prize money.

“The success of our players, including the historic triumph by Yang Yong-eun in the PGA Championship this year and Thongchai Jaidee’s record third victory in our Order of Merit, has been a telling factor in attracting major sponsors onto the Asian Tour platform.”

Han said details of six tournaments will be announced by organisers and sponsors in due course. Dates for the Hero Honda Indian Open, the inaugural Asia Pacific Golf Classic, Malaysia and Johnnie Walker Cambodian Open will also be confirmed at a later time.

“We are an international Tour which represents no fewer than 29 different nationalities. The Asian Tour continues to hold a unique appeal through our diversity in our membership and the places that we visit and this can be seen by the growth of our Tour and the establishment of new tournaments in 2010,” he said.

The honour of being the season-opening event will fall upon the Asian Tour International, which will celebrate its third edition, in Suwan Country Club in Bangkok from February 4-7, 2010.

India, one of the emerging forces of golf on the global stage, will welcome back-to-back new events, the Avantha Championship and the Nimbus Pro-am Championship in February.

The Maybank Malaysian Open will be played in early March while other major events include the Ballantine’s Championship in Jeju island, Korea in April, won this year by Thai star Thongchai Jaidee.

The Asian Tour’s busy stretch of events will kick off from July till December. The Tour’s biggest events – the Barclays Singapore Open, the Hong Kong Open, Iskandar Johor Open and WGC-HSBC Champions in China – will be held during the latter part of the season from October, which will ensure another thrilling conclusion to the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit race.

2010 Asian Tour Schedule

Jan 13-16: Qualifying School Finals, Palm Hills GR & CC/Springfield Village Golf & Spa, Hua Hin, Thailand.
Feb 4-7: Asian Tour International, Suwan CC, Bangkok, US$300,000.
Feb 11-14: Avantha Championship, DLF GCC, New Delhi, US$1.5 million.
Feb 18-21: Nimbus Pro-Am Championship, Delhi GC & Jaypee Greens, New Delhi, US$500,000.
Mar 4-7: Maybank Malaysian Open, KL GCC, Kuala Lumpur, US$2 million.
Mar 10-11: British Open International Final Qualifying, Asia, Course tba, Kuala Lumpur.
Mar 25-28: Event tba.
Apr 1-4: Event tba.
Apr 22-25: Ballantine’s Championship, Pinx GC, Jeju island, Korea, US$2.9 million.
May 13-16: Event tba.
May 27-30: Event tba.
Jul 29-Aug 1: Brunei Open, Empire Hotel and CC, Bandar Seri Begawan, US$300,000.
Aug 5-8: Worldwide Holdings Selangor Masters, Seri Selangor GC, Kuala Lumpur, US$300,000.
Aug 12-15: Queen’s Cup, Santiburi Samui CC, Samui, Thailand, US$300,000.
Sep 2-5: Omega European Masters, Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club, Crans, Switzerland, US$2.8 million.
Sep 23-26: Asia-Pacific Panasonic Open, Course tba, Japan, US$1.5 million.
Sep 30-Oct 3: Mercuries Taiwan Masters, Taiwan GCC, Taipei, US$500,000.
Oct 7-10: Indonesia President Invitational, Course tba, Jakarta, US$400,000.
Oct 14-17: Macau Open, Macau GCC, Macau, US$500,000.
Oct 28-31: Iskandar Johor Open, Royal Johor CC, Johor Bahru, Malaysia, US$1 million (minimum).
Nov 4-7: WGC-HSBC Champions, Sheshan International GC, Shanghai, US$7 million.
Nov 11-14: Barclays Singapore Open, Sentosa GC, Singapore, US$5 million.
Nov 18-21: Hong Kong Open, Hong Kong GC, Hong Kong, US$2.5 million.
Nov 25-28: Event tba
Dec 2-5: King’s Cup, Venue tba, US$300,000.
Dec 9-12: Event tba.
Dec 16-19: The Tour Championship,

Dates to be confirmed
Asia Pacific Golf Classic, Malaysia 2010, The Mines Resort and Golf Club, Kuala Lumpur, US$6 million.
Hero Honda Indian Open, Course and prize money tba.
Johnnie Walker Cambodian Open, Phokeethra Country Club, Siem Reap, US$300,000.

PGA TOUR, Asian Tour to play event in Malaysia

The PGA TOUR and Asian Tour, in partnership with Carbon Worldwide and PGA Promotions of Malaysia, will introduce the Asia Pacific Golf Classic, Malaysia 2010 at The MINES Resort & Golf Club as part of the 2010 PGA TOUR late-season calendar. The dates of competition will be announced in the near future. It is a move that will seal Malaysia's place in the annals of golf in Asia Pacific and Southeast Asia.

This long-term agreement represents the PGA TOUR's first multi-year tournament agreement in Southeast Asia. The inaugural Asia Pacific Golf Classic, Malaysia 2010 will feature an international field of 40 players competing at The MINES' 7,280-yard, par 72 Robert Trent Jones Jr. golf course for a USD $6 million purse, with $1 million going to the winner. It will be part of the PGA TOUR's international television distribution package that has an international audience of over 450 million households around the world across 200 countries in 34 different languages.

The top 25 players from the PGA TOUR's final FedExCup standings will automatically qualify, as will the top-10 available players from the Asian Tour's Order of Merit. The field will be filled by five sponsor exemptions. At least one Malaysian professional will be guaranteed a place in the field. Carbon Worldwide will serve as the tournament host organization.

Details of the tournament were revealed during a press conference on Monday (7 Dec,) at The MINES Resort & Golf Club that featured Malaysian Prime Minister, Y.A.B. Dato' Sri Mohd Najib Bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak; YBhg Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew, Founder of The MINES; Mr. Matthew Rapp, Vice President Business Development, PGA TOUR, Ms Htwe Hla Han, Senior Director, Tour Development and Mr. Keld Kristiansen, Executive Chairman, Carbon Worldwide.

"Malaysia is rapidly emerging as Asia's leading golf destination, with over 200 golf courses currently available around the country. It has bloomed as the ideal destination for combining a memorable vacation with an exciting game of golf; and the hosting of a PGA TOUR event is testimony to Malaysia's strong golfing heritage," said the Prime Minister, Y.A.B. Dato' Sri Mohd Najib Bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak. He further emphasized on the importance of having such world class events in Malaysia that will enhance the country's standing in the international sporting arena."

"With a purse money of USD $6 million and the U.S. PGA TOUR commitment, I am confident that together, we can make this a great event in the Asia Pacific," said YBhg Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew.

Asian Tour Executive Chairman Kyi Hla Han said the Asian Tour was looking forward to its first collaboration with the PGA TOUR and expressed the tours' appreciation to the government of Malaysia, the MINES Resort and Carbon Worldwide for initiating the new and exciting tournament. "The launch of the Asia Pacific Golf Classic, Malaysia 2010 will create a wonderful opportunity for 10 Asian Tour stars to take on the elite players from the PGA TOUR."

Speaking on behalf of the PGA TOUR, Rapp said, "This is indeed very exciting for the PGA TOUR to be able to venture into Southeast Asia, an opportunity made possible through the commitment shown by the Malaysian government, the organizational capabilities of Carbon Worldwide and PGA Promotions of Malaysia, and access to a world-class golf facility in The MINES Resort & Golf Club. Southeast Asia has great potential for burgeoning growth in golf, and we are extremely pleased to take this significant first step into the marketplace."