ASIAN Development
Date: 17-20. Apr. 2019.
Tournament Name: PGM ADT Penang Championship
Course: Bukit Jawi Golf Resort (PAR 72)
Venue: Malaysia
Prize money: RM 225,000
Players: 121.
17. Apr.
Round 1.
Leader: Amir Nazrin (MYS)
Score: 65. (-7)
Nitithorn hopeful of revival at the PGM ADT Penang Championship
Penang, Malaysia, April 16: Thailand’s Nitithorn Thippong will seek a repeat of his past success when he defends his title at the PGM ADT Penang Championship on Wednesday.
Returning to the venue where he claimed his maiden breakthrough last year, the 22-year-old remains hopeful of rebounding from his slump when he contends at the RM225,000 (approximately US$54,000) Asian Development Tour (ADT) event.
He will be part of the talented field of 121 players vying for honours at the Bukit Jawi Golf Resort. They include reigning ADT number one Miguel Carballo of Argentina, Thai duo Itthipat Buranatanyarat and Varanyu Rattanaphiboonkij and American Sam Gillis, who are all winners on the ADT.
Nitithorn was in supreme form in May last year, where he earned three consecutive top-10 finishes before lifting his maiden victory. He stayed consistent the rest of the year to notch five other top-10 results to finish in second place on the ADT Order of Merit and earn his Asian Tour card for the 2019 season.
“I don’t know how to explain my feelings coming back as defending champion. It is a mixture of pressure and familiarity returning to this course.
“This win last year meant a lot because I was playing well leading up to my maiden victory. It moved me high up on the Order of Merit ranks and I didn’t have to worry about trying to keep my ranking in the top seven for the rest of the season,” said Nitithorn.
However, the Thai has endured a slight dip in form and has not made a single cut this season, resulting in a loss of confidence. Seeking help from his mental coach to rid himself of his negative mindset, Nitithorn will adopt a different approach this week.
“I changed my swing in January and I do feel it getting better but I wasn’t seeing the results. I met my psychology coach last week and it really help with clearing the negative thoughts. I realised that I need to have fun with it and not focus on the technicalities in my swing,” added Nitithorn.
Two-time Asian Tour winner Malaysia’s Danny Chia will spearhead the local charge alongside Shahriffuddin Ariffin, Sukree Othman and Amir Nazrin at the event which marks the fifth leg on the ADT schedule.
The leading seven players on the final ADT Order of Merit will earn playing rights on the premier Asian Tour for the 2020 season.
All ADT events offer Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points. The winner will receive six OWGR points while the top six players and ties will also earn points based on a sliding scale.
Ends.
Leaderboard
18. Apr.
Round 2.
Leader: 3. Players
Score:136. (-8)
Nirun in three-way tie for lead at the PGM ADT Penang Championship
Penang, Malaysia, April 18: Thailand’s Nirun Sae-Ueng posted a three-under-par 69 to take a share of the halfway lead with countrymen Kasidit Lepkurte and Poom Pattaropong at the PGM ADT Penang Championship on Thursday.
The 23-year-old Nirun started his round on fire, chipping in from 50 yards on his first hole for an eagle. He went on to trade two bogeys against three birdies to compile a two-day total of eight-under-par 136 with Kasidit (65) and Poom (68) at the Bukit Jawi Golf Resort.
Three players sit in fourth place one shot behind the leading trio at the RM225,000 (approximately US$54,000) Asian Development Tour (ADT) event. They include Singapore’s Jesse Yap (71), Thailand’s Kosuke Hamamoto (66) and American Sam Gillis (67).
Nirun, who earned his maiden ADT victory in 2015, had a hot putter to thank for his round where he only totalled 25 putts.
“I was just really confident all day. Especially starting off with an eagle helped to kick-off the momentum. I knew that even if I missed the green I could get up and down from anywhere because I have been putting it good these two days,” said Nirun.
Hoping to translate his consistent tee-to-green approach into a victory this week, the Thai will be adopting the same game plan for the next two days.
“This course is very narrow so I just need to stay focused off the tee and keep making greens. If the pin is in a good position, I will keep attacking it like today, but if I feel I need to aim for the centre of the green then I will trust my instincts,” added Nirun.
Starting on the first hole, Kasidit birdied four of his opening six holes before dropping a shot on hole eight for an outward 33. He notched four more birdies and dropped a shot on hole 16 before grabbing a birdie on his way home for an inward 32.
“The course is difficult but I managed to make a lot of birdies today because I was hitting it well. I am very happy with how I played and hopefully I will keep up this momentum for the next two days,” said the Thai, who made his breakthrough on the ADT in 2017.
Play was suspended at 2.55pm local time due to heavy rain but resumed at 4pm. The halfway cut was set at one-under-par 143 with 50 players advancing to the final two rounds.
The leading seven players on the final ADT Order of Merit will earn playing rights on the premier Asian Tour for the 2020 season.
All ADT events offer Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points. The winner will receive six OWGR points while the top six players and ties will also earn points based on a sliding scale.
Leaderboard
19. Apr.
Round 3.
Leader: Naoki Sekito (JPN)
Score: 203. (-13)
Flawless Sekito steals the lead at the PGM ADT Penang Championship
Penang, Malaysia, April 19: Japan’s Naoki Sekito sizzled with an eight-under-par 64 to surge one shot clear of the field in the penultimate round of the PGM ADT Penang Championship on Friday.
Starting the round with a three-shot deficit, the 21-year-old Japanese underlined his intentions of a breakthrough on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) with his flawless round highlighted by eight birdies at the RM225,000 (approximately US$54,000) event.
He leads with a three-day total of 13-under-par 203 over American Sam Gillis (67) who trails by one shot in second place. Thailand’s Suttijet Kooratanapisan and American Trevor Simsby share the third spot with matching 67s.
Malaysian duo Amir Nazrin and Danny Chia both carded 66 to stay three shots off the pace in tied-fifth at the Bukit Jawi Golf Resort.
Sekito, who hails from Hiroshima, Japan, attributed his low round to a change he made in his putting grip that led him to navigate around the greens in 28 putts.
“I was putting very well today which was different from the last two rounds. After my game yesterday I decided to switch back to a normal grip, which I haven’t used in three years. But it worked out well today and I was rolling the ball better,” said Sekito.
Relishing the opportunity to play in the final group in only his second ADT event this season, the young Japanese will have his eyes set on making his mark on the region’s secondary circuit.
“I won a state event on my local circuit last month and I came into this week full of confidence. I am very excited for tomorrow and to play in the last group and I hope to get a first win on the ADT,” added Sekito, who enjoyed a joint runner-up result last month in Malaysia.
Starting from hole 10, Amir stayed bogey-free in his opening 10 holes, notching birdies on holes 11, 13, 16 and 18 before dropping his first shot on hole two.
He bounced back with birdies on three, four and six before dropping another shot on hole eight, but would recover right after with a birdie on his final hole.
“My round was amazing. I worked on my putting after my round yesterday and it paid off because I was making a lot of putts today. I ended my round with a great birdie putt from 25 feet which was a nice way to finish.
“I like where I am right now on the leaderboard and I hope to continue the momentum and play my own game tomorrow,” added Amir, who is also chasing for a maiden ADT victory.
The leading seven players on the final ADT Order of Merit will earn playing rights on the premier Asian Tour for the 2020 season.
All ADT events offer Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points. The winner will receive six OWGR points while the top six players and ties will also earn points based on a sliding scale.
leaderboard
FINAL ROUND
WINNER: Naoki Sekito (JPN)
Score: 271. (-17)
Sekito celebrates breakthrough at the PGM ADT Penang Championship
Penang, Malaysia, April 20: Japan’s Naoki Sekito captured his first Asian Development Tour (ADT) victory with a four-under-par 68 in the final round of the PGM ADT Penang Championship on Saturday.
The 21-year-old Japanese compiled a four-day total of 17-under-par 271 to win by one shot over Malaysia’s Danny Chia (66) and American Sam Gillis (68) who were tied for second at the RM225,000 (approximately US$54,000) event.
American Trevor Simsby and Malaysia’s Amir Nazrin carded matching 69s to take the fourth and fifth spots respectively at the Bukit Jawi Golf Resort.
Sekito entered the final round with a one-shot lead, but relinquishes that lead when he dropped a shot on his very first hole.
“I bogeyed my first hole after I pushed my tee shot to the right and had to chip out from behind the trees. But after that bogey, I was less nervous because I wasn’t the sole leader so I knew I could keep chasing,” said Sekito.
With the pressure of his spirited rivals off his back, he held his nerves to stay bogey-free for the rest of the round, notching birdies on holes two, seven, 10, 12, and 15.
“Right after that hole, I made a birdie putt from six feet which gave me that extra boost. I wasn’t hitting the ball very well but I was very lucky on my back nine. I chipped in on hole 12 from 20 yards for birdie and had another good birdie putt from 10 metres on hole 15,” said the young Japanese.
With his victory, Sekito took home a winner’s purse of US$9,529.28 and received six Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points while the other top six players and ties earned points based on a sliding scale.
“I told myself in January, that my goal was to win on the ADT and get into the top-seven on the Order of Merit. Now that I have won I am really happy and I can’t wait to call my family and tell them,” added Sekito, who moved up to take the fifth spot on the ADT Order of Merit.
Two-time Asian Tour winner Chia was thrilled to rediscover his form with a new putter in the bag this week. He traded two bogeys against eight birdies to enjoy his first top-10 finish in two years since his joint runner-up result on the ADT in July of 2017.
“I’m very happy with how I played this week, it has been awhile since I have had a top-10 finish. It was an up-and-down round where I had a good run of birdies from holes three to seven but three-putted on hole eight for bogey.
“Overall I am putting well and this week was a confidence boost. I can see the changes since I switched my putter and I am playing more consistent golf,” added Chia, who won his fourth ADT title in 2016.
The leading seven players on the final ADT Order of Merit will earn playing rights on the premier Asian Tour for the 2020 season.
Final Results
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