Beware of Tiger!!!

Yes! Beware of Tiger...

Europe’s winning Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie has warned his star player Lee Westwood to expect a backlash from Tiger Woods when he takes away his position as the world’s number one golfer.

The Englishman, who was the bedrock of Europe’s victory at Celtic Manor is  projected to take over the top spot in the Official World Rankings when the world’s leading players arrive in Shanghai for the WGC-HSBC Champions in the first week of November.

With Westwood resting his injured calf and Woods not scheduled to play before China either, the 37-year-old from Worksop will overtake the American superstar by virtue of losing fewer points from the back end of the two-year period that the standings are calculated from.

However Montgomerie says that Westwood has got to expect an immediate response when Woods gets to Shanghai.

“He won’t like being number two at anything and he’ll come out fighting, which is great for the tournament, fantastic for the event,” said the 47-year-old Scotsman, talking at a HSBC Charity Golf Day in Hong Kong to raise money for the children’s charity UNICEF.

“Knowing Tiger as I do he’ll probably go out and win the HSBC World Golf event, you’ve got to think that. He came out and played superbly in the (Ryder Cup) singles match. He was two down after two (holes) against Francesco Molinari and then was nine-under for the next 11 holes.  It was incredible golf! When he’s spurred on like that there’s nobody better.”

Westwood will first have to complete his recovery from an unusual injury high in his calf. He took the rest of August and September off trying to shake off the injury, which causes swelling in his ankle and lower calf as fluid from the injured muscle drains down his leg. Having returned for the Ryder Cup, his goal is to return in time for the WGC-HSBC Champions from November 4th-7th, a target made more likely by the fact that specialists have told him the injury is not one that can escalate.

“Hopefully, he’s back playing again. It’ll be fantastic to have the world’s top three players, and Martin Kaymer will be there – he’s fourth – it’s fantastic! Fantastic for golf!” said Monty, before pausing to consider how he’d respond should Westwood ask him for advice on how to handle being the world’s number one.

“The only thing that Lee Westwood can do is come over to Shanghai and win!
Lee’s playing as well as anyone in the world of golf right now, and as number one you’ve got to prove it.  I was number two to Greg Norman for a number of weeks back in 1996-97 and it’s a big deal when you’re up there. The expectation is that you are the best player in the world and you’re expected to go and prove it.

“Sometimes it’s not easy to do and Lee’s never been there before. I’m sure Lee’s nature and Lee’s personality will come through and he’ll be as anxious to win in Shanghai as Tiger… and as Phil, because if Phil wins in Shanghai he could probably go to number one. It’s very close and if Martin Kaymer has won a couple more events before then as well, he could be number one. It’s all go and it’s fantastic for the event,” said Monty, whose own personal goal, after dedicating the last two years to the Ryder Cup, is to get back into the winner’s circle in his own right and with it become the oldest ever winner on the European PGA Tour

Watch The STAR PLAYERS in Action!

The CIMB Asia Pacific Classic, Malaysia

A star studded field for the tournament at the Mines Resort and Golf Club from 28-31 October 2010 include Ryder Cup stars Luke Donald and Rickie Fowler; Retief Goosen, K.J. Choi and Robert Allenby. This is in addition to the likes of Ernie Els, Adam Scott, Tim Clark and Jeff Overton.

In addition to these names, CIMB also offered one of its sponsors’ exemptions to South Korean Y.E. Yang. Yang is the first and only Asian born player to win a golf Major when he won the PGA Championship in 2009. At No. 40, Yang is also the highest ranked Asian in the Official World Golf Rankings.

“These are some of the best players in the world. We look forward to the showcase in store at the end of the month,” said Effendy Shahul Hamid, Head, Group Corporate Communications, CIMB Group. “We had also offered a sponsors exemption to Y.E. Yang and are happy to say he has accepted our invitation. Having the only Asian winner of a Major compete here at the end of the month certainly lends additional relevance to the region as a whole,” he added.

The final committed list of PGA TOUR players for the tournament is listed below:

1.      Luke Donald (England)

2.      Ernie Els (South Africa)

3.      Retief Goosen (South Africa)

4.      Martin Laird (Scotland)

5.      K.J Choi (South Korea)

6.      Adam Scott (Australia)

7.      Ryan Moore (USA)

8.      Ryan Palmer (USA)

9.      Tim Clark (South Africa)

10.  Kevin Streelman (USA)

11.  Kevin Na (USA)

12.  Ben Crane (USA)

13.  Robert Allenby (Australia)

14.  Jeff Overton (USA)

15.  Bo Van Pelt (USA)

16.  Bill Haas (USA)

17.  Rickie Fowler (USA)

18.  Charlie Wi (South Korea)

19.  J.B Holmes (USA)

20.  Vaughn Taylor (USA)

21.  Carl Pettersen (Sweden)

22.  Tom Gillis (USA)

23.  Marc Leishman (USA)

24.  Michael Sim (USA)

25.  Heath Slocum (USA)

The first tournament sanctioned by the PGA TOUR in Southeast Asia, the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic Malaysia, will be held from 28 to 31 October 2010 at the Mines Resort & Golf Club. The tournament is co-sanctioned by the PGA TOUR, Asian Tour and the Professional Golf Association of Malaysia (PGAM). In its inaugural year, it will feature an international field of 40 players competing for a US$6 million-prize purse, with the winner taking home a prize purse of US$1 million.

The other players that make up the field of 40 at the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic, Malaysia will be the Top 10 players from the current Asian Tour Order of Merit and five players under sponsor exemptions.

  

Golf Malaysia Magazine - The Official Media Partner of Iskandar Johor Open 2010

Iskandar Johor Open Gearing Up!

Based on the list of eligible players after the cutoff date late last week, at least 22 local professionals are qualified to be in the illustrious field of the US$1.25 million
(approximately RM4 million) Iskandar Johor Open 2010 at the 6,271-metre,
par-72 Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club from October 14 to 17, 2010.
Shouldering the nation’s challenge at one of the biggest Asian Tour events
will be the undisputed Malaysia’s Number One, Danny Chia, who qualified for
the field having finished 29th on the Asian Tour Order of Merit (OOM) last
year. For the record, top 65 players from the Asian Tour OOM 2009
automatically qualified for the championship.
Danny, 38, made history by becoming the first Malaysian male professional to
make the cut at a major championship when he completed the British Open at
the Old Course of St. Andrews, Scotland in July on two-over-par 290, which
put him ahead of the likes of Ryder Cup star Ian Poulter of England,
European captain Colin Montgomerie of Scotland and former Masters champion
Zach Johnson.
Buoyed by that performance, where he figuratively had one monkey lifted off
his back, Danny will be looking at a better showing in the fourth edition of
the Iskandar Johor Open.
Besides Danny, two other local players qualified based on their rankings on
the Asian Tour OOM 2009. Iain Steel, whose tied fourth finish in 2008 is the
record best for Malaysians at the Iskandar Johor Open,  was ranked 53rd on
the OOM and Shaaban Hussin who ended last season ranked 65th.
Other notable Malaysians in the field are 2008 Worldwide Selangor Masters
champion, Ben Leong, 2007 Pakistan Open champion Airil Rizman Zahari,
current Asian Development Tour and Professional Golfers Association of
Malaysia’s Order of Merits leader, S. Sivachandran and M. Sasidaran.
Ten slots are provided to the top ten local players on the PGAM Order of
Merit who are otherwise not exempted. In addition, the top five players from
the recent Malaysian Qualifier also made it to the field.
Local players can still try to qualify for the Iskandar Johor Open via the
International Qualifier, which will take place on October 4 at Horizon Hills.
There are three slots on offer for the qualifying round, which is open
to regional, international as well as local professionals holding a valid Professional
Card from recognised Golf Clubs and Professional Golf Associations.
The top three players who return with the lowest gross score will win the
chance to play in the Iskandar Johor Open under the Qualifier Winners
category.

Golf Malaysia Magazine - The Official Media Partner of LPGA Malaysia Event

The inaugural Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia will offer two female golfers from Malaysia the chance to take on the world’s best through the national qualifier which will be played this week on 21-22 September 2010 at the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (KLGCC)
Contested over 36 holes across two days, the national qualifier will feature
a select field of nine promising Malaysian female golfers who will fight for
a place in the prestigious tournament, which will offer a purse of US$1.8
million at KLGCC from October 22-24, and Golf Malaysia Magazine is proud to be the Official Media Partner of this event.
The event already boasts superstars Michelle Wie, Cristie Kerr and Natalie
Gulbis as confirmed participants. It was also confirmed last week that Kerr,
the current World No.2 on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, will be
joined by the rest of the world’s top five players – World No.1 Ai Miyazato
from Japan, along with Shin Jiyai from Korea, Yani Tseng from Chinese Taipei
and Norwegian Suzann Pettersen who are currently ranked third, fourth and
fifth respectively – in the tournament (Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings as
at 13 September 2010).
Among the field competing in the national qualifier are Aretha Pang and Isza
Fariza Ismail, who finished fifth and sixth respectively during last month’s
regional qualifier. The pair, who are both 16 years of age, will be looking
to learn from that experience to finish ahead of the field.
The successful players from the national qualifier will account for two of
the 10 sponsors’ exemptions on offer for the showcase event, which will also
feature the top 50 players from the LPGA money list, joining Malaysian stars
Cindy Lee-Pridgen and Jean Chua who accepted the first two sponsors’ invites
last month. Last month, Tiranan Yoopan from Thailand and Malaysian Kelly Tan
clinched exemption spots to play in the event after placing first and second
respectively at the regional qualifier.
The Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia is a three-day stroke play event with no cut,
ensuring that players are in Kuala Lumpur for the tournament duration and
the local and regional golf community can catch their favourite golfers in
action the entire week.

The Blind Challenge

 

3 Blind Golfers Challenged the Pros 
 

Three blind golfers representing the International Blind Golf Association (IBGA) proved that people with disabilities can still lead a sporty lifestyle after taking part in a blind golf challenge that was organized ahead of the inaugural Handa Singapore Classic. 

The challenge was held at the Orchid Country Club, host venue of the US$400,000 full field Asian Tour event and played over holes one, eight and nine at the Aranda course. England's Neil Baxter, Malaysia's Yam Ting Woo and Australia's David Blyth were paired with Asian Tour's Unho Park of Australia as well as Singapore's Justin Han and Mitchel Slorach respectively who were all blindfolded to create a sense of realism. "It was fun playing with these Asian Tour professionals as for once, it was a level playing field," said Yam of the friendly challenge that was played in the Texas Scramble format. 

"The major obstacle for me when playing blind golf is hitting the ball. I can only visualize where the ball is, as I can't see it. It'll take quite a while for me to perfect the game but I'm enjoying it," added the 57-year-old Malaysian who lost his sight two years ago. 

For Pro Han, it was a very difficult experience playing blindfolded. “I totally respect these guys and I hope we can further raise awareness of blind golf through activities like this," he said

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Transview-Golf Malaysia Irons Challenge 2010

Preview

Calling All Iron Playing Golfers

Fancy playing a round of 18 holes with just the use of only irons? If you'd like to master your iron play then here’s your chance to compete in the Transview-Golf Malaysia Irons Challenge!
This unique all-irons golfing gem is designed to test both the seasoned and beginners’ skills and it is set to take place at the 6,448-metre award-winning Damai Laut Golf & Country Resort in Perak, on 2nd October 2010.
Organised by Golf Malaysia Magazine, the Irons Challenge entered the Malaysia Book of Record in 2000 has grown by leaps and bounds.
“Players have travelled from as far away as East Malaysia to compete for the prestigious title of Golf Malaysia Irons Challenge! One of the most asked questions of any golfer in this tournament is: ‘What type of club should I play with?’ Until you are forced to leave your longer clubs behind, you will soon know which iron to use in which situation and how far you are able to hit each club,” said Juliana Cheah, the Publisher of Golf Malaysia Magazine.
Supported by several sponsors such as TaylorMade Golf the Official Equipment Provider,
golfers must leave their drivers and fairway woods behind, as the only legal clubs to carry in their bags are conventional irons from 1-9 irons, wedges and putter, plus a bonus club, as in a hybrid-iron of a minimum 16-degree lofts. Players, however, are not allowed to use utility-woods or iron-woods.
Last year, Lam King Foo (7) muscled his way to the top of the leaderboard when he scored 40 Stableford (Modified) points to win the A Division honour at Damai Laut Golf Course. While Thulasidass (16), Dato’ Shamsuar Mahmood (22) and Roselind Nelly (12) were the B, C and Ladies winners.
In East Malaysia, Zakaria Hussaini (13), Balbir Singh (17) and Joseph Nyalau (20) skilfully negotiated their way through the Sarawak Club Golf Resort’s 5,839 metres Garden and Jungle nines to become the winner in their respective division.
Golf Malaysia Irons challenge is open to all amateur golfers and the format is under the Stableford mode of play with four divisions of winners.
The A category will comprise of players holding handicaps from 0 to 12; In category B, it will consists of golfers holding handicaps from 13 to 19 and category C caters to golfers holding handicaps 20 to 24 and the ladies will have their own division.
Prizes will be awarded to the top five (5) players in each category. In conjunction to Golf Malaysia’s 30th Anniversary year, there will also be a special prize for the person who sits on the overall 30th spot.
For those who are unable to notch any wins in their respective categories, there are lots of attractive novelty and lucky draw prizes to look forward to.
A free flow of Heineken beer will quench the drinkers at this year’s Golf Malaysia Irons Challenge. While Gatorade and Bleu mineral water and Singleton Single malt whisky will all add to the merriment of this special occasion.
Entry fees include green fees, cart, tournament shirt, a golfer goody bag, Taylormade Penta ball, attire, breakfast, lunch and sponsored drinks.
Golfers interested to participate in the Golf Malaysia Irons Challenge can contact Damai Golf & Country Club Tel: 082-84 6088; Damai Laut Golf & Country Resort Tel: 05-685 9330 and Golf Malaysia at 03-78805060 / 78805013 or email: golfmsia@golfmalaysia.com.my

Star Players

Singapore Open will see a US$1 million increase in prize money and feature marquee players Phil Mickelson from the United States, Australian Adam Scott, Ireland's Padraig Harrington and Yang Yong-eun from Korea.
The tournament will be held at Sentosa Golf Club from November 11 to 14 where a field of 204 players will compete on both The Serapong and The Tanjong Courses. The total purse will be a staggering US$6 million.
Last year, nearly 40,000 fans were there to watch England's Ian Poulter victory. Now, will these players be playing at the PGA Classic to be held at Mines Golf Club end-October before moving on to Singapore?
Stay tune as we bring you the news!