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The Asia Pacific Golf Summit is back but with a BIG DIFFERENCE. It will be staged under a new format called “The Town Hall Debate”. It is designed to get general managers, golfing managers, owners and operators plus other management personnel from Asian golf clubs to become PROACTIVE and to act as a POWERFUL and COHESIVE group to shift the club industry into a high gear going forward! It’s time to talk back!

Golf’s First Ever Town Hall Debate

EQUIPMENT FOCUS28 Exotics DG Tour Series Putter: Glod’s Flat-Stick Magic!For those of you who have experienced the power of fairway woods from Tour Edge, you will understand this review on the company’s new line of putters. If there is one small manufacturer in golf that is punching way above its weight, it’s got to be Tour Edge. The company simply keeps churning out drivers, woods and hybrids that keep raising the bar with every new product iteration.

30 KZG’s OS-II Fairway Wood – A Game Saver!KZG has introduced the OS-II Fairway Woods featuring a large offset designed specifically for golfers who leave the club face open at impact or push the ball. It is a super slice saver!

32 The Cool New Swoosh Look!There’s an evolution that is taking place in golf apparel and the company that is spear-heading this thrust is Nike. Asian Golf provides a special preview of the Nike Golf Club Collec-tion which lays emphasis on this premise - you train in the gym, you go to the course, you practice, and then you come home and hang out. The evolution that is the new Nike Golf Club Collection essentially questions why a golfer should have to change five times?

COVE

R ST

ORY

20

6 Asian Golf Editorial Team 8 Shared Thoughts From Publisher 64 Next Issue

ISSUE 176 MAY 2015

14

18 It’s Happened – Finally Club Managers Get To Play And Compete!The Asia Pacific Golf Group in conjunction

with the staging of the 2015 Asia Pacific Golf

Summit will be organizing the Inaugural

Asia-Pacific Inter-Club Challenge Tourna-

ment. This tournament, played with two-man

teams drawn from clubs within the Asia Pa-

cific footprint will challenge for the coveted

Le Van Kiem Inter-Club Trophy.

20 Bill Morgan- Entrusted To Keep A Trusted Legacy GoingMany golfers the world over who place their

total trust on a Titleist Pro V golf ball may

not be aware of one man who presides over

the kingdom that is ruled and reigned over

by what is without doubt the winningest

golf ball in golf. And that man is Bill Morgan,

Senior Vice President of Golf Ball R&D at

Titleist. ASIAN GOLF had the opportunity to

sit down for a wide-ranging discussion on

GAME-IMPROVEMENT58 Black Hat Tips: Wipe The Rain From Your Windshield

60 Pro Tour Golf College: How to Make Changes to Your Golf Swing without Affecting Your Scoring AbilityDeveloping and improving your golf swing is more dif-

ficult the closer to par you get simply because making

changes to golf swings at this level usually means an

increase in the amount of mistakes made on the golf

course and a score average that starts to climb.

GAME-IMP58 Black Hat Tips: WRain From Your Wind

60 Pro Tour Golf CollChanges to Your GolfAffecting Your ScoriDeveloping and improvin

ficult the closer to par you

changes to golf swings at

increase in the amount of

course and a score averag

SPECIAL FEATURESthe one golf ball that golfers the world over

have learned to trust to deliver the results

they seek.

36 2015 Presidents Cup: Will Asia Make The Difference?The 2015 Presidents Cup is fast approaching

and one wonders if this will be yet another

walk-over for Team America or if Team Interna-

tional will put up a better performance. Asian

Golf presents its first preview of the clash.

42 Moribund Report: Asian Tour – What’s Happening Guys?A special commentary on the moribund state

of the Asian Tour by Mike Sebastian.

46 China Takes Charge!At the start of 2015, the Asia Pacific Golf

Group exhorted Asian stake-holders in golf to

take charge and be responsible for managing

and growing the game of golf. For too long,

the golf industry in Asia, especially Southeast

Asia, China and India has left the manage-

ment and promotion of golf events, tourna-

ments and even the routine management of

clubs in the hands of international companies

operating in the region.

50 The Chinese Dragon Stirs!With the Rio Olympic Games just slightly one year away, ASIAN GOLF has decided to take a serious look at what some Asian countries are doing to get ready for the games. We commis-sioned Mathew Scott to give us an assessment of what he sees happening in China. His first report looks at the progress being made with the ladies game:

54 Made In Mission Hills!There is no organization, public or private anywhere in Asia that can match the effort made by the Mission Hills Group of China to grow the junior game of golf. What is most impressive about the group’s initiative is that it is motivated towards growing the game of golf throughout Asia and not only in China. Asian Golf takes a look at what’s happening at its impressive production line.

36 5442

MIKE SEBASTIANChief Executive Officer/Managing Editor

[ mike@asiapacificgolfgroup.com ]

ANGELA RAYMONDPresident [ angela@asiapacificgolfgroup.com ]

RAQUEL M. ARCEGAArt Director & Ezine Development[ raquel@asiapacificgolfgroup.com ]

WAYNE LWEEVideo Editor/Streaming services[ wayne@asiapacificgolfgroup.com ]

MYRA PARASAccounts Executive

[ myra@asiapacificgolfgroup.com ]

LAWRENCE YOUNGEditor (New Equipment)

[ lawrence@asiapacificgolfgroup.com ]

ALICE HOMarketing Executive

[ alice@asiapacificgolfgroup.com ]

SAIFUL SUFIANArt Director

[ sufian@asiapacificgolfgroup.com ]

Photographers GETTY IMAGES

Contributing Professionals IMG ACADEMY, TONY MEECHAI, CHRIS SMEAL, DAVID MILNE & LAWRIE

MONTAGUE (PRO TOUR GOLF COLLEGE), NICK RANDALL, STEVEN GIULIANO

Correspondents ROBIN BARWICK (EUROPE), RISHI NARAIN (INDIA)

Contributing Editors TERRY ANTON, ALAN CAMPBELL, KATHERINE ROBERTS, AAERISHNA SHAHSTHY

Printer UNUSUAL PRINT PTE. LTD.

[ 231 Bain Street, #02-83 Bras Basah Complex, Singapore 180231 ]

Address ASIA PACIFIC GOLF GROUP (2014) PTE LTD

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Tel: +65 6323 2800 Fax: +65 6323 2838 Company Registration No: 201405689G

To Subscribeor register for a free preview at

MEDIA PARTNER

INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES

Contact: Mike SebastianEmail: mike@asiapacificgolfgroup.com

or Mobile No: +65 9152 8162

THIS MAGAZINE HAS BEEN PRINTED ON PAPER WHICH IS DERIVED FROM 100 PER CENT SUSTAINABLE PLANTATION FIBRE AND MANUFACTURED IN A FACILITY THAT HAS BEEN CERTIFIED TO ISO-14001 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM STANDARDS.

8 9 ASIAN GOLF

SHARED THOUGHTS From The Publisher

What more is there to say

than to declare that a

new mega star in golf

has arrived! Asian Golf

witnessed the arrival of

this Texas whirlwind when he played as an

amateur in the PGA Tour’s HP Byron Nelson

Championship in 2010. He played and made

the cut, becoming the sixth-youngest player

to make the cut on a PGA Tour event. He

played amongst the pros and ended in a tie

for 16th.

That’s when we realised that we had

a potential star for the future – not just a

star but an extraordinary champion! His

spectacular victory at the 2015 U.S.Masters

has convinced us that golf is in good hands

in the post-Woods era.

Spieth – is a massive talent - only

21-years old and he has attained success

way beyond the imagination of guys his

age. Besides his victory, golf has finally

witnessed the emergence of a star who will

give the game a clean, scandal-free and un-

blemished face. How refreshing is this! He is

the all-American package which is going to

inspire and draw more juniors to the game.

What he did at Augusta was historic

– the Texan tore out the old pages of the

record book and re-wrote the new records

he set. What Spieth did matched every-

thing that his home-state Texas is known

for – BIG!. He pulled off a win that was

massive and in the process, he blew away

every single record set by golfing legends

like Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.

As he walked up to the 18th tee at Au-

gusta, fans of golf rose to their feet and sang

out praises to the game’s new hero. Spieth

had been coronated the new king of golf!

Not only did he win the U.S. Masters, but

he clinched it in a record-tying performance,

shooting an 18-under 270 to become the

first wire-to-wire winner since 1976.

Spieth became the first Masters cham-

pion to lead after every round since Ray-

mond Floyd 39 years ago, and only the fifth

in the history of the tournament. He already

set new Masters benchmarks for 36 holes

(14-under 130) and 54 holes (16-under 200).

While history was created by Spieth, let

it not be forgotten that it was a historic day

also for Asia as five stars from the Continent

made the cut and went on to prove that they

had what it takes to survive playing at the

Masters.

Best performance was turned in by

Hideki Matsuyama who played the match

of his life to come in 5th with a score of

11-under par, just one stroke behind world

number one Rory McIlroy.

Other Asians included Sang-moon Bae

(T33), Seung-Yul Noh (T38), Anirban Lahiri

(T49) and Thongchai Jaidee (55).

Just when the king-makers of

golf started looking around

for a worthy successor to the

charismatic Tiger Woods, a

21-year old Texan steps up

to answer the call. It’s none

other than Jordan Spieth, the

second youngest to win the

U.S.Masters after Woods and

the third-youngest player in

PGA Tour history to win multi-

ple events before turning 22.

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12 13 ASIAN GOLF

The Asia Pacific Golf Summit (APGS) had its birth back in 2007

when the inaugural conference was staged in Singapore. It almost

seems surreal that eight summits later, one of the true great golf

conferences of the world is entering its ninth straight year. In that

time, APGS has toured the region with shows staged in China,

Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam and Indonesia. All the great

legends of golf like Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, PeterThomson,

Greg Norman, Tony Jacklin and Annika Sorenstam have shared the

APGS stage over the years not to mention most of the major gurus

of the golf industry. This has been the strength and appeal of APGS.

The 2015 edition of APGS will once again be staged in Singapore

but it will be an event with a difference – a major DIFFERENCE!

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14 15 ASIAN GOLF

COVER STORY 2015 APGS

After eight years, the time has come for a ma-

jor overhaul to the Asia Pacific Golf Summit.

One of the hallmarks about APGS has been

its bold outlook towards the golf industry.

From the very first summit, it has always

extolled the need for change and the need

for the industry to stay relevant to the times.

Perhaps the best adjective to use to describe the stand taken

by APGS over the years would be contrarian. It was not being

contrarian for the sake of being different and controversial. It ad-

opted this stance for one reason and one reason only and it was

brought about by different quarters in the industry waxing lyrical

about how golf was growing in Asia. APGS just wanted to tell it

like it is and uncovering the truth and telling it like it is, is never an

easy undertaking, especially when there are numerous naysayers

with differing agendas. But it is a job and someone has to do it!

What many of these proponents of the “reported growth

in golf” were not quite aware of are the trends affecting the

growth or lack of it in the industry. In a marketplace where

there is no empirical rule in place and no reliable market

statistics available, how does one even begin to talk about the

growth or decline of golf in Asia?

The past few years have opened the eyes of many in the

golf industry in Asia to realise that the challenges faced by the

industry in the developed world are in no way dissimilar to

what has been happening in Asia. The only difference being

that in the developed world, there is market intelligence to in-

form the players why the industry is tanking but unfortunately,

we don’t have the same information to guide us in Asia.

Out here in Asia, like in any new frontier being developed,

the industry generally flies by the seat of its pants. This is a fact

– it would interest many to know that up till a few weeks ago,

there was no reliable data-base to tell us how many golf courses

there are in Asia. Need we say more?

By now, most of you would have gathered where we are

headed with this tack. It is our believe that the time has come

for golf course owners and operators to take centre-stage and

give us the low-down on what is actually happening to the golf

industry in Asia as seen through their eyes. We want them to

come forth and share with the industry:

■ as to whether rounds are up or down;

■ if there are more golfers using their club facilities;

■ is there active recruiting and retention of members;

■ innovative marketing and communication strategies;

■ if their food and beverage services are to the taste and desire of

members and golfers;

■ if women are taking up the game of golf;

■ if more opportunities are being created for juniors to learn to

play golf;

■ state of recruitment and training of operational personnel for

clubs;

■ making and keeping clubs vibrant and profitable;

All of the above are critical areas which need to be addressed

and the industry needs to have the practitioners of the trade to

step up to the plate and share with everyone their challenges

and their victories, their highpoints, aspirations and their frus-

trations. Because therein lies the intelligence and direction

to take the golf industry in Asia forward!

We talked about a major overhaul to APGS. It is more

than just a major overhaul. We need to turn everything on

its head and create a universal platform for the industry to

provide a roadmap for sustainable growth that will serve

as the guide to success for golf club owners, operators

and the golf trade for every country that makes up Asia.

The people best qualified to take charge of this

will be those who have their hands on the very pulse

of the club industry – the general managers.

The Town Hall Debate format is therefore de-

signed to get general managers, golfing managers

and other management personnel from Asian

golf clubs to become PROACTIVE and to act as

a POWERFUL and COHESIVE group to shift the

club industry into high gear going forward!

The Town Hall Debate will be all about

interactivity which in today’s world is the

only way to address issues. It’s the sharing

of ideas amongst like-minded people that

will open up minds and make way for in-

novation and change for the better!

The Town Hall Debate format will

involve moderation of the floor by

highly skilled experts who under-

stand the art of directing group

thinking in an orderly manner.

Each debate session will be for

The past few years have opened the eyes of many in the golf industry in Asia that

the challenges faced by the industry in the developed world are in no way dissimilar to what has been happening in Asia.”

ISSUE 176 MAY 2015

It’s the sharing of ideas amongst like-minded people that will open

up minds and make way for innovation and change for the better!”

the duration of 90 minutes with the floor inter-acting for most of that time.

“This is not only going to be different but it is going to be participative,

controversial, sometimes combative but that’s what debates are all about

– we want to witness the high energy of the cut and thrust of debate

involving the movers and shakers of the club industry in Asia,”

explained Mike Sebastian, chief executive officer of the Asia Pacific

Golf Group, the owner and producer of APGS 2015.

APGS 2015 will be staged in Singapore on October 14 and

15 at the award winning Orchid Country Club and Resort.

Full programme details will be announced on the

APGS web site and On-line booking to attend

APGS 2015 is now open at

www.golfconference.org

IT’S DIFFERENT. IT’S REVOLUTIONARY. IT’S GAME-CHANGING!

Golf’s First Ever Town Hall Debate

It’s a refreshing change. Golf club management professionals and the golf industry will engage in a highly exhilarating discourse over two days that will feature the industry’s most engaging and engrossing dialogue led by delegates to the Summit.

It will be all about the vocal cut and thrust of debate at its very best. Delegates will share thoughts and ideas, challenges and frustrations and discuss trends shaping the future of the golf club industry.

The dialogue sessions will

be moderated by world class public speakers.

Come and be part of golf’s first ever Town Hall Debate.

The dates are October 14 and 15 and the venue is the award winning Orchid Country Club in Singapore.

Official Venue & Hotel Albatross Sponsorship Eagle Sponsorship

Strategic Business Partners Official Business Partner For Beverages

Book your seat now and be a part of golf’s evolving history in Asia!

OTHER EVENTS HIGHLIGHTS

Go to: agmawards.asiapacificgolfgroup.comVoting Ends – Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Go to: tinyurl.com/APGS2015

For More Details Visit Official Website www.golfconference.org To Register Go To http://tinyurl.com/APGS2015

Official Media Partners

18 19 ASIAN GOLF

SPECIAL FEATUIRE Golf Tournament

Did you know that golf club man-agers rarely get a chance to play golf? It’s a fact because most of the managers that we know hardly get out to play a round of golf. Of course there are exceptions but as a general rule, it seems that if you want to give up the game of golf, join a club’s management team!

The normal excuse given is that they have too much

work to be able to find time to play a round of golf,

especially on their own course. The reasons for this

are numerous but whatever the reason, the issue at

hand is why aren’t club managers playing golf?

Well, there are plans afoot to change all this. The

Asia Pacific Golf Group in conjunction with the staging of the 2015

Asia Pacific Golf Summit will be organizing the Inaugural Asia-

Pacific Inter-Club Challenge Tournament. This tournament, played

with two-man teams drawn from clubs within the Asia Pacific foot-

print will challenge for the coveted Le Van Kiem Inter-Club Trophy.

“This is a no-brainer and it’s been just waiting to happen,” said

Lawrence Young, the tournament director. “This tournament is all

about good, clean fun and more importantly, it is about network-

ing,” he pointed out.

Young has a point – besides the fun aspects of the tourna-

ISSUE 176 MAY 2015

It is our hope that this inter-club tournament will get the ball rolling so that we can seed the marketplace to

develop better co-operation and a spirit of camaraderie amongst club managers in the region.” – Lawrence Young

ment, what is really needed amongst club managers in the region

is good social and business networking. “Unlike America, Europe

and Australia, where club managers have an opportunity to get

together under the auspices of their respective associations and

association organized business conferences,” Young said. He went

on to add that this sort of networking provides great opportunities

and conduits to exchange ideas and share thoughts.

“It is our hope that this inter-club tournament will get the ball

rolling so that we can seed the marketplace to develop better co-

operation and a spirit of camaraderie amongst club managers in

the region,” Young explained.

The tournament will be run on the first day of the 2015 Asia

Pacific Golf Summit which will be held in Singapore on October 14

and 15. The venue for the tournament will be the Orchid Country

Club, an award-winning 27-hole golf course that has played host to

a variety of golf tournaments including the Asian Tour.

“We selected Orchid Country Club because it has all of the

qualities and facilities to make the tournament a fun event – a

great course, brand new buggies, outstanding food and beverage

catering facilities and a friendly ambience,” Young revealed.

Fun will be central to this tournament. There will be drink stops

serving quality beer and energy drinks, food kiosks that will ensure

that golfers are kept well-nourished and novelty activities galore.

“As I said, we want to have fun while playing golf and we’ve selected

to use a two-ball format which is perhaps specially designed for

players to have fun.”

There is no entry fee to participate in this tournament. To

qualify, players need to register as delegates to attend the Sum-

mit and there are 144 slots available. “Entry will be on a first come

first served basis and a two-man team can register on-line at the

Summit’s web site or contact Alice Ho at the APGG headquarters in

Singapore,” according to Young.

The Summit delegate registration link is:

https://secure.golfconference.org/event/asia-pacific-golf-summit-2015

The contact details for Alice Ho are:

e-mail: alice@asiapacificgolfgroup.com | Tel : 65-63232800

20 21 ASIAN GOLF

SPECIAL FEATURE Focus On The Titleist Golf Ball

ISSUE 176 MAY 2015

Many golfers the world over who place their total trust on a Titleist Pro V golf ball may not be aware of one man who presides over the kingdom that is ruled and reigned over by what is without doubt the winningest golf ball in golf.More professional golfers and amateur golfers are

beauty bearing the Titleist Pro V branding. This is no idle, baseless boast. It is a fact and has been so year after year for many years.

BILL MORGANSenior Vice PresidentGolf Ball R&D at Titleist

22 23 ASIAN GOLF

SPECIAL FEATURE Focus On The Titleist Golf Ball

You want proof? Well, let’s

lay it on you! The 2015

season has just seen three

months go fleeting by, and

Titleist was the number

one ball for more play-

ers and more champions

across the worldwide professional tours. At

the time of writing this report, Titleist golf

ball players had already recorded 29 victories

around the world, compared to 10 for the

nearest competitor.

You want to be even more impressed?

How does this grab you - since its introduc-

tion in 2000, the Pro V1 golf ball franchise has

been the golf ball of choice for more than

2,200 champions worldwide. And no other

brand comes anywhere close to this impres-

sive record.

Since this special feature is devoted

to the most-played balls on the PGA Tour,

there’s full justification to shine the spot-

light on some outstanding statistics scored

in the 2013-14 wraparound season:

■ Just imagine - The Titleist Pro V1

and Pro V1x combined for 26 PGA

Tour victories. The closest competitor

– a real laggard at 7 wins.

■ Just imagine - a Pro V1 or a Pro V1x

was played by a competitor 3,355

times. The next most-played ball was

used 707 times.

■ Just imagine - 93 golfers used a Pro

V1 or Pro V1x at the 2014 U.S. Open at

Pinehurst. The closest competitor: 20.

It’s no contest – It is like having the most

trusted and most reliable ally on your side

when you go to battle …. on a golf course!

Now, let’s get back to the man who car-

ries a massive burden (a good one at that) to

ensure that the winning streak enjoyed by

Titleist rides the wave of success year in and

year out without fail. He heads up the Titleist

Golf Ball R&D team, a unique job driven by

a commitment to continuous improvement

and innovation.

It will amaze you to know that this

crack team is made up of chemists, physi-

cists, mathematicians, computer scientists,

engineers and technicians, as well as PGA

Professionals and turf management special-

ists. All this for the production of a golf ball?

You bet! There’s no compromise and nothing

is left to chance in the production process.

It now becomes very obvious why the

man charged with leading a team comprised

of over 1,100 associates has got to be the

best man for the job. He is the custodian of

a process where every team member is ac-

countable to ensure that every Titleist golf ball

is manufactured to exacting standards. This is

vitally important to assure that every golf ball

performs consistently for every golfer, every

round and on every type of shot.

And that man is Bill Morgan, Senior Vice

President of Golf Ball R&D at Titleist. ASIAN

GOLF had the opportunity to sit down for a

wide-ranging discussion on the one golf ball

that golfers the world over have learned to

trust to deliver the results they seek.

The following are excerpts from the

discussion:

ASIAN GOLF: Fifteen wonderful years at the top – the sweet smell of success for the Pro V1 franchise must be undeni-

rewarding experience. How does Titleist look back on its phenomenal record? Perched at the very pinnacle of success for such a long time takes some doing!

Bill Morgan: We take great responsibility in

being the leader and continually delivering

the best performing, most consistent golf

balls to players at every level of the game. It

took our founder, Phil Young, three years to

develop the first Titleist golf ball and when it

was introduced in 1935, there was no ques-

tion it was the best golf ball ever made. Our

history and heritage drives us every day. Pro

V1 has been around for nearly 15 years now,

but Titleist has been the most played golf ball

at the U.S. Open for 66 years and counting.

Our mission and purpose has never changed.

We want to help golfers play their best. So we

come to work every day focused on making

the best golf balls in the game even better.

We know that every time a golfer tees up a

Titleist golf ball, they have entrusted their

game to us. We don’t take that for granted.

ISSUE 176 MAY 2015

We make Titleist golf balls, and we have complete ownership over ev-

ery step in our process – it’s that degree of control that allows us to provide the highest quality, consistency and performance in every golf ball. We know that every shot depends on it.”

AG: The Pro V1 brand has been unchallenged ever since it hit the world’s greens and fairways and it has been the ball of choice amongst both professionals and better club players. Give us a sense of how the brand has sustained its leadership position in what is generally described as a very

BM: The reason for the success of Pro V1 and

Pro V1x both on tour and in the marketplace

is simple – they perform the best for golfers

of all skill levels and swing speeds. Whether

you’re a tour player or someone who only

gets to play on the weekend, Pro V1 or Pro

V1x will give you the best opportunity to

shoot your lowest score. I’m often asked

about the original Pro V1 launch back in 2000

– what was the magic formula? Simple. For

the first time, the best performing golf ball

for tour players was also the best performing

golf ball for everyone. For pros, for amateur

golfers, for you and me. Pro V1 gave you

everything – distance, short-game control,

soft feel plus durability – you don’t have

to give anything up. From day one, Pro V1

has been synonymous with complete, total

performance. It is designed with every shot

in mind – not just your driver, not just your

wedge. It’s designed for every single shot

you’re going to hit throughout the course

of a round. And because of the investment

and commitment our company has made to

research and development, we’ve been able

00

ng

r

l

t

o

e to consistently make the performance of each

successive generation even better.

AG: From a layman’s point of view, a ball is a ball and how much technol-ogy can be engineered into it. This is really a misconception wouldn’t you

research and development that goes into the Pro V1 franchise to ensure that the ball delivers superior perfor-

BM: What sets Pro V1 and Pro V1x apart from

other golf balls? It’s everything we do. We are

golf ball makers. We have more people with

24 25 ASIAN GOLF

SPECIAL FEATURE Focus On The Titleist Golf Ball

more experience designing and making golf

balls than anyone in the industry.

In Golf Ball R&D we have more than 70

people who come to work every day with

one singular goal – to make a better golf

ball. These people are physicists, engineers,

mathematicians, chemists, computer sci-

entists – the list goes on and on. And they

don’t leave any stone unturned.

Of course, a golf ball design isn’t worth

much if you can’t make it properly. Every

single Titleist golf ball is manufactured by

our own associates. They’re made to our

performance, material, process and quality

specifications. We don’t buy golf balls from

anyone else and we don’t make golf balls

for anyone else. We make Titleist golf balls,

and we have complete ownership over ev-

ery step in our process – it’s that degree of

control that allows us to provide the highest

quality, consistency and performance in

every golf ball. We know that every shot

depends on it.

AG: Ever since the brand was intro-duced, it has never ceased to raise the bar on performance and quality with every product upgrade. This to the end user is intriguing – give us a sense of how you engineer the ball to travel longer distances and with better con-trol in terms of trajectory, spin etc.?

BM: Within R&D we have different teams

working on a variety of concepts that are

considered for each generation of product.

Some of those concepts may work this year.

Some may work in five years. Many will never

work, but we can’t know that until they’ve

been tested. We have an aerodynamics

group that works on dimple patterns as well

as the tooling we use to mold our golf balls.

We have a materials research group that’s

looking at new core, layer and cover formula-

tions. We have a team working on new paint

and coating systems. We have a construction

team that experiments with all the parts and

pieces and assembling them in different

ways. And there are teams working on things

I can’t tell you about. Eventually everything

coalesces and we begin the final product

development phase. We put the product

together and begin testing it with golfers.

Finally, we implement the final prototypes in

our ball plants to assess any manufacturing

changes and confirm the new product meets

all of our performance specifications and

quality standards.

AG: The two dominant models in the Pro V range are the Pro V1 and Pro V1X. Again, from a layman’s perspec-

-ties between the two balls?

BM: Both Pro V1 and Pro V1x offer excep-

tional distance. They’re long for golfers of

all skill levels. They’re long with the driver,

long with the irons, long in all aspects of the

game. Pro V1 has slightly more long game

spin than Pro V1x. They both have a very

tight and consistent flight and are very easy

to control in windy conditions. Pro V1 has a

lower, more penetrating trajectory. Pro V1x

launches higher. Both Pro V1 and Pro V1x

provide the best short-game scoring per-

formance in the game because of their pat-

ented thermoset urethane elastomer cover.

With the new 2015 models, we focused on

improving short-game control by soften-

ing the cover formulation, which gives you

more control on shots into the green. It also

makes the ball sound and feel a little bit

softer, which many golfers tell us gives them

more confidence. Like previous generations,

Pro V1 will feel softer than Pro V1x.

AG: Every generation of the Pro V se-

ries delivers something that creates user-buzz – like the current range is being positioned as the best ever from the Titleist stable. In this regard, how much attention does the compa-ny pay to player feedback, especially from players on tour?

BM: Our process begins and ends with

golfers. They tell us what the next new

Pro V1 and Pro V1x are going to be – not a

robot or a computer or anything else. We’re

always out in the field, talking to golfers,

asking them what we can do to help them

shoot lower scores. We test prototypes with

them and gather their feedback. We have a

group in R&D that spends all their time on

tour, working with pros on the range and

walking inside the ropes with them during

practice rounds. Every week, our Golf Ball

Fitting teams are at courses around the

world, talking with golfers of all skill levels

and swing speeds. We also routinely send

out test balls to our Team Titleist commu-

nity and ask for their feedback. We sent Pro

V1 and Pro V1x prototypes to more than

45,000 golfers this year. We conducted one

test with about 6,000 Team Titleist members

last March that really guided us in finalizing

the specs of the new Pro V1x. We put every

prototype through rigorous machine test-

ing, but golfer testing and validation is the

most important part of the process.

AG: From a player’s standpoint, the Pro V1 series is the “perfect product” and this is borne out by the fact that it is the winningest ball in play on the world’s professional tours. In this context, how much more can you re-ally do to make it better?

BM: That sounds like the perfect challenge.

We gladly accept.

ISSUE 176 MAY 2015

All golf balls are not created equal – from brand to brand, there are many differences in quality and performance, par-

ticularly when it comes to the scoring shots into and around the green. If you want to shoot your lowest scores, one of the first steps should be finding the golf ball that helps you play your best – and then playing that same model every round.”AG: There is an exact science to what you do to produce a Pro V1 ball and quite a bit of this has to do with the utilization of materials. In the area of materials, there is constant innovation taking place with new and improved products being pro-duced. This obviously impacts your R&D and manufacturing process. Talk to this?

BM: We have a team inside R&D that is

constantly researching and testing any new

rubbers, plastics, paints or other materials

that come on the market. If there’s a new

material out there that we think might help

us make a better golf ball, those guys know

about it.

AG: Looking into your crystal ball, are coloured balls going to become a mainstay?

BM: There will always be golfers who want

to play a coloured golf ball, whether it’s

just personal preference or, because of

their eyesight, they can see it better. But,

according to our research, we haven’t seen

a growing demand for them.

AG: Finally, there has been a lot of

impact on game improvement. This

is fairly central to your core business philosophy – share with us why you

and why it is important to play with the right ball?

BM: The golf ball is the only piece of equip-

ment you use on every shot, yet it’s remark-

able how many players still tell us that they

play “whatever ball I find in my bag.” That

decision will cost you strokes every round.

All golf balls are not created equal – from

brand to brand, there are many differences

in quality and performance, particularly

when it comes to the scoring shots into and

around the green. If you want to shoot your

lowest scores, one of the first steps should

be finding the golf ball that helps you play

your best – and then playing that same

model every round. You wouldn’t use a dif-

ferent set of irons each round, would you?

AG: Keeping on track with game im-provement, how is the revolutionary “green to tee” programmer intro-duced by Titleist doing?

BM: It really resonates with golfers when we

talk to them about the importance of their

scoring shots – their approach shots, pitches

and chips. These are the shots you need to

focus on when choosing a golf ball. The fact

is that all golfers hit more shots to the green

than they do drives. In a round of 85, a golfer

is hitting about 37 shots to the green. Every

golfer only hits about 14 drives per round –

so what sense does it make to choose your

golf ball based entirely on that one shot?

There are no sacrifices when it comes to the

performance of Pro V1 and Pro V1x. They pro-

vide exceptionally long distance for golfers

of all swing speeds with the best short-game

scoring control in the game. One of the big-

gest keys to shooting lower scores is hitting

the ball closer to the hole, whether it’s an

approach shot or a chip or pitch around the

green. And every golfer makes more putts

the closer they get to hole.

The best way to figure out which ball

is best for your game is to go to the golf

course and play. Bring a couple models,

along with the ball you typically play, and

compare their performance side-by-side.

Start around the green, and spend some

time hitting different types of chips and

pitches. Hit some bunker shots. Move back

and hit some partial wedge shots, then full

wedges, short irons, mid-irons – all the way

back to the tee. You’ll see bigger differences

on some shots than others, but by the time

you’ve gotten to the tee it’ll be obvious

which one will help you play your best.

26 27 ASIAN GOLF

SPECIAL FEATURE Focus On The Titleist Golf Ball

s though being the winningest golf ball on the

PGA Tour was not enough. Titleist had to add to

its string of wins with another major victory to

its cap – the 2015 U.S. Masters won by 21-year

old Texan, Jordan Spieth.

Not only did he win the U.S. Masters, but he clinched it

in a record-tying performance, shooting an 18-under 270

to become the first wire-to-wire winner since 1976. Spieth

became the first Masters champion to lead after every

round since Raymond Floyd 39 years ago, and only the fifth

in the history of the tournament. He already set new Mas-

ters benchmarks for 36 holes (14-under 130) and 54 holes

(16-under 200).

Jordan Spieth celebrates on the 18th green after his four-stroke victory at the 2015 Masters Tournament.

Bubba Watson presents Jordan Spieth of the United States with the green jacket after Spieth won the 2015 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 12, 2015 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

And his partner in success was the Titleist Pro V1x!

Serapong No.14

28 29 ASIAN GOLF

EQUIPMENT FOCUS Exotics DG Tour Series Putter

ISSUE 176 MAY 2015

The changes to this year’s model are not only cosmetic,

but the personal feel of the putters has been improved substantially. I’m proud to engrave my name on every Exotics putter.” – David Glod

So, what’s so great about the

new Exotics DG Tour Series

Putter? This is the question

Asian Golf posed to the

company’s visionary founder

David Glod and he shot right

back, “The changes to this year’s model are

not only cosmetic, but the personal feel of

For those of you who have experienced the power of fairway woods from Tour Edge, you will understand this review on the company’s new line of putters. If there is one small manufacturer in golf that is punch-ing way above its weight, it’s got to be Tour Edge. The company simply keeps churning out drivers, woods and hybrids that keep raising the bar with every new product iteration.

the putters has been improved substantial-

ly. I’m proud to engrave my name on every

Exotics putter.” Well, you can’t say that the

man does not speak with conviction – he is

absolutely emphatic!

The new series of putters continues

with artful conception and are personally

designed and hand-crafted by Glod to me-

ticulous detail and in true Exotics fashion,

are truly one of a kind.

“Putters are the most personal club

in a golf bag. My new Tour Series Putters

have been a labour of love and I couldn’t

be happier with the results,” he said. To

deliver the ultimate in feel and touch, the

putters are entirely CNC milled from a

solid block of carbon steel. The milled X-

grip face pattern provides unprecedented

feel and control on the green and reduces

skidding.

“The responsive, pure feel and

feedback of the face design translates

to incredible accuracy and touch and in

addition, each putter has a hand-rolled

leading edge ensuring that each stroke

glides smoothly through the ball, even

in the longer grass on the fringe,” Glod

explained.

The David Glod Tour Series putters

feature three tour inspired designs with a

high-toe profile to eliminate the tendency

to raise the toe at address, causing putts

to go left of the hole. Further enhanc-

ing the setup, the putters feature a True

Temper step-less steel shaft that provides

a clean appearance at address and a firm,

responsive feel.

Two sophisticated finishes are avail-

able, a silver-bead finish or black PVD fin-

ish in three models: V1.3 (full offset cavity

back blade), V2.3 (half offset cavity blade),

and V3.3 (semi-mallet). Each putter comes

with Tour Edge’s lifetime warranty and a

30-day play guarantee.

30 31 ASIAN GOLF

EQUIPMENT FOCUS Slice Saver!

ISSUE 176 MAY 2015

Do you always slice

your ball on hits from

the fairway? You

know how frustrating

that can get – well,

no need to hang your

head in despair anymore. There’s a new

club that will help kick this problem for

good!

KZG, the world’s number one cus-

tom club builders and fitters has just

launched the OS-II Fairway Woods that

have been designed to help eliminate

a slice and to assist those with a late re-

lease swing pattern. It’s a niche require-

ment that professional club fitters have

been calling for.

The OS-II Fairway Woods are perfect

for those players who are just starting

out and are looking to quickly eliminate

a slice with less frustration. Put the club

to the test and golfers will be thrilled

when they see their typical slices land-

ing on the fairway. The mid-profile de-

sign assures solid contact from any lie.

Moreover, the face insert is made from

KZG’s proprietary alloy, giving superior

rebound and distance.

“KZG is dedicated to growing the

game, and what better way than to

provide golfers with perfectly fit and

perfectly built custom clubs” reports Dr.

Jennifer King, President of KZG. “And to

meet that goal, there must be a wide

offering of models so that the fitter

can select the design options he or she

needs to achieve that perfect combo of

club and shaft. The OS-II Fairway Woods

are designed specifically for golfers with

unique swing patterns.”

Better players who swing from the

outside in with a late release will also

gain accuracy using the OS-II Fairway

Woods. The large offset design feature

literally moves the centre of gravity

behind the axis of the shaft, thus as-

suring a squaring of the club head at

impact. This design characteristic will

also increase trajectory to help get the

ball airborne.

The OS-II is one of six models of

fairway woods offered by KZG.

The slice saver is here and there’s no

need to fear!

KZG is dedicated to growing the game, and what better way than

to provide golfers with perfectly fit and perfectly built custom clubs.”

– Dr. Jennifer King

32 33 ASIAN GOLF

FASHION TREND Looking Good!

ISSUE 176 MAY 2015

There’s an evolution that is taking place in golf apparel and the company that is spear-heading this thrust is Nike. Asian Golf provides a special preview of the Nike Golf Club Col-lection which lays emphasis on this premise - you train in the gym, you go to the course, you practice, and then you come home and hang out. The evolution that is the new Nike Golf Club Collection essentially ques-tions why a golfer should you have to

34 35 ASIAN GOLF

You’ve got to hand it to

Nike for its innate ability

to sense new trends and

to strike out to grab the

first mover advantage

before anybody even

begins to stir. It’s a company that is engi-

neered from the ground up to be part of

the evolution of sport. Heck, its founder,

the legendary Phil Knights lives, breathes

and swears by evolution and it’s the ethos

of Nike.

This philosophy has manifested itself

in the latest golf apparel line from Nike

where the company, recognizing that the

lives of golfers have changed, has spun

out a range of clothes that tears away from

traditional golf attire. “There’s nothing

wrong with all the wonderful traditions

around golf, but for so long, we let rules

dictate what people should wear,” says

Kelly Tweeden, VP/Category Creative

Director of Golf.

Golfers, just like other athletes who

blend training and life, want to express

themselves on and off the course. “The

idea of putting on a costume to play golf

is an old idea,” Tweeden says. “You train

in the gym, you go to the course, you

practice, and then you come home and

hang out. Why should you have to change

five times?” The Nike Golf Club Collection

is one in which performance and per-

sonal style go hand-in-hand. This certainly

makes a lot of sense!

The Nike Golf Club Collection offers

key items for mixing and matching to ex-

press personal style. One of the hallmarks

is the Nike M-Swing Movement Polo,

which has a tailored fit and a retrofitted

Nike Golf logo. “We wanted the logo to

There’s nothing wrong

with all the wonderful traditions around golf, but for so long, we let rules dictate what people should wear.” – Kelly Tweeden

be a signal that we’re going to push the

boundaries,” Tweeden says.

The Nike Golf M-Washed Dot Shorts are

a radical departure from traditional golf

pants, but with fresh polka dots as a pat-

tern, they still playfully nod to golf’s history

of graphic pants. “I’m pretty sure that most

guys would say that it takes some pretty

bad weather to make them put on pants,”

Tweeden continues. “You want to wear

what feels right to you, what makes you

feel like yourself, and the pants is not that

defining style anymore.” Shorts are a bold

move, but one that makes sense.

Golfers are first and foremost athletes,

and they require innovative apparel to

meet their performance needs. The bulk

of the Nike Golf Club apparel collection

is made with Dri-FIT technology, to keep

players cool on and off the course. “Innova-

tion is the thing that always improves per-

formance,” says Tweeden. “Dri-FIT transfers

moisture from the skin to the surface of

the material, so it keeps you feeling drier

than regular fabrics like cotton.”

Fit is a key element in making apparel

perform as well as it looks, especially for

a generation of athletes who push the

limits of training. “Our players are getting

more and more athletic, and they really

are in top shape,” Tweeden says. “You want

minimal distraction, you want close to the

body, you want the best fit possible.”

“Through body mapping, we have

data that tells us where sweat patterns are

likely to form,” Tweeden says. The Nike Golf

M-Washed Dot Shorts have interior waist

tape and stretch fabric to help support a

range of motion. The Nike Golf M-Lockup

Tee has a rib crew neck with interior tape

to provide comfort”.

FASHION TREND Looking Good!

36 37 ASIAN GOLF

SPECIAL FEATURE 2015 Presidents Cup

The Presidents Cup is a series of men’s golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world minus Europe. The Presidents Cup has been held biennially since 1994. Initially it was held in even numbered years, with the Ryder Cup being held in odd numbered years. However, the cancellation of

KJ CHOI & NICK PRICETEAM INTERNATIONAL

ISSUE 176 MAY 2015

the 2001 Ryder Cup pushed both tournaments back a year, and the Presidents Cup is now held in odd numbered years. It is hosted alternately in the U.S. and in countries represented by the International Team. The 2015 Presidents Cup will be hosted in

Asian turf.

JAY HAAS & FRED COUPLESTEAM AMERICA

J.B. HOLMES

SPECIAL FEATURE 2015 Presidents Cup

The 2015 Presidents Cup is

fast approaching and one

wonders if this will be yet

another walk-over for Team

America or if Team Interna-

tional will put up a better

performance. This is the big sixty-four

thousand dollar question.

Historically, Team International has

never had a chance against the Americans

and form-watchers feel that Team Interna-

tional will again be clobbered. Looking at

the form book, Team International will have

an uphill battle to overcome Team America

which has a whole gaggle of hot, young

players to select from.

The captains of the respective teams

have already been announced. Team Inter-

national will be led to battle by Nick Price

who will be ably supported by his deputy,

South Korean K.J. Choi. Team America’s

boss will be Jay Haas who has selected the

affable Fred Couples to assist him.

Haas is not faced with a selection

dilemma because he has a massive pool of

young and highly talented players to pick

from. Based on the current Official World

Golf Rankings, this is the talent available to

him:

■ Bubba Watson■ Jordan Spieth■ Dustin Johnson■ Jimmy Walker■ Rickie Fowler■ Matt Kuchar■ Patrick Reed

■ Billy Horschel■ Brooks Koepka■ J.B. Holmes■ Kevin Na■ Chris Kirk■ Ryan Palmer■ Zach Johnson

And veterans like Phil Michelson and Jim

Furyk are going to be still available to him.

Against this formidable selection, what

has Price have as his options? It’s not too

bad really. To start with, his deputy Choi

is still a serious contender on the PGA

Tour having eight tour wins under his

belt. Besides Choi there are three or four

Australians like Adam Scott, Jason Day, Marc

Leishman and John Senden. Throw in a few

JAY HAAS ➠ TEAM AMERICA

JORDAN SPIETH RICKIE FOWLER

BUBBA WATSON

BILLY HORSCHEL

PA

TR

ICK

RE

ED

ZA

CH

JO

HN

SO

N

DU

ST

IN J

OH

NS

ON

CH

RIS

KIR

K

JIM

MY

WA

LK

ER

KE

VIN

NA

MATT KUCHAR

RYAN PALMER BR

OO

KS

KO

EP

KA

South Africans for good measure like Charl

Schwartzel, Louis Oosthuizen, Brendan

Grace, George Coetzee and veteran Ernie

Els and it looks like Price and Choi may have

their work cut out for them.

What makes this year’s clash between

the Americans and the international boys

different is the fact that the tournament will

be played on the Jack Nicklaus course in

Incheon, South Korea. This is the first time

that the Presidents Cup is being played in

Asia and this should count for something.

Home ground advantage coming in the

form of a very passionate South Korean fan

base should prove helpful. Choi should also

prove to be a major rallying force which

could serve as an adrenaline boost for Team

International.

The big question is whether Price will

include a number of Asian players on Team

International.

He will have a number of in-form players

to pick from and the most likely candidates

include the following:

■ Hideki Matsuyama (16)■ Anirban Lahiri (33)■ Thongchai Jaidee (43)■ Koumei Oda (73)■ Hiroshi Iwata (80)■ Sangmoon Bae (84)■ Shingo Katayama (96)

Price and Choi would do well to include

Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, Anirban Lahiri

of India and Thongchai Jaidee from Thai-

land. Sangmoon Bae also deserves con-

sideration. It will be interesting to see how

many of the identified Asians will make the

cut on Price’s international team.

The Presidents Cup has been held six

times in the U.S., twice in Australia, once in

South Africa and once in Canada. Each time,

the Americans have dominated and the

score to date stands at 8-1-1, including five

straight wins by a combined score of 95-75.

Will 2015 make a difference? Will this

be the year for Team International to pull

off their first victory? As it stands now, it

only looks probable and a fairly distant

probability at that. Who knows – Price and

Choi may pull the team together and if they

make the players gell as a tight, cohesive

fighting team, Team America better watch

out. Maybe kimchee power will do the trick

for Team International!

ANIRBAN LAHIRI

KO

UM

EI

OD

A

SA

NG

-MO

ON

BA

E

TH

ON

GC

HA

I JA

IDE

E

HIROSHI IWATA

SHINGO KATAYAMA

HIDEKI MATSUYAMA

NICK PRICE ➠ TEAM INTERNATIONAL

ISSUE 176 MAY 2015

Asia Pacific Father and Son Golf Tournament is back again. Fathers and sons or direct related members of a family will do battle to see who emerges as the best of the best in the region.

This prestigious tournament will be staged on November 1 & 2, 2015 and the host venue is the award winning Long Thanh Golf Resort in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

The tournament is open to any combination of family members – father, daughter, uncle/aunty and nephew/niece. This arrangement provides for a wider family involvement and participation.

The winning team will walk away with the Asia Pacific Father and Son Trophy presented by Vietnamese philanthropist Le Van Kiem.

In Celebration Of Fathers And Sons

NOVEMBER 1 & 2, 2015LONG THANH GOLF RESORT, HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM

Entry fee is set at US$450 per player and this will include: Daily two-way transfer from the Sheraton Saigon Hotel to the golf course. Lunch, refreshment and dinner on both days. Prizes and goodie bags. One practice round on October 31.

The Father and Son Tournament is designed to promote greater family involvement in golf and clubs are encouraged to enter club teams to participate in what promises to be a fun tournament!

ORGANISED BY: LONG THANH GOLF RESORT

Come and Be Part of the Region’s Only Total Family Golf Event ... The 2015 Asia Pacific Father and Son Golf Tournament!

ONLINE Registration is open at: http://tinyurl.com/fsgt2015

For enquiries, please contact Alice Ho at alice@asiapacificgolfgroup.com or call +65-63232800

DOWNLOAD PDF – RULES & REGULATIONS: http://tinyurl.com/fsgt-rr2015

42 43 ASIAN GOLF

SPECIAL FEATURE The Moribund Report

The mission of the Asian Tour is to expand tournament golf so as to

substantially enhance the careers of its members, thereby developing

and growing golf in Asia while maintaining a commitment to the

integrity of the game. Its principal role is the sanctioning, management,

marketing, technical administration, development and promotion of

professional golf tournaments in the region that form the series of events

known as the Asian Tour. The Asian Tour’s core activity is to generate

playing opportunities and increase prize money for its members through

the sanctioning and, in some cases, ownership of Asian Tour events.

Here’s a question for serious

stake-holders in golf – how

many of you have looked

at the Asian Tour lately or

even bothered to find out

what the Tour has been

up to of late? Chances are, I would draw very

disinterested responses from the majority.

And there’s a bloody good reason for

this “darn it, who cares” attitude. You see, the

Asian Tour has really been, for the lack of a

better word to describe it, INACTIVE. I just go

check out its tournament calendar for 2015

and if I was a professional golfer with a valid

tour card, I would find it very difficult to feed

myself and my family, bring up the kids and

give the family dog a decent meal once in a

while!

C’mon guys, for the current calendar

year, there are only three tournaments that

have been brought in by the Asian Tour.

There are two more still waiting to be con-

firmed and only the Divine Force knows

whether these tournaments will ever

materialise. The prize money for the three

confirmed events adds up to a princely,

eye-popping US$4.8 million and some

change. That’s hardly enough to keep

the back office of the Asian Tour properly

funded let alone provide for a cash pool to

pay playing professionals.

Something is not right and this being a

day of solemnity and worship, I don’t want

to delve into an issue that would result in

the opening of a can of worms. It’s amazing

This is Good Friday, a holiday and a day of worship for Christians the world over. It was a perfect day for me to chill out and ponder over some issues troubling the game of golf all over the world with Asia as the primary focus.

ISSUE 176 MAY 2015

how much political skullduggery is involved

and the mind games and agendas that

grown men indulge in while the guys who

depend on the game for their very survival

are kept in limbo.

I kid you not – out of 71 players on the

Asian Tour 2015 Money List, 52 guys have

made less than US$49,186.28 cents, which

is the poverty line in Australia for a couple

with two kids.

The guy at the 71st spot has only taken

home a pay-check of US$2,993! For this kind

of money, wives, girl-friends, mistresses and

the dog will leave home, never to return!

For comparison sake, let’s check out the

player on the 71st spot on the American

PGA Tour this year – it’s Lee Westwood who

has banked in US$569.036. And he’s got his

wife, kids and dogs living in grand style with

him both in America and in England!

Now that you have a better picture of

the plight of the Asian Tour professional,

let’s ask why there are so few events on

the calendar? The tour will argue that they

have a whole bunch of events lined up, but

under their breath, tour officials will whis-

per that they have joint-sanctioned events

between the Japan Tour, the US PGA Tour,

the International Federation of PGA Tours

and of course the European Tour.

44 45 ASIAN GOLF

SPECIAL FEATURE The Moribund Report

Another look at the 2015 Asian Tour tournament calendar will give you a

sense of how lop-sided things are with re-gards to co-sanctioned events versus those organized exclusively by the Asian Tour.”

MIKE KERR

I don’t have a bone to pick with this –

what I want to know is what’s happened to

the healthy line-up of Asian Tour events that

used to provide our Asian professionals a

tidy pool of cash to play for? This has literally

evaporated into thin air. The Asian Tour can’t

take credit for co-sanctioned events. These

are events that come from North America

and Europe and more often than not provide

additional playing opportunities for players

from their respective tours with slim pickings

for our Asian Tour players..

Another look at the 2015 Asian Tour

tournament calendar will give you a sense

of how lop-sided things are with regards

to co-sanctioned events versus those

organized exclusively by the Asian Tour. A

mischievous thought just entered my mind

– is the stage being set up for both the PGA

Tour and the European Tour to walk on to

Asian turf and claim all the empty slots in

the name of the “Globalisation of golf”? It’s

no laughing matter – it is a serious possibil-

ity and it can’t be ruled out because

both the American and European

tours already occupy space in Asia

and this is set to grow.

Again, we can’t see the Asian Tour

warding off these offshore forays be-

cause the tour lacks muscle, finance,

sponsors, media support and televi-

sion rights.

Now, what does the man at the

helm of the Asian Tour, Mike Kerr have

to say about the current state of af-

So, how does he plan to get the

LPGA to that grander stage? First,

let’s put everything into perspec-

tive. At the recently concluded

Kia Classic, winner Cristie Kerr

probably made about as much money as

somebody who came in 10th place at a

similar event on the PGA Tour. She earned

a check for US$255,000 with her victory.

That same day, little-known American Scott

Pinckney came away with US$179,800 after

tying for eighth at the PGA Tour’s Texas

Open.

Whan told Reuters, “If we can expand

that viewership footprint for the LPGA, we

will create greater purse opportunities,

greater financial opportunities.” According

to him, once a player has made it to the PGA

Tour, he is financially set.

He went on to add that making it to the

LPGA Tour is just phase one. Phase two is

making it on the LPGA Tour financially. Whan

felt that financial security was guaranteed

on the LPGA Tour only by players who had

established themselves in the top 70. “That’s

something I’ve got to change …. I’ve got

to make it that if you’re one of the best 200

female golfers on the planet, then there

ought to be an opportunity on this tour to

be financially successful.”

Since What took over the reins at the

LPGA in 2010, he has increased purses by

50 percent to more than US$60 million this

season and television coverage has doubled.

fairs? To be fair to him, I did not reach out

for his comments. Kerr, the chief execu-

tive officer of the Asian Tour was an invit-

ed guest speaker at the 2014 Asia Pacific

Golf Summit and he spoke with great

optimism about the future of the tour. I

won’t comment because you can listen

to him by watching this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dyVrDujYkI

One point that Kerr is very proud of

is that the co-sanctioned programme

has been very successful for the Asian

Tour. He was recently reported to have

said: “It allows Asian players to play

against some of the best in the world.

I see us working closer and in more

tournaments and more markets around

the world in the future,” he added. No

comment from me because I’d like time

to be the judge of this statement.

Anyway, all that I would like to see

is for those involved in the promotion

of the professional game of golf in Asia

to set aside their differences, egos,

agendas and whatever else that’s eating

them up to come to the negotiating

table and to work towards the greater

interest of the players who make a tour

happen.

So long as we let the cancers that

trouble the industry to fester and grow

unchecked without finding lasting solu-

tions, let’s prepare to kiss the Asian Tour

goodbye and roll out the red carpet to

welcome the proponents of the global-

ization of the professional game – the

money machines that are captained by

Tim Finchem and George O’Grady!

While the Asian Tour struggles to create a “pot-of-gold” for its players to shoot for, perhaps it can check out to see how Commissioner Mike Whan of the LPGA is striving hard to add more money to the players’ purses. Accord-ing to a recent Reuters report, Whan has set his sights on establishing a “grander stage” for the LPGA Tour by giv-ing it increased television exposure and making it more on a par with the men’s equivalent for prize money.

ISSUE 176 MAY 2015

MIKE WHAN

If we can ex-pand that view-

ership footprint for the LPGA, we will create greater purse opportu-nities, greater financial opportunities.”

46 47 ASIAN GOLF

SPECIAL FEATURE China Takes Charge!

ISSUE 176 MAY 2015

It is indeed both heartening and

encouraging that the Chinese have

taken the lead to take charge of

their own activities in golf. With

effect from last year, the China

Tour – organized by the PGA Tour

of China and is sanctioned by the General

Administration of Sport of China.

The China Tour is developed in partner-

ship with the China Golf Association (CGA),

the PGA Tour of America with management

and promotion being provided by the

China Olympic Sports Industry Company

Limited (COSI).

The organization that we are excited

about is COSI as this is the outfit that will

now assume the responsibility of organiz-

ing, marketing, managing and promoting

golf events in China. Put simply, this is an

example of a national organisation taking

full responsibility and accountability for its

own events in golf and other sports.

The China Tour is a series that builds

upon the PGA Tour’s longstanding rela-

tionship with the CGA by providing an

opportunity to advance to the world stage

through open competition and a quality

tour for elite players from China and other

countries.

When the China Tour was launched,

PGA Commissioner Tim Finchem said, “The

establishment of China Tour–PGA TOUR

China Series provides an opportunity

for elite golf professionals from China to

compete and develop on a quality tour and

advance to the world stage.”

The China Tour actually builds upon

the PGA TOUR’s longstanding relationship

with the CGA, providing an opportunity to

advance to the world stage through open

competition and a quality tour for elite play-

ers from China. It also provides access to the

Web.com Tour in America – the pathway to

the PGA TOUR for the season’s top players

and awards Official World Golf Ranking

48 49 ASIAN GOLF

points, which are the eligibility mechanism

to participate in golf at the 2016 Olympic

Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The series started in 2014 with 12

tournaments and the 2015 series which

started with the Buick Open at Mission Hills

in Haikou features 13 tournaments. Prize

money in 2015 for each tournament will be

approximately US$196,000, with approxi-

mately US$35,400 going to the winner.

Speaking at the original launch cer-

emony, the CGA’s Executive Vice President

and Secretary General Xiao Ning Zhang said,

“This partnership between the China Golf

Association and PGA TOUR will definitely

help for the better development of the

game of golf in China as well as the golf

players in China and it will provide an op-

portunity for China golfers to stay in their

home to compete in much higher level

tournaments”.

At the same ceremony, COSI’s President

Li Ping Sun said, “It is a great honour for

China Olympic Sports Industry Company,

COSI, to operate and promote the PGA

TOUR China series. In cooperation with the

China Golf Association and PGA TOUR, this

China is now in total control of the development of its elite golf

events and its elite players. The Middle Kingdom has set a good example for the rest of Asia to follow and to take control of its own events and tourna-ments because it is the only way to grow the game of golf in Asia!”will be a milestone for golf in China. I firmly

believe that this is the key component to

continuing the development of the golf

industry and increasing golf’s popularity in

China”.

Central to the success of a professional

tour is television coverage and COSI has this

covered. It has multiple existing broadcast

partners in China and a digital partnership

with SINA Corporation. A retail licensing

agreement has established nearly 40 PGA

TOUR-branded stores in China, with more

planned.

China is now in total control of the

development of its elite golf events and its

elite players. The Middle Kingdom has set a

good example for the rest of Asia to follow

and to take control of its own events and

tournaments because it is the only way to

grow the game of golf in Asia!

PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem flanked by Xiao Ning Zhang, Vice President and Secretary General of the CGA and Li Ping Sun President of COSI

SPECIAL FEATURE China Takes Charge!

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50 51 ASIAN GOLF

SPECIAL FEATURE Rio Olympic Build-Up

With the Rio Olympic Games just slightly one year away, ASIAN GOLF has decided to take a serious look at what some Asian countries are do-ing to get ready for the games. Golf will be making a re-appearance at the Rio Games and there has been a lot of hype that this development will result in golf being given a big boost especially in Asia. With the pos-sible exception of South Korea, China and Thailand, very little is being seen in any inspired move by governments or national golf associations to get ready for the games. We com-missioned Mathew Scott to give us an assessment of

at the progress being made with the ladies game. ■ By Mathew Scott

nd Thailand, very little is being nts or national mes. We com-ssessment of

es game. ■

ISSUE 176 MAY 2015

Janet Lin Xiyu certainly didn’t look out

of place when set up beside a trio of

Major winners in Inbee Park, Suzann

Pettersen and So Yeon Ryu during

promotional activities before the

recently concluded World Ladies Champi-

onship at Mission Hills Haikou.

The 19-year-old wasn’t fazed by the fact

the tournament’s organisers had somehow

managed to have Haikou’s famous Century

Bridge closed for a photo shoot, either. Such

experiences are all part of the game today,

Lin later explained, as the game continued

to expand its reach into Asia, and into China

in particular.

“There is more and more attention

on Chinese players and in golf in China,”

Lin said. “I am just happy to be a part of it.

Spending time with the top players, watch-

ing how they prepare for tournaments

and involve themselves in these things

is all part of the learning process I

am going through.”

Lin is at the forefront of a gen-

eration of Chinese golfers who are

making the game sit up and take

notice, not only of their talent as

they rise through its ranks across

any number of tours around the

globe, but of their approach to the

game and all that surrounds it today.

There were 17 Chinese players

among the field at Mission Hills

Haikou for an event co-sanctioned

by the Ladies European Tour and

the China LPGA Tour. As well as

the world 74-ranked Lin, there is

18-year-old Jennifer Yan Jing, who

SH

I YU

TIN

G (l

eft)

&

SH

I YU

LI (

right

)

52 53 ASIAN GOLF

SPECIAL FEATURE Rio Olympic Build-Up

There is more and more attention on Chinese players and in golf in China,

I am just happy to be a part of it. Spending time with the top players, watching how they prepare for tournaments and involve them-selves in these things is all part of the learn-ing process I am going through.” – Lin Xiyu

is also part of the lucrative LPGA Tour this

year, plus rookie LET player Zhang Jienalin,

the 18-year-old from Henan.

Chinese 16-year-old Shi Yuting also

teed it up and was making it a family affair

with 12-year-old sister Shi Yuli taking on the

role of her caddie. As well, there was plenty

of attention being focused on 13-year-old

amateur Ye Lei.

Feng Shanshan, the current world No.5

and winner of the LPGA Championship

in 2012 – the same year she captured the

inaugural World Ladies Championship – has

been the ground-breaker in terms of Chinese

players on the ladies tours. She emerged in

2007 and is continuing to add to a record

of achievements that now stands at 13 pro

events won to go along with the Major.

Both Lin and Yan say the 25-year-old

Feng has been a major influence – and friend

– to Chinese players emerging on tour, and

claim that the experiences she shares have

been vital in terms of their own learning

curves as they start to play among the pros.

“Shanshan is always there for all of us,”

said Yan, top amateur at last year’s Evian

Championship, the last Major event of

2014. “She invites us out for dinner and she

will help with simple things like suggest-

ing what hotels to stay at when we travel,

what restaurants to eat at and what we can

expect from the courses we play on.

“I have been working hard – I think we

all work really hard on our games. Overall

I have just been trying to get better at

everything. It’s the little details that matter.

Fitness is a big issue as well as I’m young

and have a lot to learn.”

So far this season Lin has been a shining

star for China after bouncing back from what ZHANG JIENALIN

ISSUE 176 MAY 2015

LIN XIYU

was a tough start to her LPGA career. She

regrouped late in 2014, her performances

giving her enough points to retain her LPGA

card for this season. Then came a five-stroke

win in last November’s Sanya Ladies Open,

her first win on the LET, while a joint third

in December’s Hyundai China Ladies Open

at Mission Hills Shenzhen secured her the

China LPGA Tour Order of Merit title.

“My game is getting better,” said Lin. “I

YE LEI

took some time off at the end of last year so

I’m a little bit rusty but I am feeling better the

more I play. We Chinese players get together

for dinners and talk about how we are doing,

help each other out, and I think that support

really helps our growth as players. We have a

lot to learn – but we are getting there.”

One might say the same about the

13-year-old phenomenon Ye, who divides

her time between the golf course and

international school in Shanghai. Like Lin,

she spends the week at Mission Hills Haikou

looking totally at ease with her surroundings.

At the recent World Ladies Champion-

ship, Ye finished in 55th place to claim the

leading amateur prize – a feat that was

previously beyond even the extraordinary

talents of current world No.1 Lydia Ko of

New Zealand, who played the event as a

14-year-old amateur in 2012 (when Yan

took the amateur title).

While accepting plaudits from the star

players, Ye has remained totally focused on

her game and where she wants it to go. “I

played really well the first day and that gave

me more room to make the cut,” she said. “I’ve

noticed from playing in professional tourna-

ments that putting is my weakness. I hope to

improve and turn professional someday.”

Lin, finished alongside Pettersen on

10-under par, three strokes behind eventual

winner Ryu and two strokes behind the

second-placed Park – three big-name play-

ers all ranked in the world’s top 10.

China is most certainly getting a crack

team of youngsters ready and besides pro-

viding the opportunities, young players are

also being given a chance to play amongst

the world’s best. This is what is going to

make China not only a force to be reckoned

with on the women’s professional tours,

but just as much a force when it comes

to battling for Olympic medals at the Rio

Games.

54 55 ASIAN GOLF

As part of its initiative to foster junior golf in China, the Mission Hills Group launched an ambitious programme whereby all junior golfers under the age of 16 would have free access to three of the resort operator’s golf courses starting in 2013. “We very much hope that this will benefit junior golf devel-opment right across the region and with golf now set to return to the next Olympics, these exciting developments

will provide a clear pathway for junior golfers to play their way to the Olympics”, declared Tenniel Chu, vice chairman of the group.

■ By Viv Best

SPECIAL FEATURE Junior Golf Development

ISSUE 176 MAY 2015

Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods could not believe

what they were hearing when they visited

Mission Hills in China some 18 months ago.

The two superstars were astonished – and

impressed – that the country’s premier golfing

brand keeps three of its 22 courses open, year-

round, free of charge, for players aged 16 and under.

“I think it is such a great initiative, it’s incredible. It will

bring more and more juniors to play golf,” was McIlroy’s

verdict. “I wish that when I was growing up, which wasn’t that

long ago, we had places like this where we could play golf for

free. It doesn’t happen very often.”

Woods was equally effusive. “It’s definitely a model people

should be looking at, it should be duplicated around the

world. They’re making golf accessible,” he said.

Mission Hills has always played a pioneering role in

China’s golf development – bringing global superstars and

world class tournaments to a whole new audience – and this

extends to running the biggest and most comprehensive

junior programme of any golf club in the world.

Not only does the club make golf accessible, it provides

a career path from beginner to elite level. Overall winners of

the Mission Hills Jack Nicklaus Junior Championship and the

Annika Invitational – hosted at the club by Swedish legend

Annika Sörenstam – are guaranteed starting slots in profes-

sional tournaments.

“We create opportunities for new young golfers,” said Head

of Academies Andy Kelly. “The first step is taking golf into local

schools, providing cost-effective and sometimes free tuition.

56 57 ASIAN GOLF

After this, juniors can start gaining valuable tournament experience in

our monthly Academy Cup, which introduc-es them to rules, etiquette and course man-agement. The next step is the Mission Hills Junior Series and, further up the ladder, the Nicklaus and Annika events plus the Faldo Series China.”

Tailored field trips have brought countless

numbers of children to our resorts where

they have had their first taste of a game that

can potentially last them a lifetime.

“Many of these first-time visitors sign

up to our increasingly popular summer and

winter camps, which give them a more in-

depth learning experience while broaden-

ing other skills that are required for golf

progression.

“At some point, many of them start

wanting to be like their golfing idol. So

progression from group coaching to private

tuition is advised when the time is right.

One-to-one coaching takes our driven

students to the next level using structured

lessons, goal setting and advice about fit-

ness and diet.

“After this, juniors can start gaining

valuable tournament experience in our

monthly Academy Cup, which introduces

them to rules, etiquette and course man-

agement. The next step is the Mission Hills

Junior Series and, further up the ladder, the

Nicklaus and Annika events plus the Faldo

Series China.”

So it was that Nicklaus girls cham-

pion Sui Xiang was able to play alongside

superstars Inbee Park, Suzann Pettersen

and So Yeon Ryu at the recent World Ladies

Championship. Annika winner Yin Yuanru

would have joined her if not for study com-

mitments. A year earlier, Annika champion

Ji Rong went to the World Ladies Champi-

onship and stepped up to the challenge by

making the cut.

Even without guaranteed places in the

field, Mission Hills Golf Academies protégés

are good enough to get in. Four graduates

from the club’s myriad junior tournaments

– 2013 Masters sensation Guan Tianlang, Jin

Cheng, Liu Yanwei and Wang Yichen – teed

it up at the PGA China Tour’s Buick Open at

Mission Hills Haikou in early April.

Aware that nothing beats meeting your

idols in the flesh, Mission Hills encourages

visiting superstars to do their bit for junior

golf. In the past 18 months alone, the club’s

young golfers have received clinics or

first-hand advice from the likes of Woods,

McIlroy, Sörenstam, Park, Pettersen, Ryu,

Nick Faldo, Greg Norman, Feng Shanshan,

Justin Rose and Ian Poulter.

“We will continue to create opportuni-

ties for the children of China. Firstly to be in-

troduced to golf, secondly to take the right

steps to grow,” said Kelly. “Our methods

combine fun, structure and development.

And for us, as teachers, it is just fantastic to

see youngsters grow to love the game as

much as we do.”

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy pose with golf juniors at Blackstone Course Mission Hills, Haikou, China.

SPECIAL FEATURE Junior Golf Development

Andy Stangenberg is not just another speaker.

He is a special performer who transcends all

of the known norms and boundaries of public

speaking. He is often described as a speaker

from "another planet" and this is attributable to

the fact that he does not conform to universally

acceptable standard procedures.

He is an un-boxed thinker and passionate

about all aspects of service and its delivery;

he is intense when he talks about leadership

and performance; and he is committed

to identifying and bringing out the best in

everyone he touches. Andy connects and

engages with his audience in a very interactive

and personal manner and this is what sets him

apart as a star performer.

"I have seen many top speakers in my time

but never have I witnessed so much energy,

drive and innovative thinking to match the

Stangenberg package. This guy will drag you

through all the emotions and senses - he will

make you laugh, cry and celebrate - all in one

sitting. This is the magic of Andy Stangenberg,"

is how noted international speaker Gregg

Patterson describes Andy.

Andy entertains and keeps you at the edge

of your seat throughout a session, he also

imparts knowledge that will help make

a definite difference to anybody who

watches and listens to him.

"Attending an Andy Stangenberg

session is like watching something

cataclysmic happening – he

is change in motion!" said Bill

Sanderson, a noted international

business coach.

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GAME IMPROVEMENT Black Hat Golf Tips

58 59 ASIAN GOLF

May is known for the start of the rainy season in

Thailand. However, the rain doesn’t affect golfers

all that much. It tends to rain maybe 30 minutes a

day which is good for the golf course turf.

What I like to remind golfers gearing up to

play more golf starting this month is to always focus on keeping the

swing motion simple.

The image in mind that has helped numerous students is to visu-

alize “windshield wipers” and how they work. The wiper goes back

and forth brushing off rain from the windshield.

As seen in the pictures, with every golf club, the swing motion

In Thailand, the month of May is the start of many valuable golf course promotions. Golfers, both domestic and international, look forward to playing Thailand golf courses this month to enjoy the great value.

Born and brought up in the United States, Tony Meechai won his first golf tournament at the age of nine. He began working in the golf

industry when aged 15 and competed in various Mini Tour and PGA Tour qualifiers after turning professional in 1994. Armed with a Bachelor’s

degree in Business Administration from New Mexico State University and a degree in Marketing and Professional Golf Management, he has

made a name for himself in Asia over the past decade, during which time he has served as Director of Instruction at Thailand’s Heartland Golf

Schools and Springfield Royal Country Club as well as presenting tips on numerous region-wide golf television shows. Recently, he founded the

Tony Meechai Golf Academy that combines a curriculum including academics and golf education for aspiring Tour professionals. Programmes

are in conjunction with international institutions throughout the world. For further information, please visit www.tmggroupasia.com or

email to tony@tmggroupasia.com

ABOUT TONY MEECHAI

www.tmggroupasia.com

ISSUE 175 APRIL 2015

should incorporate the fundamental move. I like

to demonstrate to my students to imagine the golf

club swinging back and forth just like if the golf

club was an imaginary windshield wiper (upside

down).

This paints a good picture to create more con-

sistency and keeps the swing motion “simple”.

First, stand in an address position. Then, swing

the whole club back and forth. I like to flip the golf

club handle so that the golfer holds the club head

and the grip end of the club is in the address posi-

tion. Then, I have the golfer swing back and forth.

This image helps golfers make better swings

and the impact of the clubhead and the ball is

more centre.

So remember, every time it rains while you are

driving, think of the windshield wiper working and

how it can be applied to your golf game to keep

your swing simple and consistent!

Trust me! You’ll hit better shots in no time!

David Milne (left) and Lawrie Montague (right).

60 61 ASIAN GOLF

GAME IMPROVEMENT Pro Tour Golf College

We were talking the other day about how much easier it would be for serious amateurs and even professional golfers to improve their golf swing if they understood some very simple planning concepts that would make it much easier to determine when to perform work on their golf swing and when not to.

Developing and improving your golf swing is more difficult the

closer to par you get simply because making changes to golf

swings at this level usually means an increase in the amount

of mistakes made on the golf course and a score average that

starts to climb.

Not to mention the hit your confidence level takes.

So how do you make changes to your golf swing where you go from not

yet competent to competent without dramatically affecting your performances

on the golf course in tournaments?

If you are a serious golfer then playing in tournaments is a priority for you.

Therefore the key to managing the swing change process is to identify the

ideal time in your schedule to make the change so that you can be ready to

perform when your tournaments come around.

The Swing Change TaperFor example, imagine that your tournament season started in March, when do

you think would be the best time to work on swing changes in preparation for

the start of your season?

If the tournaments begin in the middle of March, you should have ceased

working on technical changes at least 6 weeks out from your first tournament.

That’s right; you need this much time to make the transition from technical skill

development into targeting skill (shot-making) development.

So how long do you spend in the technical phase to ensure that your

change is habituated enough to perform with it?

Well it depends, but ideally your swing development process would start at

the end of your previous season, so let’s say that your season ended in October,

then you would work on your swing change through November, December

and January and you’d finish the technical phase by the start of February.

You can see that you would be spending fully 12 weeks working on making

the changes and giving you enough lead time to develop your shot-making

powers prior to competing in your first tournament.

ISSUE 176 MAY 2015

Golf Swing Change... Keep It Simple

Now there is a caveat or cautionary note here. The change

to your golf stroke should rate as very low on the complexity

scale. That is, the more complex the change (i.e. more elements

involved in the change), the longer it will take.

The 70 Percent RuleWe have known amateur and professional golfers who have at-

tempted complex swing changes with their golf swing instruc-

tor whilst trying to compete in tournaments.

This makes not one bit of sense.

To compete in tournaments you need all your skills to be

at a very high level of competence, trust and confidence. In

62 63 ASIAN GOLF

GAME IMPROVEMENT Pro Tour Golf College

our program at Pro Tour Golf College we

suggest to our students that they reach a

70 percent threshold in skill competency

before they take their new swing changes

into battle.

When you make a change to your golf

stroke (any type of stroke) you will begin at

a low level of competence where mistakes

are high and confidence and trust is low.

This is a normal part of the change process

and every golfer has to go through this.

But there’s a way to ensure that the

change you make is manageable so that

you can achieve a high level of compe-

tence, trust and confidence within your 18

week development window.

Reduce Complexity to Increase CompetencyWhen you are planning to make the change

to your golf stroke you should sit down

with your instructor to determine what

needs to change and why. Why you make

the change is very important, and the

rule here is simple; only make

the change if you know that

it will lead to a lower score

average.

Do not make the

change to make the

stroke look better, it

must function better,

and ultimately lead

to a lower score

average.

The professional

golf tours are full of golfers with great

looking golf swings who can’t make nearly

enough cuts to make a living on tour.

This is a sad reality of elite golf, and

from our perspective it doesn’t have to be

this way.

The point we are making here is make

the change to improve your score average,

or don’t make the change at all, because

once you start on the path to change you

can’t go back.

Now you may not agree with this

advice, but ask yourself why you want to

improve some aspect of your golf stroke.

I’m sure when all is said and done you

wanted to write lower scores on your score

card right?

We have seen many golfers who had

good intentions of changing their golf

swing only to discover that they got worse,

and worse yet, they never got back to their

original performance level.

Seriously, Keep It SimpleSo how you manage the

change process begins with

an informed decision about

how much of your stroke

needs to change. Think

about it like this, if you can change

just one aspect of your stroke—

say moving a right hand grip posi-

tion from too weak to neutral, then

that would be a change in the low

complexity sphere.

However, also add a change to

how you cock the club on the backswing as

well, and the complexity level of the change

skyrockets upwards.

Golfers have an inclination to try to

do more to their golf swing to somehow

accelerate the change process, but they do

this without realizing that the change they

thought would take a short time to habitu-

ate actually takes a lot longer than they

anticipated.

And it is a lot more painful mentally and

emotionally as well.

The old saying of “keep it simple” is

good advice here. Keep you change down

to one simple and easy to learn chunk of in-

formation. Think about it like this, one part

of the stroke is one chunk of information; it

should be relatively easy to learn and do.

If it is relatively easy to learn and do you

will learn it faster.

Now give it the lead time it needs, we

suggest at least 12 weeks to implement a

minor technical change, and fully 6 weeks

after that to get it ready for a tournament.

Making changes to a golf swing tech-

nique need not be difficult or even painful

if you plan for the change process well in

advance.

In next month’s article we’ll show you a

really good way to design your golf swing

change process so that you can be ready and

able to perform at your best when your first

tournament of the season comes around.

See you then. Lawrie Montague and David Milne Pro Tour Golf College - Perth / Jakarta

STEP 1:

REGISTER AS DELEGATES

STEP 2:

TWO-MAN TEAM FROM EACH CLUB

STEP 3:

144 SLOTS AVAILABLE

First Come First Serve Basis

THE BEST!A G O L F B at t l e F I T F O R O N LY

We knew that this headline would grab your attention!

Finally club managers get to play and compete in a tournament all their own.

The Asia Pacific Golf Group in conjunction with the staging of the 2015 Asia Pacific Golf Summit will be organizing the Inaugural Asia-Pacific Inter-Club Challenge Tournament. It will be played with two-man teams drawn from clubs within the Asia Pacific footprint for the coveted Le Van Kiem Inter-Club Trophy.

This tournament is all about good, clean fun and more importantly, it is about networking.

The tournament will be run on October 14. The venue will be the Orchid Country Club, an award-

winning 27-hole golf course in Singapore that has played host to a variety of golf tournaments including the Asian Tour.

There is no entry fee to participate in this tournament.

To qualify, players need to register as delegates to attend the Summit and there are 144 slots available.

Entry will be on a first come first served basis and a two-man team from each club can register on-line through APGS official website at www.golfconference.org or email Alice Ho at alice@asiapacificgolfgroup.com or call +65 63232800 for more details.

For all the latest news and views from the Asian golf scene, subscribe to Asian Golf – Asia’s most powerful golfing voice! www.asiapacificgolfgroup.com64 ASIAN GOLF

ASIAN GOLF ISSUE 177

We plan to have some fun working on simulated

scenarios where we pit Nike Golf’s Irish super-star

Rory McIlroy against the newly ascendant poster

boy for apparel brand Under Armour, Jordan Spi-

eth. As much as possible, we plan to be very fair

in our head to head comparisons and we plan to

make a commitment and a forecast as to who we

think will be the leading face of golf for the next

few years to come.

Countries like Indonesia, India,

the Philippines and China are all

reporting rapid growth in a key

segment of their population

base – the middle class. The

numbers are staggering and

the disposable income of this

group cannot be overlooked.

Does this growing wealth trend

offer opportunities for golf to

grow in the region? This is the

proverbial sixty-four thousand

dollar question. Asian Golf

probes for answers.

Three years have gone fleeting by since the man with the

Midas touch, Chip Brewer took charge of one of the great-

est brands in golf. Under his leadership, Callaway navi-

gated through rough seas and has turned in a good report

card for the past three years. Asian Golf talked to Harry

Arnett, senior vice president, marketing, who attributes

the success to teamwork and a laser focus on delivering

premium performance on all fronts of the company’s

operations.

ASIA’S MIDDLE CLASS – NEW HOPE FOR GOLF?

HARRY ARNETT

CONSISTENTLY VOTED ASTHE BEST COURSE IN THAILAND

VOLVO MASTERSASIA

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1997Winner: Tiger Woods

2005Winner: Shiv Kapur

2006Winner: Thongchai Jaidee

2007Winner: Prayad Marksaeng

2008Winner: Lam Chih Bing

1998Winner: Vijay Singh

Owned and managed by The Peninsula Hotels and often voted as possessing the “Best Clubhouse in Asia” and “Best Course in Thailand”, Thai Country Club is less than 45 minutes from downtown Bangkok and is

renowned for having the friendliest staff of professionals in the Kingdom committed to providing the Ultimate Golfing Experience.

For registered guests of The Peninsula Bangkok,We are happy to arrange a tee-time at a substantial reduction from our normal visitor’s rate.

Extend your business trip in Bangkok, or book a get-away golfing package.When it comes to exclusive golfing with impeccable hospitality – we play off scratch.