ISSUE 176 MAY 2015 14 ISSUE 176 MAY 2015 20 36 42 54 SPECIAL FEATURES Golf’s First Ever 18 It’s Happened – Finally Club the one golf ball that golfers the world over ment and promotion of golf events, tourna- Managers Get To Play And have learned to trust to deliver the results ments and even the routine management of they seek. clubs in the hands of international companies Town Hall Debate Compete! operating in the region. 36 2015 Presidents Cup: Will Asia The Asia Pacific Golf Summit is back but with The Asia Pacific Golf Group in conjunction with the staging of the 2015 Asia Pacific Golf Make The Difference? 50 The Chinese Dragon Stirs! a BIG DIFFERENCE. It will be staged under a Summit will be organizing the Inaugural The 2015 Presidents Cup is fast approaching With the Rio Olympic Games just slightly one new format called “The Town Hall Debate”. It Asia-Pacific Inter-Club Challenge Tourna- and one wonders if this will be yet another year away, ASIAN GOLF has decided to take a serious look at what some Asian countries are ment. This tournament, played with two-man walk-over for Team America or if Team Interna- is designed to get general managers, golfing teams drawn from clubs within the Asia Pa- doing to get ready for the games. We commis- tional will put up a better performance. Asian sioned Mathew Scott to give us an assessment managers, owners and operators plus other cific footprint will challenge for the coveted Golf presents its first preview of the clash. of what he sees happening in China. His first Le Van Kiem Inter-Club Trophy. management personnel from Asian golf report looks at the progress being made with 42 Moribund Report: Asian Tour – the ladies game: clubs to become PROACTIVE and to act as 20 Bill Morgan- Entrusted To Keep What’s Happening Guys? A Trusted Legacy Going a POWERFUL and COHESIVE group to shift A special commentary on the moribund state 54 Made In Mission Hills! the club industry into a high gear going Many golfers the world over who place their of the Asian Tour by Mike Sebastian. There is no organization, public or private total trust on a Titleist Pro V golf ball may anywhere in Asia that can match the effort forward! It’s time to talk back! not be aware of one man who presides over 46 China Takes Charge! made by the Mission Hills Group of China to grow the junior game of golf. What is most the kingdom that is ruled and reigned over At the start of 2015, the Asia Pacific Golf impressive about the group’s initiative is that it by what is without doubt the winningest Group exhorted Asian stake-holders in golf to is motivated towards growing the game of golf golf ball in golf. And that man is Bill Morgan, take charge and be responsible for managing throughout Asia and not only in China. Asian Senior Vice President of Golf Ball R&D at and growing the game of golf. For too long, Golf takes a look at what’s happening at its Titleist. ASIAN GOLF had the opportunity to COVER STORY the golf industry in Asia, especially Southeast impressive production line. sit down for a wide-ranging discussion on Asia, China and India has left the manage- EQUIPMENT FOCUS GAME-IMPROVEMENTGAME-IMP 28 Exotics DG Tour Series Putter: Glod’s Flat-Stick Magic! 28 58 BlackBlack HatHat Tips:Tips: WipeW The RainRain FromFrom YourYour WindshieldWind 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 60 ProPro Tour GolfGolf College:Coll How to Make manufacturer in golf that is punching way above its weight, ChangesChanges to Your GolfGolf Swing without it’s got to be Tour Edge. The company simply keeps churning AffectingAffecting Your ScoringScori Ability out drivers, woods and hybrids that keep raising the bar with every new product iteration. DevelopingDeveloping and improvingimprovin your golf swing is more dif- fificultcult the the closer closer to to pa parr yo youu get simply because making 30 KZG’s OS-II Fairway Wood – A Game Saver! 30 cchangeshanges to ggolfolf swinswingsgs at this level usually means an KZG has introduced the OS-II Fairway Woods featuring a increase in the amount ooff mistakes made on the golf large offset designed specifically for golfers who leave the coccourseurse andand a score averaaverageg that starts to climb. 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? 32 6 Asian Golf Editorial Team 8 Shared Thoughts From Publisher 64 Next Issue MIKE SEBASTIAN ANGELA RAYMOND Chief Executive Officer/Managing Editor President [ [email protected] ] [ [email protected] ] LAWRENCE YOUNG ALICE HO Editor (New Equipment) Marketing Executive [ [email protected] ] [ [email protected] ] RAQUEL M. ARCEGA SAIFUL SUFIAN Art Director & Ezine Development Art Director [ [email protected] ] [ [email protected] ] MYRA PARAS WAYNE LWEE Accounts Executive Video Editor/Streaming services [ [email protected] ] [ [email protected] ] MEDIA PARTNER 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) INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Contact: Mike Sebastian Contributing Editors TERRY ANTON, ALAN CAMPBELL, KATHERINE ROBERTS, AAERISHNA SHAHSTHY Email: [email protected] or Mobile No: +65 9152 8162 Printer UNUSUAL PRINT PTE. LTD. [ 231 Bain Street, #02-83 Bras Basah Complex, Singapore 180231 ] Address ASIA PACIFIC GOLF GROUP (2014) PTE LTD Suite 06-06 Hong Aik Building, 22 Kallang Avenue, Singapore 339413 Tel: +65 6323 2800 Fax: +65 6323 2838 Company Registration No: 201405689G To SubscribeMVYWYPU[VYKPNP[HSPZZ\LZVM(ZPHU.VSMLTHPSHSPJL'HZPHWHJPÄJNVSMNYV\WJVT or register for a free preview at ^^^HZPHWHJPÄJNVSMNYV\WJVT (3390./;:9,:,9=,+5VWHY[VM(ZPHU.VSMTH`ILYLWYVK\JLKPUHU`V[OLYW\ISPJH[PVUZWYPU[LKVYW\ISPZOLK^P[OV\[[OL^YP[[LUWLYTPZZPVUVM[OLW\ISPZOLY 6WPUPVUZPU(ZPHU.VSMHYL[OL^YP[LYZ»HUKHYLUV[ULJLZZHYPS`LUKVYZLKI`(ZPHU.VSM(ZPHU.VSMHJJLW[ZUVYLZWVUZPIPSP[`MVY\UZVSPJP[LKTHU\ZJYPW[Z[YHUZWHYLUJPLZ VYV[OLYTH[LYPHSZ4HU\ZJYPW[ZWOV[VNYHWOZHUKHY[^VYR^PSSUV[ILYL[\YULK\USLZZHJJVTWHUPLKI`HWWYVWYPH[LWVZ[HNL 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. SHARED THOUGHTS From The Publisher hat more is there to say for – BIG!. He pulled off a win that was than to declare that a massive and in the process, he blew away new mega star in golf every single record set by golfing legends has arrived! Asian Golf like Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. witnessed the arrival of As he walked up to the 18th tee at Au- Wthis Texas whirlwind when he played as an gusta, fans of golf rose to their feet and sang amateur in the PGA Tour’s HP Byron Nelson out praises to the game’s new hero. Spieth Championship in 2010. He played and made had been coronated the new king of golf! the cut, becoming the sixth-youngest player Not only did he win the U.S. Masters, but to make the cut on a PGA Tour event. He he clinched it in a record-tying performance, played amongst the pros and ended in a tie shooting an 18-under 270 to become the for 16th. first wire-to-wire winner since 1976. That’s when we realised that we had Spieth became the first Masters cham- Just when the king-makers of a potential star for the future – not just a pion to lead after every round since Ray- golf started looking around star but an extraordinary champion! His mond Floyd 39 years ago, and only the fifth spectacular victory at the 2015 U.S.Masters in the history of the tournament. He already for a worthy successor to the has convinced us that golf is in good hands set new Masters benchmarks for 36 holes in the post-Woods era. (14-under 130) and 54 holes (16-under 200). charismatic Tiger Woods, a Spieth – is a massive talent - only While history was created by Spieth, let 21-year old Texan steps up 21-years old and he has attained success it not be forgotten that it was a historic day way beyond the imagination of guys his also for Asia as five stars from the Continent to answer the call. It’s none age. Besides his victory, golf has finally made the cut and went on to prove that they witnessed the emergence of a star who will had what it takes to survive playing at the other than Jordan Spieth, the give the game a clean, scandal-free and un- Masters. second youngest to win the blemished face. How refreshing is this! He is Best performance was turned in by the all-American package which is going to Hideki Matsuyama who played the match U.S.Masters after Woods and inspire and draw more juniors to the game.