ASIA-PACFIC AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

Brendan James – Golf Australia Editor

There are seven Aussies chasing the win in Thailand this week, and all are genuine chances of contending. JEFFREY GUAN has 'warmed' up for this championship playing the WA PGA and Open during the past fortnight and came away with a pair of top-10s and was the leading amateur in both.

He is more than capable of running away with this championship and book his place in the 2023 Masters.

JIMMY EMANUEL – Golf Australia Deputy & Digital Editor

I am here in Thailand this week, and yet still can’t escape Mark Hayes’ ribbing. But fear not readers, his jibes are falling off me like the perspiration will from the players in the humid conditions at Amata Spring Country Club.

It would be foolish to look at just the Aussies as chances but the local pressure on 15-year-old Ratchanon Chantananuwat might prove a little much as he chases his nation’s first win at the AAC.

Connor McKinney won’t mind the heat after moving to Perth from Scotland, but for mine I simply can’t go past JEFFREY GUAN here.

The Sydneysider has been immensely impressive all year and I watched him play a few holes on Wednesday and he was studiously working at getting a better understanding of the host layout.

RELATED: Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship Preview

Rod Morri – Golf Australia magazine contributor and The Thing About Golf podcast host

This might be the most interesting golf played this week. While the career stakes are high for several players in Europe the same is true for many of these players at the other end of their careers, including several Australians.

It’s no surprise the event has been dominated by the golf powerhouses of the region in Korea, Japan and Australia but among the best things about this tournament is the opportunity for players from less golf centric countries to take part. Augusta National and the R&A do an amazing job of organising the event with everything the players could possibly want laid on.

Of course, the big prize is a ticket to The Masters which should guarantee some compelling golf and is just the sort of thing that motivates Australia JEFF GUAN. He will almost certainly be in the mix Sunday afternoon and is a legitimate chance to win.

Mark Hayes – Man About Golf

One of my favourite events with so much on the line for a bunch of kids who rightly view this as the zenith of their amateur career.

It has, not unpredictably, developed into a shootout between Korea (2), Japan (4), China (4) and Australia (2) in its short but sensational history.

And to be frank, it’s tough to see that trend being bucked too often, especially on the savage test that Amata Spring promises to be among its lakes and islands.

It’s really hard to look past the Aussie boys I’ve spent so much time watching in the past few years, so please excuse my bias.

I could make a case for each one of them, depending on whether Lukas Michel has spent more time with a shovel or a 7-iron in his hands in recent weeks.

But I’ve booked my ticket on the Guan Train and I can’t get off this early on what promises to be a spectacular ride. JEFFERY GUAN was so impressive against the seasoned pros in Perth last week and while I don’t think he’ll lead after round one, I think he’ll steadily climb throughout and be right there in a bobbing finish.

His mental composure is what will set him apart in this field.

It feels like I’m choosing among sons, so a special shout to NSW Open champ Harrison Crowe who, the opposite way around, will take a lot of running down if he’s prominent early.

Main challengers to the Aussie boys include Rayhan Thomas (India), Kazuma Kabori (NZ), Dongjin Park and Minhyuk Song (Korea), Wenyi Ding and Bo Peng (China) and everybody in a Japanese uniform.

Can you tell I’m excited?

PGA TOUR – BUTTERFIELD BERMUDA CHAMPIONSHIP

Brendan James – Golf Australia Editor

England's AARON RAI has made a much better start to his second PGA Tour season than he did as a rookie last year. He's made three consecutive cuts and this week, in his fourth start in as many weeks, he will find conditions more to his liking.

The wind is always a factor in this event and as a past European Tour winner in the wind (2020 Scottish Open) and pure ball-striker, he will shine in this field.

JIMMY EMANUEL – Golf Australia Deputy & Digital Editor

It has been a long wait for THOMAS DETRY to break through on the DP World Tour, in fact it is an ongoing one. But perhaps he will skip that step and go straight to becoming a PGA Tour winner this week.

Detry has been in very good form all year, earned a card via the Korn Ferry Tour Finals and is capable of playing anywhere in the world as proved by his World Cup of Golf win at Metropolitan on the Sandbelt alongside Thomas Pieters.

Wind won’t worry the Belgian.

RELATED: Bermuda Championship preview

Rod Morri – Golf Australia magazine contributor and The Thing About Golf podcast host

There’s never anything predictable about professional golf but this particular Caribbean course turns the unpredictability level up a notch with the possibility of winds that can make the course borderline unplayable.

Still, we have to pick someone so why not the tall Polish chap ADRIAN MERONK. He seems a likeable type and has enough game to win in Europe so there’s no reason he can’t get the job done here.

And it would be a great story to see the first Polish representative on the PGA Tour and it’s always good to cheer for the story.

Mark Hayes – Man About Golf

I’m actually enjoying this protest-based tipping layoff. Although I haven’t worked out whether it’s the morals getting a rare workout or maybe just a breather after two million PGA events in succession. No tip.

 


LIV GOLF INVITATIONAL SERIES – TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

Brendan James – Golf Australia Editor

The inaugural season ending LIV event is a team tournament, which promises to grab more attention than any of the individual events staged thus far. That said, the format for this closer is pretty confusing.

Anyway, you can read about that elsewhere. But, for mine, the key is the two singles matches and one foursomes match. This plays into the hands of the All-Aussie four – PUNCH GC – with Cam Smith and Marc Leishman (the obvious foursome pairing), with Wade Ormsby and Matt Jones playing the singles.

If they can get through the quarter final, they are a huge show of coming from second last in the seeding to claiming the title.

JIMMY EMANUEL – Golf Australia Deputy & Digital Editor

The 4 Aces have been impressive, but with all scores counting this week I am looking elsewhere for my winners.

Of course, the Aussies of Punch GC deserve some interest, however it is SMASH GC led by Brooks Koepka that I see taking the title here and putting an end to the first season of LIV Golf that has changed men’s professional golf forever.

RELATED: LIV Golf Miami preview

Rod Morri – Golf Australia magazine contributor and The Thing About Golf podcast host

Common sense says Dustin Johnson’s 4 ACES should win this so let’s abandon normal programming and go with common sense shall we?

 

Mark Hayes – Man About Golf

It would be un-Arabian to tip anyone but the mighty PUNCH boys.




 

DP WORLD TOUR – PORTUGAL MASTERS

Brendan James – Golf Australia Editor

Did the Hojgaard twins have a late night before the final round in Mallorca? Rasmus and Nicolai were both poised to make a final round run at the trophy but slumped to 75 and a 74 respectively and finished back in the pack.

With Rasmus opting out of playing Portugal, I'm all in on NICOLAI getting the job done this week.

JIMMY EMANUEL – Golf Australia Deputy & Digital Editor

Stranger things have happened in golf this year, so why don’t we go with a feel good story in SCOTT HEND claiming another win around the world and keeping his playing rights on the Tour formerly known as European.
 

RELATED: Portugal Masters preview

Rod Morri – Golf Australia magazine contributor and The Thing About Golf podcast host

History tells us this is a week for the aggressive big hitters with low scoring the order of the day in Portugal. There are several who fit the mould but last year’s runner-up, NICOLAI HOJGAARD, will be amongst them this week. The Dane is erratic and his poor golf is really poor but on the flip side, his good golf is spectacular and that’s the sort of golf that wins around here.

On a side note, a quick shoutout to Scott Hend who, at 49, needs a good finish this week to keep his playing rights. He went a long way towards that goal last week with an inspired T11 finish and while he missed the cut in his only other appearance here it is, in fact, exactly the sort of course that should suit him.

Doubtful he will win but somewhere on the podium might just be enough.

Mark Hayes – Man About Golf

It’s hard to believe, but little “JAZZY J” is about to end his 12th year on Tour as a professional. That he’s about to turn 27 eases his pension concerns a tad, but what he won’t be as happy about in anniversary terms is that it’s also nearly his third since a victory.

Janewattananond almost played his way into the 2019 Presidents Cup team, but that was back when Jimmy had original material and we all know things have changed a lot since then.

Unlike Jimmy, though, Jazzy has shown a bit lately and will look to continue that progression from 14th and sixth in his past two outings.

2022 RESULTS

So far, our so-called experts have combined to tip 34 winners in 2022, with 203 of their picks recording top-10 finishes that week and a best return of $29 for Joohyung Kim to win the Wyndham Championship (tipped by Rod Morri).