South African Ian Snyman says spending two days in the company of one of his country’s finest golfers, David Frost, has helped play a big part in his fine run of form recently – which includes taking the lead on the opening day of the US$2.5 million International Series Qatar today.
Snyman nailed a confident seven-under-par 65 here at Doha Golf Club, to lead the way from compatriot Louis Oosthuizen, Spaniard David Puig and Zach Bauchou from the United States, who carded 66s.
Two other Spaniards, Luis Masaveu and Eugenio Chacarra, fired 67s, along with Sadom Kaewkanjana from Thailand and Japan’s Tomoyo Ikemura – in the penultimate event of the season on both the Asian Tour and The International Series.
After today’s opening salvo, consisting of an eagle, seven birdies, and one double, Snyman is on course to make his 12th successive cut on the Asian Tour, as well as put himself in position to claim his first title on the circuit.
“My coach, Paul McKenzie, and I have been working on a few things and I also got some advice from David Frost – he is a former Asian Tour winner having won in Hong Kong,” said Snyman, about Frost – winner of the Hong Kong Open in 1994 and 29 titles around the world.
“About five months ago we spent two days with David. We were trying to find some consistency, that was my main concern. Looks like we are getting there. Just need to get some low ones like we did today, which is exciting.
“The big thing we worked on with David was the takeaway. I always take the club back outside and get laid off at the top. He kind of helped me feel a way to get it straighter.
“Another big thing was not to be so rigid. I would be very stickman like golf, my left arm would be very stiff and strong but he kind of got me to relax a bit more, you can actually bend that left arm.”
He was cruising at eight under with two to play but made double on the par- three 17th.
He explained: “Bit of a brain fart there. I was over the ball, they [the officials] were trying to calm some people down behind the tee box, but instead of re-starting my routine I walked straight into my shot. I think I was mis-aligned and pushed it way right of the green.”
He duffed his chip and three putted but bounced back on the par-five 18th hitting his third to two feet.
Puig is making his first appearance on the Asian Tour since April – in that time he has played on the LIV Golf League, three Majors and the Olympics, where he played alongside Jon Rahm.
“Pretty solid, especially after a month off tournaments. Super, super proud of how I fought,” said Puig, winner of the season-opening Malaysian Open and runner-up in the International Series Macau presented by Wynn, where American John Catlin defeated him in a play-off.
“Didn’t hit it that good but somehow managed to post a pretty good score. Hit a lot of greens in regulation, which is something I have been working on.”
His countryman Masaveu, just one year younger at 21, was even happier as today marked his debut as a professional in a Tour event.
“First tournament as a professional, so very happy,” said the Spaniard, who birdied the last three holes and has his dad, Rafa, caddying for him.
“To be honest, I didn’t really think about this being my first event as a pro. The good thing is my coach Gonzalo [Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano] is also playing. We did a good plan. I just tried to stay focused on my emotions.”
Masaveu finished third in this year’s US Amateur, having been beaten by compatriot and eventual winner Jose Luis Ballester 3&2 in the semis, and could be one to watch this week.
American John Catlin, leader of both the Asian Tour Order of Merit and The International Series Rankings with just two tournaments to go including this week, signed for a 70, while his countryman Patrick Reed, winner of last week’s Link Hong Kong Open, came in with a 71.
Catlin can put the Merit list title beyond the reach of others this week if results permit. His nearest challengers Richard T. Lee, in second, from Canada and third-placed Ben Campbell from New Zealand, shot rounds of 69 and 70 respectively and need to step on the gas to deny Catlin top spot.
Lee was well placed to finished higher but doubled the 18th after a big hook off the tee found trouble.
The International Series Rankings, which will see the champion earn a place on next year’s LIV Golf League, will go down to the wire at next week’s US$5 million PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers.
Thailand’s Ratchanon ‘TK” Chantananuwat, the amateur star currently in his Freshman year at Stanford University, returned a 71 in what is his first appearance on the Asian Tour since April.
Scores after round 1 of the International Series Qatar being played at Doha Golf Club, a par-72, 7,465-yard course (am – denotes amateur):
65 – Ian Snyman (RSA).
66 – David Puig (ESP), Zach Bauchou (USA), Louis Oosthuizen (RSA).
67 – Luis Masaveu (ESP), Sadom Kaewkanjana (THA), Eugenio Chacarra (ESP), Tomoyo Ikemura (JPN).
68 – Peter Uihlein (USA), Suteepat Prateeptienchai (THA), Miguel Tabuena (PHI), Jack Thompson (AUS), Scott Vincent (ZIM), Settee Prakongvech (THA), Stefano Mazzoli (ITA), Brendan Steele (USA), Sampson Zheng (CHN), Steve Lewton (ENG), Ajeetesh Sandhu (IND).
69 – Yurav Premlall (RSA), Chapchai Nirat (THA), Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (ESP), Anirban Lahiri (IND), Carlos Pigem (ESP), Jeunghun Wang (KOR), Kalle Samooja (FIN), Christian Banke (USA), Richard T. Lee (CAN), Dean Burmester (RSA), Prom Meesawat (THA), Hongtaek Kim (KOR), Austen Truslow (USA), Yuvraj Sandhu (IND).
70 – Jinichiro Kozuma (JPN), Aaron Wilkin (AUS), Lee Chieh-po (TPE), Chonlatit Chuenboonngam (THA), Ben Campbell (NZL), Gunn Charoenkul (THA), Gaganjeet Bhullar (IND), Phachara Khongwatmai (THA), Andrew Dodt (AUS), Karandeep Kochhar (IND), Luis Carrera (MEX), Branden Grace (RSA), Yongjun Bae (KOR), John Catlin (USA), Thomas Pieters (BEL), Jbe Kruger (RSA), Jazz Janewattananond (THA), Maverick Antcliff (AUS), Siddikur Rahman (BAN), Adam Bresnu (am, MAR).
71 – Rattanon Wannasrichan (THA), Wade Ormsby (AUS), Kevin Yuan (AUS), Pavit Tangkamolprasert (THA), Shiv Kapur (IND), Chan Shih-chang (TPE), David Boriboonsub (THA), Justin Warren (AUS), Joshua Grenville-Wood (UAE), Charl Schwartzel (RSA), Atiruj Winaicharoenchai (THA), Patrick Reed (USA), Jeongwoo Ham (KOR), Ratchanon Chantananuwat (am, THA), Jaewoong Eom (KOR), Anthony Kim (USA), Jaco Ahlers (RSA), Suradit Yongcharoenchai (THA), Poosit Supupramai (THA), David Meyers (RSA).
72 – Poom Saksansin (THA), Zach Murray (AUS), Chang Wei-lun (TPE), Scott Hend (AUS), Yeongsu Kim (KOR), Kazuki Higa (JPN), Miguel Carballo (ARG), Magnus Stjarnesund (NOR), Veer Ahlawat (IND), David Drysdale (SCO), Jose Toledo (GTM), Trevor Simsby (USA), S.S.P. Chawrasia (IND).
73 – Tatsunori Shogenji (JPN), Rashid Khan (IND), Charlie Lindh (SWE), Dominic McGlinchey (am, SCO), Kieran Vincent (ZIM), Shahriffuddin Ariffin (MAS), Hung Chien-yao (TPE), Sarit Suwannarut (THA), Bjorn Hellgren (SWE), Jed Morgan (AUS), Justin Quiban (PHI).
74 – Santiago De la Fuente (MEX), M.J. Maguire (USA), Chikkarangappa S. (IND), Matt Jones (AUS), Sam Horsfield (ENG), Berry Henson (USA), Jonathan Wijono (INA), Othman Raouzi (MAR), Sihwan Kim (USA), Marcus Fraser (AUS), Daniil Sokolov (am, QAT).
75 – Jared Du Toit (CAN), CharngTai Sudsom (THA), Dylan Mostert (RSA), Travis Smyth (AUS), Jeev Milkha Singh (IND), Nitithorn Thippong (THA), Shergo Al Kurdi (KSA).
76 – Chen Guxin (CHN), Saleh Alkaabi (am, QAT).
79 – Wang Wei-hsuan (TPE).
81 – Chanmin Jung (KOR), Jakub Hrinda (SVK).
