Asian Golf going from strength to strength

Post by Golf Journalist, Nick Bonfield 

The east has long been viewed as a golfing powerhouse in the making – a parallel to its standing in various other economic and social spheres – and it now seems as if potential is turning into reality. Strong economic conditions, the huge populations in places like China, India and Korea and the rise of a golfing culture mean more and more talented youngsters are coming through the ranks and finding themselves competing on the world’s top-tier tours.

For so many years, KJ Choi, Y.E. Yang and Shigeki Maruyama were the only players really flying the flag for Asian golf in the west. In fact, Yang’s stupendous victory in the 2009 USPGA Championship was the first time an Asian player had won one of golf’s big four events. And, while there haven’t been any Major victors from the east since then, it’s only going to be a matter of time. The rising strength of Asian golf is best demonstrated through the Official World Golf Ranking. As it currently stands, there are eight players from Asia in the world’s top 100, and many more just outside who look poised to break in before too much time elapses.

One man who has forced his way to second on that list is someone many people won’t even have heard of. But the Asian Tour is so strong nowadays that increasing amounts of world ranking points are on offer week in, week out. That was the precursor to Anirban Lahiri’s surged into the top 50, but his two victories in three weeks on the European Tour did the real damage.

The 27-year-old won twice on the Asian Tour in 2014 to break into the world’s top 100 somewhat under the radar. That season, he finished behind American David Lipsky in second place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit. But, in the last month, Lahiri’s career has gone up another level. It’s worth noting the European Tour’s association with the Asian and Sunshine Tours at this point. I often write about the fact that Asian events are broadcast at pretty inhospitable times in England, but the flip side is that co-sanctioned events give lesser-known players from developing golfing nations a passage to the big time – something that’s instrumental to the sport’s development in those places.

The knock-on effects of players from India, Thailand and China forging reputations on the European and PGA Tours are hard to fully quantify, but the rule of thumb is success = exposure, and exposure = more people taking up the sport. That’s why there was such an outcry when The R&A announced its decision to sell live Open Championship television rights to Sky from 2017.

Lahiri won his first European Tour event at the Maybank Malaysian Open three weeks ago after earning his card at European Tour Q-School just three months previously. He came from five shots behind on the final day on that occasion, and another victory looked equally unlikely after both 18 and 54 holes at Delhi Golf Club. The Indian came into his home open with high hopes, but stumbled to an opening round of 80. A joint best-of-tournament 65 in the second round gave him a chance, but he still trailed countryman SSP Chowrasia by seven shots with one round remaining.

Chowrasia stumbled in tough final-day conditions and Lahiri’s closing 69 was enough to take the contest to closing holes. He looked more than composed on the first extra hole and casually rolled in a birdie putt when two blows would have sufficed. He’s now fulfilled a lifelong dream by earning an invite to The Masters and reached world number 34 – not bad for somebody who was comfortably outside the top 200 at this point two years ago. What’s more, he only needs three more European Tour victories to become the most successful Indian golfer of all time.

It’s not just the Indian stock that’s rising, though. Thailand is producing a number of top players and South Korean golf has never been so strong. Here are three more Asian golfers with huge futures ahead of them…

Hideki Matsuyama

Ryo Ishiwaka’s move to the PGA Tour a couple of years ago was greeted with great excitement, but he just hasn’t lived up to expectation levels. The same can’t be said for his compatriot, Hideki Matsuyama. The 22-year-old earned enough money in just seven PGA Tour starts in 2013 to earn a full card for the following season. That year, he had six top 25s, including top 10s en debut at both The Open and the US Open. The six-time Japan Golf Tour winner impressed at the 2013 Presidents Cup and broke his PGA Tour duck at the 2014 Memorial Tournament. As it stands, he’s 14th in the Official World Golf Ranking – the highest-ranked Asian player.

Sang-Moon Bae

Sang-Moon Bae won the Japan Golf Tour Order of Merit in 2011 and earned his PGA Tour card for the following season through Q-School. After a solid first season – in which he lost out in a play-off at the Transitions Championship, reached the quarter-finals of the WGC-Accenture Matchplay and came 71st in the FedEx Cup standings – he recorded a maiden victory at the HP Byron Nelson Championship, with a second triumph following at the 2014/15 Frys.com Open. Only two other Korean-born players have won more than once on the PGA Tour – KJ Choi and YE Yang. It remains to be seen if Bae will be forced to return home to complete two years’ compulsory military service – something he’s currently fighting.

Kiradech Aphibarnrat

Kiradech Aphibarnrat made quite a stir in 2013 with his victory at the Maybank Malaysian Open, as his physique very much contrasted with the vision of the modern, athletic professional golfer. He played well en debut at the 2013 PGA Championship and came close to breaching the world’s top 50 in December that year. He’s fallen back since then, but he’s an impressive ball striker with great natural talent.