Asian Tour ends two-week sojourn
11/04/2009 | 06:51 PM
CHANGI, Singapore — Today marks the end of a two-week sojourn that covered the Iskandar Johor Open in Johor Bahru, Malaysia and the Barclays Singapore Open in Sentosa a few days ago. It has been an enriching experience because of the different difficulties encountered along the way.
As a recap, both events staged by the Asian Tour group, the official regional sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, were both delayed by inclement weather complete with the usual heavy rain and lightning which, when combined, were recipe for “golf disaster."
It did not seem to matter, though, for those hard-working Asian Tour guys and gals as they went through it with such relative ease. As they explained, the sometimes bizarre-like weather conditions are a commonplace as they travel around neighboring Asian countries.
That’s just one part of the tour.
“If people think that we are so blessed because we get the chance to visit numerous places, they better think again. We fly thousands of miles and we have to adapt to each country’s characteristic. We have to prepare ourselves for the worse," said Chuah Choo Chiang, director for media.
And it is not an easy task, Chuah explained, because of the logistical aspect of staging one tournament. “However, because of sheer experience from previous years, we know how to handle better such situations that we literally eat, sleep and think about it all the time."
That is so true, as witnessed by this writer. They have a specific group that monitors the weather 24/7 and they have special gadgets for rain, thunder and lightning that might put to shame our PAG-ASA’s equipment back home.
“We have to look out for the safety of the players, always. That’s first and foremost in our minds. That’s also why we invest in these devices," Chuah also said.
Let’s get physical
The Filipino professionals proudly showed they can compete at the highest level in the Asian Tour. These are the guys who have flown across oceans and time zones to spend a week in an event that features a hefty purse on the line.
One can’t deny that the Philippines has the biggest names in the tour now. Frankie Miñoza continues to command respect in the international scene. So does Angelo Que, Artermio Murakami, Juvic Pagsunan, Antonio Lascuna and Mars Pucay, among others.
But what seems to be in the way between an RP bet and an Asian Tour title in 2009? Since 2006, at least one Filipino has brought home a trophy. For this year, it has been elusive that getting it is like finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
The talent and the heart and desire to win are there, according to an Asian Tour official, who requested not to be named. He just noticed one thing, though. “Some of them are not in good physical shape, I think."
“Frankie (Miñoza) is the perfect example of a great golfer. He turned himself into fighting form by making himself lean and mean. His body fat is minimal and his golf fundamental is superb," the Asian Tour official added.
For those unfamiliar, Miñoza embarked on a diet program at the start of the year in preparation for his final year on the regular tour and impending entry into the US senior tour.
“Que, Pucay and Pagunsan appear fit but all three must develop some muscle waist up for upper-body strength. As for Lascuna, a weight-loss program is in order," he continued.
The reason for his unsolicited advice, he said, was not meant to ridicule any of them. In fact, it is far from it.
“Young guys from Korea, Thailand and Australia are slowly coming into the Asian Tour. To keep up with them, one has to be perfectly fit. It is an eye-sore to see some guys huffing and puffing like a horse—and it’s just the first nine holes," he added. – Adrian Flores, GMANews.TV
As a recap, both events staged by the Asian Tour group, the official regional sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, were both delayed by inclement weather complete with the usual heavy rain and lightning which, when combined, were recipe for “golf disaster."
It did not seem to matter, though, for those hard-working Asian Tour guys and gals as they went through it with such relative ease. As they explained, the sometimes bizarre-like weather conditions are a commonplace as they travel around neighboring Asian countries.
That’s just one part of the tour.
“If people think that we are so blessed because we get the chance to visit numerous places, they better think again. We fly thousands of miles and we have to adapt to each country’s characteristic. We have to prepare ourselves for the worse," said Chuah Choo Chiang, director for media.
And it is not an easy task, Chuah explained, because of the logistical aspect of staging one tournament. “However, because of sheer experience from previous years, we know how to handle better such situations that we literally eat, sleep and think about it all the time."
That is so true, as witnessed by this writer. They have a specific group that monitors the weather 24/7 and they have special gadgets for rain, thunder and lightning that might put to shame our PAG-ASA’s equipment back home.
“We have to look out for the safety of the players, always. That’s first and foremost in our minds. That’s also why we invest in these devices," Chuah also said.
Let’s get physical
The Filipino professionals proudly showed they can compete at the highest level in the Asian Tour. These are the guys who have flown across oceans and time zones to spend a week in an event that features a hefty purse on the line.
One can’t deny that the Philippines has the biggest names in the tour now. Frankie Miñoza continues to command respect in the international scene. So does Angelo Que, Artermio Murakami, Juvic Pagsunan, Antonio Lascuna and Mars Pucay, among others.
But what seems to be in the way between an RP bet and an Asian Tour title in 2009? Since 2006, at least one Filipino has brought home a trophy. For this year, it has been elusive that getting it is like finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
The talent and the heart and desire to win are there, according to an Asian Tour official, who requested not to be named. He just noticed one thing, though. “Some of them are not in good physical shape, I think."
“Frankie (Miñoza) is the perfect example of a great golfer. He turned himself into fighting form by making himself lean and mean. His body fat is minimal and his golf fundamental is superb," the Asian Tour official added.
For those unfamiliar, Miñoza embarked on a diet program at the start of the year in preparation for his final year on the regular tour and impending entry into the US senior tour.
“Que, Pucay and Pagunsan appear fit but all three must develop some muscle waist up for upper-body strength. As for Lascuna, a weight-loss program is in order," he continued.
The reason for his unsolicited advice, he said, was not meant to ridicule any of them. In fact, it is far from it.
“Young guys from Korea, Thailand and Australia are slowly coming into the Asian Tour. To keep up with them, one has to be perfectly fit. It is an eye-sore to see some guys huffing and puffing like a horse—and it’s just the first nine holes," he added. – Adrian Flores, GMANews.TV
