Norman And Dawson Join Hainan's Golfing Tourism Drive


Haikou (March 10): International golfing industry heavyweights Greg Norman, Peter Dawson and Peter Walton will headline the inaugural Boao Golf & Tourism Forum, which will be held at the newly-completed Mission Hills Resort Hainan next week. The first-time gathering, which leads into the Boao International Tourism Forum over the weekend of March 20-21 in Sanya, will welcome hundreds of delegates and media representatives to the Mission Hills Group’s new flagship resort property located in Hainan’s north. Attendees will have the chance to hear thoughts on the future of Hainan as a golfing destination from two-time Major champion Greg Norman, chief executive of The R&A Peter Dawson and Peter Walton, chief executive officer of the International Association of Golf Tour Operators, the global trade organisation for the golf tourism industry.

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Choi Predicts Sparkling Future For Teen Titan Noh


Kuala Lumpur (March 8): The sky is the limit for Korean teen titan and newly crowned Maybank Malaysian Open winner Noh Seung-yul, says countryman KJ Choi. Noh showed composure beyond his 18 years to claim his second Asian Tour title and can now be regarded amongst the emerging group of young stars taking the world by storm. Noh’s success was even sweeter as he defeated his idol and mentor Choi, a seven-time US PGA Tour winner, thanks to an exceptional birdie on the final hole to bag the winner’s prize purse of US$333,330 at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club.

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Thongchai And Yang Honoured At Asian Tour Gala


Kuala Lumpur (March 8): Thongchai Jaidee’s magical 2009 season was celebrated at the Asian Tour Awards Gala on Sunday night while Yang Yong-eun received a Special Achievement Award for becoming the region’s first Major champion. Thai star Thongchai was the recipient of three prestigious awards - the Order of Merit, Players’ Player of the Year and Lowest Stroke Average - after a memorable season which saw him win twice on the Asian Tour and post three other top-10s. Korean Yang, who is an Asian Tour honorary member, scooped up the other main award of the day for his historic triumph at the US PGA Championship last August, when he defeated Tiger Woods in a head-to-head duel.

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Asian Arrival: Introducing TaylorMade's R9 SuperTri


Carlsbad (March 4): First came the R9 driver, which combined Flight Control Technology (FCT) and Movable Weight Technology (MWT) with three movable weights in a 420 cc head. Next came the R9 MAX driver with FCT in a larger and more forgiving 460 cc head. “Those two drivers were created because TaylorMade didn’t yet have the ability to combine both FCT and MWT in a 460 cc head,” said Todd Beach, TaylorMade's senior director of metalwood development. “A year later, we do.” Introducing the R9 SuperTri driver, which combines FCT and MWT with three movable weights in a 460 cc head; this marks the ultimate unification of TaylorMade’s major driver technologies with maximum size to deliver massive distance and forgiveness.

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'I Can't Imagine Tiger Will Miss Augusta', Says Nicklaus


Palm Beach Gardens (March 4): Jack Nicklaus says he'd be surprised if Tiger Woods misses next month's Masters Tournament. After finishing his Pro-Am round at The Honda Classic, Nicklaus talked about Woods, who has been seen hitting balls on the range at his Isleworth home by Charles Howell III and JB Holmes. “It would surprise me if he didn’t,” Nicklaus said of Woods’ return to the Masters, which starts in 32 days. “I can’t imagine in 100 years he’s going to miss Augusta.” Nicklaus said he has stayed away from discussing Woods’ personal issues. “I've been very non-commital about everything because it's none of my business. As it relates to golf, my guess as a golfer is he’s going to want to play Augusta if he’s got his other things in order,” Nicklaus said.

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PGA Conference Of Asia: Asia's Road To Golfing Glory


Singapore (March 2): Asia's first-ever conference dedicated to the golf teaching and playing professional is well on its way to setting a new milestone for the Asian golf industry. The PGA Conference of Asia is scheduled to be staged at the Bangkok International Convention Centre at the plush Centara Grand Hotel in Centralworld, Bangkok on April 30 and May 1. The two-day event will feature some 20 world-class speakers. Presented under the theme 'Quality Coaching - Asia's Road to Golf Glory!' the revolutionary conference is being organised and produced by Asia Pacific Golf Development Conferences Pte Ltd (APGDC), the same organisation that owns and produces the highly acclaimed annual Asia Pacific Golf Summit.

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