FALDO SERIES coming to Cambodia Angkor Golf Resort in Siem Reap to host inaugural event.
Siem Reap, Cambodia, April 10, 2012 
 
Sir Nick Faldo and Angkor Golf Resort have teamed up once again to bring the six-time Major champion’s global golf development programme to the Kingdom of Cambodia. The inaugural Faldo Series Cambodia Championship will take place on the Faldo Design course in Siem Reap on September 11-12.

Sir Nick Faldo with Adam Robertson, General Manager of Angkor Golf Resort in Cambodia.

“Cambodia is a special place for me so I am delighted to bring the Series here and give opportunity to the country’s young golfers,” said Faldo, who opened his course at Angkor Golf Resort in 2008 and is designing another 36-hole project in Phnom Penh.”

Holic Tandijono, Executive Director of Angkor Golf Resort, said: “We are delighted to continue our excellent relationship with Sir Nick and we believe the Faldo Series can make a real difference to golf in Cambodia. We will introduce a strong grass-roots element to the event to help create access to the game for local children. Hopefully they will be inspired to take up the game and return one day as competitors themselves.”

Faldo added: “I thank Holic and his team at Angkor Golf Resort for sharing my vision. The Series is one of a number of charitable initiatives in the country that we are working on together.”

Open to boys and girls aged between 12 and 21 of all nationalities, the first Cambodia Championship will be played over two rounds at Angkor Golf Resort, located near the famous Angkor Wat temples in Siem Reap and host to this season’s Handa Faldo Cambodian Classic on the Asian Tour.
With the field divided into four age-groups – two for boys and two for girls – the winners will join Faldo for the seventh Faldo Series Asia (FSA) Grand Final in China next March.
 
Established in 1996, 37 Faldo Series tournaments now take place in 27 countries worldwide with more than 7,000 golfers participating each year. Past winners include Major champions Rory McIlroy and Tseng Ya-ni.

The FSA is supported by major partners ISPS, Mission Hills and The R&A, official golfwear partner UFL and official suppliers TaylorMade and Tricor. It is endorsed by the Asian Tour and the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation. Asian Golf Monthly is the Media Partner.

A full 2012/2013 FSA schedule will be announced in the coming weeks. Last season featured 17 tournaments in 13 different countries including five in mainland China plus others in the Philippines, Vietnam, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Brunei, Japan, Chinese Taipei, Pakistan, Indonesia and Thailand.

Malaysian defies 67 million-to-one odds with double ace outing at Angkor Golf Resort.

Posted by Asia Pacific Golf Group on 9 April 2012 | Written By: Asia Pacific Golf Group Team

 

Siem Reap, Cambodia (April 9): A Malaysian golfer has beaten odds of 67 million-to-one by scoring two holes-in-one during the same round.
Borhan Bin Ujang, a 10-handicapper, carved himself a unique place in the history of Angkor Golf Resort by achieving the double ace while on a trip to Cambodia.

Borhan Bin Ujang had two aces in the same round at the Angkor Golf Resort.

Hitting a Phoenix Lynx eight-iron from the white tees, the Malaysian aced the 139-yard 12th hole with a Titleist #2 ball. Changing to a seven-iron and a Srixon #3 ball, remarkably he repeated the feat at the 156-yard 17th on the Nick Faldo-designed course.It was the first time that Bin Ujang had visited the course that hosted the inaugural Handa Faldo Cambodian Classic last month.

In total, there have been just 13 holes-in-one recorded at the Angkor Golf Resort, of which four occurred at 17 and two at 12. In addition to bragging rights, Bin Ujang’s reward for the double ace performance was a return flight on Vietnam Airlines.

According to various insurance companies, the chances of an average golfer making a hole-in-one are calculated at approximately 12,500-to-1. For a Tour professional, the odds are 2,500-to-1. For the same player to score two holes-in-one during the very same round the odds are said to be 67 million-to-1.

 

Lipsky grabs maiden win at Cambodian Classic

Monday, 19 March 2012 - H S Manjunath

American rookie David Lipsky kept his heart warm and head cool when cupping a sensational chip-in birdie in the first playoff hole to nose out  Elmer Salvador of the Philippines on the way to victory in the inaugural US$300,000 Handa Faldo Cambodian Classic at the Nick Faldo-designed Angkor Golf Resort in Siem Reap on Saturday.

David Lipsky of the US celebrates winning the 2012 Handa
Faldo Cambodian Classic on Saturday at the Angkor Golf
Resort in Siem Reap. Photo by The Asian Tour

Six-time Major winner Sir Nick Faldo was a witness to the unfolding drama as the 23-year-old of Korean descent produced an unbelievable chip in the shoot-out to pick up his maiden professional trophy since turning pro last year.

It was a case of history cruelly repeating itself for the veteran Salvador, who was beaten at the post in a playoff at last year’s 2011 ISPS Handa Singapore Classic.

The 42-year-old was within one birdie putt at the last hole to win outright during regulation play on Saturday, but missed from about three metres to card a final score of 68, even as Lipsky caught up with a stunning seven-under-par 65 for a 15-under total of 273.

“My putting was sometimes good, sometimes bad. On [hole] 14, I had a putter-length chance for a birdie, but I didn’t get it in. On 18, I charged my putt and my line was not good. That was my chance,” Salvador reflected on those baying moments.

“It was a good chip by Lipsky, it was like a billiard shot. The way he stopped the ball [into the hole]. Can’t do anything about that.

 “I still feel happy. Two times losing in a play-off now, I don’t know why. I’ll keep trying.”

When he set out to break his maiden ranks on Saturday morning, Lipsky was seven shots off the pace. It was a frenetic chase as the lead rotated among six players and the prospects of a blanket finish seemed certain. But it was Lipsky and Salvador who elbowed the rest for asprint to the line.

“I really can’t believe I’m here right now,” said a jubilant Lipsky, who earned US$47,550 and an equally valuable winner’s exemption on the Asian Tour until the end of 2014. Lipsky’s test of mental toughness had come at the 15th hole of his final round.

“I won Q-school, and I knew I had the game in me. I’m happy it showed up here. On 15, I saw that everyone was bunched on 13-under. I had a 50-foot putt [for birdie] and I jarred it and thought I could have a chance to win,” said Lipsky, who went on to birdie the 16th hole to pull ahead of
the rest. “This is phenomenal, as it opens up so many doors for me. Apparently, I’m in the winner’s category now, and I didn’t know what that meant. I guess I’ll find out.”

The sensation clearly is yet to sink in for Los Angeles-based Lipsky, who credits his victory to his coach and words of advice from Luke Donald via Twitter.

Impressive Irishman Niall Turner was one putt shy in the end of forcing his way into the playoff after an even-par 72. He had to settle for third place, which gives him a spot in the sixth leg of the Asian Tour, The Panasonic Open in India, beginning in two weeks’ time.
“It wasn’t meant to be. I just couldn’t get a putt to drop. I guess I was trying too hard to make the putts instead of letting it happen,” the lanky Irishman said.
 “That was my goal, to finish top five. I guess I accomplished that. But having a chance to win, that’s disappointing. But I’ll take a ton of positives from this; it’s been a great week.”

Into his second season, Finland’s Kalle Samooja, who shot a closing 65, touched his Tour best with a tied fourth placing in the company of early pace-setters Thailand’s Chinnarat Phadungsil and Korea’s Baek Seuk-hyun on 275.

Carrying a one-shot, third-round lead into the final day, Kim Hyung-sung slipped on a banana peel to end up joint seventh, signing off with a sloppy 75, a far cry from his three previous fiery rounds.