FALDO SERIES RETURNS TO CAMBODIA

ANGKOR GOLF RESORT IN SIEM REAP TO HOST 2013 EVENT

10 May 2013: Sir Nick Faldo has announced that his global golf development programme will return to Angkor Golf Resort in Siem Reap in 2013.  Golfers from across the region will compete for a spot in the Asia Grand Final when the second Faldo Series Cambodia Championship tees off on June 29-30.  

“We hope to build on the success of our inaugural event at Angkor Golf Resort and benefit more young golfers from Cambodia and neighbouring countries,” said Faldo, who designed the course in Siem Reap and is currently overseeing another 36-hole project in the capital Phnom Penh.  “Holic and his team put on a great event in 2012 that combined top-class tournament experience for talented golfers with unique grass-roots activities for kids from the local community.”

Kim Dong-Hyun of South Korea, winner of the 2012 Faldo Series Cambodia Championship, in action during the Asia Grand Final at Mission Hills Golf Club in China in March 2013.

“We enjoy our close relationship with Sir Nick and we share his passion for growing the game,” added Holic Tandijono, Executive Director of Angkor Golf Resort.  “Once again we welcome the region’s top players to the historic town of Siem Reap.  We will also continue to develop our grass-roots programme with local schools.”

International and local golfers alike will challenge for the 2013 Cambodia Championship, won last year by 17-year-old Kim Dong-Hyun from South Korea.  Boys and girls aged 12 to 21 will compete over 36 holes on the award-winning Faldo Design course, an Asian Tour venue located close to the world-famous Angkor Wat temples.

With the field divided into age-groups – two for boys and two for girls – the four winners will qualify for the eighth Faldo Series Asia Grand Final.  This World Amateur Golf Ranking event will be hosted by the six-time Major Champion at Mission Hills Golf Club in China next March.

Established in 1996, 40 Faldo Series tournaments now take place in 30 countries worldwide with more than 7,000 golfers participating each year.  Past winners include Major Champions Rory McIlroy and Yani Tseng.

In September 2013, Faldo will begin taking students at a full-time residential academy for education and golf development in America.  The first ever Faldo Series Academy in Casa Grande, Arizona is also home to the Faldo Series USA and marks the next significant step in the programme’s history.

The 2013/2014 Faldo Series Asia schedule features a record 19 tournaments in 15 countries, including four in mainland China, two in India and others in The Philippines, Chinese Taipei, Cambodia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore, Brunei, Japan, Pakistan, Indonesia and Thailand.

The Faldo Series Asia is supported by The R&A, ISPS Handa and Mission Hills.  It is endorsed by the Asian Tour and the Asia Pacific Golf Federation.Golfers born in 1992 or later wishing to enter the second Faldo Series Cambodia Championship on June 29-30 can email info@angkor-golf.com or visit www.angkor-golf.com. 

For more information on the Faldo Series visit www.nickfaldo.com.  You can also follow the Faldo Series on Facebook at www.facebook.com/faldoseries  and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/faldoseries.

For media enquiries, please contact Tom Phillips on +852 2819 3364 (Hong Kong) or email tphillips@nickfaldo.com.

 

Liberty Cup 2013

Monday, 1 April 2013

Malaysia ‘s pioneering golf travel agency, Liberty Golf Services, had organised its own tournament series with its inaugural leg in Siem Reap, Cambodia on 28^th till 31^st March 2013. Teaming up with the local renowned golf operator, PSD Travel, the event proved to be a success.

Branded as Liberty Cup™, this event was held at the prestigious Angkor Golf Resort, a FALDO design course where it hosted 40 golfers from Malaysia, Cambodia, France and Australia. 
Despite the soaring heat, the players battled it out for the 2 day tournament on a System 36 format. The players were also taken to visit the Angkor Wat temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
 

Winner, Alex Yap Chung Chai receiving trophy from Eu Shen NG, GM of Liberty Golf Services

Malaysia ‘s pioneering golf travel agency, Liberty Golf Services, had organised its own tournament series with its inaugural leg in Siem Reap, Cambodia on 28^th till 31^st March 2013. Teaming up with the local renowned golf operator, PSD Travel, the event proved to be a success.

Branded as Liberty Cup™, this event was held at the prestigious Angkor Golf Resort, a FALDO design course where it hosted 40 golfers from Malaysia, Cambodia, France and Australia. Despite the soaring heat, the players battled it out for the 2 day tournament on a System 36 format. The players were also taken to visit the Angkor Wat temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The organiser’s general manager, Mr Ng Eu Shen said “We’re happy with the turnout of the group size despite it being marred by the speculation of date-clashing with Malaysia’s 13^th General Election. 

We were able to showcase our expertise in managing golf tournaments abroad fused with good course selection, impeccable hospitality, ground logistics, F&B and local culture – precisely what golf travellers are looking for”. 

 

Official timekeeper & sponsor Titoni, represented by Mr Tham Onn Chuan who is the CEO of ATG Watch said “I’m so amazed with the level of maintenance by Angkor Golf Resort. From tee to green, it played to great championship standards”. Another sponsor who played in the tournament, Mr Toh Hock (President of Shuzi Asia), was very impressed with the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) feature that was added to the tournament. “I’m glad to be part of this tournament series. Not only having played in a magnificent golf course like Angkor Golf Resort but also to do charitable cause to local Treak Village – located just 20 minutes from town centre”. 

A charity shootout in the form of a 25 yard chipping contest (Nearest to Pin) was carried out by ConCERT – a non profit enterprise involved in community development for orphanages, day centres, schools, agriculture cultivation, vocational training and health + hygiene. Andrew Ng of Golf Malaysia publication won the contest by flopping the ball onto the island green and into the hole.

The tournament concluded with Mr Alex Yap Chung Chai being the crowned champion of the Cambodia Leg. The 6 handicapper who shot 78 points over 2 days will be hosted to defend his title Siem Reap golf course in 2014, courtesy of Liberty Golf Services. 

    

Liberty Golf Services would like to thank all golfers and especially the sponsors to have supported the event: Transview Golf, Carlsberg Malaysia, Titoni, Shuzi, JNG Golf, AK Wines, Angkor Golf Resort, PSD Travel, Angkor Riviera Hotel, Sokha Hotel, Tropical Massage, ConCERT, ParGolf, Golf Malaysia and mygolf.com.my

Photos available at our Facebook page (acc: Angkor Golf Resort)

IBC Legends of Golf

Tuesday 13th November 2012

A team consisting of His Excellency Cham Prasidh, Meas Seng and Chhor Marith won the 2012 IBC Legends Cup at Angkor Golf Resort on 10^th November.

Meas Seng, HE Cham Prasidh, Bretton Sciaroni, Alphons Mensdorff, Chhor Marith, Rami Sharaff.

A scintillating 7 under par 65 score playing a Texas Scramble format edged out a team comprising of Ly Hong, Johannes Backman and Gregory Tugenhadt by one shot after scoring a 66.

The rich vein of form continued with His Excellency wining the Nearest the Pin award on hole 17 and Chhor Marith wining the Longest drive on hole 6.

Team Australia 3 claims the 7th FCC Nations Cup.

Team Australia 3 with FCC Nations Cup Trophy

Ladies from Australia in team Australia 3 won the FCC Nations Cup held in Angkor Golf Resort on 20 & 21 October 2012. The team consisted Kathy Garnaut, Michelle Belcher, Rosie Emery and Alison Mighell clinched the trophy with a total of 432 points in the tournaments that played with system 36.

Thai Thanadol springs surprise.
H S Manjunath, 13 September 2012, Siem Reap.
Photo by SRENG MENG SRUN

In a rousing finish fit for the theatre, Thailand’s Thanadol Sangkoranee emerged as the Boys’ U21 winner of Cambodia’s leg of the Faldo Series Asia at Siem Reap’s Angkor Golf Resort yesterday. After ending the second round in a statistical tie at 142 with Nick Ang Xi Ee of Malayisa, Thanadol was awarded the win on the strength of his better score on the day over 18 holes.
From the moment the Thai stepped out yesterday morning in the company of compatriot Sitipong Wiangchanok and overnight leader Xi Ee, it was a three-way contest for supremacy. While Sittipong began to dawdle midway, Xi Ee and Thanadol were battling every yard of the course.

The climactic 18th hole saw unbearable drama as Xi Ee’s hopes of an outright win were buried in a bogey even as Thanadol produced an amazing approach shot from the fairway to set up a birdie and finish the hole with aplomb.

Exectutive Director; Holic Tandijono presents the 2012 Cambodia Champion Kim Dong Hyun with first prize.

The figures told the truth and conveyed the emotions far better. Xi Ee’s 70 and 72 counted the same as Thanadol’s 72 and 70, but it was the Thai aggressor’s two-under-par second round effort which clinched the deal. Xi Ee’s two birdies on the 13th and 14th cancelled out his bogeys on the third and 18th. Thanadol on the other hand birdied the 8th, 10th, 16th and 18th holes, while overdoing the 11th and the 17th.

It could not have been much closer in the Boys’ U16 event, which was won by first round leader Kim Dong Hyun, who shot a fiery 67 yesterday for an overall 139. But the South Korean had to do everything in his power to hold at bay a spectacular surge by Thailand’s Nitihorn Thippong, who tantalisingly produced a matching 67 to go down by one stroke, having gone round in one-over-par on Tuesday.

While Kim reeled off seven birdies to soften two bogey blows, the Thai challenger conjured a magical eagle on the par-five 16th to add to his four birdies. His only blemish came from a 10th hole bogey.

As was widely expected, Asha Lakshme Balakrishnan took the honours in the Girls’ U21 class with an impressive one-under-par 71 for a 144 total, finishing well ahead of her compatriot Celine Lim Shwu Ling (153). The Malaysian winner had the honour of firing the tournament’s first eagle on the opening day when she landed the prized bird on the par-five 13th.
All the three winners – Thanadol, Kim and Balakrishnan – were awarded the Faldo Series Asia passage certificates to the Asia Grand Final, which will be held at the Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzen, China, next March.

Cambodia’s only participant, Seng Vanseiha, who put up a vastly improved performance in the Boys’ U21 second round with a 74 for an overall 153, may have been disappointed with himself, but he had reasons to be happy at the end of it all.
The Faldo Series Asia presented Seng Vanseiha a special invite to participate in the Asia Grand Final in line with Sir Nick Faldo’s stated principle of having a competitor from every country in China.
Meanwhile, the Angkor Golf Resort extended an invitation to the Boys’ U16 winner Kim Dong Hyun to participate in next year’s Angkor Amateur Open.

It was a walk in the park for Malaysia’s Ng Yu Kai, victor in the U12 category which was played under the Stableford format. The winner accounted for 34 points in the second round for a total of 61. Paqo Barro of the Phillipines was a long way behind in second among just four competitors.
The Chief Executive officer of the Faldo Series, Tom Phillips, hailed the Cambodian leg as a grand success and praised the organisational excellence of the Angkor Golf Resort management. “I am confident that this event will improve year on year and will help more and more Cambodian children to access the game,” he said.

Away from the competition, a grass-roots golf clinic for students from the International School of Siem Reap was conducted by Roger Hunt, official referee for the two-day event and an advisor to the Cambodian Golf Federation. The AGR General Manager Adam Robertson confirmed to the Post that such grass-roots clinics will be held on a regular basis.

Thai, Malaysian share lead at Faldo Series Asia event.
H S Manjunath. 11 Sept 2012 . Siem Reap
Photo by SRENG MENG SRUN

On a warm and windless day, Malaysia’s Nick Ang Xia Ee and Thailand’s Sitipong Wiangchanok shared the first round spotlight in the Boys U21 section of Cambodia’s inaugural Faldo Series Asia event with an impressive two-under-par 70 at the Angkor Golf Resort in Siem Reap yesterday.
Teeing off from different sections in the morning, the two returned to the clubhouse with the day’s two best scores though both endured some adverse moments with their short game.

The Malaysian was seemingly steadier than his Thai challenger. Xia Ee ticked off birdies in the fifth, eighth and 16th holes but his green approach and putting let him down at the sixth, where he ended up with his only bogey of the round.

Thailand’s Bhenyapa Buranasiri plays a bunker shot during the opening round of the Faldo Series Asia event yesterday.

Sitipong, who ranks among Thailand’s best rising stock of young golfers, brushed aside his third hole bogey with six birdies. Up to the 14th, he held on to that splendid touch but then came a disastrous 15th where he double bogeyed. He bogeyed the next as well to let his grip on the round slacken a great deal.

Another strong Thai contestant, Thanadol Sangkoranee, produced an even par 72 to shadow the joint leaders in third place. The next best effort in a field of 10 was a 77 by Channut Buntavan.
Cambodia’s lone entry, Seng Vanseiha, who had represented the Kingdom at the Asian Games in Guangzhou and SEA Games in Indonesia last year, was further down the field with an unremarkable round of 79.

One of Cambodian Golf Federation’s long time advisers, Roger Hunt, felt that an event of this stature would have a positive impact in development of golf. When asked whether he was happy that there was at least one Cambodian competitor or sad that there were not a few more, Roger Hunt said: “We certainly need more players in such tournaments. I am happy that at least a start has been made.”

The Boys U16 event was also a tight affair with South Korea’s Kim Dong-hyun parring all 18 holes for a 72. Trailing the leader in joint second were two aggressive Thai golfers, Sirislip Phubodi and Nitithorn Thippong, with 73s.

“It was a very tight first round. An under-par score at this level of competition was really impressive. The U16 scores have also been good. We are heading for an exciting finish,” Angkor Golf Resort General Manager Adam Robertson told the Post yesterday.
Despite a rough and tumble round marred by a couple of bogeys and double bogeys, Malaysia’s Asha Lakshme Balakrishnan poached a few birdies to nearly balance the books, ending the round with a leading score of one-over-par 73 in the Girls event.

“I could have done a lot better,” was Balakrishnan’s take on the round. Her nearest rival in a small field of six is compatriot Celine Lim Shwu Ling at 76. The others shot 80s or worse.
The four-player U12 event was dominated by Malaysia’s Ng Yu Kai Victor, who heads her three rivals at 27 points in the Stableford format. One of three Barro siblings from the Phillipines, Paqo, was placed second with 20 points while his sister Laia was fourth on seven, one point behind Jerry Wijaya of Indonesia.
Professional golfer and instructor Tony Maloney, who is based in Kuala Lumpur conducted a Players Clinic at the driving range as a well-regarded side-show in the morning.

Faldo Series comes to Siem Reap.
Friday 7th Septembre 2012 . H S Manjunath.

Sir Nick Faldo and Siem Reap’s pride the Angkor Golf Resort, which carries his design imprint, will be the focus of world attention when the six-time Major winner unveils his highly acclaimed global golf development initiative for the first time in Cambodia on September 11-12.

Known popularly as the Faldo Series, the Cambodian leg, open to boys and girls in the age band of 12-21 years old and of all nationalities, will be contested over two rounds of 36 holes. The series is endorsed by the Asian Tour and the Asia Pacific Golf Federation.

Cambodia is pinning its hopes on the vastly talented Seng Van Seiha, who is among the 22 boys and girls from seven countries listed so far to compete in an event with a handicap range from 2 to 12. With nearly two weeks to go, there is scope for the field to expand.

Sir Nick Faldo addresses trainees at a Faldo Series golf clinic.

Young hopefuls from Singapore, Indonesia, the USUS, Malaysia, Korea and Thailand join their Cambodian counterparts in search of qualifying spots for the Seventh Faldo Series Asia Grand Final, to be hosted by the Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen, southern China, next March.
A surge of passion for golf in neighbouring Thailand is well reflected in the fact that the nation will be sending a strong squad of 13 golfers, all with low handicaps.

As a new addition, Cambodia is among the 15 countries hosting the 18 tournaments which make up the 2012/2013 Faldo Series Asia. Mainland China heads the list with four events with the other destinations including the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Singapore, Brunei, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia and Thailand.

“Cambodia is a special place for me, so I am delighted to bring theseries here and give opportunity to the country’s young golfers,” said Faldo in a statement made available to the Post.
“I thank Executive Director Holic Tandijono 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.”

Tandijono said they were delighted to continue their “excellent relationship” with the British golfing legend. “We believe the Faldo Series can make a real difference to golf in Cambodia,” he said.
“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.’’

Meanwhile, AGR General Manager Adam Robertson told the Post yesterday that they were expecting an “exciting tournament” due to the high standard of the field.
“The response from junior golfers all over the world has been breathtaking, we are excited with the prospect of watching these young golfers compete to play in the grand final in China,” he added.

Established in 1996, 37 Faldo Series tournaments now take place in 27 countries worldwide with more than 7,000 golfers participating each year. Golfers born in 1991 or later can download entry forms from www.angkor-golf.com. All participants will receive a player presentation pack courtesy of The Faldo Series.

Ly Hong runs away with golf open 

Tuesday, 07 August 2012, H S Manjunath

 

 

Enjoying a three stroke lead after firing a first round two under par 70, left-handed Ly Hong closed out with a three-over par 75 to win the Angkor Amateur Open by eight shots at Siem Reap’s Angkor Golf Resort on Sunday.

As one of Cambodia’s leading amateurs, Ly Hong had left a fine impression in the second round of the recently held Asian Tour Honda-Faldo Classic at the same venue.

Though he missed the cut then, he had earned a lot of admirers for his effort. The left-hander, who turned out for Cambodia in the 2011 Sea Games in Indonesia, just put that rich promise to great purpose in a field that hardly tested his skills. Expat Nick Toon finished runner-up ahead of Nepal’s Tashi Ghale.

The presence of Asian Tour professional Chris Rodgers was an added attraction and he produced two fantastic rounds from the black tees of 68 and 73 in very windy conditions.

 

 

AAO 2012 winner Ly Hong (right) holds trophy with Chris Rodgers

 

 

Ly Hong’s SEA Games team-mate Seng Van Seiha, who also had a run in the Honda-Faldo Classic, duly won the Nett Division snatching the honours by one shot from Malaysian expat Chris Ponniah.

Among a field of 30 golfers, Division B was a close affair with Tan Savun prevailing over Sor Chanpholin by two strokes in a battle between two Cambodians.

Division C carried a definite expat flair with Siem Reap resident Bevan Rakoia beating by one-stroke his close pursuer from Phnom Penh Jake Montross.

Evangeline Apuhin of the Phillipines strung together a polished 140 to take the ladies event.

“We are delighted with the success of the tournament while witnessing the emergence of some very talented Cambodian golfers,” General Manager of the Angkor Golf Resort Adam Robertson told the Post yesterday.

“Both Division A and B were dominated by Cambodians, which augurs well for the development of the game in the Kingdom,” he said.

In a little over month’s time, AGR will host the first Faldo Series event, marking the introduction of six-time major winner Sir Nick Faldo’s global golf development program.