Sep 05, 2019: India’s Ajeetesh Sandhu will set his sights on a second victory at the Yeangder Tournament Players Championship (TPC) when he gets his campaign underway at the Linkou International Golf and Country Club on Thursday.
The 30-year-old Sandhu, who claimed his Asian Tour breakthrough at the popular event in 2017, is thrilled to return to the scene of his memorable victory after missing the chance to defend his title last year.
Sandhu hopes his consistent play on the Asian Tour so far this season will be rewarded with a strong showing in the full-field event, which is celebrating its 10th consecutive edition on the region’s premier Tour this week.
Sandhu, who marked his best result this season with a runner-up finish in Bangladesh earlier in April, will feature in the talented 144-man field from 23 countries at the Yeangder TPC, which continues to offer a prize purse of US$500,000.
Chinese Taipei’s Hung Chien-yao has shown some great form of late, having claimed a top-five finish at the Sarawak Championship two weeks ago. The 27-year-old Hung will take aim at becoming the second local player, following Lu Wei-chih, to lift the Yeangder TPC trophy.
Lu, who enjoyed a fifth-place finish last year, is also feeling positive vibes ahead of the 2019 Yeangder TPC. Placed 53rd on the latest Order of Merit, Lu hopes to boost his rankings with a fine showing in the event, where he won in 2011.
Newly-minted Asian Tour champion Miguel Carballo of Argentina will be looking to extend his winning form at the Yeangder TPC, where he finished tied-27th in his debut appearance last season.
Did you know?
- Ajeetesh Sandhu claimed his Asian Tour breakthrough at the Yeangder TPC in 2017. He closed with a two-under-par 70 to win by one shot over American Johannes Veerman.
- A week after claiming his first Asian Tour title in Chinese Taipei, Sandhu went on to win the Taiheiyo Club Challenge Tournament on the Japan Challenge Tour.
- The 30-year-old Indian claimed three top-10 finishes in 2018 to finish in 28th position on the final Order of Merit.
- Sandhu came close to winning his second Asian Tour title in Bangladesh earlier in April. He closed with a second straight 65 to finish one shot back of winner Sadom Kaewkanjana of Thailand.
- Sandhu sits in 22nd place on the 2019 Order of Merit with a current haul of US$76,716.
- Hung Chien-yao of Chinese Taipei emerged as the best-placed local player after finishing in third place at the Yeangder TPC last year.
- The 27-year-old Hung missed only two cuts in eight starts. He secured a fourth-place finish at the Sarawak Championship two weeks ago. It was his best result yet so far this season.
- Hung has yet to win on the Asian Tour but has one Asian Development Tour (ADT) title which he won on home soil in 2013.
- Hung won the TPGA Championship on his local circuit for the third consecutive year in July.
- Lu Wei-chih remains the only local player to have won the Yeangder TPC since the tournament was inaugurated in 2010. He won the event in 2011.
- In 2012, Lu underwent brain surgery to remove a non-malignant tumour which put him out of action for close to a year.
- All of Lu’s four victories on the Asian Tour have come from home soil in Chinese Taipei.
- Despite making only two cuts in seven starts so far this season, Lu took pride in his tied-eighth place result at the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup in Japan earlier in May.
- Miguel Carballo, the 2018 ADT Order of Merit champion, secured his first Asian Tour title at the Bank BRI Indonesia Open last week.
- Prior to his breakthrough, Carballo has won twice on the ADT – 2019 Singha Laguna Phuket Open and 2018 Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament.
- Since turning pro in 2002, the 40-year-old Argentinian has also won twice on the Korn Ferry Tour, the 2007 Movistar Panama Championship and the 2011 Children’s Hospital Classic.
- His best year on that Tour was in 2011 when he finished 10th on the Money List securing a card for the 2012 PGA Tour, where he also played in 2014 and 2016-2017.
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