The 47-year-old Thai maestro picked up his seventh Asian Tour title at the Queen’s Cup on home soil on Sunday, banishing the ghost of Samui and a six-year winless run on the region’s premier Tour which is celebrating its milestone 10th season in 2013.

Prayad, who has agonisingly missed out on victory at the Queen’s Cup over the past four years, flew on eagles’ wings to coast to a three-shot triumph over countryman Arnond Vongvanij, with promising Japanese Daisuke Kataoka coming in third.

Injuries have curtailed the smooth-swinging Prayad’s career in recent times but now that he is fully fit again, the Thai is showing he can still compete at the highest level. Since the start of this year, he has also won three titles on home soil but the success at the Queen’s Cup, which is sponsored by Bangkok Airways and Sports Authority of Thailand, showed that Prayad was back in the big leagues.

“Yes, it has been almost six years since I last won on the Asian Tour. I’m really happy with this win. I’ve been struggling with injuries especially with my elbow but things have started to improve this year,” said Prayad, who became the fourth oldest winner at the age of 47 years and 137 days old.

“I’m already looking at the Asian Tour schedule for the second half of the year. It (Winning) is a great boost to my career especially winning the Queen’s Cup. It’s special as it is an honour to win for the Queen. I’m going to savour this victory for a while but once the euphoria goes away, I’ll be back ready to compete and contend for more titles on the Asian Tour again.”

The victory also erased the bitter memories of losing at the inaugural Chiangmai Golf Classic presented by PTT in March. Prayad led by five shots going into the last round but faded badly with a 74 to finish third. In Samui, he fired two eagles in his final round to coast to victory.

The winner’s cheque of US$56,142 pushed Prayad up to eight place on the latest Asian Tour’s Order of Merit with a season’s collection of US$113,864. Countryman Kiradech Aphibarnrat, who finished tied 33rd over the weekend, continues to lead the Merit race with US$664,620.

Khairul Azri (19), one of the youngest players on the field, carded a 63 to claim the Nett title and Noraishah Alisa took the Ladies’ title after finishing on 64 nett points.

With the first nine having received the nod from participants, golfers can expect the second nine’s completion sometime in August this year.

Joining Mickelson in the 78-player field are past winners Ben Crane, Bo Van Pelt and defending champion Nick Watney as the event moves to KLGCC’s West Course for the first time. The past three editions were played at The Mines Resort & Golf Club.

This year’s CIMB Classic will be part of the PGA Tour’s revamped 2013-2014 season and will offer FedExCup points for the first time, making it the first official FedExCup event to be held in Asia.. The 78-player field consists of 60 players from the PGA Tour, 10 from the Asian Tour and eight sponsor’s exemptions including two Malaysians.

Prizemoney has also been increased from US$6.1 million to US$7 million, reinforcing  the tournament’s status as the richest golf event in South East Asia. The winner will pocket a cheque for US$1.3 million and will also earn a priceless two-year exemption on the PGA Tour.

“The CIMB Classic is now a marquee event on the PGA Tour calendar. The event has grown from strength to strength over the last four years. This year it makes its debut as a full-fledged PGA Tour FedExCup event with an increased field and a new venue. KLGCC is a venue that will give us the scale we need to take it to the next level,” said Dato’ Sri Nazir Razak, Group Chief Executive, CIMB Group.

“The Mines is a world-class facility and have been great partners over last three years. We extend our greatest thanks and appreciation to their management and staff for all the effort in getting us to where we are today,” said Nazir.

“We are delighted to have our past champions Ben, Bo and Nick back; and we look forward to seeing Phil tee off in Malaysia for the first time. I am confident that this year’s CIMB Classic will be yet another amazing display of talent,” he added.

West Course, KLGCC

Mickelson has a career total of 41 PGA Tour wins including four Majors at the Masters in 2004, 2006 and 2010 and the PGA Championship in 2005. He currently ranks fifth in the FedExCup standings with four top-10s including one victory on the PGA Tour this year.

“I’ve heard great things about Kuala Lumpur and the CIMB Classic from the guys who played there. This will be my first visit to Malaysia, I’m really excited and looking forward to the experience,” Mickelson said.

“The CIMB Classic presents an excellent opportunity for PGA Tour players to compete in Asia, and it’s part and parcel of promoting the game globally. I think it’s fantastic that the CIMB Classic is part of the FedExCup; it certainly drives the tournament’s competitiveness and encourages the presence of American golfers in the region.”

For more information, log on to www.cimbclassic.com.

Gavin Green

The RM1.2 million event will provide a good test of character for the Green brothers who will be in the elite field alongside stars such as defending champion Thaworn Wiratchant of Thailand and big-hitting Aussie Scott Hend. Over 30 Asian Tour champions including Indian rising star Anirban Lahiri, Angelo Que of the Philippines, who won the 2010 edition, Chawalit Plaphol of Thailand, Mardan Mamat of Singapore and Siddikur of Bangladesh will feature at the Seri Selangor Golf Club from June 20 to 23.

Danny Chia, Shaaban Hussin, Sukree Othman, S. Siva Chandhran and Nicholas Fung will spearhead the Malaysian charge as they aim to emulate Ben Leong’s victory in 2008. Leong, who was hoping to make a long-awaited comeback from a back injury, has pulled out from the event because of illness.

The 19-year-old Gavin will arrive home in Malaysia following a successful college season in the United States. He was part of the University of New Mexico golf team who qualified for the NCAA Golf Championship where they made it to the top eight. He also played at the U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying at Hawks Ridge Golf Club but missed out on a spot in the year’s second Major tournament by two shots.

“It has been awesome. This season has been one of our (golf team at the University of New Mexico) best ever.  All in all, it was a great season and the experience was just out of this world,” said Gavin.

He reckons he needs to put in some additional work on his golf swing to ensure he rises up to the challenge at the Worldwide Holdings Selangor Masters, which will be the 13th leg of the Asian Tour’s 2013 season. The Asian Tour is celebrating its 10th season this year as a players’ body.

“I have been playing a lot and haven’t been working enough on my swing. I’ll take the next few days to work on it with my swing coach, Tony Maloney. There is always room for improvement.  There are some little tweaks here and there and hopefully it will all come together next week,” he said.

“I’d like to just go out there and do the best that I can.  Hopefully this will allow me to make the cut and finish in a nice position.”

The 2012 Malaysian Amateur Open champion has earned his stripes against the pros when he finished tied 18th and 22nd at the 2012 Iskandar Johor Open in December and Maybank Malaysian Open in April respectively. He was paired with Ernie Els and Sergio Garcia in the first two rounds in Johor and with Matteo Manassero for the opening two days of the Maybank Malaysian Open.

Galven Green

His younger brother Galven is also relishing the opportunity to tee it up in his first Asian Tour event after winning the under-15 category of the Etiqa Selangor International Junior Masters to qualify for the tournament.

“This is my very first professional tournament and I’m very excited to play. I’m just happy to have qualified. I would like to play with probably Iain Steel, Rick Kulacz or Himmat Rai. It would be nice if I can make the cut,” said the 13-year-old Galven, who will be amongst the youngest golfers to play on the Asian Tour.

If he succeeds in making the cut, Galven will become the youngest player to do so on the Asian Tour.

Worldwide Holdings, a 100 per cent subsidiary of PKNS – the development arm of the state of Selangor – will title sponsor the Selangor Masters for the sixth successive year. The state-linked company has an impressive portfolio of businesses which include property development and investment, environmental management services and investment holding in Selangor.

The weekend rounds of the tournament will be telecast live on the Asian Tour’s global platform which reaches over 200 countries and 650 million homes.

Leading 7 ½ – 4 ½ heading into the today’s singles matches, the hosts needed just 4 ½ points from 11 matches to clinch victory. The match between Mitchell Slorach and Akhmal Tarmizee was halved as Slorach was forced to withdraw due to a wrist injury.

Malaysia got off to a good start when Sukree Othman overwhelmed M.Murugiah 7 & 5 but Mardan Mamat triumphed over Airil Rizman 4 & 3 to extend Singapore’s lead to nine.

Danny Chia provided a brief reprieve for Malaysia by halving his match with Koh Dengshan. Chia was 3-up with six holes to play but a spirited Koh won four consecutive holes to go 1-up with two holes to play. Chia fought back gallantly with a final hole birdie to salvage half a point for Malaysia.

Singapore’s evergreen Poh Eng Wah, who turns 50 this November, showed he could still match his younger rivals when he beat Nicholas Fung, 27 years his junior, 3&2.

S. Murthy and R. Nachimuthu secured two more points for Malaysia when they beat Vincent Phua and Lam Zhiqun 7 & 5 and 3 & 1 respectively.

Choo Tze Huang then made it 11 ½  points for Singapore when he defeated S.Sivachandhran 3 & 2 and it was all over for Malaysia when Lam Chih Bing won his match 2 & 1 against Anis Helmi to give the home side an unassailable lead.

“It’s an honour to clinch the winning point for Singapore and I couldn’t have asked for a better way of doing it,” said Lam.

Singapore’s non-playing captain Lip Ooi paid tribute to his players and hailed them for making Singapore proud.

“This win is a proud moment for all of us in Singapore. We fought really hard out there and I want to thank my team for making this a day to remember. The Malaysian team put up a strong challenge but we showed that we can be up for it,” said Ooi.

Sanctioned by the Singapore Professional Golfers’ Association (SPGA) and Professional Golf Association of Malaysia (PGAM), the three-day Ryder Cup-style event was played at Laguna’s infamously difficult World Classic Course.

For more information, go to www.causewaytrophy.com

The reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit champion cruised to a three-shot victory in last year’s edition and will look for a repeat performance at the RM1.2 million (approximately US$400,000) event.

Lin Wen-tang of Chinese Taipei, Scott Hend of Australia, Anirban Lahiri of India, Arnond Vongvanij of Thailand, Berry Henson of the United States, Siddikur of Bangladesh and Angelo Que of the Philippines will also feature at the Seri Selangor Golf Club.

Exciting talents Jonathan Moore of the United States, Baek Seuk-hyun of Korea, Mithun Perera of Sri Lanka and Panuphol Pittayarat of Thailand are also in the elite field where they will hunt for their first victory on the region’s premier Tour, which is celebrating its 10^th season this year

Thaworn, who holds an unprecedented 15 Asian Tour titles courtesy of three victories last year, is banking on his short-game expertise to guide him to a successful title defence at the challenging Seri Selangor course.

“I have good imagination which helps in my short game. It is very important. The shot, the stroke, the swing are all related to the imagination. If my feeling is no good, I keep going in my short game practice.

“It doesn’t matter how many hours. I have spent half a day just practising my short game. If I lose my feel, I’ll just keep going. It’s all down to practice,” said Thaworn.

His Order of Merit success will see him returning to The Open Championship next month for the second time in his illustrious career. He also earned a special invitation to The Masters Tournament in April.

“Playing in the Majors is important. It is good for my reputation and I’m looking forward to playing in The Open for the second time,” smiled the 46-year-old.

Siddikur, the first Bangladeshi to play and win on the Asian Tour, will be determined to continue his superb track record at the Worldwide Holdings Selangor Masters where he has never finished outside the top-five since 2011.

“I like playing in Malaysia. I have come close to winning my second Asian Tour title on so many occasions. Hopefully it will come soon,” said Siddikur.

Worldwide Holdings, a 100 per cent subsidiary of PKNS – the development arm of the state of Selangor – will title sponsor the Selangor Masters for the sixth successive year. The state-linked company has an impressive portfolio of businesses which include property development and investment, environmental management services and investment holding in Selangor.

The weekend rounds of the tournament will be telecast live on the Asian Tour’s global platform which reaches over 200 countries and 650 million homes.

Chiam, 17, carded a closing two-under-par 70 at Saujana  Golf & Country Club’s Palm Course to finish on  two-under 214 after three rounds. Second round leader MacDonaldfinished with a 75 to settle for third place on 218, losing on countback to compatriot Brown who finished with a 73.

Edgar Oh and Jerome Ng rounded off a strong performance by the Singapore contingent, claiming fourth and fifth place on 225 and 226 respectively.

Chiam noted that it was his fine putting on the Palm Course’s notoriously slick greens that earned him the title.

“I played well all three days, especially my putting,” said Chiam, who picked up his second title on Malaysian soil having won the Melaka Amateur Open in 2011. “I just played my game today, attacking on some holes and playing safe on others and thankfully it worked.”

The Malaysian squad had a disappointing outing in the World Amateur Golf Ranking event, with Muhd Afif Mohd Razif claiming best local honours in 15^th place on 233 (76, 77, 80). Much was expected of reigning Saujana club champion Low Khai Jei but he could only manage 23^rd place on 239 after rounds of 80, 77 and 83.

On a humid final day at the beachside Royal Pahang Golf Club in Kuantan, MacDonald finished the tournament on 10-under-par 274 to pick up a well-deserved win.

Saksansin made a final hole birdie for a superb closing six-under 65, setting the clubhouse target of nine-under-par and placing pressure on Marques. The 23-year-old Australian responded with a birdie at the 17^th to move to 10-under-par and he easily parred the par five 18^th to seal the win.

Third round co-leader Taylor MacDonald stumbled to a triple bogey at the 13^th hole to fall out of contention, but managed to chip in for eagle at the last to claim third place on 276.

The 19-year-old national number one secured her second championship in three years with a battling even-par 71 at the East Course of Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club for a three-day aggregate of five-under 208.

Trailing by one overnight, challenger Princess Mary Superal (71) of the Philippines took over the lead midway through the final round but a double bogey on the 13^th spelt an end to her title charge as she settled for a share of second alongside compatriot Cyna Rodriquez, who recorded a three-under 68.

Thailand’s Suthavee Chanachai (68) and Indonesian Gavrilla Arya (70) were tied for fourth on 215, one stroke ahead of another Thai lass Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong (71) and India’s Gurbani Singh (73).

The strong Pinoy contingent however went home with their heads held high after winning the overall team championship as well as the Division 2 title courtesy of nine-handicapper Sophia Chabon, who carded a 15-under 198 total.

Malaysia’s Fatin Aiman Afiqah Mohamad (14) topped the Division 3 contest with an even-par 213 scoreline.

Kelly cut a relieved figure as she received the challenge trophy from the Malaysian Ladies Golf Association’s (MALGA) royal patron Tunku Ampuan Negeri Sembilan Tuanku Najihah Tunku Besar Burhanuddin and newly minted Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar.

“I am honoured to win the national amateur title for the second time. I had to be patient out there today and despite falling behind Princess at the turn, I did not give up. I proceeded to give myself a lot of chances on the back nine and despite dropping a shot on the last, I am pleased with my five-under overall,” said Kelly.

She started positively with a birdie on third but was caught by the strong-charging Princess after her ball took a drink on the ninth. The turning point however came when Kelly birdied the 14^th, taking advantage of the Filipina’s slip on the previous hole for a three-shot swing in her favour.

“The 14^th was pivotal as I drained a 14-foot birdie to gain a two-shot cushion. Once I re-took the lead, I told myself to hang on to the lead till the end and I managed my game well through the tricky closing holes. I misjudged the wind a little on the 18^th and pulled my approach a little long but by then, I knew a bogey would be enough to claim the win,” added Kelly, who will be heading to the US in August to try out for the LPGA Qualifying School First Stage.

Princess admitted that her blunder on the 13^th took the winds off her sails as she charged for another win on Malaysian soil.

“It is disappointing because I tried hard but it was a case of being so close yet so far. I started strongly to put the pressure on Kelly but left myself with too much to do after the double bogey,” shared the 16-year-old reigning Malaysian and Philippines junior champion.

In another development, Khairy expressed his ministry’s support for MALGA’s successful bid to host the Queen Sirikit’s Cup in April 2014.

“I am delighted that MALGA have won the hosting rights for the 2014 Queen Sirikit Cup, which is the most prestigious ladies amateur team championship in the Asia-Pacific region. I have just been briefed by MALGA officials on the championship and we will look into doing all we can to not only support the event, but also assist MALGA in their continued efforts to nurture junior girls and produce future champions in the footsteps of today’s winner Kelly Tan,” he added.

Leading final round scores (Division 1)

208 – Kelly Tan (MAS) 67-70-71

209 – Cyna Rodriquez (PHI) 69-72-68, Princess Superal (PHI) 70-68-71

215 – Suthavee Chanachai (THA) 73-74-68, Gavrilla Arya (INA) 74-71-70

216 – Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong (THA) 75-70-71, Gurbani Singh (IND) 74-69-73

217 – Ashley Ona (AUS) 73-71-73

218 – Loy Hee Ying (MAS) 77-71-70

219 – Parinda Phokan (THA) 72-73-74

221 – Aditi Ashok (IND) 74-72-75, Michelle Koh (MAS) 71-74-76, Pannarat Thanapolboonyaras (THA) 72-72-77, Pauline Del Rosario (PHI) 70-73-78

Rule 14-1b, which was proposed on 28 November 2012, has now been given final approval by The R&A and the USGA following an extensive review by both organisations. The decision to adopt the new Rule came after a comprehensive process in which comments and suggestions from across the golf community were collected and thoroughly considered.

The R&A and the USGA have prepared a detailed report to explain the reasons for the decision to adopt Rule 14-1b. The report explains the principles on which the Rules of Golf are founded, why freely swinging the entire club is the essence of the traditional method of stroke, and why anchoring is a substantially different form of stroke that may alter and diminish the fundamental challenges of the game. It points out that the Rule will still allow the use of belly-length and long putters and that a wide variety of types of strokes remain for players to use. The report concludes that the new Rule should not adversely affect participation in the game, that it is not too late or unfair to require players to comply with it and that it will remove concerns about any potential advantage that anchoring provides. It also makes clear that one set of Rules is essential to the future health of the game. The report, entitled Explanation of Decision to Adopt Rule 14-1b of the Rules of Golf, can be found at www.RandA.org/anchoring or at www.usga.org/anchoring.

Peter Dawson, Chief Executive of The R&A said: “We took a great deal of time to consider this issue and received a variety of contributions from individuals and organisations at all levels of the game. The report published today gives a comprehensive account of the reasons for taking the decision to adopt the new Rule and addresses the concerns that have been raised. We recognise this has been a divisive issue but after thorough consideration we remain convinced that this is the right decision for golf.”

“Having considered all of the input that we received, both before and after the proposed Rule was announced, our best judgment is that Rule 14-1b is necessary to preserve one of the important traditions and challenges of the game – that the player freely swing the entire club,” said USGA President Glen D. Nager. “The new Rule upholds the essential nature of the traditional method of stroke and eliminates the possible advantage that anchoring provides, ensuring that players of all skill levels face the same challenge inherent in the game of golf.”

The current Rule 14-1 of the Rules of Golf will be re-numbered as Rule 14-1a, and new Rule 14-1b will be established as follows:

14-1b Anchoring the Club

In making a stroke, the player must not anchor the club, either “directly” or by use of an “anchor point.”

Note 1:  The club is anchored “directly” when the player intentionally holds the club or a gripping hand in contact with any part of his body, except that the player may hold the club or a gripping hand against a hand or forearm.

Note 2:  An “anchor point” exists when the player intentionally holds a forearm in contact with any part of his body to establish a gripping hand as a stable point around which the other hand may swing the club.

Rule 14-1b will not alter current equipment rules and allows for the continued use of all conforming golf clubs, including belly-length and long putters, provided such clubs are not anchored during a stroke. The new Rule narrowly targets only a few types of strokes, while preserving a golfer’s ability to play a wide variety of strokes in his or her individual style.

The 1 January 2016 timetable for implementation also provides an extended period in which golfers may, if necessary, adapt their method of stroke to the requirements of the new Rule.

David Rickman, Executive Director of Rules and Equipment Standards at The R&A, said: “This Rule change addresses the future and not the past. Everyone who has used an anchored stroke in the past, or who does so between now and 1 January 2016, will have played entirely within the Rules and their achievements will in no way be diminished.”

“The discussion around the Rule has been very helpful, and we appreciate that so many different perspectives were offered,” said USGA Executive Director Mike Davis. “We know that not everyone will agree with the new Rule, but it is our hope that all golfers will accept that this decision is reasoned and motivated by our best judgment in defining the sport and serving the best interests of the game.”

For more information about the adopted Rule, including a demonstration video, photos, infographics, and a Guidance Document for Players and Officials, visit www.RandA.org/anchoring and www.usga.org/anchoring.