Nepal´s golf tournament with the highest cash prize, Surya Nepal Masters, will kick off on Tuesday at the Gokarna Forest Golf Resort.
It is the major event of the Surya Nepal Golf Tour and the winner of the event will get Rs 486,000 cash prize. For the first time ever, the tournament has a total prize purse of Rs 3 million.
The organizing committee informed the press on Monday that the event will be participated by professionals from Dubai, Malaysia and other countries.
"It offers a perfect setting for the Nepali golfers to gauge their growth against some of the better golfers and a shot at Nepal´s most prestigious golfing title," states a press note issued on Monday.
According to the organizers, the main competition will be supplemented by an international amateur tournament.
Sri Lankan Anura Rohana had won the pro title while his fellow compatriot Mithun Perera had not only clinched the amateur title comfortably but also put up tough competition to Rohana.
Ray Noronah, former MD of Surya Nepal, had initiated the tournament in 1990. Deepak Thapa Magar has been the only winner from Nepal in the history of the tournament. Thapa had won the tournament in 2007.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Monday, April 5, 2010
How are you Woods?
Sponsors who stuck by Tiger Woods are ramping up to profit from his return to the golf course.
Upper Deck Co. will sell memorabilia such as signed red shirts with price tags upward of $1,800. Electronic Arts Inc. has a new browser-based version of its Tiger-themed video game coming out next week.
And Nike Inc. reportedly has a TV commercial featuring Woods in the works, though it won't confirm that.
The big question is whether his tarnished image can work anything close to its old magic for them and the golf industry, which has been going through tough times of its own because of the weak economy.
It could be that all publicity is good publicity, as time passes since his admissions to extramarital affairs and he returns to golf after four months at the Masters, starting next Thursday.
Woods' value as a pitchman, the embodiment of professional perfection, may have suffered. He became sports' first $1 billion earner, but lost top endorsements from companies such as Accenture LLP and AT&T Inc. as the scandal unfolded.
But it's hard to see much falloff in sales of some Woods-branded wares.
Golfsmith, the nation's biggest chain of golf stores, and sports card and memorabilia maker Upper Deck Co. say Woods' scandal, which erupted in late November, didn't dampen demand for his products.
Golfsmith International Holdings Inc. says sales of Woods-branded hats, shirts and belts (all made by Nike) grew 8 percent from October through mid-March this year compared with last year. Most of that period came after word spread that the quiet, clean-cut golfer had a sex addiction and partook in serial infidelities.
The company sold 9,564 Woods-branded hats, belts, shirts and other products made by Nike from October through mid-March, compared with 8,855 in the same period the previous year.
Woods' leave from golf will end in about a week at the Masters, the season's first major tournament.
"The tour wants him back. The players want him back. His endorsers want him back and like anybody with an economic interest in him, we want him back," Golfsmith CEO Marty Hanaka said.
Total revenue for the golf industry was $2.4 billion last year, down 11.6 percent from $2.8 billion in 2008, the firm said. People are delaying equipment purchases but they're still playing golf, said Tom Stine, co-founder of Golf Datatech LLC, a market research firm.
EA is releasing the browser version of "Tiger Woods PGA Tour" on Tuesday. The timing is good, though coincidental: The video game maker announced the launch date a day before Woods announced his return and now figures his return will just add exposure for its sites for the game and its Woods franchise.
"Sometimes you just get lucky," said Craig Evans, marketing director of the game, who added visits to the company's Woods sites have risen "significantly" since Woods said he'd return.
Former sponsors Accenture, AT&T and others who dropped Woods after his personal problems became public late last year have declined to say if they'll make any changes once he returns. Accenture merely referred to its December news release that announced it would drop Woods.
Experts say it likely will be at least a year before any major new companies sign Woods. Companies that distanced themselves from him, such as Procter & Gamble Co.'s Gillette unit, haven't announced plans to feature him in advertisements again, either. Spokesman Damon Jones said Gillette has no plans to use Woods "for the foreseeable future."
Upper Deck Co. will sell memorabilia such as signed red shirts with price tags upward of $1,800. Electronic Arts Inc. has a new browser-based version of its Tiger-themed video game coming out next week.
And Nike Inc. reportedly has a TV commercial featuring Woods in the works, though it won't confirm that.
The big question is whether his tarnished image can work anything close to its old magic for them and the golf industry, which has been going through tough times of its own because of the weak economy.
It could be that all publicity is good publicity, as time passes since his admissions to extramarital affairs and he returns to golf after four months at the Masters, starting next Thursday.
Woods' value as a pitchman, the embodiment of professional perfection, may have suffered. He became sports' first $1 billion earner, but lost top endorsements from companies such as Accenture LLP and AT&T Inc. as the scandal unfolded.
But it's hard to see much falloff in sales of some Woods-branded wares.
Golfsmith, the nation's biggest chain of golf stores, and sports card and memorabilia maker Upper Deck Co. say Woods' scandal, which erupted in late November, didn't dampen demand for his products.
Golfsmith International Holdings Inc. says sales of Woods-branded hats, shirts and belts (all made by Nike) grew 8 percent from October through mid-March this year compared with last year. Most of that period came after word spread that the quiet, clean-cut golfer had a sex addiction and partook in serial infidelities.
The company sold 9,564 Woods-branded hats, belts, shirts and other products made by Nike from October through mid-March, compared with 8,855 in the same period the previous year.
Woods' leave from golf will end in about a week at the Masters, the season's first major tournament.
"The tour wants him back. The players want him back. His endorsers want him back and like anybody with an economic interest in him, we want him back," Golfsmith CEO Marty Hanaka said.
Total revenue for the golf industry was $2.4 billion last year, down 11.6 percent from $2.8 billion in 2008, the firm said. People are delaying equipment purchases but they're still playing golf, said Tom Stine, co-founder of Golf Datatech LLC, a market research firm.
EA is releasing the browser version of "Tiger Woods PGA Tour" on Tuesday. The timing is good, though coincidental: The video game maker announced the launch date a day before Woods announced his return and now figures his return will just add exposure for its sites for the game and its Woods franchise.
"Sometimes you just get lucky," said Craig Evans, marketing director of the game, who added visits to the company's Woods sites have risen "significantly" since Woods said he'd return.
Former sponsors Accenture, AT&T and others who dropped Woods after his personal problems became public late last year have declined to say if they'll make any changes once he returns. Accenture merely referred to its December news release that announced it would drop Woods.
Experts say it likely will be at least a year before any major new companies sign Woods. Companies that distanced themselves from him, such as Procter & Gamble Co.'s Gillette unit, haven't announced plans to feature him in advertisements again, either. Spokesman Damon Jones said Gillette has no plans to use Woods "for the foreseeable future."
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Liang Wenchong produced another flawless round of golf on Friday
Liang Wenchong produced another flawless round of golf on Friday to maintain his lead at the halfway mark of the 1 million U.S. dollars Luxehills Chengdu Open - the opening event of the season on OneAsia.
The Chinese No. 1 fired a six-under-par 66 at Luxehills International Country Club for a three stroke lead over Australian Kurt Barnes and Kim Bio.
Barnes matched Liang's opening round course record with a 64 while Kim, another of South Korea's impressive young golfers, shot a 66.
Liang leads the tournament on 14-under-par 130 after his second bogey free round.
"My coach Kel Llewellyn and I have been working on the basics of the golf swing. He is here this week and we have been keeping things simple and it has obviously been working well. I am playing some of my best golf," said Liang.
He is bidding to win for the second time on OneAsia as he also claimed the Midea China Classic last year in Guangzhou.
"The crowds here have been fantastic and it is great to see so many young people watching. I am from Zhongshan and so it is encouraging to see the game becoming so popular in this part of the country as well," added Laing.
He played both nines in three under and is in cruise control entering the weekend.
Since maturing as a golfer over the past few years he has made a habit of winning each season. He claimed the Singapore Masters in 2007, the year he finished as Asia' s number one. The following season he lifted the Hero Honda Indian Open trophy before a memorable victory on OneAsia in 2009.
Barnes was joint fifth in this event last year when it was part of the China Tour. He also won at the 2009 Sofitel Zhongshan Open on that circuit.
An eagle on the par five seventh (his 16th hole) saw him draw closer to Liang. He hit a four iron from 220 yards to three feet and holed out for the three.
"I am in a great position for the weekend. I just want to go out and play my own game and if I happen to be in the last group I know Liang Wenchong is going to have a lot of supporters out there. I have just to stick to my guns and stick to my game plan - it has worked the last two days - and do my best at the weekend," said the highly regarded Barnes.
Kim is just 19 years old and turned professional last year after a stellar amateur career highlighted by victory in the Japan and Korean Amateur Championships in 2008.
"I had a bit of luck today but my putting was really good and has put me in a nice position," said Kim, who also carded a bogey free round.
He has been playing on the Japan Golf Tour Organization and is expected to follow in the footsteps of his other talented young compatriots Bae Sang-moon and Noh Seung-yul.
Australians Terry Pilkadaris and Scott Arnold are four behind Liang after they both shot 67.
The halfway cut was made at three-under-par 141.
The Chinese No. 1 fired a six-under-par 66 at Luxehills International Country Club for a three stroke lead over Australian Kurt Barnes and Kim Bio.
Barnes matched Liang's opening round course record with a 64 while Kim, another of South Korea's impressive young golfers, shot a 66.
Liang leads the tournament on 14-under-par 130 after his second bogey free round.
"My coach Kel Llewellyn and I have been working on the basics of the golf swing. He is here this week and we have been keeping things simple and it has obviously been working well. I am playing some of my best golf," said Liang.
He is bidding to win for the second time on OneAsia as he also claimed the Midea China Classic last year in Guangzhou.
"The crowds here have been fantastic and it is great to see so many young people watching. I am from Zhongshan and so it is encouraging to see the game becoming so popular in this part of the country as well," added Laing.
He played both nines in three under and is in cruise control entering the weekend.
Since maturing as a golfer over the past few years he has made a habit of winning each season. He claimed the Singapore Masters in 2007, the year he finished as Asia' s number one. The following season he lifted the Hero Honda Indian Open trophy before a memorable victory on OneAsia in 2009.
Barnes was joint fifth in this event last year when it was part of the China Tour. He also won at the 2009 Sofitel Zhongshan Open on that circuit.
An eagle on the par five seventh (his 16th hole) saw him draw closer to Liang. He hit a four iron from 220 yards to three feet and holed out for the three.
"I am in a great position for the weekend. I just want to go out and play my own game and if I happen to be in the last group I know Liang Wenchong is going to have a lot of supporters out there. I have just to stick to my guns and stick to my game plan - it has worked the last two days - and do my best at the weekend," said the highly regarded Barnes.
Kim is just 19 years old and turned professional last year after a stellar amateur career highlighted by victory in the Japan and Korean Amateur Championships in 2008.
"I had a bit of luck today but my putting was really good and has put me in a nice position," said Kim, who also carded a bogey free round.
He has been playing on the Japan Golf Tour Organization and is expected to follow in the footsteps of his other talented young compatriots Bae Sang-moon and Noh Seung-yul.
Australians Terry Pilkadaris and Scott Arnold are four behind Liang after they both shot 67.
The halfway cut was made at three-under-par 141.
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