Asian Tour Yearbook: 2023

Y E A NGDER T PC L I N KO U I N T E R N AT I ON A L GO L F & CO U N T RY C L U B | S E P T EM B E R 2 1 - 2 4 , 2 0 2 3 | P R I Z E MON E Y U S $ 7 5 0 , 0 0 0 I don’t expect so much and just enjoy my golf,” he said. The foundation for Poom’s Yeandger TPC win was laid with opening rounds of 68 and 66. On moving day, he moved all the way to the top of the leaderboard following a 64 that was highlighted by an eagle-three on the home hole where he improbably holed out with his third shot from 112 yards, giving him a two-stroke buffer. Although Smyth, playing in the penultimate flight ahead of Poom in the final round, halved the deficit after nine holes, it was the Thai who remained in control. Poom made birdies on 10 and 13 to extend his advantage to three and duly held on. Like Poom, Smyth enjoyed a bogey- free closing round, completing another memorable week at a venue which clearly agrees with him – even if it wasn’t a case of love at first sight. The 28-year-old, who registered his only previous Asian Tour success at the Linkou venue in 2022, admits that neither the course, nor the conditions endeared themselves to him when he made his debut at the club in 2019, missing the cut after rounds of 72 and 76. He said: “It’s funny because the one time I played here before I won, I hated it. I played terribly. It was my first year on the Asian Tour. I couldn’t figure out the grain and putted awfully. Travis Smyth [LEFT AND FAR RIGHT] defended his title well, finishing in second. Gaganjeet Bhullar [BOTTOM LEFT] took sole possession of third. IT’S FUNNY BECAUSE THE ONE TIME I PLAYED HERE BEFORE I WON, I HATED IT. NOW I LOVE THIS PLACE. - TRAVIS SMYTH “Having played in Asia for so long now, I feel I can read the lies from the rough, I can read the greens a lot better. I’m a lot more comfortable. “Now I love this place … and I think this course likes me as well. I hit it in the trees a couple times and got some lucky kicks back into the fairway and that sort of thing. I just have a good feeling about this place – I have for two years in a row. “When I returned this year, all the memories of my win came flooding back. I played nine holes in the practice round and remembered every shot I hit on the back nine in the final round last year. “It’s a really tight course and you have to hit it really straight off the tee. The small greens mean you require a lot of precision with your approach shots.” Another player who’s always felt at home at Linkou is Indian Gaganjeet Bhullar, who won this event in 2012. Some 11 years on, a final-hole birdie gave him a closing 69 and sole possession of third place. 104