Ankita flies the flag for India, hole-in-one for Arjun Gulati

Ankita Kedlaya, with David Range,chief referee, AJT

Greater Noida, November 23, 2012: Ankita Kedlaya put in a gutsy performance to emerge winner of Category ‘B’, on the third and final day of the 4th Albatross International Junior Golf Championship India, being held at Jaypee Greens Golf Resort. In a close contest, Ankita came from three strokes back to pip Thailand’s Kanyalak Preedasutthijit by a shot.

The fourth edition of the tournament came to an end with Thailand’s golfers dominating both the individual and team competitions. The Thais topped Category ‘A’ (boys and girls), Category ‘B’ (‘boys), Category ‘C’ (girls) and Category ‘D’ (boys and girls). The exceptions to the rule were Ankita, Lucas Lee Jung Jim of Malaysia (Category ‘C’ boys), and Puneet Kaur Bajwa, topper in Category ‘E’. Thailand swept the board in the team event, winning all four trophies on offer – Category A&B (boys and girls) and Category C&D (boys and girls).

Ankita didn’t know she had won until after her round, so focused was she throughout the final day. “I was hoping to win, and gave it all I got,” said a very satisfied winner. Ankita, from Bangalore, closed with a one-over 73 and Kanyalak a five-over 77. Ankita held on despite a double bogey on 18, and it was ultimately the 14-year-old’s touch on the greens that made the difference. “The putts were falling,” she admitted.

India’s other hero of the day was Arjun Gulati. The Category ‘B’ lad, playing from the gold tees, aced the 5th hole, a day after Lucas Lee Jung Jim made an amazing albatross. Lucas returned his worst score of the three days but still ran out a comfortable winner, by 12 shots.

Apart from Puwit Anupansuebsai (Category ‘B’ boys), Nitithorn Thippong (category ‘A’ boys) and Benyapa Niphatsophon (Category ‘A’ girls), who won by one, three and five shots respectively, the Thais romped to victory. Kornkamal Sukaree finished Category ‘C’ (girls) 14 shots clear, Nattabutara Unyamanee was a 23-shot winner in Category ‘D’ (boys), while Unyamanee Wongaroon (Category ‘D’ girls) ended her campaign at Jaypee Greens a whopping 29 shots ahead of her nearest challenger.

Clearly, the Thais will be the ones to catch when the Albatross International Junior Golf Championship returns for a fifth edition in 2013. A fantastic week’s golf ended with a spectacular firework display, after the trophies and prizes had been handed out.

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An albatross at Albatross junior championship!

Greater Noida, November 22, 2012: It was a historic day for junior golf in the country. On day two of the 4th Albatross International Junior Golf Championship, Malaysia’s Lucas Yee Jung Jin, participating in Category ‘C’, became the first player to record an albatross in a junior tournament in India. An albatross is achieved when a golfer finds the hole in three shots under par – a rarity in golf – and the Albatross Junior Tour began in 2007 with hopes as high. How appropriate, then, that such a feat should take place in an event sanctioned by the Albatross Junior Tour!

Lucas followed his three-under 69 on day one with a two-under 70. His two-day score of five-under 139 handed him a commanding lead of 18 strokes. This impressive 12-year-old is on his way to becoming the standout player of the 4th Albatross International Junior, being held at Jaypee Greens Golf Resort.

On the par-five third hole, after a perfect drive of 260 yards into the middle of the fairway, Lucas pulled out a TaylorMade rescue club. “I was actually nervous because there was a bunker to the right of the green, and water to the left. I aimed a bit right, the ball went really high, landed in the middle of the green, and just rolled into the hole. Only when my caddy starting clapping did I realize that the ball was in the hole!”

India’s boys took the honours in Category ‘A’, with Feroz Garewal and Tapendra Ghai in a share of the lead going into the final day. Meanwhile, Ankita Kedlaya maintained hopes of victory in Category ‘B’ (girls), finishing the second day three shots behind Thai girl, Kanyalak Preedasutthijit.

Otherwise, it was another day when international players hogged the limelight at Jaypee Greens. South Africa’s Cara Gorlei held on to top spot in Category ‘A’ (girls), and heads into the final day a shot ahead of Benyapa Niphatsophon of Thailand. In Category ‘B’ (boys), Puwit Anupansuebsai, the 13-year-old prodigy from Thailand, returned a three-under 69 for a 36-hole total of level-par 144, two shots better than South Africa’s Luca Filippi, and five clear of India’s Piyush Sangwan.

Thailand’s juniors, in fact, dominated the second day at Jaypee: Kornkamal Sukaree led Category ‘C’ (girls) by a comfortable 11 shots, Nattabutara Unyamanee was ahead in Category ‘D’ (boys) by 13, and Unyamanee Wongaroon led by a whopping 19 strokes in Category ‘D’ (girls).

In Category ‘E’, Puneet Kaur Bajwa held on to the lead, and goes into the final round four clear of Hunar.

Photo caption: Lucas Yee Jung Jin of Malaysia in action at Jaypee Greens Golf Resort on November 22, 2012

Press release

Piyush stars for India on day of foreign domination

Greater Noida, November 21, 2012: It was a day dominated by the foreign contingent, but India had her moments as the 4th Albatross International Junior Golf Championship got under way today.

Tapendra Ghai shone in the top category (‘A’), his card of level-par 72 one shot better than Feroz Garewal and three ahead of Manu Gandas, giving India a good start in this category.

Meanwhile, Piyush Sangwan was superb on the opening day, holding off the challenge of top internationals to lead Category ‘B’. Piyush, unfazed as ever, shot a 73 to trump the efforts of Luca Filippi of South Africa and Thailand’s Puwit Anupansuebsai.

Indian girls also sparkled on day one, with Ankita Kedlaya and Seher Atwal excelling in Category ‘B’. Ankita goes into the second day with a one-shot lead over Seher and Kanyalak Preedasutthijit of Thailand.

The star of the day, undoubtedly, was Malaysia’s Lucas Yee Jung Jin, who returned a brilliant three-under 69 in Category ‘C’. It was the day’s best score by far, and gave Lucas a commanding lead of nine shots. Category ‘A’ (girls) saw South Africa’s Cara Gorlei finish 18 holes on 73, a lead of two over her fellow South African, Magda Kruger, and Benyapa Niphatsophon of Thailand.

In Category ‘C’ (girls), Kornkamal Sukaree enjoyed a comfortable advantage over her challengers; the Thai’s 79 was six shots to the good over India’s Arshia Mahant. Thais also held the upper hand in Category ‘D’ with Nattabutara Unyamanee (boys) and Unyamanee Wongaroon (girls) topping the leaderboard, ahead of, respectively, Pratyush Sharma and Anika Varma.

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Learning under a man who once taught Tiger Woods

Tennoshin Ogawa and Taisuke Ono

Greater Noida, November 20, 2012: Of the young foreign golfers set to tee it up at the 4th Albatross International Junior Golf Championship are two students of the Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy (USA). Japanese teens Tennoshin Ogawa and Taisuke Ono, playing in Category ‘B’ here, will both be looking to prove that the time spent in the US – at a golf school run by probably the most recognized teaching pro in the world – has been well worth it.

Certainly, learning the game under the tutelage of a man who once coached the best player in the game can only be motivating. “It gives students a great advantage, to learn the game, and to learn how to compete under Hank Haney,” says Patrick O’Toole, Director, International Business Development, Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy.

“Haney says you can only control two things – your attitude and your efforts. The best students are those who manage to do that. There is no secret, no magic formula,” adds O’Toole. The Albatross International Junior, incidentally, is co-sanctioned by the Hank Haney IJGA.

Tennoshin, from Aichi, and Taisuke, who hails from Tokyo, are two 13-year-olds with dreams of a life as a touring pro. And neither misses home comforts, “Being in the US is good for me,” admits Tennoshin. “It’s good for learning the game, for practicing, and for getting better as a player.” Tennoshin is into the second semester of his first year at the academy; Taisuke is also in his maiden year, and is currently in his first semester. The sacrifice of being away from home, so that they are able to grow as golfers, can only reap rich rewards for these boys, in the years to come.

These two young Japanese, and all the other competitors, are eager to get going at Jaypee Greens. Meanwhile, the fourth edition of the Albatross International Junior Golf Championship was declared open in a short ceremony in the evening today. Feroz Garewal and Tvesa Malik led the oath of participation, and balloons were released to signal the start of the tournament. It should be a fun three days at Jaypee.

Press release