By Rahul Banerji
On current form, two Koreans and a Chinese Taipei golfer are expected to carry the Asian challenge at the 2021 Masters that tees off in Augusta, Georgia, on Thursday.
Si Woo Kim, C.T. Pan and Sungjae Im will be in the leading Asian flag-bearers amidst the plethora of US and international talent lining up at the storied venue in a few hours.
Also in the mix is former Hero World Challenge winner Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, making for four challengers from Asia in all.
Pre-event favourites are defending champion Dustin Johnson, big-hitter Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka and last week’s Valero Texas Open champion Jordan Speith.
Or will it be Rory McIlroy successfully completing the long-awaited Major Slam at Augusta this year?
Live telecast
All of that will be on air for die-hard fans here in India with Hero MotoCorp announcing it will sponsor live telecast of the 2021 Masters on Star Sports.
Live coverage from Augusta will start with a preview on the Star Sports Select 1 and Select HD channels from 12.30 am to 2.30 am on Thursday.
Coverage for the first two days, April 9 and 10 will run between 12.20 and 5 am on both channels.
On Day 3, pictures are slated to be live from 12.30 am till 4.30 am and on Sunday, the final day, from 11.30 pm till 4.30 am.
While no Asian has ever won the Masters, Sungjae In came close on debut last year, finishing second behind Johnson.
According to pgatour.com, the rising Korean star even briefly put Johnson under pressure on the final day before settling for shared secod place along with Australia’s Cameron Smith.
Im, the highest ranked Asian golfer on the FedEx Cup points list and Official World Golf Ranking at 19th, was within a shot of Johnson before the latter raced away to his five-shot victory.
“Last year at the fifth hole, I was just one behind Dustin which made me think at that point ‘I could really win today’,” recalled Im.
“Unfortunately, I finished runner-up but this was an incredible result for me in a Major.
Going one better
“With that performance, I think I’m certainly competitive enough to win major tournaments in the near future,” said the 23-year-old, who improved on countryman K.J. Choi’s third place in the 2004 Masters as the best Asian finisher.
Im this year has two top-10s, four top-25s and has not missed a single cut.
“The most memorable moment was that I could stay in the top-10, which really amazed me, and also playing with Dustin, who is the best player in the world,” Im was quoted as saying .on pgatour.com
“This is one event that I will remember the most and playing at Augusta National made me feel proud as I’ve always watched this tournament on TV when I was young,” said Im, who has one victory on the PGA Tour.
“I played very well last year, and I hope to play the same this week. I hope I can make another top-10 or get near the top this week.
“Augusta National’s greens are so fast and they have big slopes and I need to set my strategy right to be in the best positions. Course management will be important,” he added.
“The Masters is definitely the biggest among all four major events. I’m eager to compete for the Masters title and win the green jacket.
“It’s a dream for everyone. If we win it once, we get an exemption into the tournament for rest of our lives. This makes winning extra special here.”
Eye-catching debut
C.T. Pan was another Asian to impress on his Masters debut last year with tied seventh place finish.
In November, the 29-year-old made sure he enjoyed the full Augusta experience which included sampling the famous sandwiches and marveling at the magnificent sights around the venerable venue.
Most importantly, he also managed his own expectations well.
Pan now plans to keep to the same drill in the year’s first Major.
“Can’t wait to go back there for the food,” said Pan.
“We had some wonderful fillet mignon steak for our dinner and I loved the pimento cheese sandwich and the egg sandwich. I think I tried all the sandwiches they had for us.
“Being a first timer, I did not have much expectation and that mindset helped as I was able to enjoy myself more on the golf course.
“I was sightseeing quite a bit, enjoyed the views, and enjoyed the memories of being at the Masters which I grew up watching with my late father and brother.
“It was an unbelievable experience being there on the first tee for the first time. It was really cool for me.”
Pan had rounds of 70, 66, 74 and 68 for a 10-under 278 total that secured a quick return to the prestigious tournament.
It also proved to be an emotional week for Pan, whose late father had been instrumental in his golf career.
“It is an amazing week. As a kid, the first Major I watched on TV was the Masters which always meant more than the other Majors.
“I remember all the holes, especially on the back nine. Now that I’ve been here and had such a great performance and a top-10 finish, it means a lot. It is a good confidence boost.
“Getting back … that’s the best reward as you play hard for four days and knowing I would be back in a few months, that was really special.
“As a kid, I dreamed of being there one day. I obviously wish my dad is still in this world to watch me.
“After I finished four rounds, my brother texted me as it was an emotional week for him too as we watched it growing up together. It was a special week for our family.
“It’s such an iconic event. The was a lot of news coverage back home. It was a big achievement, the best performance by a Chinese Taipei player. Things were going crazy back home,” recalled Pan.
“Last year’s T7 was a big encouragement. I’ve set my objective for a top-20 for this year. I know there will be pressure.”
Kim set for challenge
For his part, Si Woo Kim cannot wait to hear the roars return at the Masters. And he hopes to be one of the reasons for the noise.
With a limited number of fans allowed on site to watch the year’s first Major, Kim hopes to savour in the atmosphere and launch a title challenge for the Green Jacket.
“We have played without fans over the last few months,” the Korean said on tournament eve.
“When I hit good shots and made good putts, I couldn’t get motivated and get my energy up because I didn’t hear any loud cheering.
“But now, with some fans coming back, we get a lot more cheers. It gives me added motivation and energy.
“I think it’s really good for me. Hope many fans will come and watch good shots and have a good time with us,” said Kim.
“When I was young, I watched the Masters a lot on TV. I saw players hit great shots on a great course, and I know all the famous holes.
“When I came here at first, I thought the course condition was way better than I imagined. It was almost flawless, it was very impressive. I felt like I am in a dream,” he recalled.
“The Masters is a big competition and it’s an honour to participate in it. It is my dream to play with best players on a best golf course.
“I never thought we would play the Masters twice in one season. When I played last November (the Masters was rescheduled last year due to the pandemic), I couldn’t qualify for the next one.”
Still only 25, Kim is already a three-time PGA Tour winner, ranked only behind eight-time champ K.J. Choi as the Korean with most wins on Tour.
He earned his breakthrough at the 2016 Wyndham Championship and nine months later became the youngest winner of the Players Championship.
Kim ended a three-year drought in January, claiming an impressive win at The American Express.
Kim hopes to get into the Masters mix comes Sunday afternoon. “Competing with good players is the reason why I play golf. There is pressure and excitement. It will be good to compete well with other talented players,” he said.
Friendly fight
With close friend Im also enjoying success, Kim believes their friendship has become a motivating factor for him to push the limit in his own game.
“Sungjae has been so good and hot for two to three years now. I’m very happy and proud of him.
“Looking at the Korean players on the leaderboard each time, I feel proud more than ever before, and it makes me want to work hard too.
“I think it’s an opportunity for Korean players to motivate each other.
“The first time we met was when I was 15 in a junior golf tournament. He was very calm and good at golf even though he was young.
“I was already impressed by Sungjae’s game at that time. Then he won at The Honda Classic (in 2020) and became one of the best players on Tour now.
“Seeing that gives me lots of motivation and makes me want to work even harder.”
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