Having already witnessed seven victories by Asian players on the European Tour this season, with four of those coming in successive weeks, it would be fair to say the Asian contingent have made quite an impact so far during the 2016 Race to Dubai...
It took until March and S.S.P Chawrasia’s fine win on home soil at the Hero Indian Open for us to get our first Asian win of the season, with Jeunghun Wang, a man who was soon to make his presence felt on the European Tour, finishing tied second, alongside another Indian star in Anirban Lahiri.
Just over a month later in China the highly promising Soomin Lee went wire-to-wire to win his maiden European Tour title in style at the Shenzhen International, in what was only his sixth European Tour appearance.
The South Korean’s win was the start of a special month for Asian golf, with Chinese star Li Haotong becoming the second Chinese player to win a European Tour event on home soil at the Volvo China Open, thanks to a sublime eight under par final round 64.
Next it was the time of Wang, who had come so close in Delhi, to announce himself on the global stage with one of the most resilient performances of the season to date, on his debut at the Trophée Hassan II in Morocco.
Wang birdied both holes of his playoff with Nacho Elvira to become the 24th different Asian player to win on the European Tour, and make it two wins for the season for South Korea.
The 20 year old then went on to record back-to-back wins with another strong display in windy conditions at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open. In doing so, Wang became the first player to win consecutive European Tour events since Rory McIlroy at the 2014 WGC – Bridgestone Invitational and 2014 US PGA Championship.
Other notable landmarks the South Korean achieved with that win in Mauritius saw him become the first Asian to win back-to-back European Tour events, and at the age of 20 years and 263 days, also become the youngest player to win consecutive European Tour events, beating the previous record of the legendary Seve Ballesteros, who was 21 years and 119 days in 1978.
Some company to keep.
Less than a month passed before we had our sixth Asian win of the season thanks to Ashun Wu’s second European Tour title in Austria at the Lyoness Open powered by Sporthilfe Cashback Card, before Thongchai Jaidee made it seven for the season and eight for his illustrious career by beating the likes of Rory McIlroy to the 100th Open de France title.
With such a strong Asian presence at this week’s King’s Cup presented by PTT Group in Thailand, you would not be surprised if we had a record eighth Asian European Tour win by the end of the week.
Asian wins by season over the last 10 years on the European Tour:
2015 – (7) –
Lahiri x2, Aphibarnat, Wu, An, Aphibarnrat, Jaidee
2014 – (1) –
Jaidee
2013 – (2) –
Jeong, Aphibarnrat
2012 – (2) –
Jaidee, JM Singh
2011 – (1) –
S.S.P
2010 – (2) –
Noh, YE Yang
2009 – (5) –
Lin, Kang, Jaidee, Jaidee, Yang
2008 – (4) –
S.S.P, Atwal, JM Singh, V Singh
2007 – (3) –
Yang, Liang, Nirat
2006 – (4) –
Wi, Mamat, JM Singh, JM Singh
