The Asian American Challenge Cup, a goodwill finished

The 2006 Asian American Challenge Cup was held Saturday, August 19, 2006 at the Lost Marsh Golf Course in Hammond, Ind. AAGolf Magazine and Horseshoe Casino sponsored the event, which was hosted by the Chinese team. More than 100 golfers competed on seven different teams categorized by the following countries: China, India, Japan, Korea, Philippines and the United States.
"Team captains Frank Ting (China), Ram Thukkaram (India), Toshihiko Kii (Japan), Doug Kim (Korea), Pete Nobhaprana (Thailand), Ernie Catral (Philippine) and Andrew Engler (USA) did a wonderful job organizing their teams to help make this a great event," says Sunny Leon, publisher of AAGolf Magazine. "I enjoyed seeing so many diverse golfers united at one event. We also had special guests - board members of the Asian American Professionals Golf Association (AAPGA), Tuan Schneider, Noke Sivilay, Sith Phousirith and Ricky Wong - drive seven hours from Minneapolis to participate in the Asian American Challenge Cup."
For the second year in a row, the Korean team placed first with a combined score of 621. The Thai team finished second with a solid score of 632, and the U.S. team clinched third place by one stroke over the Chinese team with a score of 687. Organizers calculated each team's score by combining its lowest eight scores.
In the individual competition, the three low-gross scores were Tony Jantakancte (Thailand) – 72, Harry Cho (Korea) – 73, and Wanyoo Kim (Korea) – 74.
"I was proud to see our team's No. 1 player score the lowest in this extremely competitive event," boasts Pat Sangern, the president of the Thai Golf Club of Chicago.
Closest to the Pin winners were Dang Srisu (Thailand), San Santharam (India), Ho Min Lim (China) and M Anantawanit (Thailand). The U.S. team swept the Longest Drive competition, with Andrew Engler (USA) winning the men's division and Debbie Eng (USA) capturing the women's title. Murphy Liang (China) won the Longest Putt. All of the winners received prizes during an evening reception at the Horseshoe Casino.
The annual event rotates hosts each year, with the Korean team pinned to host next year's tournament.

About AAGolf Magazine
AAGolf Magazine is the first and only publication dedicated to increasing awareness of the Asian and Asian American golf communities. The bimonthly magazine and Web site cover the latest news and provide valuable information on players, events, courses, equipment, fashion and instruction for all golfers. We use the universal language of golf to build an international golf community, providing networking opportunities and supporting Asian-related golf events. We are committed to developing younger players, equipping them with resources and educational opportunities and enhancing their skills and passion for the game. Visit us at www.aagolf.com

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