On 19 February 2022, Kyi Hla Han, one of the exponents of Golf in Asia, a Burmese golf star and former champion of the Volvo China Open, died in Singapore at the age of 61 due to complications from cancer.
Chirahan, Source Asian Tour
Known in The Chinese golf community, Chilahan was a major achievement in his career when he won the 1999 Volvo China Open at Shanghai Xubao Golf Club, leaving his mark on the Chinese mainland's oldest international professional golf tournament.
Chilahan, who turned professional in 1980, once said: "I wanted to be a professional golfer since I was 10 years old. I've been lucky enough to take on this sport that I love, travel the world, make a lot of friends, and play a lot of great races and golf courses. ”
In his long 25-year career, Chilahan has won 12 victories and represented Myanmar at the Golf World Cup five times. Among them, the heaviest champion was the 1999 Volvo China Open.
Chilahan won the 1999 Volvo China Open, the Asian Tour
In 1997, Chilahan finished tied for 61st at the 3rd Volvo China Open.
In 1999, Chilahan again competed at the Volvo China Open. At that time, the national open was transferred to Shanghai Xubao Golf Club, opening the "Xubao era" for six consecutive years. The first to win the people in Xubao is Chirahan. That year, Chilahan was 38 years old and was in an important period of his career.
Previously, Kirahan had won the 1994 Singapore Open. Before coming to China again, Chilahan's performance was not very ideal, but the player, known as the "little giant", seized the most important opportunity of his golf career. He scored 68, 70 and 67 in the first three rounds of the 1999 Volvo China Open, finishing 54-hole leader with a total of -11.
After taking a four-stroke advantage to Sunday's final, Chilahan quickly extended his lead by catching birdies on five holes at the start. Such a strong outburst is rare on the pro tour, so that Chirahan has left all his opponents far behind in the blink of an eye. In the end, Chilahan easily won the championship with a total score of 273 (-15), a 7-stroke advantage, and received a prize of $72,000. This victory allowed Chilahan to successfully top the Asian Tour prize list in 1999 and became the first player to pay more than $200,000 in annual prize money on the Asian Tour.
Since then, Chilahan has been tied for 26th and 8th places at the Volvo China Open in 2000 and 2002.
Over the past 27 years, the ongoing Volvo China Open has produced a total of 26 different champions, and Chilahan has contributed a champion from Myanmar to this legendary event.
In 2004, Chilahan retired and has served as Executive Chairman of the Asian Tour since 2006, continuing to contribute to the sustainable development of golf in Asia.
Today, although this respectable golf elder has left us, his spirit and the miraculous victory of the Volvo China Open are worth remembering forever.