Prayad, Thaworn and Prom pictured during the press conference in Pattaya. Picture by Paul Lakatos/OneAsia.

Pattaya, Thailand: OneAsia pulled off a social media first when the pre-tournament press conference at the Singha Corporation Thailand Open was broadcast live via Periscope, Twitter’s recently launched live-streaming app.

A sizable number of @OneAsiaGolf followers tuned in for the presser which featured defending champion Prayad Marksaeng and his Thai compatriots Thaworn Wiratchant and Prom Meesawat.

Event promoters and OneAsia marketing partners World Sport Group are putting more focus on social media and the Periscope broadcast was one of their initiatives.

“It’s an ideal way to connect with fans and the media while at the same time giving added value to sponsors,” said Patrick Feizal Joyce, Vice President – Golf, World Sport Group [WSG], a Full Business Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation [AGIF].

“Our social media team at the tournament will be doing more broadcasts during the week.”

@OneAsiaGolf Twitter followers are alerted of the live streams on the social media platform and can interact by asking questions.

OneAsia and WSG are also debuting Uplause, an app designed to enhance the sports fan experience, at the Thailand Open being staged at Siam Country Club’s Plantation Course, designed by Schmidt-Curley Design, long-time members of the AGIF.

Uplause tailored the app for golf with a view to registering the sound generated when club hits ball. The result is shown in decibels on the @OneAsiaGolf Twitter feed.