Patrick Reed will be aiming to deliver a super-charged performance at this month’s inaugural St Andrews Bay Championship.

The appearance of the 2018 Masters champion further bolsters the line-up for the US$1.5 million event which will be the 12th leg of the 2023 Asian Tour season and the sixth stop on The International Series.

In what promises to be a memorable week at Fairmont St Andrews (24-27 August), Reed will join fellow Masters champion Sergio Garcia and Joaquin Niemann, alongside a host of players from the LIV Golf roster.

Organisers also announced today that South Africans Dean Burmester and Branden Grace, Australian Matt Jones, Spaniard Eugenio Chacarra, Colombian Sebastian Munoz, New Zealander Danny Lee and Austrian Bernd Wiesberger will be gracing the fairways of the Torrance Course at Fairmont St Andrews.

Reed has been a permanent fixture in the top-50 in the Official World Golf Ranking since 2014 and is in an elite group of players who have posted top-10 finishes in all four Majors.

He’s been one of the most consistent players at this year’s Majors. Following a share of fourth at Augusta National in April, Reed was joint 18th at the PGA Championship, tied for 56th at the US Open and equal 33rd at last month’s Open Championship.

Joining Reed in Scotland will be Sergio Garcia of Spain, pictured here at the The International Series Oman. Picture By Ian Walton/Asian Tour.

Cho Minn Thant, Asian Tour Commissioner & Chief Executive Officer, said: “We’ve had some strong fields at our International Series events thus far and the St Andrews Bay Championship is no exception. It’s wonderful to have such prominent players compete more regularly on the Asian Tour since the establishment of The International Series and this definitely validates the Asian Tour’s growth into a global Tour.

“I know this will motivate and inspire our Asian Tour members to raise their games. It’s a fantastic opportunity for them to test themselves against genuine world-class players at a world-class venue.”

Winner of nine tournaments worldwide, Reed achieved his highest world ranking of sixth in June 2020.

In the 2022 LIV Golf Invitational series, he was in the top-five three times, including a runner-up spot in Bangkok, and finished fourth in the Individual Champion standings. In the 2023 standings he’s currently fourth having had four top-five finishes.

Callum Nicoll, Director of Golf & Estates at Fairmont St Andrews, said: “We’re delighted to see such a strong field shaping up and very much look forward to welcoming so many outstanding players to Fairmont St Andrews.

“Set among 520 acres of stunning Scottish coastline with views of St Andrews Bay, the Torrance Course at Fairmont is a worthy venue for such an historic tournament.”

Andy Ogletree of the USA, current leader in The International Series for 2023, playing in The International Series Thailand at Hua Hin in March. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

Sculpted by European Ryder Cup legend Sam Torrance, the 7,230-yard layout has previously hosted the DP World Tour and European Seniors Tour as well as being a venue for Open Qualifying.

Part of the Asian Tour’s 2023 ‘UK Summer Swing’, the St Andrews showpiece will be preceded by the International Series England, at Close House in Newcastle.

The Asian Tour’s elite-level International Series comprises 10 events, featuring elevated prize funds and welcoming top golfers from every continent and Tour.

Following the first four International Series events of 2023, American Andy Ogletree leads the way in the overall standings with Japan’s Takumi Kanaya, Zimbabwe’s Kieran Vincent and Australian Wade Ormsby in pursuit.

The final Asian Tour entry list will be unveiled soon.

The highly anticipated 2024 Asian Tour Qualifying School is set to be held across six different venues in three countries over a span of five months starting this September.

Apart from its regular destination in Thailand, the Asian Tour Qualifying School will also be staged in the United States for the second straight year and is set to make a welcome return to Australia following a 17-year lapse.

The First Stage of the Qualifying School will consist of six events, with the first to be played ‘Down Under’ at the Mt Derrimut Golf & Community Club in Victoria from September 26-29, while the Soboba Springs Golf Club in California will host the next stop from November 7-10.

Thailand, which has such a strong association with the Qualifying School will then stage the ensuing events, at Grand Prix Golf Club, Kanchanaburi from December 12-15, and Pattana Sports Resort, Chonburi from December 19-22.

The final two First Stage qualifiers will be played simultaneously from January 9-12 at the Phoenix Gold Golf Bangkok and Grand Prix Golf Club.

Each event will be played over four rounds, with the top-placed finishers earning places in the Final Qualifying Stage to be played in Thailand from January 16-20.  The top-35 will earn their cards for the 2024 Asian Tour season with the venue for the final qualifying stage to be announced in due course.

Jack Thompson of Australia topped the class after a grueling 90-hole battle at the final stage of the 2023 Asian Tour Qualifying School. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

“The Asian Tour added a new Qualifying School site in the United States for the first time last year and we received immediate interest with the site filling up in a matter of days. It made complete sense to look at other regions from which we typically see a large number of entrants. Australia was the natural candidate.” said Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner & CEO, Asian Tour.

“A First Stage Qualifying event being played in Australia reflects increased interest in the Asian Tour and our need to broaden Qualifying School’s reach. It also demonstrates the strong bond we have always enjoyed with Australia’s talent pool year in and year out. This way we can help lessen the burden if travelling for Stage 1.”

The Final Qualifying Stage will be played over five rounds. The top 140 players (and ties) after 36 holes will progress to round three and four. The top 70 players (and ties) after 72 holes will play in the decisive final round, which will be held on January 20. At the conclusion of 90 holes, the top 35 will be ranked accordingly for the 2024 season.

Many of the Asian Tour’s most successful golfers have ascended through the Qualifying School including Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee (1999) and Kiradech Aphibarnrat (2009), Australian Scott Hend (2007), and American John Catlin (2018).

The Asian Tour Qualifying School was last held in Cranbourne, Australia in November 2006.

Registration for the 2024 Asian Tour Qualifying School will begin on August 7, 2023. Check out asiantour.com/q-school for more information.

Ends.

As the clock on the clubhouse at Hoylake ticked round to 2.28 pm, the final flight in the final round of the 151st Open Championship were approaching the first green.

Trying to shield themselves from the wind and rain, Brian Harman and Cam Young were vying for a place in golfing history, writes Spencer Robinson – Contributing Editor, Asian Tour – from Royal Liverpool Golf Club.

Trampling through the mud-soaked pathways and puddles lining the Royal Liverpool Golf Club fairways, thousands of hardy spectators, brollies raised, were braving the elements.

In the maelstrom of an Open Championship Sunday, one man could be seen in splendid isolation back on the putting green alongside the third fairway, a hive of activity throughout the week, until about an hour earlier.

HOYLAKE, ENGLAND – JULY 24: Bio Kim of South Korea practices his putting during the final day of The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club on July 24, 2023 in Hoylake, England. (Photo by Spencer Robinson)

Clad in light blue waterproofs as steady drizzle continued to fall, putter in hand, he stooped over a right-to-left six-foot putt, the ball breaking gently and disappearing below ground into the cup in front of the red-bricked clubhouse.

There were no fans there to cheer him; no caddie to retrieve his ball from the hole and no coach to offer technical advice. All alone in his bubble, he diligently continued his putting drills, seemingly oblivious to the roars from around the course.

On his Open Championship debut, Bio Kim missed the half-way cut following two rounds of two-over-par 73.

Unlike most others who failed to progress to the weekend, the Korean, second on last year’s Asian Tour Order of Merit, opted to hang around at Royal Liverpool and work on his game.

“I’ve been struggling with my putting. I’m working on tucking in my elbow and improving my rhythm and tempo,” said Kim, who secured his ticket to The Open by finishing joint fourth in the World City Championship in Hong Kong in March.

Although he ended level there with Miguel Tabuena of the Philippines, it was Kim who claimed the last of the four Open spots on offer by virtue of his higher position in the Official World Golf Ranking, 164th.

As he discovered at Royal Liverpool, to bridge the gap to the world’s best and to become Major championship contenders, there are no short cuts and no secrets. It calls for hard work, toil and practice, Kim acknowledged.

“I’m disappointed not to have done better here, but I’ve enjoyed it – and I’d love to come back,” said Kim, expressing sentiments that were echoed by fellow Asian Tour members who made it to Hoylake.

Six of the top 19 from the current Merit standings – Takumi Kanaya (third), Taichi Kho (10th), Travis Smyth (11th), Seungsu Han (joint 12th), Kim (18th) and Jazz Janewattananond (19th) – set out on Thursday morning with hopes of making some major moments.

Of the sextet, only Smyth departed with a memory to savour, even if his hole-in-one on the 17th in round two (the only ace of the week) was insufficient to enable him to play all four rounds.

His six-over 150 aggregate was matched by Seungsu Han with Kanaya (153), Kho (160) and Jazz (164) all left to lick their wounds.

HOYLAKE, ENGLAND – JULY 23: Shubhankar Sharma of India gestures after playing their shot on the 5th hole on Day Four of The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club on July 23, 2023 in Hoylake, England. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

For two of the past four Asian Tour Order of Merit champions, however, it was a week that they’ll look back upon with fondness.

Indian Shubhankar Sharma, who topped the Merit standings in 2018, was joint fourth at the half-way stage.

Continuing to play with grit and determination as the weather worsened over the weekend, he ended a week in which he celebrated his 27th birthday by finishing in a share of eighth place with Cam Young.

His closing 70 was Faldo-esque, 17 pars and one birdie. Over the four rounds he had only three bogeys and one double-bogey (a five at 17 on day two) on his card, testament to his controlled ball flight.

Sharma’s bid to contend for the Claret Jug may not have quite materialised, but producing the best-ever Open Championship finish of an Indian at The Open (bettering Jyoti Randhawa’s tied 27th in 2004) is a well-deserved consolation.

It’s also only the third top-10 Major finish by an Indian, following Jeev Milkha Singh (tied ninth, PGA Championship 2008) and Anirban Lahiri (tied fifth, PGA Championship 2015). Expect to hear more from him.

HOYLAKE, ENGLAND – JULY 23: Tom Kim of South Korea looks on as they walk down the fairway on the 5th hole on Day Four of The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club on July 23, 2023 in Hoylake, England. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, the stock of Tom Kim continues to soar.

The Korean made his Open debut last summer as the second youngest winner of the Asian Tour Order of Merit and swiftly followed it with two victories on the PGA Tour, capturing the Wyndham Championship by five shots after a scintillating closing 61, and then the Shriners Children’s Open by three.

Sandwiched between those successes, he won his first Presidents Cup cap and had victories alongside KH Lee and Siwoo Kim.

At Royal Liverpool, the 21-year-old’s rapid ascent continued, a thrilling final-round 67 – the joint best score of the day – elevating him into a share of second, alongside Jon Rahm, Jason Day and Sepp Straka.

No wonder Kim is spoken of as one of the hottest properties in the world game. With more hard work, toil and practice, a maiden Major is surely not far away.

At the highest level, golf can be a brutally tough and unforgiving game. Just ask Taichi Kho.

Ahead of his Major championship debut in the 151st edition of The Open, the rookie Hong Kong pro exuded an air of quiet confidence. His demeanour was calm and his mood upbeat, writes Spencer Robinson – Contributing Editor, Asian Tour – from Royal Liverpool Golf Club.

After two bruising days trying to navigate his way around Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Kho was shaken and somewhat subdued. Understandably so, given the roller-coaster ride he endured.

Beaten but unbowed, he has vowed to learn from the harsh lessons that were meted out to him. It may take a while for all the scars to heal, but time is very much on the side of this level-headed 22-year-old whose chastening experience has only served to strengthen his resolve,

“It was a tough couple of days but I learned a lot. It was great being in this atmosphere. Something I’ll definitely take forward. I feel I came out a way better player,” he said.

Brave words from a man who ran up seven bogeys in his opening nine holes followed by a quintuple-bogey 10 on the 18th that added up to a 12-over-par 83 and left him propping up the 156-man field. Any hopes of making the cut were well and truly buried in the Hoylake sand.

A six-stroke improvement on day two at least enabled him to move up two spots and avoid the ignominy of finishing last.

In the immediate aftermath of his day one baptism of fire, Kho flatly declined requests to face the media. When questioned after round two, he spoke in thoughtful and measured tones.

“I’m naturally disappointed with the performance, but in the long run everything happens for a reason and I’m sure this week will be quite a helpful part of my career.

“I felt like I hit it pretty decent, but I have to sharpen up all around. I feel like my iron play has been progressing nicely so a lot of positives there,” he reflected.

Possibly the most important takeaway is that you don’t mess with the bunkers on links courses on The Open rota. You respect them at all times, take your medicine when appropriate … and move on.

Referring to his woes on the 18th when he twice failed to extricate himself from a bunker due to an overly ambitious approach, he said: “I was playing great on the back nine and thought if I birdied the last (18th), I could have a shot at the weekend.

“I hit two great shots into that left bunker and just got too aggressive from a bad lie and then kept compounding my mistakes. But I learned from that – and I’ll never do that again.”

With the unpredictable bounces and extreme run on firm fairways, he’ll be more cautious, too, about club selection.

He said: “With this course you can’t really take every bunker out of play. Because if you do, then you’re just really playing for pars. I felt like I had a good strategy to attack this golf course but I didn’t quite execute some shots and I found those bunkers.”

Not that Kho has any issue with the penal bunkering. On the contrary, his assessment is both refreshing and refreshingly honest.

“I think it’s great that when you get into those bunkers it’s a real hazard because I feel like a lot of modern golf courses don’t really do that with the bunkers.

“I appreciate the fact that the course asks a lot of tough questions. Hopefully next time I come back I can handle it a little better.”

It’s that humble and mature outlook which will stand Kho in good stead as he seeks to follow up his famous triumph in the World City Championship over his home course at the Hong Kong Golf Club by establishing himself on the Asian Tour – and earning further Major championship starts.

Now he’s had a taste of the big time, he wants more.

“Here (Royal Liverpool) it just seemed like an ocean of people crossing and lining the fairways. It was really cool. Amazing.

“Just being here and being part of this atmosphere was great. I definitely see myself coming back for a lot more of these.”

To contend at the top level in any sport requires a combination of factors, talent and temperament being high on the list. A generous dose of self-belief does no harm, either.

As he’s proved over the opening two days of the 151st Open Championship, Shubhankar Sharma possesses all of the above attributes, writes Spencer Robinson – Contributing Editor, Asian Tour – from Royal Liverpool Golf Club.

On the occasion of his 27th birthday, Sharma posted an accomplished second round of even-par 71 at Royal Liverpool Golf Club.

While many others were being blown off course by capricious winds, Sharma held firm to cement his place on the first page of the leaderboard, ensuring also he maintained his 100 per cent record of making the cut in all three Opens in which he’s participated.

With a 36-hole aggregate of three-under 139, the 2018 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion heads into the weekend in a share of fourth place with Australians Min Woo Lee and Jason Day.

Seven strokes adrift of pace-setting American left-hander Brian Harman he may be, but Sharma believes that talk about contending to become the first Indian Major winner is far from fanciful.

“Yes, I would like to think so,” he replied politely when asked if he thought his weekend prospects were positive. “If I play the way I have the first few days, make a few more putts, and if I’m in my process, then anything is possible, surely.”

Further insight into his mindset came from his answer as to whether he was aiming to better the previous best Open Championship showing from an Indian, a share of 27th place in 2004 for Jyoti Randhawa, another former Asian Tour Order of Merit champion.

“I don’t want to chase records to be the best Indian. It’s about coming and playing and finishing as high up as possible. I think everyone is playing to win, so that’s more important,” he said, emphatically.

The two Indian golfers who have had the most influence on Sharma are Jeev Milkha Singh and Anirban Lahiri, both with multiple Asian Tour wins to their names.

Sharma said: “Jeev was always the stalwart for us. He was the flag-bearer. He’s a lot older than me, so I never played with him. But he was like a God-figure for us, because he was playing so well.

“I’m closer to Anirban because he’s closer to my age. I learned a lot from him. I used to walk around with him when he was a pro and I was as an amateur.

“We’ve had a host of good players who have done really well, but these two definitely stand out.”

Over the first 36 holes at Hoylake, Sharma has stood out and done very little wrong. The only notable blemish was a double-bogey five at the short 17th when he misjudged the wind, over-clubbed and paid the penalty.

His performance here to date is especially laudable given his limited links experience.

“I’ve not played a lot of links golf, except for the tournaments we’ve had on the European Tour for the past five years – the Scottish, the Irish once in a while now.

“That’s all the experience that I’ve had, along with the two previous Opens that I’ve played. But it’s amazing.

“I’ve always loved links golf. Just watching it on TV, watching the British Open and the different shots that you can play and be creative … it’s definitely up my alley.”

He may have missed the half-way cut on his Open Championship debut, but there was plenty of cause for celebration for Travis Smyth.

With a single stroke of genius at Royal Liverpool Golf Club’s 132-yard, par-three 17th, the pony-tailed Australian won the admiration of the galleries … and earned himself a place in the Hoylake history books, writes Spencer Robinson – Contributing Editor, Asian Tour – from Royal Liverpool Golf Club.

“It was just the perfect distance, perfect wind and the club. Everything just kind of came together, and it was a moment I’ll never forget,” said Smyth of his beautifully-struck nine-iron that found the bottom of the cup, eliciting some of the biggest roars of the day.

Smyth, who punched his Open ticket by finishing third at the Asian Tour’s World City Championship in Hong Kong in March, added: “Even walking back to the 18th tee people were yelling my name; walking down 18 people were yelling my name.

“It was a chippy nine-iron, and just probably half-way through the flight I thought: ‘This is going to be good’. It looked amazing.

“I took some pace off to keep the ball flight down. I put it back in the stance a little bit, I gripped down a little, as well, and I tried to hit it 20 feet right of the pin and allowed for the wind to bring it back to the middle or basically the flag.”

Not only was it the first ‘ace’ at the 151st Open Championship, but the first at the new-look 17th that promises more drama over the weekend.

“When I first played it, I thought it was a great hole, for the length. If it was a little bit longer and we were hitting six-iron it would be pretty unfair. But there’s enough green over there for a nine-iron or eight-iron. The punishment is big, but it makes for great golf come Sunday,” said Smyth.

After rounds of 78 and 71 for a 36-hole total of 149, Smyth will not be part of that action.

“To be honest, I didn’t play very well this week. I didn’t have much control of my golf ball at all. It’s a pretty demanding golf course. I felt like I was on the wrong end of it all week. This has chewed me up a lot.

“But (thanks to the hole-in-one) it’s as good as you can feel not making the cut.”

Now, Smyth’s attentions and energy will turn to the Asian Tour as he bids to mount a challenge for Order of Merit glory, with a special focus on the International Series as a means to play his way back onto the LIV Golf League.

Having enjoyed a slice of the LIV action last year, he’s anxious to return to that platform and is well positioned to do so, currently 16th in the International Series Merit standings.

Smyth said: “About a month prior to last year’s International Series England, Asian Tour players were told that depending on how you play, if you come top three, there may be a spot in the very first LIV event. We were all very excited and I went and came second, narrowly missing a play-off.

“When I was at the prize ceremony, I got told that I’d get to play three LIV events. Then there was another sort of qualification process. But I got to play the first LIV event and it was unbelievable.”

It was also lucrative. At the Centurion Club in Hertfordshire, Smyth was part of the team which by finishing second earned him over £400,000 – more than twice the previous biggest cheque of his career.

“It’s changed my life, obviously, for the better financially. Professional golf is very, very expensive. Most people don’t realise that. Since the LIV experience I’ve been able to do my thing much more comfortably, and I’ve been better for it,” said Smyth, whose maiden Asian Tour triumph at the Yeangder TPC helped him to a seventh-place finish in the 2022 Order of Merit.

Now he’s looking forward. “We’re going to have a busy back-end of the year with the Asian Tour. I’m going to go back to Chicago for a couple weeks and then play the International Series events in England and Scotland.

“If you win the International Series for the Asian Tour, everyone knows you get a spot on the LIV Tour. That’s what I’m aiming at, for sure,” he said.

It was supposed to be a dream come true for Taichi Kho. But the Hong Kong player’s Open Championship debut turned into a nightmare as he ran up a 10 at the devilish par-five closing hole at Royal Liverpool Golf Club.

It was an excruciatingly painful conclusion to a trying day in what was his first Major championship round, writes Spencer Robinson – Contributing Editor, Asian Tour – from Royal Liverpool Golf Club.

Eventually signing for a 12-over-par 83, Kho ended the opening round of the 151st Open Championship propping up the 156-strong field.

What was particularly galling for Kho was that he’d shown tremendous fortitude in fighting back well from a nerve-ridden front nine 43 that included seven bogeys and just two pars.

To his credit he re-focused and was rewarded with a string of seven pars from the 10th. When he holed from 27 feet at the short 17th for his first Major championship birdie, an unlikely comeback appeared possible.

But that optimism was short-lived. At the 599-yard 18th, his 313-yard drive found one of Hoylake’s many penal sand traps. Kho’s first two attempts to extricate himself from the bunker proved unsuccessful. The misadventures, sadly, did not stop there.

From sand to rough to bunker to rough he went, his travails as agonising for family and friends who had followed him all the way around as it must have been for him.

Kho finally made it onto the green with his eighth stroke and two-putted from nine feet. It all added up to a quintuple-bogey 10.

Although it would not have been of much comfort or consolation, he was far from the only player to be badly burned at the 18th. Justin Thomas had a nine, Rickie Fowler an eight and Adam Scott was among more than half-a-dozen players who had double-bogey sevens.

Yet so distressed was the usually mild-mannered 22-year-old Kho that he uncharacteristically declined post-round media requests, preferring to keep his own counsel.

The lows he felt as he departed the scene were in stark contrast to the highs of just four months ago when he was feted for winning the World City Championship over his home course at the Hong Kong Golf Club.

Not only did he become the first Hong Kong player to win on the Asian Tour, but it was that performance which secured him his starting place at Royal Liverpool for what was always going to be the most memorable week of his fledgeling professional career.

No matter what he goes on to achieve in the game or how many Majors he appears in, you can be sure that Kho will never forget his Hoylake baptism of fire.

But that’s for the future. Given that he’s scheduled to tee-off at 7.08 am local time in the second round on Friday, the immediate task at hand for Kho is to blank from his mind the first-day mis-adventures that befell him. Easier said than done.

Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond did his best to put on a brave face after a disheartening opening round at the 151st Open Championship. Story by Spencer Robinson at The Open.

Teeing-off at 6.46 am in the second flight of the day, conditions remained mild for most of his round.

But the seven-time Asian Tour winner was unable to take advantage, slipping to an error-strewn, birdie-less 81 at Royal Liverpool Golf Club.

“I’m just struggling with my game,” admitted the Asian Tour’s 2019 Order of Merit champion.

Littered with four bogeys and three double-bogeys, his 10-over-par return was, by some distance, his poorest performance in what is his fourth Open appearance.

Jazz Janewattananond tees off during day one of The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club. Picture by Tom Shaw/R&A/R&A via Getty Images).

In eight previous Open championship rounds, Jazz’s highest score had been a 76 on day two at Carnoustie on his Open debut in 2018.

Although he managed a sheepish wave to the modest galleries who applauded him as he stepped onto the 18th green at Hoylake, there was no disguising the player’s frustration.

“Major championships are tough … and sometimes golf is bad. Today was not good for me. I’ve probably lost any chance to make the cut,” he admitted.

Even if his prospects of being around for the weekend are remote at best, Jazz will be aiming to salvage some pride when he tees-off at 11.47 am on Friday.

“How many people can say that they’ve played in Major championships? I’m proud to have made it here. I just have to go out (in round two) and do my best … and enjoy it,” he said.

Four months may have elapsed since Taichi Kho’s momentous victory in the inaugural World City Championship. But the ramifications of that historic triumph are still being felt. Report by Spencer Robinson – Contributing Editor, Asian Tour – from Royal Liverpool Golf Club.

In winning at the Hong Kong Golf Club in the third week of March, not only did Kho become the first player from the Special Administrative Region of China to triumph on the Asian Tour.

That stunning success, in what was only his fourth appearance as a professional, earned him a cheque for US$180,000. With the World City Championship designated as part of The Open Qualifying Series, Kho also secured one of the four starting spots on offer for The 151st Open Championship.

The impressive young star is one of 14 Asian Tour members competing this week. The list includes Korean Bio Kim, as he also qualified via the Hong Kong event; Seungsu Han from the United States, who made it through to this week thanks to his victory in the Kolon Korea Open last month; and Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond, after he survived the 36-hole Final Qualifying event at Royal Porthcawl this month to line up his fourth Open Championship appearance.

“The World City Championship week will undoubtedly be one of the most memorable weeks of my life … no matter what happens going forward,” said the 22-year-old, preparing for his Major championship debut at Royal Liverpool Golf Club on Thursday.

Taichi Kho poses with his caddie prior to The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club. Picture by Warren Little/Getty Images.

“To be able to play well at home, in front of the people I grew up with, was honestly a dream come true. It’s set me up for some great opportunities early in my career so I look forward to learning from all that comes at me and hope to play well along the way,” added Kho, who attended the University of Notre Dame from 2018 to 2022.

After the highs of Hong Kong, Kho’s form has fluctuated. But after some time at Royal Liverpool last week scoping out the course, he’s raring to go.

Kho, currently 10th in the Asian Tour Order of Merit standings, said: “I feel mentally and physically ready for the challenge ahead. I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to play golf on the biggest stage and it’s a dream come true.

“I’ve worked on developing feel for different shot shapes and yardages and have worked diligently on my short game leading up to this week.”

He’s also been able to call on a little bit of links experience.

“I played Final Open Qualifying last year after the British Amateur at Royal Lytham and St Anne’s. So, I’ve had some experience playing competitively in these conditions before.

“I’ve taken all of my learning experiences from last year and came to the United Kingdom early to acclimatise myself to this style of golf so I am ready come tournament week,” he said.

Had fortune shone upon him in Dubai in late 2021, Kho would have made his Major debut at St Andrews last year.

Playing in the 13th edition of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, Kho ended the regulation 72 holes atop the leaderboard, tied with Japan’s Keita Nakajima, then the number one player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

In extra time it was Nakajima who prevailed and was rewarded with an invitation to the 2022 US Masters and last year’s 150th Open at St Andrews.

Watching those events on television as Nakajima brushed shoulders with the game’s finest, Kho might easily have felt a twinge of regret.

Not a bit of it. He said: “When I was watching the 2022 Masters Tournament and the 150th Open Championship, it definitely hit me that I can be competitive at that stage.

Kho plays a shot during a practice round at Royal Liverpool. Picture by Warren Little/Getty Images.

“So, it gave me a huge confidence boost and a sense of belonging to be at the professional level. To be at the 151st Open reminds me that everything happens for a reason.”

And now that he’s here, is there any one in particular he’d like to be drawn to play alongside with? “Anyone late Sunday afternoon would be lovely,” he said.

Kho tees off on the first day at 12.09 pm local time with American Zach Fischer and Kyle Barker from South Africa.

Click here for tee times.

Following its successful introduction to the Asian Development Tour (ADT) schedule last season, the BRG Open Golf Championship Da Nang will once again be staged at Da Nang Golf Resort, from 31 August – 2 September.

The event broke new ground in 2022 marking the first time the ADT had visited Vietnam and was won by rising Chinese star Chen Guxin – following a sudden-death play-off against Lloyd Jefferson Go of the Philippines.

This year sees the introduction of SeaBank as the tournament’s newest partner and with this new relationship it is anticipated that the prize money for the event will top the US$75,000 on offer at the inaugural event last year.

“The BRG Open Golf Championship Da Nang is a long-term project with local-promoter, VGS Events, and we welcome the second staging of an important tournament for Vietnam and the Asian Development Tour,” said Ken Kudo, Associate Director, Partnerships, Asian Tour.

“We thank Da Nang Golf Resort for their continued support and look forward to another edition of this popular new event which earned rave reviews from players last year.”

Chen Guxin of China won the inaugural BRG Open last year. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

The tournament will boast a diverse international field of 144 players from across the region, including 99 ADT members who will play alongside 20 professionals nominated by the Vietnam Golf Association.

Added Kudo: “Importantly, this year’s event will play a key role in promoting the city of Da Nang as a tourist and golfing destination. It is also part of the Da Nang Golf Tourism Festival and will act as a platform to inspire young Vietnamese golfers to pursue professional golf as a career.

“The country enjoyed great success at the SEA Games this year, with Le Khanh Hung winning gold and Nguyen Anh Minh bronze in the men’s individual event. Their performances helped Vietnam claim silver in the team competition, and we are confident the BRG Open Golf Championship Da Nang will build on this momentum.”

Chen’s win last year, fittingly coming on Vietnam’s National Day, was his second on the ADT after claiming the Blue Canyon Classic in May.

Victory for the young Chinese golfer helped him to finish fifth on the Final ADT Order of Merit to secure full playing rights on the 2023 Asian Tour, with the top 10 on the Merit list earning Tour cards for the following season.

Today’s news comes soon after the announcement in May, that the Da Nang Golf Resort had become a member of Asian Tour Destinations – the exclusive network of world-class golfing venues in the region with direct ties to the Asian Tour.

The impressive Da Nang City venue, which boasts two 18-hole courses, one designed by Jack Nicklaus and the other by Greg Norman, became only the second golf club in Vietnam to join ATD, which now boasts a total of 13 members across the region.

The Nicklaus course will be used for the BRG Open Golf Championship Da Nang.