Lucky Lee is motoring after picking up keys to brand new car with hole-in-one at Hong Kong Open
The future is bright for in-form Andy Ogletree, the current number one on The International Series Order of Merit, with the American on the verge of clinching this year’s title and claiming automatic promotion onto the lucrative LIV Golf League this week at the Hong Kong Open.
While the American is focused on the task at hand, wrapping things up on with a strong performance on the penultimate event of this year’s International Series schedule, he admits there is a lot more going on in the background – namely discussions with LIV Golf teams eager to acquire his services next season.
“I’ve been in conversations with a couple of different teams, so, I’m trying to figure out which team fits best for me,” said the 25-year-old. “And my conversations have been more about which team I’m going to be on, not so much of the movement of everything. You know, it’s a really exciting time for me, and it’s going to be a really big decision for me going forward of which team that I want to be on.
Andy Ogletree of the USA pictured on Thursday November 9, 2023 during Round One of the Hong Kong Open at the Hong Kong Golf Club. The US$ 2 million Asian Tour event is staged from November 9-12, 2023. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“Hopefully, I’ll be on that team for a long time. I look at it like a college golf choice. Which team do you want to be on? Which team do you see yourself with and which team gives you the best chance of playing the best golf? It’s super exciting. I’ve definitely been pretty busy the last couple of weeks, even though I’m trying to win a golf tournament.”
Ogletree, a three-time winner in two seasons of The International Series, began his Hong Kong Open campaign in impressive fashion with a remarkable five-under round of 65 yesterday.
He can test himself against LIV Golf talent this weekend too, as he is in facing stiff competition this week in a star-studded field that includes reigning number one LIV Golf player Talor Gooch, this season’s runner-up Cam Smith, and 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed, as well as Harold Varner III and Thomas Pieters.
Speaking about what is informing his decision, he said: “You have to look at it from a massive lens, you have to look at how the team travels and how the team stays and what’s provided from the team from a physio standpoint and a training standpoint.
“Obviously, the team dynamic goes into it as well, which players are going to be surrounded by every day and how teams like to go about their business. Some teams like to play together a lot, some teams do their own thing. And obviously, there’s a marketing aspect as well that you have to look at. So trying to take it all into consideration and just see what which one’s best for me.
“It’s a big decision. And as much as I want to say that it’s easy to just get focused on a golf tournament, it’s not as easy as it seems sometimes. But I’m trying to do the best I can and just take it one day at a time and once I get on the course, try to shut everything else off.”
The prestigious Hong Kong Open, one of the crown jewels of Asian golf, makes its much-anticipated return this week after a hiatus since early 2020 due to the global pandemic. This year the US$2 million event will also be part of The International Series – 10-elite level tournaments integrated into the Asian Tour schedule.
One of the oldest national open championships in Asia, second only to the Philippine Open, it was first held in 1959 and in 1962 it became one of the five tournaments that made up the inaugural Asia Golf Circuit together with the national opens of the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore, plus a final tournament in Japan. The event would become a fixture on the Asian Tour in 1997 and has been one of the highlights on the schedule ever since then.
It has been played at the historic Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling throughout its rich history, and the famous Composite Course – an old-school tree-lined course playing just over 6,700 yards, made up of the best holes of the New and Eden courses – has crowned a who’s who list of some of the most famous players in the world during its time.
The inaugural 1959 event saw the famous Lu Liang-Huan from Chinese Taipei, or ‘Mr Lu’ as he was also known, claim the first of his two Hong Kong Opens by one shot over Australians Bruce Crampton and Kel Nagle. Lu would also go on to win the 1974 edition in a play-off over another famous Australian Graham Marsh.
Miguel Angel Jimenez during the final round of the 2013 Hong Kong open – his fourth win in the event. Picture by Ian Walton/Getty Images.
The following year Australian legend and five-time winner of the Open Championship Peter Thomson posted the first of his three Hong Kong Open wins, the others coming in 1965 and 1967. Thomson was a prolific winner around the world during the 1950s and 1960s with 98 professional wins on his resume, the last coming in Japan in 1976.
Australian superstar Greg Norman, who was ranked number one on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) for 331 weeks in the 1980s and 1990s, would win the first of his two titles at Hong Kong Golf Club in 1979 over a trio from Chinese Taipei. Norman, who is the current LIV Golf Commissioner & CEO, would also lift the trophy in 1983 when he beat Englishman Mark James by three.
In 1987, Welshman and 1991 Masters Tournament champion Ian Woosnam claimed the title by four shots over Sam Torrance from Scotland and Northern Irishman David Feherty. This was a year in which he also topped the DP World Tour Order of Merit and set a record for global tournament earnings at the time, GBP£1,062,662.
Two-time Masters Tournament winner Bernhard Langer from Germany won the 1991 edition of the Hong Kong Open in dominating fashion by seven strokes over Korean Choi Sang-ho and Lu Wen-teh from Chinese Taipei. Langer is like Woosnam a previous world number one and has the distinction of being the sport’s first number one ranked player following the creation of the OWGR in 1986.
The following year saw another giant of the game emerge victorious, as eight-time Major winner Tom Watson from the United States won by three strokes over Northern Irishman Ronan Rafferty. Watson was the leading money winner of the PGA Tour five times, Player of the Year six times, and inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1988.
Wade Ormsby poses with the trophy in 2020. Picture by Ivan Shum – Clicks Images/Getty Images.
In the new century and nine years later in 2001, it was Spain’s Jose Maria Olazabal, a two-time Masters champion and Ryder Cup hero, who came out on top against Norwegian Henrik Björnstad, and this also marked the first year the event was co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour.
Fellow Spaniard and Ryder Cup stalwart Miguel Angel Jimenez claimed the first of his impressive four Hong Kong Open titles in 2004 when he edged out Ireland’s Padraig Harrington and South African James Kingston by a single stroke. Nicknamed “The Mechanic” and in recent years famous for his warm-up routine and love of wine and Cuban cigars, Jimenez would also win the event in 2007, 2012 and 2013 and is currently the most winningest player of the Hong Kong Open.
Perhaps one of the most famous moments in the Hong Kong Open’s history came in 2008 when Chinese Taipei’s Lin Wen-tang beat Italy’s Francesco Molinari and current world number two Rory McIlroy, who was in his first full season on the DP World Tour, in a playoff. On the first play-off hole Lin would hit his tee shot left in the trees, seemingly in jail and just having to chip out, but after a heroic hook-shot through the branches Lin’s ball ended up four feet from the pin to make birdie to tie with McIlroy. After McIlroy hit his tee shot left in the trees on the second playoff hole but made a miraculous recovery to 12 feet, Lin, who was in the fairway, calmly stuck his second shot to a foot for an easy birdie, and after McIlroy missed his birdie attempt the Chinese Taipei player had an easy tap in for the win.
The four-time Major champion McIlroy would get his Hong Kong Open title a few years later in 2011, when he holed out from the bunker on the 72nd hole to post a score of 12 under ahead of the final two groups that no one could catch.
Lin Wen-tang on his way to victory in 2008. Picture by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images.
The most recent years between 2014 until the last time the Hong Kong Open was held in 2020 saw three Australians win – 10-time Asian Tour winner Scott Hend won in 2014 in a playoff against Filipino Angelo Que, Sam Brazel in 2016 by one over Rafa Cabrera-Bello of Spain, and two-time winner and defending champion Wade Ormsby in 2017 and 2020. The latter by four strokes over the 2019 Open Championship winner Shane Lowry from Ireland. Two Englishmen also got their names engraved on the trophy during this time, the 2013 U.S. Open Champion and Ryder Cup star Justin Rose in 2015, and two-time DP World winner Aaron Rai in 2018.
All eyes will be on Andy Ogletree at this week’s Volvo China Open, as The International Series Order of Merit (OOM) leader goes in search of the golden ticket to the LIV Golf League that comes with top spot in the standings.
In-form Ogletree is the runaway leader going into the last three back-to-back International Series events of the season. With the Hong Kong Open and the BNI Indonesian Masters presented by TNE to follow straight after the last putt drops in China, the American has one hand on that OOM title for the set of 10 elevated events on the Asian Tour calendar.
The 25-year-old tops the standings by over half a million dollars, and also leads the Asian Tour OOM, thanks to tournament wins at International Series Qatar in February and International Series England in August.
A tied third in Singapore, Ogletree’s latest impressive performance, adds to top-10 finishes in Oman and Scotland in the Series, and his undoubted talent was made clear after he technically finished in the LIV Golf League Open Zone this season, above the dreaded Drop Zone, despite only appearing as a reserve.
Andy Ogletree will be attempting to claim his third title of the year at the Volvo China Open. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
As he closes in on the OOM title and a LIV Golf League spot for next season, Ogletree admits he has already been fielding calls from players around the world eager to follow in his footsteps, with the Asian Tour’s high-profile events offering a viable pathway onto the LIV Golf League.
He said: “Guys have reached out to me regards Asian Tour Q School, and the process of getting out here. I think it (The International Series) has shown what it can do in my situation – I think it will be appealing to a lot of college players turning pro as it adds another route to make a great living playing golf.”
The International Series has taken on added significance with the confirmation that eligible players inside the top 40 of the OOM standings will be able to participate in the LIV Golf Promotions event in Abu Dhabi from 8-10 December, a four-round qualifying tournament that will give three additional players entry to the LIV Golf League roster for next season.
It’s no secret that Ogletree is a big fan of the Asian Tour’s marquee tournaments. A winner in the inaugural season in 2022 at the International Series Egypt, the 2019 US Amateur champion admitted preparing for International Series events as if they were his “Major tournaments” earlier this season.
Ogletree, one of the original 48 players in the field for the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational London event last season, said: “The International Series is really cool. It gave me somewhere to play and build my game back up. I was struggling at my first event in London, but part of my decision to come to LIV Golf was the guaranteed International Series starts.
“I knew I was going to build up a schedule and travel the world and see some cool places. It has been awesome and the competitions have been amazing; I really enjoyed playing these tournaments with championship style golf courses. It has been great earning my way back (to the LIV Golf League).”
The Volvo China Open tees-off at Hidden Grace Golf Club in Shenzhen tomorrow.
The Volvo China Open makes its long-awaited return to the Asian Tour schedule this week, and it will be the first time since 2019 that the event has been open to international players following three years of interruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The US$1.5 million event, which is part of the Asian Tour’s highly lucrative International Series for the first time, will see the top players from the Asian Tour compete alongside the best players from China at Hidden Grace Golf Club, in Shenzhen. The club formerly known as Genzon Golf Club has hosted the tournament four times, in 2014 and from 2019 to 2021.
This week marks the 28th staging of the tournament – which has enjoyed a storied history since its inauguration four decades ago.
When the Volvo China Open was first played in 1995 at Beijing International Golf Club it was the first time a major international professional tournament was held in China, and the ground-breaking event was won by Raul Fretes of Paraguay. While the event was not a part of the Asian Tour schedule in the first year, it would join a year later.
The history of the Volvo China Open pictured on a branded wall at Hidden Grace Golf Club. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
During the early years of the Asian Tour the Volvo China Open was an important event on the schedule, and it would help launch and shape the careers of several noteworthy Asian Tour players.
In its first year as part of the Asian Tour, legendary Thai player Prayad Marksaeng won by nine strokes over Hsieh Yu-shu of Chinese Taipei. It was his maiden professional win and the first of his 10 Asian Tour victories.
In 1997 history was made when the third staging of the tournament saw its first Chinese winner, with Cheng Jun lifting the trophy after winning by five shots over Australian Adrian Percey. That victory was expected to be the first of many for the exceptionally talented Cheng, but surprisingly it remains his only professional victory.
The 1999 edition of the event at Shanghai Silport Golf Club was famously won by Kyi Hla Han of Myanmar by seven shots from American Christian Pena, and the victory helped Han secure the Asian Tour Order of Merit crown that season. Han would later become instrumental in re-shaping the Asian Tour when he took over as Chairman in 2004, and he is credited for having overseen the rapid growth of the professional game in Asia. Han sadly passed away in February of 2022 aged 61 after a short battle with illness, and earlier this year the Asian Tour launched the Kyi Hla Han Future Champions Award in his honor.
Four years later in 2003 Chinese star Zhang Lianwei won the title at Shanghai Silport, it was Zhang’s second win of the year having previously won the Caltex Masters in Singapore in a play-off over Ernie Els of South Africa. That year he also became the first player from his country to crack the top-100 on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) and as a result received a special invitation to play in the Masters, the first player from China to do so.
The tournament was co-sanctioned by Asian Tour and DP World Tour between 2004-2008 and in 2006 Jeev Milkha Singh became the first player from India to win the Volvo China Open. His victory was the first out of four global wins in Singh’s fabulous season, capped by claiming the Asian Tour Order of Merit. He also finished the year inside the top-50 in the OWGR, earning an invitation to the Masters, becoming the first Indian to play in this Major the following year.
The Volvo China Open would not be sanctioned by the Asian Tour between the years 2009 and 2017, but among the noteworthy winners during this period were China’s Wu Ashun and Li Haotong who posted their first DP World Tour victories with these wins, and PGA Championship winner Y.E. Yang of Korea who won the tournament in 2010.
The Volvo China Open returned to the Asian Tour schedule in 2018 when Sweden’s Alexander Björk claimed the trophy, and again the following year when victory went to Finland’s Mikko Korhonen.
Jeev Milkha Singh of India with the winners trophy after the final round of the Volvo China Open at the Beijing Honghua International Golf Club in 2006. Picture by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images.
The global pandemic meant the tournament was played as a China only event in 2020 and 2021, with local pros Huilin Zhang and Jin Zhang winning the last two editions. No event was held in 2022.
Both of those players are competing this week, when the region can enjoy the return of China’s biggest and most important golf event.
The Asian Tour has welcomed the launch of the LIV Golf Promotions event as another breakthrough moment for golf in the region, with Cho Minn Thant, its Commissioner & CEO, describing it a “an incredible, lifechanging opportunity”.
The innovative and inclusive new event, which will provide a pathway onto the world’s most exciting new franchise, the LIV Golf League, was unveiled yesterday, and will be staged at the celebrated Abu Dhabi Golf Club from December 8-10.
The top-three finishers will secure passage through to next season’s multi-million-dollar circuit with a decidedly strong contingent from the Asian Tour set to compete in Abu Dhabi via the Tour’s International Series.
The leading 25 available players from the top-40 on this year’s final International Series Order of Merit (OOM), will be eligible to enter round one, as well as tournament winners from this season’s Asian Tour. In addition, players ranked two to eight on the final International Series OOM earn a pass into round two.
Scott Vincent retained his playing rights for next year’s LIV Golf League. Picture by Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images.
“It’s a pathway to golf’s most lucrative series, and an incredible chance for Asian Tour members, offering a lifechanging opportunity,” said Cho. “With so much at stake, I’m sure this event will capture the attention of all eligible players as well as golf fans around the region and beyond.”
The International Series – 10 elite-level tournaments integrated into the Asian Tour schedule with its own OOM – starts its homeward stretch of three successive events next week, with the Volvo China Open followed by the Hong Kong Open and the BNI Indonesian Masters presented by TNE.
American Andy Ogletree is poised to win The International Series OOM, helped by two International Series victories in England and Qatar this year, and secure the automatic berth onto the 2024 LIV Golf League but there will be fierce competition for places in the LIV Golf Promotions event, which will tee-off just over two weeks after Indonesia.
Added Cho: “We were already expecting a gripping end to the season before yesterday’s news, but the LIV Golf Promotions event will now bring added drama – particularly as it being held on our continent.
“Christmas will come early to the three successful graduates. Judging by the performances of our members this year we know they will have an excellent chance to earn one of those ‘gold tickets’ and join The International Series Order of Merit winner on next year’s LIV Golf League, along with Scott Vincent – who did so well to this year to keep his playing privileges,”
Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent, who first made his name on the Asian Tour and claimed last year’s inaugural International Series OOM, finished this season 22nd in the LIV Golf League Individual Rankings to lock in a spot for 2024.
The LIV Golf Promotions event tournament will see four rounds of golf played over three days, with 36-holes on the final day, and offer an overall prizemoney of US$1.5 million.
Highlighting the global aspect of the LIV Golf League, leading players from all over the world will be eligible to participate. Through its broad entry criteria, recent winners of Majors plus PGA Tour, Korn Ferry Tour and DP World Tour events will be welcome to compete alongside Ryder Cup stars, and players from the top of The Universal Golf Rankings.
The field will also include the leading golfers from the rankings on the Japan Golf Tour, Korean PGA Tour, Sunshine Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia alongside extensive categories for the game’s elite amateurs.
Players in the Drop Zone from the recently completed 2023 LIV Golf League Individual Standings will also have another chance to return to the circuit.
Starting Friday, December 8, those who finish in the top-20 and ties from round one will advance to Saturday’s round two, where scores will reset, and the field will be joined by a category of players who automatically qualified for day two of competition. The top 20 players and ties following round two will advance to the final day of competition, where scores will reset once more for an intense full-day, 36-hole shootout.
At Sunday’s conclusion, the top three finishers will receive highly coveted and lucrative spots on the LIV Golf League for 2024. The top three finishers will also earn prize money of US$200,000, US$150,000 and US$100,000 respectively.
Players finishing fourth to 10th will receive full exemption for all 2024 events on The International Series.
The tournament will be available globally live and on-demand on LIV Golf Plus, the LIV Golf YouTube channel and broadcast partners around the world, with live coverage on Friday and Saturday from 12:00 – 4:00 p.m. and Sunday from 12:30 – 5:00 p.m. (all times local).
For more information, visit: LIVGolf.com/liv-golf-promotions-2023
Following an exciting LIV Golf season finale that saw captain Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC capture the 2023 LIV Golf Team Championship and celebrated RangeGoats GC’s Talor Gooch earning the 2023 Individual Champion title, the league today announced details on LIV Golf Promotions, presenting an exciting pathway for elite players from across the global golf ecosystem to earn their place on the LIV Golf League in 2024.
The tournament will be staged December 8-10 at the iconic Abu Dhabi Golf Club (pictured) in the United Arab Emirates, with four rounds of golf played over three days, including 36 holes on the final day where the top three finishers will be drafted into one of the LIV Golf teams next season. LIV Golf Promotions also offers a prize purse of US $1.5 million.
“In less than two years, through the launch of LIV Golf and our development of The International Series on the Asian Tour, more than 3,500 new opportunities have been created for players to compete and advance their careers at golf’s highest levels. This is bringing progress to the sport on a global scale, and the world is taking notice,” said Greg Norman, LIV Golf Commissioner and CEO. “LIV Golf Promotions establishes an integrated pathway for the best players and up-and-coming talent from all over the globe to join a league that is changing the game. Open competition and meritocracy have always been a part of the fabric of LIV Golf, and following the success of our first full, 14-event season, we’re excited to be able to launch LIV Golf Promotions and offer players from around the world the chance to qualify for 2024.”
Captain Bryson DeChambeau and Crushers GC, first place, Captain Bubba Watson and RangeGoats GC, second place, and Captain Joaquín Niemann and Torque GC, third place, celebrate on stage during Day Three of the LIV Golf Invitational – Miami Team Championship at Trump National Doral Miami on October 22, 2023 in Doral, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)
Highlighting the global aspect of the LIV Golf League, leading players from all over the world will be eligible to participate. A full breakdown of eligibility criteria, including qualifiers for round one and round two, is below.
LIV Golf Promotions will consist of four rounds of 18-hole stroke play. Starting Friday, December 8, those who finish in the top 20 and ties from round one will advance to Saturday’s round two, where scores will reset, and the field will be joined by a category of players who automatically qualified for day two of competition. The top 20 players following round two will advance to the final day of competition, where scores will reset once more for an intense full-day, 36-hole shootout. At Sunday’s conclusion, the top three finishers will receive highly coveted and lucrative spots in the LIV Golf League for 2024. The top three finishers will also earn prize money of $200,000, $150,000 and $100,000 respectively. Players finishing fourth to 10th will receive full exemption for all 2024 events on The International Series on the Asian Tour.
LIV Golf Promotions will complete the player roster for the 2024 LIV Golf League, with the three qualifiers from Abu Dhabi Golf Club being joined by the winner of The International Series 2023 Rankings to replace the four relegated players. American Andy Ogletree, who competed in the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational Series in 2023, is poised to secure that automatic berth, having recorded two International Series victories in England and Qatar, and three further top-10 finishes.
Rahul Singh, Head of The International Series, said: “This is what our season has been driving towards and is a great showcase of the open player opportunities that LIV Golf is committed to. The innovative format of LIV Golf Promotions will offer drama and excitement and I have no doubt that we will crown some very deserving recipients of their rights in the LIV Golf League 2024.”
Scott Vincent, a member of this season’s Iron Heads GC team thanks to finishing atop last year’s International Series Rankings, finished this season 22nd in the LIV Golf League Individual Rankings to lock in a spot for 2024.
Talor Gooch of RangeGoats GC hits his shot from the first tee during Day Three of the LIV Golf Invitational – Miami Team Championship at Trump National Doral Miami on October 22, 2023 in Doral, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)
Said Vincent: “That’s the coolest thing about LIV is you get to play with some of the best in the world, and that’s what we grow up hoping for, to challenge ourselves, push ourselves, and try and reach new levels – maybe something we never dreamed of. It’s amazing how it worked out for me. So many things just rolled into place, and the fact that I get to do this again, I can’t be more thrilled.”
In addition to welcoming players from around the world, relegated players, and those without a team commitment for 2024 who finished in the ‘Open Zone’ (25-44th) on the 2023 LIV Golf League standings also have the opportunity to regain their playing rights for 2024.
The tournament will be available globally live and on-demand on LIV Golf Plus, the LIV Golf YouTube channel and broadcast partners around the world, with live coverage on Friday and Saturday from 12:00 – 4:00 p.m. and Sunday from 12:30 – 5:00 p.m. (all times local).
For more information, visit LIVGolf.com/liv-golf-promotions-2023
LIV Golf Promotions Eligibility Criteria:
Category A: Qualifiers for Round 1
- Members of the 2023 Walker and Palmer Cup Teams
- Winner and runner-up of the following most recent amateur events:
- S. Amateur Championship
- The Amateur Championship
- Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (October 29)
- Latin America Amateur Championship
- European Amateur Championship
- NCAA Championship (Individual)
- Eisenhower Trophy (Individual)
- Leading 15 available players from within the top 40 WAGR rankings as of November 20, 2023 (excluding players exempt into round 2)
- Leading 25 available players from within the top 40 on the final International Series 2023 Rankings, (excluding those exempt into round two)
- Leading 3 available players from inside the top 5 from each of the following professional Tours as of November 20, 2023
- Japan Golf Tour (Money Ranking inc. Majors)
- KPGA Korean Tour (Genesis Point Ranking)
- Sunshine Tour
- PGA Tour of Australasia
- Tournament winners from the Asian Tour in 2023 and Korn Ferry Tour in 2023
- Leading 30 available players from within the top 300 in The Universal Golf Rankings (TUGR) as of November 20, 2023 (excluding those who are exempt into Round 2)
- Event invitations as determined by LIV Golf League
Category B: Byes into Round 2
The following players are exempt from Round 1 and are automatically eligible to participate in Round 2:
- The top 2 players in the WAGR rankings as of November 20, 2023
- Players ranked 2 to 8 on the final International Series 2023 Rankings
- Leading 5 available players from within the top 30 of the Final 2023 DP World Tour and Korn Ferry Tour Order of Merits / Rankings
- Winners of PGA TOUR and DP World Tour sanctioned tournaments in the 2022 and 2023 calendar years
- Ryder Cup and President’s Cup participants from 2019 – 2023
- Winners of Major Championships from 2019 – 2023
- The leading 15 available players from within the top 150 in The Universal Golf Rankings (TUGR) as of November 20, 2023
- Players relegated or without a contract for the following season from the Final 2023 LIV Golf Individual Standings
- Event invitations as determined by LIV Golf League
LIV Golf is owned and operated by LIV Golf Investments whose vision and mission are centered around making holistic and sustainable investments to enhance the global golf ecosystem and unlock the sport’s untapped worldwide potential.
Aramco has agreed one of the biggest and most significant partnerships in the history of the Asian Development Tour (ADT), after confirming title sponsorship of the Saudi Aramco Invitational for the next three editions, with an additional two-year option. The overall prize money will be US$250,000, making it the most lucrative event on the Tour, and establishing it as a prestigious season-ending tournament.
The 72-hole stroke play event will be held at Rolling Hills Golf Course (main picture) in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, from November 29 to December 2, bringing down the curtain on the ADT’s 2023 calendar in spectacular fashion and taking total ADT prize money for the season beyond the US$1 million barrier.
Nabil Al-Nuaim, Chairman of the Saudi Aramco Golf Association (SAGA) and Aramco’s Senior Vice President of Digital and Information Technology, said: “Aramco has a history of over 75 years supporting golf in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We are proud to continue our tradition across the company and the Kingdom. We believe partnership with the Asian Development Tour is a natural fit with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and Aramco’s mission to promote sports, and particularly golf, among the youth of Saudi Arabia.”
Cho Minn Thant, the Asian Tour Commissioner & CEO, said: “This is wonderful news for the Asian Development Tour, the Asian Tour’s flourishing feeder circuit, and we are truly appreciative to Aramco for their support.
Varanyu Rattanaphiboonkij is the defending champion. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“I know that all those who play on the ADT will welcome this exciting news, which, I’m sure will motivate them to work even harder as they bid to progress their way onto the Asian Tour,” he added.
With the top 10 players on the ADT’s end-of-season Order of Merit earning promotion to the Asian Tour in 2024, the Saudi Aramco Invitational will prove decisive in determining who makes it through.
Cho added: “Where Energy is Opportunity is Aramco’s tagline. The Saudi Aramco Invitational will energise and provide opportunity for the region’s up-and-coming professionals, as well as elite amateur players. We’re grateful to Aramco for their vision and commitment to the development of golf.”
The 120-strong field for the Saudi Aramco Invitational will be made up of 70 players from the ADT, 40 players selected by Aramco and 10 invitees.
Thailand’s Varanyu Rattanaphiboonkij triumphed in the 2022 inaugural tournament, which was also played at the Rolling Hills Golf Course.
Located in Dhahran, Rolling Hills is a private course for employees of Aramco.
Headquartered in Dhahran, Aramco is one of the world’s leading integrated energy and chemicals companies, creating value across the hydro-carbon chain and delivering societal and economic benefits to people and communities around the globe who rely on the vital energy it supplies.
“Aramco takes great pride in sponsoring and hosting Asia’s best up-and-coming talent at our beautiful, yet challenging, golf course,” said Mr Al-Nuaim.
“We are always seeking strategic and long-term partnerships and we look forward to further developing our relationship with the Asian Tour and Asian Development Tour.”
Taichi Kho will be aiming to complete a unique double when he lines up in next month’s Volvo China Open.
It was on the first day of October that Hong Kong’s number one struck individual gold at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
It was an inspired performance that he’ll be seeking to replicate when he returns to the world’s most populous country from November 2-5 for the eighth leg of the Asian Tour’s 10-event International Series at Shenzhen’s Hidden Grace Golf Club.
Adding the Volvo China Open title to his Asiad gold would not only secure a momentous China double for Kho, but would also put him in a perfect frame of mind for the following week’s Hong Kong Open over his home course at Hong Kong Golf Club, where he won the World City Championship in March.
Across the border at Hidden Grace Golf Club, formerly known as Genzon Golf Club, Kho will face stiff competition from a high-quality field spearheaded by six of the top-nine from the International Series Order of Merit.
Andy Ogletree of the USA
American Andy Ogletree, the runaway leader, is joined by Zimbabwean Kieran Vincent (third), Australian Wade Ormsby (fifth), Thai Gunn Charoenkul (sixth), Australian Kevin Yuan (eighth) and Spaniard Eugenio Chacarra (ninth).
There are also the top four from the Asian Tour Order of Merit with Miguel Tabuena of the Philippines (second), Thai Poom Saksansin (third) and Australian Travis Smyth (fourth) all looking to close the gap on leader Ogletree.
Other notable names in the starting line-up include Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell, a former US Open champion, and past Asian Tour Order of Merit winners Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand and Australian Scott Hend.
Look out, too, for a concerted challenge from home players with past, present and future stars from China all vying for glory.
It will be an especially poignant occasion for Zhang Lianwei, a pioneer of the professional game in China. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Zhang’s victory in the ninth edition of the Volvo China Open in 2003.
Zhang Lian-Wei of China
Meanwhile, the unrelated Zhang Jin will be defending the title he won in 2021, the last occasion the Volvo China Open was staged. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic it was then a standalone event on the China Tour.
There will also be considerable focus on an exciting batch of Chinese amateur golfers led by Ding Wenyi, who is among the favourites for the previous week’s Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Australia’s Royal Melbourne Golf Club. Ding, currently 19th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, was runner-up at the 2020 Volvo China Open.
Joining him at Hidden Grace will be Qiu Zihang, the reigning China Open Amateur champion who represented his country at last week’s 33rd World Amateur Team Championship for the Eisenhower Trophy in Abu Dhabi.
Also displaying their talent will be the past two winners of the Volvo China Junior Match Play Championship, Shao Minghao (2023) and Kuang Yang (2022).
The Hidden Grace Golf Club, formerly known as Genzon Golf Club.
The Volvo China Open marks a welcome return to China for the Asian Tour, following a four-year absence. The Asian Tour’s last visit there was for the Volvo China Open in 2019.
Among the famous names inscribed on the Volvo China Open trophy are Korean Yang Yong-eun, Asia’s first Major championship winner, and European Ryder Cup players Paul Casey of England and Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts.
Ends.
Some of the greats of modern-era golf will be lining up for a shot at glory in one of Hong Kong’s longest-running professional sporting events, as a stellar field prepares for the long-awaited return of the Hong Kong Open from 9-12 November at the Hong Kong Golf Club.
2018 Masters winner Patrick Reed and 2010 US Open winner Graeme McDowell join LIV Golf headliners Harold Varner III and Belgian Thomas Pieters for the long-running tournament, first held in 1959, which has a prize pool boosted to the tune of US$2 million this year thanks to its new status as an International Series event on the Asian Tour.
Other big-name players including 2022 The Open Championship winner Cam Smith; two-time Hong Kong Open champion Wade Ormsby; Hong Kong Asian Games gold medallist and the first local player to win an Asian Tour title at the World City Championship in March, Taichi Kho; and LIV Golf pros Talor Gooch and Eugenio Chacarra are in the field for the first Hong Kong Open to be contested since 2020.
For Varner and Pieters, the Fanling date means a chance to re-connect with close friend and LIV Golf “RangeGoats GC” teammate Gooch. Gooch has acknowledged his relationship with fellow star ‘HV’ Varner as a key factor in his switching LIV Golf teams to RangeGoats this season.
Graeme McDowell. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“HV and I first met in college golf. We just hit it off right away and have been close ever since; then we had a bunch of time together on the PGA Tour, and now on LIV – and now we are teammates so it is fun, and it is a cool opportunity,” said Gooch, who has made history this season as the first player to win three LIV Golf events and won the overall standings last Sunday at LIV Golf Jeddah.
Varner also has some history behind his name; the 33-year-old is only the second American player to win the Australian PGA Championship. He added a first LIV Golf victory in DC in May with a 12-under-par score, and also has an Asian Tour win at the PIF Saudi International last year.
Gooch is confident that Varner and his teammate Pieters are going to quickly become fan favourites at the Hong Kong Open.
“‘HV’ is about as fun of a dude that you are going to be around, but he is also a great player. He hits the ball a long ways, and he has a great short game. He plays well all over the world. He is my teammate, but I hope that I whip him that week,” added Gooch.
Pieters has seven wins since turning pro in 2013 and has represented Belgium and Europe in numerous team events including the 2016 Ryder Cup – when he led Europe with four points.
With wins in six different countries in his career already, Pieters will be intent on adding China to that list this November at the Hong Kong Open. For Gooch that outcome is always a possibility.
“Thomas is truly one of the great talents that we have in the game. You look at him and think why are you not playing a different sport. He looks like a Greek god. He is 6’5” and a big dude that hits the ball a country mile. Great short game, great hands, just a great player. He truly has the potential to be one of the best players in the game on any given week,” added Gooch.
From friends to friendly rivals, the Hong Kong Open is set to welcome the return of two Fanling – and Ryder Cup – legends in Reed and McDowell.
Reed is no stranger to the excitement surrounding the Hong Kong Open – the nine-time PGA tournament winner having finished tied-for-third at Fanling on his debut in 2015, behind winner Justin Rose and Lucas Bjerregaard. The 33-year-old Reed has returned twice since then (2016, 2018), and was named in the field for the 2021 tournament, which was cancelled due to the pandemic.
The Texan is circling in on the LIV Golf Tour with five top-five finishes so far this season. He had a similar showing at this year’s Masters at Augusta, a venue where Reed will forever be remembered for his heroics in 2018, when he shot 15-under-par to win by a stroke.
Harold Varner III. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Northern Irishman McDowell is also no stranger to Fanling – or Reed – as the pair have been part of rival Ryder Cup camps down through the years, representing Europe and America, respectively.
The 44-year-old McDowell counts four top-20 finishes among his previous efforts at the Hong Kong Open, to add to 15 career wins on the PGA Tour and European Tour in his illustrious career. He has also been an ever-present player on the LIV Golf Tour since 2022.
The Hong Kong Open is the penultimate event of this season’s The International Series, 10 marquee tournaments on the Asian Tour calendar. What happens in Fanling could have real bearing on the final standings for The International Series Order of Merit, the year-long race which will guarantee one lucrative spot for the overall leader in next season’s LIV Golf League.
As well as the enthralling, world-class golf, the Hong Kong Open’s Fan Village will once again entertain tens of thousands of visitors across event week. The Fan Village is the place to enjoy all the sun and fun off the course at the beautiful Hong Kong Golf Club with a host of activities and entertainment with yoga sessions, art workshops, golf simulators and other sport games, premier food and beverage offerings, shopping, face painting and more.
Tickets for the Hong Kong Open 2023 are now available via Ticketflap at www.ticketflap.com/hongkongopen2023.
Admission on Thursday and Friday, 9-10 November is free while daily prices for Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 November are Hk$200 per day or HK$300 for a weekend pass.
For more information please visit: www.thehongkongopen.com.
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