Published on August 19, 2023

Brilliant young Spanish golfer David Puig showed just what he is capable of today by shooting a bogey-free five-under-par 66 to take a share of the halfway lead at the International Series England, with Jason Kokrak from the United States.

Puig, in just his second year in the professional game, fired five birdies in his first eight holes and then parred his way home to top the leaderboard on six-under.

Kokrak returned a 69, while his compatriots Andy Ogletree and James Piot, Australian Jack Thompson and Abraham Ancer from Mexico, are one shot back.

Ogletee, leader of the Asian Tour Order of Merit (OOM) and the International Series (OOM), fired a fine retaliatory 65 after his opening 72, with Piot, Thompson, and Ancer returning 67s.

First-round leader Sarit Suwannarut from Thailand carded a 72, recovering well after a poor outward half that saw him make four bogeys on the trot, and is a further shot adrift.

It was another grey and cold day at Close House, near Newcastle, with light showers in the afternoon but that did little to deter Puig, who is looking to claim his maiden title since turning professional following a fine amateur career at Arizona State University.

“Hitting the ball pretty good, the putts that dropped at the beginning didn’t drop at the end but overall, pretty happy,” said the 21-year-old.

“It was tough. But at the end of the day, at least for me, it’s a pretty short course so I have a lot of wedges in. It was maybe an extra club off the tee on some of those holes, but at the end of the day, you’re hitting the same club into the green.

“It was obviously a little more windy than yesterday, but I don’t think it played that tough because the greens are still pretty receptive and with preferred lies. But yeah, it was a grind too, I mean you needed to hit good shots to have birdie opportunities, and I think I did.”

In his first start on the Asian Tour last year, at the International Series Morocco, he led after three rounds before taking solo third and looks a safe bet to in the hunt on Sunday.

He said: “I think I have a good strategy here. Just try to hit fairways, it’s a pretty big advantage here, and then control my spin with those wedges and try to make as many putts as I can.”

“I’m really happy,” said Kokrak, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour, the most recent in 2021, when he triumphed twice.

He made three birdies and dropped one shot, having gone bogey yesterday with a 67.

“Yesterday with the way I got around, I hit it really nicely. Didn’t have my best stuff today, didn’t hit it quite as good. Made a few putts to start the round to kind of keep it going, a couple five, eight footers here and there, but hopefully, you know, tidy a few things up and make a few putts over the weekend.”

The 38-year-old is aiming to give himself “as many birdie-looks as possible” at the weekend plus “more birdie looks inside of 20 feet”.

Ogletree arrived this week short of playing time, having travelled with LIV Golf as a reserve, but has quickly wiped the dust off. He shot the best round of the week so far, tearing up the course with four birdies on the back nine after starting on 10, followed by three on the front side before dropping his only shot of the day on nine.

He said: “I hit my driver a lot better today and I was in position a lot, kept it on the right side of the hole locations. There are some big run offs around the greens here, so you have to really pay attention to where the up slopes are, and kind of play the right portions. That’s what I was doing today, just kind of kept it in front of me. One bad drive in the last hole there, cost me a little bogey coming in. But other than that it was a good round.”

The 2019 US Amateur champion has excelled on The International Series, winning this year’s International Series Qatar, and last year’s International Series stop in Egypt.

“I don’t think it’s so much the Series, just getting to play in golf tournaments now so people are getting to see how I can play. I’m trying to win every week I tee it up and I got a good chance this weekend,” he added.

After a poor season so far, Thompson is showing the kind of outstanding form that saw him win this year’s Asian Tour Qualifying School.

He played his first nine in level-par, but then shifted gear and shot up the leaderboard on the second half with four birdies, including two in the last three holes.

“I honestly didn’t do too much different to yesterday. I just hit it a little bit closer with the shorter irons, so yeah, happy with where it is at,” said Thompson.

On the wintery conditions, he commented: “You can get a little bit like this in Australia, I guess in winter. It’s been not too bad. I think so far probably I got the better side of the draw. I mean it wasn’t raining that much, but sometimes it can sort of play on your mind a little bit or you know. It’s cold as well so it doesn’t go as far, but I think I’ve been lucky with the weather as well.”

England’s Ian Poulter returned a 70 and is three under with Travis Smyth (68) and Matt Jones (70) from Australia, India’s Anirban Lahiri (69), South African Neil Schietekat (69), Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai (70) and Suradit Yongcharoenchai (71), and Zimbabwean Kieran Vincent (70).

England’s Lee Westwood (75) finished on the cut, made at three-over, along with Poulter’s son, Luke (73), an amateur.

Published on August 18, 2023

Thailand’s Sarit Suwannarut fired an opening-round five-under-par 66 to take the lead in the International Series England today at Close House, near Newcastle.

He fired six birdies and one bogey in winter-like conditions on the Colt Course, to finish the day in front of American Jason Kokrak and Jaewoong Eom from Korea who carded 67s.

Germany’s Dominic Foos and Suradit Yongcharoenchai from Thailand returned 68s, while Ian Poulter was in group of 10 players on 69.

Sarit actually played a practice round here with countryman Pavit Tangkamolprasert before last year’s International Series England, which was played at a different venue, and said: “Maybe that helped a little bit today, there was more rain that time.”

He started on the back nine today, and birdied 10, and 14 before a brilliant two on the 18^th – a difficult 185-yard par-three, that could be the scene of much drama come Sunday. He dropped a shot on the second, but recovered with gains on three, six and eight.

“I have been hitting it really well,” he said. “Today was just about the putting, it is all about the putting. Still need to fix my long putting, I might practice that.”

Sarit triumphed for the first time on the Asian Tour last year, at the season-ending Indonesian Masters, but has struggled this year, until a top-10 finish in the Mandiri Indonesia Open two weeks ago.

“I had an injury at the beginning of the year, at first it was a back injury, then I got sick, I got COVID, I also had neck and wrist problems,” said the 25-year-old, who was also laid low by COVID last year.

“I took a lot of time off to repair my body, to not get into trouble with injury again, I think that’s worked.”

Kokrak, a three-time winner on the PGA Tour including two in 2021, finished strongly with birdies on 16 and 17.

“Very happy with that,” said the 38-year-old.

“I thought I was going along well but not really making any putts. I was hitting it well but thought I should be more under par. Made a couple there at the end, happy with it.

“The course is wet and super long. I would love to see this place really bouncy.”

Foos made it through the Asian Tour Qualifying School in January and enjoyed his best opening round on the Tour today.

He said: “It was a solid round of golf. I didn’t expect it to be windy or anything. I kept the ball low, hit fairways and greens, made some putts here and there and played the par fives well and that was about it. But it was a very solid round.

“I have been playing on Challenge Tour mainly, but it’s obviously great to play a big International Series event here, and next week as well.”

He finished second in a Challenge Tour event in Germany last month and is in confident mood.

“My game feels very good, and I know as soon as the putts drop, I am going to shoot low scores. I’ll just try and keep doing the same thing,” he added.

Englishman Poulter, who has won twice before on the Asian Tour, was happy to get in the clubhouse among the leaders after a rough second half.

“Damage limitation!” said Poulter.

“Obviously, three under par through nine and cruising but bogeyed the first hole which is my 10^th, a par five, which is suicide, frustrating to do that. I shanked it down four which is not ideal, nearly made par, and had another bogey on the par three with a pulled eight iron, I was in the middle of the fairway there. Dropping three shots on that nine was poor.”

His son, Luke, an amateur, started well with a 72 although made costly mistakes with the short stick.

Said Poulter: “He’s one over, he had four three putts! He will probably slap himself around the head, so he has obviously played good golf, and he has not done his job on the putting green. He is a good golfer, and great he is in the field this week.”

His compatriot and playing partner Lee Westwood, who is the Touring Professional for Close House, also looked set to be among the front runners but made a double on his third from last hole and came in with a 70.

American Andy Ogletree, who currently leads the Asian Tour and International Series Order of Merits, signed for a 72, while Thailand’s Nitithorn Thippong, who claimed the Mandiri Indonesia Open two weeks ago, shot 73.

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Following a string of second-place finishes in the past couple of years, Anirban Lahiri is making no bones about his ravenous hunger to go one step better in the two Asian Tour International Series events he has committed to play in the UK. Story by Joy Chakravarty, in Newcastle.

The 36-year-old Indian competes in the International Series England this week after a stunning runner-up finish in last week’s LIV Golf Bedminster, where he surged into contention with a tournament-low seven-under par 64 on Saturday.

The only contracted player from India in LIV Golf, Lahiri has already had two second places before – in his debut appearance in Boston last year and at The Grange in Adelaide earlier this year. He was also second to Cameron Smith in last year’s Players Championship on the PGA Tour, and in April’s International Series Vietnam to Kieran Vincent.

Bedminster, with a US Open-like course set-up that was accentuated by weather, proved to be a tough test for the entire field with only Smith finishing in double-digits under par at 12 under. Lahiri was five-under par for the tournament despite playing solid golf, but he was not heaving a sigh of relief at the sight of a much more accessible Close House course, the venue for this week’s US$2 million event.

“At the end of the day, I look forward to competing, I look forward to trying to win tournaments. I look at these two weeks as two opportunities to try and do that. I’m very excited to be back playing on the Asian Tour and playing these International Series events,” said Lahiri, who has now dropped to 147th in the Official World Golf Ranking in the absence of any points for LIV Golf players.

“I’m very hungry for world ranking points. They do mean a lot to me. And playing more of these events is something that I will look to do as we approach Paris (Olympics) next year. So, there’s a lot that I’m playing for. I’m very committed and I’m up for the challenge.”

Another big motivation for Lahiri is the fact that he gets to reunite with other Indian players. There are 15 of them in the field this week, apart from Lahiri.

“That’s definitely one of the things I look forward to, every time I come out to play on the Asian Tour. There are some very, very close friends and others who I have come to know over the last few years,” said Lahiri, winner of the Asian Tour Order of Merit in 2015.

“I think as a brotherhood, we’re all rooting for each other. We all want each other to do well. It’s nice to go out on dinners with them. Just talk in Hindi and talk in Bangla sometimes. That kind of stuff is a huge positive… a bonus for me.”

Lahiri said it was always good to come to a tournament after doing well in the previous week, but he said he forces himself to forget what he did in the past.

“I feel like I have gotten to that point where every time I’ve played well, I’ve kind of looked at the things that I’ve done well and looked at the areas that I need to improve on. And then you kind of leave that result behind, whether you have had a good week or bad,” explained Lahiri.

“It’s easier to say than do. But I think that’s something that I’ve worked on over the last two, three years. I try and be in the moment, try and be in the present and do what is needed. Last week’s gone, it’s history. Every week has to be a re-set, where you try to carry forward the positives and the momentum. I just try and stick to my processes and my disciplines.

“For me, it’s about repeating those things over and over again, regardless of the result, regardless of the golf course, regardless of the prize money, or whatever is at stake. As long as I stay focused and stay disciplined on those things, it neutralises everything. You are always playing for the same thing, which is to try and do your best. That helps me take a lot of the distractions and the noise away.”

A one-under-par 70 today, helped by three birdies in the last five holes, is a solid start for the Indian star, who is looking for his eighth victory on the Asian Tour, but first since 2015.

Published on August 17, 2023

Thailand’s Sarit Suwannarut fired an opening-round five-under-par 66 to move in front early on in the International Series England today at Close House, near Newcastle.

He has the clubhouse lead following the morning session after firing six birdies and one bogey in winter-like conditions on the Colt Course.

Germany’s Dominic Foos fired a 68, while Ian Poulter, Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert, Australian Matt Jones, and Lee Chieh-po all carded 69s.

Sarit actually played a practice round here with Pavit before last year’s International Series England, which was played at a different venue, and said: “Maybe that helped a little bit today, there was more rain that time.”

He started on the back nine today, and birdied 10, and 14 before a brilliant two on the 18^th – a difficult 185-yard par-three, that could be the scene of much drama come Sunday. He dropped a shot on the second, but recovered with gains on three, six and eight.

“I have been hitting it really well,” he said. “Today was just about the putting, it is all about the putting. Still need to fix my long putting, I might practice that.”

Sarit triumphed for the first time on the Asian Tour last year, at the season-ending Indonesian Masters, but has struggled this year, until a top-10 finish in the Mandiri Indonesia Open two weeks ago.

“I had an injury at the beginning of the year, at first it was a back injury, then I got sick, I got COVID, I also had neck and wrist problems,” said the 25-year-old, who was also laid low by COVID last year.

“I took a lot of time off to repair my body, to not get into trouble with injury again, I think that’s worked.”

Foos made it through the Asian Tour Qualifying School in January and enjoyed his best opening round on the Tour today.

He said: “It was a solid round of golf. I didn’t expect it to be windy or anything. I kept the ball low, hit fairways and greens, made some putts here and there and played the par fives well and that was about it. But it was a very solid round.

“I have been playing on Challenge Tour mainly, but it’s obviously great to play a big International Series event here, and next week as well.”

He finished second in a Challenge Tour event in Germany last month and is in confident mood.

“My game feels very good, and I know as soon as the putts drop, I am going to shoot low scores. I’ll just try and keep doing the same thing,” he added.

England’s golfing great Poulter, who has won twice before on the Asian Tour, was happy to get in the clubhouse among the leaders after a rough second half.

“Damage limitation!” said Poulter.

“Obviously three under par through nine and cruising but bogeyed the first hole which is my 10^th, a par five, which is suicide, frustrating to do that. I shanked it down four which is not ideal, nearly made par, and had another bogey on the par thre,e with a pulled eight iron, I was in the middle of the fairway there. Dropping three shots on that nine was poor.”

His son, Luke, an amateur, started well with a 72 although made costly mistakes with the short stick.

Said Pouler: “He’s one over, he had four three putts! He will probably slap himself around the head, so he has obviously played good golf, and he has not done his job on the putting green. He is a good golfer, and great he is in the field this week.”

His compatriot and playing partner today Lee Westwood, who is the Touring Professional for Close House, also looked set to be among the front runners but made a double on his third from last hole and came in with a 70.

Published on August 16, 2023

Andy Ogletree, currently riding high on top of both the Asian Tour and The International Series Order of Merits, is keen to “knock the rust off’ and compete on the Asian Tour after playing limited golf over the past few months.

The American tees-off in the International Series England tomorrow at Close House, near Newcastle, having last played on the Asian Tour in April.

Said Ogletree: “Obviously, it’s been a long time since we played an International Series event. I am ready to knock the rust off and see where my game is at. I haven’t played in a while. I am looking forward to playing.”

The former US Amateur champion is in pursuit of his third International Series title, having triumphed in Egypt last year, and Qatar this season.

“I played LIV Golf DC, and US Open and British Open sectionals, missed US Open by two, Open by one, I was close to playing in some big tournaments in that stretch, unfortunately came up a little short,” said the 25-year-old, who has also been travelling with LIV Golf as a reserve.

“I feel like my game is in a good spot. I have progressively been getting better the last year, we’ll find out this week.”

He finished ninth in the season-opening Saudi International, tied for seventh in the International Series Oman the following week, before tasting victory in Oman.

The American has a laser-like focus on topping this year’s International Series merit list which will earn him a place on next year’s LIV Golf League.

He said: “Getting a taste of LIV Golf and seeing what that is like, being around those guys and travelling, playing in high level events, is what we are all chasing. I am just trying to do everything I can to get that spot. I am sure everyone else is. I am here for that reason, to try and play LIV Golf next season, that’s what we are going to continue to do.”

This week is the 12^th event of the season on the Asian Tour and the fifth leg of The International Series.

The creme de la creme of the Asian Tour have entered with 18 of the top-20 on its Order of Merit competing, along with England’s Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter, who leading a plethora of 22 LIV Golf stars.

 

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Australian golfer Travis Smyth will tee up at Close House this week in the Asian Tour’s International Series England, looking to improve on his second-place finish in the inaugural event in 2022.

The fifth event of The International Series 2023 schedule will mark the 28-year-old’s second appearance in England this year after making his Major debut in The Open in July.

Excited to be back in the UK, Smyth said: “I’ve had some time off since The Open so I’m buzzing to be here and buzzing to play. I haven’t competed in too many tournaments over the last three months, so I can’t wait.”

Now at a crucial point in the season, Smyth is battling it out for the top spot on The International Series Order of Merit to earn an automatic berth in the lucrative LIV Golf League for 2024.

“I view them [International Series events] as majors because of what they can potentially achieve. It changed my life, financially, freed me up and I’ve been able to play good golf ever since,” Smyth said. “It is an amazing pathway that appeared out of nowhere.”

Acknowledging the investment made by LIV Golf, he added: “LIV’s involvement in the game has been transformative. I’m thrilled to be part of this transitional phase with the game of golf and the Asian Tour.”

The Sydneysider made history with his appearance at The 151st Open – hitting the first ever hole-in-one on the new par-three 17th hole at Royal Liverpool.

Recalling his unforgettable ace, he reflected on the special moment: “I’ve never had so much applause over a single golf shot in my life. Once you get a taste of that, it’s intoxicating. I’ll be working harder than ever to get back.”

Smyth will be joined by Ryder Cup legends Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood, 2010 U.S. Open Champion Graeme McDowell, and many more renowned golfers with representatives from 11 of the LIV Golf League’s 12 teams featuring in the event.

Referring to the household names teeing it up on Tyneside, Smyth concluded: “I guess now I’m of age, and playing good enough golf and it just so happens that they’re playing Asian Tour events now. It’s just wild getting to meet them, seeing them around the clubhouse and having them call me by my first name. Yeah, it’s cool!”

Published on August 15, 2023

Nitithorn Thippong says complacency got the better of him after he won twice on the Asian Tour last year and led to a poor first half to this season, before he bounced back with victory in the Mandiri Indonesia Open two weeks ago.

The friendly Thai star claimed The DGC Open presented by Mastercard in March and the International Series Singapore five months later, but his form dipped, and he was a shadow of the player who took the Asian Tour by storm in 2022 – corroborating his nickname “Fever”.

“My goal was to be in top 50 in the world,” said Nitithorn – who competes in this week’s International Series England, which tees off Thursday, at Close House, near Newcastle.

“But those two wins put pressure on me. I got too much confidence and lost my discipline. Too much comfortable is not good.”

This year, before Indonesia, the 26-year-old missed four out of nine cuts, didn’t record a single top 10, and admitted he felt he had no chance of lifting a trophy.

However, in the lead up to Indonesia a practice round with his girlfriend proved pivotal.

He said: “That day she asked me to play 18 holes. The day before the round, my swing still didn’t feel right, I had so many negative things on my mind. But then it started to click.”

It transpired that all the things he had been working on with his coach started to come to fruition, finally.

“Last year I got my transition at top of backswing correct, just move to the left a little and brings my arms down but I lost that this year,” he said.

“I was always trying to maintain my swing, but the trouble is there is so many things to think about, but I figured out what to work on again with my coach.

“It started to be good when I played a round of golf with my girlfriend and I was able to transfer those swing feelings to the week of Indonesia. It was a great feeling. I can hit straight again!”

Nitithorn also admits he had to refocus, be disciplined again and practice really hard in order to return to the winner’s circle.

He will be hoping the turnaround in his fortunes translates into more success this week and that he becomes the first back-to-back winner on the Asian Tour since his countryman Jazz Janewattananond claimed the BNI Indonesian Masters and Thailand Masters in December 2019.

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David Drysdale will be looking to use local knowledge and 21 years of DP World Tour experience to his advantage at this week’s International Series England and in the St Andrews Bay Championship the following week.

At 48 years of age the Scot is reveling being a rookie on the Asian Tour, having negotiated the Qualifying School in January, and now has the added bonus of competing in two events on his home patch: Close House, in Newcastle, and Fairmont St Andrews, north of the border.

He is one of only a few Asian Tour members to have played both courses in tournament conditions on the DP World Tour in recent years and is hoping to capitalize on the opportunity.

“Yes, it’s cool. I never thought when I went to Q school in January that I’d end up playing two events close to home,” said Drysdale, who lives near Dunbar, in Scotland.

“And funnily enough I live right in the middle, 90 minutes from Close House and 90 minutes from Fairmont St Andrews. So, a little bit too far to travel [and stay at home] but yeah, really looking forward to it. I can’t wait.”

Drysdale carded a final round 67 to secure his Asian Tour card by one shot at the Qualifying School and has impressed on Tour, particularly in the World City Championship at the Hong Kong Golf Cub, where he tied for ninth.

It follows a well-documented marathon career on the DP World Tour – where he competed from 2002 to 2022, playing 575 events.

Events at Close House, on the Colts Course being played this week, are included in that monumental figure.

He said: “I played the British Masters [at Close House] first in 2017, and then again as one of the first events back in the UK after COVID in July 2020. It’s a nice golf course with a lot of undulation change.”

And he has played three DP World Tour events at Fairmont St. Andrews: the Scottish Championship in 2020 and the Hero Open in 2021 and 2022, and will be up to date on what to expect with the course condition as he went on a scouting trip there a few weeks ago.

“Yeah, I played it on a pretty terrible day, Tuesday a few weeks ago, it was like 12 degrees, raining and a two-and-a-half club wind,” he said.

“You call it a links course, but it’s on the cliffs, sort of 10 minutes east of St Andrews, on the coastline. There’s only a couple of holes that are actually really on the coast, but it has like an inland feel. Turf wise, it’s not like links sandy turf. It’s pretty wide off the tee, big greens, gets pretty windy. It’s very exposed, I mean the back of 16, two yards over the 16th green, there’s a wall and probably a 200-foot drop down into the sea. Yeah, looking forward to it, it’s an absolute bonus for me getting a card at the Asian Tour Q-School and having two events virtually on my doorstep.”

Drysdale has his of wife, manager and caddie Victoria back on the bag this week, after a recent foot issue meant she was missing at Mandiri Indonesia Open, two weeks ago.

“She’s actually had plantar fasciitis in the right foot, so she had an injection a few weeks ago, cortisone, and seemingly that takes that away,” explained the Scot.

“She’s feeling an awful lot better. She decided to miss Indonesia, just to give herself some more rest, a couple more weeks.”

Drysdale has unfinished business on Tour.

Without a win on the DP World Tour, where he finished second on four occasions, coming closest in the 2020 Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, where he lost a sudden-death play-off, he is looking to rectify that by winning on the Asian Tour.

He said: “There are a lot of good players out here on the Asian Tour, there’s a lot of guys that have played on the European Tour in the past, so they’ve got a lot of experience of doing that as well. But I guess I have a little bit of home advantage …”

Published on August 14, 2023

The International Series is to partner with the charitable foundation set up by Newcastle United and England legend Alan Shearer at the upcoming Asian Tour event at Close House, Newcastle, on August 17-20, 2023.
 
Established in 2012 to support the Alan Shearer Centre in Newcastle, which provides respite, residential and social care for people with complex disabilities and acute sensory impairments, the Alan Shearer Foundation ensures essential facilities are provided free of charge to those who need it most.
 
Fundraising will take place throughout the tournament and fans have the chance to donate to the Alan Shearer Foundation when purchasing tickets for International Series England on SeeTickets.
 
The International Series will supplement all fundraising endeavours conducted throughout the week contributing to the $25k donation that the Alan Shearer Foundation will receive.
 
Shearer said: “The Centre and Foundation have gone hand-in-hand to improve the lives of thousands of people living with disabilities across the region. I am incredibly proud of the facilities and care we provide and I am grateful to International Series England and all those who’ve given their generous support over the years.”
 
Representing the charity on-course at Close House and swapping goals for golf, the former striker will kick-off the International Series England in style by headlining a Celebrity Pro-Am, open to the public, on Wednesday 16 August.
 
The Premier League’s all-time leading goal scorer (with 260 PL goals netted through his illustrious career) will be joined by numerous stars from the worlds of sport and entertainment, including former England cricketers Steve Harmison and Ryan Sidebottom, ex-Middlesbrough and Sunderland captain, Lee Cattermole, with more to be confirmed.
 
The Match of the Day pundit added: “Tyneside boasts some of the most passionate sports fans in the world. I’ve no doubt they will be out in force supporting the world-class golf on show at International Series England… and hopefully to see those of us with the privilege of playing alongside the professionals in the Pro-Am!”
 
Alan Shearer Activity Centre Manager, Jackie Dunn, commented: “This extremely generous donation will allow us to complete our exciting plans to re-develop our sensory garden; enhancing the physical well-being, mental health and cognitive development of our members.”
 
Rahul Singh, Head of The International Series, said: “Alan is a phenomenal patron to the North East of England and his charitable contribution showcases an unwavering commitment to the region, which is truly commendable.
 
“The International Series has a duty to the communities we visit, to leave them better than we find them, and the Alan Shearer Foundation is exactly the type of organisation that can help us do that.”
 
Representing 10 premier Asian Tour events, The International Series is characterised by its expanded entry criteria enabling players from all tours to tee-up at iconic global golf courses, in elite fields and compete for enhanced purses with US$19m up for grabs across the 2023 schedule.
 
More information about the Alan Shearer Foundation and Alan Shearer Centre is available at: www.alanshearerfoundation.org.uk and alanshearercentre.org.uk.

Main picture: Alan Shearer tees off during a Pro-Am event in Virginia Water, England. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

Published on

The Asian Tour’s heavy hitters will be ready to fire on all cylinders when they line up at next week’s inaugural US$1.5 million St Andrews Bay Championship (24-27 August).

No fewer than nine of the top-10 on the current Asian Tour Order of Merit have confirmed their entries for the showpiece event over the Torrance Course at Fairmont St Andrews – the Asian Tour’s first foray onto Scottish soil.

Leading the way are numbers one and two, Andy Ogletree and Miguel Tabuena. American Ogletree (969.52 points) currently holds a slender lead over Filipino Tabuena (965.24) at the top of the standings.

Behind them, Zimbabwean Kieran Vincent (fourth), Australians Wade Ormsby (fifth), Brendan Jones (seventh) and Kevin Yuan (eighth), Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho (10th) and Thais Sadom Kaewkanjana (sixth) and Gunn Charoenkul (ninth) will all be bidding to make up ground on the leading duo.

Ogletree (International Series Qatar), Jones (New Zealand Open), Ormsby (International Series Thailand), Tabuena (The DGC Open presented by Mastercard) and Kho (World City Championship) have all triumphed on this year’s Asian Tour.

Also in the star-studded field at Fairmont St Andrews are two other winners from the 2023 Asian Tour – Korean Chanmin Jung (GS Caltex Maekyung Open) and Thai Nitithorn Thippong (Mandiri Indonesia Open).

Among other Asian Tour stalwarts who will be taking the high road to Scotland are a quartet of former Order of Merit champions – American Sihwan Kim (2022), Australian Scott Hend (2016) and Indians Anirban Lahiri (2015) and Jyoti Randhawa (2002).

Also expected to feature prominently in the 12th leg of the 2023 Asian Tour season and the sixth stop on The International Series are former Masters Tournament winners Patrick Reed of America and Spaniard Sergio Garcia, along with Chilean Mito Pereira.

Cho Minn Thant, Asian Tour Commissioner & CEO, said: “With only a week to go before the St Andrews Bay Championship tees-off, anticipation is building for what is another notable landmark in the Asian Tour’s history.

“It’s testament to the significance of this championship that we have such a fantastic turnout from Asian Tour members. Everyone wants to be a part of this ground-breaking new addition to our calendar.”

Callum Nicoll, Director of Golf and Estates at Fairmont St Andrews, said: “There’s a tremendous buzz at Fairmont St Andrews as we enter the final countdown to what promises to be a truly memorable week.

“The Torrance Course is looking in great shape and all of us at the venue are ready and raring to go.”

Designed 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 this week’s International Series England, at Close House in Newcastle.