Asian Tour Rookie of Year Kho remains on path of least resistance
The Asian Tour’s season-opening IRS Prima Malaysian Open marks the latest milestone in Taichi Kho’s stunning rise to fame.
On the first anniversary of his debut as a professional golfer, the 23-year-old Hong Kong player could be forgiven for reflecting proudly on a remarkable 12 months.
But befitting a young man whose stock continues to soar, Kho’s main focus and energy is on what lies ahead of him – starting at The Mines Resort & Golf Club from February 15-18.
Ahead of his maiden appearance of 2024, Kho said: “I’ve been working hard this off-season to stay on the path that I’ve been on … not changing too much, just refining a few things.
HONG KONG- L-R- Victor Kho, father of Taichi Kho of Hong Kong hugs his son after his win on the 18th green on Sunday March 26, 2023 during Round Three of the World City Championship presented by the Hong Kong Golf Club, at Hong Kong Golf Club, Fanling, Hong Kong. The US$ 1 million Asian Tour event was reduced to a 54 hole event due to the weather delays. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“I’m not looking to become a new golfer in 2024, but just to be a little bit better every day across all parts of my game.”
If he achieves that, then Kho will be set fair for a second successive memorable year among the ranks of the professionals.
To say that the University of Notre Dame graduate’s first season on the Asian Tour was spectacular would be a huge under-statement.
In winning the World City Championship last March, he became the first Hong Kong golfer to taste victory on the Asian Tour. In October, he brought further glory to the Special Administrative Region of China when claiming the individual gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
Not too bad for a player who began 2023 as an amateur and who was listed as 1,357th in the Official World Golf Ranking. By the end of the year he was the little matter of 970 places better off in 387th spot.
With four other top-10 finishes to go with his famous Hong Kong Golf Club win, Kho placed ninth in the Asian Tour’s 2023 Order of Merit standings. In so doing, he clinched the Asian Tour Rookie of the Year accolade.
He said: “It (2023) was an incredible rookie year for me and to win the Asian Tour Rookie of The Year was a true honour.
Taichi with his 2023 Asian Games gold medal. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“I am grateful to the Asian Tour for providing a platform for me and many others to showcase our golfing talents around the world. I have made so many great experiences thanks to them.
“The Asian Tour, along with The International Series, helped me see what world-class golf is like and it definitely inspired me to improve myself every day.
“There are so many people I want to thank for the successes of last year, most notably my parents – Yoko Kikuchi and Victor Kho – my coaches Jonathan Wallett and Mark Mossip, my trainer Leo Tong, my management team at Octagon, and, of course, everyone at the Asian Tour.”
Although there was much to celebrate during 2023, it says much about Kho’s character and mindset that the most important lesson he learned all year just happened to be his most high-profile ‘failure’.
By virtue of his World City Championship win, Kho qualified for the 151st Open Championship. But his Major debut didn’t turn out as planned.
On the opening day at Royal Liverpool, he 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.
Despite a six-stroke improvement on day two, it was a chastening week for Kho – but one which he now believes was a crucial part in his golfing education.
Reflecting on the highs and lows of 2023, Kho said: “Winning the World City Championship is something that I’ll remember forever. To win in front of my parents, friends, and local support was more than I have ever dreamed of.
“But I think the most valuable experience from last year would have to be the Open Championship. I wasn’t playing my best golf leading up to the tournament, and had a tough performance that week.
“But just being in that atmosphere and learning from the world’s best really helped me progress as a golfer. From then on, I was able to really apply my learnings and had a great second half of the year, highlighted by the Asian Games win.”
Taichi during the SJM Macao Open. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Given what transpired at Royal Liverpool, Kho is keen for an opportunity to return to The Open Championship as soon as possible.
With this week’s IRS Prima Malaysian Open being afforded Open Qualifying Series Asia status by The R&A, you can be sure that Kho will be eyeing a top-three finish which would secure him a starting spot at Royal Troon in July for the 152nd Open Championship – and a shot at redemption.
The feelings for a professional golfer, at the start of a new season, are almost like the ones everyone around the world gets on New Year’s Day – a wave of hope and optimism washing away the heartbreaks and frustration of the previous year. Story by Joy Chakravarty.
Exactly 60 days after the last putt dropped at Riyadh Golf Club and crowned the exciting Thai star Denwit Boriboonsub as champion of the season-ending Saudi Open presented by Public Investment Fund, action on the Asian Tour resumes this week with the IRS Prima Malaysian Open.
The US$1million tournament at Kuala Lumpur’s storied Mines Resort & Golf Club kicks off a 2024 season that promises to be bigger, better and richer than ever before and continues to bring life-changing playing opportunities for the region’s finest. Malaysia’s Gavin Green (pictured) is one of the favourites.
Players like Denwit, Zimbabwean Kieran Vincent, Japan’s Jinichiro Kozuma and American Andy Ogletree are just a few names from 2023 who made the most of the chances that came their way.
Denwit Boriboonsub of Thailand celebrates on the 18th green on Sunday December 17, 2023 after the Saudi Open presented by Public Investment Fund at Riyadh Golf Club. The US$ 1 million season ending Asian Tour event is staged from December 14-16, 2023. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
The talented 19-year-old Denwit won three tournaments in three weeks – Saudi Aramco Invitational on the Asian Development Tour, the Thailand Open on All Thailand Golf Tour and then went back to Saudi for the Saudi Open and defeated superstar Swede Henrik Stenson for his first win on the Asian Tour. Just like Tom Kim in the recent past, the Thai has become the poster boy and a shining example of what good golf on the Asian Tour can do to a career.
Ogletree was on the other end of the spectrum, playing the Tour’s International Series events as a LIV Golf member. The 25-year-old from Little Rock, Mississippi, chose it as his pathway back to LIV Golf, and did a pretty good job of it. He won two International Series events to not just top The International Series Order of Merit, but also ended the season as the Asian Tour number one.
Kieran, younger brother of Scott Vincent, who is already an established member of Iron Heads on LIV Golf, and Kozuma were among the 35-odd Asian Tour players who qualified for the Promotions tournament in Abu Dhabi and clinched two of three available cards.
The Asian Tour members will also get a chance to qualify for the 152nd Open Championship at Royal Troon through two Open Qualifying Series events – three spots at this week’s IRS Prima Malaysian Open and two at the Kolon Korea Open in June.
More good news that came early for the Tour was the return of Malaysia to the schedule. The country, with a history of hosting big tournaments in the past, last held the Malaysian Open in March 2020, after which the world shut down due to the pandemic.
The Tour also announced yesterday that the Karen Classic in Kenya will be launched this July meaning 21 tournaments across 13 countries are currently confirmed, with a significant number still to be added.
The Mines Resort & Golf Club, Kuala Lumpur, venue for this week’s season-opening IRS Prima Malaysian Open. Picture by Khalid Redza/Asian Tour.
Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner & CEO, is confident of going past the 2023 mark of 23 events and total prize money of US$35 million.
Cho said: “The strength and depth of the Asian Tour’s 2024 schedule is reflective of the phenomenal growth we have been enjoying and we are already excited about what the new year will bring.
“The International Series events, combined with our central column of established tournaments, form the backbone of the Tour. We look forward to announcing other premier events in due course.”
In 2024, each International Series tournament will have a prize purse of US$2 million or more. But they are much more than just good prize money events. They offer crucial international exposure for the Asian Tour members and test their skills against much stronger fields.
The season’s first International Series tournament is next week at the demanding Al Mouj course in Muscat, Oman.
Another big challenge players will face, particularly in 2024, is that the Paris Olympics is this year, with the men’s event being played from August 1-4. Several players will jostle to qualify for their country, and with the Official World Golf Ranking the sole criterion, every tournament in the first half of the season assumes added importance, with the cut-off date June 17.
So, let the games begin with the 55th staging of Malaysia’s National Open.
Kiradech Aphibarnrat will be aiming to rewind the clock and kick-start his 2024 campaign when he tees-off in the Asian Tour’s season-opening IRS Prima Malaysian Open, which starts Thursday.
It was 11 years ago that Thai Kiradech wrote his name into Malaysian Open folklore when he eked out a one-stroke victory from European Ryder Cup star Edoardo Molinari.
With that triumph at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club, Kiradech soared into the top-100 in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) for the first time in 85th spot.
His seemingly irresistible rise in the game continued in the following years with a handful of wins that led to him becoming the first Thai to become a PGA Tour member in 2018.
Following that year’s World Golf Championships – Dell Technologies Match Play, he reached the dizzying heights of 29th in the OWGR.
Despite a few bright spots, his fortunes since those heady days have waned, languishing in 475th place in the rankings as of the start of 2024.
Kiradech Aphibarnrat. Picture by Khalid Redza/Asian Tour.
Competing at The Mines Resort & Golf Club this week presents him with a welcome opportunity to reset after a wretched run of form last year which saw him miss the half-way cut on 12 occasions.
However, a tie for fifth in the DP World Tour’s KLM Open and a share of ninth spot in the Asian Tour’s World City Championship presented by Hong Kong Golf Club indicated that Kiradech still has the game to add to his three Asian Tour titles to date.
Further motivation for Kiradech comes from the fact that the Malaysian Open has been afforded Open Qualifying Series Asia status by The R&A with the three leading finishers, who are not already exempt, qualifying for July’s 152nd Open Championship at Royal Troon.
Kiradech, now aged 34, has a score to settle with Royal Troon having missed the cut the last time The Open was staged there in 2016, one of six appearances the Thai has made in the eldest of the four men’s Major championships.
Given the rich rewards on offer at The Mines, it’s no wonder this year’s Malaysian Open has attracted such a strong field as it makes a welcome return to the calendar after a four-year hiatus following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Leading the way are no fewer than eight of the top-nine from the Asian Tour’s 2023 final Order of Merit standings – Miguel Tabuena of the Philippines (second), Indian Gaganjeet Bhullar (third), New Zealander Ben Campbell (fourth), Australian Travis Smyth (fifth), Thais Phachara Khongwatmai (sixth) and Poom Saksansin (seventh), Spaniard David Puig (eighth) and Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho (ninth).
Also among the favourites will be American Trevor Simsby, victorious the last time the Malaysian Open was held in 2020, and Takumi Kanaya, one of the rising stars of Japan golf, a winner on last year’s International Series and currently 121st in the OWGR.
Other young guns to keep an eye on include Korean Woo-young Co, a graduate from last month’s Asian Tour Qualifying School, and Thai teen amateur prodigy Ratchanon ‘TK’ Chantananuwat.
Kiradech tapping in to win the Malaysian Open in 2013. Picture by Ian Walton/Getty Images.
The home nation also has a strong contingent, spearheaded by former Asian Tour Order of Merit champion Gavin Green, who will be joined in the starting line-up by his younger brother, Galven, as well as the country’s brightest amateur talents.
Rising Malaysian stars Shahriffuddin Ariffin and Ervin Chang will also be hoping to make an impression after strong 2023 seasons, as well as their experienced compatriot Ben Leong, who has been showing signs of returning to form in recent times.
The Asian Tour announced today it will stage an additional event on the African continent this year with a new tournament, the Karen Classic – which will be played at Karen Country Club, in Nairobi, Kenya from July 11-14.
In yet another example of the Tour broadening its reach, the ground-breaking full-field tournament will boast prize money of US$750,000.
Said Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner & CEO, Asian Tour: “This latest exciting addition to our ever-expanding schedule is a hugely significant development for the Asian Tour, our members, and our growing number of followers.
“It will mark the fifth African nation we have visited and to be scheduled the week after the International Series Morocco, it forms part of an exciting two-event swing on the continent that will truly enhance our tournament calendar.
Karen Country Club.
“We thank Karen Country Club and look forward to introducing Kenya’s golfing community to one of Asia’s fastest growing sporting properties, the Asian Tour.”
“We are very happy to provide a bridge between Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia with Kenya leading the way. I am positive that the tournament will be a runaway success and our members will enjoy this amazing opportunity to experience such a special destination which is famous for its amazing terrain and wildlife.”
Karen Country Club, who have hosted the country’s National Open on 11 occasions and is only 30 minutes from the nation’s world-renowned Safari parks, are the promoter of the all-new event and are excited about this new opportunity.
“The Karen Classic allows us to look east and explore mutually beneficial areas of development. We are extremely proud of what Karen Country Club has achieved and its status on the African continent. As a club, we have demonstrated the capacity to host international golf tournaments time and time again. We will also be able to showcase our premier facilities to the international sporting community. This new tournament will add a new dimension to the Asian Tour, and we can’t wait to welcome its players and staff,” said Muema Muindi Chairman of Karen Country Club.
Karen Country Club.
Bryan Sun, Golf Director, Karen Country Club, added: “Our aspiration is to be the premier golf destination in East Africa and hosting the Asian Tour is a testament to the work we have put into making that happen.”
And Ali Mohamed Tournament Director and Chairman of the International Committee at Karen Country Club said: “I have had the privilege to witness the exponential growth of golf in Kenya and the increasing interest of international players and spectators in our country’s golfing scene. The collaboration with the Asian Tour will undoubtedly elevate the stature and positioning of Karen Country Club within the global golfing community. Overall, the collaboration with the Asian Tour will cement Karen Country Club’s position as a premier golfing destination in Africa and create numerous opportunities for growth and development in golf.”
The Karen Classic will be the ninth leg of the Asian Tour, which is expected to boast 25 tournaments in total this year – with Kenya being one of its many remarkable and alluring destinations.
The Tour first visited Africa for the Mauritius Open in 2016, and returned there in 2017, 2018, and 2019, while in 2017 it went to the Joburg Open in South Africa and in 2018 the South African Open. In 2022 the Tour held International Series events in Morocco and Egypt.
The Asian Tour’s new season starts this Thursday at the IRS Prima Malaysian Open, which is being played at The Mines Resort and Golf Club in Kuala Lumpur.
Major winners Sergio Garcia and Graeme McDowell are the first two golfing superstars confirmed to tee it up at the inaugural International Series Macau presented by Wynn, taking place at Macau Golf & Country Club from 14-17 March.
Masters champion Garcia (main picture), who won the famous green jacket at Augusta National in 2017, will line up alongside US Open 2010 winner McDowell, with LIV Golf’s Crushers GC player Anirban Lahiri and Hong Kong youngster Taichi Kho, the Asian Games gold medal winner, also set to feature in a strong field as Macau makes its debut on The International Series.
Top international talent from the Asian Tour will also be battling it out for the US$2 million purse. Thailand’s Sarit Suwannarut, New Zealander Ben Campbell and India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar, the final three winners on last year’s calendar of 10 elevated events, are in the field.
Garcia, who has claimed a remarkable 36 tournament wins worldwide, including six on the Asian Tour in China, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, said: “I’ve always enjoyed playing in the region throughout my career, and I’m excited about playing in Macau and competing against some genuine talent from the Asian Tour.”
Graeme McDowell. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
The Ryder Cup legend, who is now the captain of the all-Spanish Fireballs GC on the LIV Golf League, added: “I’ve heard a lot about the venue and how excited some of the players are about it, so it would be great to pick up another win in Asia here.”
On Sunday he was beaten by Chilean Joaquin Niemann on the fourth playoff hole at LIV Golf Mayakoba – the opening event of this year’s LIV Golf League.
Former Ryder Cup team-mate and new Smash GC member McDowell, who triumphed in Macau last November at a spectacular rooftop challenge to unveil the inaugural International Series Macau presented by Wynn, added: “I am excited to be back in the Vegas of Asia.
“It’s an amazing destination, and as soon as I saw the calendar, I pencilled it in. It fits my schedule well and like other events on The International Series, playing in a strong field at a world-class destination gives me a wonderful opportunity to stay sharp and competitive.”
The tournament is the second of 10 elevated events on the Asian Tour that offer increased prize funds, world-class destinations, and a pathway to the LIV Golf League for golfers from all over the globe through its season-long rankings system. It follows the International Series Oman on the schedule, and is the fourth event of the Asian Tour season.
Rahul Singh, Head of The International Series, said: “Bringing The International Series to Macau is a milestone moment, and it is fitting that we can confirm Sergio and Graeme, two Major winners, among a strong field for our first ever event here.
“The International Series Macau presented by Wynn is a perfect fit for our model and another example of the growth and success of our brand.
“We are committed to bringing elite-level golf to international markets and offering players from around the globe the chance to compete with the best players on the Asian Tour, at incredible destinations, for elevated prize purses and a pathway onto LIV Golf.”
The partnership was announced between The International Series and Wynn, the world’s leading luxury integrated resort developer and operator, last year.
Ms. Linda Chen, President and Vice Chairman of the Board of Wynn Macau Limited said: “We are proud to sponsor the very first International Series Macau, part of a new elite tier of sporting events and entertaining offerings in Asia. This world-class golf tournament underscores our commitment to supporting the Macao SAR Government’s ‘1+4’ diversification development strategy, growing the sports industry, and strengthening the city’s position as a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure.”
The Asian Development Tour’s (ADT) strong bond with Malaysian golf will push on unabated once more this season with an event from the nation’s impressive domestic circuit, the Toyota Tour, joining the schedule as a jointly sanctioned tournament.
The Toyota Tour Championship, the culmination of the Toyota Tour calendar, will grace the ADT’s 2024 schedule – which is currently in the process of being finalised and will be released in due course.
The MYR400,000 (approximately US$85,000) event, which was also played on the ADT last year and won by Thailand’s Suttinon Panyo, will be held at Kota Permai Golf and Country Club (main picture) ̶ an Asian Tour Destinations member ̶ from November 20-23.
The field size will be 144, consisting of 66 ADT members, 66 players from the Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) Tour and 12 invites.
Said Ken Kudo, Associate Director, Partnerships, Asian Tour: “We were absolutely delighted to see the Toyota Tour Championship become part of our schedule for the first time last year, and so we warmly welcome it back.
Suttinon Panyo won last year’s Toyota Tour Championship. Picture by Paul Lakatos / Asian Development Tour.
“It is one of the biggest events in Malaysia and made a big impact on the ADT last year and is representative of the high standard of events we want staged on our schedule. We thank UMW Toyota Motor, the Professional Golf of Malaysia Tour and Kota Permai Golf and Country Club for their contribution and commitment.
“This is the first of a series of announcements relating to ADT events being played in Malaysia, one of the circuit’s most popular destinations.”
With promotion to the Asian Tour in 2025 the prize for the top-10 in the end-of-season ADT standings, the Toyota Tour Championship, and the other Malaysian events to be confirmed, will be pivotal in determining which players make the step-up next year.
Launched last year, the Toyota Tour is a tri-party agreement between the PGM Tour, UMW Toyota Motor as the naming partner and MST Golf as the delivery agency.
Today’s announcement comes off the back of the news earlier this week that the ADT will welcome two events from the VGA (Vietnam Golf Association) Tour onto its schedule this year – the Lexus Challenge and the Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters.
Two tournaments in Thailand, the ADT–All Thailand Partnership Trophy and the Singha Laguna Phuket Open, were also recently confirmed – building momentum before the forthcoming full schedule announcement.
“It’s shaping up to be a very special season on the ADT with the schedule looking impressive and extensive, with a significant increase in the number of events and total prizemoney,” added Kudo.
The Asian Development Tour (ADT) will welcome two events from the VGA (Vietnam Golf Association) Tour onto its schedule this year – the Lexus Challenge and the Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters – signifying the expanding relationship with the Asian Tour and the Southeast Asian nation.
The Lexus Challenge, which is now in its fourth year, will be held at The Bluffs Grand Ho Tram from March 13-15 while the Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters will be staged from May 29–June 1. A venue for the latter event will be announced in due course.
Both events will be jointly sanctioned by the ADT and the Vietnam Golf Association and be part of what is expected to be one of the strongest schedules in the history of the ADT.
Two tournaments in Thailand, the ADT–All Thailand Partnership Trophy and the Singha Laguna Phuket Open, were recently confirmed – with more schedule announcements to follow soon.
Chen Guxin of China won on the ADT in Vietnam in 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Said Ken Kudo, Associate Director, Partnerships, Asian Tour, said: “This is tremendous expansion for the Asian Development Tour, one that allows us to perfectly synchronise the Tour’s mission to aid the development of up-and-coming golfers while also visiting and promoting new, emerging golf markets.
“We thank Lexus, Nam A Bank, the Vietnam Golf Association and The Bluffs Grand Ho Tram for making this possible and we are now full-steam ahead with preparing for these two events – which will each feature fields of 138 players, with 70 from the ADT.”
The total prizemoney for both events will be US$85,000.
At the most recent ADT events in Vietnam, China’s Chen Guxin triumphed at the 2022 BRG Open Golf Championship, while Australian Aaron Wilkin won the event last year.
The 2023 ADT season came to a memorable conclusion last December when Thailand’s Denwit Booribonsub won the Aramco Invitational.
That allowed him to top the ADT Order of Merit and secure his Asian Tour card for 2024, something that the top-10 players on Merit list are all rewarded with.
Remarkably, just two weeks later Denwit went on the claim the Saudi Open presented by Public Investment Fund – the final event of the Asian Tour’s season. It is the first time that a player achieved that double and was another example of the terrific pathway offered by the ADT – the Asian Tour’s burgeoning feeder circuit. Last year it featured 12 events offering overall prizemoney of US$1.38million.
The new year is expected to see a significant increase in the number of events and total prizemoney.
The International Series 2024 tees off at Muscat’s iconic Al Mouj Golf with some of the biggest names in the game after it was confirmed that the International Series Oman will return to the Asian Tour schedule on 22-25 February 2024.
A number of Major winners, LIV Golf stars and the cream of the Asian Tour will tee it up in the US $2million Oman tournament, the season opener on the 2024 schedule of The International Series, ready to test themselves on the Greg Norman-designed course which was joint winner for the Asian Tour Players Choice Course of the Year award in 2023.
South African Major winners Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel will line up alongside their Stinger GC teammates Dean Burmester and Branden Grace, while Chilean superstar Joaquin Niemann has also brought his Torque GC team of Mito Pereira, Sebastian Munoz and Carlos Ortiz to the challenging Al Mouj Golf.
Indian sensation Anirban Lahiri of Crushers GC and highly rated Hong Kong youngster Taichi Kho are also in the field alongside a host of Asian Tour stars including last year’s Order of Merit high fliers Miguel Tabuena, Gaganjeet Bhullar, Travis Smyth and Phachara Khongwatmai.
Rahul Singh, Head of The International Series, said: “Our return to Oman emphasises our growing appeal as a brand. The International Series is recognised as an elite-level golf event that brings together world-class talent from across the globe, along with the cream of the Asian Tour to compete for elevated prize purses at incredible golfing destinations.
“Over the past two seasons we have created a truly international schedule, providing a pathway to the LIV Golf League for players from all over the world while also offering a platform for players from the region to experience golf at its highest levels.
“The renowned hospitality of Oman proved extremely popular with the players last year, and it is a real pleasure to return to the Gulf state again in the new season.”
Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner & CEO of the Asian Tour said: “The Asian Tour has a strong bond with golf in the Middle East and our efforts in the region are evident through the growing interest in golf across the region, with emerging talent coming from many different countries to play International Series events.
Takumi Kanaya with the trophy at last year’s International Series Oman. Picture By Ian Walton/Asian Tour.
“Oman has proven to be very popular amongst our members as well as marquee international players. The spectacular yet challenging golf course is a true test for the competitors and the hospitality we experience in Oman is second to none. We are all looking forward to returning.”
Mundhir al Barwani, Chairman of the Oman Golf Association, said: “The 2023 event exceeded all our expectations and, through the exceptional field of players assembled, showcased Oman to a global audience. We were delighted to hear that the players themselves enjoyed the experience of visiting the Sultanate, the hospitality of the Kempinski Muscat, and the magnificent course at Al Mouj Golf.
“Events such as these are critical to our endeavours to grow the golf industry and support tourism, investment, and employment in the Sultanate. We also value the opportunity to expose our regional elite amateurs to such a high level of competition, and hope that having Omani players participating will help to inspire the next generation of golfers.”
Mubarak Hill, GM of Al Mouj Golf, said: “It is an honour to welcome back The International Series and get the schedule underway again for a second successive year. The tournament brings some of the biggest names in world golf to Oman, and showcases our incredible course, world-class facilities and of course the hospitality that Oman is known for.
“Thanks to the hard work and commitment of our team here at Al Mouj, we can give the world just one golfing example as to why Oman is one of the best destinations to visit in the Middle East, with its wonderful culture, landscape and leisure experiences.”
The International Series was first introduced to the Asian Tour calendar in 2022 as a set of 10 elevated tournaments that support playing opportunities and drive greater engagement, thanks to a landmark US$300m investment with LIV Golf.
World-class destinations on this year’s schedule also include Macau, Morocco, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, with further dates and venues still to be announced. In previous seasons, tournaments have been staged in Singapore, Korea, Hong Kong, China, England, Scotland, Egypt and Thailand. For more information on the International Series Oman, click here.
Sweden’s Kristoffer Broberg led 35 jubilant and relieved players through at the Final Stage of the Asian Tour’s Qualifying School today with their Tour cards safely secured.
Broberg, three off top spot at the start of the day, eagled the par-five 18th at Springfield Royal Country Club, in Hua Hin, Thailand, to fire a six-under-par 66, and beat Japan’s Shogenji Tatsunori by two shots.
The Swede, who also eagled the second and the 12th, finished the five-round boiling cauldron of competition on 18-under.
Tatsunori closed with a 67, two ahead of Justin Warren (68) from Australia, Spain’s Carlos Pigem (72) and Justin Quiban (73) from the Philippines.
Shogenji Tatsunori. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Quiban started the day with a one-stroke lead.
Broberg is a two-time winner on the DP World Tour, the most recent coming at the 2021 Dutch Open, and his experience and quality were on display from the start, when he birdied the first, eagled the second and made another birdie on the next. He only made two bogeys.
“It feels pretty good. I played great today, I made three eagles today and putted really well,” said 37-year-old Broberg – a professional since 2010.
“I just tried to finish it off today, you know what I mean? It’s just hard to tell, I tried to be like more like relaxed, like a practice round, and just hit some good shots and then make some putts.
Justin Warren. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“It’s been great being here in Hua Hin. I’ve been staying with Rikard Karlberg [at Black Mountain] and his wife and kids, so I’m missing my family now. so I want to go home to prepare for the upcoming events.
Twenty-five-year-old Tatsunori topped the money list on Japan’s challenge Tour last year – where he won twice – and is ecstatic about his next challenge.
He said: “I just wanted to make the cut at each stage. I never thought I would come second. My putting made this possible, it was so good and I always stayed very calm and relaxed. I will divide my time between the Asian and Japan Tours this year.”
Some of the other notable names to earn their cards were American John Catlin, Koreans Jeunghun Wang and Wooyoung Cho, Thailand’s Danthai Boonma and Australian Sam Brazel.
Chinese golfer Ye Wocheng also earned his card through the school for the second year in a row.
Catlin, a four-time winner in Asia and three-time champion in Europe, said: “I am absolutely thrilled to have my playing status back in Asia. I wasn’t able to fulfil my quota of events last year so had to come back to school here. This Tour is where it all started for me. My game is actually in good shape, and I am excited about the year ahead.”
Carlos Pigem. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
The American, who bases himself in Hua Hin for much of the year, closed with a 72, to end on 10 under in a tie for 15th.
Four players ended in a sudden-death play-off for the 35th card: Japan’s Tomoyo Ikemura prevailed on the fourth extra hole over Chilean Matias Dominguez, with Nick Voke from New Zealand and Japan’s Taihei Sato eliminated earlier.
Some well-known names who did not make it through today were Indonesian Naraajie Ramadhanputra, Thais Kosuke Hamamoto and Panuphol Pittayarat, and Korean Yu Bin Jang.
The Asian Tour’s first event of the new season, the US$1million IRS Prima Malaysian Open, tees-off in just over three weeks at The Mines Resort and Golf Club, from February 15-18.
It’s one of 20 events that the Tour recently unveiled, with a significant number of important tournaments to be added.
Once finalised it is expected that the schedule will surpass last season – which saw 23 events staged with total prize money of US$35 million.
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