Quiban has pole position with one decisive round to go
Justin Quiban shot one of the lowest rounds of the week, a fourth-round seven-under-par 64, to take a single shot lead heading into tomorrow’s final round of the Asian Tour’s Qualifying School, in Hua Hin, Thailand.
He impressively toured Lakeview Resort and Golf Club shooting an eagle, six birdies and dropping just one stroke to reach 15-under.
The Filipino is one ahead of Spaniard Carlos Pigem, who fired a 67, and three in front of Thailand’s Danthai Boonma and Kristoffer Broberg from Sweden, after rounds of 67 and 66, respectively. All played at Lakeview but will play tomorrow’s decisive round at Springfield Royal Country Club.
Carlos Pigem. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Korean Jeunghun Wang (70), Canada’s Jared Du Toit (66) and Shogenji Tatsunori from Japan (68) are tied for fifth on 11 under, while American John Catlin, one of this week’s favourites and a four-time winner on the Asian Tour, came in with a 69 and is in a group of players a further shot back.
Overnight leader Junggon Hwang from Korea slipped back after a 72 and is 10 under.
They are all on track to secure one of the 35 Asian Tour cards on offer tomorrow which earns them rite of passage onto this year’s highly-lucrative and season- long Asian Tour schedule which starts next month at the IRS Prima Malaysian Open.
“Great round today,” said Quiban, who ended 86th on last year’s Asian Tour Order of Merit, to lose his card.
“I am in a strong position. The goal is to get the card and the higher I finish the better my ranking. Lots to play for, it’s a big day tomorrow.”
Danthai Boonma. Picture by Paul Lakatos.
He birdied four out the last six holes.
His best performance last year was joint 14th in The DGC Open presented by Mastercard and he will be looking to improve on that this season.
Pigem was bogey free today and made four birdies to be on the threshold of regaining his card he lost in 2018.
He played on the Asian Tour from 2013 for six years, winning the Yeangder Tournament Players Championship in 2016, before competing in Europe and is excited to be back in the region.
Boonma is a two-time winner on the Asian Tour and looking to get back to playing at that level. He won the World Classic Championship in 2015 and the Bangladesh Open in 2022.
An eagle, like Quiban on the par-five eighth, along with six birdies and four bogeys allowed him to move into a strong position with just one round to go.
John Catlin. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
The top-70 players (and ties) today have made it through to tomorrow’s final round.
Some of the surprise casualties to not make the cut are Spaniard Alvaro Quiros, a seven-time winner in Europe, Thailand’s Itthipat Buranatanyarat and Rory Hie from Indonesia.
Korean Jeunghun Wang continued his calm and calculated return to the top of the game by taking the second-round lead at the Final Stage of the Asian Tour’s Qualifying School today.
He shot a four-under-par 68 at Springfield Royal Country Club to lead on 10-under-par, by one from Japan’s Taichi Nabetani – who shot an eight-under-par 63 at Lake View Resort and Golf Club. The two courses are being used for the first four days before the final round is played at Springfield on Saturday.
Australian Sam Brazel fired a 67 at Lakeview while Stefano Mazzoli from Italy shot the same score at Springfield to end the day in a tie for third on seven-under.
Taichi Nabetani. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Jose Toledo (66) from Guatemala, Filipino Justin Quiban (68), and Japan’s Taihei Sato (69) all played at Lakeview and are six under.
Wang, aged 28, is a three-time champion on the DP World Tour and a winner on the Asian Tour, but his most recent win came in the Qatar Masters in 2017. National Service in Korea in 2021 and 2022 meant his career was put on hold but he is now fully focused on getting back to his best.
“I’m hitting really good irons right now, so I don’t really miss greens. I just made one bogey today, so playing pretty well,” said Wang, the joint first-round leader with Kiwi Nick Voke.
“I didn’t take a holiday over the break, just practiced every day, I went to the Philippines to practice so I had a really good session there. So yeah, that works.”
Sam Brazel. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
2016 Hong Kong Open winner Brazel was bogey-free today and is looking to draw on two decades of experience as a professional to earn one of the 35 Asian Tour cards on offer this week.
The 45-year-old said: “Well I have a lot of experience, so that should serve me well. Experience is key at Q School.
“I played well, short game was sharp and made some nice up and downs early on.”
Unheralded Mazzoli said: “Today was really hard compared to yesterday, the greens were really firm so it was a good test. Especially the first few holes, I started missing a couple of greens and managed to recover really well and I had plenty of birdie opportunities. Didn’t make all of them but it was it was good. I had a good streak on the back nine.”
American John Catlin, a four-time winner on the Asian Tour and three-time champion in Europe, put himself in a strong position after carding a 66 at Lakeview to go to five-under in a tie for eighth.
Justin Quiban. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
The top-140 players (and ties) today will now progress to round three and four before the top-70 players (and ties) after 72 holes play in the final round.
Asian Tour members will have another excellent opportunity to compete in the game’s oldest Major championship this year as The R&A have announced that the IRS Prima Malaysian Open and the Kolon Korea Open will be part of The Open Qualifying Series.
The former event, to be played at The Mines Resort & Golf Club in Kuala Lumpur from February 15-18 as the season-opening tournament on the Asian Tour, will offer three places at The Open.
Two spots will be available at the Kolon Korea Open – being played later in the year at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club from June 20-23.
This year marks the 152nd staging of The Open, with Royal Troon hosting the famous event, from July 15-18, for the 10th occasion. The most recent time it was played there was in 2016 when Swede Henrik Stenson triumphed.
HONG KONG- L-R- Open qualifiers – Bio Kim of Korea, Taichi Kho of Hong Kong, Travis Smyth of Australia and Michael Hendry of New Zealand pictured with the Open championship flags and the Claret Jug 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.
Cho Minn Thant, CEO & Commissioner, Asian Tour, said: “The Asian Tour is very pleased that two National Opens on our Tour are part of The R&A’s global network of elite qualification events.
“The IRS Prima Malaysian Open is the opening event of our 2024 season and its Open Qualifying Series status certainly increases the motivation for our members who are enjoying a much-deserved off-season as well as those competing in Final Stage of Qualifying School this week. The Kolon Korea Open is one of the most renowned Championships in Asia and is year in year out one of the toughest tests in the region.
“Our members are always appreciative of the chance this provides them and are quick to incorporate Open Qualifying Series events into their schedule.”
Six players have already booked their spots in The Open through The Open Qualifying Series.
Dean Burmester, Darren Fichardt and Dan Bradbury qualified at the Joburg Open before Joaquin Niemann, Rikuya Hoshino and Adam Scott earned the three places available at the ISPS Handa Australian Open.
The Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday, the RBC Canadian Open and the John Deere Classic will offer golfers on the PGA TOUR opportunities to qualify.
On the DP World Tour, places will be awarded at the KLM Open, Italian Open and Genesis Scottish Open.
Korean Jeunghun Wang and Nick Voke from New Zealand made ideal starts in their attempts to regain their Asian Tours cards today when they shot six-under-par 65s for the lead on day one of the Final Stage of the Asian Tour’s Qualifying School, here in Hua Hin, Thailand.
Two courses are being used for this week’s marathon five-round pressure-packed event, with Wang and Voke both playing Lake View Resort and Golf Club’s A&B layouts today.
Spaniard Carlos Pigem is in third place following a five-under-par 67 on Springfield Royal Country Club’s C&B nines.
Korean rookie Wooyoung Cho, a member of last year’s gold medal winning Asian Games team, is next best placed following a 67 at Lake View, which is a par-71, while Springfield is a par-72.
He is tied with Charlie Lindh from Sweden who also played at Lakeview, and Thailand’s Panuphol ‘Coconut’ Pittarayat and Taihei Sato from Japan, who were both at Springfield.
Nick Voke. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Both the leaders teed off on 10 and later finished strongly, with Wang, who was bogey-fee, closing with birdies on seven and nine while Voke was even more impressive on his last four holes, nailing three birdies and an eagle on eight.
“Perfect start for me,” said 28-year-old Wang.
“Didn’t do much wrong. I am really focused on getting my card.”
He grabbed international headlines several seasons ago with three fine victories on the DP World Tour, and returned to golf in 2022 having completed 18-months of National Service.
It was in May of 2016 that he claimed the Trophee Hassan II, before he won the following week’s AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, an event sanctioned by Asia, Europe and South Africa; and the following year he triumphed in the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters. At one point he rose as high as 39th on the Official World Golf Ranking.
Voke, the 28-year-old from Auckland, New Zealand, is a three-time winner on the China Tour in 2018, the year after he turned professional, and is at the school this week after finishing 136th on last year’s Asian Tour Order of Merit.
Carlos Pigem. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
American John Catlin, a three-time winner on the DP World Tour and four-time champion on the Asian Tour, who makes his home in Hua Hin carded a 72 at Springfield and has work to do.
Spaniards Alvaro Quiros and Gonzalo Fdez-Castano, also multiple winners in Europe, carded disappointing rounds of 74 and 76 respectively.
The top-140 players (and ties) after 36 holes tomorrow will progress to round three and four. The top-70 players (and ties) after 72 holes will play in the final round. At the conclusion of 90 holes, the top-35 will be ranked accordingly for the 2024 season.
The first event of the new season, the US$1million IRS Prima Malaysian Open, will be played at The Mines Resort & Golf Club, from February 15-18.
Wooyoung Cho. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
The Asian Tour’s 2024 season commences next month but the regional circuit’s pressure-packed prelude starts tomorrow as the Final Stage of its Qualifying School tees-off in Thailand.
A staggering total of 668 players have been involved in the tournament if you include the six First Stage qualifiers played so far which saw 104 players make it through to this week, where they will be joined by 115 other hopefuls – who are exempt for the Final Stage.
The tournament is being played over two courses in Hua Hin: Springfield Royal Country Club’s C&B nines, and Lake View Resort and Golf Club’s A&B layouts. The former is considered to be the slightly more difficult course.
It’s a five-round marathon with the two venues used for the first four days while Springfield Royal will stage the all-important final round.
Juvic Pagunsan celebrates his birdie on the 18th hole during the third and final round of the Barclays Singapore Open at back in 2011. Picture by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images.
Come Saturday afternoon 35 players will have secured their Asian Tour cards and there are plenty of high-profile names competing here who have already enjoyed that privilege.
American John Catlin (main picture), a three-time winner on the DP World Tour and four-time champion on the Asian Tour, is, surprisingly, one such player. The 33-year-old has based himself in Hua Hin for many years and will be looking to draw on his familiar surrounds to get his game back on track.
Juvic Pagunsan from the Philippines, India’s Rahil Gangjee, Australian Sam Brazel, Indonesian Rory Hie, and Malaysian Nicholas Fung are also Asian Tour winners in action this week.
Other notables here are Spaniards Alvaro Quiros and Gonzalo Fdez-Castano, Japan’s Ryosuke Kinoshita, Thailand’s Panuphol Pittayarat, Kosuke Hamamoto and Itthipat Buranatanyarat, Indian Khalin Joshi, Hong Kong’s Matthew Cheung plus American Dodge Kemmer.
Koreans Meenwhee Kim and Jeunghun Wang have also entered along with two of their country’s rising stars who recently turned professional Wooyoung Cho and Yubin Jang. Both were part of the Korean team that won the gold medal in last year’s Asian Games, along with PGA Tour standouts Sungjae Im and Si Woo Kim.
Panuphol Pittayarat. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Players from 34 countries are competing reflecting the global popularity and level of interested in the Asian Tour.
The top-140 players (and ties) after 36 holes will progress to round three and four. The top-70 players (and ties) after 72 holes will play in the final round, which will be held on January 20. At the conclusion of 90 holes, the top-35 will be ranked accordingly for the 2024 season.
For the 2023 Qualifying School, 563 players entered the pre-qualifiers with 110 making it through to the finals, joining 124 exempt players.
Australian Jack Thompson graduated top of the class and went on to enjoy a fine rookie season finishing in 48th place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, with four top-15 finishes in 17 starts.
The first event of the new season, the US$1million IRS Prima Malaysian Open, will be played at The Mines Resort & Golf Club, from February 15-18.
Andy Ogletree’s remarkable 2023 season has earned him arguably the most-coveted award, the stamp of approval by his peers, as it was announced today that he has won the Kyi Hla Han Award for the Player of the Year on the Asian Tour.
The American won last year’s Asian Tour Order of Merit (OOM) title, as well as The International Series OOM, in runaway fashion and was the overwhelming choice for the Kyi Hla Han Award – after the final count of a players’ poll was conducted.
It is the first year that the award has been named after Kyi Hla Han, the Asian Tour’s former OOM champion who later became the regional circuit’s Executive Chairman, making this latest accolade all the more significant for Ogletree.
Andy Ogletree pictured wining the International Series Qatar. Picture By Ian Walton/Asian Tour.
In 11 starts, he won twice – at the International Series Qatar in February and at August’s International Series England – and recorded five other top-10s. That led to him winning the Asian Tour OOM by almost double the points, on 2,128.26, over the second-placed Miguel Tabuena from the Philippines, and The International Series OOM by almost double the prize money, with US$1,101,828.33, from second-placed Spaniard David Puig.
Said Cho Minn Thant, CEO & Commissioner, Asian Tour: “Kudos to Andy Ogletree for winning the Player of the Year Award – importantly, during the season when we have named this prestigious trophy after one of the Asian Tour’s most-celebrated luminaries, Kyi Hla Han.
“Two important aspects stand out here. Firstly, the fight and determination of Andy to come back and make his mark in the game following a difficult start to his career when so much was expected of him.
“And secondly, the opportunity that the Asian Tour, and indeed The International Series, have provided for him to essentially establish himself as one of the game’s most exciting young golfers, who looks likely to be making a big impression in the years ahead.”
Ogletree with the International Series England trophy. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Ogletree succeeds compatriot Sihwan Kim as the Players’ Player of the Year and will share his time next year between the Asian Tour and the LIV Golf League, as claiming The International Series OOM secured him a place on the multi-million-dollar franchise.
“It was a perfect year,” said the American at the end of last year.
“The plan coming into the season and all along was to win and get back on LIV Golf. I managed to do that, which was very satisfying. I had a great schedule to play on the Asian Tour and I will cherish this year forever.”
“I treated every tournament I played as if it was a Major championship. That was the only thing we thought about and talked about all off-season. I had just one aim. I won towards the end of last season in Egypt and had a lot of momentum going into the off-season and was able to develop some good plans with my trainer (Kolby Tullier) and my swing coach (Tony Ruggiero).”
Ogletree topped both the Asian Tour and International Series merit lists. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Kyi Hla Han, who sadly and unexpectedly passed away in February of 2022, was himself a winner of the Player’s Player of the Year Award in 1999, the year he secured the OOM title.
The forging of his name with the Players’ Player of the Year Award was a natural progression for the Asian Tour, and it is something that the Han family see as another important part of his legacy.
“Kyi Hla was always particularly proud of the acknowledgement the players gave him in winning the Players’ Player of the Year Award,” said his wife, Marlene.
“The Han family are therefore extremely honoured and proud that the Players’ award will now be named after Kyi Hla, ensuring that his legacy and vision for Asian Tour players continues to grow and excel for generations to come.
“He always aimed to cement the ascendancy of Asian Tour players within global golf. He was always looking out for the best opportunities for its members and nurturing junior talent, while actively seeking to promote and grow the Tour.”
The Asian Tour’s new season tees-off with the US$1million IRS Prima Malaysian Open next month. It will be played at The Mines Resort and Golf Club, from February 15-18.
The prestigious Malaysian Open, one of the oldest National Opens and highly-acclaimed events in the region, sensationally returns to the Asian Tour schedule next year.
The Malaysian Golf Association (MGA) proudly announced today it has sealed a three-year title sponsorship agreement with IRS Prima Holding Sdn Bhd, a Malaysian-based Property Development company, as the event’s title sponsor. The IRS Prima Malaysian Open will be staged at The Mines Resort & Golf Club from February 15-18, 2024.
MGA also revealed Fairway Inspired Sdn Bhd (FISB) will be the event promoter and will manage all related matters. This partnership has paved the way for the tournament to be held again after a four-year hiatus.
Inaugurated over 60 years ago, the event is once again set to thrill Malaysia’s thriving golfing community as the season-opener on the Asian Tour that will offer attractive prize purse of US$1million.
MGA President, Admiral Tan Sri Dato’ Setia Mohd Anwar Mohd Nor (R) said today: “We had been discussing the possibility of collaborating with IRS Prima Holding for the past few months. Today, MGA is thrilled to announce IRS Prima Holding Sdn Bhd will be the title sponsor of our most celebrated tournament. Its history and tradition are incomparable in this part of the world, and we are delighted the story of the Malaysian Open will live on.”
Tan Sri Anwar added that Malaysian golfers, professionals and amateurs, would be provided playing slots. “Our golfers will benefit extensively from this opportunity and experience of competing against the best on the Asian Tour. We hope to see our players rise and deliver their best performances and even challenge for the top spots.”
Group CEO of IRS Prima Holding Sdn Bhd, Dato’ Yusuf bin Abdul Rahman said the company is excited at being the title sponsor for such a prestigious international competition. “We are honoured to have been given the chance to support this event. Everyone in our organisation is eager and looking forward to the IRS Prima Malaysian Open next year. We will provide all the support and assistance to MGA and FISB to ensure the tournament is an enormous success. We hope to see the fans come out in full force to cheer the players including our local golfers.”
Asian Tour Commissioner & CEO, Cho Minn Thant, is also elated that one of the region’s longest running events is back on the tour schedule. “The Asian Tour has a decades-long relationship with the Malaysian Open and so we are overjoyed to see it return to our schedule.
“Importantly, it fills the prime position as our first event of the season, something truly deserving for one of the region’s most prestigious National Opens.
“We are extremely grateful to IRS Prima Holding Sdn Bhd, the Malaysian Golf Association and The Mines Resort & Golf Club for making this possible.”
The last time the Malaysian Open was held at The Mines was in 2003, when it was won by Arjun Atwal of India.
Trevor Simsby of United States
American Trevor Simsby claimed the most recent Malaysian Open, when he raised the trophy back in March of 2020. That proved to be the last tournament played on the Asian Tour for nearly two years as the COVID-19 pandemic struck shortly after, making the return of the Malaysian Open in 2024 all the more significant.
Main photo caption: (From right) Tan Sri Aseh Che Mat, MGA Vice-President, Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew, Founder & Chairman of Country Heights Holdings Berhad, Dato’ Yusuf bin Abdul Rahman, Group CEO of IRS Prima Holding Sdn Bhd, Admiral Tan Sri Dato’ Setia Mohd Anwar bin Haji Mohd Nor, MGA President, Dato’ Musa Haji Yusof, Deputy Director General of Tourism Malaysia and Mr Andrew Pitts, Director of Special Events- Asian Tour
The Asian Tour’s remarkable period of accelerated growth will continue unabated in 2024 after it released another impressive and substantial schedule for the new season today.
Hot on the heels of the completion of its 2023 season last weekend, the Tour has unveiled an initial schedule of 20 strong events across 12 countries– with a significant number of important tournaments to be added.
Once finalised it is expected that the schedule will surpass this year– which saw 23 events staged with total prize money of US$35 million.
The Malaysian Open will celebrate its return to the schedule after a four-year hiatus by becoming the season-opening event and will be played from February 15-18.
The Malaysian Open was last played in 2020, when American Trevor Simsby triumphed.
It will be followed the week after by the International Series Oman – the first of 10 International Series events in 2024, which provide a pathway to the multi-million-dollar LIV Golf League.
International Series events will be played in Macau (International Series Macau presented by Wynn, March 14-17), Morocco (July 4-7), Indonesia (October 31–November 3), and Qatar (November 28 – December 1).
The Hong Kong Open will once again be part of The International Series while making its debut on the series will be the PIF Saudi International powered by Softbank Investment Advisers, which was the Tour’s opening event in 2022 and 2023. Both events will be in Q4. The dates will be announced later along with the details of three more International Series tournaments.
The Tour will also once again return to two of its traditional tournament strongholds, Korea and Chinese-Taipei.
Three events will be played in each market, with the GS Caltex Maekyung Open (May 2-5), Kolon Korea Open (June 20-23) and Shinhan Donghae Open (September 5-8) staged in Korea; while the Yeangder TPC (September 26-29), Mercuries Taiwan Masters (October 3-6) and Taiwan Glass Taifong Open (November 14-17) will be hosted in Chinese-Taipei.
Denwit Booribonsub won this year’s Saudi Open presented by Public Investment Fund. The tournament will be played in April next year. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
The New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sport (February 29–March 3), the Saudi Open presented by Public Investment Fund (April 17-20) and the SJM Macao Open (October 10-13) are also back on the schedule.
Said Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner & CEO, Asian Tour: “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.
“Importantly, we are delighted to confirm the schedule so soon after the completion of our 2023 season, which will allow our members to plan accordingly and act as enormous incentive to those heading to Qualifying School.
“The International Series events combined with our central column of established tournaments form the backbone of the Tour while we look forward to being able to announce other premier events in due course.”
The Final Stage of the Asian Tour’s Qualifying School (January 16-20) commences proceedings next year, providing a gateway into what will be another season of great advancement for the Asian Tour.
The PIF Saudi International powered by Softbank Investment Advisers will, for the first time, be an International Series event next year. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
The Asian Development Tour schedule will be released early in 2024 and will feature an expanded line-up of tournaments, for what is the Asian Tour’s constantly evolving feeder circuit.
Please visit the Asian Tour’s 2024 schedule here.
Seven world-class destinations have been confirmed by The International Series as part of its 10-tournament schedule for the 2024 season.
Boasting an increased prize pool of US$23 million, the pathway series to the LIV Golf League, sanctioned by the Asian Tour, will once again commence the year in Oman before making further return journeys to Hong Kong, Indonesia, Morocco, and Qatar.
Following the announcement in November of the inaugural International Series Macau presented by Wynn, the US$5 million PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers has also been confirmed as a further addition to The International Series 2024 schedule.
Andy Ogletree with The International Series Order of Merit trophy. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
The following tournaments are all confirmed for the 2024 Asian Tour calendar:
International Series Oman | 22-25 February | US$2 million
International Series Macau presented by Wynn | 14-17 March | US$2 million
International Series Morocco | 04-07 July | US$2 million
Indonesian Masters | 31 October-03 November | US$2 million
International Series Qatar | 28 November-01 December | US$2.5 million
Hong Kong Open | Dates TBC | US$2 million
PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers | Dates TBC | US$5 million
Three further venues will be announced to complete the 10-event series that comprises The International Series, integrated into the Asian Tour schedule, with all tournaments carrying a minimum US$2 million prize fund.
Rahul Singh, Head of The International Series said: “Competition to host International Series events has been high, with interest coming from around the globe as venues, destinations and stakeholders embrace the new competition and excitement that The International Series has brought since launching in 2022.
“We remain committed to our mission of enhancing opportunities for players around the world and an open player pathway into the LIV Golf League and are excited to add some marquee events to the schedule for 2024.
“This will be a landmark season for The International Series, and we continue to go from strength to strength. We remain committed to providing a transparent player pathway that enables global golfers to compete in our tournaments and take an opportunity to play over the season for a place on the LIV Golf League.
“With our first confirmed dates for the season spanning the Arabian Gulf, China’s southern coast, southeast Asia and North Africa, the schedule underscores our commitment to being a truly International Series.”
Abraham Ancer pictured with the winner’s trophy at the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers earlier this year. Next year the event will be part of The International Series. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Singh concluded: “Oman once again provides a fitting curtain raiser to the season, while Macau breaks new ground for us in a region that has a rich heritage of golf. By returning to Morocco for the first time since our inaugural season, we have compelling proof that our events are an attractive proposition to destinations with world-class golfing pedigree.”
The only time Andy Ogletree struggled throughout his triumphant 2023 Asian Tour season, was when he had to pop open a celebratory champagne bottle at the end of the Hong Kong Open. Story by Joy Chakravarty.
Probably, it was the excitement of achieving the number one objective Ogletree and his team had set at the start of the year. By making the cut at the Hong Kong Golf Club, the 25-year-old American secured the Order of Merit crown on The International Series with one event remaining, which earned him a card on the 2024 LIV Golf season, and soon after he wrapped up the Asian Tour merit list.
“Thankfully, I am a professional golfer and not a professional champagne opener. But I will get many opportunities on LIV Golf to pop champagne next year, and I will get better at it,” said Ogletree, who will play for Captain Phil Mickelson’s HyFlyers team.
And that’s the thing about him. There are no ifs and buts, maybes and hopefullys in Ogletree’s lexicon. There is just unwavering self-belief and oodles of conviction.
Andy Ogletree with The International Series Order of Merit trophy at the Hong Kong Open. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
It showed every time he teed up on the Asian Tour this year. In 11 starts, he won twice (International Series Qatar and International Series England) and recorded five other top-10s. That led to him winning the Asian Tour Order of Merit by almost double the points (2,128.26) over the second-placed Miguel Tabuena from the Philippines (1,436.6), and The International Series Order of Merit by almost double the prize money ($US1,101,828.33) won by second-placed Spaniard David Puig (US$577,800).
“It was a perfect year. The plan coming into the season and all along was to win and get back on LIV Golf. I managed to do that, which was very satisfying. I had a great schedule to play on the Asian Tour and I will cherish this year forever,” said Ogletree.
“I treated every tournament I played as if it was a major championship. That was the only thing we thought about and talked about all off-season. I had just one aim. I won towards the end of last season in Egypt and had a lot of momentum going into the off-season and was able to develop some good plans with my trainer (Kolby Tullier) and my swing coach (Tony Ruggiero).
“And when we checked in for the Saudi International to start the year, we got off and running again (tied ninth) and never looked back. It’s all a testament to some of the swing changes and body progressions that we worked on. Good golf is not just me, it’s a team effort that I was able to play a full season of golf healthy (following a hip surgery in 2020) and build upon each week.”
Looking back at the year, Ogletree said the win at Close House stood out, especially because of the quality of the field at International Series England.
“Newcastle was probably the win that I will remember the most,” said Ogletree, who shot 16-under par and won by seven shots over Majesticks GC captain Ian Poulter.
Ogletree pictured on his way to winning the International Series England. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“It was a stacked field and there were 22 LIV players there. The conditions were very difficult, and I did not have the best start. I opened with a one-over par 72 and was almost outside the cut-line going into the second round. I don’t think I put a step wrong after that.”
Ogletree made 17 birdies and two eagles over his last three rounds around the banks of River Tyne.
The Round of the Year was his bogey-free 66 on day three of International Series Qatar, where he won by three shots over Thailand’s Gunn Charoenkul.
“That was the best round of my season by far. The wind in Doha was around 40mph and conditions were brutal, and I was probably the only player to come in with a bogey-free round,” reminisces Ogletree. “There was one player close to my 66, but I beat most of the field by five-six shots that day and it laid the platform for me to win the tournament. It really was the coolest round I played all year.”
As for his Shot of the Year, it was difficult to surpass the hole-in-one on the monstrous 254-yard par-three fourth hole of Tanah Merah Country Club in Sunday’s final round of the International Series Singapore.
“That slam-dunk hole-in-one has to be the most unforgettable shot of the season,” said Ogletree, who made nine eagles and 195 birdies during the year and finished with a stroke average of 68.86. He was No1 in Greens in Regulation at 77.02 percent.
Ogletree celebrating victory at the International Series Qatar. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“I had just made a bogey on the previous hole, and the fourth was playing 230 yards with wind from the left. I was stuck between a four and a five-iron and my caddie insisted that I go with a four to a back pin, and land it flag-high instead of leaving myself short and facing a long putt. I got a bit of crap for hitting too much club, but as it turned out, it was the perfect shot!”
Ogletree is looking forward to dividing his time playing the 14 events on the LIV Golf schedule and playing as many events on the Asian Tour as possible in order to defend his Order of Merit crown.
“I am looking forward to the new season…very excited,” said the man from Little Rock, Mississippi, who recently shifted his base to Atlanta, Georgia.
“LIV is where I want to be and that’s where I want to play my golf. The platform they’ve created and the events they’ve put together, it’s premier golf. I really believe in the product and everything it stands for. I want to play against those guys week in and week out.
“I love the fact that it’s a worldwide tour. I’ve really enjoyed getting to travel the world with LIV and with The International Series on the Asian Tour. I have tried to embrace the culture of all the fascinating countries I was able to visit. I am just a small-town kid from Mississippi, and I’m getting to see the world playing a game that I love. So, I just can’t wait to get out there and try to win every tournament.”
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