The Yeangder Group are reinforcing their commitment to the development of professional golf in Chinese-Taipei by staging the Ambassador ADT on the Asian Development Tour.

To be played at Hsin Feng Golf Country Club (main picture) from November 7-10, the event will boast prizemoney of US$100,000, and will be sanctioned by the local PGA.

It is part of a three-year commitment by the Yeangder Group, who are the promoter of the Yeangder TPC – one of Chinese-Taipei’s most prominent events on the Asian Tour.

Its Chairman Emmet Hsu, who is also on the Asian Tour’s Board of Directors, said: “Presently, three Asian Tour events are staged in Chinese-Taipei, including the Yeangder TPC. This is excellent for golf in our country, but we also want to create even more playing opportunities for Chinese-Taipei’s rising stars which is why the ADT is the perfect platform for growth.”

Ho Yu-cheng’s success is an example of how the ADT can launch careers. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

“The ADT focuses on cultivating the next generation of Asia’s golfers and we saw this last year when Chinese-Taipei’s Ho Yu-cheng won the PKNS Selangor Masters. That helped him finish in the top-10 on the ADT Order of Merit which earned him his Asian Tour card. The ADT provides a pathway to propel the careers of the region’s up-and-coming players and we would like to be a part of this.”

Hsu’s son Bryan has recently started to participate in and organise tournaments – providing further impetus for the Yeangder Group to help the development of the game in a country that has produced so many of the region’s finest players.

The Ambassador ADT will feature a field of 126 players, 66 coming from the ADT, 56 from the local PGA, plus four invites.

Said Ken Kudo, General Manager, ADT: “Last year the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open was elevated from the ADT to the Asian Tour with great success. It also meant there were no ADT events in Chinese-Taipei, so we are delighted that the Yeangder Group have now seized the opportunity to add the Ambassador ADT to the schedule, as part of a multi-year deal.”

As one of the season-ending events on the ADT, the event will play a decisive role in helping to shape the final Order of Merit and determine who finishes in the top-10 to secure passage onto the 2025 Asian Tour season.

Hsin Feng Golf Country Club is 27-hole golfing complex located in Hsinchu city in Northern Chinese-Taipei.

May, 2024: searching for the spark

The month of May saw Denwit Boriboonsub spend two weeks in Japan preparing for a U.S. Open qualifier. It didn’t quite go his way but it’s all part of the learning process for 20-year-old star, who now has his sights set on making his first appearance in the Kolon Korea Open. Denwit was speaking to Asian Tour contributor and former Tour player Olle Nordberg.

Hello again! After last month’s diary I spent two weeks in Japan for a U.S. Open qualifier. I was in Osaka for a week and had a weekend in Omi Hachiman. I had a great time in Osaka, but I was only able to practice in a simulator for five days. I only got to practice outside when I got to Omi Hachiman – which was more in the countryside and where the qualifier was held.

It was a really hard two weeks. I don’t have an international driver’s license so I couldn’t rent a car. It was like the worst two weeks that I’ve had. I mean, I had to change my hotel to wait for an Australian friend to get a ride to the golf course for the qualifier, because it was so hard to find a taxi.

So, if I had to do it all over again, in-between the GS Caltex Maekyung Open and the U.S. Open qualifier, I would rather come back home than go early to Japan.

Denwit Boriboonsub. Picture by Khalid Redza/Asian Tour.

But playing the qualifier was a great experience. The chance to qualify for the three spots was really quite good, and the course that we played was quite easy. But I didn’t play that well, and it was a bit of a disappointing result for the 36 holes. I was even par for two rounds, some way short of the mark, which was eight under. Thirty-four players were competing for the three spots.

I mean, the game was solid the whole week, I had a practice round before the tournament rounds, and I played pretty well. But when it came to the tournament rounds, I just couldn’t make it. I couldn’t get my putts to drop. But overall, it was pretty good. It was more of a putting issue and stuff like that. Also, the course was pretty wide open, the greens were soft, and it was pretty short. I just couldn’t take advantage of that.

After Japan I came back to Thailand and hung out in Bangkok for a week and had a nice relaxing time.

Now I have a few weeks before the Kolon Korea Open, and I will have more of a strict practice schedule. I will also play the Singha All Thailand Championship on the All Thailand Golf Tour at Suwan Country Club before Korea. I’m a past champion of the event on that course, having won in 2022 . Yeah, I like that course a lot, so hopefully it will be like a confidence booster before going into Korea Open week.

I feel good about my game though. If I drive it well I think there’s nothing much to worry about because my irons are ok and my putting is good. It’s just like some days are good, and some days are not. I guess I am just searching for the spark.

If I can put it in the fairway off the tee, it’s gonna get me into contention. I got a new driver after Maekyung last month that I really like. I think the old one drew a little more than I wanted to, but the new one is good.

The driver I’m using now is a Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond with 9+ degrees of loft, NS sleeve settings, a Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei 1K Orange 60 TX shaft and the Golf Pride MCC Align grip.

Denwit Boriboonsub pictured after winning last year’s Saudi Open presented by the Public Investment Fund. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

I also got a new three wood because I think the old one cracked in Korea. I just heard something weird in the hosel or sleeve, and the ball just started hooking on every shot. So, I called Callaway while I was in Japan and they brought a new one to Osaka, that was great service from Callaway. For my three wood I’m using a Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond 15 degrees with a Fujikura Ventus TR Black 7 X shaft.

It will be my first time playing in the Kolon Korea Open. I’ve heard a lot about Woo Jeong Hills Country Club and how difficult it is but I’m really looking forward to the challenge. My countryman Jazz Janewattananond won the tournament there in 2019 so I would love to add my name to the trophy!

The Indonesia Pro-Am presented by Combiphar & Nomura, which made its debut appearance on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) last year, featuring a unique team format, will make a popular return to the calendar this September.

The tournament, which is managed by OB Golf – the country’s leading golf promoter – will once again be held at Gunung Geulis Country Club and be played from September 11-13.

It will boast prizemoney of US$125,000 for the individual category – one of the ADT’s most lucrative purses – with an additional US$25,000 up for grabs in the team competition.

Jimmy Masrin from OB Golf, and Chairman of the Asian Tour, said: “OB Golf are thrilled to be in position to confirm the return of the Indonesia Pro-Am presented by Combiphar & Nomura.

“OB Golf are at the forefront of the professional game in Indonesia, and we were delighted that the success of this event in 2023 helped facilitate its return this season. The tournament will again play an important role in adding to an already strong Asian Development Tour schedule.”

Kevin Akbar.

Indonesia’s Kevin Akbar (main picture) triumphed last year; no doubt inspired by playing with the owner of Gunung Geulis Country Club Agung Budiman in the team event, which is a three-day best-ball format that sees professionals partnered with local amateurs.

Two courses will be used at Gunung Geulis Country Club, the East and West, as per last year, with a field of 106 professionals participating along with 100 amateurs.

Ken Kudo, General Manager, ADT, said: “We are delighted to continue our partnership with OB Golf in staging the Indonesia Pro-Am presented by Combiphar & Nomura. Indonesia is always a very popular destination amongst the ADT membership and as a collective we are excited to be heading back once again.

“We remember with great fondness Kevin Akbar winning the Indonesia Pro-Am presented by Combiphar & Nomura in front of patriotic home support; there was a wonderful atmosphere that is synonymous with events in the Indonesian archipelago. Further schedule updates will be provided in due course.”

Gunung Geulis Country Club is located in Bogor – south of the capital Jakarta.

The ADT’s season got underway at the Lexus Challenge in Vietnam in March. Pakistan’s Ahmad Baig claimed the title at The Bluffs Grand Ho Tram, for his first international victory.

Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert triumphed in the most recent event, the Singha Laguna Phuket Open last month, for his eighth victory on the ADT – the most by any player. The event was played at Laguna Golf Phuket – a member of Asian Tour Destinations.

Newly crowned Senior PGA Championship winner Richard Bland, Ryder Cup legend Graeme McDowell and defending champion Jazz Janewattananond are among the big names set to tee up in a star-studded field at International Series Morocco.

The US$2million tournament takes place at the iconic Royal Golf Dar Es Salam Red Course in Rabat from July 4-7, and will feature a host of LIV Golf League stars and the cream of the Asian Tour.

Bland, the 51-year-old member of Cleeks GC on the LIV Golf League, shot a final-round eight-under-par 63 on Sunday to finish at 17-under for a three-stroke victory at Harbor Shores Resort in Michigan, in what is a Major championship in the senior’s game. Remarkably, it was his debut appearance on the Champions Tour.

McDowell, a Ryder Cup hero for Europe and a member of Brooks Koepka’s Smash GC team, was crowned US Open champion at Pebble Beach in 2010, becoming the first European to win the coveted Major since Tony Jacklin 40 years previously.

Graeme McDowell. Picture by Jason Butler/Getty Images.

Thai golfer Jazz, a seven-time Asian Tour winner, produced a brilliant eagle-birdie finish to claim the International Series Morocco trophy by one shot from Richard T Lee of Canada in the 2022 edition.

Other big names include South Africa’s Stinger GC star Branden Grace and Spanish youngster Eugenio Chacarra of Fireballs GC, the 2023 St Andrews Bay Championship winner.

Zimbabwean Kieran Vincent, last season’s International Series Vietnam champion and a winner at the KitKat Cash & Carry Pro-Am on the Sunshine Tour in South Africa at the weekend, is also confirmed.

The LIV Golf League newcomer earned a place on Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII team through the LIV Golf Promotions event in December, and he will line up alongside team-mate Caleb Surratt and Range Goats GC player Peter Uihlein.

In-form American John Catlin, the current Asian Tour Order of Merit leader and International Series Rankings No.2 after completing remarkable back-to-back victories earlier this season, will also play in the fourth of 10 dates on The International Series that form the Asian Tour-sanctioned pathway onto the LIV Golf League.

Jazz Janewattananond pictured winning in Morocco in 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

The 33-year-old carded an historic 59, a first ever for the Asian Tour, on his way to a thrilling sudden-death play-off victory over David Puig in the International Series Macau presented by Wynn in March, before roaring to a seven-shot victory in the Saudi Open presented by PIF the following month.

He will be joined by Gaganjeet Bhullar, an 11-time winner on the Asian Tour, and International Series Thailand 2023 champion Wade Ormsby, with Thai stars Sarit Suwannarut and Sadom Kaewkanjana – both multiple Asian Tour champions – also confirmed.

Mustapha Zine, first Vice President of the Royal Moroccan Golf Federation, commented: “We are delighted to welcome back The International Series to Morocco. Royal Golf Dar Es Salam is a golf club steeped in tradition and heritage, the perfect location to welcome the cream of the Asian Tour, the LIV Golf League stars and also the best Moroccan talent.”

Rahul Singh, Head of The International Series, said: “Our return to Morocco is another example of the important role The International Series plays in the global golf ecosystem.

“The International Series offers players the chance to compete for a big-money purse at a wonderful destination, while also providing a pathway to the LIV Golf League that has already proved life-changing for a number of Asian Tour players.

“We also provide a golden opportunity for the region’s best talent to mix with some of the biggest names in world golf.

“In the 2022 edition, Ayoub Lguirati from Morocco finished T28, and another nine amateurs and professionals from the country gained invaluable experience playing in a field of elite-level golfers from around the world. We are confident we will see similar returns this year.”

Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner & CEO of the Asian Tour, said: “Royal Golf Dar Es Salam has a rich tradition in golf. The 2022 tournament was a wonderful success, and this is another wonderful opportunity to bring elite-level golf to the country, and generate further interest in the sport across the wider region.”

International Series Morocco takes place from July 4-7 at the Royal Dar Es Salam Red Course in Rabat. It is the eighth event of the Asian Tour season.

For the second year in succession Mt Derrimut Golf and Community Club in Melbourne, Australia, will set in motion the Asian Tour Qualifying School by hosting the opening week of First Stage Qualifying.

The event will be played over four rounds, from September 17-20, and provide an outstanding opportunity for golfers ‘Down Under’ to earn playing rights on the Asian Tour by starting the process on home soil.

The top-placed finishers will secure places in the Tour’s Final Qualifying Stage – where the top-35 will earn their cards for the 2025 season.

Last year Mt Derrimut became just the second venue in Australia to host an Asian Tour Qualifying School event and the success of the tournament paved the way for its return this season.

Up-and-coming Australian star Jack Thompson won the 2023 Asian Tour Qualifying School . Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

Australian Lachlan Barker (main picture) triumphed at Mt Derrimut last year and later went on to claim his Asian Tour card at the Final Stage, finishing in 30^th position. His compatriot Maverick Antcliff also made it through the Australian qualifier and earned his card, finishing 17^th. Antcliff has made the most of his opportunities on the Asian Tour already this season and currently sits seventh on The International Series Rankings.

Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner & CEO, Asian Tour, said: “Staging a First Stage Qualifier at Mt Derrimut Golf and Community Club was met with a chorus of approval and made the decision to return in 2024 a mere formality.

“Mt Derrimut was an outstanding host and allowed us to once again embrace the Australian golf community – where we have such strong and long-standing ties.

“Lachlan’s and Maverick’s journey from qualification through to winning Asian Tour playing privileges is a fine example of what can be achieved and validation of our decision to start school in one of the game’s most prominent golfing nations.”

“We are thrilled to be selected again to host the Australian leg of the Asian Tour Qualifying School in September 2024,” said Ian Crews, Manager, Mt Derrimut Golf and Community Club.

“We are grateful for the recognition and pleased to be able to provide a pathway for Australian golfers to participle on the Asian Tour and further their golfing careers.”

Maverick Antcliff made it through at Mt Derrimut last year and went on to secure his Asian Tour card at Final Stage.  Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

Sweden’s Kristoffer Broberg took top spot at the Final Stage of this year’s Qualifying School, played at Springfield Royal Country Club and Lake View Resort and Golf Club in Thailand.

Six Australians finished in the top-35: in addition to Barker and Antcliff, Justin Warren, Sam Brazel, Jordan Zunic, and Harrison Crowe all made it through.

Many of the leading Australian players on the Asian Tour were quick to support staging a First Stage Qualifier on home ground last year.

Four-time Asian Tour winner Wade Ormsby said: “It’s fantastic! There are a lot of guys in Australia asking questions on how they can get onto Tours worldwide and Asia has made it quite accessible for guys to have that opportunity.”

Jack Thompson, who claimed top spot at Final Stage 2023, added: “I think it’s great. I think financially as well, for the Aussie guys, you’re only going to have to make one trip up if you get through. I think it will be good for them and there will be a decent turnout for that First Stage.”

Details of the other First Stage Qualifiers and the Final Stage will be announced shortly but the Final Stage will be moved from its traditional January timeslot into the third week of December. Registration for the 2025 Asian Tour Qualifying School will begin in early July.

The Asian Tour’s ongoing mission to advocate sustainable practices has taken another important step forward today by announcing Bluewater as a Tour Partner.

Representing a statement of intent and shared values between both organisations, Bluewater – built on a vision to provide sustainable and inclusive access to clean, safe water for people around the globe – will become the Tour’s ‘Preferred Water Solution of the Tour’.

Said Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner & CEO, Asian Tour (pictured with Steven Tan, General Manager, Asia Pacific Bluewater): “The Asian Tour welcomes Bluewater on board as a Tour Partner in one of our most important areas of event management. With over 40 events across the Asian Tour and the Asian Development Tour, there is a significant amount of water consumed across our events.

“This new partnership aims to gradually reduce our impact on the environment and the communities we visit, and it is in line with our sustainability pillar of being more inclusive towards the triple bottom-line: people, planet, and prosperity – among our members, promoters, and suppliers.

“The message we want to spread is that we will use our best efforts to minimise single-use plastic bottles through this association with Bluewater’s various water solutions.”

The partnership offers a real opportunity to help make a difference as the average Asian Tour requirement for beverages is 42,000 single use plastic bottles per event.

Set up in 2013, Bluewater aim to end the reliance on single-use plastic bottles and their associated detrimental impacts of marine pollution and carbon-intensive manufacturing and shipping.

“Bluewater aims to be the world’s most planet-friendly water purification and beverage company and one of our key tools is the unique solutions we have innovated to end the need for single use plastic bottles at large-scale sporting events,” said Bluewater founder and CEO Bengt Rittri.

“This transformative partnership is set to revolutionise hydration practices, enhancing the drinking experience for athletes and spectators across multiple Asian Pacific events while promoting environmental sustainability.

“Partnering with the Asian Tour aligns perfectly with our mission to deliver pure water while protecting the planet.”

An acclaimed Swedish environmental entrepreneur, Bengt says Bluewater’s SupeiorOsmosis™ technology not only removes all known contaminants from drinking water such as PFAS and microplastics but is also enhanced with perfect blends of natural minerals to enhance health and wellbeing for people at home, work and play.

Moving forward at selected Asian Tour events, they will introduce their cutting-edge hydration stations on and off the course, accompanied with reusable co-branded bottles.

Takahiro Hataji, who edged Scott Hend to win the New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sport earlier this year, has claimed his maiden title on the Japan Golf Tour – the Kansai Open Golf Championship.

The 30-year-old Japanese triumphed by three from countryman Yuta Sugiura at Meishin Yokaichi Country Club, Shiga Prefecture on Sunday.

Hataji started the final round one off the lead but came through with a three-under-par 67 to finish with a winning total of 14-under 266. He overcame a poor start, that saw him make bogeys on three and four, with a strong four-under-par back nine when he made back-to-back birdies twice.

It made amends for finishing runner-up in the same tournament last year and added to what is far and away the most successful season of his 10-year career.

K.J. Choi. Picture by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

In March he won New Zealand’s National Open to become the first player from his country to raise the trophy. He beat Australia’s Hend by a shot after making key birdies down the stretch before Hend three putted 18.

Veteran KJ Choi, a six-time winner on the Asian Tour, rolled back the years on the Korean PGA Tour winning the SK Telecom Open yesterday.

He’d started the final round at Pinx Golf Club on Jeju Island with a five-shot advantage, but he was caught by Korean Park Sang-hyun – whom he eventually defeated on the second hole of a play-off.

At the age of 54 he is the oldest golfer to win a tournament on the Korean PGA Tour and it broke his 12-year drought on home soil.

Remarkably, the win came on his birthday.

Thailand’s irrepressible amateur star Ratchanon Chantananuwat, the boy wonder we know as ‘TK’, is finally heading to play college golf in the United States. Ahead of his departure to Stanford University we asked him nine key questions – including when can we expect to see him again on the Asian Tour.

TK we’re probably not going see you much on the Asian Tour for quite a while now, with you going to Stanford University later this summer to join their golf team. Can you tell us a little bit about how you evaluate your season so far?

The season has been just sub-par really. I haven’t played bad, all my finishes aren’t bad, I’m making almost all the cuts but when I do, I’m just middle of the pack. So, I’m managing just fine, but it’s definitely not good. I mean, I’m definitely not playing my best with how intensive the schoolwork is getting, now that the finals are getting nearer and nearer. I’m devoting a lot of my time to school and I’m not practicing as much as I want, so I mean it’s no surprise that my golf is going to drop a little bit. But other than that, I can’t really complain. I’m just hoping that when I do come back, I have been practicing more so I can start contending often again.

You had a pretty good tournament at the Porsche Singapore Classic on the DP World Tour, you were only three shots out of the lead going into the final round?

Yeah, I was actually fifth through three rounds and Sunday was just a bad day. It was unfortunate because Sunday, like the results that week, didn’t really reflect how well I played. Just one bad day ruined the whole week. And I was contending, I was up there, I was three behind, I felt like I belonged, you know. I didn’t feel alienated, pressured or anything, it was just a bad round. So that’s some good takeaway there.

TK hugs his father/caddie at last year’s Saudi Open presented by the Public Investment Fund, where he finished tied fifth. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

What will your golf schedule look like now for the next few months, will we see you at the Korean Open or International Series Morocco coming up?

No, so my timeline right now, as it stands, I have tests that I need to take, eight to be specific. They’re all between May 7^th and June 7^th. Then I will go to play in The Amateur Championship in Ireland from June 15 to 22, and then Stanford summer school starts two days after so I’m gonna go to Stanford to get settled in. I’ll play the U.S. Junior Championship and the U.S. Amateur Championship and whatever else I can. I’m thinking maybe The Open qualifier, the final qualifier, if I’m exempt. I really can’t say how much I’m gonna get to play, because I have no idea how much school I can miss.

When will you actually start school this summer?

Summer school starts on June 24^th and will last until about the end of August, but then I just start the real term straightaway at the start of September. I mean, the one event I would really hope I get to play would be the Saudi International, the big one. I’m sure coach would want me to play that as well, given how big the event is.

How does it feel now to be going over to Stanford, one of the most prestigious universities in the world and Tiger Woods alma mater, to start your college career?

Super excited, but honestly, I don’t feel much. I just have so much going on in the in the present that I can’t even look at the future. I mean, right now, the most important thing and the only thing I can think about, are the tests that I’m about to do. But yeah, I’m super excited. I think about it, every day is an understatement, like every other shot, if not twice every shot, it’s just the only thing on my mind.

The tests or going to university?

Going to school, of course. I don’t think about the tests, I dread the tests. They find their way into my mind, but school I’m actually thinking about. I mean there’s just so many things to look forward to, but most importantly, I just can’t wait to better myself, you know. Like, I’ve seen the facilities, I trust coach Conrad Ray. I’m sure that I’m gonna get maybe not more practice, but maybe more efficient practice in college. Because I waste a lot of time in Bangkok driving around, getting from one place to another, getting from my house to the golf course or whatever. There are not many good golf courses that I have ready access to, whereas in Stanford, I’ll be living essentially on a golf course. Because for those that don’t know, we have 18 holes and pretty much three driving ranges on campus at Stanford.

TK pictured at the ‘Beat the Pro’ challenge in the Golf Village at the Wynn Palace ahead of International Series Macau presented by Wynn in March. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

Will you be living in a dorm, and how will it feel to be moving away from your mom and dad soon?

Yes, that is the whole point of going to college. I mean, I think this is just a very cliche answer, but exciting and also scary. If anything, I’m more scared than other kids usually are, because I’ve been with my parents my whole life. They’re there every second of my day, every event that I have traveled to, both of them are there all the time. But they will be there at least for the foreseeable future, the first few months. At least until the term starts after I finish the U.S. Amateur, just to make sure I settle in ok, and once they know that I can take care of myself they’ll come back to Thailand. So, it doesn’t feel like I’m leaving them yet.

You will have a lot of new team-mates on the golf team, are there any of them that you already know, or will they all be new to you?

The three people I’ve met are all seniors, so they are all leaving. But we do have a group chat. There’s the current freshmen Kush Arora and Ethan Gao, and then me and the other two freshmen. So, it’s like I’m already really good friends with the other four, and one of the incoming freshmen, Jay Leng Jr. I’ve been playing golf with him in the U.S. since I was like, five, six years old, so we know each other pretty well. Well, we’ve known each other a long time. And the majority of the team are Asians, but like American born.

So, when can we possibly expect to see you back on the Asian Tour again?

It will depend on finals at summer school and whatever tests I have to take. It also depends on the travel as well. I’m really hoping the Saudi International, but I need to check. I have the schedule now, but I need to check the dates of my exams. But honestly, if they give me the green light, I’m 100% playing that one, like it’s just an event you can’t miss. I mean it’s like at least 15-20 Major winners who are going to be there.

In-form Spaniard David Puig is hoping to reproduce his red-hot form on the Asian Tour and The International Series this season when he tees up tomorrow at the second Major of the season, the PGA Championship.

Puig is one of four representatives from the Asian Tour and The International Series, the set of 10 elevated events that form a pathway to the LIV Golf League, at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky.

Last year’s International Series Rankings winner Andy Ogletree will also start alongside in-form Chilean Joaquin Niemann and Japan’s Takumi Kanaya, the 2023 International Series Oman champion.

Spaniard Puig, just 22, is No.106 on the Official World Golf Ranking, but he earned his invite with a superb run of form that has brought top-10 finishes in four OWGR events, including a win in the season-opening IRS Prima Malaysian Open.

David Puig pictured with the winner’s trophy at the IRS Prima Malaysian Open. Picture by Khalid Redza/Asian Tour.

Puig, who also plays for the Fireballs GC team on the LIV Golf League, said: “I am performing pretty well on the Asian Tour. It is a tour right now that when I tee off, I feel pretty comfortable about my game and I feel capable of playing good golf.

“Obviously winning the first event of the year in Malaysia helped me a lot to climb those rankings. If I’m very honest, at the beginning of the year I didn’t think the PGA was an option because of my schedule.”

Following his win in Malaysia, which also secured a berth in The Open at Royal Troon from 18-21 July, Puig returned an impressive T10 at International Series Oman.

Last season’s International Series Singapore champion followed that up with an outright second at International Series Macau presented by Wynn, losing out in a thrilling play-off to John Catlin after carding a final-round 60.

At one stage earlier this season, Puig was on a run of seven straight weeks of golf, including Asian Tour and LIV Golf League commitments, but the youngster believes the hard work is paying dividends.

He said: “I’m super excited that all this travel has paid off with good results here on The International Series and Asian Tour. Seeing that the USPGA saw all my travel and my dedication is really cool, and I look forward to this week.

“I knew that playing on the Asian Tour and The International Series would help my game,” Puig added. “When I started, I never played any professional events besides one when I was an amateur, so I had to play as much as I can so I can start gaining that experience.

Puig after winning last year’s International Series Singapore. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

“The travel has been a little intense this last couple of years, but travelling to these new places and competing in these great events is something that I have really enjoyed doing.”

Puig is taking a philosophical approach to his second Major appearance, after managing a T39 at the US Open in Los Angeles last year. He said: “I didn’t think much about it yet. I don’t want to rush things and at the end of the day, I see it as another tournament. It’s a bigger one, the name says so and it’s a Major for sure.

“But at the same time, the routine is going to be pretty much the same. You know, try to have two, three good practice days and try to learn as much as I can on the course and after that, just try to plan the best strategy and from there, just try to play as best as I can and hopefully have a good week.”

Tom Kim, the 2021 Asian Tour No.1 who now plays on the PGA Tour, is also in the field for the tournament along with YE Yang, the Korean who became the first Asian to win a Major when lifting the Wanamaker Trophy in 2009 at Hazeltine.

Michael Hendry has recorded a win for the ages by claiming the For The Players by The Players on the Japan Golf Tour Organisation on Sunday – remarkably a year after being diagnosed with leukemia.

The Kiwi won by a point from Japan’s Hideto Kobukuro in an event using Stableford points scoring, played at The Club Golf Village.

Last May, not long after finishing second in the World City Championship in Hong Kong on the Asian Tour, he shocked the golfing world by announcing news of his cancer before facing a battle for survival.

“A year ago, I received the diagnosis of leukemia, and it was a devastating blow,” said the 44-year-old.

“Throughout my hospitalisation, I remained confined to the hospital bed and lost 17kg. The hospitalisation was about three to four months; I couldn’t play golf for five months. I was discharged in September, and it was not until October before I started playing again.

Michael Hendry (far right) picture at the World City Championship, where he was second and earned a place in The Open. Not long after he was diagnosed with cancer. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

“I’m truly grateful for this second opportunity in my golfing journey and the chance to return to professional competition. My current goal is to enjoy golf and cherish time with my family.”

He has won once before in Japan, at the Token Homemate Cup in 2015, while he is also a four-time winner on the PGA Tour of Australasia, the most recent being the VIC Open last year, months before his diagnosis.

His fine performance in the World City Championship, one of his best on the Asian Tour, earned him a place in The Open, which he agonisingly had to let go.

However, Hendry’s determination to make a full recovery became loud and clear when he won on the Charles Tour in New Zealand in October of last year.