At this week’s season-ending Saudi Open presented by PIF all eyes will be on the top of the Asian Tour Order of Merit. Japan’s Kazuki Higa is aiming to hold on to first place from Scott Vincent in second. The Zimbabwean has an outside chance of adding the Merit title to The International Rankings he secured a few weeks ago.

However, the battle at the bottom of the list, will be equally as exciting with players attempting to keep their cards for next year. In this instance, the bottom means position 65 as it’s the cut off mark for retaining privileges for next year.

Filipino Sean Ramos is currently in 65^th place and the last guy in but that could all change when this week’s US$1million event commences on Wednesday at Dirab Golf & Country Club.

He is one of a number of players on the bubble – in the unenviable ‘bubble boys’ category.

As ever, there are some famous names in need of a good week to ensure they are back playing with full rights next year.

Nitithorn Thippong pictured with the Mandiri Indonesia Open trophy in 2023. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

One of those is Thailand’s Nitithorn Thippong, who just three years ago triumphed twice in one season, and won again the following year.

He is in 95^th place following a hugely disappointing season. He’s missed nine cuts in 18 starts, with a best finish of joint 23^rd in the Mercuries Taiwan Masters.

It’s been an astonishing turnaround in fortunes for a player who won The DGC Open and International Series Singapore in 2022. Two wins in one year granted him a three-year exemption but that runs out this year, as does his win at the 2023 Mandiri Indonesia Open, which had a one-year exemption.

He currently has 116.69 points and needs a top-five result this week to keep his card. However, the ever-smiling 29-year-old is showing little sign of the difficult task that confronts him, and is focusing on a more positive outlook to help him work his way back.

“I mean, it’s quite okay right now,” he explains.

“It’s getting better every day. And you know when I go back to Thailand and practice, it’s always good. But I just have, like, some problems with my mentality, on the course, but now it’s getting better and better. So, I think this way is going to be good.

“I just lost my confidence a bit, because the way I was thinking and the way I am swinging the club is not going like I thought. And because of that kind I was thinking too much. But now, I am stopping that and trying to have fun on the course. I have got out of the bad thoughts.”

Nitihorn Thippong’s first win on the Asian Tour came at The DGC Open presented by Mastercard in 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

He has also been working on transferring his positive approach from practice rounds to tournaments.

He says: “Especially tournament rounds. I play really, really good when I practice, but when it’s a tournament round, I am like thinking bad too much.”

The break in the schedule following the International Series Morocco in July also could not come at a better time.

“It’s good that we had a gap after Morocco, so I had time to talk to myself and think about how to improve.

“I worked on my swing, which was already in process. So that gap, gave me a lot of time to do that and also work on my mentality. I just talked to myself, and said ‘why are you still playing golf, how do I feel when I play well,’ things like that to try to get back in zone.”

Nicknamed “Fever” he will be aiming to turn up the temperature this week and return to the forefront of the Asian Tour, as one it’s most exciting young golfers.