The win for Denwit, who overcame a poor start to force himself back into contention in the final round, was also enough to clinch victory in the season-long Order of Merit table and be the first to claim an Asian Tour card for next season.

And the boosted prize money at the US$250,000 Asian Development Tour event meant that Harrold, who began the day in 21st place on the OOM list, was also successful in securing his card for next year, eventually finishing in fourth spot.

William Harrold, Yuvraj Singh Sandhu, Naoki Sekito, Ervin Chang, Denwit Boriboonsub, Pattaraphol Khanthacha, Ho Yu-cheng, Charng-Tai Sudsom and Aaron Wilkin – Paul Lakatos / Asian Developmental Tour

Australia’s Deyen Lawson, the OOM leader coming into the tournament, was forced to retire due to injury after the first round, but his accumulated prize money meant he hung on to second spot and will also be teeing it up on the Asian Tour next year.

Ho Yu-cheng of Chinese Taipei, winner of the PKNS Selangor Masters in early November, may have missed the cut in this event but the win in Malaysia and other results through the season were enough to to secure third place on the OOM list and lock in the prized Asian Tour card for 2024.

Australia’s Aaron Wilkin, who won the BRG Open Golf Championship in Vietnam in August, was in contention throughout the tournament but could only manage a one under par 71 on the final day. Nonetheless, it proved good enough for fifth place in the OOM table and a place on the Asian Tour for next year. He tied for fourth spot in the tournament with Minhyeok Yang (67) of Korea.

Dewit Boriboonsub of Thailand with the ADT Order of Merit trophy and the Aramco Invitational trophy after the Aramco Invitational Tournament – Asian Developmental Tour

Former ADT OOM champion Naoki Sekito of Japan clinched sixth spot in the list having played 11 of the 12 ADT events this year, and Thailand’s Charng-Tai Sudsom, who played every event, was also rewarded for his consistency with seventh place on the list and guaranteed starts on the Asian Tour for 2024.

Eighth on the OOM is India’s Yuvraj Singh Sandhu, followed by Thailand’s Pattaraphol Khanthacha, and rounding out the top ten finishers was Malaysia’s Ervin Chang, who played solidly all week and a fine third place in the final event in Saudia Arabia was enough to secure the final sport on the OOM qualifiers list.

Having turned professional in 2021 after winning an individual gold medal at the SEA Games, Chang has repaid the faith of the officials who picked him this year as the first recipient of the inaugural Kyi Hla Han Future Champions Award.

Vietnam’s Chi Quan Truong made his best finish on the ADT this year, his final round score of 70 was enough to secure him solo sixth spot and while it may have been his best single payout of the season, it was not enough to move him far enough up the table.

Thailand’s Sarun Sirithon shot a bogey-free seven under par round of 65 to lift himself up the leaderboard, overcoming a poor start to the tournament to force himself into contention on the final day. He finished in a tie for seventh place alongside Japan’s Shinichi Mizuno (68) and fellow Thai players Charng-Tai (67) and Pattaraphol (69).

Also tied for the low score of the day with 65 were Thai compatriots Amarin Kraivixien, who finished on nine under par in 11th spot, and Puwit Anupansuebsai on eight under par in a tie for 18th.

Joining Amarin in 11th place were India’s Yuvraj Singh Sandhu (67), Berry Henson (69) of the USA, early tournament leader Harley Smith (70) of England, Sweden’s Calle Strandberg (70), Naoki Sekito (72) of Japan and Thailand’s Nopparat Panichphol (68).

Images: Paul Lakatos / Asian Developmental Tour

The post Denwit double at the Aramco Invitational in Saudi Arabia and the ADT Order of Merit appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The 72-hole stroke play event will be held at Rolling Hills Golf Course in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, from November 29 to December 2, bringing down the curtain on the ADT’s 2023 calendar in spectacular fashion and taking total ADT prize money for the season beyond the $1 million barrier.

Nabil Al-Nuaim, Chairman of the Saudi Aramco Golf Association (SAGA) and Aramco’s Senior Vice President of Digital and Information Technology, said: “Aramco has a history of over 75 years supporting golf in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We are proud to continue our tradition across the company and the Kingdom. We believe partnership with the Asian Development Tour is a natural fit with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and Aramco’s mission to promote sports, and particularly golf, among the youth of Saudi Arabia.”

Cho Minn Thant, the Asian Tour Commissioner & CEO, added: “This is wonderful news for the Asian Development Tour, the Asian Tour’s flourishing feeder circuit, and we are truly appreciative to Aramco for their support.

“I know that all those who play on the ADT will welcome this exciting news, which, I’m sure will motivate them to work even harder as they bid to progress their way onto the Asian Tour,” he added.

With the top 10 players on the ADT’s end-of-season Order of Merit earning promotion to the Asian Tour in 2024, the Saudi Aramco Invitational will prove decisive in determining who makes it through.

Cho added: “Where Energy is Opportunity is Aramco’s tagline. The Saudi Aramco Invitational will energise and provide opportunity for the region’s up-and-coming professionals, as well as elite amateur players. We’re grateful to Aramco for their vision and commitment to the development of golf.”

The 120-strong field for the Saudi Aramco Invitational will be made up of 70 players from the ADT, 40 players selected by Aramco and 10 invitees.

Thailand’s Varanyu Rattanaphiboonkij triumphed in the 2022 inaugural tournament, which was also played at the Rolling Hills Golf Course.

Headquartered in Dhahran, Aramco is one of the world’s leading integrated energy and chemicals companies, creating value across the hydro-carbon chain and delivering societal and economic benefits to people and communities around the globe who rely on the vital energy it supplies.

“Aramco takes great pride in sponsoring and hosting Asia’s best up-and-coming talent at our beautiful, yet challenging, golf course,” said Al-Nuaim.

“We are always seeking strategic and long-term partnerships and we look forward to further developing our relationship with the Asian Tour and Asian Development Tour.”

The post Saudi Aramco Invitational provides energy boost to the Asian Development Tour appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

A fifth tournament in Indonesia, the inaugural OB Golf Championship, has been added to the Asian Development Tour (ADT) schedule this season and will be played on the West Course at Gunung Geulis Country Club, 27-29 September.

The US$70,000 event is one of eight tournaments currently on the schedule – with many more event announcements pending – and the fourth ADT tournament to be promoted by OB Golf, the organisation behind the country’s most lucrative event, the Indonesian Masters, an Asian Tour event that is part of The International Series.

Said Jimmy Masrin from OB Golf and Chairman of the Asian Tour: “OB Golf has long been a supporter of the Asian Development Tour, and golf in Indonesia, so we are delighted to launch a new event, the OB Golf Championship – which will provide another all-important playing opportunity for the region’s up and coming golfers.

“Golf in Indonesia is blossoming once again, and OB Golf is proud to be able to play a key role in helping to promote the game, its players and tournaments. The OB Golf Championship will be an exciting new addition to our portfolio of golfing properties and all efforts will be made to ensure a memorable and successful launch.”

Naraajie E. Ramadhanputra. Picture courtesy All Thailand Golf Tour.

OB Golf also promotes The 2nd Indo Masters Golf Invitational presented by TNE, the Indonesia Pro-Am and the OB Golf Invitational.

“This is another great announcement, coming quickly off the back of the recent news about the addition of four Indonesian events onto the Asian Development Tour schedule,” said Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner & CEO, Asian Tour.

“We continue to be blessed with a constant stream of good news about the ADT and the Asian Tour during an unprecedented time of growth for golf in the region and we thank OB Golf and Gunung Geulis Country Club, who are also hosting The Indonesia Pro-Am presented by Combiphar & Nomura, for their long-term support and commitment.”

Indonesia’s rising star Naraajie E. Ramadhanputra triumphed at the ADT’s season-opening Singha Phuket Open in May. The Tour’s second event, the All Thailand Partnership Trophy, tees off this week at Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club, Mountain and Ocean Courses, 6-9 July.

Both events and the ensuing week’s Singha Pattaya Open at Laem Chabang International Country Club are jointly sanctioned with the All Thailand Golf Tour.

The post OB Golf Championship to make ADT debut for fifth Indonesian event on schedule appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The Asian Development Tour (ADT) has confirmed that four events will be held in Indonesia schedule as part of the 2023 schedule.

The Indonesia Pro-Am will join three established events, the Golfpreneur Tournament, OB Golf Invitational and The Indo Masters Golf Invitational, adding to an increasingly expanded schedule.

The first event — which will run a Pro-Am competition alongside its individual event — will be played at Gunung Geulis Country Club from August 16-18, followed by the Golfpreneur Tournament, with past champions including world No. 22 Tom Kim in 2019.

The OB Golf Invitational, first played in 2018, will be hosted by Sentul Highlands Golf Club, a new venue for the event, from 6-8 October.

The Indo Masters comes to Imperial Klub Golf from 11-13 October.

“This is another important announcement for the Asian Development Tour, the Asian Tour’s incredibly important feeder circuit, that continues to flourish and confirm its essential position across our platforms,” said Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner & CEO, Asian Tour.

“The addition of a Pro-Am style tournament is also an exciting development that will add another level of excitement and interest in the Tour.

The post Asian Development Tour welcomes four Indonesian events on to 2023 schedule appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Naraajie was extending his lead when organisers called the players off the course around 11.30am due to rain and a lightning storm.

“Unfortunately we have had to cancel play for today due to the threat of lightning,” said Tournament Director Phutthisarn Sricharuviphat. “We stopped play at 11.32am and although we waited to see if the weather would improve, by the time we reached 3.15pm the committee judged there would not be enough time remaining for players to prepare and resume play so the tournament was cut to 54 holes.”

Thailand’s Chapchai Nirat finished second, three shots back at 12-under, followed by compatriot Poom Saksansin in third on -11.

“It’s a shame play was stopped early but the weather was not good,” Naraajie said. “I started the day pretty well, birdied the first hole and the fourth, so I had good momentum but there was a lot of rain and wind out there.

“It’s nice to finally get my game together this week. I’ve been playing on the Asian Tour since January but I haven’t made any cuts so it’s good to have my ‘A’ game back.

“I haven’t really made any changes to my game, but I’ve been doing a lot of meditation lately. Stepping up to the Asian Tour, which is the biggest in Asia, is quite a jump. There are a lot of really good players so I needed to upgrade and grow myself to be a better player.

“I feel I’ve got some momentum going after this week so I’m just looking to keep going and keep improving on and off the course. I have a couple of local tournaments coming up and then the next ADT tournament in July so I’m really looking forward to it.”

The post Victory for Naraajie after storm halts play in Phuket appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Varanyu’s bogey-free seven-under-par 64 saw him finish on 16-under to win by one from overnight leader Dodge Kemmer from the United States (67) and England’s Barnes Wallis (64).

Norway’s Jarand Ekeland Arnoy (65) and Thai Suteepat Prateeptienchai (66) tied for fourth three behind the winner.

RELATED: Asian Tour adds Al Mouj in Oman to International Series
Asian Tour Order of Merit winner Scott Vincent earns LIV Golf spot

This marked Varanyu’s third victory on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) but first in four years, as both previous wins came in 2018: in the Combiphar Players Championship in Indonesia, and the Singha Laguna Phuket Open.

With one event remaining, the Taifong Open next week, his performance has moved him into 11th place on the ADT Order of Merit, which gives him achance of finishing in the top 10 and secure his playing privileges for the 2023 Asian Tour season.

“I am so happy, it’s been a long time since I won. It’s been over three years. I am so happy,” said Varanyu, who made birdie on 15, 17 and 18.

“I have just continued to work hard and improve and today it has paid off. I would like to thank Rolling Hills, Aramco and the Saudi Aramco Golf Association for making this all possible. I am so appreciative.”

The post Varanyu claims blistering victory at inaugural Aramco Invitational in Saudi Arabia appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The inaugural Aramco Invitational is the latest event to take place in Saudi Arabia, following the PIF Saudi Open in Riyadh last week. The best players on the Asian Development Tour, including Golf Saudi Ambassador Shergo Al Kurdi, order of merit leader Suteepat Prateeptienchai and last week’s winner, Naraajie E Ramadhanputra are all in contention heading in to the final day.

Almulla, who has played in several events across the world, including the Saudi International and recent tournaments on the Asian Tour’s International Series, is playing at his home club for the first time in a professional event. Having played the course for many years, Almulla’s experience and course knowledge will hopefully enable him to continue his brilliant play, and battle it out on the final day.

Saudi Arabia, and the global golf community have been following Almulla’s story over the past few years, and the excitement is building for the final round tomorrow. The Saudi International will be heading back to Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in February, and a top result for the golf community in Saudi, will offer great hope for the upcoming Asian Tour feature event.

The post Saudi Arabia’s Othman Almulla takes charge at Asian Development Tour’s Aramco Invitational at Rolling Hills appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By GolfDigestME.com
History will be made next week when the Asian Development Tour (ADT) comes to Saudi Arabia for the first time. The Saudi Open, which gets under way on December 8 at Riyadh Golf Club, will see a prize fund of $200,000 up for grabs. Participation in the tournament will be open to ADT players, as well as professional and amateur golf players in the Middle East and North Africa who are registered with a golf club.

As a result of Golf Saudi entering a 10-year partnership with the Asian Tour, the tournament is expected to receive wide interest from golf fans inside and outside the Kingdom. The fact that the Saudi Open is being played on the ADT for the first time is confirmation of the strengthening of ties between the Asian Tour and Golf Saudi. Particularly as the 2023 edition of the US$5 million Saudi International has now officially become the opening event on the Asian Tour’s annual calendar.

The Saudi Open will also see the participation of a raft of up-and-coming players from the GCC and Arab countries, in addition to Saudi Arabia’s growing home talents from the National Team, who have all gone from strength to strength in recent years, as part of Golf Saudi wider Mass Participation programme to grow the game of golf in the Kingdom.

Majed Al Sorour, Deputy Chairman and CEO of the Saudi Golf Federation and Golf Saudi, said: “All of us at both the Saudi Golf Federation and Golf Saudi are incredibly excited about next week’s seventh edition of the PIF Saudi Open. Each and every year we host the tournament, it gets bigger and better. I am especially proud of how each edition provides Saudi and Arab golf players the opportunity to participate in a top tier competition in their home country and be able to not only develop their skill levels but also to test themselves and go head-to-head against players from different countries in the Middle East, North Africa and now the Asian Development Tour in a competitive environment.

“By hosting tournaments such as the PIF Saudi Open, we hope to encourage and facilitate greater uptake in the game and offer our elite golfers the chance to compete against the very best. So, thanks must go to our strategic partners the Asian Tour for helping us to achieve that aim, as their involvement will mean the strongest player field in the PIF Saudi Open’s history.”

The tournament will witness the participation of the most prominent Saudi players, including professional Othman Almulla, along with other National Team players Abdulrahman Al-Mansour, Faisal Salhab and Saud Al Sharif. The Saudi Open also offers qualification for the 2023 Saudi International, which will be held in February.

The ADT has been a springboard to the Asian Tour for dozens of players, including reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit champion Joohyung Kim of Korea and American John Catlin, a four-time winner on the Asian Tour.

You may also like:
Get the December 2022 edition of Golf Digest Middle East FREE here!
Ernie Els targets silverware in Indonesia
Sibling rivalry at Australian open
Tiger: I would never take a cart on PGA Tour
Tiger Woods: Greg has to go
OWGR is flawed, says Tiger
LIV Golf reveal their World Cup XI
Hero Cup line-ups announced for Ryder Cup warm-up event in Abu Dhabi
Cam Smith aims to end career-best year on a high
Is it time to abolish OWGR?
Tiger out of Hero World Challenge
Sergio’s run comes to an end
Rory thinks he gave Tiger Covid ahead of the Open
Hedwall claims Open de Espana in dramatic fashion
Emotional triumph for Cam Smith in Australia
Meet Dan Bradbury, DP World Tour’s newest surprise package

The post Seventh edition Saudi Open set to get rolling appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Matt Smith
Riyadh Golf Club will host the inaugural Saudi Open from December 8-10 on the Asian Development Tour.

With a purse of $75,000, the Golf Saudi-backed event will highlight the ADT’s rapid expansion this year.

Last year, Golf Saudi entered a 10-year partnership with the Asian Tour and introduced the $5 million Saudi International as the season-opening event.

Majed Al Sorour, Golf Saudi’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “We’re delighted to extend and deepen our ties with the Asian Tour, a key strategic partner for us.

“We’re especially pleased that Riyadh Golf Club will be the venue for the Saudi Open on the Asian Development Tour.”

Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner and CEO, Asian Tour, added: “Providing playing opportunities for our members has always been a prime objective for us. I’m delighted, therefore, that we’re able to further bolster the ADT schedule this year with the addition of the Saudi Open.”

You may also like:
Win a spot at the DP World Tour Championship Pro-Am
Aramco Team Series to be held at Donald Trump’s Ferry Point in New York
UAE arrive in Paris for Eisenhower Trophy
Cam Young opts to stay with PGA Tour
Swede dreams for Linn Grant
Cameron announces move to LIV Golf, but it isn’t Smith
LIV Golf announcements are imminent
Rory is the toast of the PGA
Lawrence is king of the mountains
Rory is the toast of the PGA Tour
On to Dubai as Sweden deny US title
EGF buoyed by Morocco trip
The biggest and strangest rule blunders in history
Chiara Noja named Golf Saudi ambassador
Scottie and Xander in for marathon finish at Tour Championship
19 LIV Golfers to tee up at BMW PGA Championship

The post Saudi Open to debut on Asian Development Tour appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Four-event ‘Beautiful Thailand Swing’ takes place in May in Phuket after Covid-enforced hiatus

By GolfDigestME.com
After 25 challenging months and a pair of unavoidable false starts, the MENA Tour is back with a brighter than ever outlook.

The Middle East and North Africa developmental circuit will return to post-pandemic action via a four-event ‘Beautiful Thailand Swing’ next month with each of the 54-hole, US$75,000 tournaments to be co-sanctioned by the Asian Development Tour (ADT).

The Laguna Phuket Challenge (May 3-5), Laguna Phuket Cup (May 8-10), Blue Canyon Classic (May 13-15) and Blue Canyon Open will conclude the MENA Tour’s now rejigged 2020+ ‘Journey to Jordan’ season which will eventually span nine events, six countries and more than two years.

Incentives are available to MENA Tour members who tee it up in Phuket, chief among them an invite to one of the Asian Tour’s 10 new marquee US$1.5 million-plus International Series events in 2022.

That opportunity will be awarded to the overall Journey to Jordan Order-of-Merit champion at the completion of the Blue Canyon Open, the ninth and final event of the season. The top 10 available Oder of Merit players will also earn invites to the next two ADT events, after which the ADT will conduct its own re-ranking — meaning potential promotion to the main Asian Tour. In addition, the top 10 players in the Journey to Jordan rankings will also be exempted to the final stage of Asian Tour Q-School for the 2023 Asian Tour season.

Co-hosted by Laguna Golf Phuket and Blue Canyon Country Club, the Beautiful Thailand Swing is the first tangible outcome of the strategic alliance announced by the Asian and MENA Tours in December. A full merger of the MENA Tour and ADT is mooted from 2023.

Blue Canyon Country Club

MENA Tour Commissioner David Spencer said the Beautiful Thailand Swing incentives, especially when coupled with impending changes to the Official World Golf Rankings, underline the importance of the alliance with the Asian Tour.

“The OWGR changes [which come into effect in August] are particularly important to development tours because there will be no minimum OWGR points awarded to any tour. This will make pathways to the top tier tours more difficult for players in the lower positions on the OWGR,” said Spencer.

“We believe that the new OWGR regulations are fair but we are also very cognisant of how a player progresses. This vital progression very simply boils down to playing opportunities on OWGR tours and once we were made aware of the new OWGR regulations, we felt compelled to further align ourselves with one of the top tier tours.”

A MENA Tour player could conceivably tee it up in Phuket, secure an International Series start and eventually find themselves playing in one of the eight new $25 million prize purse LIV Golf Invitational Series events, the recently announced Saudi-backed league fronted by Greg Norman.

“We will continue to work more closely with the Asian Tour as there is absolutely no doubt that our combined vision will provide players with the clearest and most defined development pathway in the world of professional golf outside of the USA,” said Spencer.

Ryan Lumsden won the last MENA Tour event, the Journey to Jordan 2 Championship held at Ayla Golf Club in Aqaba in early March, 2020. The $13,500 pay day propelled the Scottish professional up to third in the 2020+ Journey to Jordan standings behind a pair of Englishmen, David Langley and David Hague.

Attempts were twice made to restart the circuit in a bio-secure bubble at Ayla Oasis, the MENA Tour’s destination partner. However, on-going travel restrictions made a resumption impossible until now.

To further assist players starved of playing opportunities since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the MENA Tour has dramatically reduced entry fees to $50 for each of the four Beautiful Thailand Swing events. The Phuket swing has also been confined to a compact three-week window to help players contain costs.

2022 and Beyond

Spencer has also outlined plans for the 2022 MENA Tour season with an initial October-December schedule featuring a “strong focus in the MENA region” to be released in due course.

All current MENA Tour members will be automatically eligible to re-join the tour for the 2022 season with the OWGR confirming traditional Q-School requirements have been waived this year due to the impacts of COVID-19.

“Obviously, the world is a different place since the pandemic began and we have had to try and figure out how to best adapt and pivot the MENA Tour,” Spencer said.

“At times we know this has been frustrating but I know all our members will be buoyed by the fact we have always been working to try and improve the tour we created back in 2011.”

MORE
Saudi golf continues to thrive
Asian Tour breaking new ground with Trust Golf events
Chantananuwat clings on to lead at Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup
Thai teen Ratchanon Chantananuwat’s learning curve at Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup
Tiger confirms he will play Open at St Andrews
Scottie Scheffler continues the ride of his life

The post MENA Tour returns to action in Thailand alongside Asian Development Tour appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.