Dubai Desert Classic champ Paul Casey to play in Singapore Open on Asian Tour
Inaugural Royal’s Cup in Thailand added to Asian Tour 2022 schedule
Paul Casey, the winner of 21 titles worldwide, including the 2021 Dubai Desert Classic, has confirmed he will compete in the Singapore Open later this month and make the prestigious tournament his first event of 2022.
The 44-year-old Englishman, five-time Ryder Cup player, claimed joint-second place in this event in 2019 and says he is determined to improve on that result this year when the US$1.25 million tournament is played on Sentosa Golf Club’s Serapong Course from January 20-23.
“I had committed to play last year before the tournament had to be postponed because of Covid-19 but when I knew the event was back on this year, I was more than happy to renew my intention to play,” said world No. 27 Casey.
He thrilled the galleries three years ago when in his second appearance in the event he finished two shots behind Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond.
Casey will be joined in the 132-player field by Dubai-based Indians Jeev Milkha Singh and Shiv Kapur, plus South African MG Keyser. There are 10 spots allocated to local Singapore players.
A new event on the Asian Tour, the Royal’s Cup will take place this year at Grand Prix Golf Club, located in Kanchanaburi, Thailand.
Offering prize money of $400,000, the event will be played from February 24-27 and will be the first full-field Asian Tour event staged in Thailand in 2022.
The tournament was originally scheduled to take place in March 2020 but was postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The event will now form part of an exciting series of early events on the Asian Tour schedule, which is due to be released later in the month.
The tournament is promoted by Grand Prix International, the company behind the Bangkok International Motor Show which has been a major event on Thailand’s automotive scene for over 40 years.
In addition to the lucrative purse, a number of the latest model of sponsors cars will be on offer as hole-in-one prizes on every par three (holes 3, 5, 12 and 16), as well as prizes for albatrosses on holes 2, 14 and 18.
Asian Tour Commissioner and CEO, Cho Minn Thant said: “We are very thankful to Grand Prix International for their commitment and are truly grateful for their patience over the past two years as we battled with the pandemic. It’s an honour to align with a respected and highly regarded organiser like Grand Prix International and we are delighted that they have chosen to host their first professional golf event with the Asian Tour.”