MENA Tour: Tom Sloman keeps his date with Laguna Phuket Challenge

Dubai: Tom Sloman of England ran away with the $75,000 Laguna Phuket Challenge, the first of four ‘Beautiful Thailand Swing’ (BTS) events jointly co-sanctioned by the Asian Development Tour (ADT) and MENA Tour.

The former Walker Cup player secured a five-stroke victory with rounds of 63. 65 and 63 (19 under par) over runner-up Poosit Supupramai (Thailand). Dubai-based 24-year-old Joshua Grenville-Wood of England had three solid rounds of 67. 68 and 68 to finish at seven under par in tied 17th place.

Sloman, 25, had leapt from seventh to the summit of the MENA Tour’s 2020+ Journey to Jordan Order of Merit standings as a result of his brilliant 54 holes over the par 70 Laguna Golf Phuket and will earn himself an invite to one of the Asian Tour’s new $1.5 million+ International Series events if he can stay there come the completion of the BTS. Two further ADT starts and a free pass to the final stage of Asian Tour Q-School for next season, the reward for those finishing in the top-10 of the final standings, almost now seem a lock too.

‘‘My goal is obviously to get to the PGA Tour one day and hopefully win majors. Obviously, that’s a fairly big goal but I believe I have the game for it if all goes well,’’ said Sloman, who delivered a dominating performance this week.

Reminded of the opportunities now presented after the MENA Tour’s strategic partnership with the Asian Tour, Sloman recalibrated his thoughts. ‘‘It’s a massive opportunity now isn’t it, with the Saudis coming in obviously,’’ he said.

‘‘Winning the MENA Tour would be fantastic. To get into final stage of Q-School, to get into two more of these (ADT events after the BTS) and the Asian Tour International Series. It’s all about trying to get as many opportunities in there as possible and seeing what happens at the end of year.’

It is Solman’s fourth professional win but it comes after his career was stalled by Covid and then by a series of frustrating near misses on the EuroPro Tour last season. His consolation for seven top-10 finishes, including a pair of joint runner-up placings, was being crowned Rookie of the Year to follow in the footsteps of Tyrrell Hatton, Jordan Smith and Jack Senior, who have all progressed through the EuroPro Development Tour.

Supupramai closed with a 66 to finish -14 and is up to third in the Asian Tour Order of Merit.

China’s Chen Guxin was the big final day mover, a closing 63 propelling him to a share of third with Thailand’s Pawin Ingkhapradit on -11, eight strokes adrift of Sloman. Ireland’s Robin Dawson also matched Thursday’s low of 63 to sneak inside the top 10.

After a two-day break, the swing will resume with the Laguna Phuket Cup on Sunday (May 8). Like all the BTS events, it is a 54-hole event with a $75,000 purse.