Shiv Kapur diary: Looking forward to a debut in Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup

This week is a first for me in my career and at 40 years of age you do not say that very often!

I am playing in this week’s Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup in Thailand, boasting a prize fund of $ 750,000 and being played over 72 holes over four days. It is being jointly sanctioned by both the Asian Tour, along with the Ladies European Tour (LET).

The field is made up of 60 Asian Tour players and 60 LET players, along with 24 sponsor invitations playing for the same prize fund and trophy. The only difference is the women are playing off forward tees.

In addition, the tournament will offer Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points and count towards both the Asian Tour Order of Merit and LET’s Race to the Costa del Sol.

I played in the Pro-Am on Wednesday so I familiarised myself with the Waterside Course at Siam Country Club, which I have never played before.

It is perhaps the only sport where players of both sexes can play for the same purse on the same golf course (albeit, playing at different lengths). It will be an interesting watch and is sure to encourage a lot of healthy rivalry and discussions.

Good luck to all the officials from both Tours who have set up the golf course, it is a pretty thankless task.

If on Sunday night, there are five players from both the Asian Tour and LET in the top 10, the officials must be applauded. The golf course is not long and is fairly generous. The boys are playing it at 7,439 yards and the girls at 5,737 yards, both playing a par-72.

My tee time on Thursday is at 12.03 pm in Match 28 from Tee 1, and I am playing with two of the LET girls: my fellow Indian Tvesa Malik and Sophie Witt (Ger).

I must concentrate all day and ensure that I do not play from the same tees as my playing partners.

This week is the first of two Mixed events in Thailand, next week is the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Stableford Challenge over the same Waterside layout with again another prizefund of $750,000, which I am also playing.

Two weeks in Thailand will be a new experience. I seem to do well here, with the grasses, weather and the whole experience.

I will take my 21 birdies from my last event in India and see where I finish this week.

Now, that would be fun. See you all soon!

- Shiv Kapur is a 40-year-old professional who plays on the Asian Tour. He is a Dubai Golden Visa awardee and lives as a Dubai resident with his family.