The Asian Tour begins 2022 with two final events to complete its Order of Merit campaign that began way back in 2020.
This week’s event, beginning on Thursday, is the Singapore International at Tanah Merah Country Club, played over the Club’s Tampines Course and boasts a $1 million purse.
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Dubai-based Indians Shiv Kapur (noon, Tee 1) and Jeev Milkha Singh (8.20am, Tee 10) and South African Dubai resident MG Keyser (8.40am, Tee 10) are in the 129-player field. The first tee time is at 7.30am with play in three-balls with a two tee start.
Other notables in the field include former Asian Tour Order of Merit winners Jazz Janewattananod of Thailand, India’s Shubhanka Sharma and Malaysian Gavin Green, who are all back in action after a much-needed break following a long and gruelling 2021.
The top five in the current Asian Tour Order of Merit are all in the draw with just $65,000 separating all five.
1. Wade Ormsby (AUS) $250,553
2. Phachara Khongwatmai (THA) $240,650
3. Joohyung Kim (KOR) $219,428
4. Chan Shih-chang (TPE) $211,775
5. Trevor Simsby (USA) $185,207
The Singapore International is the penultimate event on the Asian Tour Order of Merit with next week’s Singapore Open the season ender, with a purse of $1.25 million.
Other Middle East presence will be showcased by a Saudi Arabia contingent of amateurs Faisal Salhab, Saud Sharif, Prince Khalid Saud Al Faisal and professional Othman Almulla, all participating by qualification through the 20 tournament invitations category.
Kapur, standing in 30th place in the Order of Merit, spoke to Gulf News after completing his final practice round. “It is a very long golf course and playing most of its 7,535 yardage,” he said. “Today was very windy and the greens are very slopey. It will require a lot of creativity on and around the greens to shoot a good score. It was a tough test of golf, with a typical ‘Open Championship-like’ wind. My target this week is to shoot under par every day and if the set-up is like today, this will not be far away come Sunday evening.”
The Singapore International will be broadcast live Dubai Sports 3 each day (9am to 1pm Thu-Fri, 7am-11am Sat-Sun)
