Former US Open champion Graeme McDowell (NI) and winner of the 2020 Saudi International, along with Dubai-based players Josh Grenville-Wood (Eng), Shiv Kapur (Ind), MG Keyser (RSA), and Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind), are all committed to play at next month’s $2 million International Series England on the Asian Tour’s next calendar event, to be held at Slaley Hall Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort, near Newcastle, from Thursday June 2nd – Sunday 5th, 2022.
The ground-breaking event will mark the first time the Asian Tour has sanctioned a tournament in the UK and the exciting opportunity will mean a full turnout of the Tour’s membership, for what will be the ninth event of the 2022-23 season and the second International Series event.
“The International Series England is a landmark event for the Asian Tour which provides our members with a great opportunity to compete internationally in an exciting, new location,” said Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner & CEO, Asian Tour.
European fans
“An incredibly strong field will assemble for the tournament, which is a reflection of the appetite our members have for the International Series and will also allow us to showcase the Asian Tour’s depth in world-class talent to European fans. We have also received enormous interest from international players wanting to be part of the Asian Tour having seen our steady growth over the past few months,” continued Cho.
Players from the top 300 in the OWGR are also eligible to enter in their own tournament category, which has attracted entries from Justin Harding (RSA, 104), Ashun Wu (China, 153) and many Asian Tour players using this priority category including Joohyung Kim (South Korea, 71), Number 1 in the current Asian Tour Rankings as well as leading the Asian Tour’s International Series Order of Merit, thanks to his victory in the first Internatyional Series Thailand, Sihwan Kim (US, 138), Jazz Wattananond (Thai, 221) and Wade Ormsby (Aus, 270).
In addition, a number of high-profile players have been extended invites including McDowell, the 2010 US Open champion, New Zealand’s Michael Campbell, who claimed the US Open in 2005, England’s Lee Slattery, Jovan Rebula from South Africa, Americans Peter Uihlein and Andy Ogletree, both former winners of the US Amateur Championship, and rising Australian stars Blake Windred and Louis Dobbelaar.
Some of the games’ leading amateurs have been invited, most noticeably Thailand’s 15 year-old Ratchanon ‘TK’ Chantananuwat, who has taken the Tour by storm with some brilliant performances, including winning the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup in Thailand in April to become the youngest male player to win on one of the game’s major Tours.
Young amateurs
Exciting young amateurs England’s John Gough, the reigning English Amateur Champion, and Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho will also play.
The event also features twelve dedicated spots for professionals from the United Kingdom, which include 24 year-old Dubai-based Joshua Grenville-Wood and Sam Broadhurst, son of six-time European Tour winner and Ryder Cup player Paul Broadhurst, as well as seasoned professionals such as Welshman Stuart Manley.
The International Series England is promoted by LIV Golf and will be followed by eight more International Series events this season.
