Asian Tour Yearbook - 2022

From Mississippi to Madinaty Ogletree sees the light at the foot of the pyramids T he Asian Tour’s ground-breaking North African campaign was two-fold: first Morocco and then Egypt for the International Series Egypt – played at Madinaty Golf Club, only opened in late 2020, but at the forefront of the country’s golf scene. And on the eve of the Egyptian event the Tour’s Commissioner and CEO Cho Minn Thant best summed up the magnitude of the occasion. “Never in our wildest dreams would we have expected the Asian Tour to be playing golf at the foot of the pyramids, but it is a reality and an incredible experience for all involved,” he said. Indeed, the word ‘Pyramids’ was on everyone’s lips throughout the week as players and staff visited them before and after the event, all inspired by what they saw. The ‘Pharaohs’ clearly had their eye on one visitor in particular, and that was Andy Ogletree – the 24-year-old American from Little Rock, Mississippi, and a rookie on the Asian Tour. Having reached the pinnacle of the amateur game in 2019 when he won the US Amateur, pickings had been slim when he turned professional the year after. He was in desperate need of a morale boosting Andy Ogletree (LEFT) triumphed with a brilliant closing 62. It has been an awesome week. First time in Egypt. I got to experience everything the tourists do, I went to the Pyramids, we stayed at a great hotel and the golf course was spectacular. It has just been a really awesome. My first trip to Egypt is one that I will never forget. -ANDY OGLETREE week of golf and he duly received it during the second week of November in 2022. The former Georgia Tech college golf star showed few signs of the uncertain start to his career, oozing class on his way to securing his maiden title in the professional game at the International Series Egypt. He fired a sublime final round eight-under-par 62 to beat eight-time DP World Tour winner Bernd Wiesberger from Austria, who closed with an equally impressive 63, by four shots. Korean Jeunghun Wang (64) and Sihwan Kim (65) from the United States tied for third, a distant seven behind Ogletree. The result saw Sihwan Kim 1 13 I N T E R N AT I O N A L S E R I E S E G Y P T MAD I NAT Y GO LF C LUB , CAI RO | NOVEMB E R 1 0 -13 , 2022 | P R IZE MON E Y US$1 . 5 M I LLI ON