Asian Tour Yearbook: 2023

2 023 marked the second season of The International Series, and the Asian Tour’s set of marquee events went from strength to strength as it brought elite level sport to key golfing markets all over the world and provided a clear player pathway onto the LIV Golf League. Building on the inaugural season which had visited seven different destinations after its unveiling in February 2022, the 2023 campaign delivered in some style, with an ambitious calendar boasting a set of 10 tournaments across Oman, Qatar, Thailand, Vietnam, England, Scotland, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, and Indonesia. The International Series 2023 schedule attracted a roll call of major winners and LIV Golf superstars over the course of the season, with an all-star cast that included Major winners Brooks Koepka, Graeme McDowell, Louis Oosthuizen and Sergio Garcia to name just a few. With The International Series Order of Merit winner guaranteed a place on the LIV Golf League roster, there was sure to be stiff competition on the course, and over the series of 10 events, rising star Andy Ogletree emerged as a worthy champion. The previous year’s International Series Egypt champion showed his undoubted talent with two outright tournament victories across the season, in Qatar and England, as well as four top-10 finishes and two more in the top 20, in a consistent campaign where the American made the cut in all 10 tournaments on the schedule. It wasn’t just Ogletree who earned his place on the LIV Golf League next season. Midway through the season an innovative, new LIV Golf Promotions event was unveiled, offering three additional golden tickets to the following season’s League. It was confirmed that 32 spots would be open to the highest placed players on The International Series Order of Merit in a field that also offered places for tournament winners from a number of tours including the Asian Tour, Order of Merit leaders, plus different categories for leading pros and amateurs. Kieran Vincent, who ultimately finished fourth in the OOM and won the International Series Vietnam, emerged from a thrilling play-off after a gruelling 36 holes of regulation play on the Sunday in Abu Dhabi to claim one of three spots on the LIV Golf roster, following THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES: GOING FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH 16 International Series winners David Puig (ABOVE) and Takumi Kanaya (LEFT). Eugenio Chacarra shakes hands with Matt Jones after their record-breaking 10-hole play-off (FAR RIGHT).