Asian Tour Yearbook: 2023

Andy Ogletree [LEFT AND FAR RIGHT] took the tournament by the scruff of the neck with a third-round 66, the best round of the week. I t’s Gary Player who is credited with coining the phrase ‘the more I practice, the luckier I seem to get’. It’s a philosophy that served the diminutive South African well. Throughout his storied career, Player punched well above his weight, nine Major titles as much a testament to his work ethic as his natural ability. In the formative years of his professional career, it’s a philosophy that American Andy Ogletree is subscribing to – and one that has not taken long to produce eye-catching results. At the inaugural International Series Qatar – the third event of the Asian Tour’s 2023 season and the second of 10 International Series tournaments – the 24-year-old Ogletree continued to reap the rewards of his commitment. “I think it comes from all the work I’ve put in,” said Ogletree, as he reflected on a three-stroke victory at Doha Golf Club that followed a ninth-place finish in the season- opening PIF Saudi International powered by Softbank Investment Advisers a fortnight earlier, and a tied seventh placing at the previous week’s International Series Oman. US Amateur champion in 2019, Ogletree won his maiden professional title at the first edition of the International Series Egypt in November, 2022. Rather than rest on his laurels, that success served only to motivate Ogletree to further improve his already impressive game. His dominant Doha victory meant he became the first player to win two International Series events. “I’ve worked really hard this off-season, post-Egypt. I just have a lot of confidence because I work so hard,” said Ogletree, who was followed on the leaderboard in Qatar by a trio of talented Thais – Gunn Charoenkul, Suradit Yongcharoenchai and Phachara Khongwatmai. Despite their best efforts, they were unable to exert serious pressure on Ogletree, who led by five shots following round three and by six after 63 holes. With a largely stress-free closing one-over-par 73, he finished on seven-under to win by three from Gunn, who owed his 68 to a storming finish which included an eagle on the par-five 18th. HARD WORK PAYING OFF FOR AMBITIOUS ANDY EX-AMATEUR STAR DOMINATES IN DOHA 42 I N T ER NAT IONA L SER I E S QATA R D O H A GO L F C L U B | F E B R UA RY 1 6 - 1 9 , 2 0 2 3 | P R I Z E MON E Y U S $ 2 . 5 M I L L I ON