Asian Tour Book 2024

L ooking back on the 20th season of the Asian Tour, the standout highlights undoubtably start with the two spectacular 59s that were shot at opposite ends of the season. The first by John Catlin earlier in the year in Macau, and then by former Masters champion Patrick Reed, towards the end of the season in Hong Kong. John’s was the first ever sub-60 on the Asian Tour and, quite remarkably, Patrick played with him that day. So, when the latter had a putt on the 18th green at Hong Kong Golf Club, from a similar length for his own 59, there was an air of inevitability. These incredible heroics were reflective of another blockbuster year on the Asian Tour, that helped us celebrate our 20th anniversary while continuing to ensure we are one of the most recognisable Tour’s in the game. In a year that took us through Asia to the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and back, we were able to complete 21 events on the Asian Tour along with 12 on the Asian Development Tour (ADT). We handled sandstorms, thunderstorms, typhoons, thick fog, strong winds, and extreme heat. There were also countless weather delays, as well as last minute shotgun starts to complete events. It was very challenging to say the least, but as a collective we took it all in our stride. John added his name to the Tour’s legacy by winning the Asian Tour Order of Merit (OOM) and The Kyi Hla Han Award for Player of the Year; Itthipat Buranantanyarat for clinching the ADT OOM with an emphatic victory at the season-ending Aramco Invitational in Saudi Arabia; and Max Lee for his breakthrough year, highlighted by his maiden Asian Tour win and his stoic performance at the LIV Golf Promotions event to grab a LIV Golf League spot for 2025. The competition was intense throughout the year with Ben Campbell and Richard T. Lee making late charges plus Peter Uihlein and Suteepat Prateeptienchai claiming multiple titles, along with some fine results by MJ Maguire. Stefano Mazzoli also stood out finishing the top of the class from the Qualifying School graduates; the Black Mountain Championship, for being voted by the members as their Tournament of the Year; the Link Hong Kong Open, for winning The International Series Tournament of the Year; and Al Mouj Golf, venue for the International Series Oman, for retaining the Player’s Course of the Year accolade. On the ADT we also saw some fine performances from Ahmad Baig and Rahil Gangjee, and a host of exciting new talent who gained promotion to the Asian Tour. We could not have asked for more imaginative content to synchronise with the rollout of our “Time to Rise” campaign which was launched so successfully last year. The title of the campaign encapsulates the ambition and the drive of our Tour from the multiple perspectives of players and fans to the various stakeholders who are both in the spotlight or behind the scenes. Our legacy is rich but out future is limitless. As we move into what looks to be a huge third decade for the Asian Tour, we are confident that there will be new stars born, new destinations unlocked, new audiences tapped, quantity and quality of golf increased, and more sub-60 rounds produced. We look forward to more history being made and we are excited to see what achievements lie ahead. Cho Minn Thant Commissioner & CEO Asian Tour 5