Asian Tour: McDowell and Campbell head strong field for second International Series event, Hong Kong’s Kho among amateurs
- The tournament in the North of England is the second of 10 planned events for this season, with stops expected in China, Hong Kong, and across Asia
- Asian Tour chief Cho Minn Thant said the ‘incredibly strong field’ will showcase Tour’s depth of world-class talent to European fans
Former US Open winners Graeme McDowell and Michael Campbell head a strong field of entries for the second Asian Tour International Series tournament next month.
The US$2 million event, which is taking place at the Slaley Hall resort near Newcastle in England, is also expected to feature some of the tour’s best, including order of merit leader Sihwan Kim and last season’s No 1, Joohyung Kim.
An impressive contingent of amateurs, led by Thailand’s 15-year-old wonderkid Ratchanon “TK” Chantananuwat and Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho, has also been assembled.
The groundbreaking event marks the first time the Asian Tour has sanctioned a tournament in the UK. It 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,” Cho Minn Thant, the tour’s commissioner and CEO, said.
“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.”
The tournament in the North of England is the second of 10 planned events for this season, with stops also expected in mainland China, Hong Kong, and across Asia and the Middle East, with up to US$2 million in prize money at each.
Launched in February with the support of LIV Golf Investment’s, the Greg Norman company backed by Saudi Arabia, the first series event in Thailand was won by Sihwan Kim. LIV also announced it would invest a further US$300 million into the Asian Tour to support an expanding events calendar and prize funds.
Other notable entrants include Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond, Australian Scott Hend, the most successful international player on the Asian Tour, England’s Lee Slattery, Wu Ashun from China, Jovan Rebula from South Africa, and Americans Peter Uihlein and Andy Ogletree.
The event also features twelve dedicated spots for professionals from Britain, which include various rising stars such as 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.
