No fewer than nine of the top-10 on the current Asian Tour Order of Merit have confirmed their entries for the showpiece event over the Torrance Course at Fairmont St Andrews – the Asian Tour’s first foray onto Scottish soil.
Leading the way are numbers one and two, Andy Ogletree and Miguel Tabuena. American Ogletree (969.52 points) currently holds a slender lead over Filipino Tabuena (965.24) at the top of the standings.
Behind them, Zimbabwean Kieran Vincent (fourth), Australians Wade Ormsby (fifth), Brendan Jones (seventh) and Kevin Yuan (eighth), Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho (10th) and Thais Sadom Kaewkanjana (sixth) and Gunn Charoenkul (ninth) will all be bidding to make up ground on the leading duo.
Ogletree (International Series Qatar), Jones (New Zealand Open), Ormsby (International Series Thailand), Tabuena (The DGC Open presented by Mastercard) and Kho (World City Championship) have all triumphed on this year’s Asian Tour.
Also in the star-studded field at Fairmont St Andrews are two other winners from the 2023 Asian Tour – Korean Chanmin Jung (GS Caltex Maekyung Open) and Thai Nitithorn Thippong (Mandiri Indonesia Open).
Among other Asian Tour stalwarts who will be taking the high road to Scotland are a quartet of former Order of Merit champions – American Sihwan Kim (2022), Australian Scott Hend (2016) and Indians Anirban Lahiri (2015) and Jyoti Randhawa (2002).
Also expected to feature prominently in the 12th leg of the 2023 Asian Tour season and the sixth stop on The International Series are former Masters Tournament winners Patrick Reed of America and Spaniard Sergio Garcia, along with Chilean Mito Pereira.
Cho Minn Thant, Asian Tour Commissioner & CEO, said: “With only a week to go before the St Andrews Bay Championship tees-off, anticipation is building for what is another notable landmark in the Asian Tour’s history.
“It’s testament to the significance of this championship that we have such a fantastic turnout from Asian Tour members. Everyone wants to be a part of this ground-breaking new addition to our calendar.”
Callum Nicoll, Director of Golf and Estates at Fairmont St Andrews, said: “There’s a tremendous buzz at Fairmont St Andrews as we enter the final countdown to what promises to be a truly memorable week.
“The Torrance Course is looking in great shape and all of us at the venue are ready and raring to go.”
Designed by European Ryder Cup legend Sam Torrance, the 7,230-yard layout has previously hosted the DP World Tour and European Seniors Tour as well as being a venue for Open Qualifying.
Part of the Asian Tour’s 2023 ‘UK Summer Swing’, the St Andrews showpiece will be preceded by this week’s International Series England, at Close House in Newcastle.
