The growing success of The International Series on the Asian Tour has been apparent over the past two years, with massively boosted prize funds, global destinations and the incentive of booking a spot on the lucrative LIV Golf League later this month in Abu Dhabi.

Scott Vincent put Zimbabwe golf on the map by winning the 2022 Order of Merit on The International Series and securing a place on the lucrative LIV Golf League. By securing his place in the Lock Zone this season, the top-24 players in the star-studded LIV Golf League this season,  he perhaps best illustrated how the Series and the Asian Tour is offering a clear pathway for players from all over the world.

Vincent’s example highlights the appeal of The International Series to players from across the globe, and his brother Kieran and young American star Andy Ogletree are among those hoping to follow in his footsteps.

With the innovative new LIV Golf Promotions event offering an additional three places on the LIV Golf League, there is even more at stake at the top of The International Series Order of Merit leaderboard, as 30+ players will have the chance to enter the unique qualifying event that takes place in Abu Dhabi from 8-10 December.    

Golf Digest Middle East recently caught up with Rahul Singh, Head of The International Series, to check out the impact of the ‘elevated events’ on the Asian Tour.

“The prize-money influx has been huge to the Asian Tour, thanks to LIV Golf’s input and The International Series helping to take the Asian Tour to new and exciting venues around the world,” he said.

“The money on offer has really helped us become a real elite tour alongside the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf. You only need to look at the players that are now coming to compete in these events — from traditional Asian venues like Thailand, India, Singapore and Vietnam to the newer arrivals in England, Scotland and this week in Hong Kong.” 

Rahul is not wrong. You only need to look at the entry list for this week’s International Series Hong Kong Open to see how far things have come in a short time.

Talor Gooch, Cameron Smith, Taichi Kho and Miguel Tabuena pictured during a photocall with the Hong Kong Open trophy. Asian Tour

Patrick Reed, the 2018 Masters winner, and 2010 US Open winner Graeme McDowell join LIV Golf headliners Harold Varner III and Belgian Thomas Pieters for the long-running tournament, first held in 1959, which has a boosted prize fund of $2 million.

Other big-name players including 2022 Champion Golfer of the Year Cam Smith, two-time Hong Kong Open champion Wade Ormsby, Hong Kong Asian Games gold medallist and the first local player to win an Asian Tour title at the World City Championship in March, Taichi Kho, and LIV Golf winner Eugenio Chacarra.

Oh, and then there is the newly crowned LIV Golf Individual Champion Talor Gooch joining the field for the first Hong Kong Open to be contested since 2020.

Montana Pritchard/LIV Golf

“We moved into Africa and England with The International Series in 2022, then across the Middle East and into Scotland in 2023,” Rahul added. “Now we are beginning to see a successful breed of players who can compete at the highest level, with Scott and Kieran [Vincent], Andy [Ogletree] only a few that can reach the very top.

“This coming schedule will only be more inclusive, and hopefully we can see more Asian Tour players getting into major spots and other elite contests.

“The biggest thing I have noticed is that players have no reason to leave the Asian Tour, with so many opportunities on offer.

“Also we now have the Asian Development Tour opening the door to younger, up-and-coming stars, allowing them to compete at a high level before they take the next step up.”

With the world literally at their feet, where is next for The International Series?

“That is a great question,” said Rahul. “I would say ‘local’ as events such as Morocco and Egypt [on the original International Series schedule] have had a major impact, and allowing us to include and help develop, more locally based players that wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to compete on this level.

“We have already seen Tom Kim go on to great things on the PGA Tour thanks to his upbringing on the Asian Tour and expansion ensures we go truly global, and try to tap as much talent as we can.

“The key to remember is we are not competing with other tours but trying to create opportunities — perhaps The International Series can head to North America and Continental Europe. But — with the LIV Golf playoffs still to come in Abu Dhabi in November, it has already been an incredible ride.”

Main image: Rahul Singh with Asian Tour CEO Cho Minn Thant. Supplied