Asian Tour: players get ready to chase Royal Troon spots as Malaysian Open marks start of ‘exciting year’
- Tour returns to Kuala Lumpur for first time since 2020, with tournament also an Open Championship qualifier
- Defending champion Trevor Simsby among strong field that includes Taichi Kho, Miguel Tabuena and rising Thai star Denwit Boriboonsub
The Asian Tour’s 2024 season gets under way in Malaysia on Thursday, and officials are hoping to have their biggest year yet.
With six International Series events already announced, the first of which takes place in Oman next week, and an extra stop in Africa for the regular Tour also on the cards, the expectation is to comfortably exceed the 23 events and US$35 million in prize money from 2023.
And there is more at stake than just the US$1 million up for grabs at the Mines Resort & Golf Club in Kuala Lumpur this week, with the Malaysian Open designated as one of two events where Open Championship places are available.
“The strength and depth of the Asian Tour’s 2024 schedule is reflective of the phenomenal growth we have been enjoying and we are already excited about what the new year will bring,” Cho Minn Thant, the Tour’s commissioner and CEO, said in an article on its website.
“The International Series events, combined with our central column of established tournaments, form the backbone of the Tour. We look forward to announcing other premier events in due course.”
Although not yet on the schedule, the Hong Kong Open will return in November as one of 10 International Series events expected to take place this season, and there are two stops in Macau, including a series tournament in March.
The addition of the Karen Classic in Kenya means there are 21 tournaments across 13 countries already confirmed, with a significant number still to be added.
As well as the three places for the 152nd Open at Royal Troon available in Kuala Lumpur, players will battle it out for two more at the Korea Open in June.
Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho sealed his first appearance at a major when he won the World City Championship last year, and he is among a strong field this week that also includes fellow Open qualifier Travis Smyth and Spaniard David Puig.
Despite failing to make the cut after a tough introduction to life at Royal Liverpool, which included seven bogeys in his first nine holes and a quintuple-bogey 10 on 18, Kho said it was his “most valuable experience” last year.
“I wasn’t playing my best golf leading up to the tournament, and had a tough performance that week,” he told asiantour.com.
“But just being in that atmosphere and learning from the world’s best really helped me progress as a golfer.”
Kho starts his tournament at 1.40pm alongside Bio Kim and Sarit Suwannarut.
The prize on offer this week has attracted a strong field, that includes eight of the top 10 from last season’s order of merit, including the likes of Miguel Tabuena, Gaganjeet Bhullar, and Hong Kong Open champion Ben Campbell.
Others to watch out for are defending champion Trevor Simsby, who won the last time the tournament was played in 2020, and rising Thai star Denwit Boriboonsub, who ended 2023 on a high, winning three times in as many weeks.
