The International Series will return to the Asian Tour with its Oman event between 22 and 25 February, and some of the highest-profile LIV Golf players will be in the field.
The season opener, which will feature a purse of $2m, will take place at Muscat’s Al Mouj Golf, which was designed by LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman. One of the biggest names appearing at the venue will be Torque GC captain Joaquin Niemann. The Chilean is eager to qualify for The Masters, but to earn a place, he’ll need to be in the world’s top 50 the week before the Augusta National Major.
Despite a strong Dubai Desert Classic showing, where Niemann finished T4, he has more to do to reach the threshold and currently stands 64th after moving up six places following the Emirates Golf Club event. He will be hoping his appearance at the Oman event will give him another rankings boost in his bid for a fourth successive start at the Major.
Niemann’s Torque GC teammates Mito Pereira, Sebastian Munoz and Carlos Ortiz will also appear, while the entire Stinger GC team will play too, adding Major winners Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel to the field, along with fellow South Africans Dean Burmester and Branden Grace.
Another LIV Golf player appearing at the tournament will be Crushers GC star Anirban Lahiri, while there will also be starts for highly rated Hong Kong youngster Taichi Kho and Miguel Tabuena, Gaganjeet Bhullar, Travis Smyth and Phachara Khongwatmai, who finished strongly in last year’s Order of Merit.
Head of The International Series Rahul Singh, said: “Our return to Oman emphasises our growing appeal as a brand. The International Series is recognised as an elite-level golf event that brings together world-class talent from across the globe, along with the cream of the Asian Tour to compete for elevated prize purses at incredible golfing destinations.”
Last year’s International Series offered a LIV Golf place to its Order of Merit winner, with Asian Tour Player of the Year Andy Ogletree finishing at the top and subsequently signing for Phil Mickelson’s Hy Flyers GC, and Singh said that route to the lucrative circuit makes it particularly attractive.
He continued: “Over the past two seasons we have created a truly international schedule, providing a pathway to the LIV Golf League for players from all over the world while also offering a platform for players from the region to experience golf at its highest levels.”
Asian Tour commissioner and CEO Cho Minn Thant said: “The Asian Tour has a strong bond with golf in the Middle East and our efforts in the region are evident through the growing interest in golf across the region, with emerging talent coming from many different countries to play International Series events.”
At the 2023 International Series Oman event, there were strong performances from LIV golfers, with Niemann and Sergio Garcia finishing T5, with Ripper GC’s Matt Jones in T7.
In total, there will be 10 International Series events in 2024. After the Oman contest, further tournaments will take place in Macau, Morocco, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, with three destinations to be confirmed.
