Anirban Lahiri and Gaganjeet Bhullar will line up alongside a host of other top names for the International Series season-opener at Muscat’s iconic Al Mouj Golf on February 22 after it was confirmed that the Gulf nation was back on the schedule.
The $2 million event won by Japan’s Takumi Kanaya last year has a strong flavour of the LIV Golf League. Besides Lahiri, who turns out for Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC, the International Series Oman has the full complement of the Stingers and Torque teams in the lineup.
Joining Bhullar will be other high finishers from the Asian Tour’s 2023 Order of Merit like Miguel Tabuena, Travis Smyth, and Phachara Khongwatmai, and the highly rated Hong Kong youngster Taichi Kho who will be tested by the Greg Norman-designed Al Mouj course, joint winner for the Asian Tour Players Choice Course of the Year award in 2023.
Also in the Oman lineup are South African major winners Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel and their Stinger GC teammates Dean Burmester and Branden Grace, while Chile’s Joaquin Niemann is bringing along his Torque GC team of Mito Pereira, Sebastian Munoz and Carlos Ortiz.
An Asian Tour post noted that on the International Series schedule are venues in Macau, Morocco, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, with the remaining dates and venues still to be announced. In the past tournaments have been held at Singapore, Korea, Hong Kong, China, England, Scotland, Egypt and Thailand. The International Series first came on the Asian Tour calendar in 2022 as a set of 10 elevated tournaments to provide playing opportunities and drive greater engagement on the back of a $300m investment from LIV Golf.
Said Rahul Singh, Head of The International Series: “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.
“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.
“The renowned hospitality of Oman proved extremely popular with the players last year, and it is a real pleasure to return to the Gulf state again in the new season.”
Added Asian Tour commissioner and chief executive Cho Minn Thant, “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.
“Oman has proven to be very popular amongst our members as well as marquee international players. The spectacular yet challenging golf course is a true test for the competitors and the hospitality we experience in Oman is second to none. We are all looking forward to returning.”
Mundhir al Barwani, Chairman of the Oman Golf Association, said: “The 2023 event exceeded all our expectations and, through the exceptional field of players assembled, showcased Oman to a global audience. We were delighted to hear that the players themselves enjoyed the experience of visiting the Sultanate, the hospitality of the Kempinski Muscat, and the magnificent course at Al Mouj Golf.
“Events such as these are critical to our endeavours to grow the golf industry and support tourism, investment, and employment in the Sultanate. We also value the opportunity to expose our regional elite amateurs to such a high level of competition, and hope that having Omani players participating will help to inspire the next generation of golfers.”
Mubarak Hill, GM of Al Mouj Golf, said: “It is an honour to welcome back The International Series and get the schedule underway again for a second successive year. The tournament brings some of the biggest names in world golf to Oman, and showcases our incredible course, world-class facilities and of course the hospitality that Oman is known for.
“Thanks to the hard work and commitment of our team here at Al Mouj, we can give the world just one golfing example as to why Oman is one of the best destinations to visit in the Middle East, with its wonderful culture, landscape and leisure experiences.”