St Andrews Bay Championship places on offer for pro and amateur golfers

Sergio Garcia of FireBalls playing in LIV Golf: Andalucia at Real Club Valderrama at Cadiz in Spain on Sunday (Photo: Octavio Passos/Getty Images)

A qualifier will be held on Tuesday, August 15, at Fairmont St Andrews, also the venue for the $1.5m championship itself from August 24 to 27.

Six places will be up for grabs in the Asian Tour event, part of the International Series, from a maximum starting field of 120.

Those taking part will be up against some of the game’s best players, such as Spain’s Sergio Garcia and Chileans Joaquin Niemann and Mito Pereira, all three having confirmed their participation, with further announcements to follow.

Garcia, 43, is currently ranked 219th in the world, with Niemann, 24, 39th and Pereira, 28, 59th.

Callum Nicoll, director of golf and estates at the course, said: “The 18-hole qualifier is a gateway into the St Andrews Bay Championship that will provide an outstanding opportunity, particularly for many of the top golfers in Scotland, to experience playing in a world-class event against world-class opponents.

“Fairmont St Andrews is excited to be a part of what is a new and important event on the golf calendar here in Scotland.

“It is going to be an incredible week of golf and the countdown to tournament week essentially starts with the qualification event.”

Players can enter online at www.golfgenius.com/register?league_id=363431, with places allocated on a first-come-first-served basis based on various categories. Included in the 120 places are a minimum of 10 Asian Tour members and 20 amateurs,to be allocated in a handicap ballot. The maximum handicap limit for amateurs is 0.4 at time of entry.

Online entries must be in by 5pm on Monday, July 31. A draw will then be made early in August.

The championship is the 12th leg of the 2023 Asian Tour season and the sixth stop on the International Series.

Part of the Asian Tour’s 2023 UK summer swing, it will be preceded by the International Series England event at Wylam’s Close House in Northumberland.

Auchterarder’s Rory Franssen last week won the 18 qualifier for the Northumbrian event. He was one of six players to make it through at the competition venue, near Newcastle.