Fife to host golf’s Asian Tour

The tour is to call in at Fairmont St Andrews from Thursday, August 24, to Sunday, August 27, for the first time in its 28-year history.

The inaugural St Andrews Bay Championship is to be staged at the venue’s Torrance Course, a 7,320-yard layout designed by Scottish golfing legend Sam Torrance.

Fairmont St Andrews has previously played host to the DP World Tour currently being contested by Fifers Connor Syme and Calum Hill and the European Seniors Tour, as well as qualifying for the Open Championship, but never the Asian Tour.

Its owners, Caleb Chan and Peter Lam, are both from Hong Kong and their move to bring the event to Scotland was inspired by the victory notched up there by their countryman Taichi Kho last month.

The 22-year-old became the first Hong Kong player to win an Asian Tour event in just his third professional start at the World City Championship at the end of March, earning its $1m top prize and a place in his first major championship, this summer’s Open in Merseyside.

Callum Nicoll, head of golf and estates at the Fife venue, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be staging another world-class event at Fairmont St Andrews and to be making history as the first Scottish host for the distinguished Asian Tour.

“The Torrance Course offers a challenging test for the players this summer, blending the principles of links golf with a more modern style.

“The Torrance will test the short and long game whilst the risk-reward design provides numerous options both off the tee and for approach shots to the green.

“The elevated nature of the International Series with generous purses, strong international fields and the reward of a place for the series winner in next year’s LIV Golf League all make for a very exciting tournament in the summer.”

The Fife championship, the sixth of ten contests making up the tour’s elite-level International Series schedule for 2023, will follow a visit to Close House at Wylam in Northumberland, the two events forming a UK summer swing for the competition.

A field of 156 will compete for a minimum purse of $1.5m.

Asian Tour commissioner Cho Minn Thant said: “There are few greater experiences in golf than playing in Scotland.

“It is widely known that Scotland’s golf fans are among the most knowledgeable fans anywhere in the world, and our players are really looking forward to teeing up at a venue that is linked to the origins of the game as we know it. It is a true privilege.

“This is testament to the global vision of the International Series, and we are grateful to the dedicated team behind the scenes that have enabled the Asian Tour to go from strength to strength over a short period of time.”

Rahul Singh, head of the International Series, added: “The St Andrews Bay Championship will provide the series with an incredible opportunity to visit the ultimate golfing destination, St Andrews, and we thank Fairmont St Andrews for helping to make this possible.

“The chance to stage an event at the home of golf so early on in our journey will be truly inspirational for our players and everyone involved in the International Series.

“We are an ambitious initiative that aims to travel and go beyond our traditional borders to help grow the game, and there can be no better place to play one of our events than where the game originated.”