Kuala Lumpur: The race for three prized Asian Tour cards will intensify when the second half of the Asian Development Tour (ADT) season begins at the PGM UMW Templer Park Masters from June 26 to 29.
After the staging of five ADT events, James Bowen of the United States is firmly in the driver’s seat where he leads the Order of Merit with winnings of US$17,779, courtesy of his victory at the PGM Sime Darby Harvard Masters in Malaysia in February.
Grant Jackson of England, winner of the PGM Maybank Johor Masters, trails by slightly over US$500 in second place while Japan’s Mitsuhiko Hashizume sits in third position.
The ADT was created in 2010 and it has been a successful platform for up-coming players to gain entry into the region’s premier Tour, which is celebrating its 10th season in 2013.
Created along the lines of the European Challenge Tour and Web.com Tour in the United States, the ADT affords the top three players on the Order of Merit at the end of the season with Asian Tour cards for the following year.
In 2013, all ADT events started receiving Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points, which is a huge boost for players to improve their world rankings. The OWGR will be used to determine the top 60-man field at the World Cup of Golf in November and the Olympics in 2016.
Newcomer Bowen, who is competing outside of the U.S. for the first time in his career,, is currently ranked 625th in the world.
He notched six OWGR points for his win followed by another 2.4 points for finishing third at the PGM Northport Glenmarie Masters. Prior to joining the ADT, Bowen was never ranked on the OWGR.
“There’s so much to offer in Asia especially the world ranking points. You can’t work your way up in your career in the smaller Tours back in the United States. But if you win here then you have a chance to move on to bigger things,” said Bowen, who turned professional in 2008.
“I have a chance of playing my way into the Asian Tour again and I’m looking forward to more wins on the ADT,” said the American, who competed in the Asian Tour’s Qualifying School in Thailand in January
“I didn’t earn my Asian Tour card but my plan is to play on the ADT this season and try to make it on the big stage. The competition here is great and you get to travel the world and see different cultures. I’m more relaxed over here because it is a different type of experience,” he added.
The ADT was also a springboard for budding golfers such as James Byrne of Scotland, who won the season-opening PGM CCM Rahman Putra Masters.
Malaysian ace Danny Chia triumphed at the PGM Northport Glenmarie Master after defeating compatriot Nicholas Fung. It was an emphatic victory for Chia, who became only the third Malaysian after S. Siva Chandhran and Kenneth De Silva to win on the circuit.
“This win means a lot to me because it shows that what I’ve been working on has paid off. It also shows that Malaysians can contend and win in an international event. The feeling is really great and every department of my game has improved,” said Chia, who also earned six OWGR points for his win.
The consistent Hashizume was the toast on the holiday-isle of Langkawi when he triumphed on the first play-off hole against Lindsay Renolds of Canada at the PGM LADA Langkawi Masters.
