Invigorating Challenge for Hong Kong's Kho

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: He may have missed out on tickets to the Masters Tournament and 150th Open Championship by the narrowest of margins. But Taichi Kho will be able to savour a taste of the big time when he tees-off in this week’s PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers.

The Hong Kong international representative earned global acclaim last December when finishing runner-up to Japan’s Keita Nakajima in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) at the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club.

The winner of the AAC, the Asia-Pacific’s premier amateur event supported by Augusta National and The R&A, is rewarded with starting spots in the Masters and Open Championship, gleefully grabbed by Nakajima.

Despite the disappointment of being edged out by the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) number one in a sudden-death play-off, Kho’s outstanding performance saw him granted an exemption into the opening leg of the Asian Tour’s 2022 season.

This week’s US$5 million event at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club features a star-studded field, including Major champions Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson, Jason Dufner, Henrik Stenson, Graeme McDowell, Sergio Garcia and Shane Lowry.

“I am just grateful and excited for the opportunity to play against the best in the world,” said University of Notre Dame men’s golf senior Kho. “I’ve been preparing well for this event and I am going to give it my best shot to win - just like any other week. I am looking forward to the experience and excited for the challenge ahead.”

John Handrigan, Notre Dame head men’s golf coach, said: “This incredible opportunity was not given to Taichi, but earned through years of hard work and he deserves to be teeing it up with the best players in the world.

“I’m proud of Taichi’s impressive accomplishments in golf, but I’m most proud of his strong character and how well he represents our University.”

In the fall of 2021, Kho helped the Irish golf team establish itself as one of the best units in the United States. Notre Dame finished off the fall season with a share of the title at the Gopher Invitational (Kho finished in a tie for sixth place), then third place at the Windon Memorial, second at the Fighting Irish Classic and capped the schedule with a victory at the prestigious Stephens Cup – a tournament in which Kho finished third overall.

Entering the spring season in 2022, Golfstat.com has Kho as the 86th rated player, while he’s 192nd in the WAGR.

Kho is one of seven amateurs in the 120-strong field at the PIF Saudi International.

Also vying for amateur honours and WAGR points at Royal Greens will be Thailand’s 14-year-old golfing wonderkid Ratchanon ‘TK’ Chantananuwat (56th in the WAGR); England’s Josh Hill (123rd); Saudi Arabia’s Faisal Salhab (163rd) and Saud Sharif (558th); Qatar’s Saleh Ali Al Kaabi (447th) and Egypt’s Dean Naime (unranked).

Majed Al-Sorour, Deputy Chairman and CEO of Golf Saudi and the Saudi Golf Federation, said: “It’s incredibly exciting to enter a new era for the tournament in partnership with the Asian Tour by seeing the elite players from the region take on the world here in Saudi Arabia.

“There are some brilliant players who have qualified alongside some rising stars of the game across Asia that will have an amazing opportunity and platform to showcase their talent, in the strongest field in our history.”