Singapore: As well as offering a pathway from the Asian Tour onto the LIV Golf League, The International Series provides a platform where emerging talent can play and test themselves in quality fields.
All three amateur players from the regional exemption category in last week’s Moutai Singapore Open took full advantage by making it to the weekend and playing all four rounds in the penultimate elevated Asian Tour event of the season.
A month after flying the flag for their respective countries in the World Amateur Team Championships for the Eisenhower Trophy, Australian Harry Takis and Singaporeans Brayden Lee and Troy Storm once more underlined their potential with mature performances at the Singapore Island Country Club (SICC).
Takis, who qualified as winner of the Singapore Open Amateur Championship, carded four birdies against one bogey for a three-under final round of 69 and a 10-under total. Lee closed with a level-par 72 for a six-under aggregate, while fellow-teenager Storm was one-over for the last day and two-under overall.
Takis, who finished fourth in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at the Emirates Golf Club in Dubai a fortnight earlier, tied 30th at SICC, nine shots behind Korean Wang Jeung-hun and Japan’s Yosuke Asaji, who won the two-man play-off on the first extra hole.
The 20-year-old San Diego State student carded rounds of 70-69-70-69 to finish as the leading amateur in the field.
He said: “That was a goal this week, to win low amateur, so it is nice to take care of that. It has been good. I practice with a lot of pros, so I guess I am getting used to playing with better players. It was all good experience. Back to school tomorrow!”
Lee, winner of the Royal Cup in Japan in April, felt he gained a lot by being in the same field as world-class players such as the LIV Golf duo Paul Casey and Talor Gooch.
The 18-year-old, who finished tied 50th after returning scores of 69-68-73-72, said: “It is an experience being in the same field as them. Unfortunately, I did not play well enough to be put in the same group as them. But it is nice to see them around. Now I just have to improve myself so that I get to their level and break through.
“It was a pretty grindy day out there. I kept my head in the game. So that is a good sign that I am mentally in the right place. There are a lot of things that I can look forward to and improve on.”
Storm, aged 16, had performed heroics in the second round with three late birdies in his closing four holes to make it through to the weekend, and he was grateful for the chance to extend his experience.
After finishing joint 63rd following rounds of 67-72-74-73, he said: “It has been a great week overall. Making the cut was a big goal and it was nice to have a good result. It would have been nice to have played better over the weekend, but I learned a lot to take into my next tournaments.
“Seeing how the pros go about their routines – how they prepare for tournaments and how they carry themselves on the course, is very special. Hopefully I can take that into my own game going forward.”
The Moutai Singapore Open was the penultimate event on The International Series schedule. The set of elevated events offer a pathway from the Asian Tour onto the LIV Golf League. This season, two players from the top of the season-long rankings race will earn spots on the 2026 roster while two other golden tickets will be available at the innovative LIV Golf Promotions event in January.
