Asian Tour: Cameron Smith to head strongest field to date, as Hong Kong’s Cheung gets late Saudi International invite
- Season opener at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club has 12 major winners in field
- Matthew Cheung gets invite week after earning Asian Tour card in Thailand
Cameron Smith will spearhead the strongest and deepest field in Asian Tour history when the PIF Saudi International gets under way on Thursday.
The Open champion and world No 4 is one of 12 major winners in a tournament that also includes two of the best young amateurs in the game, Ratchanon ‘TK’ Chantananuwat and Ding Wenyi, and Hong Kong’s Matthew Cheung.
Cheung received a late invite after earning his tour card in some style little more than a week ago, when he went 10-under over the last two rounds to finish inside the top 20 at the final stage of Q-school in Thailand.
He had been preparing to play in the Fanling Trophy in Hong Kong before returning to the US, but will now go up against some of the world’s best with US$5 million up for grabs.
On the back of his spat with Rory McIlroy in Dubai, Patrick Reed’s presence at the Royal Greens Golf and Country Club is sure to raise the profile of an event that already boasts the likes of Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Sergio Garcia, Graeme McDowell and Lee Westwood.
“The Saudi International regularly has one of the biggest line-ups of the season,” Smith, who finished in tie for fourth last year, said.
