Saudi International: Royal celebration for Hong Kong pair after late invite changes first wedding anniversary plans
- Golfer Matthew Cheung is playing in this week’s Asian Tour season opener, and wife Kaitlin is caddying for him at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club
- Cheung shoots opening round 1-over-par 71 to sit 8 strokes back from early leader Abraham Ancer
Playing in the PIF Saudi International is not how Matthew Cheung expected to be spending the days leading up to his first wedding anniversary, but a late invite to the Asian Tour’s season opener changed all that.
The 27-year-old had been preparing to play in a local club competition in Hong Kong this week, instead on Thursday he carded a one-over-par 71 in the first round at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club.
Wife Kaitlin, meanwhile, who celebrated her birthday on Tuesday by caddying for her husband during his practise round and “did a good job”, will spend their anniversary on Sunday in much the same manner if Cheung makes the cut.
“It’s nice to have a professional caddie to help with numbers and stuff, but at the end of day it was so last minute that I much prefer having my wife here helping me to feel comfortable,” Cheung said.
The round left Cheung eight shots behind the early leader, Mexico’s Abraham Ancer, who carded a seven-under 63 to finish a stroke ahead of Colombia’s Sebastian Munoz. Sergio Garcia ended his opening round at five-under, as did Cameron Young and Louis Oosthuizen.
Cheung’s arrival in Jeddah on Monday night capped a whirlwind couple of weeks for the Hongkonger, during which he also secured his tour card for the year with a top 20 finish at the final qualifying stage of Q-school in Thailand.
