Saudi-Backed Asian Tour Confirms First Ever England Tournament

The Asian Tour has announced new details of its first ever tournament in England, with the inaugural International Series set to head to the UK a week earlier than initially scheduled.

Backed by LIV Golf Investments, a start-up company spearheaded by Greg Norman and backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, the International Series England will now be staged at Slaley Hall in the North of England from June 2-5, with a tournament purse of $2 million up for grabs.

It will be the ninth event of the 2022 Asian Tour season and the second International Series event following the curtain raiser at Black Mountain Golf Club in Thailand. 

"This is a giant step forward for the Asian Tour and we are fortunate that the organisers have been able to accommodate the change in plans," said Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner & CEO, Asian Tour. 

"The new date allows us to provide even greater rewards for the competitors. They are not only playing for the Asian Tour Order of Merit, but they will now also able to play their way into a series of ultra-lucrative events throughout the year."

The International Series England was originally slated to be played at the Centurion Club during the second week of June, but that has been changed. Centurion will now host the LIV Golf Invitational the week following the event at Slaley Hall, with the rescheduling giving competitors another chance to qualify for the lucrative event. 

The top-three from the cumulative International Series rankings after the events in Thailand and England will gain starts at the LIV Golf Invitational, as will the top-two finishers in the International Series England not otherwise exempt. Additionally, the top player on the Asian Tour Order of Merit at the time, along with the top two players from the 2020-21 final Order of Merit will also be exempt.

First announced in November of last year, the International Series forms part of the Asian Tour and is made up of 10 new events to be played over the next 10 years on the back of a $300m investment from LIV Golf Investments.

American Sihwan Kim claimed victory in the opening tournament at Black Mountain Golf Club in Thailand and currently leads the Asian Tour Order of Merit. Following the events at Slaley Hall and Centurion, the new series will head to Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Middle East, China, Singapore and Hong Kong.

“We are already breaking boundaries with The International Series as we make our second stop of the season in the UK – a first for the Asian Tour. It was our mission from the outset to grow the game globally, and I am proud to deliver on our promise,” said Norman, LGI's CEO. 

“The opportunity and pathways that this presents for players on the Asian Tour – both from a financial and playing perspective – cannot be understated. I will be anxiously following along to see who will get the life changing invite into the LIV Golf event the following week.”