Richard T Lee’s stunning wire-to-wire victory in the BNI Indonesian Masters had real significance in The International Series Rankings race, moving the Canadian up to second place with just three tournaments left to play.
The 34-year-old, who picked up his first victory since 2017, is now nearest challenger to American John Catlin and after claiming a T9, a T2 and a win in a hectic three-week run, he has to be considered a genuine candidate for the LIV Golf League spot that goes to the rankings champion at the end of the season.
Lee now sits above American Peter Uihlein, Chinese Taipei’s Max Lee Chieh-po and Ben Campbell of New Zealand in the top five, while Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai moved up to 10th in the table after finishing T2 at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club.
Lee admitted that top spot and the automatic LIV Golf League place is on his mind. By firmly establishing himself in the higher reaches of the rankings, he is well placed for the season-ending LIV Golf Promotions event in Riyadh from 12-14 December.
Another LIV Golf League place is up for grabs to the champion of that innovative tournament, and players from two to eight on the Rankings will automatically qualify for the second round of the four-round event with the next 25 eligible players in the top 40 entering the fray in round one.
Discussing the LIV Golf League pathway after his stunning win, Lee said: “It is great benefit for the players out there. The players have got better. It seems like all the players are playing really well. I mean, they are just hungry for it, and we have an opportunity to go to LIV Golf off the back of that. I mean, it is great. It is perfect. I hope that goes a long way.”
Lee also finished eighth at International Series Macau presented by Wynn earlier this season, T17 in England and T22 in Oman, and only has one finish outside the top 25 in 11 starts overall on the Asian Tour this season.
There are three crucial tournaments left in The International Series campaign: the LINK Hong Kong Open, International Series Qatar and the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers. The last two have elevated prize funds and higher Rankings points at stake, as the season reaches a thrilling conclusion.
Lee highlighted the putter as key to his chances of continuing his red-hot form and maintaining his Rankings charge. He said: “I have been in contention a lot this year, so, I mean, I think if I just get my putting hot again, I think I have a chance.
“I have one tournament next week in Korea, and then one week off. And I have been trying to get my body back into shape. This week was really hot, and I think I lost a little bit of muscle mass, I think for everyone as well. So I will work out a little bit and practice my putting a lot to get ready for Hong Kong, Qatar and Saudi.”
The International Series is the most prized pathway in golf. It consists of 10 elite tournaments sanctioned by the Asian Tour and offers the year-long Rankings leader promotion to the LIV Golf League
