Ian Snyman delivered a vital top 10 finish at last week’s International Series Qatar to climb up The International Series Rankings, and the timely result has given the South African an outside chance of achieving his ‘goal’ - to reach the LIV Golf League and one day join his compatriots on Stinger GC.
Snyman headed into Qatar in 47th position on The International Series Rankings, with a T14 at the Black Mountain Championship his best so far this season on the set of 10 elevated events. A T6 at both the New Zealand Open and the Mandiri Indonesia Open had also highlighted the 29-year-old’s undoubted talent on the Asian Tour.
And with time running out on his quest to climb the rankings, Snyman found his form. He led the way after a blistering seven-under first round in Doha, and ultimately finished with aT9 at Doha Golf Club behind champion Peter Uihlein, a result that powered him up 13 places into 34th position in the rankings.
That result confirmed his spot in this week’s season-ending PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers, complete with a bumper 1000 rankings points up for grabs to the champion.
It also all-but guaranteed him a spot in the LIV Golf Promotions event the week after, which offers the field – including a potential 32 eligible players from the top 40 of The International Series Rankings – the chance to compete for a coveted ‘golden ticket’ onto the LIV Golf League.
Snyman already has experience of the LIV Golf League - a T9 at International Series England in 2022 earned him a place in the very first LIV Golf Invitational, played in London. He is eager to make a return at some point.
He said: “It is definitely the goal (the LIV Golf League). I obviously had a taste of LIV Golf two years ago and I always want to try and get back to that. It is just a different ball game - you travel in style, the caddies are taken care of, and there is a bunch of great guys out there, great golfers.
“I played with Charl (in the final round at Qatar) and it's the best display of fighting I've ever seen, honestly, hands down, nothing comes close to what I saw in these conditions, with the wind and how firm the greens are, and the big slope, it was phenomenal. Honestly, that is why he is a Major champion, I guess.
“I was rooting for him. He was rolling it so nice, and he would get in trouble. He would make these 10, 15, 20-meter putts and I was just dumbstruck every single time, because he didn't do it once he did it about six times.
“All of the guys are enjoying it (the LIV Golf League) and it is fun that they are an all-South African group. So, makes it even better.”
What was his response when he was asked if he could make it onto Stinger GC one day?
“That's the goal,” he smiled.
Snyman had been in danger of missing out on a place in the top 40 and a spot in the LIV Golf Promotions field up until his top 10 finish last week, and he said: “I must say this was big for me. This was the most comfortable I felt on the golf course, I think the whole year.
“Definitely the swing changes that me and my coach have been working on has been helping tremendously and I think I've showed that the thing for me was trying to get consistency, and that's what I've been getting the last couple of months, these high finishes especially in the big events.
“So this is a nice boost, and we are running the putter nicely. So, we will see what happens next week. Hopefully we can keep those doubles away, because I have had a couple.”
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
