The future looks bright for the local golfing scene after Kelvin Si and Ollie Roberts both produced impressive weekends at International Series Macau presented by Wynn.
The 22-year-old Si made four birdies and two bogeys in his two-under final round of 68, for an eight-under total and an impressive T19 finish.
Roberts meanwhile, the Scots-born player who is a Macau Golf and Country Club ambassador, picked up a birdie at the last for a three-under 67 round to finish T40 on four under overall.
Both players were delighted with the opportunity to benchmark their efforts against some of the best players in the world, in a tournament ultimately won by Carlos Ortiz of Mexico despite pressure from former Ryder Cup players Patrick Reed and Sergio Garcia, as well as American Jason Kokrak.
A clearly driven Si was delighted with his finish, if not his performance. He said: “It was a grind. I didn't hit the ball well but I did manage to save a few pars here and there. All in all, a pretty good week, considering I haven't played a tournament at all in the last two months.”
Summing up his takeaways from the weekend he said: “I guess I can compete out here on the Asian Tour, especially as this field is pretty strong. I didn't play my best the last two days, and I'm still at least currently top 20. So I just have to keep working hard.
“I really couldn't imagine playing in the same field as major champions, in my first year in pro golf. Definitely a good learning experience. And I can also see where my game is compared to them.”
Roberts was delighted with the opportunity to rub shoulders with major champions such as Sergio Garcia, Patrick Reed and Graeme McDowell over four days on the course. The International Series tournaments regularly feature world-class talent from the LIV Golf roster battling it out with the cream of the Asian Tour.
He said: “It was an amazing week. I’m really grateful for the opportunity to play. Obviously, Macau Golf and Country Club was my home course, and it is in an incredible condition, so it was fun to play it in tournament conditions, In such a strong field, it was always going to be a test, and it is just a privilege to play, really. The weather's been good, and it's just been a great week. So super happy.”
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
