A place in the Open Championship at Royal Portrush in July was a fitting reward for the stellar golf played by Carlos Ortiz, Patrick Reed and Jason Kokrak, the top three players at International Series Macau presented by Wynn which concluded on Sunday.
Three spots were up for grabs for the fourth major of the 2025 season at the second of 10 elevated events on the Asian Tour, after the Macau date was named on this year’s Open Qualifying Series.
A strong field containing 17 LIV Golf League players, including three major winners, and a host of former champions on the Asian Tour, responded in kind with some quality golf around the Macau Golf and Country Club from 20-23 March.
Mexican Ortiz, who carded rounds of 67,61, 66 and 64 for a 22-under total and a three-shot win, was delighted with the prize which added to 180 rankings points, taking him joint top of The International Series Rankings with Ollie Schniederjans, winner of International Series India presented by DLF.
The Torque GC player said: “I think it's great from The R&A to recognise the level of playing, which is bringing good players to these tournaments and it's nice to see them giving three spots.”
Ortiz has extensive experience on The International Series, and last year’s International Series Oman champion has been impressed with the rising standard of golf on the Asian Tour.
That was underlined on Sunday by late pushes from Canada’s Richard T. Lee, Taichi Kho of Hong Kong and Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond that took all three into the top 10. Travis Smyth of Australia, Charlie Lindh of Sweden and Dominic Foos of Germany, all regulars on The International Series, finished in a group on T10.
Ortiz said: “I think it is great. I always love coming to these tournaments. The competition is strong, and it is good for us (LIV Golf) and good for them (Asian Tour).
“We have some of the top players in the world, and we get to play with some of the best players from the Asian region too, so it is a win-win situation. I have some friends playing here on the Asian Tour, and it is nice seeing them play well too.”
Ortiz also moved to the top of the Asian Tour Order of Merit with the win.
Reed, the 2018 Masters champion and winner of the Link Hong Kong Open at the end of last year, posted rounds of 63, 64, 67 and 67. He had led for the first two days before LIV Golf rival Ortiz reeled him in and pulled away.
The 4Aces GC player admitted he had been going all out for a spot on The Open. He explained: “Last year was the first time I was not in all four majors. I was on 42 straight until last year, and so, you know, being at Augusta this year, now being in The Open, that is great. Hopefully play some good golf, you know, getting to the other two and getting back on being in all four is the goal.”
Kokrak, who plays for Brooks Koepka’s Smash GC on the LIV Golf League, was pushed all the way by 2017 Masters champion Sergio Garcia but just held onto the third and final qualifying spot by one shot after the Spaniard somehow missed the shortest of putts on the last. Garcia would have qualified ahead of Kokrak on countback through his higher world ranking had that putt dropped.
A delighted Kokrak, who shot a 68, 64, 65 and 67 over the four rounds, said: “I knew we had three spots, and I knew I needed to shoot under par, like three, four, five or six, to even scare the lead or to get a spot.
“The pins were tough but I knew that there were three spots, and I knew I had to finish top three to secure that spot, and I knew Sergio was going to give it a push, as he did. I was kind of leaking oil coming in, but I got it done.”
Kokrak was in the field the last time The Open was held in Royal Portrush, in 2019, when Irishman Shane Lowry completed an emotional win.
He said: “I love Portrush, I love the area. Obviously, my (Smash GC) teammate Graeme McDowell is a local there. They named one of the holes after him, so I have heard a lot about Portrush. Brooks’ caddie is from that area too, so looking forward to playing a few practice rounds with my teammate and Ricky, and getting together and having a little bit of fun and competing for The Open trophy.”
Next up on the Asian Tour is the GS Caltex Maekyung Open in Korea from 1-4 May, with a brand-new event, International Series Japan, taking place the following week at the Caledonian Golf Club on 8-11 May.
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
