Newcomers Sean Riordan and Shane Smith hope to claim their first win when they continue their Asian sojourn at the Charming Yeangder ADT which starts on Thursday.
New Zealander Riordan and American Smith, who are ranked fifth and sixth place on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) Order of Merit respectively, hope to boost their rankings when they contend at the US$150,000 event, which is the richest ADT tournament on the Schedule.
They will be among a talented cast which include current ADT Order of Merit leader Arie Irawan of Malaysia, James Byrne of Scotland, Brett Munson of the United States and Masaru Takahashi of Japan, who are all ADT champions, at the National Garden Golf and Country Club.
Local hotshot Chan Shih-chang, who won three ADT victories to finish second on the Merit list last season, will spearhead the home charge alongside Hung Chien-yao, Lin Wen-tang, Lu Wei-chih and Yeh Wei-tze.
The 26-year-old Riordan made amends after missing the grade at Qualifying School in Thailand earlier this year by posting a runner-up result in January in Malaysia. He hopes to extend his good run of form in his first visit to Chinese Taipei.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed playing on the ADT so far. The conditions are certainly testing and the heat has been the hardest part but I enjoy meeting new people and interacting with the locals,” said Riordan.
“My primary focus is to fine-tune the systems and processes in my game. If I can get these working well, I should be somewhere near the top when the week ends. I feel like the Asian Tour and the ADT have a lot to offer. I am grateful to have the chance to play on the ADT,” he added.
After claiming two top-10s, Smith is prepared to challenge for more honours and strive to finish inside the top-five on the final 2015 ADT Order of Merit which will earn him an Asian Tour card for next season.
“Everything was a challenge especially during my first week on Tour. I was traveling to Malaysia for the first time and I was on my own. Everything is new to me but I got to know some players now and that is really helping. They seem to know where to stay, eat and how to get around,” Smith said.
“My game is feeling better each day. This is my first year playing in Asia so I knew that it was going to be a different experience for me. I have never been to Chinese Taipei before so that just adds to my excitement for this week’s event,” said the 25-year-old American.
“The ADT tour gives me the opportunity to hopefully play on the Asian Tour next year, which is why I decided to come. Every week, you are not just playing for the money but for the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points and potentially an Asian Tour card,” added Smith.
The ADT will reward the top-five finishers on the Order of Merit at the end of this season with Asian Tour cards for 2016.
With the Olympic Games looming in 2016 where golf will be reintroduced as a medal sport, players in the region could earn their spots in Rio de Janeiro by earning Official World Golf Ranking points through the Asian Tour and ADT.
Chan and Arie are currently in the field for the Olympic Games based on the latest’s rankings.
For more information on the ADT, please visit www.
