Getting into the swing of things

With young talent emerging and a veteran reviving his game, Chinese golfers stole the show at the International Series Macao, as the premier Asian Tour event keeps elevating the sport's profile in the region.

Even with three major winners and 17 LIV Golf League regulars featured among a strong field, the host's own hopeful Kelvin Si, a 22-year-old rookie pro, made sure he did not leave the $2 million tournament on his home course unnoticed. In fact, he's etched his name on a piece of history at the Macao Golf and Country Club, a picturesque seaside resort on the southeast coast of the special administrative region.

After two solid rounds, Si made the cut on Friday for the weekend showdown, becoming the first player from Macao to do so in an International Series event, where higher prize money, compared to a regular Asian Tour event, is offered, and ranking points for qualification to next season's LIV league are up for grabs.

Even with the international pros stepping up their game in the final two rounds, Si proved he belonged among them, as he hit four birdies in his two-under final round of 68 to cap off just his second appearance at the event tied for 19th with an eight-under total 272 after four rounds.

Summing up the weekend, Si was stoked for his stronger-than-expected finish, and particularly for the opportunity to benchmark his own progress against the world's best.

"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," Si, a graduate from the University of San Diego who turned pro this year, said after Sunday's final round.

"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 have imagined 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."

With this year's Macao event spicing things up — offering three qualification spots for The Open Championship in July — a host of A-list stars, such as major tournament winners Sergio Garcia (2017 Masters), Patrick Reed (2018 Masters) and Graeme McDowell (2010 US Open), and the Asian Tour's very best, including 2024 Order of Merit champion John Catlin, descended on Macao.

After a close battle between two LIV league stars, Mexico's Carlos Ortiz held off United States golfer Reed to win the Macao event, presented by the Wynn hotel and casino resort, by closing with a six-under 64 on Sunday to finish three strokes ahead of Reed on a total of 22-under.

Reed, looking to add this week's title to his win at the Link Hong Kong Open in November, fired a 67 in the final round to register a total 19-under, as his fellow American Jason Kokrak rounded off the podium by finishing three back to claim third place.

All three were thrilled to book their berths for the final major of the year at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland this summer.

Spanish star Garcia, another fan favorite in Macao, agonizingly fell short of a ticket to The 153rd Open after he missed a three-foot birdie putt on the last hole on Sunday, which could've seen him tie with Kokrak and secure the third qualification place for The Open via countback, based on his higher world ranking.

Garcia, fresh off a $4 million victory at LIV Golf Hong Kong two weeks ago, had played in 22 straight Open Championships, including 10 top-10 finishes, until missing the past two editions.

He confessed earlier in Macao how "important" the past week was as a pathway to The Open, his "favorite major".

"It was a good week," said Ortiz, who racked up his 10th career win in Macao. The 33-year-old now has moved to top of the 2025 Asian Tour Order of Merit by winning the season's second International Series event.

Ortiz has played in The Open only once before, in 2021, while it will be the 10th time Reed has played in game's oldest major, and the fifth for Kokrak.

Off the radar, and away from the central spotlight, Chinese mainland veteran Wu Ashun served up proof of his revival at the Macao event.

With four DP World Tour titles and two Japan Golf Tour wins to his name, Wu had long established himself as a proven champion at the regional level, yet an elbow injury has cut short his active time on the tours in recent years, resulting in ranking drops and a title drought.

The 39-year-old, who played in Macao in the regional exemptions category, started off strongly in the first round on Thursday, with seven birdies and three bogeys for a four-under 66 to sit just two off the lead, offering an encouraging glimpse of his prime game.

As Wu recovers to full fitness, he took pride from his performance in Macao, where he eventually finished six-under 274 overall to tie with last year's champion Catlin in 26th.

He said his new-found momentum in Macao has motivated him to make more appearances on the Asian Tour, particularly the International Series.

"I think everybody wants to play these good tournaments. And I think everybody wants to have a challenge, so it is good to have a lot of big players in the field playing together, so there can be an improvement," said Wu, who is the first Chinese mainland player to win on the DP World Tour with his Volvo China Open title in 2015.

"I have won in Japan and on the DP World Tour, but haven't had victory on the Asian Tour, and I definitely want to have that."