With the race to secure a top-10 finish on the Final Asian Development Tour (ADT) Order of Merit (OOM), and with it playing privileges on next year’s Asian Tour, drawing to a conclusion, this week’s Aramco Invitational at Rolling Hills Golf Course, in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, has attracted one of the strongest fields of the season.

The US$125,000 event is the penultimate stop of 2022 and a total of 19 players from the top 20 on the OOM, and 13 winners from the 15 events played so far this season have entered.

Indonesia’s emerging star Naraajie E. Ramadhanputra is competing and is the in-form player having won last week’s PIF Saudi Open, to go with the OB Golf Invitational he won in June.

His success last week, which marked the first ADT event ever to be played in the Middle East, moved him into third place on the OOM, which is being led by Thailand’s Suteepat Prateeptienchai, in first, and Chonlatit Chuenboonngamm, in second.

Both Thais are playing this week with Suteepat attempting to win his fourth title of the year, which would be an ADT record.

Suteepat Prateeptienchai is chasing an ADT record of four wins in a single season.

Malaysia Shahriffuddin Ariffin, winner of the PKNS Selangor Masters at the end of last month and ranked fourth, has entered along with Chen Guxin, a two-time champion in 2022 and the first Chinese golfer to claim an ADT event.

The 54-hole event commences tomorrow and will be followed by the season-ending US$200,000 Taifong Open at Taifong Golf Club, from December 22-25.

Building on 57 years of Aramco Invitational Tournament (SAIT) history, Aramco joined forces with the ADT to host its 58th edition as the Aramco Invitational Tournament.

The ADT is the best fit with SAIT’s history of developing and promoting golf in Aramco, Saudi Arabia, and the Middle East.  The objective is to create more playing opportunities for players from Asia and around the world.  Such involvement will provide Saudi national players with competitive opportunities and develop games and players at the grass-roots level.

The tournament, which is part of a new and exciting two-event swing in the Middle East, will feature a field of 126 golfers.

“The Asian Development Tour has enjoyed an incredible comeback year, post pandemic, and the Aramco Invitational is yet another boon for the Asian Tour’s secondary circuit,” said Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner & CEO, Asian Tour.

“Importantly, and in much the same way as the Asian Tour is becoming a tour of international destinations, the Asian Development Tour continues to branch out, and the chance to play in the Middle East for a second time this year is another incredible opportunity for our membership.

“Increasing playing opportunities in new markets for our players is always a top priority, so we would like to thank Aramco, Golf Saudi, the Aramco Golf Association, and the Rolling Hills Golf Course for bringing all the key components together to make the event possible.”