To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Macao Special Administrative Region, the 2024 STDM Macau Open will be held at the Macau Golf and Country Club from October 10 to 13. Grand Slam winner and 2023 British Open champion Brian Harman will participate for the first time. Currently ranked 19th in the world, he will compete fiercely with defending champion, Australian player Min-woo Lee, American player John Catlin, New Zealand player Ben Campbell and Hong Kong player Xu Longyi.

What is Macau Open?

The Macau Open is a men's professional golf tournament held in Macau, China, and is one of the stops on the Asian Golf Tour organized by the Asian Professional Golf Association. It is jointly organized by the Sports Development Bureau of the Macao Special Administrative Region Government and the Macau Golf Association, authorized by the Asian Tour and the Macau Golf Association, and promoted by IMG.

The first Macau Open was held in 1998 at the Macau Golf Country Club in Coloane. The Macau Open has always been an important event in the Asian Tour, attracting many world-class players to participate. The most famous winner of the event is Colin Montgomerie, who has won the European Golf Tour Championship eight times. Players who have won the championship in this event include Zhang Lianwei (China, 2001 and 2002), Lu Wende (Chinese Taipei, 2007) and Wirachang (Thailand, 2009). Other famous players who have participated in the competition include Nick Price (Zimbabwe), Nick Faldo (England), Vijay Singh, Steve Elkington (Australia), American duo Fred Couples and Mark O'Meara, and Padraig Harrington (Ireland). The prize money for the event in 2009 was US$500,000. All four rounds of the event are broadcast on the Asian Tour's global television broadcast platform, covering more than 200 countries and 650 million television users. In 2011, the Director of the Macau Sports Development Bureau, Wong Youli, announced that this most important golf event in Macau officially returned to the Asian Tour schedule.

The 2023 Macau Golf Open will be held at the Macau Golf and Country Club from October 12 to 15, 2023. The event is one of the stops of the 2023 Asian Golf Tour with a total prize of US$1 million and a total of 144 players participating.

Brian Harman

Brian Harman has won three titles on the PGA Tour so far. Last year, he won his first major championship by six strokes at the British Open, which was impressive. He shot 65 in the second round and took the lead by five strokes when he entered the final on Sunday. He is also the third "left-handed" champion in the history of the British Open.

"I am very happy to have the opportunity to participate in this year's STDM Macau Open, which will be my first battle in Asia. I heard that Macau is a very vibrant city and the course is very beautiful. It is an exciting challenge to compete with some of the top players on the Asian Tour. I am looking forward to it and hope to put on a great show for the fans in Macau." Harman shared his excitement about his first Asian golf event.

John Catlin

Harman's American compatriot John Catlin is also a strong competitor. He is a star player on the Asian Tour. He has won the International Series Macau Station and the Saudi Open presented by PIF in a row this year and currently ranks first in the Asian Tour's annual prize list. At the Macau tournament, Catlin shot 59 in the third round, 11 strokes under par, setting a new record in the Asian Tour. Now, Catlin's goal is to win the championship trophy again in Macau.

"I am looking forward to returning to Macau! I really enjoyed my time in Macau, and this place is very special to me. The Macau Golf and Country Club is very challenging, and I am looking forward to the arrival of the event. I also hope to win another game." Catlin said.

Campbell

Campbell, who won the International Series Morocco Station against Catlin, is another top player who will participate in the Macau Entertainment Comprehensive Macau Golf Open. At that time, Campbell was three shots behind Catlin with two holes left in the game. But in the end, Campbell and Catlin entered the playoff and pushed a 20-foot birdie on the first extra hole to seal the victory. This is Campbell's second victory on the Asian Tour. Previously, in 2023, Campbell scored a 15-foot birdie on the last hole of the Hong Kong Open, defeating 2022 British Open champion Cameron Smith from Australia and Thailand's Pachara Kongwamai.

Chinese players

Hong Kong, China star player Xu Longyi will also participate. The young professional player has an outstanding record and won the International Metropolitan Golf Championship, becoming the first Hong Kong player to win the Asian Tour championship. At the 19th Asian Games held in Hangzhou, he won the individual gold medal and the team bronze medal, bringing a historical breakthrough for Hong Kong.

Regarding the Macau Open in October, Xu Longyi expressed his hope to break through himself and achieve better results. "I have always liked playing in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, where I feel the strong support of the fans. I look forward to showing my best performance in the Macau Open and having the opportunity to win the championship." Mainland Chinese player Ye Wocheng will also participate in the Macau Open. The strong player who is competing in the Asian Tour said, "I played this course at the beginning of this year, so I have a certain understanding of the course. I will also go to the trial course a few days in advance and make a good strategy. I hope to achieve good results in the Macau Open."

Macau, China's local professional player Xuan Peiyan will also participate. He said: "I am very happy to qualify for the Macau Open this year. I have played this game three times in the past, and this will be my first time to play at home as a professional. It can be said that this game has witnessed my growth. It was a pity that I almost made it to the finals last year. Now I will fully prepare for the game and make full use of the home advantage. I look forward to achieving good results this year."

Other outstanding players in other countries

Korean star Kim Hong-taek won the Malaysia Open in May and is currently ranked seventh on the Asian Tour prize list. He looks forward to having another chance in Macau. Wang Qingxun also hopes to improve on the Asian Tour prize list. He won the runner-up in this year's Malaysia Open and is currently striving for his first Asian Tour championship in his career.

Thailand's two stars, Phum Sasangsingh and Phachara, finished second and third respectively at last year's STDM Macau Open. This year, they are eager to do better. At last year's TPC Yangde, Sasangsingh won his first Asian Tour title in five years and posed a great challenge to champion Lee Min-woo in Macau. "Last year's result inspired me to come back stronger. Competition at the STDM Macau Open has always been fierce, but I believe I have the ability to go one step further and win the championship this year," said Phum.