Singapore: Major champions Graeme McDowell and Charl Schwartzel will grace the Tampines Course at Tanah Merah Country Club (TMCC) in next month’s International Series Singapore.

Northern Irishman McDowell, US Open winner in 2010, and South African Schwartzel, Masters champion in 2011, will be the headline acts in the field for the US$2 million event, the seventh stop on The International Series 2023 schedule.

“Hosting the International Series Singapore event on the Tampines Course at Tanah Merah Country Club brings palpable excitement, courtesy of its exceptional line-up,” said Ronald Ong, President of TMCC, a Facility Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.

“The anticipation mounts for the extraordinary talent and competitive spirit they’ll bring to our prestigious course,” he added.

Cho Minn Thant, the Asian Tour Commissioner and CEO, said: “The International Series Singapore marks the first visit of the season to Singapore, and as the Lion City is the home of the Asian Tour, we are thrilled our membership will have the opportunity to compete here that week – especially on the tremendous Tampines Course at Tanah Merah Country Club.”   

McDowell, winner of the Asian Tour’s Ballantine’s Championship in Korea in 2008, posted a top-20 finish in last month’s International Series England.

A European Ryder Cup stalwart, McDowell said: “My time at Close House was a great experience and I’m looking forward to putting on another solid performance to give myself the chance to win my first International Series event.

“I have always enjoyed playing in Asia, so I’m excited to get back to Singapore this year and to experience Tanah Merah Country Club for the first time.”

Like McDowell, Schwartzel, 13th in February’s International Series Qatar, has been a regular participant in LIV events for the past two years.

Schwartzel had the distinction of claiming individual honours at the inaugural LIV Golf event in London in June 2022.

Among the favourites at Tanah Merah will be Andy Ogletree, who boasts three International Series titles to his name, including triumphs in Egypt in 2022 followed by Qatar and England this year.

At Tanah Merah, the 25-year-old American will be looking to build on his sizeable lead on both The International Series and Asian Tour Order of Merits.

Ogletree, the 2019 US Amateur Championship winner, said: “I’ve had the pleasure of participating in the LIV Golf League already, which is an experience I relished. As we enter the final legs of The International Series 2023 schedule, each event now holds immense significance in securing my spot for the upcoming year.”

McDowell will be joined at TMCC by two of his LIV team-mates at Cleek GC in Bernd Wiesberger and Richard Bland.

The field will also feature Hideto Tanihara, winner of last week’s ANA Open Golf Tournament on the Japan Golf Tour, and Thais Nitithorn Thippong, the defending International Series Singapore champion, and Sadom Kaewkanjana, a dual Asian Tour champion.

Zimbabwean brothers Scott and Kieran Vincent will also return to the Tampines Course having teed up in the 2022 edition. Older brother Scott topped The International Series 2022 Order of Merit to earn his place in the LIV Golf League.