Unlike Vincent, Asaji claimed he felt no nerves as he watched the drama unfold. He said: “I was not nervous at all. I just wanted to see what was happening today. It all depended on other players’ results today, and I just wanted to see what was happening.”
Reflecting on the moment he saw Tabuena had come up short, he added: “I was so happy with my wife and my caddie, we were together. We can get in the LIV event. I was so happy.”
Asaji pinpointed the moment he dared to dream about that lucrative LIV Golf spot, saying: “Winning the Moutai Singapore Open was very, very valuable for me because after winning the Singapore Open, I noticed that I am No.2 in the International Series Rankings, and I thought, ‘oh, I have a pathway to LIV Golf, I have a chance to do this’.“
Going into tournament week, a number of challengers were in with a slim chance thanks to the high number of Rankings points available in the US$5 million tournament.
American Ollie Schniederjans, winner of the season-opening International Series India presented by DLF, could not muster the top-two finish required, ultimately settling for a level-par 71 that left him T60 and seventh in the table.
However, the former amateur world No.1 has the consolation of a bye into the second round of the LIV Golf Promotions event in Florida at the start of next season, where another two LIV Golf golden tickets will be available.
Australian Ormsby also has the same opportunity. Needing a top-two finish, the 45-year-old missed the cut. At No.8 in the Rankings, he will regroup with two tournaments Down Under before entering the second-round stage of the four-round tournament at the Black Diamond Ranch in Lecanto, Florida from 8-11 January.
Going into the final round, Danthai Boonma of Thailand and Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho had also given themselves a slim chance of glory.
Danthai, runner up behind Vincent in Morocco, went into the final round T7 and five off the lead while Taichi, the 2023 World City Championship winner in his native Hong Kong, sat T18 and two shots further back.
In the end, both finished T27 on 10 under with Taichi level par for his final round and Danthai two shots over. Danthai will join Tabuena, Schniederjans and Ormsby in the second round of the Promotions event as one of 10 leading players from the top 20 of the final Rankings table. Kho will enter the first round as one of 25 leading players inside the top 40.
