Chinese rising star Sampson Zheng credited The International Series for sharpening his game after securing a sensational runner-up finish at Final Qualifying and a coveted spot in The Open Championship this year.
The 23-year-old booked his first-ever major ticket with a superb performance at the West Lancashire Open Qualifying event, carding rounds of 68 and 69 to finish seven-under and clinch one of just five available spots in a highly competitive field.
“It was surreal. I saw my name in second with a few holes to go and got a bit emotional, but I had to settle myself and focus on finishing strong, making pars and putting myself into good positions,” said Sampson.
“Once the final scores came through and I found out I’d made it, I was just overwhelmed. It was an incredible moment.”
Sampson, runner-up at the 2023 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Royal Melbourne, has enjoyed a strong rookie season since turning professional last year.
He featured in nine of the 10 International Series events in 2024, including a T4 finish at International Series England, and continues to build on the momentum of a standout amateur and college career.
Explaining how The International Series has helped him perform under pressure, the 23-year-old said: “Playing on The International Series has actually helped me enjoy the crowds rather than feel pressured by them.
“There have been events where we had a lot of fans, and that experience really helped at Final Qualifying. On links courses especially, it’s so different, the fans aren’t behind ropes, they’re walking right next to you, sometimes just a few feet away. It creates a really cool atmosphere, and I’ve learned to feed off that energy instead of letting it distract me.
“I remember playing with Louis Oosthuizen at International Series Oman last year, and then Thomas Pieters in England. Getting to see how those top players carry themselves, how they prepare, how they manage their games, it’s been incredibly valuable. Those experiences have really shaped how I approach tournaments now.”
Sampson's rise has also been evident on the broader Asian Tour stage, where he delivered an impressive T2 finish at the Mandiri Indonesia Open last season.
Recent International Series Japan presented by Moutai champion Lucas Herbert was also in the field for the Final Qualifying at West Lancashire, and the Australian showed his class with a first-place finish.
When asked about the Ripper GC star, Sampson added: “I actually chatted a bit with Lucas after the round. He came over to congratulate me, and I congratulated him too. We’d done media together in Japan and he was super cool. It was great seeing familiar faces out there.”
Sampson was one of 10 players in the field who faced a challenging journey to make it back in time to start in Morocco. American stars Peter Uihlein, M.J. Maguire, Ollie Schniederjans and Andy Ogletree also competed along with the Hong Kong duo of Taichi Kho and Matthew Cheung, Kieran Vincent of Zimbabwe, Sweden’s Charlie Lindh and Kevin Yuan of Australia.
“It has been a bit of a grind. I finished my round around 7 pm, we had the awards at 9 pm, and I didn’t get to bed until midnight.
“Then I was up at 3am to catch my flight. I probably got about two and a half hours of sleep and only managed a short nap on the plane. I’m still adjusting, but I think I’ll be okay.”
This week’s International Series Morocco marks another critical moment in Sampson’s journey as he fine-tunes his game ahead of his major debut at Royal Portrush later this month, and he proved to be in good touch with a bogey-free, three-under 70.
The International Series is the most prized pathway in golf. It consists of 10 elite tournaments sanctioned by the Asian Tour and offers the year-long Rankings leader promotion to the LIV Golf League.
