Scott Vincent may have lost out on the Jakarta International Championship title after his play-off defeat to Wade Ormsby on Sunday, but the result could still have major implications as it gave him pole in The International Series Rankings race with four events left to decide who earns that coveted LIV Golf League spot.
The Zimbabwean claimed 180 vital points last time out at International Series Morocco to move second in the rankings, and after claiming a superb T2 finish at the 41st Shinhan Donghae Open last month on Asian Tour duty, he followed that up with a brilliant performance in Jakarta, losing out on a play off to the experienced Australian.
Sunday’s result gave him 110 points, a haul that put him above Lucas Herbert, the Australian Ripper GC player who won International Series Japan presented by Moutai. He is now front runner to claim the LIV Golf place that goes to the Rankings champion.
The 33-year-old knows all about the pathway having secured a place on the Iron Heads GC team in 2023 after finishing top of the maiden rankings race. After losing his place at the end of last season following two successful years, he is hoping for a quick return.
The 2023 International Series England champion tried to play down any focus on the rankings race, instead preferring to reflect on improvements he was making to his game. He said: “I’m trying not to focus too much on that. My goal is to keep improving as a player and to worry less about myself and more about others.”
Champion Ormsby roared up the Rankings, moving up 69 places to third thanks to his 180-point haul.
“There's a lot to play for on The International Series, it hasn't been on my radar until right now, so you just want to play well,” he said. “And I'm obviously getting on in my career, and I still cherish those opportunities of playing last groups and big events. I was just trying to enjoy it out there today, it was a bit of a grind in the wind.”
The 45-year-old is coming into good form at the perfect time. The Australian has won the Hong Kong Open, the seventh of nine tournaments on this year’s schedule, twice – in 2017 and 2020. He also won the Panasonic Open India in 2013, and International Series Thailand in 2023, his latest victory prior to the win in Jakarta.
Ormsby said: “Looking forward to the next events I can enjoy Hong Kong. It has always been a happy hunting ground for me. Nothing gives you more confidence than winning golf tournaments. And think the way I won that one, I ground it out, and it was pretty tough out there.
“All of the upcoming events are exciting. The Philippines is a brand-new stop, which will be great. Hong Kong is always such a good place to play golf. Singapore is a new venue, and I’m sure they’ll do an incredible job setting it up for us. Saudi at the end of the year is always fantastic. They’re all amazing tournaments, it’s a real privilege to play them.”
Scott’s younger brother Kieran Vincent is also hoping for a quick return to LIV Golf after losing his spot on the Legion XIII team at the end of last season. A T3 finish did his chances no harm and he moved up to 12 in the rankings.
The Thai trio of Poom Saksansin, Sadom Kaewkanjana and Pavit Tangkamolprasert also made big moves into the top 25 of the rankings after finishing T3 alongside 2023 International Series Vietnam champion Vincent.
The International Series is the most prized pathway in golf. It consists of a set of elite tournaments sanctioned by the Asian Tour and offers the year-long Rankings Winner & Runner-Up promotion to the LIV Golf League.
