Delhi amateur skips Singapore Open to participate in the Asian Amateur Championship at Mission Hills in China

Singapore’s most popular island resort has begun filling up with names like Phil Mickelson and Padraig Harrington, so it’s no wonder that Rashid Khan’s current Facebook status message is a lament on missing being at Sentosa Golf Club.

Delhi boy Rashid was handed a preciously rare invite to the big-ticket tournament co-sanctioned by the European and Asian tours after he won the Singapore Amateur Open title last week, his third international title. The 18-year-old had to say a polite no to the big stage however. Rashid is instead warming up in the wide expanses of Mission Hills in Shenzhen, China for the inaugural Asian Amateur Championship this week, a tournament whose winner will carry not just the tag of being the continental champion, but also find himself clutching a dream invite to the Augusta Masters and a spot in the British Open final qualifying next season.

Strong contenders

Rashid, ranked 133rd in the R&A’s official rankings, is by no means the favourite, but putting your money on him won’t be completely unwise. There are the strong contenders from Korea, China and Taiwan, and of course the brawniest bunch from Australia, with the country’s No.1 amateur heading the field as the highest-ranked player in the field, Daniel Nisbet. Melbourne’s Nisbet, ranked 47th, is a regular winner in his country and has a world of international experience to go along with it.

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