Q-School graduate Broberg finally ready for the big time at International Series Oman

                                    

Kristoffer Broberg makes his eagerly awaited debut on both The International Series and the Asian Tour this week after securing his card at the start of the season, and the Q-School graduate is relieved to be finally making things happen at the stunning Al Mouj Golf course in Oman after a minor delay to proceedings. The Swede secured his card in January thanks to a sensational display at Springfield Royal Country Club in Hua Hin, Thailand, where three eagles on two, 12 and 18 helped him to a stunning victory and one of 35 cards on the Asian Tour for the season.

Family illness prevented the 35-year-old from making his debut last weekend at the IRS Prima Malaysian Open. But he’s back and eager to take on a world-class field that features LIV Golf rising star David Puig, last week’s champion in Kuala Lumpur, and Joaquin Niemann, the Torque GC captain who fired an incredible 59 on his way to victory at the LIV Golf Mayakoba at the start of the season. Other golfing heavyweights in the field this week include Major winners Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel, as well as Puig’s Spanish compatriot and Fireballs GC team-mate Eugenio Chacarra, a winner on The International Series at the St Andrews Bay Championship in Scotland last season. Broberg is eager to get going after trading the long Swedish winter for some welcome Omani sun, despite having less than ideal preparation for his big debut. A Swede, a winner on the BMW Masters in 2015 and the Dutch Open in 2021, explained: “I was supposed to play in Malaysia last weekend but my daughter got sick at Kindergarten, and I didn’t want to travel in case I was carrying the bug, so I waited at home. “I have taken three days in Dubai trying to practice, but otherwise I have been indoors (in Sweden). I flew back the same night I won it (Q-School) and I haven’t been outdoors since! But my game felt pretty good. “I don’t have any expectations. I will take it one shot at a time – golf is golf and you never know. You can hit bad shots and make a long putt, and hit some great shots and miss the easy putt.”

While Broberg is philosophical about his own game, he’s under no illusions about the strength of the field assembling for the first event on The International Series, the Asian Tour-sanctioned pathway onto the LIV Golf League. The winner of this season’s rankings on The International Series will earn a direct spot on the LIV Golf League roster, following in the footsteps of 2022 and 2023 champions Scott Vincent and Andy Ogletree, who earned lucrative, life-changing spots on Iron Heads GC and HyFlyers GC respectively. That carrot has attracted the cream of the Asian Tour, with Gaganjeet Bhullar, Ben Campbell and Sarit Suwannarut, all champions on The International Series last season, in the field vying for top spot on the 2024 rankings alongside reigning International Series Oman champion Takumi Kanaya. Other Asian Tour favourites include Taichi Kho, Broberg’s fellow Q-School graduate John Catlin and Denwit Boriboonsub, a three-time winner at the end of last season. All three showed real promise last week in Malaysia. Broberg said: “It’s great to see such a strong field - good for the Asian Tour to have all the best players compete. When you can play against top talent, you get to see where you stand on your level and it will be great to compete against those guys. I think it is amazing these guys have come to play.” For more information on International Series Oman, click here.