Slaley Hall is located in the Northumberland countryside and is a short drive away from Newcastle. It boasts two 18-hole championship courses, The Hunting and The Priestman. The venue hosted the European Tour’s Great North Open from 1996 to 2002.
“Having the opportunity to be part of this innovative event is exceptionally exciting for The QHotels Collection,” said Keith Pickard, golf, health club and spa director for The QHotels Collection. “We have a wealth of experience in hosting tournaments and are delighted that Slaley Hall has been chosen as the official host venue. We have been very privileged to host some of the world’s top stars over the years and we are looking forward to welcoming the new generation of golf talent to Slaley Hall.”
The International Series – new top-tier tournaments integrated with the Asian Tour schedule – was launched this year and will see 10 events played each year for the next decade.
American Sihwan Kim claimed victory in the International Series Thailand at Black Mountain Golf Club and currently leads the Asian Tour Order of Merit heading into next week’s Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup – one of two back-to-back events being jointly-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour. The Asian Tour will also be making stops in Korea and Japan prior to heading to England. The second half of the year will see stops in Korea, Vietnam, and Indonesia before heading to the Middle East and then culminating in China, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
“We are already breaking boundaries with The International Series as we make our second stop of the season in the UK – a first for the Asian Tour. It was our mission from the outset to grow the game globally, and I am proud to deliver on our promise,” said Greg Norman. “The opportunity and pathways that this presents for players on the Asian Tour – both from a financial and playing perspective – cannot be understated. I will be anxiously following along to see who will get the life changing invite into the LIV Golf event the following week.”
LIV Golf Investments has provided $300 million in seed money to the Asian Tour to launch The International Series. The Saudi government-owned PIF, one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds, is the majority shareholder in LIV Golf Investments.