KUALA LUMPUR: Gavin Kyle Green took a step closer to lifting the prized Asian Tour Order of Merit crown following the conclusion of two landmark events over the weekend.

Despite missing the cut at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, which was the first tournament to be tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, Sunshine Tour and European Tour, Green remains on course to become the first Malaysian to be crowned Asia’s number one.

The 23-year-old leads by over US$100,000 in the merit race and with two events left on the 2017 Asian Tour schedule, Green needs only to make the cut and earn slightly more than US$3,000 at this week’s Joburg Open.

His closest rivals on the money list – David Lipsky, S.S.P. Chawrasia and Scott Hend – have opted not to tee up at the approximately US$1.2 million event.

“It has always been my dream to win the Asian Tour Order of Merit and I hope I can realise it,” said Green, who will become the first Malaysian to achieve that milestone.

Asian Tour Order of Merit – Top-20
1. Gavin Kyle Green 🇲🇾 $572,536.06
2. David Lipsky 🇺🇸 $461,179.11
3. S.S.P. Chawrasia 🇮🇳 $440,747.64
4. Scott Hend 🇦🇺 $439,229.60
5. Wade Ormsby 🇦🇺 $423,896.00
6. Phachara Khongwatmai 🇹🇭 $364,799.42
7. Poom Saksansin 🇹🇭 $326,678.51
8. Jazz Janewattananond 🇹🇭 $305,925.43
9. Daisuke Kataoka 🇯🇵 $284,489.61
10. Shiv Kapur 🇮🇳 $280,930.50