A hard-nosed professional in an amateur event? That exciting prospect will be a reality when the fourth Angkor Amateur Open tees off at Siem Reap’s popular Angkor Golf Resort on August 3.

Cambodia’s only amateur event is whipping up global interest as far away as Australia to the Mountain Kingdom of Nepal. Foreign entries may touch a new high in a field of 80 that is expected to line up for the three round event winding up on August 5.

Some of the competitors may have to rub shoulders with Asian Tour professional Chris Rodgers. He will be competing for prize money against those in Division A. This is the organisers' idea of firing up the competition.

“I am delighted to be returning to Siem Reap and to participate in this year’s Angkor Amateur Open. It is one of my favourite destinations and AGR is in the top few courses in Asia. I hope the amateurs will go easy on me! But looking forward to the challenge of taking on some of the best amateurs in Asia,” said Chris Rodgers, accepting the invitation.

A seasoned professional that he is, Chris Rodgers, will also conduct a golf clinic at the AGR Driving Range on the opening day before the start of the event. The clinic is open to all competitors before their first round tee off.

An attractive array of prizes will be on offer for the winners with companies such as Johnnie Walker, Blackberry, Vietnam Airlines, Taylor Made and Tiger Beer all contributing.

“We are delighted with the response from our friends representing companies involved in this year’s tournament. The prizes they have very generously given are as good as any Amateur tournament in Asia," the General Manager of AGR Adam Robertson told the Post yesterday. "I know we will have an exciting climax on August 5.”

According to the organisers, all entrants will receive a player participation pack worth US$120 consisting of a quality golf shirt, cap and golf towel from Fenix Golf.

The Amateur Open could well be a perfect dress rehearsal for a far bigger show Angkor Golf Resort will be hosting a month later.

The legendary Sir Nick Faldo will once again team up with AGR, which carries his imprint as a designer, to bring the six-time major winner’s global golf development program to Cambodia for the first time.

The entries are now open for the two-day inaugural Cambodian leg of the Faldo Series to be played at the AGR from September 11.

Open to boys and girls aged 12 to 21 of all nationalities, the Cambodia Championship will be played over two rounds on the Faldo-designed course on which this season’s Asian Tour Handa Faldo Cambodian Classic was staged.

With the field divided into four age-groups – two for boys and two for girls – the winners will qualify for the seventh Faldo Series Asia Grand Final, to be hosted by Faldo at Mission Hills Golf Club in southern China next March.

The 2012-2013 Faldo Series Asia schedule features a record 18 tournaments in 15 countries, including four in mainland China and others in the Philippines, Chinese Taipei, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Singapore, Brunei, Cambodia, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia and Thailand.

The Faldo Series Asia is supported by major partners ISPS, Mission Hills and The R&A, official golf wear partner UFL and official suppliers Taylor Made and Tricor. It is endorsed by both the Asian Tour and the Asia Pacific Golf Federation.

Established in 1996, 38 Faldo Series tournaments now take place in 28 countries worldwide with more than 7,000 golfers participating each year. Past winners include Major champions Rory McIlroy and Yani Tseng.

Golfers born in 1991 or later wishing to enter the Faldo Series Cambodia Championship should email [email protected] or visit www.angkor-golf.com

To contact the reporter on this story: H S Manjunath at [email protected]