The 2011 Asian Tour Qualifying School has attracted a strong turnout of 433 entries thus far which has led to the opening of a third venue for the First Stage which starts next week.

Up to today, a total of 316 players from over 30 different nationalities have signed up for the First Stage at the Imperial Lakeview Golf Club, Majestic Creek Golf Resort and Springfield Royal Country Club in Hua Hin, Thailand from January 12-15.

Springfield Royal is the new addition for Stage One following the strong response and entries for this venue will close on January 7, Friday, 5pm Malaysian/Singapore time (GMT +8 hours).

The top 20% players from the First Stage will qualify for the all-important Final Stage presented by Sports Authority of Thailand from January 19-22.

Currently, a total of 117 players are exempted into The Final Stage which will be held at Imperial Lakeview and Springfield Royal where the top-40 finishers will then playing rights for the 2011 season.

Players who compete in the Qualifying School will also be eligible for membership on the Asian Development Tour where a minimum of five tournaments will be held in the new season.

This year's total entries by far exceed last year's turnout of 376 players at the Qualifying School.

Japan leads the highest number of entries with 85 participants where nine players, led by seven-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour, Hirofumi Miyase and Azuma Yano are exempted into the final stage.

Korea has the second highest number of participants with 76 while 17 are in the last stage.

Thailand has the third largest number of participants with 37, where 19 players are exempted in the Final Stage. Piya Swangarunporn, who failed to earn his Tour card by a mere US$205 last season, and rising star Thanyakorn Khrongpha, who won once on the Asian Development Tour last year, are among those in the Final Stage.

A total of 35 players from Chinese Taipei will also challenge for their 2011 Asian Tour cards with eight players exempted into the Final Stage.

Former Asian Tour champions Bryan Saltus and Clay Devers, both of the United States, lead their country where 32 players have confirmed for the Qualifying School with seven already though the final phase.

Meanwhile, Australia has 30 participants for the Qualifying School with seven exempted for the final stage.

Among the other countries with players in the 2011 Asian Tour Qualifying School include England (25), India (15), Malaysia (13), Pakistan (nine), Canada (nine), Finland (eight), Sweden (seven), Singapore (six), Scotland (six), South Africa (five), Spain (four), Brazil (three), Hong Kong (three), France (three), Bangladesh (two), New Zealand (two) Belgium (two) Mexico (two), Philippines (two), Brunei Darussalam (one), China (one), Myanmar (one), Switzerland (one), Vietnam (one), Sri Lanka (one), Italy (one) and Norway (one).

Amongst the former Qualifying School graduates who have achieved success on the Asian Tour include Thai hero Thongchai Jaidee, who came through the 1999 School, and newly crowned Order of Merit champion Noh Seung-yul of Korea, who graduated in 2008.

Sweden's Rikard Karlberg, who finished third on the Order of Merit last season, also earned his card in 2010 through Qualifying School.

Other graduates who have become Tour champions include Korea's Charlie Wi, India's Shiv Kapur and Arjun Atwal, England's Simon Dyson, Japan's Tetsuji Hiratsuka, Malaysia's Ben Leong, Australian Scott Hend and more recently last year Siddikur of Bangladesh and South African Peter Karmis. All these players represent a truly cosmopolitan attraction of the Asian Tour.