Thailand’s Nopparat Panichphol survived an early play-off scare to secure victory after four extra holes at the Indonesia Pro-Am presented by Combiphar and Nomura today, edging Su Ching-hung of Chinese Taipei after the pair finished tied in normal play.

The first play-off saw the pair both make the fairway from the tee, with Su hitting his second shot to within three feet, putting the pressure on Nopparat who ended past the pin with around 10 feet to the hole.

He missed his birdie attempt with a tap in for par, but Su was unable to convert his birdie, sending them back to the 18th tee for a second try in the US$125,000 ADT event.

After both parred the second playoff hole, officials changed the pin position, but again they parred and returned to the tee for the fourth time.

This time Su flared his drive to the right penalty area and although he made the green on his third shot, he was unable to make par.

Nopparat once again drove to the center of the fairway, and despite being unable to make birdie after leaving himself around eight feet to finish, the tap-in par was enough to clinch his second win on the Asian Development Tour.

“On the first hole, I was not too far but he was close to the pin,” Nopparat said after his close shave while chasing victory. “I thought he would win but he missed the putt.

With position perfect drives on all four playoff holes, he revealed his plan that allowed him to last the distance on the West course at Gunung Geulis Country Club in Bogor, Indonesia.

“On the second, third and last hole, I hit to the same spot,” he said. “Same distance, 100 yards into the wind, with the back pin I had to change club and add a little more,” he added.

In the mixed Pro-Am event, where leading ADT players were paired with invited guests, Sofjan Arsad and Darcy Brereton clinched the US$25,000 team prize after a countback ahead of Ben Tumbel and Kammalas Namuangruk.

“The format is great,” said Nopparat when asked about the mixed event setup. ” It’s great to play with amateurs as a team, not only with professionals all the time because when we are playing, everyone is focused on the game and the score,” he added.

Nopparat (65) matched his round two score with the low round of the day to vault to the top of the leaderboard, while second round leader Su (68) had to battle to maintain position after three early bogeys threatened to derail his round.

England’s Finlay Mason (67) put himself in early contention with a hole-out eagle on the par four fourth hole, but a double bpgey two holes later dropped him back to the field and a share of third place.

He shared the position with leading Indonesian player Naraajie Ramadhanputra (68) and Carl Jano Corpus of the Philippines (69).

Siddikur Rahman (68) of Bangladesh and America’s Grant Godfrey (70) shared sixth spot, while rounding out the top ten with a share of eighth spot were last month’s winner Matt Killen (68) of England, Australia’s Darcy Brereton (68), Liu Yung-hua (68) of Chinese Taipei, Indonesia’s Jonahan Wijono (69) and Roberto Lebrija (66) of Mexico.

The ADT returns to action next month with the Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters, with the US$90,000 event to be played at Royal Long An Golf & Country Club in Vietnam from October 8-10.

Main picture: Nopparat Panichphol of Thailand with the winner’s trophy following his victory in the Indonesia Pro-Am presented by Combiphar and Nomura at Gunung Geulis Country Club. Picture courtesy OB Golf.

Carl Jano Corpus of the Philippines played a solid round to edge into the lead of the Indonesia Pro-Am presented by Combiphar and Nomura today, his bogey-free round of 66 giving him a share of the lead with Su Ching-hung (64) of Chinese Taipei.

Grant Godfrey (65) of the USA and Indonesia’s Naraajie Ramadhan Putra (62) share third place going into the final round of the US$125,000 Asian Development Tour mixed event, followed by England’s Finlay Mason (65) a shot further back.

At 12 under after two rounds, Corpus made no mistakes during the day, opening with two birdies from hole 12 in the shotgun start and finishing with two more to secure his position.

“I played pretty well today,” he said after his round. “I had a couple of really long par putts that I wanted to make and made almost all of them today.

“I tried to stay patient as much as I could as I knew there were three par fives coming into my last six holes and I took advantage of that.

“I did what it took to get myself into the right spots, the right opportunities. It’s not easy. Most of the holes were on slopes, but it was difficult for everyone.

“When I think about it that way, everyone is playing the same course and I was lucky that I was able to make good putts today, that’s all it took for me,” he added.

Su, in his debut season on the ADT, managed to get to grips with the course, playing on the East course in the second round of the mixed event, which sees leading Asian Development Tour players joining forces with invited guests in a Pro-Am format.

“I’m feeling really good,” he said after his round. “I made many birdies today and on this course you have to be in the fairway because if you miss it it will cost you a shot.

“I think on the West course, the greens are more difficult, and on the East course the greens are softer. My second shot and putting was good today, I only missed one green which gave me a lot of birdie chances,” he said.

Naraajie, the leading Indonesian player, made the low round of the day with a bogey-free 62, and said after posting his score that his experience at the venue helped him a great deal.

Playing on the West course, and starting on the first tee in the shotgun start format, he took his time to get going but after his first birdie on the par-three third hole, he picked up eight more shots on his way to the finish.

“I hit a lot of goods shots today and made a lot of birdie putts, especially inside three metres,” he said after signing his card.

“Very happy with the way I finished, nine under, very happy with that,” he added.

“I like the West course better,” he revealed, “because I have played it a lot in the last few years. I feel I know the West course better than the East because I have played here since I was a junior, I have a lot of good memories over the last few years.”

Mason, who also had a bogey-free round, is on solo fifth spot, ahead of Nopparat Panichphol (65) and Waris Manthorn (68) of Thailand, Indonesia’s Jonathan Wijono (67), Miguel Carballo (68) of Argentina and Bangladesh’s Siddikur Rahman (66).

As the event enters the final day, the cut was made among the professional players at three under par, meaning 54 players will compete tomorrow for the US$125,000 purse.

For the Pro-Am, a hard cut of the top 20 teams will see the front-runners compete for an additional purse of US$25,000, with the leading team of Mohamad Rizky / Natipong Srithong two shots ahead of Luke Evan Moore / Suradit Yongcharoenchai and Liong Santoso / Carl Jano Corpus.

Professional players who were cut but remain in the Pro-Am part of the tournament will play the final day without competing for the main prize money. The Pro-Am portion of the prize money will be shared by the team but will not count towards the season-long Order of Merit on the ADT.

Main picture: Carl Jano Corpus of the Philippines pictured in action at during the second round of the Indonesia Pro-Am presented by Combiphar and Nomura at Gunung Geulis Country Club. Picture courtesy OB Golf.

Thailand’s Weerawish Narkprachar set the early pace at the Indonesia Pro-Am presented by Combiphar and Nomura today, his bogey-free round of 63 giving him a one shot lead over Japan’s Naoki Sekito and Carl Jano Corpus of the Philippines.

The 54-hole US$125,000 tournament, played on the East and West courses of the Gunung Geulis Country Club in Bogor, on the outskirts of Jakarta, matches leading Asian Development Tour players with invited guests.

And with three hole in ones in the first round, amateur Liong Santoso pitched in to help partner Corpus into first place in the team competition with an ace on the 11th hole West Course.

Also holing out from the tee were England’s Matt Killen, winner in last month’s Ciputra Golfpreneur tournament, who aced the fifth hole on the West course, and Malaysia’s Paul San, who jarred the second hole on the East course.

“I started off a bit slow but I picked it up on hole three and four,” said Weerawish after his round, which began on Hole 15 in the shotgun start. “Then on six to nine I made all birdies, it was a wonderful finish and I hope I can keep it up tomorrow,” he added.

“I know it’s a tough stretch (holes two-five) but I managed to hit it close on hole three, a long par three, and made an easy birdie there. Hole four I had a tough putt but luckily it went in and my game just started to flow from there,” he said.

“The shotgun start felt a bit weird but at the end of the day we play every hole the same and it’s also fun to start on a par three,” he added.

Sekito (64), who shares second place with Corpus, enjoyed his return to the Bogor course, where he has tournament wins in 2023 and 2019.

“Honestly I don’t really know why I play really well here at Gunung Geulis,” he said, “but I have won here twice and every time I come back it feels like a second home and it gives me a lot of confidence.

“I played the West course today, which is a bit easier than the East course, you can make more birdies. Tomorrow I will try to not make a lot of mistakes and hopefully can make a few birdies.

“This course everyone can shoot low because it’s not a long course, East or West, so I just want to keep shooting under par for the next two days,” he added.

For Corpus, winner of the second leg of the Morocco Rising Stars Marrakech in June, he focused on getting his ball in the right place on the greens.

“It’s my first time here but I am quite confident in my ability and I have set up a game plan to give myself the most opportunities,” he said after his round.

“The course was in really good shape today, the fairways were in pristine condition and the greens were amazing. The greens were really fast and you had to be below the hole and that was the strategy I had the whole day,” he said.

“You have to keep it below the hole, especially on the West course, you can’t really go for it even if you are on the green if you are not under the hole, definitely not,” he stressed.

“That was one of the things I did really well today,” he said. “I had a lucky chip in eagle on hole number nine, it took two bounces and hopped in the hole, but that’s just one of those breaks I can’t take for granted.

“I was given the opportunity to play even better and I did,” he said. “I had a stretch of four birdies, and on those four holes, I put myself in position to make birdies and I’m happy with that.”

In fourth place, on six under par, Thailand’s Waris Manthorn and Witchayapat Sinsrang shared position with Argentina’s Miguel Carballo and Malaysia’s Shahriffuddin Ariffin, who celebrated his birthday today.

Play continues tomorrow with the teams switching courses between East and West and all players teeing off at 7.30am with a continuation of the shotgun start.

Main picture: Thailand’s Weerawish Narkprachar pictured in action at during the first round of the Indonesia Pro-Am presented by Combiphar and Nomura at Gunung Geulis Country Club. Picture courtesy OB Golf.

The Asian Development Tour (ADT) will set course for Vietnam for a second time this season following confirmation that the Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters is back on the schedule.

The US$90,000 event, which enjoyed a successful launch last year and was won by one of the ADT’s brightest young stars, Ahmad Baig [pictured], will return to Royal Long An Golf & Country Club and will be played from 8-10 October.

The club boasts 27-holes designed by six-time Major champion Sir Nick Faldo and is located about one hours drive southwest of Ho Chi Minh city.

It will be the tenth stop on the calendar for the blossoming circuit that provides a platform to nurture the next generation of Asian Tour stars. A number of other key events are also due to be announced soon to finalise the line-up.

Ken Kudo, General Manager, ADT, said: “We welcome the return of the Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters, which got off to such a great start last year. It’s a new event in a new golfing market that has huge potential and we a truly grateful to be able to work with some great partners in Nam A Bank, the Vietnam Golf Association, VG Events and, of course, Royal Long An Golf & Country Club.

“They have helped lay the foundation for a tournament that can be one of the biggest in the country and make a big impact on professional golf in Vietnam and on the ADT. We look forward to taking the event to a new level this year.”

Seventy-eight players from the ADT will compete, while there will be 48 from the Vietnam Golf Association, with 12 invites.

“Nam A Bank are excited to title sponsor the Vietnam Masters once more, after a strong launch in 2024,” said Mr. Hà Huy Cường, Deputy General Manager of Nam A Bank.

“The tournament is a great property that allows us to meet many of our core objectives. It permits us to reinforce our position in the golfing community while making it possible to be part of a sport that is quickly growing in Vietnam and has an important role to play in our sporting culture. We thank the sanctioning bodies and the outstanding venue for making this possible.”

Said Mr Nguyen Thai Duong, Vice President of the Vietnam Golf Association: “The Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters marks the seventh time since 2022 that the Asian Development Tour has visited Vietnam. This is a strong indication of the progress professional golf is making in our nation, and we truly appreciate the efforts made by the organisers of the Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters for playing their part in this.

“Vietnamese golfers, particularly at amateur level, are starting to make a big impression in the region and with more and more tournaments being played, like the Nam A Vietnam Masters, we will start to see our professional golfers begin to make their mark.”

Added Mr. Tuan Ho, CEO of VG Corp, who are the event delivery agent of this event: “Commercial interest in professional golf in Vietnam continues to grow at a rapid pace with company’s like Nam A Bank seeing the benefit of aligning themselves with the sport.

“The Nam A Bank Vietnam is a brilliant edition to the respective region and local schedules and will no doubt be a huge success this year and build on the event’s many successes from last season.”

Last year, Pakistan’s Baig claimed his second title on the ADT in the space of three months after winning the Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters by one shot from Malaysia’s Shahriffuddin Ariffin and Witchayanon Chothirunrungrueng from Thailand. It was also win number two in Vietnam as his first victory, at the Lexus Challenge, was also in Vietnam.

Baig began the final round five off the lead at Royal Long An Golf & Country Club but charged through with a seven-under-par 65, which he also did at the Lexus event. He made an eagle and three birdies on the front side and later made birdies on the 14^th and 18^th. Much like his earlier win in Vietnam he watched from the clubhouse as, one by one, his pursuers failed to catch him.

Professional panache and amateur enthusiasm will come together once again in the much-anticipated third edition of The Indonesia Pro-Am presented by Combiphar and Nomura – which returns to Gunung Geulis Country Club in Bogor, next week, 10-12 September.

The US$125,000 event is the ninth stop on the 2025 Asian Development Tour (ADT), and will thus provide the thrills and spills that the region’s premier developmental circuit is well-known for. This will be complemented by a concurrent Pro-Am team event, where a professional is paired with an amateur in a best-ball competition for an additional US$25,000 prize purse.

Managed by OB Golf, the 54-hole showpiece will feature 112 professionals and up to a hundred amateurs taking on Gunung Geulis’ East and West courses. 2024 champion Tanapat Pichaikool [main picture] of Thailand is excited about playing in the event again, while enjoying its signature up-tempo atmosphere that includes music amping things up in between starts and during the prize presentation.

“I love everything about the tournament!” said Tanapat – who won by three strokes in last year with a superb 19-under-par total.

“The format is fun and unique, and the most unforgettable moment was the ceremony right after we finished, with the ‘We are the Champions’ song! We are also able to learn from the games and thoughts of the amateur golfers, which gives us another perspective compared to professionals.

Kevin Akbar won the Indonesia Pro-Am in 2023.

“The greens at Gunung Geulis are super challenging and you have to putt well to perform. I was lucky that last year I was able to putt amazingly for all three rounds.”

Tanapat won twice on the ADT last year to finish third on the Order of Merit, securing his Asian Tour card for this season. He has been in solid form recently and is fresh off a top-10 finish at the Asian Tour’s Mandiri Indonesia Open.

“I enjoy playing on the ADT as it’s way more relaxing compared to the Asian Tour. The friendships we make and the fun atmosphere are always things that I treasure. I would love to defend my title. I did defend at the Singha Masters earlier this year on the All Thailand Golf Tour, so I hope to do same thing on the ADT,” he said.

Preceding Tanapat as champion was local star Kevin Akbar, who triumphed by one shot in the inaugural 2023 event for his first professional title.

Michael Wanandi, President Director of Combiphar Group, hopes that Akbar will fly the Indonesian flag high again.

“Since we first got involved in organising ADT tournaments in 2016, we’ve been committed to our mission: ‘Championing a Healthy Tomorrow.’ Combiphar’s big dream in every ADT event has always been to see a local champion rise. That dream finally came true at the debut of The Indonesia Pro-Am Presented by Combiphar and Nomura in 2023, with Kevin Caesario Akbar taking the win,” said Wanandi.

“For us, Kevin’s success is more than just a victory, it’s an inspiration for Indonesian golfers to stay consistent in their pursuit of excellence. Just like we’ve remained committed as a healthcare company, encouraging Indonesians to live healthy and active lifestyles,” he elaborated.

Yohei Akasaki, Managing Director International Wealth Management of Nomura Singapore Limited, stressed that golf is an integral part of their CSR activities.

He explained: “As part of our corporate social responsibility in the field of sports, we are committed to contributing to the development of golf athletes across the region. Through our involvement in the Indonesia Pro-Am, we aim to support the growth of the sport, particularly in Indonesia. Our active participation in ADT events in Indonesia since 2019 reflects our continued dedication to nurturing talent and providing a platform for Asian golfers to progress to the next level. We take pride in being part of the journey and history of emerging golfers in Asia, and we look forward to continuing this support in the years to come.”

In 2023, Akbar teamed up with Gunung Geulis President Director Agung Budiman in the Pro-Am competition. Budiman noted that playing the two courses, both designed by Thomson, Wolveridge and Perret, provides the players with ‘different vibes’.

“Through The Indonesia Pro-Am presented by Combiphar and Nomura, Gunung Geulis always brings fresh challenges and exciting experiences. Players get to enjoy two different vibes as they compete on both the West and East Courses in a single event. It’s the unique twist that makes The Indonesia Pro-Am stand out from other ADT tournaments,” said Budiman.

Ken Kudo, General Manager of the ADT, affirmed the event’s significance as one of the most popular and pivotal events on tour. “Indonesia is one of the favourite destinations for our ADT players, especially The Indonesia Pro-Am presented by Combiphar and Nomura, which is fast becoming an icon of sports and entertainment in the region. With its large prize fund and scheduling in the later part of the season, the championship also plays a huge role in determining who will finish in the top 10 of the final Order of Merit and earn promotion to the Asian Tour in 2026.

“It’s been a privilege and an honour working with OB Golf, Combiphar, Nomura and Gunung Guelis over the last three years, and I look forward to many more years to come.”