October 31: Yin Ho Yue of Hong Kong did all his scoring in the opening nine holes and then parred his way through the back nine for a two-shot lead going into the final round of the US$125,000 Egyptian Open.
Nicknamed Ho ho, the Asian Development Tour rookie shot a four-under par 66 on a day when the Madinaty Golf Club tested the players to reach a 54-hole total of 14-under par 196.
That gave him a two-shot advantage over Thailand’s Order of Merit leader Tawit Polthai (67), and was three ahead of Austria’s Niklas Regner (66), Thailand’s Poom Pattaropong (68) and Morocco’s El Mehdi Fakori (71).
Carl Jano Corpus (65) of the Philippines and Indonesia’s Kevin Akbar (69) were also in the mix four shots adrift of the leader at 10-under.
Promising local amateur Issa Abouelela was the best-placed Egyptian player in the field after shooting the second-lowest round of the day, a 64, that elevated him to tied 12th position. England’s Sam Rook shot 63 for the day’s lowest card.

Tawit Polthai of Thailand. Picture by Paul Lakatos / Asian Development Tour.
Yue did not have the best start to his round, making a bogey on his opening hole. But once he made a birdie on the third, he added a brace of them on the fifth and sixth holes, and another on the eighth and ninth. The back nine was all pars.
“I think my first birdie of the day was very important. I had a pretty rocky start. I got a little lucky on two, and didn’t hit a great shot on one. I felt like the nerves and the environment got to me a little bit at the start. It was also pretty gusty in the morning, and then, all of a sudden, I made a nice 12-footer on three, and it just shifted the whole momentum,” said the 25-year-old, who is looking for his first win as a professional and improve his ADT Order of Merit position from current 59th.
“I realised I can make putts. I wasn’t really scared of what’s ahead of me. I was kind of excited for it. So that shift in mindset was very helpful.”
On his back nine, Yue said: “Actually, it was a very interesting even-par because I had a lot of birdie looks and a lot of bogey danger, but I was able to find the middle ground. I was happy with that.
“I think tomorrow is gonna be a great experience and challenge. I talked to my coach last night, and our mindset is, let’s treat this as a test, like observe myself and see what I can do and get ready for the future and bigger tournaments. I will just stay really patient and just be excited for whatever comes.

Issa Abouelela of Egypt. Picture by Paul Lakatos / Asian Development Tour.
Tawit, winner of the opening event on the ADT schedule this year – the PKNS Selangor Masters – and runner-up at Ciputra Golfpreneur, is assured of graduating to the Asian Tour, but put himself in great position to ensure he went there as the ADT No1.
Ahead of No2 Matt Killen by nearly $20,000, Tawit made five birdies in a stretch of six holes from the fifth to the 10th, and could have closed the gap on Yue if not for bogeys on the 12th and 16th coming in.
“The best birdie today was on the ninth hole where I holed a 30-footer putt,” said Tawit. “I just followed my process todayand that’s what I aim to do tomorrow and just let it happen,”
Madinaty Golf Club member Issa has the pedigree, and he showed it once again by becoming the only player from the host nation to make the cut and now contending for a top spot. He is the son of the legendary Amr Abouelela, winner of seven Pan Arab Championships and 12 Egyptian Opens.
After a round that includes eight birdies and two bogeys, Issa said: “I had a lovely round. Very proud of the way I played today, obviously, after the disappointing first round (72), I had a lot of catching up to do, but I was very happy with how I was able to keep my head down and keep going.
“I missed the cut in Morocco, and it haunted me for a long time, so I was obviously very happy because it means a lot to make the cut in my own country. It just shows that we have the ability as a group of players in Egypt to do some great things.
“Having the Egyptian Open back is great. I was never able to play it because I was so young when it was last played. But obviously, it’s such an honour to have the Egyptian Open back for the new generation and the team. And to see my dad, who has won it several times, being recognised for his contribution to Egyptian golf. I am so proud of him, and my goal is to try and win this event.”
The Asian Development Tour is in Egypt for successive weeks. After the Egyptian Open, it moves to Sokhna Golf Club for the US$125,000 Egypt Golf Series – Red Sea Open.
October 30: Morocco’s rookie pro El Mehdi Fakori made two eagles in his last six holes to snatch the lead and raise hopes of a first-ever winner from the Northern African region on the Asian Development Tour (ADT).
The 25-year-old Fakori shot an eight-under par 62, the low round of the tournament so far, following his opening round 66 to reach 12-under 128 at the halfway stage of the US$125,000 Egyptian Open.
That gave Faklori a two-shot lead over another 25-year-old, Yin Ho Yue of Hong Kong, who shot a 64 playing in the morning groups.
Three Thai players – Poom Pattaropong (66), Tawit Polthai (63) and Sangchai Kaewcharoen (67) – and Indonesia’s Kevin Akbar (67) were tied third at nine-under. England’s Finlay Mason (67) was solo seventh at 8-under.
Fakori turned professional last year after playing a crucial role by finishing second individually in the Pan Arab Championship, which helped Morocco win the overall title. He is now showing his immense potential at the professional level.

Tawit Polthai of Thailand. Picture by Paul Lakatos / Asian Development Tour.
On Thursday at the Madinaty Golf Club in Cairo, Fakori was two-under after the first eight holes, but caught fire with back-to-back birdies on the ninth and 10th.
He got his first eagle on the 596-yard par-five 13th hole in the conventional way – reaching the green with a driver and three-wood second shot from 264 yards, before making a 20-footer putt.
But it was the one on the 351-yard, par-four 18th that delighted him more. Fakori smashed a drive into the greenside bunker, and then nonchalantly holed his bunker shot.
“It was a very good round. I was focussed on my routine. I hit 11 out of 12 fairways, and 16 out of 18 greens in regulation. I was just thinking fairway-green, fairway-green on every hole and two putt. Just keep going with any birdie. But I also putted well (total 25 putts),” said Fakori.
“This is my first year as a professional and I have learned a lot playing on the ADT and in countries like Vietnam and the Philippines. Of course, these conditions here in Egypt are close to what we have back at home, but I think I am benefiting more from my experience.”

Poom Pattaropong of Thailand. Photo by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour
Hue, who is lovingly called ‘Ho Ho’, made a single birdie on the par-five fifth hole on his front nine, but made his way up the leaderboard with five birdies on the back nine.
“I just stayed really patient out there, just kind of the cliche stuff. I let the ball do its thing and focused on the process. I did a really good job of staying level-headed,” said Hue, who was part of University of Oregon’s men’s team and has his father on his bag this week.
“I felt pretty confident coming into this week. I had a week off last week, so I did some good practice and found some confidence in the swing and also found a new putter. So, a lot of changes, but I feel confident overall.”
The Asian Development Tour is in Egypt for successive weeks. After the Egyptian Open, it moves to Sokhna Golf Club for the US$125,000 Egypt Golf Series – Red Sea Open.
October 29: It wasn’t the start Sangchai Kaewcharoen wanted on his birthday, but he certainly won’t mind the end as the Thai raced to joint lead at the end of the opening round with a fast-finishing Kevin Akbar of Indonesia and England’s Matt Killen in the US$125,000 Egyptian Open.
At Madinaty Golf Club in Cairo, Sangchai spent a sleepless night because of a bout of food poisoning, but nine birdies in a round of six-under par 64 ensured it was a good day as he turned 27.
Akbar joined him late in the day, shooting five-under par for his last six holes, which included an eagle on the par-five fifth hole. Killen birdied the last to make it a three-way tie at the top.
India’s Karandeep Kochhar, England’s Finlay Mason, the Italian duo of Michele Ortolani and Luca Galliano, Austrian Niklas Regner and Thailand’s Poom Pattaropong were all in tied fourth place, one shot behind the leaders.

Sangchai Kaewcharoen of Thailand. Picture by Kaikungwon Duanjumroon/Asian Tour.
Morocco’s rookie pro El Mehdi Fakori was the best player from the region with a four-under round, that lifted him to tied 10th place alongside five other players.
Akbar and Sangchai are currently 51st and 52nd in the Asian Development Tour Order of Merit. Killen is second, and almost assured of graduating to the Asian Tour next season.
Sangchai started on the 10th tee and his round included four birdies in a row from the 16th hole to the first, and six birdies in eight holes from the 14th to the third.
“I did not drive that ball that well today, but my approach shots were good, and I made a lot of putts. I made three bogeys, and all of them came after I missed the fairways,” said Sangchai, winner of the 2023 OB Golf Invitational Presented by Sentul Highlands Golf Club on the ADT.
“It’s my birthday today, but I was up all night dealing with food poisoning. Hopefully, I am better tomorrow and continue to play like this.”
Akbar continued his good form from previous week’s ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A in the Philippines, where he finished tied seventh. He was one-under par through 12 holes, before going on a tear, coming in with four birdies and an eagle.

Matt Killen of England. Photo by Thananuwat Srirasant/Asian Tour
“Played really good today. Striking the ball pretty good and holed some important putts too,” said the 27-year-old, winner of one ADT title in 2023.
“The eagle on fifth hole was the highlight. Hit my driver on the fairway. I hit my second shot just on the green, with the pin middle-left. I was trying to get it close first, but luckily, it just rolled in.
“I like the golf course, which is in great shape. I like this type of grass, which is pretty similar to some of the courses we have back home in Indonesia.”
Killen, winner of Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament earlier this year, made a bright start and reached six-under through 12 holes. However, he needed a birdie on the last to maintain that score after dropping his second shot of the day on the par-three 15th hole.
Kochhar, who is hoping to regain his full card on the Asian Tour through ADT this year, was one of four bogey-free rounds of the day.
“Obviously, going bogey-free is always a good thing. I would say it was quite a stress-free round because I hit all 18 greens in regulation and made a couple of really good lag putts from 40–50-foot range,” said Kochhar, who is ranked 19th in the Order of Merit.
The Asian Development Tour is in Egypt for successive weeks. After the Egyptian Open, it moves to Sokhna Golf Club for the US$125,000 Egypt Golf Series – Red Sea Open.
Thailand’s Waris Manthorn chased down what seemed like an insurmountable lead in the ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A today, finally gaining victory over England’s Sam Broadhurst in a playoff.
Broadhurst (75), who started the day with a five shot lead, endured a torrid time in the rain-delayed final round at Luisita Golf & Country Club, and was cruelly denied his first Asian Development Tour win with a double bogey on the last.
His drive on 18 cleared the water but found the rain-soaked fairway bunker, where he was unable to escape on his first attempt. Despite making the green in four, the extra pace needed on the wet green saw his bogey putt lip out, denying him an outright win.
With playing partner Waris (70) edging a birdie on the par three 17th, the two dropped shots meant the pair were tied at 13 under par and headed for a playoff in the US$120,000 ADT event.
From the tee, Broadhurst hit his drive into the left rough and had to punch out, his third shot finding the green but two putts for a bogey meant that Waris’ regulation par was enough to clinch victory.
The win, his first professional triumph, earns Waris a start in next week’s International Series Philippines, and the additional start for the leading Filipino player not previously exempt was awarded to Enrico Gallardo on account of amateur Shinichi Suzuki playing in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship next weekend.
Suzuki (70) and Japan’s Daichi Hayashi (77) as the two leading amateurs earned a entry into the final round of the Asian Tour Qualifying School to be held in December in Hua Hin, Thailand.

Amateur Shinichi Suzuki of the Philippines pictured in action in the final round of the ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A on October 19, 2025.
Korea’s Minyeok Yang (66) scored the low round of the day to move into third place, a commendable score in challenging conditions which saw play stopped twice due to constant rain and relatively strong winds.
Ayoub Lguirati (68) of Morocco overcame a poor start and picked up seven birdies to finish in solo fourth, ahead of England’s Matt Killen (70) and leading Filipino player Angelo Que (72) in fifth.
Indonesia’s Kevin Akbar (71) ended the day in a share of seventh place alongside first-round leader Michele Ortolani (72) of Italy and Austria’s Niklas Regner (72).
In 10th spot, India’s Karandeep Kochhar (70) shared the place on eight under par alongside the thai contingent of Nirun sae-ueng (70), Amarin Kraivixien (70), Tawit Polthai (71), Chonjarern Baramithnaseth (73) and Nattawat Suvajanakorn (73).
Action continues on the ADT in two weeks, with the Tour hosting two tournaments in Egypt. The Egyptian Open at Madinaty Golf Club will be played from October 29 to November 1, followed by the Egypt Golf Series – Red Sea Open at Sokhna Golf Club from November 4-7.
Main picture: Thailand’s Waris Manthorn pictured with the winner’s trophy following his victory in the ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A on October 19, 2025.
England’s Sam Broadhurst doubled down on the field with an eight under par 64 in Round Three of the ADT Players Championship presented by the R&A, vaulting into the lead on 16 under par with a five shot advantage heading into the final day.
His flawless eight-birdie round puts him ahead of Thailand’s Waris Manthorn (69), with local star Angelo Que (67) one shot further back after play concluded in the US$120,000 Asian Development Tour event at the Luisita Golf & Country Club in Tarlac City, Philippines.
“I got off to a pretty hot start, birdieing the first two,” said Broadhust after his round. “I just played really good. I hit every green and had a lot of opportunities, and managed to finally hole some putts because I didn’t hole much the first couple of days.
“I turned at -6 and had a couple of good looks on the back nine but just couldn’t get it in the hole,” he added. “There’s probably two or three that I should have made, just lacking pace on the back nine.
“I actually left one in the jaws by an inch on the 12th, and I didn’t birdie the two par fives on the back nine so it’s a little frustrating but obviously if you had said eight under at the start of the day I would have definitely took it,” he laughed.
Young Filipino Carl Jano Corpus (68) heads a group in fourth place, making a commendable fight back after dropping five shots in his opening three holes. He managed to put the disastrous opening behind him, reeling off nine birdies to put himself back in contention.
“Honestly, I wanted to get off the golf course, I was five over after three holes and I haven’t started that bad in a while,” said Corpus after his round. “I didnt really fight it but just tried to play my game, stick to my routine and everything just went well.
“I told my caddie, let’s just have fun and see what we can do,” he said. “For the last nine holes, I was just trying to get on the green. Any time I got on the green I had the chance to make birdie so that’s what I tried to do,” he added.
He shares his place with seven others on nine under par, including overnight leaders James Leow (74) of Singapore and Italy’s Michele Ortolani (74), Niklas Regner (71) of Austrai, Spain’s Pep Angles (69) and the Thai trio of Nattawat Suvajanakorn (68), Chonjarern Baramithanaseth (69) and Pattaraphol Khanthacha (70).
With the International Series Philippines being held south of Manila next week, the players are acutely aware that a victory tomorrow will earn them a start at Sta Elena Golf Club and a chance to compete in the US$2 million Asian Tour event.
Should the eventual winner be a non-Filipino, an additional start is also being awarded to the leading local player otherwise not exempt. In addition, the two leading amateurs playing this week will gain entries into the final stage of the Asian Tour Qualifying School in Thailand in December.
Play was completed without delay today and the final round gets underway at 6am tomorrow, with the leading group of Que, Waris and Broadhurst teeing off at 7.33am
Main picture: England’s Sam Broadhurst pictured in action in the third round of the ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A on October 18, 2025.
Italy’s Michele Ortolani continued his determined assault on the ADT Players Championship presented by the R&A in the Philippines today, but it was Singapore’s James Leow who made the big move, shooting an eight under par 64 to claim a share of the lead after the second round.
Leow, who won the individual gold at the SEA Games in 2019 on this same course, showed he had the measure of the Luisita Golf & Country Club, firing nine birdies to join Ortolani on 11 under par going into the weekend.
“I played here back in 2019 for the SEA Games and really liked the layout,” said Leow after the second round of the US$120,000 Asian Development Tour event.
“I think it suits my game a lot. It’s more of an older, really mature course, a classic Southeast Asia course with cow grass and it’s all about just keeping it in play.
“You don’t go too crazy, you don’t need to try too much out here,” he said. “The holes aren’t that long, you can take every advantage with the length of modern day golf and give yourself good looks,” he added.
“It was a good day today, helped by some good bounces as well. I constantly gave myself good tee shots into the fairway and then good looks on the green, inside 15-17 feet, sometimes even closer,
“I’ve been rolling the putts well in these two rounds, some of them fell and some didn’t but definitely more fell today,” he said. “It was a good day overall, with good vibes and just taking it easy and enjoying the day.
“I changed some clubs off the tee (from Round One) and just kept it more in play in the fairway. Playing this course you have to be in the fairway. If you are in the trees, you might get blocked and with how the grass is you might get trapped so even if you hit a good shot it doesn’t run up to the green.
“I’ve had a lot of good past success here to base off for the week so I am just taking it easy,” he said. “I know the layout and what I need to do,” he added

Italy’s Michele Ortolani pictured in action during the second round of the ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A on October 16, 2025.
Ortolani shot six birdies after his magical 65 yesterday, but two bogeys ensured that Leow was able to catch up.
The pair sit two shots clear of Thailand’s Niron Sae-ueng (69) in solo third on nine under par, followed by Austria’s Niklas Regner (70), England’s Sam Broadhurst (69) and fellow Thai Waris Manthorn (71) in fourth spot a shot further back.
In seventh place, on seven under par, lie Ben Jones (65) of England, Morocco’s Ayoub Lguirati (68) and Pattaraphol Khanthacha (66) of Thailand.
Robert Garcia (68) of the USA leads the group in 10th place, alongside Indonesia’s Kevin Akbar (70), Marcus Lim (70) of Malaysia, Spain’s pep Angleds (72) and the Thai duo of Sangchai Kaewcharoen (68) and Chonjaren Baramithanaseth (72).
With the cut set at two over par after two rounds, 54 players will head into the weekend, with the prize of a spot in next week’s International Series Philippines available for the winner. Play resumes at 6.05am off two tees, with the leading group heading out at 7.28 am.
Main picture: Singapore’s James Leow pictured in action in the second round of the ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A on October 16, 2025.
Italy’s Michele Ortolani stamped his mark on the ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A in the Philippines today, posting seven birdies in his first nine holes to claim the first round lead at seven under par.
His heroics were later matched by Thailand’s Waris Manthorn who also posted a 65 at the Luisita Golf and Country Club to share the lead after the first day of the US$120,000 Asian Development Tour event.
“Today has obviously been an unforgettable start,” said Ortolani after his round. “I think it has been one of the hottest starts I have ever had in my entire career. I think the key was I was extremely confident that i could accept everything that the course was presenting me and I think I handled it very well,” he added.
“As soon as I got on a nice stretch i just kept going, I didnt ask myself any questions which happened a little bit more on the back nine,” he said. “In fact the front nine was extremely red, the back nine was extremely white,” he laughed. “I mean it’s part of the game, it’s hard to expect to be through 18 holes on a birdie train.
“It’s been a nice start and I’m really happy. The difference between the front nine and the back nine hasn’t been that I have played much worse, it’s just I had a little less proximity and obviously on these greens having good proximity is important to make birdies.
“I made a really good birdie on number five, and then on eight it was a bit sad because I was putting from about 20 feet for birdie and I lipped out, then I missed the comeback so it was a little bit of a disappointment with a three putt there, but at the same time I’m really happy,” he said.
With both leaders dropping shots despite their impressive run, in third place the Thai duo of Nirun Sae-ueng and Chonjarem Baramithanaseth posted a score of 66 with clean, six-birdie cards.
They were joined in a share of third by Spain’s Pep Angles and Niklas Regner of Austria, who like all the other competitors will have their eye on next week’s International Series Philippines, with the winner of this event guaranteed a start.
In seventh place, Thailand’s Tawit Polthai finished on five under par, a double bogey on the par four fourth hole setting him back despite an otherwise impressive round. The winner of the ADT’s opening event in Malaysia shares the spot with England’s Sam Broadhurst.
One shot further back, on four under par and in ninth place, were Malaysia’s Marcus Lim, Ciputra Golfpreneur winner Matt Killen of England, and Indonesia’s Kevin Akbar with a bogey-free 68.
In 12th place on three under par, rounding out the top 15 on the day, were Grant Godfrey of the USA, Thailand’s Tunyapat Sukkoed, Ayoung Lguirati of Morocco and Singapore’s James Leow.
With all players finished for Round One, the four-day tournament will continue as scheduled tomorrow, with play starting at 6.10am from two tees.
Main picture: Italy’s Michele Ortolani pictured in action during the first round of the ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A on October 16, 2025.
Thailand’s Sarut Vongchaisit held his nerve to complete a wire-to-wire victory in the Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters, securing his first professional win with an almost flawless 67 to finish two shots ahead of Dodge Kemmer (66) of the USA and Vietnamese amateur Nguyen Tuan Anh (68).
Sarut, who led after both early rounds, did not allow the chasing pack any room to make a challenge, firing five early birdies in his final round. Even a dropped shot on the par four 16th hole could not slow his momentum, quickly posting another birdie on the par three 17th to put the result beyond doubt.
Kemmer, who worked hard to overcome the lead posted by Sarut after his 61 on the first day, hit six birdies in a flawless final round, but it was not enough to catch the winner of the US$90,000 Asian Development Tour event.
“I feel so happy,” said Sarut after the trophy presentation. “It’s a lot of weight off my shoulders now finally getting my first win after so many second places, so yeah I could not be more happy and could not be more proud of myself.”
With a three shot lead going into the final round, he had to choose on whether to sit on the advantage or to play an aggressive game to make sure of the win.
“I definitely just focussed on myself first and did not try to focus on others, that was one of my mistakes in the past,” he said. “What other people are going to do won’t affect me, that’s a lesson I learned, just play my game.
“I tried to go low because I knew that there would not be a lot of wind out there so I knew a lot of people could make birdies and make a charge. I knew I had to make a good start and make some birdies, which I did, so that helped a lot,” he added.
“I didn’t look at the live score at all until the 18th hole after I hit my drive,” he revealed. “I saw that I had two or three shots so I just decided to lay up and play it safe.”

Vietnam’s Nguyen Tuan Anh (amateur) pictured in action during Round Three of the Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters on October 9, 2025. Picture courtesy Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters.
Playing alongside Vietnam’s teen amateur sensation Nguyen, Sarut was impressed by what he saw.
“He certainly has a bright future ahead of him,” he said. “He got me scared a little bit on the back nine when he started making birdies coming in. He’s definitely got game and we will be seeing him a lot out here.”
The win moves Sarut up to seventh place in the season-long ADT Order of Merit, with the top ten players earning their Asian Tour cards for the coming year. The change in position has forced a rethink in his plans for the rest of the year.
Having focused on playing where he can on the Asian Tour and looking to finish in the top 65 to secure a card for next year, he will see how he stands after the SJM Macao Open next week and whether the result will improve his current standing in 109th place.
“This has changed my plans a little bit, because I didn’t want to focus on the ADT and instead focus on the Asian Tour. Now I’m thinking I should probably to go to Egypt (Egyptian Open, October 29)and chase that top 10. It still depends on how I play next week (in the SJM Macao Open).
“If I play good next week, it will give me a chance to finish in the top 65 on the Asian Tour, so we’ll see. I’ll definitely be playing Aramco though,” he added.
“It’s always been my dream to play on the Asian Tour with a full card, and to get a lot of starts, that would mean a lot,” he said.
India’s Pukhraj Singh Gill (65) was another who clawed his way up the leaderboard, posting the low round of the day alongside Thailand’s Pattaraphol Khanthacha, and ended the tournament in a share of fourth place alongside a bogey-free Wit Pitipat (67) of Thailand.
In sixth place, Carl Jano Corpus (68) of the Philippines shared the spot with Thailand’s Nirun Sae-ueng (70) and Nopparat Panichphol (70), ahead of Korea’s Minhyeok Yang (66), and the Thai pair of Jakraphan Premsirigorn (68) and Tawit Polthai (70).
Sharing 12th place were Karandeep Kochhar (67) of India, Malaysia’s Galven Green (69) and Thailand’s Witchayapat Sinsrang (66) and Pattaraphol.
Rounding out the top 20 with a share of 16th were Niklas Regner (68) of Austria, England’s Sam Broadhurst (69), Marcus Lim (72) of Malaysia and the Thai duo of Waris Manthorn (67) and Kittiphong Phaithuncharoensuk (71).
The ADT next week heads to the Philippines and the Lusita Golf and Country Club for the ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A. The US$120,000 four-day tournament will be held from October 16-19.
Main picture: Thailand’s Sarut Vongchaisit pictured in action during Round Three of the Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters on October 9, 2025. Picture courtesy Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters.
Thailand’s Sarut Vongchaisit held on to his lead in the Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters today with a two-under-par 70, despite a determined charge by top local amateur Nguyen Tuan Anh (68) who finished the day one shot back.
Sarut was unable to replicate his sparkling 61 from the opening day, but three birdies and just one dropped shot kept him ahead of the field as the US$90,000 Asian Development Tour event heads into the final round.
“I hit the driver pretty much the same, but didn’t hit my irons close like yesterday,” he said after his round, “and the putts definitely didn’t drop, which made a big difference.
“I was one of the last groups out today and the greens were pretty beat up, which made a big difference,” he added.
“Tomorrow, I’ll just try to do the same thing. Put it in the fairway first, that’s the main priority I would say,” he said.
The pair sit ahead of Thailand’s Nirun Sae-ueng (65) and compatriot Nopparat Panichphol (64), who posted the low round of the day with an unblemished eight birdie charge, following up on his victory last month in the Indonesia Pro-Am, presented by Combiphar and Nomura.
“I hit my driver very well today,” said Nopparat after his round. “I hit 10 fairways and 16 greens in regulation, better than my normal average, and with a length of one or two flags to the hole, my putter was very good.
“For me these greens are very similar to Thailand, easy to read and you just need to judge the speed. I wasn’t too comfortable with my swing coming in to the week, but once I was on the course and hit a few good shots it made me more confident,” he said.

Vietnam’s Nguyen Tuan Anh (amateur) pictured in action during Round Two of the Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters on October 9, 2025. Picture courtesy Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters.
Leading Vietnamese player Nguyen had to manage a late start to keep the pressure on the leader.
“For me, I play well in the mornings because I usually wake up early,” he said. “Today i hit the driver OK, irons were on the green, not close like yesterday but it was OK. It was a slow start. I made birdie on the first, bogey on second, and then just played par, par, par.
“On the back nine I got a couple of lucky putts and finished with 68 today, a good round for me,” he added.
Heading into the final round of the 54-hole tournament, Thailand’s Natipong Srithong (67) and Tawit Polthai (67) share fifth spot with Dodge Kemmer (68) of the USA and Malaysia’s Marcus Lim (66).
Barry Henson (66) of the USA holds ninth place one shot further back at nine under par, alongside Carl Jano Corpus (65) of the Philippines and the Thai duo of Wit Pitipat (67) and Kittiphong Phaithuncharoensuk (66).
The cut was made at two under par and 56 players will contest the final round, with the first groups off two tees at 6.30am local time. The leading group comprising Sarut, Nguyen and Nopparat tee it up at 8.00am.
Main picture: Thailand’s Sarut Vongchaisit pictured in action during Round Two of the Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters on October 9, 2025. Picture courtesy Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters.
Thailand’s Sarut Vongchaisit stamped his mark on the first round on the Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters today, chasing his first professional win with a sparkling 11 under par 61 that put him clear of the field by three shots.
He leads promising Vietnamese amateur Nguyen Tuan Anh (64) in solo second place at the US$90,000 Asian Development Tour event, ahead of compatriot Nguyen Nhat Long (66), Japan’s Naoki Sekito (66) and Dodge Kemmer (66) of the USA.
Starting his round on the back nine at the Royal Long An Golf & Country Club, Sarut opened with a couple of pars before ramping up his game with six of 12 birdies in the first nine holes, only dropping a single shot on the par three third hole before his finish.
“It was quite a perfect golf round for me,” he said after posting his score. “I missed one or two fairways but hit all 18 greens which made it a lot easier than usual.
“I hit it close so that made a lot of putts easy, and made a lot of birdies of course,” he added. “My wedge game has improved so much this year, and today showed it, I hit many inside four feet.
“I don’t know how many putts off the top of my head but there were a lot of one putts,” he said. “Eleven of them were one putts, and only on the par five I hit two on and made two putts on that one hole,.
“I like this course a lot, I think it suits my game,” he said. “I love these greens, they are just perfect. I am so used to the speed (9.8) which is what I am used to practicing on at home, so that makes it a lot easier.
“This week might change things a little bit but I am focused on playing on the Asian Tour. If i play well this week we’ll see, still not sure of my schedule but I want to get on the Asian Tour so to finish in the top 10 on the ADT, that’s my goal,” he said.
“A win would definitely mean a lot, it would be my first professional win,” he said. “I have been close so many times so hopefully i can get over the line this week,” he added.
For sixteen-year-old Nguyen, making his third start on the ADT, every outing is a learning experience.
“The ADT right now is very strong,” he said after his round. “A lot of good golfers, some Asian Tour guys play here,so for me it helps me to learn how professional golfers play without much pressure on myself, ” he added.
In sixth place, the Thai trio of Sahasawat Ariyachatvakin, Tawit Polthai and Natipong Srithon posted rounds of 67, finishign the day on five under par.
One shot further back, in a share of ninth place, were India’s Pukhraj Singh Gill and Karandeep Kochhar, Sam Broadhurst of England, Kim Yong Rok of Korea, Malaysia’s Marcus Lim and Thailand’s Wit Pitipat, Nirun Sae-ueng, Witchayanon Chothirunrunrueng and Jakraphan Premsirigorn.
Play was suspended in the 54 hole tournament due to adverse weather conditions and 17 players still have to complete their first round. Play will resume tomorrow at 6.30 am.
Main picture: Sarut Vongchaisit of Thailand.
Hong Kong player shoots 66 to move two ahead of the ADT Order of Merit leader at Madinaty Golf Club
October 31: Yin Ho Yue of Hong Kong did all his scoring in the opening nine holes and then parred his way through the back nine for a two-shot lead going into the final round of the US$125,000 Egyptian Open.
Nicknamed Ho ho, the Asian Development Tour rookie shot a four-under par 66 on a day when the Madinaty Golf Club tested the players to reach a 54-hole total of 14-under par 196.
That gave him a two-shot advantage over Thailand’s Order of Merit leader Tawit Polthai (67), and was three ahead of Austria’s Niklas Regner (66), Thailand’s Poom Pattaropong (68) and Morocco’s El Mehdi Fakori (71).
Carl Jano Corpus (65) of the Philippines and Indonesia’s Kevin Akbar (69) were also in the mix four shots adrift of the leader at 10-under.
Promising local amateur Issa Abouelela was the best-placed Egyptian player in the field after shooting the second-lowest round of the day, a 64, that elevated him to tied 12th position. England’s Sam Rook shot 63 for the day’s lowest card.

Tawit Polthai of Thailand. Picture by Paul Lakatos / Asian Development Tour.
Yue did not have the best start to his round, making a bogey on his opening hole. But once he made a birdie on the third, he added a brace of them on the fifth and sixth holes, and another on the eighth and ninth. The back nine was all pars.
“I think my first birdie of the day was very important. I had a pretty rocky start. I got a little lucky on two, and didn’t hit a great shot on one. I felt like the nerves and the environment got to me a little bit at the start. It was also pretty gusty in the morning, and then, all of a sudden, I made a nice 12-footer on three, and it just shifted the whole momentum,” said the 25-year-old, who is looking for his first win as a professional and improve his ADT Order of Merit position from current 59th.
“I realised I can make putts. I wasn’t really scared of what’s ahead of me. I was kind of excited for it. So that shift in mindset was very helpful.”
On his back nine, Yue said: “Actually, it was a very interesting even-par because I had a lot of birdie looks and a lot of bogey danger, but I was able to find the middle ground. I was happy with that.
“I think tomorrow is gonna be a great experience and challenge. I talked to my coach last night, and our mindset is, let’s treat this as a test, like observe myself and see what I can do and get ready for the future and bigger tournaments. I will just stay really patient and just be excited for whatever comes.

Issa Abouelela of Egypt. Picture by Paul Lakatos / Asian Development Tour.
Tawit, winner of the opening event on the ADT schedule this year – the PKNS Selangor Masters – and runner-up at Ciputra Golfpreneur, is assured of graduating to the Asian Tour, but put himself in great position to ensure he went there as the ADT No1.
Ahead of No2 Matt Killen by nearly $20,000, Tawit made five birdies in a stretch of six holes from the fifth to the 10th, and could have closed the gap on Yue if not for bogeys on the 12th and 16th coming in.
“The best birdie today was on the ninth hole where I holed a 30-footer putt,” said Tawit. “I just followed my process todayand that’s what I aim to do tomorrow and just let it happen,”
Madinaty Golf Club member Issa has the pedigree, and he showed it once again by becoming the only player from the host nation to make the cut and now contending for a top spot. He is the son of the legendary Amr Abouelela, winner of seven Pan Arab Championships and 12 Egyptian Opens.
After a round that includes eight birdies and two bogeys, Issa said: “I had a lovely round. Very proud of the way I played today, obviously, after the disappointing first round (72), I had a lot of catching up to do, but I was very happy with how I was able to keep my head down and keep going.
“I missed the cut in Morocco, and it haunted me for a long time, so I was obviously very happy because it means a lot to make the cut in my own country. It just shows that we have the ability as a group of players in Egypt to do some great things.
“Having the Egyptian Open back is great. I was never able to play it because I was so young when it was last played. But obviously, it’s such an honour to have the Egyptian Open back for the new generation and the team. And to see my dad, who has won it several times, being recognised for his contribution to Egyptian golf. I am so proud of him, and my goal is to try and win this event.”
The Asian Development Tour is in Egypt for successive weeks. After the Egyptian Open, it moves to Sokhna Golf Club for the US$125,000 Egypt Golf Series – Red Sea Open.
The 25-year-old rookie pro shoots 62 with two eagles to reach 12-under, two ahead of Singapore’s Yin Ho Hue
October 30: Morocco’s rookie pro El Mehdi Fakori made two eagles in his last six holes to snatch the lead and raise hopes of a first-ever winner from the Northern African region on the Asian Development Tour (ADT).
The 25-year-old Fakori shot an eight-under par 62, the low round of the tournament so far, following his opening round 66 to reach 12-under 128 at the halfway stage of the US$125,000 Egyptian Open.
That gave Faklori a two-shot lead over another 25-year-old, Yin Ho Yue of Hong Kong, who shot a 64 playing in the morning groups.
Three Thai players – Poom Pattaropong (66), Tawit Polthai (63) and Sangchai Kaewcharoen (67) – and Indonesia’s Kevin Akbar (67) were tied third at nine-under. England’s Finlay Mason (67) was solo seventh at 8-under.
Fakori turned professional last year after playing a crucial role by finishing second individually in the Pan Arab Championship, which helped Morocco win the overall title. He is now showing his immense potential at the professional level.

Tawit Polthai of Thailand. Picture by Paul Lakatos / Asian Development Tour.
On Thursday at the Madinaty Golf Club in Cairo, Fakori was two-under after the first eight holes, but caught fire with back-to-back birdies on the ninth and 10th.
He got his first eagle on the 596-yard par-five 13th hole in the conventional way – reaching the green with a driver and three-wood second shot from 264 yards, before making a 20-footer putt.
But it was the one on the 351-yard, par-four 18th that delighted him more. Fakori smashed a drive into the greenside bunker, and then nonchalantly holed his bunker shot.
“It was a very good round. I was focussed on my routine. I hit 11 out of 12 fairways, and 16 out of 18 greens in regulation. I was just thinking fairway-green, fairway-green on every hole and two putt. Just keep going with any birdie. But I also putted well (total 25 putts),” said Fakori.
“This is my first year as a professional and I have learned a lot playing on the ADT and in countries like Vietnam and the Philippines. Of course, these conditions here in Egypt are close to what we have back at home, but I think I am benefiting more from my experience.”

Poom Pattaropong of Thailand. Photo by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour
Hue, who is lovingly called ‘Ho Ho’, made a single birdie on the par-five fifth hole on his front nine, but made his way up the leaderboard with five birdies on the back nine.
“I just stayed really patient out there, just kind of the cliche stuff. I let the ball do its thing and focused on the process. I did a really good job of staying level-headed,” said Hue, who was part of University of Oregon’s men’s team and has his father on his bag this week.
“I felt pretty confident coming into this week. I had a week off last week, so I did some good practice and found some confidence in the swing and also found a new putter. So, a lot of changes, but I feel confident overall.”
The Asian Development Tour is in Egypt for successive weeks. After the Egyptian Open, it moves to Sokhna Golf Club for the US$125,000 Egypt Golf Series – Red Sea Open.
The Indonesian star finishes four birdies and an eagle in his last six holes for a round of six-under par 64
October 29: It wasn’t the start Sangchai Kaewcharoen wanted on his birthday, but he certainly won’t mind the end as the Thai raced to joint lead at the end of the opening round with a fast-finishing Kevin Akbar of Indonesia and England’s Matt Killen in the US$125,000 Egyptian Open.
At Madinaty Golf Club in Cairo, Sangchai spent a sleepless night because of a bout of food poisoning, but nine birdies in a round of six-under par 64 ensured it was a good day as he turned 27.
Akbar joined him late in the day, shooting five-under par for his last six holes, which included an eagle on the par-five fifth hole. Killen birdied the last to make it a three-way tie at the top.
India’s Karandeep Kochhar, England’s Finlay Mason, the Italian duo of Michele Ortolani and Luca Galliano, Austrian Niklas Regner and Thailand’s Poom Pattaropong were all in tied fourth place, one shot behind the leaders.

Sangchai Kaewcharoen of Thailand. Picture by Kaikungwon Duanjumroon/Asian Tour.
Morocco’s rookie pro El Mehdi Fakori was the best player from the region with a four-under round, that lifted him to tied 10th place alongside five other players.
Akbar and Sangchai are currently 51st and 52nd in the Asian Development Tour Order of Merit. Killen is second, and almost assured of graduating to the Asian Tour next season.
Sangchai started on the 10th tee and his round included four birdies in a row from the 16th hole to the first, and six birdies in eight holes from the 14th to the third.
“I did not drive that ball that well today, but my approach shots were good, and I made a lot of putts. I made three bogeys, and all of them came after I missed the fairways,” said Sangchai, winner of the 2023 OB Golf Invitational Presented by Sentul Highlands Golf Club on the ADT.
“It’s my birthday today, but I was up all night dealing with food poisoning. Hopefully, I am better tomorrow and continue to play like this.”
Akbar continued his good form from previous week’s ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A in the Philippines, where he finished tied seventh. He was one-under par through 12 holes, before going on a tear, coming in with four birdies and an eagle.

Matt Killen of England. Photo by Thananuwat Srirasant/Asian Tour
“Played really good today. Striking the ball pretty good and holed some important putts too,” said the 27-year-old, winner of one ADT title in 2023.
“The eagle on fifth hole was the highlight. Hit my driver on the fairway. I hit my second shot just on the green, with the pin middle-left. I was trying to get it close first, but luckily, it just rolled in.
“I like the golf course, which is in great shape. I like this type of grass, which is pretty similar to some of the courses we have back home in Indonesia.”
Killen, winner of Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament earlier this year, made a bright start and reached six-under through 12 holes. However, he needed a birdie on the last to maintain that score after dropping his second shot of the day on the par-three 15th hole.
Kochhar, who is hoping to regain his full card on the Asian Tour through ADT this year, was one of four bogey-free rounds of the day.
“Obviously, going bogey-free is always a good thing. I would say it was quite a stress-free round because I hit all 18 greens in regulation and made a couple of really good lag putts from 40–50-foot range,” said Kochhar, who is ranked 19th in the Order of Merit.
The Asian Development Tour is in Egypt for successive weeks. After the Egyptian Open, it moves to Sokhna Golf Club for the US$125,000 Egypt Golf Series – Red Sea Open.
Heartbreak for England’s Broadhurst as rain delays and high winds take their toll
Thailand’s Waris Manthorn chased down what seemed like an insurmountable lead in the ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A today, finally gaining victory over England’s Sam Broadhurst in a playoff.
Broadhurst (75), who started the day with a five shot lead, endured a torrid time in the rain-delayed final round at Luisita Golf & Country Club, and was cruelly denied his first Asian Development Tour win with a double bogey on the last.
His drive on 18 cleared the water but found the rain-soaked fairway bunker, where he was unable to escape on his first attempt. Despite making the green in four, the extra pace needed on the wet green saw his bogey putt lip out, denying him an outright win.
With playing partner Waris (70) edging a birdie on the par three 17th, the two dropped shots meant the pair were tied at 13 under par and headed for a playoff in the US$120,000 ADT event.
From the tee, Broadhurst hit his drive into the left rough and had to punch out, his third shot finding the green but two putts for a bogey meant that Waris’ regulation par was enough to clinch victory.
The win, his first professional triumph, earns Waris a start in next week’s International Series Philippines, and the additional start for the leading Filipino player not previously exempt was awarded to Enrico Gallardo on account of amateur Shinichi Suzuki playing in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship next weekend.
Suzuki (70) and Japan’s Daichi Hayashi (77) as the two leading amateurs earned a entry into the final round of the Asian Tour Qualifying School to be held in December in Hua Hin, Thailand.

Amateur Shinichi Suzuki of the Philippines pictured in action in the final round of the ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A on October 19, 2025.
Korea’s Minyeok Yang (66) scored the low round of the day to move into third place, a commendable score in challenging conditions which saw play stopped twice due to constant rain and relatively strong winds.
Ayoub Lguirati (68) of Morocco overcame a poor start and picked up seven birdies to finish in solo fourth, ahead of England’s Matt Killen (70) and leading Filipino player Angelo Que (72) in fifth.
Indonesia’s Kevin Akbar (71) ended the day in a share of seventh place alongside first-round leader Michele Ortolani (72) of Italy and Austria’s Niklas Regner (72).
In 10th spot, India’s Karandeep Kochhar (70) shared the place on eight under par alongside the thai contingent of Nirun sae-ueng (70), Amarin Kraivixien (70), Tawit Polthai (71), Chonjarern Baramithnaseth (73) and Nattawat Suvajanakorn (73).
Action continues on the ADT in two weeks, with the Tour hosting two tournaments in Egypt. The Egyptian Open at Madinaty Golf Club will be played from October 29 to November 1, followed by the Egypt Golf Series – Red Sea Open at Sokhna Golf Club from November 4-7.
Main picture: Thailand’s Waris Manthorn pictured with the winner’s trophy following his victory in the ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A on October 19, 2025.
Sparkling eight-birdie round at Luisita Golf & Country Club opens up a five shot lead over the field going into the final day
England’s Sam Broadhurst doubled down on the field with an eight under par 64 in Round Three of the ADT Players Championship presented by the R&A, vaulting into the lead on 16 under par with a five shot advantage heading into the final day.
His flawless eight-birdie round puts him ahead of Thailand’s Waris Manthorn (69), with local star Angelo Que (67) one shot further back after play concluded in the US$120,000 Asian Development Tour event at the Luisita Golf & Country Club in Tarlac City, Philippines.
“I got off to a pretty hot start, birdieing the first two,” said Broadhust after his round. “I just played really good. I hit every green and had a lot of opportunities, and managed to finally hole some putts because I didn’t hole much the first couple of days.
“I turned at -6 and had a couple of good looks on the back nine but just couldn’t get it in the hole,” he added. “There’s probably two or three that I should have made, just lacking pace on the back nine.
“I actually left one in the jaws by an inch on the 12th, and I didn’t birdie the two par fives on the back nine so it’s a little frustrating but obviously if you had said eight under at the start of the day I would have definitely took it,” he laughed.
Young Filipino Carl Jano Corpus (68) heads a group in fourth place, making a commendable fight back after dropping five shots in his opening three holes. He managed to put the disastrous opening behind him, reeling off nine birdies to put himself back in contention.
“Honestly, I wanted to get off the golf course, I was five over after three holes and I haven’t started that bad in a while,” said Corpus after his round. “I didnt really fight it but just tried to play my game, stick to my routine and everything just went well.
“I told my caddie, let’s just have fun and see what we can do,” he said. “For the last nine holes, I was just trying to get on the green. Any time I got on the green I had the chance to make birdie so that’s what I tried to do,” he added.
He shares his place with seven others on nine under par, including overnight leaders James Leow (74) of Singapore and Italy’s Michele Ortolani (74), Niklas Regner (71) of Austrai, Spain’s Pep Angles (69) and the Thai trio of Nattawat Suvajanakorn (68), Chonjarern Baramithanaseth (69) and Pattaraphol Khanthacha (70).
With the International Series Philippines being held south of Manila next week, the players are acutely aware that a victory tomorrow will earn them a start at Sta Elena Golf Club and a chance to compete in the US$2 million Asian Tour event.
Should the eventual winner be a non-Filipino, an additional start is also being awarded to the leading local player otherwise not exempt. In addition, the two leading amateurs playing this week will gain entries into the final stage of the Asian Tour Qualifying School in Thailand in December.
Play was completed without delay today and the final round gets underway at 6am tomorrow, with the leading group of Que, Waris and Broadhurst teeing off at 7.33am
Main picture: England’s Sam Broadhurst pictured in action in the third round of the ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A on October 18, 2025.
2019 SEA Games winner knows the course and will be looking to make his mark over the weekend
Italy’s Michele Ortolani continued his determined assault on the ADT Players Championship presented by the R&A in the Philippines today, but it was Singapore’s James Leow who made the big move, shooting an eight under par 64 to claim a share of the lead after the second round.
Leow, who won the individual gold at the SEA Games in 2019 on this same course, showed he had the measure of the Luisita Golf & Country Club, firing nine birdies to join Ortolani on 11 under par going into the weekend.
“I played here back in 2019 for the SEA Games and really liked the layout,” said Leow after the second round of the US$120,000 Asian Development Tour event.
“I think it suits my game a lot. It’s more of an older, really mature course, a classic Southeast Asia course with cow grass and it’s all about just keeping it in play.
“You don’t go too crazy, you don’t need to try too much out here,” he said. “The holes aren’t that long, you can take every advantage with the length of modern day golf and give yourself good looks,” he added.
“It was a good day today, helped by some good bounces as well. I constantly gave myself good tee shots into the fairway and then good looks on the green, inside 15-17 feet, sometimes even closer,
“I’ve been rolling the putts well in these two rounds, some of them fell and some didn’t but definitely more fell today,” he said. “It was a good day overall, with good vibes and just taking it easy and enjoying the day.
“I changed some clubs off the tee (from Round One) and just kept it more in play in the fairway. Playing this course you have to be in the fairway. If you are in the trees, you might get blocked and with how the grass is you might get trapped so even if you hit a good shot it doesn’t run up to the green.
“I’ve had a lot of good past success here to base off for the week so I am just taking it easy,” he said. “I know the layout and what I need to do,” he added

Italy’s Michele Ortolani pictured in action during the second round of the ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A on October 16, 2025.
Ortolani shot six birdies after his magical 65 yesterday, but two bogeys ensured that Leow was able to catch up.
The pair sit two shots clear of Thailand’s Niron Sae-ueng (69) in solo third on nine under par, followed by Austria’s Niklas Regner (70), England’s Sam Broadhurst (69) and fellow Thai Waris Manthorn (71) in fourth spot a shot further back.
In seventh place, on seven under par, lie Ben Jones (65) of England, Morocco’s Ayoub Lguirati (68) and Pattaraphol Khanthacha (66) of Thailand.
Robert Garcia (68) of the USA leads the group in 10th place, alongside Indonesia’s Kevin Akbar (70), Marcus Lim (70) of Malaysia, Spain’s pep Angleds (72) and the Thai duo of Sangchai Kaewcharoen (68) and Chonjaren Baramithanaseth (72).
With the cut set at two over par after two rounds, 54 players will head into the weekend, with the prize of a spot in next week’s International Series Philippines available for the winner. Play resumes at 6.05am off two tees, with the leading group heading out at 7.28 am.
Main picture: Singapore’s James Leow pictured in action in the second round of the ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A on October 16, 2025.
Five birdies to open his round, and seven by the turn, gives Italian an electric start to the tournament
Italy’s Michele Ortolani stamped his mark on the ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A in the Philippines today, posting seven birdies in his first nine holes to claim the first round lead at seven under par.
His heroics were later matched by Thailand’s Waris Manthorn who also posted a 65 at the Luisita Golf and Country Club to share the lead after the first day of the US$120,000 Asian Development Tour event.
“Today has obviously been an unforgettable start,” said Ortolani after his round. “I think it has been one of the hottest starts I have ever had in my entire career. I think the key was I was extremely confident that i could accept everything that the course was presenting me and I think I handled it very well,” he added.
“As soon as I got on a nice stretch i just kept going, I didnt ask myself any questions which happened a little bit more on the back nine,” he said. “In fact the front nine was extremely red, the back nine was extremely white,” he laughed. “I mean it’s part of the game, it’s hard to expect to be through 18 holes on a birdie train.
“It’s been a nice start and I’m really happy. The difference between the front nine and the back nine hasn’t been that I have played much worse, it’s just I had a little less proximity and obviously on these greens having good proximity is important to make birdies.
“I made a really good birdie on number five, and then on eight it was a bit sad because I was putting from about 20 feet for birdie and I lipped out, then I missed the comeback so it was a little bit of a disappointment with a three putt there, but at the same time I’m really happy,” he said.
With both leaders dropping shots despite their impressive run, in third place the Thai duo of Nirun Sae-ueng and Chonjarem Baramithanaseth posted a score of 66 with clean, six-birdie cards.
They were joined in a share of third by Spain’s Pep Angles and Niklas Regner of Austria, who like all the other competitors will have their eye on next week’s International Series Philippines, with the winner of this event guaranteed a start.
In seventh place, Thailand’s Tawit Polthai finished on five under par, a double bogey on the par four fourth hole setting him back despite an otherwise impressive round. The winner of the ADT’s opening event in Malaysia shares the spot with England’s Sam Broadhurst.
One shot further back, on four under par and in ninth place, were Malaysia’s Marcus Lim, Ciputra Golfpreneur winner Matt Killen of England, and Indonesia’s Kevin Akbar with a bogey-free 68.
In 12th place on three under par, rounding out the top 15 on the day, were Grant Godfrey of the USA, Thailand’s Tunyapat Sukkoed, Ayoung Lguirati of Morocco and Singapore’s James Leow.
With all players finished for Round One, the four-day tournament will continue as scheduled tomorrow, with play starting at 6.10am from two tees.
Main picture: Italy’s Michele Ortolani pictured in action during the first round of the ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A on October 16, 2025.
ADT win means he now has to plan on best route towards coveted Asian Tour card
Thailand’s Sarut Vongchaisit held his nerve to complete a wire-to-wire victory in the Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters, securing his first professional win with an almost flawless 67 to finish two shots ahead of Dodge Kemmer (66) of the USA and Vietnamese amateur Nguyen Tuan Anh (68).
Sarut, who led after both early rounds, did not allow the chasing pack any room to make a challenge, firing five early birdies in his final round. Even a dropped shot on the par four 16th hole could not slow his momentum, quickly posting another birdie on the par three 17th to put the result beyond doubt.
Kemmer, who worked hard to overcome the lead posted by Sarut after his 61 on the first day, hit six birdies in a flawless final round, but it was not enough to catch the winner of the US$90,000 Asian Development Tour event.
“I feel so happy,” said Sarut after the trophy presentation. “It’s a lot of weight off my shoulders now finally getting my first win after so many second places, so yeah I could not be more happy and could not be more proud of myself.”
With a three shot lead going into the final round, he had to choose on whether to sit on the advantage or to play an aggressive game to make sure of the win.
“I definitely just focussed on myself first and did not try to focus on others, that was one of my mistakes in the past,” he said. “What other people are going to do won’t affect me, that’s a lesson I learned, just play my game.
“I tried to go low because I knew that there would not be a lot of wind out there so I knew a lot of people could make birdies and make a charge. I knew I had to make a good start and make some birdies, which I did, so that helped a lot,” he added.
“I didn’t look at the live score at all until the 18th hole after I hit my drive,” he revealed. “I saw that I had two or three shots so I just decided to lay up and play it safe.”

Vietnam’s Nguyen Tuan Anh (amateur) pictured in action during Round Three of the Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters on October 9, 2025. Picture courtesy Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters.
Playing alongside Vietnam’s teen amateur sensation Nguyen, Sarut was impressed by what he saw.
“He certainly has a bright future ahead of him,” he said. “He got me scared a little bit on the back nine when he started making birdies coming in. He’s definitely got game and we will be seeing him a lot out here.”
The win moves Sarut up to seventh place in the season-long ADT Order of Merit, with the top ten players earning their Asian Tour cards for the coming year. The change in position has forced a rethink in his plans for the rest of the year.
Having focused on playing where he can on the Asian Tour and looking to finish in the top 65 to secure a card for next year, he will see how he stands after the SJM Macao Open next week and whether the result will improve his current standing in 109th place.
“This has changed my plans a little bit, because I didn’t want to focus on the ADT and instead focus on the Asian Tour. Now I’m thinking I should probably to go to Egypt (Egyptian Open, October 29)and chase that top 10. It still depends on how I play next week (in the SJM Macao Open).
“If I play good next week, it will give me a chance to finish in the top 65 on the Asian Tour, so we’ll see. I’ll definitely be playing Aramco though,” he added.
“It’s always been my dream to play on the Asian Tour with a full card, and to get a lot of starts, that would mean a lot,” he said.
India’s Pukhraj Singh Gill (65) was another who clawed his way up the leaderboard, posting the low round of the day alongside Thailand’s Pattaraphol Khanthacha, and ended the tournament in a share of fourth place alongside a bogey-free Wit Pitipat (67) of Thailand.
In sixth place, Carl Jano Corpus (68) of the Philippines shared the spot with Thailand’s Nirun Sae-ueng (70) and Nopparat Panichphol (70), ahead of Korea’s Minhyeok Yang (66), and the Thai pair of Jakraphan Premsirigorn (68) and Tawit Polthai (70).
Sharing 12th place were Karandeep Kochhar (67) of India, Malaysia’s Galven Green (69) and Thailand’s Witchayapat Sinsrang (66) and Pattaraphol.
Rounding out the top 20 with a share of 16th were Niklas Regner (68) of Austria, England’s Sam Broadhurst (69), Marcus Lim (72) of Malaysia and the Thai duo of Waris Manthorn (67) and Kittiphong Phaithuncharoensuk (71).
The ADT next week heads to the Philippines and the Lusita Golf and Country Club for the ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A. The US$120,000 four-day tournament will be held from October 16-19.
Main picture: Thailand’s Sarut Vongchaisit pictured in action during Round Three of the Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters on October 9, 2025. Picture courtesy Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters.
Pressure builds heading into the final day of the Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters
Thailand’s Sarut Vongchaisit held on to his lead in the Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters today with a two-under-par 70, despite a determined charge by top local amateur Nguyen Tuan Anh (68) who finished the day one shot back.
Sarut was unable to replicate his sparkling 61 from the opening day, but three birdies and just one dropped shot kept him ahead of the field as the US$90,000 Asian Development Tour event heads into the final round.
“I hit the driver pretty much the same, but didn’t hit my irons close like yesterday,” he said after his round, “and the putts definitely didn’t drop, which made a big difference.
“I was one of the last groups out today and the greens were pretty beat up, which made a big difference,” he added.
“Tomorrow, I’ll just try to do the same thing. Put it in the fairway first, that’s the main priority I would say,” he said.
The pair sit ahead of Thailand’s Nirun Sae-ueng (65) and compatriot Nopparat Panichphol (64), who posted the low round of the day with an unblemished eight birdie charge, following up on his victory last month in the Indonesia Pro-Am, presented by Combiphar and Nomura.
“I hit my driver very well today,” said Nopparat after his round. “I hit 10 fairways and 16 greens in regulation, better than my normal average, and with a length of one or two flags to the hole, my putter was very good.
“For me these greens are very similar to Thailand, easy to read and you just need to judge the speed. I wasn’t too comfortable with my swing coming in to the week, but once I was on the course and hit a few good shots it made me more confident,” he said.

Vietnam’s Nguyen Tuan Anh (amateur) pictured in action during Round Two of the Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters on October 9, 2025. Picture courtesy Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters.
Leading Vietnamese player Nguyen had to manage a late start to keep the pressure on the leader.
“For me, I play well in the mornings because I usually wake up early,” he said. “Today i hit the driver OK, irons were on the green, not close like yesterday but it was OK. It was a slow start. I made birdie on the first, bogey on second, and then just played par, par, par.
“On the back nine I got a couple of lucky putts and finished with 68 today, a good round for me,” he added.
Heading into the final round of the 54-hole tournament, Thailand’s Natipong Srithong (67) and Tawit Polthai (67) share fifth spot with Dodge Kemmer (68) of the USA and Malaysia’s Marcus Lim (66).
Barry Henson (66) of the USA holds ninth place one shot further back at nine under par, alongside Carl Jano Corpus (65) of the Philippines and the Thai duo of Wit Pitipat (67) and Kittiphong Phaithuncharoensuk (66).
The cut was made at two under par and 56 players will contest the final round, with the first groups off two tees at 6.30am local time. The leading group comprising Sarut, Nguyen and Nopparat tee it up at 8.00am.
Main picture: Thailand’s Sarut Vongchaisit pictured in action during Round Two of the Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters on October 9, 2025. Picture courtesy Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters.
Exceptional start puts Thai player in driving seat heading into Round Two of the Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters.
Thailand’s Sarut Vongchaisit stamped his mark on the first round on the Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters today, chasing his first professional win with a sparkling 11 under par 61 that put him clear of the field by three shots.
He leads promising Vietnamese amateur Nguyen Tuan Anh (64) in solo second place at the US$90,000 Asian Development Tour event, ahead of compatriot Nguyen Nhat Long (66), Japan’s Naoki Sekito (66) and Dodge Kemmer (66) of the USA.
Starting his round on the back nine at the Royal Long An Golf & Country Club, Sarut opened with a couple of pars before ramping up his game with six of 12 birdies in the first nine holes, only dropping a single shot on the par three third hole before his finish.
“It was quite a perfect golf round for me,” he said after posting his score. “I missed one or two fairways but hit all 18 greens which made it a lot easier than usual.
“I hit it close so that made a lot of putts easy, and made a lot of birdies of course,” he added. “My wedge game has improved so much this year, and today showed it, I hit many inside four feet.
“I don’t know how many putts off the top of my head but there were a lot of one putts,” he said. “Eleven of them were one putts, and only on the par five I hit two on and made two putts on that one hole,.
“I like this course a lot, I think it suits my game,” he said. “I love these greens, they are just perfect. I am so used to the speed (9.8) which is what I am used to practicing on at home, so that makes it a lot easier.
“This week might change things a little bit but I am focused on playing on the Asian Tour. If i play well this week we’ll see, still not sure of my schedule but I want to get on the Asian Tour so to finish in the top 10 on the ADT, that’s my goal,” he said.
“A win would definitely mean a lot, it would be my first professional win,” he said. “I have been close so many times so hopefully i can get over the line this week,” he added.
For sixteen-year-old Nguyen, making his third start on the ADT, every outing is a learning experience.
“The ADT right now is very strong,” he said after his round. “A lot of good golfers, some Asian Tour guys play here,so for me it helps me to learn how professional golfers play without much pressure on myself, ” he added.
In sixth place, the Thai trio of Sahasawat Ariyachatvakin, Tawit Polthai and Natipong Srithon posted rounds of 67, finishign the day on five under par.
One shot further back, in a share of ninth place, were India’s Pukhraj Singh Gill and Karandeep Kochhar, Sam Broadhurst of England, Kim Yong Rok of Korea, Malaysia’s Marcus Lim and Thailand’s Wit Pitipat, Nirun Sae-ueng, Witchayanon Chothirunrunrueng and Jakraphan Premsirigorn.
Play was suspended in the 54 hole tournament due to adverse weather conditions and 17 players still have to complete their first round. Play will resume tomorrow at 6.30 am.
Main picture: Sarut Vongchaisit of Thailand.





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