Sarit Suwannarut completes wire-to-wire victory at Bangkok Classic
Thailand’s Sarit Suwannarut completed a wire-to-wire victory at the inaugural Bangkok Classic on Sunday, closing with a four-under-par 68 to finish on 24-under-par and claim a six-shot victory at Phoenix Gold Golf Bangkok.
Suwannarut laid the foundation for victory with a course-record 10-under-par 62 in the opening round and never relinquished the lead, opening the final day with an eagle at the first before cruising to the title.
The Bangkok Classic, played from June 25-28 for a prize purse of CNY1.5 million, was co-sanctioned by the China Men’s Professional Golf Tour and the Asian Development Tour and marked the first China Tour event to be staged outside China.
Hong Kong’s Shunyat Hak and England’s Matt Killen shared second place on 18-under-par after rounds of 68 and 66 respectively.
A group of five players shared fourth place on 17-under-par, including Malaysia’s Khavish Varadan, India’s Pukhraj Singh Gill, Thailand’s Itthipat Buranatanyarat, Korea’s Minhyeok Yang and China’s Jin Zihao, whose bogey-free nine-under-par 63 was the low round of the day.
China’s Jin Zihao pictured in action on June 28, 2026 during Round Four of the Bangkok Classic at Phoenix Gold Golf Bangkok.
Suwannarut said his eagle at the opening hole settled his nerves immediately.
“It’s nice,” he said. “It’s kind of like lifting something out of my chest. After that I just felt really light and I felt like I could make something today. It gave me a lot of confidence.”
The victory was particularly satisfying after narrowly missing out on wire-to-wire wins on the Asian Tour last season.
“It’s good,” he said. “I had a chance to do it twice last year on the Asian Tour but I didn’t do it, so I’m pretty happy to fight my demon and finally beat it.”
Although the victory provides a timely boost ahead of next week’s Queen’s Cup, Suwannarut said he would quickly turn his attention to the next event.
“After I wake up tomorrow it’s going to be yesterday already,” he said. “I’m going to throw everything away. I know what I have to do. I’ll prepare the same as this week, refocus and play as confidently as I can.”
The Thai was also grateful for the opportunity to compete after only receiving confirmation of his place shortly before the tournament.
“I put an entry in, but Unho (Park) texted me and asked if I still wanted to play,” he said. “Of course I did, so thanks to Unho for that.”
Suwannarut also enjoyed strong support throughout the week from family members following him around the course.
“My girlfriend, my mom and my dad came out to cheer me this week,” he said. “I’m pretty happy, especially with my mom’s food every day.”
England’s Matt Killen pictured in action on June 28, 2026 during Round Four of the Bangkok Classic at Phoenix Gold Golf Bangkok.
Killen finished with one of the best rounds of the day to earn a share of second place after bouncing back from a disappointing third round.
“I had a couple of stupid three-putts in the middle of the round which slowed me down,” said Killen. “Apart from that I hit a lot of good shots and finally holed a few putts.”
The Englishman felt Saturday’s struggles were more about missed opportunities than poor golf.
“I didn’t actually play that bad yesterday,” he said. “The putts just didn’t go in. All the short putts I would normally make I missed and I didn’t take care of the par fives very well.”
Despite falling short of victory, Killen was pleased with the way he responded.
“Obviously I wanted to win, but after five or six holes today I knew that probably wasn’t going to happen,” he said. “I’m happy to claw my way back after yesterday and get a good finish on the board.”
Jin Zihao surged through the field with a flawless nine-under-par 63 that featured two eagles and no bogeys.
“It feels amazing,” said Jin. “This is not an easy golf course when the wind starts blowing and the final-round pins were tucked. I told myself to stay patient. I was swinging it really well and I started to get my putter feel back.”
Competing in his first Asian Development Tour event, the Chinese player praised the inaugural co-sanctioned tournament.
“I really enjoyed the experience,” he said. “I think it’s a well-run tour together with the China Tour. Even with the weather issues, I think the committee made the best decisions to make sure we finished all 72 holes.”
Thailand’s Sarit Suwannarut will take a four-shot lead into Sunday’s final round of the Bangkok Classic after carding a five-under-par 67 to reach 20-under-par at Phoenix Gold Golf Bangkok.
Suwannarut, who opened the tournament with a course-record 10-under-par 62 on Thursday, followed with rounds of 67 and 67 to build a comfortable advantage heading into the final day of the inaugural event.
The Bangkok Classic, being played from June 25-28 for a prize purse of CNY1.5 million, is co-sanctioned by the China Men’s Professional Golf Tour and the Asian Development Tour and marks the first China Tour event to be staged outside China.
Hong Kong’s Isaac Lam sits alone in second place on 16-under-par after a third-round 68, while Malaysia’s Khavish Varadan is a further shot back in third after closing with a one-under-par 71.
Sharing fourth place on 13-under-par are India’s Pukhraj Singh Gill, whose seven-under-par 65 was the low round of the day, and Thailand’s Donlaphatchai Niyomchon, Waris Manthorn and Itthipat Buranatanyarat.
Suwannarut admitted there was more pressure during the third round but was pleased with the way he handled it.
“There was some pressure, but I kept myself together and still got a good score,” he said. “Even though I three-putted on the last, I’m still confident, so it’s the same game plan tomorrow.”
The Thai said the pressure came from within rather than from the leaderboard.
“It’s on myself,” he said. “I just want to play good. I know what I have to do. I just want to execute as well as I can, and I did it pretty well today, so I’m happy.”
Despite taking a four-shot advantage into the final round, Suwannarut said his approach would remain unchanged.
“I know what I have to do,” he said. “I have my goal in mind. I just want to prepare my best and then execute the best I can. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.”
Hong Kong’s Isaac Lam pictured in action on June 27, 2026 during Round Three of the Bangkok Classic at Phoenix Gold Golf Bangkok.
Lam moved into solo second after another steady round and credited his putting for keeping him in contention.
“I’d say putting has been the key,” said Lam. “I’m using a new putter this week and my caddie gives me good reads. I just let her do the job, make a good stroke and hopefully the hole gets in the way of the ball.”
The Hong Kong player, who has previously competed at Phoenix Gold Golf Bangkok during Qualifying School, said the course suits his eye.
“I’ve played this course a couple of times before for Q-School, so I’m quite familiar with it and I really like this golf course,” he said. “It really suits my eye.”
Looking ahead to the final round, Lam plans to keep his focus firmly on his own game.
“Just play my own game, sing my own song,” he said. “I don’t really care how the others play. I’m just focusing on my own game and making personal progress. That’s all that matters.”
Varadan remained firmly in contention despite not feeling he had struck the ball at his best.
“I didn’t hit the ball as good as I would have liked, but I scrambled well and putted solidly,” he said. “Obviously one bad hole, but other than that I’m always good on Sunday, so I’m looking forward to it.”
Asked about his strategy for the final round, the Malaysian’s answer was brief.
“Same as always,” he smiled. “Pedal down.”
Pukhraj Singh Gill of India pictured in action on June 27, 2026 during Round Three of the Bangkok Classic at Phoenix Gold Golf Bangkok.
Gill charged into a share of fourth place with the best round of the day after making three birdies in his opening four holes.
“It was pretty good overall,” said Gill. “I got off to a great start and I was always taking the opportunities that were presented. I didn’t miss much out there and the only blemish was a bogey on my 16th hole.”
The Indian believes his improving course knowledge has been the key to his progress this week.
“This is the first time I’ve played here and I think the course is very challenging with the green speeds and the contours,” he said. “I’m getting used to where I can miss it off the tee and that’s giving me better approach angles into the greens. I’m also getting used to the wind, so I think it’s mostly course knowledge.”
Gill said he intends to stay aggressive as he chases the leaders on Sunday.
“I’ve put myself in a good position now and I’ll try to make the most of it,” he said. “That’s the way I like to play this golf course, so unless the circumstances ask for it, I don’t think I’m going to change my game plan.”
Thailand’s Sarit Suwannarut will take a one-shot lead into the resumption of the second round after heavy rain forced the suspension of play at the Bangkok Classic on Friday afternoon.
Play at Phoenix Gold Golf Bangkok was suspended at 3.23pm due to inclement weather, with the remainder of the second round scheduled to be completed on Saturday morning before the third round begins.
The overnight leader followed his course-record opening 62 with a five-under-par 67 to move to 15-under-par, one shot clear of Malaysia’s Khavish Varadan, who matched the low round of the morning with an eight-under-par 64.
Thailand’s Poom Pattaropong also fired an eight-under-par 64 to share third place on 13-under alongside England’s Matt Killen, who returned a three-under-par 67.
Hong Kong’s HoHo Yue sits fifth on 11-under-par but has completed only three holes of his second round, reaching three under for the day before play was suspended.
Hong Kong’s Shunyat Hak is sixth on 10-under after a second-round 66, while Chinese Taipei’s Su Ching-hung is seventh on eight-under following a 70. Indonesia’s Naraajie Ramadhanputra is also on eight-under after playing four holes of his second round.
Suwannarut admitted the demanding conditions made for another testing day despite extending his lead.
Malaysia’s Khavish Varadan pictured in action on June 26, 2026 during Round Two of the Bangkok Classic at Phoenix Gold Golf Bangkok.
“Tired, pretty tired. I started off pretty good on the front nine and then on the back nine I felt really tired. I think because of the heat. I survived, so I think I’m happy.”
The Thai once again praised his caddie after making eagle on the par-five 18th for the second consecutive day.
“On the front nine I felt like I made every single putt. On the back nine I didn’t hit it good. I felt like I had no power. I just tried to make it on the green and try to two-putt. It was kind of like surviving out there today, so I’m still happy.”
Looking ahead to the weekend, Suwannarut hopes to recover before play resumes.
“Maybe sleeping a lot. I hope tomorrow is not going to be raining or a lot of heat. I’m just going to stay happy and try to play my game.”
Varadan moved into second place after producing one of the rounds of the day.
“I tried to hit the ball a little better today. Some putts fell in and I played the par threes pretty good today, so I hope to keep that up.”
Asked about his approach heading into the weekend, the Malaysian smiled and replied:
“Gas pedal down.”
Thailand’s Poom Pattaropong pictured in action on June 26, 2026 during Round Two of the Bangkok Classic at Phoenix Gold Golf Bangkok.
Pattaropong also climbed into contention after taking advantage of an early run of birdies.
“I got the putter going early and I was four under through five holes, so I got off to a good start. To keep it going the whole round feels good.”
Playing at his home course, Pattaropong said he was enjoying competing in the inaugural co-sanctioned event between the China Tour and Asian Development Tour.
“It feels like a very big tournament, and I’m glad I’m playing this week at my home course.”
China Tour Club Cup
This week’s tournament also incorporates the China Tour Club Cup Pro-Am. Unlike the regular tournament cut, which typically falls at the top 65 players and ties, the Club Cup field is restricted to the top 48 tournament players only, with each paired alongside an amateur partner for the weekend competition.
Should multiple players be tied for 48th place after the completion of the second round, the final qualifying positions will be determined by a scorecard playoff. Players finishing between 49-65 will receive unofficial prize money but will not take part in the weekend rounds.
Thailand’s Sarit Suwannarut set a new course record with a bogey-free 10-under-par 62 to take a two-shot lead after the opening round of the Bangkok Classic at Phoenix Gold Golf Bangkok on Thursday.
Suwannarut’s brilliant round featured eight birdies and an eagle at the par-five 18th hole, capping a flawless day on the South and West Course layout.
The Bangkok Classic, being played from June 25-28 for a prize purse of CNY1.5 million, is co-sanctioned by the China Men’s Professional Golf Tour and the Asian Development Tour and marks the first China Tour event to be staged outside China.
Hong Kong’s HoHo Yue sits alone in second place after a bogey-free eight-under-par 64. Sharing third place on seven-under-par 65 are Thailand’s Nirun Sae-ueng, Mexico’s Roberto Lebrija, England’s Matt Killen and India’s Pukhraj Singh Gill.
A group of seven players share seventh place on six-under-par, including Korea’s Minchan Kim, Indonesia’s Naraajie Ramadhanputra, Hong Kong’s Isaac Lam, Thailand’s Poopirat Klinkesom, Chinese Taipei’s Su Chung-hung, Malaysia’s Khavish Varadan and Singapore’s Gregory Foo.
Suwannarut credited his caddie after producing the lowest round of the day.
“I hit everything good. I just needed to read the greens correctly and my caddie this week has helped me a lot, so credit to him,” said Suwannarut.
Hong Kong’s Hoho Yue pictured in action on June 25, 2026 during Round One of the Bangkok Classic at Phoenix Gold Golf Bangkok.
The Thai said the heat proved more challenging than the wind during the opening round.
“We play a lot of windy golf courses on the Asian Tour, so the wind is okay,” he said. “The thing is not the wind, it’s the heat. Even for Thai people I think it was too hot today, but I made it, so I’m happy.”
Competing in front of a home crowd, Suwannarut said he was enjoying the opportunity to play in Thailand as the Asian Development Tour returned to the country and the China Tour staged its first overseas event.
“I’m happy. I’m happy to stay at my house, eat my mom’s food and know a lot of good players around the course,” he said. “I’m happy for the guys from the ADT to come back to Thailand and I’m enjoying seeing a lot of Chinese players come to play in Thailand also.”
Despite taking the first-round lead, Suwannarut said he plans to stick to the same approach heading into Friday.
“I’m trying to enjoy myself this week,” he said. “It’s kind of my warm-up event for next week’s Queen’s Cup, so I’m just going to enjoy myself, prepare my best and then execute.”
Yue’s bogey-free 64 continued a run of encouraging form for the Hong Kong player.
“It felt great. I always enjoy bogey-free rounds,” said Yue. “I stayed really patient and just stayed in the moment.”
Thailand’s Nirun Sae-ueng pictured in action on June 25, 2026 during Round One of the Bangkok Classic at Phoenix Gold Golf Bangkok.
The 27-year-old, who is a member of both the China Tour and Asian Development Tour, said he was enjoying competing in the strong field assembled for the inaugural event.
“It’s a really strong field with a lot of Asian Tour guys out here this week,” he said. “I’m just sticking with my patient mindset, letting things happen and enjoying the moment.”
Thailand’s Nirun Sae-ueng also remained firmly in contention after a bogey-free 65.
“Today I putted good and my approach shots were very good,” said Nirun. “The driver is important here. If you hit the fairway, you can make the shot to the pin because the greens are very firm.”
June 20: A fascinating quest that took Michele Ortolani (main image) to unheard-of places across the globe finally fructified in the form of a first international win for the Italian at the inaugural US$100,000 DigiPlus Philippine ADT Open on Saturday.
The 29-year-old Ortolan, who has missed just one cut this season in 10 starts and was runner-up after losing in a playoff at the Singha-SAT ADT Hua Hin Championship, was rewarded for his persistence and consistency. At the par-72 Luisita Golf and Country Club, he shot a final-round three-under-par 69 to reach 16-under total, which eventually proved to be one better than runner-up Ching-hung Su (68) of Chinese Taipei.
Argentina’s Franco Scorzato (69), and Malaysia’s Galven Green (72), were tied third at 14-under.
Michele Ortolani of Italy. Picture by Joki Escandor/ADT
Sean Ramos and Clyde Mondilla grabbed the two spots to the US$2 million Philippine Open on The International Series as the two leading Filipino golfers.
Ramos (71) was tied fifth at 11-under, his second top-five finish on the ADT this season, while Mondilla (68) was tied 11th at -8. Angelo Que (69, -10, tied 8th) was the second-best Filipino in the field, but he is already exempt to the tournament later in the year.
The front nine gave no hint of who’d pick up the trophy at the end of the day. At the turn, Ortolani, Ching-hung and Scorzato were tied for the lead at 13-under par, with Green just one behind at -12.
The back nine became a neck-and-neck race between Ortolani, playing in the lead group, and Ching-hung, playing one group behind. Both players made three birdies on the back nine, but the crucial difference was the Chinese Taipei player’s bogey on the par-4 14th hole. That was followed by a decisive, if conservative, birdie on the par-five 16th hole by the champion.
Ching-Hung Su of Chinese Taipei. Picture by Joki Escandor/ADT
The Milan-based Ortolani played several years on the Alps and HotelPlanner Tours in Europe, before deciding to ply his trade in Asia. He secured his ADT playing rights in 2023, and has also been a popular member on the PGT of India Tour. He said he knew in his heart that a win would come soon.
“It’s been a long while, and it’s always special to get that first win,” said Ortolani, who narrowly missed securing his Asian Tour card by a mere US$42 last year after missing the cut in the season-ending Aramco Invitational.
“In my mind, I already believed that I would have won eventually this year, because when you see this consistency, and it’s been since last year. I believe that you just need to do the work. I have learned that positive or negative thoughts are still thoughts that come in your way. I learned to deal with them and how to just stay in my lane.”
Ortolani said he had no idea where he was, or what Ching-Hung was doing, but he would have still played the 16th hole with a 2-iron off the tee and a 5-wood for his second shot. He did that and was left with a 15-footer birdie putt after a chip with a 54-degree wedge.
Sean Ramos (left) and Clyde Mondilla of the Philippines. Picture by Joki Escandor/ADT
“I had no idea of the scores. But even if I did, I would not have played that hole differently. I would have still played three shots. Probably, I would have had a little more pressure (if he knew the scores), but I tell you I already had a lot of pressure.”
On his journey so far, Ortolani added: “The decision to come to Asia and go to India has been tough, but it turned out to be the best decision I’ve ever made in my life. Being in India has taught me a lot about gratitude for the life I get to live, and even playing golf there has taught me a lot. Like I need to put the ball in the fairway, try to make birdies with the wedges.
“So, at first people called me crazy, and now it has worked out. I think it really validates everything I’ve done. Hopefully, it’s only the beginning.”
Despite getting so close to his first win on the ADT, Ching-hung wasn’t disappointed. It was his third consecutive runners-up finish, following back-to-back PGA Tour of Taiwan events earlier this month.
“I feel I’ve performed quite well in all aspects this week. When I teed off today, I didn’t set my sights on winning; I just focused on hitting my shots well,” said Ching-hung.
“I also finished second in two previous Taiwan Tour events, so this second-place finish gives me a lot of confidence. It showed me that I need more patience and hard work to win.”
Ramos, who missed retaining his card on the Asian Tour this year after “missing it by a hair” last year (finished 71st in the Order of Merit with 65 players keeping their cards), was delighted to secure his place in the International Series event later this year.
“Very excited, of course,” said Ramos. “Being able to go back out there and then prove myself, and hopefully play better than I did last year in the last international Series, it would be great. Hopefully, I can get a win or play really well for that week.
“It was a great tournament, almost staged like a major championship. So many people attended that week and so many of my friends talked about it and have started playing golf because of it.”
The Asian Development Tour heads to Thailand next week for the Bangkok Classic.
June 19: On a perfect Moving Day, players with the three lowest rounds of the day moved to the top of the leaderboard in the inaugural US$100,000 DigiPlus Philippine ADT Open, with Malaysia’s Galven Green (main image) grabbing a narrow one-shot advantage after a sensational eight-under-par 64.
At the par-72 Luisita Golf and Country Club, Italian Michele Ortolani had the second-best round of the day – a seven-under 65 – and he climbed to second place at 13-under par total. England’s Thomas Plumb (66), who had the third-best round of the day, was one shot further behind at -12.
Overnight leader, Argentina’s Franco Scorzato, kept himself in the mix with a one-under 71, which was good for a tied fourth place at 11-under with Chinese Taipei’s Ching-hung Su (70) at 11-under.
Michele Ortolani of Italy. Picture by Joki Escandor/ADT
Two spots for the US$2 million Philippine Open on The International Series later in the year is up for grabs for two leading Filipino golfers, and Sean Ramos, who recently lost the ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A in a playoff, kept a stranglehold on it with a 67 that moved him to tied sixth place at 10-under, two better than Angelo Que (-7, tied 10th).
Brother of Gavin, one of the finest golfers Malaysia has produced, Green is looking for his first win in an Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) event. He had several top-five finishes on the ADT before this, including a tied third at the 2024 Indonesia Pro-Am presented by Combiphar & Nomura.
Green started the day four shots behind the leader, but enjoyed a good start with birdies in his first two holes, and then made the turn at five-under for the round with an eagle on the ninth hole. He then added three more birdies on the back nine, including the last two holes, to bookend his round perfectly.
“Honestly, it’s just about making the putts out here. If you can hit some greens and make some putts, you would have done well here, and that’s what I did, said Green who hit his mini driver twice to reach the green on the ninth hole and made a 20-footer putt for his eagle.
Thomas Plumb of England. Picture by Joki Escandor/ADT
“Obviously, there is a lot of golf to play still, and it would be my first international win. So, it will mean a lot, for sure. But it’s a different day and golf is golf. It’s always a different day and you always try your best. You want to win every tournament, but in golf, it is not always the case.”
Like Green and Plumb, Ortolani, a typical journeyman in the game who has cards on the Alps Tour, the PGTI in India and on ADT, is also looking for his first international win.
After finishing his round with back-to-back birdies, he said: “Today was a fantastic Moving Day. I would say, my seven-under was almost flawless, except for a little accident on the 16th (hit into the water) where I ended up making a bogey. But I bounced back very nicely with two birdies on the 17th and 18th, so I’m very happy.
“It feels good. I have been working really hard. I am looking forward to tomorrow. I have been knocking on the door a few times, so I’m very grateful to be in this position. Every time I am in this position, I learn something new and add something to my experience. Hopefully, I can seal the deal tomorrow.”
Sean Ramos of the Philippines. Picture by Joki Escandor/ADT
Ramos, who shot his best round of the tournament so far, made a solitary bogey on the 11th hole, but compensated for that with six birdies.
“I started well with birdies on the first and third holes, and then I got cold. I don’t know why, but for some reason I tend to get cold for long periods on this course. And then made a few birdies from the 10th hole onwards. I three-putted the 11th, which was a little clumsy of me,” said Ramos.
“There obviously is a little bit of pressure (of being the top Filipino player), but I think coming off the playoff in Malaysia, I feel a little bit more experienced of being in contention now.”
Including the visit to the Philippines, the ADT is set to have tournaments in seven countries this season. It will also travel to Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Morocco, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia.
June 18: Argentina’s Franco Scorzato may be struggling with the language and food in Asia, but proved once again that his golf is ready to flower in the continent. For the second successive event on the Asian Development Tour, he moved into contention, snatching the halfway lead in the inaugural US$100,000 DigiPlus Philippine ADT Open.
At the par-72 Luisita Golf and Country Club, Scorzato birdied the 18th hole to shoot a six-under-par 66 round and reached a 10-under-par total after 36 holes. That gave him a one-shot edge over Chinese Taipei’s Ching-hung Su (70), and Japan’s Naoki Sekito (69), who were tied second at nine-under par.
Macau’s Kelvin Si (70) moved to solo fourth place at 138, one ahead of Australia’s Darcy Brereton (67), American Brent Ito (70) and Thai Suttinon Panyo (67).
Overnight leader, Thomas Plumb of England slipped to tied seventh place at six-under total after a round of 74, where he was joined by Malaysians Galven Green (69) and Marcus Lim (72) and Italian Michele Ortolan (68).
Naoki Sekito of Japan. Picture by Ryan Tambalque/ADT
The tournament is offering spots in the US$2 million Philippine Open on The International Series later in the year to the two leading Filipino golfers. Of the 45 Filipino players that made the starting field, 15 made the cut with Sean Ramos (71) the best placed at tied 12th place at five-under par total.
The 23-year-old Scorzato was second by two shots going into the final round of the am green IGPL Morocco Rising Stars earlier this month, but did not have the best Sunday and dropped to tied 12th place. He was confident he had learned enough from his experience to do better this week.
“I’ve played very well over the last two days. My tee shots in particular have been very good and I have been able to take advantage by putting myself in the right positions,” said Scorzato, who made eight birdies in his round.
“Yes, I was in a great position going into that final round in Morocco, but I unfortunately didn’t have a good day. It’s all about the experiences and the learning. I think it will help me going forward into the weekend rounds this week and in the future.”
Ching Hung Su of Chinese Taipei. Picture by Ryan Tambalque/ADT
On his first year in Asia, Scorzato added: “It’s been an incredible experience thus far, from the people, the tournaments to the organisers and the incredible countries I have visited for the very first time.
“I first heard about the Asian Tour via my friend Miguel Carballo (a two-time ADT and Korn Ferry Tour champion). He has been on the Asian Tour for many years and I made the decision to try it out and managed to join through Q School.
“I’ve really enjoyed all the countries I have visited so far. The biggest challenge so far for me is the food and I haven’t quite managed to get accustomed to it yet, but the level of hospitality in all these places has truly been incredible. The people have been so welcoming and amazing.”
Sekito, a three-time champion on the ADT, showed his class on a day when he did not hit the ball too well. He hit only 10 fairways and was one-over after his first eight holes, but somehow battled it out for a three-under 69 in the end.
Sean Ramos of the Philippines. Picture by Ryan Tambalque/ADT
“Compared to yesterday, I would say my hitting was quite bad today. I hit only 10 greens, but I still made a lot of good ups and downs, and like yesterday, my caddy helped me a lot on the green. I had like a 20-footer for birdie on the last hole, and I made it. So, I’m very happy to finish with 69 today,” said Nekito, who is playing his third ADT event of the season.
The 28-year-old revealed he suddenly increased his swing speed while practicing with a baseball bat during the winter months in Japan last year. That led to a drastic change in his club set-up. He is also playing with a new driver and three-wood this week.
“I think last year, I almost changed all 14 clubs in the bag. I used to have six hybrids, so my longest iron was six-iron until last year, but I have my four-iron back now. I started hitting longer last year, and I had to change everything,” said Sekito, whose last ADT win was the 2023 OB Golf Championship.
“I don’t really go to the gym and work out, but last year, when I had no events, like in the first two- three months, I kept on swinging a heavy baseball bat. And once the weather started getting warm, I saw I was actually hitting it longer.”
Including the visit to the Philippines, the ADT is set to have tournaments in seven countries this season. It will also travel to Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Morocco, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia.
June 17: Thomas Plumb (main image) snatched a narrow one-shot lead in the opening round of the inaugural US$100,000 DigiPlus Philippine ADT Open on the Asian Development Tour following a clean card with eight birdies on Wednesday.
Englishman Plumb’s eight-under-par 64 was one better than Chinese Taipei’s Ching-hung Su (65), who recorded a similar number of birdies but slipped because of one bogey on his card.
At the par-72 Luisita Golf and Country Club, Malaysia’s Marcus Lim, Japan’s Naoki Sekito, Korea’s Jaeil Kim, and Macau’s Kelvin Si were tied third with rounds of 66, while American Brent Ito and Hong Kong’s Hoho Yue were a shot further behind at 67.
Ching Hung Su of Chinese Taipei. Picture by Ryan Tambalque/ADT
The tournament is offering spots in the Philippine Open on The International Series later in the year to the two leading Filipino golfers. That race was already heating up with five players – Sean Ramos, Fidel Concepcion, James Ryan Lam, Jeffren Lumbo, and amateur Shinichi Suzuki – tied ninth at 68, alongside the reigning ADT Order of Merit champion Nicklaus Chiam of Singapore.
The 27-year-old Plumb has been playing on various development tours in Europe, before his friend Sam Broadhurst, who graduated to the Asian Tour from the ADT last year, managed to convince him to come out to Asia. That decision is looking like a good one as Plumb felt comfortable in the hot conditions.
Playing in the afternoon session from the first tee, he made two birdies on his first eight holes, and then added half a dozen more over the next 10 holes.
Marcus Lim of Malaysia. Picture by Ryan Tambalque/ADT
“Before I started out in Asia on ADT, Sam was the first person who kind of gave me the nudge to come out here. I played a Q School event with him last year at Huddersfield, and he was like, you need to do it, you need to go and try it. He’s loved it out here, and I don’t see myself going anywhere else for a minute. This has been so much fun,” said Plumb, making his first visit to the Philippines.
“Today, I got off to a fairly slow start, a few pars, and then just the birdies kept coming after that. I holed a few, and then it was kind of steady. I just played really well. It was perfect.
“I birdied the 10th, 11th, and 12th, and then it just kind of kick-started there, and all of a sudden, I was minus six through 12. I thought I could actually get a good round going, like a really low one.
“I was always in play off the tee, and never really hit it outside of 20-25 feet. From that range, you feel like you’re never going to make a bogey from there. So, I think the biggest part of the game that went well was just hitting it close.”
Sean Ramos of the Philippines. Picture by Ryan Tambalque/ADT
Ching-hung started from the 10th tee with three birdies in a row, before making the turn with his solitary bogey on the 18th hole. On his back nine, he added more birdies on the third and fourth holes, and added a second hat-trick of birdies from the sixth to eighth holes.
Lim started with four birdies in his first five holes but rued the two bogeys on the two par-three holes of the front nine of the course (his back nine, having started from the 10th tee).
“I just played. I was solid today. I had a good start and just tried to stay calm after that. However, when I crossed over, I made two bogeys on both the par three holes (second and sixth), which were big mistakes. I made two three-putts, and that is something that I want to avoid tomorrow.”
Including the visit to the Philippines, the ADT is set to have tournaments in seven countries this season. It will also travel to Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Morocco, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia.
The Asian Development Tour (ADT) announced today that the inaugural DigiPlus Philippine ADT Open has been added to its schedule – ensuring a first visit of the year to one of its most important countries.
The US$100,000 tournament will be played at Luisita Golf and Country Club from 17-20 June and will be the sixth event of the season. The tournament aims to elevate Filipino golfers from local talent to national pride by providing elite playing opportunities in the DigiPlus Philippine ADT Open.
The golf club, located in Tarlac City, in Central Luzon, hosted the ADT’s most recent event in the Philippines: the ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A last year.
“The Asian Development Tour is delighted to welcome a new event on to our calendar, which now boasts 13 tournaments – with furthers additions likely,” said Ken Kudo, General Manager, ADT.
“The Philippines is such a big contributor to Asian golf, with great players and great golf courses, so it was important to make sure we returned there this season. We thank Luisita Golf and Country Club for hosting one of our events for the second successive season and we thank DigiPlus for becoming title sponsor.”
In a big plus for the tournament, the leading two Filipino golfers will earn exemptions into the Philippine Open on The International Series later in the year.
Said Jasper Vicencio, from Digiplus: “DigiPlus is excited to be playing an important role in golf in the Philippines and on the Asian Development Tour this year. DigiPlus remains dedicated to advancing sports development in the Philippines. It was proven last year when Miguel Tabuena championed the International Series Philippines. Hence, DigiPlus supported Miguel completely. Without a doubt, the DigiPlus Philippine ADT Open will make a big impact on both as we look to provide elite-level playing opportunities locally and regionally.”
The tournament will feature 132 players, with 82 from the ADT, 30 National Golf Association of the Philippines players, six from the national team, and fourteen invites.
The visit to the Philippines means the ADT is set to have tournaments in seven countries this season, as it will also journey to Chinese-Taipei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Morocco, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia.
The ADT has enjoyed an action-packed season so far, with four events having been played.
Singapore’s Nicklaus Chiam currently leads the Order of Merit helped by victory in the season-opening PKNS Selangor Masters. He won that event in a sudden-death play-off, which has been the case in the other three events.
Malaysia’s Khavish Varadan was victorious in the Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters, Amarin Kraivixien from Thailand won the Singha-SAT ADT Hua Hin Championship and Indian Pukhraj Singh Gill triumphed in ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A. Varadan is second on the Order of Merit, having also featured in the play-off with Chiam.
Thailand’s Tanapat Pichaikool won the am green IGPL Morocco Rising Stars event at the weekend.
Main picture: Sean Ramos, the leading Filipino golfer on the ADT Order of Merit in 10th place.
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