Leow seals emotional breakthrough with closing 63
The 2025 Asian Development Tour (ADT) reached a breathtaking conclusion in Saudi Arabia today, with Singapore’s James Leow staging a stunning comeback win at the Aramco Invitational Tournament for his maiden ADT title, and 10 players earning career-changing promotions to the Asian Tour.
Trailing overnight leader Angus Flanagan of England by five strokes at the start of the final round at Rolling Hills Golf Club, Leow birdied his last three holes en route to a scintillating nine-under-par 63, matching the course record. His 72-hole total of 23-under-par 265 (66-68-68-63) earned him the breakthrough victory by two shots over Flanagan (66-66-65-70).
Leow picked up a handsome cheque for US$43,750 which propelled him from 46th position to fourth place on the final ADT Order of Merit with US$52,629.69 in season earnings, securing one of the 2026 Asian Tour cards reserved for the top-10 merit finishers.
“I’m over the moon for my first win! It’s been a long three years since I turned professional, and I had a lot of struggles trying to close out tournaments. I’ve been in contention so many times, so to finally do it and close it out is the greatest feeling ever,” said Leow, who turns 29 this December 22.
Leow marked nine birdies, two bogeys and an eagle at the par-five 12th hole on his final round scorecard. Having been in the final group last year when he fell back with a closing 77, Leow adopted a different mental approach this time around.
“I put too much pressure on myself and that took a toll on me. This year I came in with a different mindset after working with my coach, Jonathan Wallett. I just needed to put some trust in my own game and my own values when I’m playing. Fortunately, everything kind of worked out,” shared Leow.
DHAHRAN, SAUDI ARABIA: Angus Flanagan of England pictured on Saturday, November 29, 2025, during Round Four of the 2025 Aramco Invitational at Rolling Hills Golf Club. The US$250,000 event is staged from November 26-29, 2025. Picture by Jason Butler / Asian Tour.
Once the job was done, Leow called his father to share the good news, his eyes tearing up as they spoke. “Words can’t really describe how emotional I am to get my Asian Tour card. I have no expectations for next year, but you’ll definitely see me have fun out there. I like to win, and I want to be a winner on a major tour – that’s one goal I’ve set for myself.”
Leow turned professional in late 2022 following a decorated collegiate golf career with Arizona State University. He enjoyed much success as an amateur, including winning an individual gold medal at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.
As one of the top-five players on the final ADT Order of Merit, Leow also earns a potentially lucrative start at the Asian Tour’s US$1 million season finale, the Saudi Open presented by PIF which takes place December 10-13 at Dirab Golf & Country Club.
Starting the final round with a two-stroke advantage, Flanagan began well with two consecutive birdies but was unable to maintain the momentum, settling for runner-up honours and a US$28,750 payday. Competing on a tournament invitation in his first-ever ADT start, the 26-year-old journeyman was not eligible for the Order of Merit promotions to the Asian Tour and will head to Thailand for Q-School First Stage this coming week.
DHAHRAN, SAUDI ARABIA: Carl Jano Corpus of the Philippines pictured on Saturday, November 29, 2025, during Round Four of the 2025 Aramco Invitational at Rolling Hills Golf Club. The US$250,000 event is staged from November 26-29, 2025. Picture by Jason Butler / Asian Tour.
First round co-leader Carl Jano Corpus of the Philippines was third on 20-under-par 268 (63-70-69-66), pocketing US$17,500. Winner of the Morocco Rising Stars Marrakech – Al Maaden Golf Resorts in June, Corpus moved up from third to second place on the ADT Order of Merit with US$70,259.77.
Joining Corpus as one of the ten Asian Tour card recipients is his cousin, Aidric Chan, who was sixth on the final Order of Merit following a T45 finish at Rolling Hills.
Thailand’s Tawit Polthai, who finished T13 at Rolling Hills, topped the Order of Merit with US$75,314.61.
Finlay Mason of England finished tied for fourth on 18-under-par 270 (64-69-67-70), alongside Moroccan stalwart Ayoub Lguirati (70-64-66-70) and 36-hole co-leader Khavish Varadan of Malaysia (65-67-67-71). Winning US$11,416.67, Mason climbed three rungs on the Order of Merit into ninth place with US$35,807.29, earning a coveted Asian Tour card.
2025 ADT Final Order of Merit (Top 10 players who earn Asian Tour cards for 2026)
| Pos | Player (Country) | Earnings |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tawit Polthai (THA) | US$75,314.61 |
| 2 | Carl Jano Corpus (PHI) | US$70,259.77 |
| 3 | Matt Killen (ENG) | US$61,588.17 |
| 4 | James Leow (SIN) | US$52,629.69 |
| 5 | Karandeep Kochhar (IND) | US$43,507.63 |
| 6 | Aidric Chan (PHI) | US$39,789.67 |
| 7 | Niklas Regner (AUT) | US$36,416.15 |
| 8 | Sam Broadhurst (ENG) | US$36,343.98 |
| 9 | Finlay Mason (ENG) | US$35,807.29 |
| 10 | Nopparat Panichphol (THA) | US$34,761.62 |
Main picture: James Leow of Singapore pictured with the winner’s trophy on Saturday, November 29, 2025, following his win in the 2025 Aramco Invitational at Rolling Hills Golf Club. Picture by Jason Butler / Asian Tour.
There will be all to play for in tomorrow’s final round of the Aramco Invitational Tournament in Saudi Arabia, with English journeyman Angus Flanagan leading Malaysian Khavish Varadan by two shots with 18 holes to go at Rolling Hills Golf Club.
Offering a lucrative prize fund of US$250,000, the 2025 Asian Development Tour (ADT) season-ender is set for a frantic finish as players tussle for position on the ADT Order of Merit. The top-10 players on the final Order of Merit will secure coveted Asian Tour cards for next season.
Playing this week on a tournament invitation and making his first-ever ADT start, Flanagan is not eligible for the Order of Merit promotion. However, the globetrotting 26-year-old will be glad to switch base to Asia and is in fact heading to Thailand for next week’s Qualifying School First Stage.
“The last year or two, I’ve been kind of bouncing all over – I’ll go find golf tournaments anywhere in the world to play. I mean, it took me 23 hours to get here from Tennessee! I’m flying to Thailand tomorrow evening to play First Stage, and then hopefully have a job on the Asian Tour next year. It would obviously be nice to be able to plan out a schedule and just really focus on one tour,” said Flanagan, who has won several times on mini tours in Europe and the United States.
After playing his first 12 holes in one-under-par, Flanagan caught fire on the closing stretch with four straight birdies from 13 to 16 followed by a chip-in eagle at the par-five 17th. His seven-under-par 65 was the joint low round of the day, and put him at the top of the leaderboard with a 54-hole aggregate of 19-under-par 197 (66, 66, 65).
“I missed a five-footer on the last, unfortunately. But hey, it’s one of those things I’ll take. If you had told me that I’d be six-under for my last six holes, I mean, I would have bitten your hand off for that, really,” Flanagan quipped.
“I’m just excited for what tomorrow holds and to see where my game’s at. My game’s been in a good spot all year, so it’ll be nice to just kind of stand up, see where the ball’s going, and hole some putts,” he added.
DHAHRAN, SAUDI ARABIA: Khavish Varadan of Malaysia pictured on Friday, November 28, 2025, during Round Three of the 2025 Aramco Invitational at Rolling Hills Golf Club. The US$250,000 event is staged from November 26-29, 2025. Picture by Jason Butler / Asian Tour.
Khavish meanwhile recorded seven birdies against two bogeys in his round of 67. The strapping 25-year-old co-led with Flanagan after 36 holes, and will be fired up to finish strong and chalk up his first ADT title.
Moroccan stalwart Ayoub Lguirati continued to impress with a round of 66, and is well-placed in tied third position at 16-under-par with another Englishman, Finlay Mason. Should he win, the 31-year-old Lguirati will enter the history books as the first ADT winner from his country.
“I have one goal, which is to get to the Asian Tour, so I need to finish top three at this event to have a chance. Tomorrow is another round and I will do my best, one shot at a time,” said Lguirati, whose best finish on the ADT is solo fourth at this year’s ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A.
Lguirati noted that he is proud to carry the flag for Arab golf. “I feel like a hero for the Arab players. The last two years, I decided to play on the ADT, because I feel it’s a very good tour to learn and grow. I’m very happy to have friends now with me, traveling together and discovering all the countries. I really want to thank the Arab Golf Federation, and Aramco and Saudi, for all the support,” he said.
DHAHRAN, SAUDI ARABIA: Ayoub Lguirati of Morocco pictured on Friday, November 28, 2025, during Round Three of the 2025 Aramco Invitational at Rolling Hills Golf Club. The US$250,000 event is staged from November 26-29, 2025. Picture by Jason Butler / Asian Tour.
Matching Flanagan’s low round of the day was a player who has a strong affinity for the Rolling Hills course – Thailand’s Varanyu Rattanaphiboonkij, who won this event here in 2022 in its first iteration as an ADT event, and was third last year.
“My putting was very good today, but I had some problems with my tee shots, so I couldn’t find many fairways. But eventually, the result came out pretty well. I know the course very well, like where I can miss and where I shouldn’t miss. I think that helped me score low today,” said Varanyu, who has three wins on the ADT.
“I’m actually working on a big change in my swing right now, so I didn’t expect much. Every time I come to Rolling Hills, I’m really happy because I have a lot of good memories from here,” added the 28-year-old.
The top-five players on the final ADT Order of Merit will also earn starts at the Asian Tour’s US$1 million Saudi Open presented by PIF, which takes place from December 10-13 at Dirab Golf & Country Club.
Main picture: Angus Flanagan of England pictured on Friday, November 28, 2025, during Round Three of the 2025 Aramco Invitational at Rolling Hills Golf Club. The US$250,000 event is staged from November 26-29, 2025. Picture by Jason Butler / Asian Tour.
Malaysia’s Khavish Varadan and England’s Angus Flanagan will head into the final 36 holes of the US$250,000 Aramco Invitational Tournament tied for the lead on 12-under-par.
On a day of significant leaderboard movement at the Asian Development Tour (ADT) season-ender in Saudi Arabia, Khavish added a solid 67 to his opening 65, while Flanagan fired a second successive 66 at Rolling Hills Golf Club. They top the standings by one shot from first round co-leader Carl Jano Corpus of the Philippines (63, 70) and another Englishman, Finlay Mason (64, 69).
With its sizeable prize fund, the Aramco Invitational will have a huge say in determining the final ADT Order of Merit and the top 10 players who will earn promotions to the Asian Tour next season. The top-five players on the final ADT Order of Merit will also be given starts at the US$1 million Saudi Open presented by PIF, an Asian Tour event that takes place this December 10-13 at Dirab Golf & Country Club.
Khavish, 25, noted that his game has been trending upwards since a mid-season reset. He chalked up seven birdies against two bogeys in a show of solid ball-striking.
“My golf game has been really solid after the changes my coach and I made, and it’s nice to see I’m trending in the right direction. I just trusted my ball striking, gave myself as many birdie looks as I could, and hoped that some putts might fall. That’s what I did yesterday and today,” said Khavish.
Kavish is currently in 36th place on the ADT Order of Merit, having missed the last few events on the region’s leading developmental circuit. “I was in the U.S. playing Q-School first stage, and I did Europe as well,” he explained.
“I think I’m just very focused on my game and on pleasing myself – and I’m a very hard person to please when it comes to golf! So, I’m just going to do what I did the first two days, hopefully even better,” noted the towering golfer, who played on the U.S. collegiate circuit for the University of Alabama at Birmingham before turning professional in late 2023.
DHAHRAN, SAUDI ARABIA: Angus Flanagan of England pictured on Thursday, November 27, 2025, during Round Two of the 2025 Aramco Invitational at Rolling Hills Golf Club. The US$250,000 event is staged from November 26-29, 2025. Picture by Jason Butler / Asian Tour.
Playing as a tournament invite, Flanagan had two eagles, three birdies and one bogey in a colourful round.
Thailand’s Amarin Kraivixien, one of three first round co-leaders who shot opening 63s, fell back into tied fifth place on 10-under-par following a second round 71. He is aiming to become the fourth consecutive Thai winner of the tournament, joining Itthipat Buranatanyarat (2024), Denwit Booribonsub (2023) and Varanyu Rattanaphiboonkij (2022).
Hong Kong, China’s Hoho Yue, who was also in top spot on day one, scrambled his way to a second round 74 to tumble down the leaderboard into tied 20th spot on seven-under-par.
Among the players who made the halfway cut to stay in the hunt for the 10 Asian Tour cards was Filipino talent Aidric Chan. Starting on the 10th hole, the 24-year-old saved his best for last by holing his second shot on his final hole, the par-four 9th, for an eagle two. Having opened with a 75, Chan’s second round 67 gave him a 36-hole total of two-under-par 142, making the cut by two shots.
Currently in fifth place on the ADT Order of merit, Chan will still need a solid finish here to book his place among the top-10 on the final ADT Order of Merit and gain his Asian Tour card for 2026.
DHAHRAN, SAUDI ARABIA: Aidric Chan of the Philippines pictured on Thursday, November 27, 2025, during Round Two of the 2025 Aramco Invitational at Rolling Hills Golf Club. The US$250,000 event is staged from November 26-29, 2025. Picture by Jason Butler / Asian Tour.
“A lot has been going through my mind, especially after shooting 75 yesterday. The points in this last event are basically double the other events, and anyone who finishes top five could potentially get past me. I’m definitely going to try to be a little bit more aggressive in the next two rounds. It would mean a lot to me to get an Asian Tour card,” said Chan, who won the ADT’s Morocco Rising Stars Marrakech – Samanah Golf Club In June year, but has been in patchy form over the last few events.
Four Saudi golfers – Faisal Salhab (71, 71), Saud Al Sharif (74, 70), Aramco touring professional Othman Almulla (70, 74) and Khalid Attieh (74 , 70) – made the halfway cut which came at even-par.
Joining the four Saudi players in the final 36 holes are Moroccan number one Ayoub Lguirati, who shot a superb second round 64 following an opening 70 to stay well in the hunt, his compatriot El Mehdi Fakori (72, 72), and two impressive amateurs from Qatar, Daniil Sokolov (69, 69) and Saleh Alkaabi (67, 72).
Main picture: Khavish Varadan of Malaysia pictured on Thursday, November 27, 2025, during Round Two of the 2025 Aramco Invitational at Rolling Hills Golf Club. The US$250,000 event is staged from November 26-29, 2025. Picture by Jason Butler / Asian Tour.
Thailand’s Amarin Kraivixien, Filipino Carl Jarno Corpus and Hong Kong rookie Yin Ho Yue fired matching opening rounds of nine-under-par 63 to jointly lead the US$250,000 Aramco Invitational Tournament in Saudi Arabia.
Taking advantage of benign weather and ideal scoring conditions at Rolling Hills Golf Club, the trio set a new professional course record in relation to par at the season-ending event of the 2025 Asian Development Tour (ADT).
Chasing his first win on the ADT, Amarin amassed an eagle and eight birdies against a solitary bogey. The 29-year-old got off to a good start with a birdie on his first hole, which helped calm his nerves.
“In the last four or five tournaments, I’ve started with a bogey on the first hole which is really frustrating. But today, on the first hole I hit a good tee shot and a good second shot, and made a solid 15-footer for birdie. That took the nerves away and I was just enjoying my round after that,” said Amarin.
Aiming to become the fourth consecutive Thai winner of the tournament following Itthipat Buranatanyarat (2024), Denwit Booribonsub (2023) and Varanyu Rattanaphiboonkij (2022), Amarin credited a new 3-wood for his strong showing on the four par-five holes which he played in five-under-par. The eagle at the 17th came after a soaring second shot that settled five feet from the flag.
“All the credit goes to my new 3-wood, which I bought on Saturday just a day before I flew here! That second shot on 17 was probably the best I ever hit with a 3-wood,” said Amarin.
DHAHRAN, SAUDI ARABIA: Carl Jano Corpus of the Philippines pictured on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, during Round One of the 2025 Aramco Invitational at Rolling Hills Golf Club. The US$250,000 event is staged from November 26-29, 2025. Picture by Jason Butler / Asian Tour.
Corpus has already won once this season, picking up his maiden ADT title at the Morocco Rising Stars Marrakech – Al Maaden Golf Resorts in June, and lies third on the Order of Merit. The 24-year-old paid tribute to his caddie, Rafael, a fellow Filipino who is part of the greenskeeping staff at Rolling Hills, and is a single-handicap golfer.
“My cousin Aidric (Chan) had a Filipino caddie last year, who was one of the greenskeepers here. He messaged Aidric about this year’s event, and I asked if there was another Filipino who could caddie for me. It’s always nice to have someone on your bag who can speak Filipino, and Rafael and me were just joking around the whole time and talking about home. He really helped with reading the greens. It’s also his birthday today, and that kind of gave me an extra gear,” said Corpus, who had seven birdies and an eagle at the 12th hole.
“This is my first time playing the Rolling Hills course and it’s in really great shape. I’m so happy to be playing on good greens; how fast and pure they’re rolling is just amazing.”
Playing in his rookie season on the ADT, Yue noted that staying focused on the task at hand helped him record nine birdies on a blemish-free scorecard.
DHAHRAN, SAUDI ARABIA: Hoho Yue of Hong Kong pictured on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, during Round One of the 2025 Aramco Invitational at Rolling Hills Golf Club. The US$250,000 event is staged from November 26-29, 2025. Picture by Jason Butler / Asian Tour.
“It was pretty smooth sailing the whole day. I kind of focused on what’s ahead of me, what’s underneath my feet. I had a few good putts here and there, but I just felt that I played really steady golf. I was really consistent and stayed patient all day,” said the 25-year-old Yue, who goes by the nickname ‘Hoho’.
Earlier this month, Yue led the Egyptian Open by two shots heading into the final round and carded a closing 74 to settle for joint 8th position.
Englishman Finlay Mason shot an eight-under-par 64 to lie in fourth place, a shot ahead of Malaysian Khavish Varadan and Thailand’s Chayutpol Kittirattanapaiboon.
Othman Almulla was the best-placed Saudi golfer in T37 position following a solid opening round of two-under-par 70.
Staged at Rolling Hills for the fourth year running, the Aramco Invitational will determine the final ADT Order of Merit standings and the top 10 players who will earn promotions to the Asian Tour next season. Additionally, the top-five players on the final ADT Order of Merit will be given starts at the Asian Tour’s US$1 million Saudi Open presented by PIF, which takes place December 10-13 at the Dirab Golf & Country Club.
Main picture: Amarin Kraivixien of Thailand pictured on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, during Round One of the 2025 Aramco Invitational at Rolling Hills Golf Club. The US$250,000 event is staged from November 26-29, 2025. Picture by Jason Butler / Asian Tour.
From nail-biting playoffs to breakthrough victories and exotic new destinations, the 2025 Asian Development Tour (ADT) had it all.
Following a memorable season, the region’s leading developmental golf circuit will culminate in what promises to be an exciting finale at this week’s Aramco Invitational Tournament in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
To be played at the exclusive Rolling Hills Golf Club in Dhahran for the fourth year running, the much-awaited season-ender will bring together the rising stars of the ADT, regional talents and Saudi’s leading players.
With its hefty prize fund of US$250,000, the Aramco Invitational will have a huge bearing on the final ADT Order of Merit standings and the top 10 players who will earn career-changing Asian Tour cards for next season. Further down the pecking order, there is still a lot to play for – the top 20 players get direct entry into the Asian Tour’s Qualifying School Final Stage, while the top 25 will keep their ADT status for 2026.
And there’s another more immediate and extremely lucrative incentive to do well at Rolling Hills. The top-five players on the final ADT Order of Merit will enjoy an extended Arabian adventure as they will be granted starts at the Asian Tour’s US$1 million Saudi Open presented by PIF, which tees off from December 10-13 at the Dirab Golf & Country Club.
Current ADT Order of Merit leader Tawit Polthai will be keen to keep the Aramco Invitational title in Thai hands. The tournament’s three winners so far are all from Thailand – defending champion Itthipat Buranatanyarat, 2023 winner Denwit Booribonsub, and Varanyu Rattanaphiboonkij who triumphed in 2022 and is back to play this year.
Other ADT players to look out for include English journeyman Matt Killen, who is on a great run of form and is currently second on the Order of Merit, India’s Karandeep Kochhar who claimed his first ADT title in Egypt earlier this month, and Filipino sensation Aidric Chan who has already won twice in 2025.
DHAHRAN, SAUDI ARABIA: Shotaro Ban of the United States pictured on Monday, November 24, 2025, during official practice for the 2025 Aramco Invitational at Rolling Hills Golf Club. The US$250,000 event is staged from November 26-29, 2025. Picture by Jason Butler / Asian Tour.
With 25 invitational players and 15 regional exemptions in the line-up, the Aramco Invitational also serves a broader purpose – to help drive the growth of the game in the Middle East and catalyse the creation of home-grown champions.
Among the players flying the Saudi flag this week are the Kingdom’s top professional golfer Khalid Attieh, Faisal Salhab who was last year’s top local finisher in T36 position, and stalwart Othman Almulla who was T28 in 2023 and T18 in 2022.
Nabil Al-Nuaim, Chairman of the Saudi Aramco Golf Association (SAGA) and CEO of Aramco Digital Company, said: “One of our main goals is to drive the development of the game among the youth in Saudi Arabia, by providing aspirational motivation and ample opportunities for emerging talents to shine. Our partnership with the Asian Development Tour for the Aramco Invitational Tournament is one of the key initiatives in our quest to achieve that goal.
“We look forward to building on this collaboration in the years to come and, hopefully soon, we will see a home-grown winner of the championship.”
ADT General Manager Ken Kudo is looking forward to a week of thrills and spills at Rolling Hills.
DHAHRAN, SAUDI ARABIA: Su, Ching-hung of Chinese Taipei pictured on Monday, November 24, 2025, during official practice for the 2025 Aramco Invitational at Rolling Hills Golf Club. The US$250,000 event is staged from November 26-29, 2025. Picture by Jason Butler / Asian Tour.
“The Aramco Invitational has been the ADT’s season finale for two of the past three years, producing some amazing golf and unforgettable moments as our players strive to finish the season strong. There is a whole lot to play for this week, and I am sure we will see another worthy champion and 10 deserving ADT players who will progress to the Asian Tour in 2026,” said Kudo.
“One of the most gratifying aspects of the Aramco Invitational is our close partnership with Saudi Aramco, who share our vision to elevate golf in the region and create future champions. We are also privileged to be able to stage the event at Rolling Hills, which is one of the most exclusive golf clubs in the Middle East,” he added.
A private club exclusively for Saudi Aramco employees, Rolling Hills’ history dates back to Saudi Arabia’s oil boom in the late 1940s. Originally a sand course, Rolling Hills was transformed into a championship grass layout in the early 2000s and is now widely acknowledged as one of the premier golfing experiences in the Middle East.
A high-calibre field at a fantastic venue, and all to play for – the stage is set for the Aramco Invitational to deliver a final act to remember.
Main picture: DHAHRAN, SAUDI ARABIA: Ryoto Furuya of the United States pictured on Monday, November 24, 2025, during official practice for the 2025 Aramco Invitational at Rolling Hills Golf Club. The US$250,000 event is staged from November 26-29, 2025. Picture by Jason Butler / Asian Tour.
November 1: Niklas Regner overcame more than a year in the wilderness behind him to win his first international title when he claimed the US$125,000 Egyptian Open, which made a comeback to the global schedule after a gap of 25 years, by two shots.
The Austrian, who started the final day three shots behind overnight leader Yin Ho Yue of Hong Kong, shot a three-under 67 on a tough scoring day at the Madinaty Golf Club, and that was enough for his first win on the Asian Development Tour (ADT).
The win moves him to No6 in the ADT Order of Merit and puts him in a great position to secure one of 10 available Asian Tour cards.
Thailand’s Tawit Polthai (70) increased his lead on top of the Order of Merit by finishing tied second at 12-under par 268, where he was joined by his compatriot Poom Pattaropong (69) and Carl Jano Corpus (68) of the Philippines.
Morocco’s Ayoub Lguirati (64) shot the best round of the day, and his reward was a jump to tied fifth place at 269 alongside the English duo of Sam Rook (66) and Matt Killen (67). He was the best placed among all players from the North Africa region.
Niklas Regner of Austria.
After a couple of great seasons on the HotelPlanner Tour when he finished inside the top-10 seven times between 2021 and 2022, Regner lost his card with just four cuts in 2024. He qualified for the Asian Development Tour (ADT) this year. However, when he needed to pull out of an event in Finland in August and discovered he had slipped disc, it looked like 2025 was also going to be a wasted year.
Regner made a quick recovery and was back on the ADT with a slightly tweaked swing, and his patience and persistence paid dividend when he finished tied seventh in the ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A less than a fortnight ago.
With his coach, Dominic Angkawidjaja, on his bag this week, the comeback was complete with the Egyptian Open triumph.
“I am so happy about this, especially because this is my first international win,” said the 26-year-old Regner.
“The birdie on the 10th was important. I actually hit the drive too long there and the ball was about four-five yards into the rough. But I hit a very decent approach shot from there to about five feet to a tucked pin.
Tawit Polthai of Thailand. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“The back nine was playing tough with the wind and also the four par-three holes, so I was happy that I did not make any mistakes there.”
Corpus was tied for the lead going to the 16th hole, but an unfortunate double bogey there from the fairway bunker took him out of the equation and opened the way for Regner.
“My caddie told me that I was leading on the 14th hole, so that kind of changed my mindset a little bit. Before that, I was going for everything. But I probably became more aware of my shots.
“On 16th, I thought I was right of the bunker. I could not get out of it with two tries with my hybrid. My caddie insisted I change my club to four-iron after that.
“Honestly, I wasn’t really down after that. I’m always going to go for it, especially, when I am trying to win an event. So, if I had to do it again, I’d still try to hit a hybrid.”
Tawit, who missed a five-footer for a birdie on the final hole that would have put some pressure on Regner and given him a solo second place. The ADT Order of Merit leader is guaranteed to graduate to the Asian Tour and managed to widen his lead on the top.
“It’s a little bit sad. I could have finished solo second. But the good thing is, I just kept my process all the time. When I made the putt on the 18th, I did not know that a birdie would have taken me to second place,” said the 31-year-old.
“But yes, I am excited that I am one step closer to winning the Order of Merit.”
Ayoub Lguirati of Morocco. Picture by Graham Uden / Asian Tour.
Lguirati did not have the best start to his round, making bogeys on the second and third holes. But he knuckled down after that and made seven birdies and an eagle.
“That was a tough round, a lot of wind today. I started with two early bogeys, so to finish the way I did was solid. I’m very happy,” said Lguirati, who improved to 26th place in the Order of Merit.
“I started the year with an injury in my back, so it was very tough for me mentally. But I work so hard with my team, and now my goal is just to try and finish in the top 10, top five.
“I am really enjoying playing the ADT this year, because I also have El Mehdi Fakori from my country with me. We are always travelling together and sharing everything. And I am so happy that he is also playing well.”
Next week, the Asian Development Tour 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.
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.
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