Historic Overseas Debut for China Tour at 2026 Bangkok Classic
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.
May 31: Tanapat Pichaikool showed that he was over with his days of struggle with the game when the Thailand star won the US$160,000 am green IGPL Morocco Rising Stars 2026 on Sunday by two shots.
The 26-year-old started the final round leading by two shots after a magnificent eight-under-par 64 round on Saturday and managed to end it with the same margin on top of the leaderboard following a battling two-under 70.
Tanapat left a good-looking birdie putt inches short of the cup on the 18th hole, but the par was good enough as none of his nearest rivals could make a move.
Runchanapong Youprayong (70) started three shots behind Tanapat and finished third at -14, while Bangladesh’s Siddikur Rahman jumped ahead of him with a birdie on the last hole in his 67.
That birdie on the 18th proved crucial because it sealed Rahman’s place in next week’s US$500,000 am green Bharat Classic, an Asian Tour event at the same Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort venue.
American Henry Chung (67) was in solo fourth place at -13, with the Hong Kong duo of Matthew Cheung (69) and Hoho Yue (70).
Tanapat Pichaikool of Thailand. Picture courtesy: IGPL
The last time Tanapat won was on his 25th birthday in November 2024, when he clinched the Toyota Tour Championship. Even though he held the sole lead throughout the final day, he said it wasn’t easy to get over the line.
Tanapat narrowly missed out on a full card on the Asian Tour last year when he finished 69th in the Order of Merit, as he struggled with his swing, but feels he is close to playing his best golf now.
“I was nervous. For the past five hours, it was all up and down. Golf isn’t that easy when you come down to the last couple of holes trying to win a tournament. You know others want to sneak up and shoot five or six under. I knew I just had to stay in the moment,” said Tanapat.
“Lots of changes in the last 18 months. I just kept believing that the choices I made were good choices.
“Swing-wise, I worked a lot on my downswing. I’ve been doing quite a bit of work for the past two months, and I wasn’t getting the result I wanted. And then, all of a sudden this week, all the things are working.
“I switched the driver shaft (to Mitsubishi Tensei Blue 6X on his PING G440 LST) and I think that’s a fantastic decision I made last week. I changed it probably three days before I flew here. It’s new, but it just clicked. I just saw a couple drive which were straight and all of a sudden, it was just robotic.”
Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh. Picture by Jason Butler/Asian Tour
Tanapat added that he was very excited about next week’s Asian Tour event.
“Excited, very excited indeed. It’s on the same course, and I feel I know it inside out. I will just try to play the same golf as I did this week, and hopefully, the result is the same again,” he added.
Rahman may have fallen short by a couple of shots, but he still had the smile of a winner after finishing solo second. The 41-year-old Bangladeshi legend, winner of two Asian Tour titles, is in Morocco with his family and will now have to change his air tickets after gaining an entry into next week’s event.
“Honestly, I really enjoyed myself this week. My family is with me, so I really enjoyed my work without any expectation. I thought I would not get into the next two tournaments because I was so down on the waiting list, I had to change my tickets,” said the 2013 Indian Open champion, who lost his Asian Tour card last year after finishing 94th in the Order of Merit.
“I did not expect much and spent the time taking my baby to the swimming pool and the sea. I think it was the experience of playing without much expectation. So, yes, it was really very important to me to play well this week, and I am happy that I get into the next week.”
Runchanapong Youprayong of Thailand. Picture By Ian Walton/Asian Tour
Runchanapong was eyeing that spot, which eventually went to Rahman, and he would rue the finish as he could not convert a single birdie after making three in his first eight holes and getting to within one shot of Tanapat. He then made a bogey on the 10th hole and finished with eight straight pars.
“I felt like I handled myself well out there. I gave myself a lot of chances, but the putter kind of went cold on the back nine. My distance control also felt a bit off with the wind, but it was a great experience overall to be in the last group and be in contention,” said Runchanapong, who improved to third place in the Order of Merit, one ahead of Tanapat.
“I am just trying to take it one tournament at a time. I have finished 12th on the ADT Order of Merit two times (2023 and 2024). That definitely stings a little bit and I’m just trying to improve that.
“I’m just gonna stick around another week, and hopefully, I can sneak in somehow. Let’s see if there are any withdrawals next week so that I get to play because I love this golf course.”
Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort, built on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, will also host next week’s am green IGPL Bharath Classic, a US$500,000 tournament on the Asian Tour. That will be followed by the US$2 million International Series Morocco presented by Visit Morocco. The next ADT event is the US$100,000 DigiPlus Philippine ADT Open from June 17th to 20th.
May 30: Thailand’s Tanapat Pichaikool shot a solid eight-under-par 64 to gain a two-shot advantage going into the final round of the US$160,000 am green IGPL Morocco Rising Stars 2026.
Pichaikool made an early eagle on the par-5 third hole on a windy Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort course, but immediately dropped a shot on the next hole. That was his only mistake as he added seven more birdies after that to reach 15-under par 201 total, two ahead of Argentina’s Franco Scorzato, who shot a bogey-free 67.
Another Thai star, Runchanapong Youprayong, shot a second 67 of the week to reach 12-under and was in solo third place.
American Carson Herron, son of four-time PGA Tour winner Tim, showed his golfing pedigree and shot the lowest round of the tournament. With nine birdies in his bogey-free 63, Herron jumped up 32 places to tied fourth alongside overnight leader Agusti Quinquilla Madalena of Spain (73) and Italy’s Michele Ortolani (66).
Carson Herron of the United States. Picture courtesy: IGPL
The tournament is the fifth leg of the Asian Development Tour (ADT) and is co-sanctioned with the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL). Among the IGPL players in the field, Syed Saqib Ahmed (70) was the leading contender at seven-under and in tied 14th position.
The 26-year-old Tanapat finished tied sixth in a PGT of India Tour event earlier this year – his only top-10 finish of the season – and is now hoping to get his third ADT win in a tournament that is co-sanctioned by another Indian body – the IGPL.
Having narrowly missed out on a full card on the Asian Tour last year when he finished 69th in the Order of Merit, Tanapat is looking to bounce back to the form of 2024 when he won the Toyota Tour Championship in Malaysia. He has won thrice on the All Thailand Golf Tour since then.
“It was a great round. It was a bit up and down, but I got some good breaks. The game was a bit off for the next few holes and I picked it up with a birdie on the seventh hole and managed to keep up the momentum until the end of the round,” said Tanapat, who finished second to Itthipat Buranatanyarat in the 2024 ADT Order of Merit.
“The last few months have been a lot of swing changes, and a lot of equipment changes as well. That’s why I did not get good results, but I’ve been patient through all those times for this to come. So hopefully, I can keep this going tomorrow.
“I feel that I have been executing pretty well for the past three days, so hopefully tomorrow I can execute the same things. Let’s see what happens.”
Franco Scorzato of Argentina. Picture courtesy: IGPL
Rookie Scorzato, who has not finished outside the top-23 in his last three ADT starts, will try and seal his best finish on the Tour. His previous best was a tied 8th at the Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters.
The 23-year-old made the turn in three-under with three birdies, and then kept bogeys away on the back nine with two more birdies.
“Today was a good round with no bogeys, which is always great. I hit almost every shot from the fairway, giving myself good birdie opportunities. There wasn’t much more to it than that; it was a very clean round, to be honest,” said Scorzato.
“I’m very happy to be in the last group. I think that reflects how well this week has gone, but at the same time, it doesn’t change anything about golf, and my mindset has to stay the same. I have to stay focused and committed to every shot, which is something I think I’ve been doing very well.”
The 23-year-old Herron has missed every cut in Official World Golf Ranking-recognised events this year, but Saturday was a walk in the park after making it to his first weekend of the season.
“I started in the back nine and I was able to put together a bunch of good shots and make a lot of putts. I kind of cooled down a little bit on the front nine. I kept trying to keep the pedal down, and that’s what I want to do tomorrow and just see what I can do.
“I started the week kind of slow, but I started hitting the ball better than I was in my last few tournaments. So, I kind of found something that clicked. I was just trying to hit some good wedge shots and just do well to square the clubs, and just piece it together.”
This week is the fifth stop of the 2026 season on the ADT. Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort, built on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, will also host next week’s am green IGPL Bharath Classic. The International Series Morocco presented by Visit Morocco, will bring the exciting North African adventure to a conclusion in three weeks.
May 29: Spain’s Agusti Quinquilla Madalena shot the lowest round of the tournament so far to take a four-shot lead at the halfway stage of the US$160,000 am green IGPL Morocco Rising Stars 2026.
On Friday at the stunning Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort, the 25-year-old Madalena took full advantage of the softer morning conditions. His bogey-free round had eight birdies, and it could have been even better but for a missed eagle putt from six feet on the 18th hole.
The eight-under par 64, added to his 68 in the opening round, took him to 12-under par going into the weekend rounds. He was four ahead of the Hong Kong duo of overnight leader Hoho Yue (70) and Matthew Cheung (68), and Argentina’s Franco Scorzato (68).
Thailand’s Tanapat Pichaikool (67) and Runchanapong Youprayong (70) were also in the hunt, tied fifth at seven-under, where they were joined by Indian teenager Kartik Singh (66).
The fifth leg of the Asian Development Tour event is co-sanctioned with the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL). Among the IGPL players in the field, Raghav Chugh and Syed Saqib Ahmed (both 70) were leading contenders at five-under and in tied 12th position, while the leading Moroccan player was Ayoub Id-Omar (68) in tied eighth place.
Agusti hasn’t had a single top-10 finish in Official World Golf Ranking events in his five years of playing as a pro, but that could all change after a flawless round of 64.
Hoho Yue of Hong Kong. Picture courtesy: IGPL
The Spaniard was two-under after nine holes, but had a brilliant stretch of three holes from the 10th onwards. He hit his second shot to tap-in distances on both 10th and 11th holes and then converted a 15-feet birdie putt on the 12th hole to get to five-under par for the day.
He then birdied the 14th and 16th, before his only ‘mistake’ of the day of not converting the eagle putt on the 18th hole.
“That was really good, I think the best golf I have ever played. No mistakes, just a perfect round. I made some good putts, very happy. I struggled to make par on the 17th hole, but it was a good two putt from a very long distance before I missed from about two meter for eagle on the 18th.
“I like the golf course. I think my playing style has adapted to this course layout very well.
“I will try to play the same over the weekend, but maybe, I will not be able to score this well. But I’m feeling good on the golf course, so I am hoping I can keep playing like this.”
“Honestly, I found the course was playing a little easier today. I had the first tee time of the day, so the wind wasn’t too strong, but I didn’t have the best day,” said the 26-year-old.
“I knew it was not going to be as smooth as yesterday. I had to make some adjustments, stay patient, and kind of recover from a rocky start. I felt like nothing was really going my way in the front nine. But I got to give credit to myself for being patient with my game and just let the putts drop.
“I’m pretty happy. It’s definitely not the best ball-striking round of the week, probably, but I’m glad about the score.”
Cheung finished tied second at the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open earlier this month and continued his good form from there.
“It feels good. The weather’s been beautiful for me. It was quite calm this morning, so we had some good scoring conditions and I played very consistent. Very happy over the last two days,” said Cheung.
“It’s a great golf course. I like it a lot. It gives you enough space off the tees, but you must hit good shots, because if you lose your golf ball into any cactus, you’re just praying out there. So I’ve been hitting a good off the tee, and hopefully I can continue in the same vein over the weekend.
“I actually switched to a broomstick putter the week before Taiwan. I putted it well there, and I’m putting pretty good here. So, I guess it’s working.”
This week is the fifth stop of the 2026 season on the ADT. Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort, built on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, will also host next week’s am green IGPL Bharath Classic. The International Series Morocco presented by Visit Morocco, will bring the exciting North African adventure to a conclusion in three weeks.
May 28: Hoho Yue made a birdie on his final hole to edge ahead by one shot in the US$160,000 am green IGPL Morocco Rising Stars 2026, which is being played at the stunning Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort and is co-sanctioned with the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL).
In Thursday’s opening round, the Hong Kong player made a sensational eagle on the par-5 seventh hole – where his second shot from 260 yards lipped out for an albatross – and six birdies to finish on six-under par 66.
One behind Hoho at five-under par were American Nathan Han and Thailand’s Runchanapong Youprayong. An eclectic group of four players – Sven Maurits of the Netherlands, Argentina’s Franco Scorzato, Hong Kong’s Matthew Cheung and Spaniard Agusti Quinquilla Madalena – were tied for fourth place at 68.
India’s Raghav Chugh, Syed Saqib Ahmed, Trishul Chinnappa and Sudhir Sharma were the best placed among the IGPL players at three-under 69, while Ayoub Id-Omar was the best among the local Moroccan players, tied 17th at two-under 70.
Yue, 26, played for the University of Oregon while pursuing college in the US. He had five top-10 finishes in different tours, including the Egyptian Open on the ADT, last year, and is looking to get his first win as a professional.
Playing in the afternoon session when the wind picked up compared to the morning tee times, Yue started with a birdie but quickly gave up the gain on the very next hole.
“It was good. It was a long day, and I knew the golf course was going to play hard. I woke up this morning, and I could feel the wind walking out. I knew it was going to be a grind and I had zero expectations. I knew I was just trying to go out there and stay as present as I could, which I did very well,” said Hoho.
Nathan Han of the United States. Picture courtesy: IGPL
“I started off the day with some fears. I was like, ‘Oh, the wind’s blowing in a tougher direction. The course is playing a lot tougher than it played during the practice rounds’. But I knew it would take a bit of momentum and a couple of good shots to get it going. Fortunately. I got hot pretty early, so I just felt like I had nothing to lose. I just had to pedal down the whole day.”
On the eagle on the seventh hole, he added: “Oh yeah, that was pretty sick. My whole group was pretty surprised to see that. The wind was blowing left to right very strong, and I just hit it a left, let the wind take it, and it was my day. The ball ended up lipping out from 260 yards and I made the five-feet putt.”
American Han, who is playing only his second recognised professional tournament, got off to a blistering start. The 25-year-old from New York, who played for Pepperdine University in NCAA Division I competition until last season, showed his class after getting fast off the block with six birdies in his first eight holes. He then ran into trouble on the 18th hole to make a double bogey seven on the par-5 hole, completely against the run of play. He was solid on his back nine for two birdies and a solitary bogey to finish on five-under-par 67.
“I started at 8:05am and I was feeling good, the body was feeling good. I didn’t do anything special, just stuck to my game plan. I hit drives the way I wanted it to, hit some good iron shots, and made a lot of putts,” said Han
“I was six-under through eight, but unfortunately doubled the 18th, my ninth hole of the day. I hit it into the ice plants and would advise that never hit it out of the ice plants if you’re in there. But I did not falter after that, and I just kept the momentum going. I’m happy with how I finished.”
Runchanapong Youprayong of Thailand. Picture courtesy: IGPL
Runchanapong, who finished second in the opening event of the schedule and is currently fourth in the ADT Order of Merit, was solid through the day, except for a solitary bogey on the par-5 14th hole, which was his fifth hole of the round having started from the 10th tee.
“I started off well until I made a bogey on the par five, and then kind of picked myself up again and made a few more birdies. I just hung tight into the round with all the wind going on, but overall it was solid,” said the Thai star.
“It’s fun playing in a place like this. Every time I make a good swing or a bad shot, I can still look out at the views and see the ocean and stuff. It’s very beautiful out here.”
This week is the fifth stop of the 2026 season on the ADT. Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort, on Morocco’s Atlantic coast, will also host next week’s am green IGPL Bharath Classic. The International Series Morocco presented by Visit Morocco, will bring the exciting North African adventure to a conclusion in three weeks.
It was a long time coming indeed, but India’s Pukhraj Singh Gill finally broke through for his maiden Asian Development Tour (ADT) victory at the ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A.
The 29-year-old clinched victory at Saujana Golf & Country Club in Malaysia in a three-way playoff with two of Asia’s rising young stars, Filipino Sean Ramos and Thai teenager Thanawin Lee.
The three players had finished 72 holes of regulation play deadlocked on 13-under-par, following a rollercoaster final day that matched the undulating fairways of Saujana’s Palm Course.
Taking a one-shot lead over Ramos into the final round, Gill started hot with three birdies over his first four holes to extend his advantage to five shots. However, dropped shots at Holes 6 and 9 and some great play by Ramos and Lee saw his advantage cut back to one.
The nail-biting action continued into the final stretch, with Lee tying the lead with a four-foot birdie at the par-three 12th hole, while Gill responded with his own birdie at the par-five 13th after finding the green in two. The Indian player made three straight bogeys from Hole 14, but neither Lee nor Ramos managed to pull away.
Gill made use of his length again at the dogleg-left par-four 17th, hitting a monster drive over the green and almost chipping in. The three players reached the par-five 18th with Lee holding a one-stroke lead on 14-under-par.
Lee looked like he had the title in the bag when his third shot rolled just off the green, but hit a poor chip and missed a 10-foot par-saver, carding a closing 68. Both Gill (72) and Ramos (71) made par to draw level and force extra time.
The playoff, contested at the 18th, saw Gill and Ramos nail birdies from 10 and three feet respectively on the first extra hole, while Lee dropped out after finding a bunker with his third shot.
The Indian then sealed victory with a superb birdie on the second sudden-death decider, hitting his third shot from a greenside bunker to six feet and sinking the putt. Ramos missed a long par putt after driving into the left rough and pushing his second shot right, behind two palm trees.
Gill was visibly elated with the victory, which in his own words “was a long time coming”.
“This feels surreal! I think it’s going to take a while to sink in, but I’m just so pumped right now. It’s been a great week in Malaysia. I was very happy with the course design, playing it for the first time – it just really suits my eye,” said Gill, who pocketed a cheque for US$19,250.
Sean Ramos
“I was really comfortable playing the 18th hole because I had a length advantage and could get there in two – and both the times I had a great drive. At the first playoff hole, that 10-foot clutch birdie was very important. And the second time, I just played it flawlessly,” added the golfer from Punjab.
Ramos put down the loss, while agonizing, as a step in the right direction as he continues to chase a win on the ADT.
“I made some changes in my swing and fortunately, It felt good here and I think I’m heading in the right direction. This is my first time getting into this position in an international event, so it feels great. Even though I lost today, I’d go through it a hundred more times,” said the 22-year-old.
For the 19-year-old Lee, this week was a learning experience in his young career, having only turned professional this year.
“I’m happy with how I played today, but it was just not good enough. I was nervous even before the playoff! This is only my fifth event as a professional and there’s a lot of work to do. I learnt a lot from the pros this week, especially from Gill and Sean today,” shared Lee.
Korean Minhyeok Yang closed with a 68 for outright fourth place on 10-under-par, one shot ahead of Singapore’s Nicklaus Chiam and Thai Nitithorn Thippong.
Fourteen amateurs had started the championship as tournament invitations, striving to finish as the top two to earn exemptions into the Final Stage of the Asian Tour’s Qualifying School. The coveted rewards to Malaysians Anson Yeo and Aiden Kei, who were the only two amateurs to make it to the last 36 holes. Both players turn 20 this year and are looking to make the professional transition.
Ranked as Malaysia’s top male amateur, Yeo closed with a superb 69 to sneak into the top-10 on six-under-par.
”Happy with how I played this week, especially today. The Final Stage exemption means a lot as and I’m grateful to the ADT and The R&A. The timing is perfect as I was planning to go for the Q-School this year. I aim to turn professional after this year’s Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship,” said Yeo.
Kei was grateful for the opportunity to play in a second ADT event, although he had a disappointing closing 77 and finished tied 36th on one-over-par.
“I’m really grateful and happy that The R&A sponsored this tournament, and to have gotten this slot. I’ll play more amateur events this year, and then I’ll try out for the Q-School. If I do well, I might turn pro,” said Kei.
The ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A is staged in partnership with the Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) Tour, and is the ADT’s fourth event of the 2026 season and its second stop in Malaysia.
India’s Pukhraj Singh Gill gritted his way to a third round 70 to inch closer to a breakthrough Asian Development Tour (ADT) victory at the ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A, topping the leaderboard on 13-under-par 203 with one round to go at Saujana Golf & Country Club in Malaysia.
At the end of a wet and energy-sapping day at Saujana’s Palm Course, Gill leads by a solitary shot from Sean Ramos of the Philippines who carded a solid 67. Thai rookie Thanawin Lee is in third place on nine-under-par after a third round 73, a shot clear of Singapore’s Nicklaus Chiam who also shot 73.
Following the conclusion of the rain-delayed second round in the morning, 60 players progressed to the third round which teed off at 10.30am on a shotgun start. The weather refused to cooperate for the third day running, as rain and lightning forced the suspension of play at 12.56pm. The threat cleared after a long wait, and the players resumed their rounds at 4.10pm, with the entire field managing to complete 18 holes.
Gill, 29, is hoping that he can last the pace and claim the US$19,250 winner’s cheque and a long-awaited ADT title. He won one event on the Indian Golf Premier League last year, emerging as the new circuit’s Order of Merit winner.
“It’s been a long day, so kind of hanging in there. A test of patience, I think, and also just getting comfortable leading. It’s nice to have a one-shot cushion going into tomorrow, but it’s going to be a good test,” said Gill, who shot superb scores of 66 and 67 in the first two rounds.
Gill coloured his scorecard with an eagle, three birdies, one bogey and an unfortunate double bogey.
“I made an eagle two at the fourth hole after a great drive and a chip which fortunately ended up in the hole. I lost my ball a little to the right at the 11th and, the rough being wet, I couldn’t find it and wound up with double bogey. But I had five pars back-to-back after that, and that gave me a little bit of composure coming into the last two holes – and I birdied 17 after a brilliant approach,” Gill explained.
Heading into tomorrow’s final round, also to be played on a shotgun start due to inclement weather being forecast for the early afternoon, Gill noted that he will just focus on his game.
“It’s a lot to think about dealing with the pressure of the situation and everything, so you’re not able to think too much about anything else. I’ve been playing very well and, with a little bit of fortune tomorrow, fingers crossed,” he said.
Ramos meanwhile was happy that he kept his composure and hit some great iron shots close to the pin. He nailed seven birdies, including two on his last three holes, against two dropped shots, to stay well in contention for a maiden ADT title.
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: Sean Ramos of the Philippines pictured in action during the third round of the ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A, at Saujana Golf & Country Club in Malaysia.
“I’m very happy with how I finished. My birdie putt on the 16th hole was a good one, a downhill slider from about 30 feet. So yeah, good momentum heading into tomorrow and just keep hitting fairways and greens. I am a bit nervous, but that’s part of the game,” said the 22-year-old from Manila.
The low round of the day came from Japan’s Naoki Sekito, a flawless six-under-par 66 which was a marked improvement from his first two rounds of 71 and 73. He lies joint fifth on six-under-par with four other golfers, including leading Malaysian Shahriffuddin Ariffin.
“I didn’t expect to shoot six-under today! I finished four holes of my second round this morning and was just happy to make the cut, as I wasn’t playing well. My iron play was good today. This is my third time playing the Palm Course and I think it’s a great golf course, but a difficult test,” said Sekito, a three-time ADT champion and Order of Merit winner in 2019.
From the 14 amateurs who started the championship as tournament invitations, two progressed to the final 36 holes following the halfway cut which came at one-over-par – the Malaysian duo of Aiden Kei and Anson Yeo. As the top two amateurs, they earned fast track passes to the Final Stage of the Asian Tour’s Qualifying School for the 2027 season.
Playing in his second ADT event, Kei added a third round 73 and is tied 11th on four-under-par. The lanky golfer made the cut in his ADT debut at the 2025 PKNS Selangor Masters, finishing joint 19th.
“It’s a great opportunity to get the exemption into the Final Stage of Q-School. The last few days have been quite a challenge with the delays, but I’m happy with how I’ve played so far. My wedges have been working well, and I was hitting it pretty close to the pin,” said Kei, who turns 20 on the 22nd of August.
Currently the highest-ranked male Malaysian amateur at 274th place in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, Yeo shot a third round 72 and is a shot adrift of his countryman. This is the first time he has made the cut in four starts on the ADT.
Staged in partnership with the Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) Tour, the US$110,000 ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A is the tour’s fourth event of the 2026 season and its second stop in Malaysia.
India’s Pukhraj Singh Gill played near-flawless golf to move into prime position for a maiden Asian Development Tour (ADT) victory at the ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A, holding the 36-hole clubhouse lead on 11-under-par 133 at Saujana Golf & Country Club in Malaysia.
The 29-year-old had to finish seven holes of his first round this morning, following yesterday’s two and a half hour thunderstorm delay. The weather held better today, but play was still suspended for close to an hour from 4.07pm due to the threat of lightning. Forty-four players, including first round co-leader Alfred Sitohang of Indonesia, will return to complete their second rounds tomorrow morning before the cut to the top 50 and ties is made.
After an opening six-under-par 66 at Saujana’s highly-rated Palm Course, Gill picked up where he left off and carded a second round 67 with seven birdies against two bogeys. He lies one shot ahead of Thai rookie Thanawin Lee, who signed in a pair of 67s.
While Gill won once on the inaugural Indian Golf Premier League last year, the golfer from Punjab was excited to be in contention for a first ADT title in many appearances on the region’s premier developmental circuit.
“I’m very happy with how I’ve been playing, as I hardly made any mistakes. My first round was pretty flawless – fairway, green, many one-putts. In the second round, I made some crucial par saves,” said Gill, who has played ADT events in Malaysia before but never at Saujana.
“When I got to 12-under-par today, I became a little anxious and dropped a shot – so I’ll just try to maintain my tempo and stay calm tomorrow, and keep doing what I’m been doing,” he added.
Lee, who is only 19, hopes to maintain his good form heading into moving day as he chases a breakthrough win in his first year as a professional.
“Overall, my game has been pretty good, and I feel great about my scores in the first two rounds. I’ll try my best to maintain this level over the last two days,” said Lee, who also had to finish seven holes of his first round in the morning.
Lee has played the Palm Course before, as an amateur at the 2023 Saujana Amateur Championship when he finished fourth.
“I like the Palm Course – the condition is great, even with the rain. Playing as a pro is much tougher than as an amateur, as the level is higher. But I love golf and it just feels great to compete in this event. It’s been a pretty nice week,” he enthused.
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: Sean Ramos of the Philippines pictured in action during the second round of the ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A, at Saujana Golf & Country Club in Malaysia.
Among the players who completed their second rounds, Sean Ramos of the Philippines lies third on seven-under-par following rounds of 68 and 69. The 22-year-old from Manila relied on a hot putter to stay in contention for a maiden win on the ADT.
“I played solid the last two days and holed a lot of putts, although I wasn’t hitting it as good as I wanted to. I finished four holes of my first round this morning, which was good as there was no wind and the conditions were softer. The Palm Course is very nice – everything is pure, from tee to green,” said Ramos.
It was a welcome return to form for Malaysian Wilson Choo, an ADT winner in 2015 at the PGM LADA Langkawi Championship. Having focused more on teaching the last few years, the 36-year-old was relieved to card a second round 72 to add to his opening 68.
“I was just trying to hang in there. I haven’t been playing well for the whole year and, coming into this week, I saw my coach, Steven Guliano, and he asked me how I’m feeling – and I just said, ‘nervous’! I made a lot of good putts yesterday, but could not sink enough today,” said Choo.
Malaysia’s leading amateur Anson Yeo did well to card a three-under-par 69 after an opening 72, climbing well above the projected cutline of one-over-par. The 19-year-old was elated to be in the running to finish as one of the top two amateurs who make the cut, which will earn them exemptions into the Final Stage of the Asian Tour’s 2027 Qualifying School.
“There’s still two more days to go. Happy to make the cut, but I could have done better – I hit 17 greens today and was bogey-free, but my speed judgement on putts was off and I left a lot short,” said Yeo.
The ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A is the ADT’s fourth event of the season, and its second stop in Malaysia. The 144-player field for the third edition includes 14 amateurs from seven Asia-Pacific countries competing as invitational players, supporting The R&A’s and the ADT’s shared mission to provide pathways for aspiring young golfers.
The ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A is staged in partnership with the Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) Tour.
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