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 7: India’s Karandeep Kochhar won his maiden title on the Asian Development Tour and virtually assured his return to the Asian Tour after an assured three-shot win in the US$125,000 Egypt Golf Series – Red Sea Open.
At Sokhna Golf Club on Friday, Kochhar closed with a two-under par 70, which took him to 19-under par for the tournament, and three clear of England’s Matt Killen (67).
The win, and the cheque of US$21,875 takes Kochhar to No4 on the ADT Order of Merit, while Killen closed the gap on top with leader Tawit Polthai of Thailand. With just one tournament remaining on the schedule, Killen is approximately US$12,100 behind and would need a big finish at the Aramco Invitational Tournament, scheduled for November 26-29.
Thailand’s Weerawish Narkprachar (71) was solo third at 15-under, while Scotland’s Eric McIntosh (65) made a big jump to fourth place at -14 with the lowest round of the day.
Darcy Brereton (69), Carl Jano Corpus (69), Italy’s Andrea Saracino (70) and Sweden’s Calle Strandberg (72) were tied for fifth place at -12. Korea’s Minhyeok Yang (72) and Laos’ Thammasack Bouahom (76) rounded up the top-10 with tied ninth place.
Matt Killen of England. Picture by Graham Uden / Asian Tour.
Kochhar started the final round with a two-shot lead, but that vanished in the first three holes when he made two bogeys and Weerawish caught up with him with a birdie on the third. The Thai was in the mix until late in the back nine, where he bogied the 15th and 16th holes.
The 26-year-old Kochhar, who last won on the domestic PGTI Tour three years and eight months ago, steadied the ship with birdies on the fifth, seventh and eighth holes, and never looked back despite a determined charge from Killen.
“Feels great. Obviously, it has not sunken in yet, as it is almost four years since my last win. But this feels so good because I came here with just one goal, and that was to secure my Asian Tour card. I sacrificed a lot for that, and I think I have pretty much achieved my goal,” said Kochhar.
“Bogey-par-bogey was a tough start. I wasn’t really feeling the game was a little nervous to start with, but I think I pulled myself back well after that. The good thing was that I was not panicking after that start. I knew that I was playing well, and it was just a matter of being in the moment and being patient.
“I thought the birdie on the eighth hole was the one that turned everything around. I hit two good shots to the par-5 hole, and was just short of the green, from where I made a poor chip. But I made a very good 10-footer there, and that kind of told me it could be my day.”
Eric McIntosh of Scotland. Picture by Paul Lakatos/IMG.
Killen got to five-under par through 14 holes, but could not put the pressure on Kochhar over the closing holes.
“I am a little disappointed I didn’t make a couple more today. I’ve hit the ball pretty well all week, to be honest. I just did not hold as many putts as I would like,” said the Englishman, winner of the Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament on ADT in August.
“Obviously, it’s all coming down to the last event anyway, but the main goal was to just get as close to Tawit as I could. Kind of claw back as much as I could. I’ve got to play good at Aramco regardless. I have done well there in the past with a couple of top-10s.
“This whole year on the ADT was a good learning experience. I’m very happy my game is in a better place now when I go back to the Asian Tour. So, I’m looking forward to playing there next year.”
McIntosh started the day at seven-under and 10 behind the leader. A win would have been difficult from there, but he did a great job at climbing up the leaderboard and clinching his best finish of the season on the ADT.
“I got a pretty steady start the first two holes, and then holed a good putt on the third from about six feet for birdie, and then went on a wee run from there,” said the 26-year-old from Edinburgh, who graduated from Chicago’s Northwestern University.
“Had a bad bogey on 16, and then a good birdie at the last. It’s always nice to birdie the last, especially after I three-putted there yesterday from not very far. So a bit of redemption there.
“My big goal this week was just to be double digits under par and then see where that puts me. I did that, which was pleasing. Now, I have a great opportunity at the Aramco. The top two people pretty much secure the cards, so, this helps me go up the Order of Merit. The ADT has been very good, but to be able to have a chance to play the Asian Tour, that’s a great opportunity.
The Egypt Golf Series – Red Sea Open was the second successive week the Asian Development Tour was in the country, following the Egyptian Open. The final tournament of the 2025 schedule is the Aramco Invitational Tournament from November 26-29.
November 6: India’s Karandeep Kochhar is playing for the 13th week in the last 14, but showed no signs of weariness as he shot the lowest round for the second successive day and opened a two-shot lead after Thursday’s third round of the US$125,000 Egypt Golf Series – Red Sea Open.
At Sokhna Golf Club, Kochhar, who also made a first competitive hole-in-one in the opening round, added a seven-under par 65 to move to 17-under total.
Chasing Kochhar, as well as history, was Laos’ Thammasack Bouahom (67), as he will try and become the first player from his country to win an international professional title.
Thailand’s Weerawish Narkprachar shot his second successive round of 67 to move to solo third place at 14-under, while Sweden’s Calle Strandberg (71), the overnight leader, slipped to fourth place at 204 total.
Three players – Pakistan’s Aadam Syed (66), England’s Matt Killen (66) and Korea’s Minhyeok Yang (69) – were tied fifth at 11-under.
The 26-year-old Kochhar has three wins on the domestic PGTI Tour, but is yet to record his first win in an international tournament. That can all change after Friday’s final round as he continued to make plenty of birdies on the golf course with his naturally aggressive style of golf.
Weerawish Narkprachar of Thailand. Picture by ADT
“Obviously, a great day for me today, seven-under par. Just again, I had the same mindset as yesterday, which was to stay aggressive throughout, try and give myself as many chances as possible. As I said yesterday, it’s not easy to hold putts as the greens become quite bumpy towards afternoon,” said Kochhar, who made eight birdies and a solitary bogey on the par-four 12th hole.
“That’s what I did. I did a great job of staying in the moment and not getting too ahead of myself. A two-shot lead is nice, but still a lot of work to do over 18 holes. Just want to have the same attitude that I have had the last three days, and continue to play well.
“The key has been to make stress-free pars because it can get a bit gusty here. My irons have been good, and my driver has also been good. That just decreases the amount of pressure that I have when I get to the putting green. Hopefully, I can do all that tomorrow as well.
“A win would be very special. I have made a conscious decision to skip a few Asian Tour events and play on the ADT, because I want to graduate and get back my card on the main Tour.”
Thammasack, who is the only professional golfer from Laos apart from his twin brother Thammalack, has previously finished third three times on the ADT in the past two years.
On Thursday, he was meandering along at one-under after 10 holes, but caught fire after that as he made a birdie on the 11th, and then three in a row from the 13th to the 15th holes.
“I am already feeling nervous and excited about tomorrow,” said Thammasack, who turned 28 in August. “I can’t wait to get out of there tomorrow.
“Today was a bit up and down. Made a lot of birdies, putted well, but made a couple of mistakes around the greens.
“The three straight birdies on the back nine got me going. Started with the par-five, where I got quite lucky with the drive. It didn’t go in the water. Hit a great second shot and a really good chip shot for a tap-in birdie, and had a tap-in birdie on the 14th as well as I nearly holed my second shot for an eagle.”
The US$125,000 Egypt Golf Series – Red Sea Open is the second successive week the Asian Development Tour is in Egypt after last week’s Egyptian Open.
November 5: Calle Strandberg managed to keep his overnight lead on one shot intact at the halfway stage of the US$125,000 Egypt Golf Series – Red Sea Open, adding a five-under par 67 to his 66 on Tuesday.
At Sokhna Golf Club, Strandberg, who is looking for his first win as a professional, tallied 11-under 133 for the 36 holes, one better than India’s Karandeep Kochhar (66), who shot the low round of the day, and Laos’ Thammasack Bouahom, who added a second consecutive round of 67.
Thailand’s Weerawish Narkprachar (67) was in solo fourth place at 135, followed by Korea’s Minhyeok Yang (68) at -8. Russia’s Egor Eroshenko (69), Sweden’s Erik Jonasson (68) and Italy’s Andrea Saracino (69) were tied sixth at 137.
Strandberg made seven birdies – one more than in his opening round – but he also made two bogeys compared to his bogey-free effort on Tuesday.
“It was a good round. Had two three-putts for bogeys, but I had seven birdies as well. The game was almost similar to yesterday, except for the two three-putts. I changed my driver for the day, but it’s still not the best. It’s getting there. It’s good to have some margins out here on the course as the fairways is pretty wide,” said the Swede, who is a regular on the Nordic Golf League.
Karandeep Kochhar of India. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Kochhar had finished his round on a high with a hole-in-one yesterday, but it was a different emotion on Wednesday after making his only bogey of the day on the 18th hole.
“I think that was pretty solid, except the end when I made my only bogey of the day on the last hole, which was a bit of a sour way to finish. But that’s fine. I had good shots, but just got a bit unlucky there,” said Kochhar, who is hoping to improve from his 20th place on the Asian Development Tour Order of Merit and get in contention for one of 10 Asian Tour cards on offer to the top-10 players.
“I hit the ball well and was aggressive. There wasn’t much wind today, but on this golf course, it’s important to keep giving yourself chances, because it’s hard to make putts here.
“When I got to seven-under, I knew I was close to the lead, but I didn’t really think about it at any point. I just continued to play my own game. I think the hardest thing in golf is to stay out of your own way, and I thought I did that very well.”
Thammasack, who has his father on his bag this week, is hoping to win his first title as a professional and did not harm his chances with another solid round.
“Started really well and made three straight birdies. I holed a lot of putts today. So, definitely putted a lot better than it did yesterday, and hit a lot of greens,” said Thammasack.
“I think the key thing on these greens is to just have good emotional control, because you are going to miss a lot of putts on these greens. You need to be able to move on to the next one.
The US$125,000 Egypt Golf Series – Red Sea Open is the second successive week the Asian Development Tour is in Egypt after last week’s Egyptian Open.
November 4: Sweden’s Calle Strandberg, a regular on the Nordic Golf League, put himself in pole position with a bogey-free opening round of six-under par 66 in the opening round of the US$125,000 Egypt Golf Series – Read Sea Open.
At Sokhna Golf Club, Strandberg started his campaign with a round that contained four birdies and an eagle on the par-five eighth hole to open a one-shot advantage over Thammasack Bouahom of Laos. Thammasack also enjoyed a bogey-free outing with five birdies.
India’s Karandeep Kochhar closed his round with a hole-in-one on the ninth hole to finish on four-under 68 and tied third place, where he was joined by Korea’s Minhyeok Yang, the Italian duo of Andrea Saracino and Luca Galliano, England’s Matt Killen, Russia’s Egor Eroshenko and Thailand’s Weerawish Narkprachar.
Adam Elshamy, the 22-year-old amateur from Egypt, was the best-placed among local players, coming in with a bogey-free 69 to finish on tied 10th place.
Karandeep Kochhar of India. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“That’s a good round. Everything was solid. Didn’t have any mistakes after hitting almost every green. Think I just missed two,” said Strandberg, who has several top-10 finishes in the NGL, but his best finish on the Asian Development Tour is a tied 11th place at the 2023 Saudi Aramco Invitational.
“The driver felt a bit off, but putting was pretty solid even though the greens were a bit slow. But overall, it was a very solid round.”
The eagle on the eighth hole came after he decided to tee off with a three-wood to stay short of the fairway bunker, and then smashed a four-iron to 15 feet and made the putt.
“The eagle was nice, but so was the birdie on the 18th, where I hit my second shot to like three feet. It’s always nice to finish a good round with a birdie,” Strandberg added.
Thammasack said it was a stress-free 67 despite making two three-putt pars.
Matt Killen of England. Picture by Vachira Kalong/Asian Tour
“Strength today was tee to green. Hit 16 greens today, so it wasn’t too stressful. But putting today was quite average. There were a couple of three putts, but we’re not going to let that get in the way of a good round,” said the Laos player, who is currently 86th in the ADT Order of Merit and needs a strong finish to the season.
“So, you have just got to accept that sometimes you hit a good putt and it just won’t go in. But I hit it solid tee-to-green and hit it close on a lot of holes.”
Elshamy, who shot rounds of 77 and 70 in last week’s Egyptian Open, continued to move in the right direction with a 69, which included birdies on the 13th, 17th and 18th holes.
“It’s always a good day when you have a clean scorecard,” said the 22-year-old who is playing on a professional tour for only the second time.
“I knew I wasn’t hitting the ball very well, so I planned accordingly. My short game was incredible. Made a few good up and downs and kept the momentum going.
“It’s a reflection of the state of Egyptian golf that it has drawn attention from a renowned tour like the ADT. This is so good for our players. I look forward to the tournaments to come in the coming years, many more years. The players are very happy.”
Just a couple of days ago, Kochhar told his fiancée Pranavi Urs, who plays on the Ladies European Tour, that he felt like a hole-in-one was coming.
“I think I manifested it. It’s my third hole-in-one, but this feels special because it’s the first time I have made one in tournament play. Always great to finish a round that way,” said Kochhar, who hit a six-iron from 194 yards for the ace.
The US$125,000 Egypt Golf Series – Red Sea Open is the second successive week the Asian Development Tour is in Egypt after last week’s Egyptian Open.
October 31: Yin Ho Yue of Hong Kong did all his scoring in the opening nine holes and then parred his way through the back nine for a two-shot lead going into the final round of the US$125,000 Egyptian Open.
Nicknamed Ho ho, the Asian Development Tour rookie shot a four-under par 66 on a day when the Madinaty Golf Club tested the players to reach a 54-hole total of 14-under par 196.
That gave him a two-shot advantage over Thailand’s Order of Merit leader Tawit Polthai (67), and was three ahead of Austria’s Niklas Regner (66), Thailand’s Poom Pattaropong (68) and Morocco’s El Mehdi Fakori (71).
Carl Jano Corpus (65) of the Philippines and Indonesia’s Kevin Akbar (69) were also in the mix four shots adrift of the leader at 10-under.
Promising local amateur Issa Abouelela was the best-placed Egyptian player in the field after shooting the second-lowest round of the day, a 64, that elevated him to tied 12th position. England’s Sam Rook shot 63 for the day’s lowest card.
Tawit Polthai of Thailand. Picture by Paul Lakatos / Asian Development Tour.
Yue did not have the best start to his round, making a bogey on his opening hole. But once he made a birdie on the third, he added a brace of them on the fifth and sixth holes, and another on the eighth and ninth. The back nine was all pars.
“I think my first birdie of the day was very important. I had a pretty rocky start. I got a little lucky on two, and didn’t hit a great shot on one. I felt like the nerves and the environment got to me a little bit at the start. It was also pretty gusty in the morning, and then, all of a sudden, I made a nice 12-footer on three, and it just shifted the whole momentum,” said the 25-year-old, who is looking for his first win as a professional and improve his ADT Order of Merit position from current 59th.
“I realised I can make putts. I wasn’t really scared of what’s ahead of me. I was kind of excited for it. So that shift in mindset was very helpful.”
On his back nine, Yue said: “Actually, it was a very interesting even-par because I had a lot of birdie looks and a lot of bogey danger, but I was able to find the middle ground. I was happy with that.
“I think tomorrow is gonna be a great experience and challenge. I talked to my coach last night, and our mindset is, let’s treat this as a test, like observe myself and see what I can do and get ready for the future and bigger tournaments. I will just stay really patient and just be excited for whatever comes.
Issa Abouelela of Egypt. Picture by Paul Lakatos / Asian Development Tour.
Tawit, winner of the opening event on the ADT schedule this year – the PKNS Selangor Masters – and runner-up at Ciputra Golfpreneur, is assured of graduating to the Asian Tour, but put himself in great position to ensure he went there as the ADT No1.
Ahead of No2 Matt Killen by nearly $20,000, Tawit made five birdies in a stretch of six holes from the fifth to the 10th, and could have closed the gap on Yue if not for bogeys on the 12th and 16th coming in.
“The best birdie today was on the ninth hole where I holed a 30-footer putt,” said Tawit. “I just followed my process todayand that’s what I aim to do tomorrow and just let it happen,”
Madinaty Golf Club member Issa has the pedigree, and he showed it once again by becoming the only player from the host nation to make the cut and now contending for a top spot. He is the son of the legendary Amr Abouelela, winner of seven Pan Arab Championships and 12 Egyptian Opens.
After a round that includes eight birdies and two bogeys, Issa said: “I had a lovely round. Very proud of the way I played today, obviously, after the disappointing first round (72), I had a lot of catching up to do, but I was very happy with how I was able to keep my head down and keep going.
“I missed the cut in Morocco, and it haunted me for a long time, so I was obviously very happy because it means a lot to make the cut in my own country. It just shows that we have the ability as a group of players in Egypt to do some great things.
“Having the Egyptian Open back is great. I was never able to play it because I was so young when it was last played. But obviously, it’s such an honour to have the Egyptian Open back for the new generation and the team. And to see my dad, who has won it several times, being recognised for his contribution to Egyptian golf. I am so proud of him, and my goal is to try and win this event.”
The Asian Development Tour is in Egypt for successive weeks. After the Egyptian Open, it moves to Sokhna Golf Club for the US$125,000 Egypt Golf Series – Red Sea Open.
Recent Comments