Aidric Chan of the Philippines clinched his first win on the Asian Development Tour in a spirited contest against countryman Juvic Pagunsan as the pair battled for victory in the final round of the Lexus Challenge in Vietnam.

Playing in the penultimate group in the US$90,000 ADT event, their tussle for the lead was largely unnoticed by leaders Filip Lundell of Sweden and England’s Sam Broadhurst, who started the day tied and with a three shot lead at The Bluffs Grand Ho Tram.

The European pair traded birdies in the front nine, but without leaderboards out on the course, were unaware that in the group up ahead, the Filipino duo led by Pagunsan had erased their advantage and were poised to overtake them.

Disaster almost struck for Chan on the 12th hole when a double bogey threatened to derail his bid but he recovered well with a hole-out eagle two holes later. By that stage, his playing partner Pagunsan had taken the lead, as three dropped shots by the leaders had wiped out their advantage for the day.

Bogeys by Pagunsan on holes 13 and 14 gave Chan a single shot advantage, although he gave that back with a bogey on 15, leaving the pair one stroke behind the leaders as they stepped up to the tee on the par five 16th.

Both birdied the next two holes, leaving them all tied for the lead as they made their way for a total of 205down the 18th, where Chan clinched their personal battle with a par against Pagunsan’s bogey, taking the clubhouse lead on eight under.

With Lundell and Broadhurst only making pars down the back stretch, and largely unaware of where they stood, their only chance of redemption lay with Broadhurst who missed a five foot birdie putt on 18 which would have forced a playoff.

As it finished, Chan and Pagunsan scored a pair of 67s while Lundell and Broadhurst made even par scores of 71. The winning score – Chan’s first international win – was an eight under par 205, with the runners-up tied for second one shot further back

“I feel really great,” said Chan after the round. “I hit a lot of good shots today and had a lot of luck. For some part of the round I thought I was a little out of it but I’m really happy that those good shots really came through for me today.

“A shout out to everyone who was playing well this week. It was a tight battle and I’d say that it was a really good challenge for me,” he added.

In fifth spot, the Thai trio of Waris Manthorn (65), Kammalas Namuangruk (68) and Amari Kraivixien (68) finished on five under par, followed by compatriot Newport Laparojkit (65), Argentina’s Miguel Carballo (69) and Rory Hie (69) of Indonesia in eighth place.

First round leader Shotaro Ban (73) of the USA dropped down to 11th place, alongside Kevin Akbar (68) and Jonathan Wijono (71) of Indonesia and England’s Ben Jones.

Chan’s victory pushes him into third in the ADT Order Of Merit, behind Pagunsan in second and leader Tawit Polthai who won the opening event of the season – the PKNS Selangor Masters – in January. Pakistan’s Ahmad Baig, who won on home soil at the ADT Rumaza Open last month, is in fourth place.

Action on the ADT continues in Taiwan in a few weeks, where the US$100,000 Ambassador ADT event will be held at the Hsin Feng Country Club from May 29 – June 1.

Main picture: Aidric Chan of the Philippines who scored his first international win at the Lexus Challenge in Vietnam. The US$90,000 Asian Development Tour event was held from March 19-21, 2025 at The Bluffs Grand Ho Tram.

Calmer weather and a drop in windspeed contributed to better scoring in the Lexus Challenge at The Bluffs Grand Ho Tram in Vietnam today, with England’s Sam Broadhurst and Filip Lundell of Sweden edging in front after Round Two.

The pair posted matching 66s, and hold a two shot lead going into the third and final day of the US$90,000 Asian Development Tour event. Overnight leader Shotaro Ban (69) of the USA lies in third spot, ahead of Aidric Chan (67) of the Philippines in fourth.

Jonathan Wijono (66) of Indonesia matched the low score of the day with the leaders and shares fifth spot with Juvic Pagunsan (67) of the Philippines.

Broadhurst posted six birdies with just a single dropped shot, and reflected on how he was able to manage his round in easier conditions.

“I hit a poor shot off the second, short right and made four for the second day in a row,” he explained after his round. “But after that I played pretty solid, a few good shots, picked up birdies where I could. I just kept going and tried to stay patient out there.

“It was a lot easier today compared to yesterday but to be honest I thought my two-under yesterday was a lot better. I hit the ball better yesterday, but obviously with the slightly easier conditions I managed to score a little bit better today,” he added.

“I’m really enjoying my time here,” he said as a first-time visitor to Vietnam. “The course is unbelievable and I’m loving it out there. I think I’d be loving it even if I wasn’t playing well.

“It kind of suits my eye but you’ve got to be patient out there with the greens. A few of them are raised and with the wind, it’s kind of similar to links golf really. So yeah, hopefully I can have another decent one tomorrow.”

Lundell, who also made a two-under-par score of 69 in Round One, was equally pleased with his progress in Round Two, posting a steady five-birdie, bogey-free score.

“It was a long round indeed, but I’m really happy about my game today,” he said after signing his card.

“I got hot in the front pretty early with some good shots, some good putts as well with five under (at the turn) and then just cruising on the back nine to shoot even there too. I’ll take five under in these conditions,” he added.

Wijono, who started poorly with an opening round score of 73, took advantage of the better conditions to push himself into contention going into the final day.

“I actually played much better today than yesterday, probably because of the conditions,” he said. “I think yesterday was brutal in the morning so I could take some opportunities and execute it well.

“I love this course. It’s always challenging because you never know. You’re fighting with the wind but I think it’s one of the best events (on the ADT).”

Although the leaders hold a slender advatage over the field, there are several players still in contention just five or six shots behind.

In seventh place, on two-under-par, Indonesia’s Rory Hie (67) shares the spot with Thailand’s Amarin Kraivixien (71) and Kammalas Namuangruk (68), Argentina’s Miguel Carballo (68), James Leow (69) of Singapore and Malaysia’s Shahriffuddin Ariffin (70).

One shot further back in 13th, and the last players still under par, are Alejandro Canizares (72) of Spain, Hong Kong’s Hoho Yue (69), Sean Ramos (70) of the Philippines and Thailand’s Witchayanon Chothirunrungrueng (68).

The cut was set at +6 and 57 players will contest the final round of the 54-hole tournament. Play will resume tomorrow at 6.35am off two tees with the leaders heading off at 8.05am.

Main picture: Sam Broadhurst of England pictured in action on March 20, 2025, at the Lexus Challenge at The Bluffs Grand Ho Tram.

Strong winds gusting up to 45 kilometres per hour added an extra layer of difficulty to the first round of the Lexus Challenge in Vietnam today, with only six players finishing the day under par at The Bluffs Grand Ho Tram.

Shotaro Ban of the USA holds a one shot lead after posting a three under par score of 68, his mixed bag of five birdies and three bogeys enough to hold off Thailand’s Amarin Kraivixien, Sweden’s Filip Lundell, Alejandro Canizares of Spain and England’s Sam Broadhurst.

Malaysia’s Shahriffuddin Ariffin (70) holds solo sixth place in the US$90,000 Asian Development Tour event. The event was similarly wind-affected last year, when Pakistan’s Ahmad Baig overcame the weather to beat a strong field.

With players having to adjust shot selection by one and sometimes two extra clubs, the wind posed problems not only in the air, but also on the ground as competitors struggled to make putts.

“My three bogeys were all three putts,” said Ban after his round. “I had a lot of fun because that’s probably one of my most hated things, but I hit a lot of good shots and drove it fairly well,” he added.

“I kind of had a couple of putts drop my way but these greens are so pure that if you hit your lines and the wind stays relatively consistent it does what you think it will do, so yeah it was a great day,” he said.

“I just tried to stay as patient as possible, because with the wind being as strong as it is, there are just so many things that you cannot control. It almost kind of frees you up a little bit so yeah, I had a good time out there,” he laughed.

Asked about the need to club up on many of the holes, he offered a perspective from the par three fourth hole. “I’ll say on four today, I think it was 169 to the flag. I played it about 205 and flighted a little five iron and it barely got there, so it was probably a comfortable 35 yards more, at least.”

Amarin, who posted the only bogey-free round of the day, was the early clubhouse leader after taking advantage of an early tee time, and rated his round as one of his very best.

“That was probably one of my very best ball-striking rounds,” he said after posting his score,” and probably one of the best rounds I’ve hit in my life. I’m very pleased with my round today and pleased with the score in these conditions.

“I think it really helped that i played early in the morning. I think the second and fourth were my top holes and by getting off early from hole one, I got to play those holes with not much wind so that really helped.

“I made one birdie there and that really gave me the momentum for the rest of the round,” he added.

“I hit it really good but it was really difficult putting, trying to stand still and read the break against the wind. It was a unique challenge but I embraced it. My goal today was to try to two putt every hole and i did just that so I’m very happy.

“The most I clubbed up was probably on hole 11. It’s a 150 yard par three and I hit five iron pin high to about ten feet but I misread that putt,” he laughed.

Sharing seventh place, on even par, are Denmark’s Kasper Nyland, Naoki Sekito of Japan, Indonesia’s Kevin Akbar, Nguyen Nhat Long of Vietnam, Singapore’s James Leow and the Filipino duo of Aidric Chan and Sean Ramos.

Play was suspended due to darkness with 21 players still on the course needing to complete their rounds. They will resume Round One at 6.40am with Round Two starting at the original time of 6.35am off two tees.

Main picture: Shotaro Ban of the USA pictured in action on March 19, 2025, at the Lexus Challenge at The Bluffs Grand Ho Tram.

Golf in Vietnam has made quantum leaps over the last decade or so, despite being a relatively new sport for the sprawling Southeast Asian nation.

The Vietnamese team’s historic victory at last year’s Asia-Pacific Amateur Team Championship for the Nomura Cup bore testament to the country’s emergence as a regional force, driven by the far-sighted developmental initiatives of the Vietnam Golf Association (VGA).

At the professional level, the Lexus Challenge has helped accelerate that growth by providing a platform for Vietnamese golfers to benchmark their skills against the cream of the Asian Development Tour (ADT), while providing a pathway to the Asian Tour.

The US$90,000 event tees off this week at Greg Norman’s highly-acclaimed masterpiece, The Bluffs Grand Ho Tram, featuring a field of 138 players made up of 84 from the ADT and 54 from the VGA. This will be the fifth staging of the championship and its second iteration as a co-sanctioned VGA and ADT event.

Nguyen Thai Duong, Deputy Secretary General of the VGA, noted that the Lexus Challenge is a vital cog in the Vietnamese golf machinery.

“I’ve played on the Asian Tour, and I know that it is the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia. A lot of young players will find it difficult to get to the Asian Tour right after they turn pro. The ADT is the best way for them to gain experience and hone their skills to prepare for a bigger stage like the Asian Tour,” said Duong, a former touring professional turned elite coach.

“When we decided to develop professional golf in Vietnam, we started in 2017 with smaller tournaments and then progressed to bigger ones like the Lexus Challenge, which was first held in 2019. Since then, the Lexus Challenge has always been the most prestigious local tournament, and is always played at the best courses set up to the toughest conditions.
“Last year, we co-sanctioned the Lexus Challenge with the ADT to pave a pathway for Vietnamese players. Through the ADT, we try to provide the chance and opportunity for our players to get to the Asian Tour,” he elaborated.

With 18 professionals and 20 amateurs in the mix, the host nation will be hoping for a strong showing on home soil. The domestic drive for glory will be led by the nation’s current top-ranked professional, Anthony Truong, who was T36 last year, and veteran campaigner Michael Tran.

Leading Vietnamese amateur Nguyen Anh Minh, who was T18 last year and won the event at age 15 in in 2022 before the ADT co-sanctioning, will not be competing this year as he is in the United States for the prestigious Junior Invitational at Sage Valley.

Duong named two players as young local talents to watch out for – amateur Doan Uy and his former national team-mate, Nguyen Nhat Long, who joined the paid ranks last year.
“We have a few promising young players who are looking to perform better on the international stage. I think the Lexus Challenge will be a good test for them to come out and show how they’ve improved,” noted Duong.

The third hole at The Bluffs Grand Ho Tram, venue for this week’s Lexus Challenge, a co-sanctioned event between the ADT and the Vietnam Golf Association.

Meanwhile, Truong believes that local knowledge will serve him well again on his home course, which will play as a par-71, 6,885-yard tract for the championship. The rugged, links-like layout is known for its towering sand dunes, undulating fairways and huge greens, often buffeted by strong coastal winds.

“It’s important to know the course well and to be able to hit certain shots when the wind picks up. Judging the wind, and having the confidence to execute the shots to suit those conditions, are the keys to conquering the course,” said Truong, whose best finish on the ADT is sixth place at the 2023 Saudi Aramco Invitational.

“I love having ADT events in Vietnam as they help showcase our spectacular golf courses to the world. The events also allow up-and-coming players to test their skills and see what it takes to become a professional golfer,” added the 27-year-old.

Standing in Truong’s way will be a host of high-calibre players, including Thailand’s Tawit Polthai who won the ADT’s season-opening PKNS Selangor Masters in Malaysia. Wily Filipino veteran Juvic Pagunsan, who was second in the Selangor event, is also playing this week and is always a threat.

Nicknamed ‘Dr. Quân’ due to his ability to ‘cure’ bad shots by salvaging par from the worst spots, Truong hopes to finish in the top-10 on this year’s ADT Order of Merit so he can progress to the Asian Tour. “To get into those bad spots, I would have to hit some below-average approach shots – so that’s what I need to work on if I want to finish in the top 10!”

Last year’s Lexus Challenge saw Pakistani ace Ahmad Baig claim his first of two ADT titles in 2024 by two shots over Thailand’s Jakraphan Premsirigorn, who has returned for another crack at the title. Baig would go on to finish fourth on the 2024 ADT Order of Merit and earn a much-coveted Asian Tour card.

Ken Kudo, General Manager of the ADT, voiced his appreciation to the championship partners. “It has been a privilege indeed working with our visionary partners, the Vietnam Golf Association, VG Corp, Lexus, The Bluffs Grand Ho Tram and all the championship stakeholders over the last two years.

“The Lexus Challenge is one of our most popular tour stops, and we look forward to some excellent golf this week,” he said.

Main picture: Vietnam’s Anthony Truong, the nation’s top-ranked professional, who will be teeing it up at this week’s Lexus Challenge.