Ahmad Baig was resolute in his pursuit of the Asian Development Tour Rumanza Pakistan Open today, despite four bogeys he was able to turn in a one under par round 71 to clinch the trophy by three shots.

He started optimistically with a brace of birdies, but that advantage was gone in the next two holes, although he clawed a shot back to make the turn at one under, still six shots clear of his nearest contender.

Italy’s Michele Ortolani (69) put up a brave effort on the back nine, but he was unable to overcome the advantage held by Pakistan’s number one golfer and finished with a total of 275 after the four rounds.

Malaysia’s Khavish Varadan (69) ended the day one shot further back in solo third place on in the US$85,000 tournament, the second outing of the ADT’s 2025 season.

Sam Rook of England posted the low round of the day with a 67 to lift himself into a share of fourth place, alongside Argentina’s Miguel Carballo (70), Eric McIntosh (71) of Scotland and Sweden’s Erik Jonasson (71).

Niklas Regner (70) of Austria ended the tournament in eighth place, his eagle on the 16th hole breaking the cycle of birdie and bogey that patterned more than half his scorecard, finishing ahead of the USA’s Grant Godfrey (71) in ninth.

Morocco’s El Mehdi Fakori posted an even par score on the final day to finish in 10th spot, one shot ahead of Pakistan’s Matloob Ahmad (70).

Twelfth place was shared by Minhaj Warraich (69) of Pakistan and England’s Luke Joy (73), one shot ahead of Korea’s Jungsoo Wang (69), who posted the day’s only bogey free round, and Pakistan’s Aadam Syed (72).

Main picture: Pakistan’s Ahmad Baig pictured with the winner’s trophy after his victory at the ADT Rumanza Open Pakistan. The US$85,000 tournament is being held at the Rumanza Golf & Country Club in Pakistan from February 19-22, 2025. Picture courtesy Rumanza Pakistan Open.

Ahmad Baig tightened his grip on the Asian Development Tour Rumanza Pakistan Open today, posting a third straight round in the 60s to extend his lead to five shots going into the final round.

Pakistan’s number one golfer took his time to get going after a delayed start due to the completion of round two, and with an eagle bracketed by two bogeys within seven holes, it looked like his challengers sensed an opening with his lead dropping to two shots at one point.

But a birdie on the ninth, and two more on the way home, saw him extend his lead to finish with a 69 on 15 under par, five shots ahead of Italy’s Michele Ortolani (70) with Malaysia’s Khavish Varadan (72) a further shot back.

“It was a great round today,” said Baig after posting his score. “With the course playing shorter today, the pin positions were very tough and because it was windy I just tried to put myself on the right side of the green,” he said.

Sweden’s Erik Jonasson (68) posted the low round of the day, scoring eight birdies, but a double and two bogeys set him back in a roller coaster of a round at the US$85,000 tournament at Rumanza Golf Club.

Sweden’s Erik Jonasson pictured in action at the ADT Rumanza Open Pakistan. The US$85,000 tournament is being held at the Rumanza Golf & Country Club in Pakistan from February 19-22, 2025. Picture courtesy Rumanza Pakistan Open.

“A roller coaster really describes it,” he said after signing his card. “I started out great, birdied the first, birdied the second, and then i made a double on the fourth,” he explained. “Just the story of the day. I hit so many good shots and a couple of really bad ones, so it was a lot of birdies and a couple of over par holes as well.

“It was windier but honestly not for me, just a couple of bad holes. It’s golf, it’s going to happen,” he said.

“I was just trying to keep pushing, trying to make as many birdies as possible but sometimes you get a little bit too aggressive and don’t really trust some numbers so bad stuff can happen,” he added.

Eric McIntosh (71) of Scotland shared fourth place with Jonasson with an equally up and down round, trading birdies with bogeys in his front nine, and then nullifying a brace of bogeys with an eagle on the 16th hole to finish his round at one under par.

Argentina’s Miguel Carballo (71) holdfs solo sixth place going into the final round, ahead of El Mehdi Fakori (70) of Morocco, Grant Godfrey (70) of the USA and Austria’s Niklas Regner (70).

England’s Sam Rook (70 and Luke Joy (70) share 10th place, ahead of Pakistan’s Matloob Ahmad (70) in 12th and Aadam Syed (71) of Pakistan and Spain’s Alejandro Canizares (72) in 13th position. Korea’s Minwook Gwon (73) holds solo 15th place.

The start of round three was put back due to a fog delay in round two which meant the draw was not able to be made until early morning. Fifty players made the cut, which was set at five over par.

The final round is scheduled to start at 7.42am tomorrow off two tees, with the leading group of Varadan, Ortolani and Baig teeing off at 9.10am.

Main picture: Pakistan’s Ahmad Baig pictured in action at the ADT Rumanza Open Pakistan. The US$85,000 tournament is being held at the Rumanza Golf & Country Club in Pakistan from February 19-22, 2025. Picture courtesy Rumanza Pakistan Open.

Pakistan’s number one golfer Ahmad Baig took to the skies in the second round of the Asian Development Tour Rumanza Open Pakistan today, a double eagle blitz on his back nine sending him flying into a three-shot lead.

Having started conservatively from hole 10 with a string of pars and two birdies on his opening nine, his two eagles on the par five second and fifth holes set him apart from his challengers in the US$85,000 ADT event.

Baig, who won twice on the ADT last year, beat his own tournament course record of 66 with his score of 65 today and said he was confident that his track record would help him going into the final stages of the tournament.

“It was a great round, I played very good golf today,” he said after his round. “I feel great. Last year i played here in the tournament – the second Rumanza Open – I shot 66 but today I did 65 which is also very good. I am so happy to have this course record,” he added.

“I am very confident because I have twice been here so I remember my best shots which puts me in a strong position,” he added.

Malaysia’s Khavish Varadan (67) , who started the day one shot off the lead, eased his way into second place ahead of Italy’s Michele Ortolani (69), one of the overnight leaders.

Italy’s MIchele Ortolani pictured in action at the ADT Rumanza Open Pakistan. The US$85,000 tournament is being held at the Rumanza Golf & Country Club in Pakistan from February 19-22, 2025. Picture courtesy Rumanza Pakistan Open.

“It was a really good round actually,” said Varadan after posting his score. “I’ve been trying to get my game back over the past few months and it’s nice to see spurts of it come back. There’s a lot of cleaning up to do but I’m really happy to see the work I’ve put in for the last couple of months pay off.”

With the start of today’s play delayed by one hour for fog, Khavish was one of the last groups to finish their round today with several players still out on the course.

“I’ve also been on the other side.” he revealed, “so I kind of feel bad for them but I’m glad that I’ll get a good night’s rest and maybe a later tee time tomorrow so that will be good.

“I’ve always been pretty aggressive for the first two days, so I’m just going to carry the same game plan, there’s nothing really for me to change,” he said about his plan for the next two days. “I’m just going to be aggressive to my targets, depending on the pin positions, but I’m just going to stay agressive, so nothing’s changed,” he added.

With three holes to finish in the morning, Scotland’s Eric McIntosh lies in fourth spot while still out on the course on seven under par, ahead of Argentina’s Miguel Carballo (69) in fifth place.

Austria’s Niklas Regner (71) leads a group in sixth spot on four under par, together with Grant Godfrey (70) of the USA, Erik Jonasson (72) of Sweden and Morocco’s El Mehdi Fakori (70).

In 10th place, England’s Luke Joy (67) made up ground after a poor first round score, and he shares the position with compatriot Sam Rook (70), Japan’s Nobuhiko Wakaari (73), Minwook Gwon (72) of Korea and Alejandro Canizares (71) of Spain.

Play will resume for Round Two tomorrow morning at 7.30am, with Round Three expected to start no earlier than 9.15am.

Main picture: Pakistan’s Ahmad Baig pictured in action at the ADT Rumanza Open Pakistan. The US$85,000 tournament is being held at the Rumanza Golf & Country Club in Pakistan from February 19-22, 2025. Picture courtesy Rumanza Pakistan Open.

Pakistan’s Hamza Amin set the early pace at the Asian Development Tour Rumanza Open Pakistan in Multan today, posting an early lead with a five under par 67 to open the four-round tournament.

Later joined at the top by compatriot and Pakistan’s number one golfer Ahmad Baig, and Italy’s Michele Ortolani, Amin’s early burst of birdies set him up for the clubhouse lead in the ADT’s first visit to the nation in six years.

“It was a good round, “ said Amin after posting his score in the US$85,000 ADT event. “I was very happy with my start. I think I was four under through six so that’s always good if you can do that, especially on the difficult holes. I had a few long irons in and managed to make a few birdies so it was a good start and happy with the round,” he added.

Amin who has represented both Austria and Pakistan at international level, displayed an early mastery of the challenging Rumanza Golf & Country Club course, posting six birdies and just one dropped shot after starting on the back nine.

“It’s a long course, a tough course,” he explained. “It was a bit windy out there and if you dont have the length then you are going to struggle, but otherwise i was just happy to hit a lot of greens. Sometimes you have to fire away from the flag, take your par and then move on to the next hole,” he added.

“There were a few questionable pins but when you are playing well and you are putting well, then it kind of doesn’t matter but there were a few suspect pins out there for sure,” he said.

“Today was a solid round , bogey free,” said Ortolani following his round. “I was really happy because the weather was a little so-so, it started to rain and it was windy so I’m really proud of the way i handled myself out there. I was patient, it was very very solid and im really happy,” he added.

Pakistan’s Ahmad Baig pictured in action at the ADT Rumanza Open Pakistan. The US$85,000 tournament is being held at the Rumanza Golf & Country Club in Pakistan from February 19-22, 2025. Picture courtesy Rumanza Pakistan Open.

“Rumanza is a fantastic golf course,” he said. “It’s really nice to come here and play. The setup was really long especially because of the wind, it was soft, some tucked pin positions so I was pleasantly surprised by this golf course and I’m really happy to play here.

“I’d love to stay with the same plan for the four days, that would be really nice,” he said. “I want just to keep the focus that i had today. I was really calm and very in the moment so I want to do the same thing for the next rounds.”

Baig, who won twice on the ADT last season, was hoping for the solo lead but fell short at the final hole.

“It was a great round,” he said after signing his card. “At five under par I’m happy with my score. I was at six under though I did bogey the last hole, but I’m happy,” he added.

“It’s good to see Hamza as the name there on the top, he’s my very good friend and we are both ambassadors of Rumanza Golf Club, so its good to see so many top names playing this week,” he said.

Eric Jonasson of Sweden and Malaysia’s Khavish Varadan shared fourth place after posting scores of 68, Varadan birdied seven holes but dropped three shots in his opening nine.

In sixth position, starting on the back nine, Gianmarco Federici opened well with a hole-out eagle on his first hole, adding four birdies and three bogeys to finish on 69. He is joined by Austria’s Niklas Regner, Muhammad Shabir of Pakistan, Nobuhiko Wakaari of Japan and Argentina’s Miguel Carballo.

In 11th place, on two under par, lie El Mehdi Fakori of Morocco, Scotland’s Eric McIntosh, Malaysia’s Galven Green, Grant Godfrey of the USA and Korea’s Minwook Gwon.

With all players finishing their round today, the action contiues with the second roudn tomorrow, with play scheduled to start at 7.30am off two tees. The afternoon wave will get underway at 11.45am.

Main picture: Pakistan’s Hamza Amin pictured in action at the ADT Rumanza Open Pakistan. The US$85,000 tournament is being held at the Rumanza Golf & Country Club in Pakistan from February 19-22, 2025. Picture courtesy Rumanza Pakistan Open.

The Pakistani golf scene is abuzz with excitement as the country’s leading players get set to take on the region’s rising talents in this week’s ADT Rumanza Open Pakistan.

Leading the local challenge is Pakistani number one Ahmad Baig, who is raring to showcase his talents on home soil as the Asian Development Tour (ADT) returns to his country after a six-year lapse.

Having earned his Asian Tour card with a fourth-place finish on the 2024 ADT Order of Merit in a standout season which included two wins, Baig appreciates the significance of the US$85,000 event which starts on Wednesday at the highly-rated Rumanza Golf & Country Club.

“The return of the ADT to Pakistan after six years is an exciting moment for everyone in the country. It’s a great source of pride for all Pakistani golfers to participate in this tournament and compete against international players. The excitement among players and spectators alike is at an all-time high,” said Baig, who won the first two iterations of the Rumanza Open before it became part of the ADT.

The last ADT event in Pakistan was the 2019 RAYA Pakistan Open at Defence Raya Golf & Country Club, where Baig finished T23 in his first year as a professional.

Braig credited the ADT for playing a crucial role in his development as a player over the last two years.

“Initially, like many other Pakistani players, I was competing locally. But then I decided to take a chance on the ADT, and I am incredibly grateful for the country exemption that allowed me to compete and achieve my dream of earning an Asian Tour card,” noted the 26-year-old from Lahore.

The tournament will be the first international tour event to be held at the highly-rated Rumanza course, a Sir Nick Faldo signature design that opened for play in early 2022. The golf course is part of a 1,000-acre, multi-faceted development in the city of Multan in Punjab province, and is the first name-designer layout in Pakistan.

Course designer and iconic golfer Sir Nick Faldo, pictured during the construction of the Rumanza Golf Course

Built to the most exacting specifications using Paspalum Platinum TE Grass, the 7,533-yard course boasts state-of-the-art irrigation and drainage systems to ensure prime playing conditions.

Links-like shaping and revetted EcoBunker sand traps create what Faldo describes as an “inland links-style golf course”. The six-time Major winner is confident that his design will test the field to the fullest.

“The course will provide a great challenge to the players’ all-round games as it is designed to challenge golfers of all abilities, including professionals. The shaping of the fairways and the placement of the hazards challenge the better players to put the ball in the right places.

“There is noticeable movement on the greens, but the surface areas are large enough to accommodate those movements. As with the fairways, it’s about being in the right places on the greens to give yourself the best birdie chances,” said Faldo.

The English legend shared some tips on how to tackle the golf course. “For me, it was always important to study the green contours and know exactly where and how severe the slopes are. That is the key to your approach shots; to either attack the flag and leave the best possible putt to read and make, or, if you have to be defensive, to leave yourself the best angle and opportunity to get up and down. It’s also important for club selection to know where you plan to land the ball, to intentionally make the ball release off a downslope, or stop the ball quicker using an upslope.”

The 132-player field is made up of 54 professionals from the ADT, 50 players from the Pakistan Golf Federation, and 28 invitees. Prominent players include Argentinian journeyman Miguel Carballo, who has one Asian Tour title and two ADT wins to his name, Thailand’s Sarut Vongchaisit who just missed out on a top-10 finish on the 2024 ADT Order of Merit, and his compatriot Poom Pattaropong, a top-three finisher in the ADT’s season-opening PKNS Selangor Masters in Malaysia.

Also in the field on a tournament invitation is Pakistani teen talent Saad Habib, who recently retained his Pakistan Junior Amateur Championship title at Rumanza with an impressive 13-under-par total.

Main picture: Pakistan’s leading golfer Ahmad Baig, who is raring to showcase his talents on home soil as the Asian Development Tour returns to his country after a six-year lapse.

The Asian Development Tour (ADT) will make a popular and long-awaited return to Pakistan this month for the inaugural ADT Rumanza Open Pakistan.

Boasting prizemoney of US$85,000 it will be held on the Sir Nick Faldo-designed course at Rumanza Golf & Country Club in Multan, a city in Punjab in central Pakistan, from February 19-22.

It will be the second stop of the season on the ADT – which got underway at the PKNS Selangor Masters in Malaysia two weeks ago, where victory went to Thailand’s Tawit Polthai – and marks the first time an ADT event has been played in Pakistan in six years.

Said Ken Kudo, General Manager, ADT: “We have been working on returning to Pakistan for some time now and so we are thrilled to be able to confirm the launch of the ADT Rumanza Open Pakistan.

“It is an exciting new event in a market that offers so much potential, as shown by the emergence of local player Ahmad Baig – a two-time winner on the ADT last year, who now has his Asian Tour card, by virtue of finishing in the top-10 on our circuit’s Order of Merit.

“We are also fortunate to be heading to an outstanding venue in Rumanza Golf & Country Club – a new venue and the first signature course in the country. The tournament is happening very soon as well – a great development for the Tour, its members and golf in Pakistan. We thank Rumanza Golf & Country Club and the Pakistan Golf Federation for their help and support.”

The 132-man field will feature 54 players from the ADT, 50 from the Pakistan Golf Federation, 18 ADT invites and 10 invites from the club.

“With great enthusiasm, the Pakistan Golf Federation continues its commitment to fostering professional golf by hosting another ADT event,” said Lt Gen Qazi Ikram, President, Pakistan Golf Federation.

“This will further showcase Pakistan’s potential as a prime venue for international golf tournaments. Our efforts aim to highlight Pakistan as a premier golf destination while providing local talent a platform to compete internationally. We extend our gratitude to the Asian Tour for their collaboration and to Rumanza Golf & Country Club and DHA Multan for their exceptional support.”

Rumanza Golf & Country Club, scenically exceptional with features 49 eco bunkers, four large lakes, and citrus orchards, was opened to much fanfare in February of 2022 with the Rumanza Inaugural Challenge.

A star-studded team of Graeme McDowell, Charley Hull and Hamza Amin beat a team made up of Rafa Cabrera Bello, Baig and Humna Amjed. Faldo was the guest of honour.

The ADT last visited Pakistan in October of 2019 for the RAYA Pakistan Open. The tournament was won by none other than Korean star Tom Kim, who was 17 at the time. It was the third of his three victories that season that earned him a battlefield promotion to the Asian Tour.

Main picture: Ahmad Baig.

Thailand’s Tawit Polthai held his nerve through a tough finishing stretch to triumph in the 2025 PKNS Selangor Masters, winning by three strokes in the Asian Development Tour’s opening event of the season.

With four birdies in his first six holes, Tawit (69) looked locked in for the win, at one point extending his lead to seven shots over his nearest rivals. However a run of bogeys on 11, 12 and 14 left the door ajar for second place finisher Juvic Pagunsan (66) of the Philippines.

Pagunsan, who posted six birdies to close within two shots of Tawit, looked set to build pressure in the closing stretch, but his first bogey of the day on 16 put paid to his chances and allowed Tawit the space to par his way home for his maiden ADT victory.

“I’ve waited a long time to win on the ADT,” said Tawit after his round, “and I’m very, very happy now I’ve finally made it. It’s a good start to the season.”

“It was almost there but I missed my second shot in on 16,” said Pagunsan. “I made a bogey and he made a par, which was the turning point. I’m so happy with my scoring right now, and with second place, its been a good week,” he added.

Having made it into the event at the last minute with an invite, Tawit admitted the first two rounds were tough, and said yesterday after taking the lead that his primary aim was to just make the cut.

“I felt a little bit of pressure for the first two rounds because i had an invite for this tournament,” he explained, “but after the first two rounds it just went from there.”

The Seri Selangor course lived up to its reputation as a tough challenge in the US$200,000 tournament, co-sanctioned with the Professional Golf Tour of Malaysia, and despite scores staying low, the scorecards featured as many bogeys as birdies over the course of the event.

Poom Pattarapong (66) of Thailand recovered well after opening with two bogeys, knocking in seven birdies over the course of his round to take solo third spot, and share the low round of the day honours with Juvic, Yanhan Zhou of Xhina and Korea’s Minwook Gwon.

Early contender Runchanapong Youprayong (69) of Thailand posted his fourth round in the sixties which was enough to secure him fourth spot and the comfort that his game is sharpening up after the season break.

In fifth spot, Zhou shared the position with Shotaro Ban (68) of the USA and Indonesia’s Naraajie Ramadhanputra (71), who was unable to rekindle the magic that scored him an unoffical course record in Round Two.

First round leader Amarin Kraivixien (71) of Thailand finished with a share of eighth place, alongside compatriot Jakraphan Premsirigorn (72), and two shots ahead of Spain’s Pep Angles (68) in 10th spot.

Malaysian amateur Hariz Hezri (72) finished in 11th place, together with Gwon, with Korea’s Minhyeok Yang (74) in solo 13th.

Tiued for 14th place were Malaysia’s Shahriffuddin Ariffin (69), Australia’s Deyen Lawson (71) and the Thai trip of Witchayanon Chothirunrungrueng (69), Itthipat Buranatanyarat (70) and Natipong Srithong (73).

With the 2025 ADT season starting to take shape, the next scheduled and confirmed event is the Lexus Challenge at The Bluffs Grand Ho Tram in Vietnam, which is scheduled for March 19-21.

Thailand’s Tawit Polthai continued the fine form he discovered yesterday, posting another low round to move into a commanding five shot lead heading into the final round of the 2025 PKNS Selangor Masters.

The 30-year-old Thai, who finished fourth in this event in 2023, showed he was getting to grips with the Seri Selangor Golf Club course, and after posting 65 will be fancying his chances of clinching his first Asian Development Tour title.

“Today wasn’t a good start for the first four holes,” he said. “One bogey but then on the par fives, one eagle and one birdie and then my game came back until the 17th, and I just made one bogey on the last hole,” he added.

“I felt a lot of pressure in the first two rounds, just wanting to make the cut, but now its good to be the leader,” he said. “Tomorrow I will just try to focus on my game, try to do the same as the first three days,” he said.

Indonesia’s Naraajie Ramadhanputra (72) was unable to capture the magic of yesterday’s unofficial club record 63 and finished one over par for the day in solo second place, a final hole bogey putting the seal on a round that never really got going.

In third spot, Juvic Pagunsan (67) of the Philippines sits at eight under alongside the Thai duo of Jakraphan Premsirigorn (69) and Runchanapong Youprayong (69)

The US$200,000 tournament is the season-opener of the ADT, co-sanctioned with the Professional Golf of Malaysia, and many players are shaking the rust from their game after the holiday.

Thailand’s Amarin Kraivixien (68), who held the co-lead after round one, saw his game slip away with a 71 yesterday, but was making a defiant comeback until a double on the last brought him back down to earth.

Indonesia’s Naraajie Ramadhanputra pictured in action during the third round of the PKNS Selangor Masters at Seri Selangor Golf Club on January 23, 2025. Picture courtesy PKNS Selangor Masters.

He sits in solo sixth place and will be hoping his return to form coninues when play gets underway in the final round.

In seventh place, on six under par, Korea’s Minhyeok Yang (67) rests alongside England’s Sam Broadhurst, who shot the low round of the day with a 63, alongside Thailand’s Poom Pattarapong (69) and Shotaro Ban (70) of the USA.

Broadhurst, who contiunued in Asia after taking part in the Asian Tour Qualifying-School in December, said he was enjoying his time in the region.

“First time in Malaysia and I love it,” he said, “the course is great. Obviously a little bit warmer than I’m used to back home but I’m trying to deal with it as best I can.

“I just couldn’t get anything going in rounds one and two, but today was closer to what I’m used to in terms of how well I hit it,” he said. “I managed to hit fairways, hit greens and take advantage where I could,” he added.

Malaysian amateur Hariz Hezri (66) lies in solo 11th spot on five under, having made a resolute comeback from a disappointing 73 in Round Two.

With round three complete, the final round will begin tomorrow at 7.51am off two tees, with the leading group of Tawit, Pagunsan and Ramadhanputra heading out at 9.30am.

Main picture: Thailand’s Tawit Polthai pictured in action during the third round of the PKNS Selangor Masters at Seri Selangor Golf Club on January 23, 2025. Picture courtesy PKNS Selangor Masters.

Indonesia’s Naraajie Ramadhanputra turned up the heat in the second round of the PKNS Selangor Masters today, with an eagle and six birdies to take a two shot lead into the final rounds of the opening event in the 2025 Asian Development Tour season.

Starting on hole one, his 63 was the low round of the day, edging him ahead of Thailand’s Tawit Polthai (64) who posted an unblemished seven birdies at the Seri Selangor Golf Club in the US$200,000 ADT event, co-sanctioned with the domestic Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) Tour.

“I shot five under on the front and three under on the back so a lot of good shots in the first nine, made one eagle also,” said Naraajie after his round. “On the back nine I was just kind of hanging in there, made a lot of pars and made a long birdie putt also,” he added.

“Today I putted really well,” he explained. “I made a lot of short putts, saved pars and made long putts for birdie also so I’m pretty happy with the way I putted today,” he said.

While not official due to the preferred lies ruling in place, Naraajie’s round matched the Seri Selangor course record of 63, recorded first by Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee in the 2008 Selangor Masters, followed by 2009 winner Rick Kulacz of Australia when it was an Asian Tour event.

Thailand’s Runchanapong Youprayong (68) was the early clubhouse leader and ended the day with a share of third place on six under, alongside compatriot Jakraphan Premsirigorn (68) who matched scores with four birdies and one dropped shot in their rounds.

With all players getting back into the game and shaking out the rust after the season break, Runchanapong was another who started to settle more into his game as the tournament progressed.

Thailand’s Runchanapong Youprayong pictured in action during the second round of the PKNS Selangor Masters at Seri Selangor Golf Club on January 23, 2025. Picture courtesy PKNS Selangor Masters.

“I feel like it was a little bit better than yesterday,” Runchanapong said after his round. “Yesterday was a little bit shaky to start, because I took a one month break and then came back and worked on my swing, so everything’s just starting to get into place at the moment.

“Today I was able to control myself and my mental side, and also I hit the driver pretty well, so that helps. I didn’t make a lot of putts, but rolled a birdie in on 18 so that helps makes lunch a bit better,“ he laughed.

American Shotaro Ban (69) holds solo fifth place on five under par going into round three, an early double bogey on his second hole made him work hard for his place, making the turn at par and eventual finish at two under for the day.

In sixth spot, on four under par, the group includes Thailand’s Poom Pattaropong (68) and overnight leader Amarin Kraivixien (71), who was unable to capitalise on his lead with an even par score.

Also in sixth spot are Malaysia’s Zia Izzuddeen (71), teenage Japanese amateur Daichi Hayashi (71) and Juvic Pangunsan (66) of the Philippines, and Italy’s Luca Cianchetti (65) who is making his debut on the ADT and enjoying his break from Europe.

Thailand’s Tawit Polthai pictured in action during the second round of the PKNS Selangor Masters at Seri Selangor Golf Club on January 23, 2025. Picture courtesy PKNS Selangor Masters.

“Last year I played mainly on the Challenge and Alps tour,” he said, “and then at the end of the year, I played Q School. And then suddenly I decided, ‘Okay, I want to try the Asian tour, to breathe some different air, some fresh air, and I kind of like it over here.

“I’ve been in Thailand and I’ve been here, so I’m pretty happy to get the card for ADT and compete this year,” he added.

“I’m really glad for this round today. I like the people around here, they’re kind so I’m happy to stick around here. This golf course is quite amazing. It was really, really hard today so I’m really pleased with my round of 66,” he said.

“The courses in Asia, obviously, are really different. The grasses are different here. A lot of Bermuda, a lot of grain on the greens. I feel like the courses that I have played are a little bit longer than the ones in Europe that I used to play and I think they kind of fit my game a little bit more,” he added.

With the cut made at +3, 58 players will contiunue into the final two rounds. Play begins again off two tees at 7.51am local time, with the leaders hitting off at 9.30am.

Main picture: Indonesia’s Naraajie Ramadhanputra pictured in action during the second round of the PKNS Selangor Masters at Seri Selangor Golf Club on January 23, 2025. Picture courtesy PKNS Selangor Masters.

Just over two years ago, Shahriffuddin Ariffin [main picture] looked to have everything going for him. Buoyed by a victory at the PKNS Selangor Masters, he went on to finish fourth on the 2022 Asian Development Tour (ADT) Order of Merit to earn his Asian Tour card. Report by Jonathan Ponniah at the PKNS Selangor Masters.

Fast forward to 2025 and the easy-going Malaysian is back for the 12th staging of the Selangor Masters, which tees-off tomorrow at Seri Selangor Golf Club, in an all together different head space.

‘Dino’, as he is known to close friends and family, failed to keep his Asian Tour card following a disappointing 2024 season, lit up by occasional flashes of brilliance, and is hoping that being back on familiar ground will reignite the fire that has been missing in his game of late.

“Being back here at Seri Selangor does give me a lift,” said the 25-year-old, who finished joint ninth at last year’s championship. “I want to regain my momentum and rediscover my feel, as I have performed well at past PKNS Selangor Masters.”

Shahriffuddin Ariffin. 

Shahriffuddin has two ADT titles on his résumé, having also won the PGM Labuan Championship in 2018. What chances of another victory this week at Seri Selangor?

“I have many good memories from Seri Selangor and this week is a good chance for me to get a fresh start. I like tight courses and I’m aiming for a top-five finish to start this year. I don’t want to pressure myself too much, but If I do win, alhamdullilah,” said Shahriffuddin.

Family and friends played a huge role in keeping Shahriffuddin motivated through his on-course struggles in 2024.

“I struggled a lot last year, missing the cut narrowly in many tournaments. My swing was a bit off at the start of the year, and I had no idea why. Mentally, I was stressed due to the missed cuts. But my family was very supportive and kept encouraging me and kept praying for me, motivating me,” shared Shahriffuddin, who hails from the historic city of Malacca.

“I tried very hard to turn things around and regain my rhythm, and I had some deep conversations with my coach, caddie and family. My caddie, Firdaus, is my good friend and my former club-fitter in Malacca, so I talk with him a lot.

“Later in the year, I managed to get a bit of momentum, and I was quite satisfied with my performance in the last three months,” he added.

However, Shahriffuddin was still unable to keep his Asian Tour card and also failed to make it through December’s Qualifying School. That means the talented golfer will focus on the ADT this season.

Shahriffuddin pictured winning in 2022.

“This year I’ll be playing mainly on the ADT, and I might try to qualify for the All-Thailand Golf Tour. The ADT is the best tour for players starting out, and for players like me who are struggling to regain their form, as it gives us a chance to compete with international players,” he noted.

“I did my best to compete on the Asian Tour the last two years, but I wasn’t successful as my game was not sharp enough at that time. The level of play and pressure, the tournament set-ups, are different compared to the local tour and ADT. It’s a huge difference,” Shahriffuddin admitted.

Nevertheless, Shahriffuddin remains confident he can regain his form and relaunch his quest to play with the best, using the PKNS Selangor Masters as a launchpad.

“I am still confident that I can make it. My swing feels good right now, and I played well during the Albatross Cup earlier this month. I will try my best this week and hopefully build momentum with a good start to the year.”

Picture courtesy PKNS Selangor Masters.