Pavit Tangkamolprasert [main picture] says he has no plans to change anything ahead of arguably the two biggest tournaments of his 19-year professional career: the Link Hong Kong Open, which starts tomorrow, and the Philippine Open presented by the Philippine Sports Commission, in two weeks.

The 37-year-old is enjoying the finest season of his career and leads the Asian Tour Order of Merit (OOM) with just those two events remaining.

The honour of finishing the year ranked number one and having his name inscribed on a trophy along with many of the legends of the game in the region – such as his famous compatriots Thongchai Jaidee, a three-time recipient, and Thaworn Wiratchant, who claimed it twice, as well as Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Jazz Janewattananond – is at stake.

There is the additional bonus of winning a DP World Tour card for next year and opportunities to play in the Majors.

“My game plan and mindset remain the same,” said a confident Pavit this week, despite feeling under the weather, with a slight fever.

Pavit Tangkamolprasert after winning the Yeangder TPC last month – for his third Asian Tour title.

“I’ve been playing with a sense of ease and relaxation this year, largely thanks to a strong start – finishing runner-up twice in my first three events –which has taken the pressure off having to worry about securing my Tour card.”

“Having played in this tournament several times, I’ve got a good grasp of the course layout and know exactly how to approach the tee shots on each hole.”

In fact, he has played in the event on eight occasions and made his first appearance in 2015. While the results have not been up to his usual high standards his best finish came last year when he tied for ninth – hopefully a sign his fortunes are turning on this course with this year more important than ever.

Pavit won the Yeangder TPC in Chinese-Taipei last month to move to the top of the OOM for the first time in his career and tied for seventh in the next two events to consolidate his lead.

He said: “If I can maintain my current form and get a bit of luck, a top-10 finish would be a great result. As for the race to finish as the Tour’s number one, I’m sticking to the same approach I’ve used all year. Just because I’m currently leading the standings doesn’t mean I need to change anything.

“With only two events left, we’ll see if I can reach my goal of finishing at the top. I believe that if I can keep my performance consistent – and if fate is on my side – I have a good chance of ending the season as the number one player.”

All of the top-10 from the OOM are competing this week with Australian Travis Smyth his closest pursuer in second and Ian Snyman from South Africa third.

Taichi Kho, bidding to become the first Hong Kong player to win the Hong Kong Open, sits in fourth place.

For the second successive year the winner this week will also earn invites to the Masters Tournament and The Open next year and Pavit is fully aware of the task that awaits him.

“This tournament is arguably the toughest one,” he said. “The winner earns spots in two Major championships, so it’s drawn a very strong field of top-tier players.”

He has been paired with Filipino Miguel Tabuena and Englishman Richard Bland in the first two rounds. They will tee-off tomorrow at mid-day local time.

Pictures by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

The Link Hong Kong Open boasts a glittering list of past champions that is unprecedented in the region.

Some of the all-time greats of the game have raised the trophy, including multiple major champions Australian Peter Thomson (1960, 1965, 1967), his countryman Greg Norman (1979, 1982), Germany’s Bernhard Langer (1991), American Tom Watson (1992), and Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy (2011), to name but a few.

One of the reasons for this is that the storied tournament draws one of the strongest fields of the year in the region every season.

The line-up is always awash with household names from home and abroad, with this year is no exception.

All of the top-10 from the Asian Tour Order of Merit (OOM) are competing, eight winners from this year’s Asian Tour are in attendance, plus six former OOM champions.

The event’s reputation for attracting some of the biggest names in the game will also be upheld with over a dozen marquee players set to grace the fairways on the Composite Course, here at the Hong Kong Golf Club.

Louis Oosthuizen.

Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert arrives here leading the Merit list. He moved to the top when won the Yeangder TPC last month and having finished in the top-10 in the ensuing two events he is the Asian Tour’s in-form player.

As well as the prestige of winning the OOM, the champion will also earn a DP World Tour card for next so with just one event remaining after Hong Kong – the Philippine Open presented by the Philippine Sports Commission – this week will be crucial in determining the outcome at the end of the season.

Hong Kong’s number one Taichi Kho also has a chance to win the Merit list as he is in fourth place on the OOM – particularly if he becomes the first local player to win the Hong Kong Open.

Pavit and Kho are two of the eight winners from the Asian Tour this year, as is Wang Wei-hsuan. The Chinese-Taipei star claimed the SJM Macao Open last Sunday following a gripping sudden-death play-off against Korean Sungjae Im.

The six players here who have already enjoyed the privilege of being crowned the OOM champion are Japan’s Kazuki Higa (2025), John Catlin (2024) from the United States, his countrymen Andy Ogletree (2023) and Sihwan Kim (2022), Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond (2019), Malaysian Gavin Green (2017) and India’s Anirban Lahiri (2015).

Travis Smyth.

Also hoping to have their name inscribed on the trophy for the first are a host of global winners, that includes: Englishman Lee Westwood and Paul Casey, South Africans Louis Oosthuizen, Dean Burmester and Branden Grace, plus Americans Anthony Kim, Kevin Na and Harold Varner III. Korean Ben An, Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz and Thomas Pieters from Belgium are also here.

Others to look out for are Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent, Spaniard Josele Ballester, and Thailand’s Ratchanon ‘TK’ Chantananuwat, who turned professional last month following a much-documented brilliant amateur career.

The week will also act as a lap of honour for the Hong Kong amateur team, after their recent victories in the Nomura and Putra Cups.

Jeffrey Shen, the only player to compete in both and winner of the individual title in the Putra Cup, and Markus Lam, who claimed the individual event at the Nomura Cup, will lead the way.

Joon-ho Kim and William Tang, who were part of the Putra Cup team, and Ethan Tian, the other member of the Nomura Cup squad, are also in the starting line up.

England’s Kipp Propert, the game’s star disability golfer, will also tee-off on Thursday. It will be the second time he has competed in the tournament. He also played in 2024, impressively shooting a pair of 71s.

Pictures by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

Overview

The Hong Kong Open has long been one of the region’s foremost golf tournaments, which also receives global appeal. If the region boasted major championships it would be one of the select few to be included.

This year the tournament reaches its 65^th edition, with every version having been staged at the Hong Kong Golf Club. It’s the only event outside of the Masters Tournament to be played at the same venue for such an extended period of time.

For the third season in a row Link Asset Management (Link) is the title sponsor. The company was founded in Hong Kong and is a leading real estate investor and manager focused on the Asia-Pacific region.

And for the second year in succession the winner will receive an invite to play in the Masters Tournament and The Open – a global recognition of the tournament’s prestige.

The tournament also boasts of list of past champions that is unprecedented in the region.

Some of the all-time greats of the game have raised the trophy, including Australian Peter Thomson (1960, 1965, 1967), his countryman Greg Norman (1979, 1982), Welshman Ian Woosnam (1987), Germany’s Bernhard Langer (1991) and American Tom Watson (1992).

Spain’s Jose-Maria Olazabal (2001), Padraig Harrington from Ireland (2003), Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie (2005), Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy (2011), plus Englishmen Ian Poulter (2010), Justin Rose (2015) and Aaron Rai (2018) have also been successful.

Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez and Hsieh Yung-yo from Chinese-Taipei have the honour of winning here the most, having triumphed on four occasions. The former won in 2004, 2007, 2012, and 2013 while the later was victorious in 1963, 1964, 1975 and 1978.

Dominique Boulet, the Chairman of the Asian Tour and widely regarded as the voice of Asian golf thanks to his work with the Tour’s commentary team, finished fourth in 1996 – the best result by a Hong Kong golfer.

Tournament Information

• Date: 22 – 25 October
• Venue: Hong Kong Golf Club, Fanling
• Par / Yards: 70 / 6,710 yards
• Purse: US$2million
• Asian Tour leg: Thirteenth
• Edition of tournament: 65th
• Previous winner: Tom McKibbin (NIR)
• Previous winning score: 253 (-27)
• Total number of players: 138
• Format: Stroke play tournament over 4 rounds of 18 holes with a cut after 36 holes to leading 65 professionals plus ties.

Wang Wei-hsuan with wife and caddie after winning in Macau. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

Field Breakdown

• Order of Merit winners: Kazuki Higa (2025), John Catlin (2024), Andy Ogletree (2023), Sihwan Kim (2022), Jazz Janewattananond (2019), Gavin Green (2017), Anirban Lahiri (2015)
• Top contenders: Paul Casey (ENG), Pavit Tangkamolprasert (THA), Travis Smyth (AUS), Wei-hsuan Wang (TPE), Jose Ballester (ESP), Scott Vincent (ZIM)
• Highest ranked player on OWGR: Josele Ballester #137
• Highest ranked player on the Order of Merit: Pavit Tangkamolprasert (THA) #1
• No. of amateurs in the field: 5
• No. of Hong Kong Players in the field: 10

The famous 18th hole at Hong Kong Golf Club.

Tournament Notes

• For the second year in succession the winner will receive an invite to play in the Masters Tournament and The Open – a global recognition of the tournament’s prestige.
• Englishman Paul Casey is a five-time Ryder Cup player, and during his 25-year professional career he has also collected 15 DP World Tour titles and three PGA Tour titles. He reached as high as number three on the OWGR in 2009 following his win at the BMW PGA Championship on the DP World Tour. Representing Europe in the Ryder Cup he has been on the winning squad three times. His best result in 2026 has been at the Omega European Masters on the DP World Tour, where he finished runner-up following a playoff loss to South African Thriston Lawrence. At last week’s SJM Macau Open Casey finished T9.
• Thai Pavit Tangkamolprasert continued his great form this season in Macao last week finishing T7, and slightly extended his Order of Merit lead over Travis Smyth. He is having an outstanding season, since in addition to a victory at the Yeangder TPC a month ago, he’s also had a runner-up at the season opening Philippine Golf Championship and a T2 at the International Series Japan this year early in the season.
• Australian Travis Smyth won the International Series Japan in early April, and before that had a third-place finish at the Philippine Golf Championship and a solo-fifth at the New Zealand Open presented by Millbrook Resort. Last week in Macao he finished T9 and remains second on the Order of Merit, trailing Pavit by 192.57 points. On the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia early in the year he won the ISPS HANDA Japan-Australasia Championship to wrap up the 2025/26 Order of Merit crown on that tour.
• Chinese Taipei’s Wei-hsuan Wang recorded his breakthrough win last week in Macao after beating Korean Sungjae Im in a playoff for his first Asian Tour victory. He also recently finished T4 at the Yeangder TPC after firing a final round 10-under-par 62. Wang had his best Asian Tour season in 2025 when he finished ninth on the Order of Merit following a runner-up in Macao after a playoff loss, a T2 at the Yeangder TPC and a third-place finish at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters.
• Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent has only played one event on the Asian Tour this season, posting a T10 at the International Series Morocco. Most of his golf has been played on LIV where he finshed an impressive 10^th in points after recording five top-10s, the best being a T3 in New York. Vincent has posted two victories on the Asian Tour and three Japan Golf Tour during his career.
• Josele Ballester from Spain is the highest ranked player on the OWGR this week at number 137 and has one Asian Tour win on his resume, the 2025 PIF Saudi International. In 2026 he has only played one Asian Tour event, finishing T3 at the Singapore Open presented by The Business Times. He has also posted three top 10s on the LIV Golf League this year. As an amateur he won the 2020 Spanish Amateur, 2023 European Amateur and 2024 U.S. Amateur.
• For the third season in a row Link Asset Management (Link) is the title sponsor. The company was founded in Hong Kong and is a leading real estate investor and manager focused on the Asia-Pacific region.

It was another memorable week at the SJM Macao Open that saw Wang Wei-hsuan prevail in a play-off against Sungjae Im. The champion provided some great quotes during the week as did many of the contenders. Here are the best of them.

First Round

Local Macao player Kelvin Si on playing at home club after his first round 65 (-5) to sit one behind the leaders:

• “I mean for some reason, I guess it’s normal, on the first tee it’s more nervous than other tournaments, but I hit a good one there and just try to calm the nerves. There was a big wait on two, so nerves kind of came back there because it’s at the hardest tee shot on the course. But got through that and just trying to stick to my own game plan and see what we can do.”

Yanhan Zhou from China on playing the SJM Macao Open after his 64 to tie for the lead on day one:

• “It’s a brilliant experience playing on the Tour, I love the course and I love the people here. Just an amazing experience here. This course is not that open, so you have to make sure your ball is safe and your ball is in play and just try to hole the putts.”

Order of Merit leader Pavit Tangkamolprasert from Thailand won this event in 2016 talking about those memories after a 65:

• “I have a lot of good memories from that year. Our King Rama IX passed away that year, on the Thursday. So, I just said to myself, from then on, win for him. So, yeah, it was emotional and this week has special meaning.”

Second Round

Korean Sungjae Im led the field at the halfway stage on -13 after posting 64-63 and said this after his round:

• “I’ve shot two low rounds, six under yesterday and seven under today. Bogey-free rounds for two days, so I’m very happy with how I’m playing. The wind for the next days is going to be really important factor for me, if the wind is blowing or pretty strong, I’ll play safer. And if it’s not blowing as hard, I’ll try to attack a bit more, play more aggressive.”

Wang Wei-hsuan from Chinese Taipei, who lost in a playoff last year, after carding a 63:

• “Today was obviously a pretty good round, I mean I was bogey free today. This week my driver felt pretty good, and I enjoy coming out to this course every time. And yeah, also my second shots were pretty smooth. My putting felt better than yesterday, so yeah, that’s why I shot a lower score.”

American Austen Truslow also joined Wang in tied second after also carding a 63 on Friday and said:

• “You know, I’ve kind of learned how to feel more comfortable on this course, it’s not a course that suits my eye very much. Didn’t grow up playing a lot of mountain golf, like not that this is a mountain course, but it kind of feels like it. I’ve played more so since I moved to Alabama of kind of hilly golf, so it feels a little bit more familiar.”

Round Three

Wang had a good day again and joined Im at the top of the leaderboard on -14 after a 66 on Saturday. He commented:

• “The wind is like a lot stronger than the last two days. My drives, maybe for nearly all of them, were not as consistent as the last two days because the conditions were difficult,” said Wang. When I went a little bit out of position, I stayed calm and played more conservatively. I tried to aim for the middle of the green instead of attacking the pin. I think that my shot execution was pretty good.

Asked about the course as he continued his fine form in Macau he said:

• “I like the course, I’ve been here for the last few years now and I am pretty familiar with it. I really enjoy playing here. Even though I missed it narrowly last year, I am still going to go in and enjoy the day and play my best.”

Im was disappointed with his round after a 69 and having fallen into a tie for the lead after a poor back nine he said:

• “I wasn’t as good as the first two days and I’m not really happy with my round today. But I shot under par so we’ll see what happens tomorrow. The pins were tucked further back, so the pins were harder today. Also, the wind was stronger today and it was gusting as well, so it was very hard to predict the wind.”

Englishman Paul Casey, a five-time Ryder Cup player and former number three on the OWGR, had this to say about making his debut in Macao after his 64 on Saturday:

• “I think the golf course is in great condition, greens are amazing. Wind laid, it’s not laid down, but there’s a nice amount of wind, enough to make it difficult. It’s enough to sort of make it tricky for guys who don’t have control, and if you do have control and hit good shots, like I hit some good shots today, you’re seeing the separation in the scores. So that’s kind of why I’ve just chased up the leaderboard, because it is there for the taking but it’s not, if that makes sense.”

China’s Andi Xu, playing his first full Asian Tour season, rose to T3 following his 67 playing with American Kevin Na to earn a tee-time with Casey and Andy Ogletree on Sunday and said:

• “I’m just excited to chat, you know, hopefully they’ll share some insights with me. Being a newbie on this tour, I think it’s just a really exciting opportunity to see them playing close-up. Because I haven’t really watched that many golf tournaments in person, mainly just on TV, so I think it will be a great learning experience for me.”

Final Round

American Charles Porter on his course-record tying 61 to post -14, playing well ahead of the leaders:

• “Completely out of nowhere. Physically and mentally his week has been a complete grind, and I felt terrible to be honest. My body’s felt horrible, I’ve just been grinding. So, to shoot 61 out of nowhere and make a couple chip-ins in the first five holes was unexpected, but that’s how golf is sometimes.”

Wang produced a magic chip-in for eagle on the 72^nd hole to force Im to a playoff, which he then won with a tap-in birdie on the first extra hole. He said:

• “Yeah, so after I chipped in on 18 and then went to scoring and then back to 18th tee for the playoff, I could only think of my playoff last year. I’m very really happy that I could do it again now in the playoff and win, and I’m really happy that I could do it in front of my wife and family.”

On playing the final round with the support of family and friends on the course he explained:

• “I was really happy to have all the support from my friends and family, and then especially my fellow players from Chinese Taipei, like Hung Chien-yao, Chan Shih-chang and Max Lee, and also Miguel Tabuena. They’ve all won on the Asian tour before, and it’s really nice to join them and to be practicing with them again.”

He also had this to say about the chip-in on the final hole in regulation:

• “Before I actually made the chip, I asked my caddie Ray to make sure the slope on the green was flat or whatever else, and Ray confirmed that it’s flat all the way to the hole. I executed exactly how I wanted it, and just let the ball roll into the hole.”

An emotional Wang describing what his first Asian Tour victory meant to him:

• “I’m really happy to win in front of my wife and family, and I want to especially dedicate this win to my mom. She passed away three years ago from cancer, so I really hope that she can know that I won and that she’s proud of me.”

October 18: It was redemption time for Chinese-Taipei’s Wang Wei-hsuan (main picture), who won the $1 million SJM Macao Open in a play-off, having lost the tournament last year in extra holes.

The 27-year-old Wang chipped in for a stunning eagle on the 18th hole in regulation to go one ahead of Korean superstar Sungjae Im at 17-under par. Im levelled the scores with a birdie, but Wang then birdied the first extra hole to win his first title on the Asian Tour.

At Macau Golf & Country Club, Wang made full use of the three par-5s on the back nine, making birdies on the 12th and 13th before the eagle on the 18th. Im edged ahead with a birdie on the 15th, but immediately handed back the advantage on the next hole. He then birdied the last two holes, but Wang’s magic chip from the edge of the green tied them up.

America’s Charles Porter defied illness and shot the lowest round of the tournament, a nine-under 61, to jump to solo third place at 14-under, one ahead of compatriot Austen Truslow (64). China’s Wu Ashun and Thailand’s Danthai Boonma recorded identical scores of 65 to tie for fifth place.

Wang Wei-Hsuan of Chinese Taipei. Picture by Graham Uden / Asian Tour.

Sadom Kaewkanjana (65) and his Thai compatriot Pavit Tangkamolprasert (68) were tied seventh at 12-under.

In 2025, Wang tied with Germany’s Dominic Foos at the same score, before losing on the second extra hole.

“After I chipped in on the 18th and then went to the scoring and then came back for the play-off, I could only think of last year. I’m very happy that I could get the job this time and win, and I’m really happy that I could do it in front of my wife and family,” said Wang, who dedicated the win to his mother.

“Before I made the chip on the 18th (in regulation), I asked my caddie Ray to make sure the slope on the green was flat or whatever else, and then Ray confirmed that it was flat all the way to the hole. I executed exactly how I wanted it, and just let the ball roll into the hole.”

Sungjae Im of Korea. Picture by Graham Uden / Asian Tour.

The round of the day belonged to the tall Porter. Not feeling very well throughout the tournament, he put together four birdies in his first six holes, then added a stretch of four holes with another three from the 12th, and then closed in majestic fashion with an eagle on the final hole.

The 61 included two early chip-in for birdies and helped close the gap against the leaders, but fell short by three shots in the end.

“It was completely out of nowhere. Physically and mentally, this week has been a complete grind, and I felt terrible, to be honest. My body’s felt horrible. So, to shoot 61 out of nowhere and make a couple chip-ins in the first five holes was unexpected, but that’s how golf is sometimes,” said Porter, who smashed a 390-yard drive on the par-5 18th hole to set up his eagle.

“I saw Sungjae was at 14, and I knew that I needed an eagle to have a chance. Who knew what would happen, but I needed to make it and I made it.”

The Asian Tour moves to Hong Kong next week for the $2 million Link Hong Kong Open.

October 17: Sungjae Im (main picture), the highest-ranked player in the field, held on to the lead following the third round of the SJM Macao Open, but the Korean star was caught at the top by Chinese Taipei’s Wang Wei-hsuan.

At Macau Golf & Country Club, Im made a late double bogey on the 16th hole in a one-under-par 69 round. Wang, who lost the tournament last year following a play-off, also had trouble on the 16th hole, but limited the damage to a bogey to shoot 66.

At 14-under par total, the leaders opened a sizable gap against the chasing field. Justin Quiban (65) of the Philippines and China’s Andi Xu (67) were tied for third place at 10-under.

In-form Thai star and the Asian Tour Order of Merit leader Pavit Tangkamolprasert (67) moved to tied fifth at -9 alongside 2023 Order of Merit champion Andy Ogletree (65) of the US, and veteran European stars Paul Casey (64) of England and former Open champion Henrik Stenson (67) of Sweden.

Wang Wei-Hsuan of Chinese Taipei. Picture by Graham Uden / Asian Tour.

Wang could have edged ahead of Im on the 16th. The Korean hit it right in the trees and needed two shots to get out of there. However, Wang three-putted from 15 feet for a bogey.

Wang spoke about the wind, which picked up during the day and bothered the field.

“The wind is like a lot stronger than the last two days. My drives, maybe for nearly all of them, were not as consistent as the last two days because the conditions were difficult,” said Wang.

“When I went a little bit out of position, I stayed calm and played more conservatively. I tried to aim for the middle of the green instead of attacking the pin. I think that my shot execution was pretty good.

“I like the course. I’ve been here for the last few years now. I am pretty familiar with it, and I really enjoy playing here. Even though I missed it narrowly last year, I am still going to go in and enjoy the day and play my best.”

Andy Ogletree of the USA. Picture by Graham Uden / Asian Tour.

Im birdied the last to remain a wire-to-wire leader.

“I wasn’t as good as the first two days and I’m not really happy with my round today. But I shot under par, so we’ll see what happens tomorrow,” said the world No61, a two-time PGA Tour champion.

“The pins were tough for the back nine. So, the pins were harder today, and the wind was stronger and it was gusting as well. It was very hard to predict the wind.

“I think I will practice my putting a little bit today to be ready for tomorrow.”

Casey started from the 10th tee, and the highlight of his front nine was the eagle on the 18th. It made up for a lip-out on the same hole on Friday. The Englishman was one-over for his first 27 holes in the tournament, and is bogey-free 10-under for the next 27.

“I struggled at first. Admittedly, jet lag. I came in late… had family obligations that prevented me from arriving at a time I’d normally like. I didn’t get here until Tuesday night. Played the ProAm quickly. I was tired. So, there were some errors and I was just struggling to make birdies,” said the man who has won multiple titles on all the major tours.

“I put myself under some pressure yesterday with three, four holes to go. I hit some really good shots and had a lot of chances. I had so many opportunities, but I just didn’t make anything. And then suddenly, it changed the last three holes, made three long putts, two for birdies and one lipped out on the 18th for an eagle. Finished with birdie, birdie, birdie, and carried on from there.”

Paul Casey of England. Picture by Graham Uden / Asian Tour.

Ogletree, the 2023 Order of Merit champion, showed he had overcome a couple of injuries that bothered him after that season. He played only three tournaments last year, and five so far this year.

On Saturday, after a round that included seven birdies, the 28-year-old American said: “It’s pretty windy out there. I kept it in front of me and finally made a couple of putts. I’ve been hitting it really well this week and just haven’t really made anything. Margin of error is pretty small out there and the course is kind of quirky and hard to get it close to a lot of the pin locations. So, got some momentum with the putter today and was able to capitalise.

“I feel like my game is in a really good spot, and I put in some really good work. Over the past couple of years, trying to figure out my wrist and figure out a swing that’s better for it, and I feel like I’m really on a good trajectory now. I understand what I’m doing. I feel a lot stronger and confident.”

Sungjae Im [main picture] showed his class for the second straight day at the SJM Macao Open after shooting a seven-under-par 63 today to take a three-shot lead.

Having carded a 64 here yesterday at Macau Golf & Country Club he has moved to 13-under – thanks to 13 birdies and, impressively, not a single dropped shot.

Chinese-Taipei’s Wang Wei-hsuan, beaten in a sudden-death play-off here last year, matched Im’s round with a 63 and is in joint second place along with American Austin Truslow, in with a 64.

Lee Chieh-po from Chinese-Taipei and China’s Wu Ashun are next best placed in a tie for fourth, two shots further back. Lee carded a 66 and Wu a 67.

Korea’s Im – a two-time winner on the PGA Tour, where he has been playing for the last eight years – is yet to win an Asian Tour event but will have one of his best opportunities to do so this weekend.

Said the 28-year-old: “I’ve shot two low rounds, six under yesterday and seven under today. Bogey-free rounds for two days, so I’m very happy with how I’m playing.”

Wang Wei-hsuan.

For the second straight day great weather prevailed, tempered only by some wind.

“The wind for the next days is going to be really important factor for me,” said Im. “If the wind is blowing or pretty strong, I’ll play safer. And if it’s not blowing as hard, I’ll try to attack a bit more, play more aggressive.”

He started on the back nine and made birdies on 11, 12, 15 and the last, before further gains on four, six and seven.

A member of The International Team at last month’s Presidents Cup, he is in pursuit of his first win since claiming the Woori Financial Group Championship on the Korean PGA Tour in 2024.

His two titles on the PGA Tour came at The Honda Classic in 2020, and the Shriners Children’s Open the following year.

Wang lost to Germany’s Dominic Foos on the second extra hole last year and is well placed for another run at the title this weekend.

“Today was obviously a pretty good round, I mean I was bogey free today,” said Wang.

“This week my driver felt pretty good, and I enjoy coming out to this course every time. And yeah, also my second shots were pretty smooth. My putting felt better than yesterday, so yeah, that’s why I shot a lower score.”

The 27-year-old has been one of the breakout stars on the Asian Tour over the past few seasons. He also tied for second in last year’s Yeangder TPC and was third in the Mercuries Taiwan Masters shortly before just missing out in Macau. He tied for fourth in the Yeangder event last month so has once again arrived here on point.

Austen Truslow.

Truslow started his round on 10 and closed out the nine in style by making an eagle on the par-five 18^th, where he drained a brilliant 35-footer. He also made up grand at the end of the second nine with birdies on seven and nine. He was also bogey free today.

He said: “You know, I’ve kind of learned how to feel more comfortable on this course, it’s not a course that suits my eye very much. Didn’t grow up playing a lot of mountain golf, like not that this is a mountain course, but it kind of feels like it. I’ve played more so since I moved to Alabama of kind of hilly golf, so it feels a little bit more familiar.”

Zhou Yanhan, China’s 18-year-old star, fired a 70 to finish the day in a tie for 14^th on six under. He had shared the first-round lead with Im and Australian Will Florimo. Florimo shot a 76 and is even par.

Sweden’s Henrik Stenson, one of the event’s marquee players, carded a 69 and is also in a tie for 14^th.

Pictures by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

The postponement of the PIF Saudi International, traditionally the last tournament in the Asian Tour’s annual schedule, means that the Philippine Open presented by Philippine Sports Commission will now be the 2026 season finale for the Asian Tour. 

The tournament at Manila Southwoods Golf & Country Club (Masters Course) from November 12-15 will therefore determine the 2026 Order of Merit champion and final standings. 

Cho Minn Thant, Asian Tour CEO, concluded, “The Philippine Open presented by Philippine Sports Commission will now have added excitement as our season-ending tournament, deciding the standings of our Order of Merit, the pinnacle achievement on the Asian Tour. We’re excited to crown our 2026 champion in Manila, the region’s oldest national open which returns this year with record prize money of US$1million. The Asian Tour Order of Merit rewards outstanding play and consistency throughout the season, offering players multiple pathways to compete at the highest levels the following season on the Asian Tour and around the world.” 

The Asian Tour is looking forward to working with our partners and stakeholders in the Philippines to make sure that the region’s oldest national open is bigger and better than ever before as our closing tournament of the year.

China’s teenage golf star Zhou Yanhan, Sungjae Im from Korea, and Australian Will Florimo shared the first-round lead today at the SJM Macao Open after shooting fine six-under-par 64s.

They lead by one shot at Macau Golf & Country Club from a large group of players, who returned 65s: Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert, the current leader of the Asian Tour Order of Merit and the winner of this event 10 years ago, Henrik Stenson from Sweden, Australian Jed Morgan, Chase Koepka from the United States, Jose Toledo from Guatemala, China’s Wu Ashun and Kelvin Si, impressively flying the flag for Macau.

Zhou [main picture] is just 18 years old and making his debut on the Asian Tour.

He said: “It’s a brilliant experience playing on the Tour, I love the course and I love the people here. Just an amazing experience here.”

He made seven birdies and dropped one shot, on the sixth – after which he responded with three birdies in a row.

With the wind up and the course tight it was an impressive start to the week.

Sungjae Im.

“This course is not that open, so you have to make sure your ball is safe and your ball is in play and just try to hole the putts.”

Zhou has been one of his country’s most talked about players over the past few seasons. In 2025 he triumphed seven times on the China Tour and secured the Order of Merit. He has also been playing well on the DP World Tour, most noticeably finishing joint second in the Danish Golf Championship in August and equal third in the Hainan Classic in February.

He also made his mark when he debuted on the Asian Development Tour in January when he tied for fifth in the PKNS Selangor Masters.

Im, who tied for seventh here last year, was bogey free today and birdied the par-five 18^th late in the day to catch Zhou and Florimo – who were out in the morning flights.

“It’s a very windy day today,” said Im, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour who made his fourth appearance in the Presidents Cup last month.

“It played to the plan that we had before the round. Playing last year and then knowing the course was a big help.

“If the wind stays on this direction, the three days is gonna be same plan.”

Pavit won this event in 2016 for his first success on the Asian Tour.

“I have a lot of good memories from that year,” he said.

“Our King Rama IX passed away that year, on the Thursday. So, I just said to myself, from then on, win for him. So, yeah, it was emotional and this week has special meaning.”

Will Florimo.

Pavit won the Yeangder TPC last month, for his third victory on the Asian Tour, and presently leads the Merit list from Travis Smyth from Australia in second and Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho in third. The winner of the Merit list will earn a DP World Tour card for next year.

Pictured by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

Golf Saudi and the Asian Tour have agreed to postpone the PIF Saudi International, originally scheduled to take place at Riyadh Golf Club from November 18-21, 2026. 

The decision to postpone was taken following an assessment of the organisational and logistical challenges associated with hosting the tournament and ensuring the event is delivered to a standard befitting its international stature, which meets the expectations of players and fans.

Commenting on the decision, Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner & CEO, Asian Tour, noted, “We would like to thank Golf Saudi for its continued support and valued partnership. The PIF Saudi International is one of the most important events on the Asian Tour calendar and we look forward to seeing our players compete in Riyadh in the future.”

Further announcements on the 2026 season and 2027 schedule will be made in due course.