Li and Kho to join star line-up at SJM Macao Open
China’s number one golfer, Li Haotong, and Hong Kong, China’s reigning Asian Games gold medalist, Taichi Kho, have confirmed their participation in the upcoming SJM Macao Open – taking place from 16-19 October, at Macau Golf & Country Club.
Zhang Lianwei, a two-time champion of the Macao Open and the only player to have successfully defended the title in the tournament’s history, has also confirmed his attendance.
The 30-year-old Li, whose career highlights include eight tour titles and a third-place finish at The Open in 2017 and joint fourth result this year, enters the SJM Macao Open with momentum after winning the Qatar Masters earlier this season.
He said: “I am delighted to return to Macao and play at the SJM Macao Open. The last time I played in this prestigious event was in 2023, and I am looking forward to experiencing the city’s vibrancy and energy again. I am having a great season so far and hope to play well enough at the SJM Macao Open to secure my second title in 2025.”
The 24-year-old Kho has made a significant impact since turning professional in 2023. In his rookie season, he became the first Hong Kong, China player to win on the Asian Tour at the World City Championship 2023, and followed it up with a historic gold medal in the Asian Games Men’s Individual event, ahead of South Korean star and fellow SJM Macao Open contender Sungjae Im. Kho also led the Hong Kong, China team to a historic bronze medal in the team competition.
Taichi Kho. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.
Kho commented: “I am thrilled to return to Macao for the SJM Macao Open. I finished tied for sixth two years ago, and I feel this course suits my game very well. I have been playing great recently and hope to score some low rounds to challenge for the title on 19 October.”
The Hong Kong star has been in fine form this year, with six top-10s – including a second place in the Mandiri Indonesia Open in August.
Another golf legend from China, Liang Wenchong, was announced as a participant at the tournament’s press launch recently alongside emerging Macao golfer, Kelvin Si Ngai, making this year’s SJM Macao Open a showcase of China’s generational golf talent.
The contingent of Chinese golfers will join former world number one Lee Westwood, who won the event in 1999, South Korean’s two-time PGA Tour winner Sungjae Im, and defending champion Rattanon Wannasrichan in the quest for the coveted SJM Macao Open 2025 title.
Additionally, several participants of the SJM Macao Open will compete in the upcoming 15th National Games, co-hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR for the first time in November. Li will represent Guangdong, while Kho and Si will lead Hong Kong, China and Macao, China teams, respectively.
Zhang, who mentored Liang as he transitioned from amateur to professional, has been a steadfast supporter of the Macao Open since its inaugural event in 1998. His Macao Open titles in 2001 and 2002 are among 22 professional tournament wins in a career that began in 1994. Respected as the pioneer of golf in China, he is credited with many ‘firsts’ for Chinese golfers, including being the first to win on the European Tour and the first to reach the top 100 in the Official Golf Rankings.
Zhang Lianwei. Picture by Paul Lakatos/IMG.
A native of Zhuhai, Zhang said: “I consider the SJM Macao Open my home tournament. I have played here many times, and whether I win or lose, Macao will always be close to my heart. Since I first played here, the course at the Macau Golf & Country Club has consistently maintained its world-class quality, while Macao as a city has evolved so much, it is amazing to see it become one of the premier entertainment and events hubs in Asia. The SJM Macao Open experience just gets better every year.”
Kazuki Higa won the Yeangder TPC at the weekend for his second title in two weeks, and in the process rose to the top of the Asian Tour Order of Merit for the first time in his career.
The Japanese star, winner of the Shinhan Donghae Open in Korea before last week’s victory, did an excellent job in keeping bogies off his card on the Linkou International Golf & Country Club layout, dropping shots on only four holes during the week and leading the Fewest Bogies or Worse stat category together with Charles Porter from the United States.
Higa also led the Bounce Back category with 50%, meaning he made birdies immediately following two of his four bogies. He also performed well in the Putts per Round and Greens in Regulation (GIR) categories where he ranked T11 and 11th respectively.
Not one of the longest players off the tee Higa placed 51st in Driving Distance with 299.6 yards while hitting 58.93% of the Fairways ranking T20.
There were three joint runners-up last week, Porter, Rattanon Wannasrichan from Thailand and Chinese Taipei’s Wang Wei-hsuan, and both Porter and Wang are known for their power off the tee. The American topped the Driving Distance category with an impressive 340.4 yards and Wang was not far behind with 337.6, ranking third. They were however not listed highly in the Fairways Hit table, with Wang placing T54 with 46.43%, and Porter T71 with 39.29%.
Charles Porter. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.
Wang had a good week on the greens and ranked fourth in Putts per GIR with 1.627, helping him top the Most Birdies table with 24. His other stats for the week: Putts per Round 28.25 (T16), GIR 70.83% (T25).
Porter also enjoyed a good week with the short stick finishing T8 in Putts per Round with 27.75. He also recovered from missed greens well, topping the Scrambling category with 80.95%. Like Wang he had a GIR percentage of 70.83 and rounding out his stats he was T27 in Putts per GIR with 1.725.
Rattanon excelled on the Linkou greens and led the field in the Putts per GIR with 1.592, resulting in 22 birdies which was second only to Wang’s 24. He was also T2 in Putts per Round with an average of 27. His other stats for the week: T38 in GIR with 68.06%, 42nd in Driving Distance with 303.9 yards and T26 in Fairways Hit with 55.36%.
Statistics Categories leaders at the Yeangder TPC (of players making the cut):
- Putts per Round – Nick Voke (NZL): 26
- Putts per GIR – Rattanon Wannasrichan (THA): 1.592
- GIR – Poom Saksansin (THA): 86.11%
- Fairways Hit – John Catlin (USA), Miguel Tabuena (PHI), Chonlatit Chuenboonngam (THA), Lu Wei-chih (TPE): 71.43%
- Driving Distance – Charles Porter (USA): 340.4 yards
- Most Eagles – Suteepat Prateeptienchai (THA:) 4
- Most Birdies – Wang, Wei-hsuan (TPE): 24
- Fewest Bogies or Worse – Charles Porter (USA), Kazuki Higa (JPN): 4
- Scrambling – Charles Porter (USA): 80.95%
- Bounce back – Kazuki Higa (JPN): 50%
That they would face high winds in Taiwan is a gimme for Asian Tour players. But to be battered by Typhoon Krathon was something else. The deadly storm barrelled through Taiwan packing winds in excess of 130kmph and dumping over 65 inches of rain in two days during the Mercuries Taiwan Masters week. Story from the 2024 Yearbook.
However, the fact that the players still managed to play 54 holes and South African Jbe Kruger was crowned the champion, was a testament to the exceptionally hard work put in by the ground staff of Taiwan Golf and Country Club, and the innovation and determination shown by the tournament officials.
With the first two days abandoned and enough lakes forming on the golf course, most players expected no more than 27 holes over the weekend. In the end, three rounds were held with shotgun starts in two days, including two full-field rounds, with the cut falling after 36 holes as per usual.
It became a two-man battle between the 38-year-old Kruger and Korea’s Jeunghun Wang. The South African was looking for his first win on the Asian Tour in over five years, while the 2016 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open champion Wang was looking for his first professional win since returning from National Service two years ago.
Jbe Kruger celebrates with his wife and caddie Denise last year. Picture by Mercuries Taiwan Masters.
Kruger, with his wife Denise on the bag, closed with a three-under-par 69 to finish on eight-under-par aggregate. That included a crucial birdie from six feet on the 18th hole that broke the deadlock against Wang (73), who unfortunately made a bogey after a wayward tee shot to fall back for a tied second place with Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert at six-under-par total.
Kruger had started the third and final round two shots behind Wang and made five birdies, three of them coming in the last five holes. Wang made two birdies in his first eight holes to stay ahead but dropped three shots in his last 10 holes.
India’s Yuvraj Singh Sandhu, who got into the tournament at the last minute after being the sixth reserve on Monday, made full use of the opportunity to record his first top-five overseas on the Asian Tour. At five-under-par total, he was tied fourth alongside the Thai duo Chonlatit Chuenboonngam (70) and Rattanon Wannasrichan (71).
Three-time Asian Tour winner Kruger, who had come into the tournament placed 69th in the Order of Merit before jumping to 10th place, said: “It means the world. I did not come here with any form. I have not been playing great, so it’s unbelievable. It’s been glory to God, with the typhoon and everything that has been happening.
“I probably made it as hard as I could on myself. I could not get it on the fairway, I could not get it on the green, I was trying to make birdies, and then, on the last hole, I hit it in the fairway finally.”
Mercuries Group Chairman, George Wong with the champion Jbe Kruger.
Sandhu, the 27-year-old from Chandigarh who won on the Asian Development Tour in 2023, summed up the week for the players and paid rich tribute to everyone who made the tournament happen.
“Mercuries Taiwan Masters was an unforgettable week for me, not just because it was my first top-five on the Asian Tour, but also because of what we had to face as players. It really was a scary couple of days as we were locked up in our rooms because of the typhoon, not knowing whether we’d play or not,” said Sandhu.
“In a way, when we got the news that the tournament will start on Saturday, I somehow had a perfect mindset. I told my caddie that we don’t know how many holes we will get to play, so let’s just focus on trying to make as many birdies as possible. I was not thinking about my own golf before the tournament, just how Taiwan had to cope with such a disaster. Golf is a funny game, and when you don’t have expectations, it tends to deliver.
“Honestly, I was not expecting the golf course to be in such good shape. The greens, the drainage, the work put on by the maintenance staff… everything was top-class. The clubhouse staff did a phenomenal job because they accommodated almost the full field at times. And for the Asian Tour staff to manage 54 holes was just incredible.”
September 21: Kazuki Higa continued his imperious form on the Asian Tour, winning the US$1 million Yeangder TPC on Sunday for his second title in two weeks following the 41st Shinhan Donghae Open in Korea, and moved to the top place on the Order of Merit.
Higa, the highest-ranked player in the field at Linkou International Golf and Country Club this week, was solid throughout the four rounds and shot a bogey-free four-under-par 68 in the final round to finish on 17-under total of 271 for a two-shot win.
Overnight leader, American Charles Porter (71), once again started with two birdies in his first four holes but managed to add just one more after that to fall to a tie for second place at 15-under 273 alongside Wang Wei-hsuan (67), the best-placed player from Chinese-Taipei and Thailand’s Rattanon Wannasrichan (66).
Philippines’ Miguel Tabuena (66) and American Shotaro Ban (68) both birdied the final hole to finish joint fifth at -14. Indian duo of Ajeetesh Sandhu and Viraj Madappa (both 68), rounded up the top-10 with Thailand’s Suteepat Prateeptienchai (70), Australia’s Travis Smyth (71) and local amateur Hsieh Cheng-wei (71).
Kazuki Higa of Japan after his win on the 18th green. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.
Hsieh finished bogey-bogey, but the 17-year-old’s tied seventh place was another feather in his cap. It was by far the best showing by an amateur in the championship. The previous best was Wang’s tied 49th in 2017. Hsieh also holds the Asian Tour record of the youngest player to make the cut in 2022.
Higa, who won the BTI Open in Bangladesh on his debut on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) in 2018, caught up with Porter with a 20-foot birdie putt on the 11th, and could have gone ahead on the 14th, where he missed another birdie chance from three feet.
The tournament completely turned in Higa’s favour when he dropped a well-read 12-footer for birdie on the tough par-4 15th hole, while Porter wound up making a bogey from the same distance after getting into trouble with his tee shot.
Porter could have closed the gap on the 17th hole and would have fancied his chances on the long par-five 18th holes, but his birdie attempt from less than four feet grazed the hole and missed.
Tournament sponsors Yeangder are also Higa’s personal sponsor and he had said after Saturday’s round that winning the tournament would mean the world to him.
Wang Wei-hsuan of Chinese-Taipei. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.
After his Sunday round, Higa said: “It’s a very good feeling, I just did something special.
“From the beginning of the season, my form has been very good. I’ve been in contention many times, but could not manage to get a win until five weeks ago in Japan. It was just some small things that I needed to get better. Like, the putting is getting better and there’s no more stress from the tee shots. It’s the reason we could get these wins.”
On his final round, the 30-year-old from Okinawa said: “On the front nine, we hit some good shots, hit some good putts, but it didn’t just drop. The reads were just a little bit wrong and I just needed to stay patient and not to be aggressive on the tee shots. The putts started to drop at a good time.”
Higa won the 2022 Order of Merit on the Japan Golf Tour, but despite taking the lead, he was not entertaining any thoughts of adding an Asian Tour crown to his CV.
“It’s the middle of the season, and there are many International Series events, the big events, coming up now. So, not thinking too much about this. Just keeping it in mind a little bit that we are in a good spot to have a chance and just try to play golf like I’ve been doing until now.”
Despite the heartbreak, it was Porter’s best finish on the Asian Tour and elevated him to 32nd in the Order of Merit.
“I felt really out of rhythm off the tees, especially. I feel like in the future, finding a way to calm down and just swing like I know how to swing it will be beneficial,” said the 6ft 9in Porter.
“I’m just thinking about how I can learn for next time. In this game, you either win or you learn, and there’s a lot of learning. So, I will reflect on this and I will learn a ton.”
Rattanon Wannasrichan of Thailand. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.
Wang, who had two late bogeys on the 14th and 17th holes, said: “My overall performance is pretty good, and I played my long irons especially well. I was able to keep it in play off the tee and hit my second shots well to give myself good opportunities for birdies.
“The three-putt on 14th and missing that short putt on the 17th was disappointing. But I’m still happy to be the best-placed Taiwanese this week. This is also my best result in the tournament. I’ve exceeded my own expectations, which is good. Hoping to carry the positives into the next week.”
Wannasrichan, who matched the day’s low of 66 that included a chipped-in birdie on the 17th from 40 yards out and almost in an out-of-bounds position, said: “Today was perfect and I was also so lucky. I hit the cart path and hit a tree and came back to the fairway on both holes.”
Hsieh, who joins the Arizona State University later this year, felt he could have done better than his tied seventh place finish.
“Overall, I’m pleased with my performance. But disappointed with my putting as I misread a lot of them. I should have done better than this. But these two days, I’ve had the chance to play with top players on the Asian Tour, and I was able to calm my nerves and stay focused. It’s still a great experience this week,” he added.
The Asian Tour will remain in Chinese-Taipei for another week, with the US$1 million Mercuries Taiwan Masters being played from Thursday, September 25, at Taiwan Golf & Country Club.
September 20: Charles Porter showed the patience of a monk to defend his lead at the end of the third round on Saturday, but Kazuki Higa was snapping at his heels after two birdies in his last two holes in the US$1 million Yeangder TPC.
Porter, who started the day with a four-shot lead, seemed to be running away from the field with two early birdies in his first four holes, but he then proceeded to finish with 14 straight pars for a two-under-par 70 to lead after 54 holes at 14-under 202.
Higa, who is sponsored by Yeangder and said winning the tournament would mean the world to him, is trying to become a back-to-back winner on the Asian Tour. He made a determined move towards that goal with a 67 that included just one bogey.
Much to the delight of the local fans at the Linkou International Golf and Country Club, 17-year-old amateur Hsieh Cheng-wei birdied the 18th hole for a second straight 67 and joined Australia’s Travis Smyth (67) in tied third place at 12-under.
Kazuki Higa of Japan. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.
Thailand’s defending champion Suteepat Prateeptienchai (68) remained a threat in tied fifth place at 11-under alongside compatriot Chonlatit Chuenboonngam (67).
Porter, the 26-year-old from San Francisco, said he had to rely heavily on his short game to make sure he stayed under-par for the round. He birdied the first two par-fives of the golf course – the first and the fourth – but rued a missed opportunity on the par-4 second, where he drove the green and three-putted for a par.
“I’d describe the round as rickety. I hit it all over the place and then hit some really impressive recovery shots and chip shots. If it wasn’t for that, I probably would have shot a few over, to be honest,” said the tall American who qualified for the Asian Tour after losing his card on the Korn Ferry Tour last year.
“I’ve been patient all week, so it wasn’t really hard to do the same today. I drove the green on two and three putted, so it was easy.
“The tee shot on two was really cool to drive that green. Even though I made par, I think that was a sweet shot.”
Travis Smyth of Australia. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.
A product of Japan’s famed Tohoku Fukushi University, which gave Japan its first major champion, Hideki Matsuyama, Higa is showing the same level of dominance. Having won twice on the Asian Development Tour, he will be looking for his 11th international title on Sunday.
The 30-year-old from Okinawa was motoring along with four birdies in his first 14 holes, before making a bogey on the 15th. That did not deter Higa, who bounced back with birdies on the 17th and 18th.
“Really happy with the good finish. I struggled with my tee shots today. Missed a lot of fairways, but still managed to make six birdies today, so that was all good,” said the 5ft 2in tall Higa, who is playing the weekend with the 6ft 9in Porter.
“Tomorrow I will need to focus more on my tee shots. If I can put my ball in play, I should be able to make more birdies and not give the other competitors chances to take the title. No pressure playing with Charles, although he’s really tall!”
Smyth has been a picture of consistency on the Asian Tour, but he is yet to add to his one title, which came at the same tournament in 2022. He has also finished second once on the same golf course.
Hsieh Cheng-wei [a] of Chinese Taipei. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.
“I don’t know why I do well here. There are a lot of tee shots here that I don’t really like the look of. It’s tight and I spray the ball everywhere. I think I managed to hole putts here somehow. Just over the years, I always seem to find the bottom of the cup. So putting is huge this week.”
Hsieh, who plays regularly at the golf course, showed his potential once again and sent a strong message to his future team at Arizona State University with a brilliant 67. He started with an eagle on the par-5 first and then added five more birdies.
The results have been very good these three days. My accuracy and distance control are very good. Although the wind was different from the last two days today, I committed to my shots and was able to get the results I wanted,” said the youngster who holds the record of being the youngest player to make the cut in Asian Tour at this tournament in 2022.
“I will try and focus on every shot tomorrow. I played with Travis and Suteepat today and was very impressed with their steadiness on the golf course and the ability to recover from bad shots. Hopefully, I can use those lessons tomorrow.”
September 19: Charles Porter did not sleep well before his second round, but that did not stop the American from opening a substantial four-shot lead at the halfway stage of the US$1 million Yeangder TPC as he wielded a hot putter for a seven-under-par 65 on Friday.
The 26-year-old from San Francisco closed with a solid birdie on the 18th hole, where he muscled a blind second shot from 255 yards to the par-five green and two-putted to reach 12-under-par 132. He had shot a 67 on Thursday, a day his late father would have celebrated his 75th birthday.
The six-foot-nine-inch-tall Porter towered on the field and was four better than Germany’s Dominic Foos and Japan’s Kazuki Higa. Both players shot identical rounds of 67, but the German’s included two bogeys in his last two holes that somewhat spoiled a brilliant round.
Thailand’s defending champion Suteepat Prateeptienchai, the overnight leader, made an eagle two on the par-4 third hole, but also shot four bogeys for a 71. He was tied fourth at seven-under alongside the 17-year-old local amateur Hsieh Cheng-wei (67), who holds the record of the youngest player to make the cut on the Asian Tour, Australia’s Travis Smyth (67) and Philippines’ Miguel Tabuena (69).
Charles Porter of the USA with his mother, Liz. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour
Three Thai players – Chonlatit Chuenboonngam (68), Poom Saksansin (68) and Witchayapat Sinsrang (69) – and Australian Brett Rankin (68) were tied eighth at six-under. India’s Ajeetesh Sandhu shot the best round of the tournament so far – a 64 – to move to tied 12th place.
Porter, who lost his Korn Ferry Tour card last year before qualifying for the Asian Tour, said he did not expect the day to go so well. He started with a birdie, but it was his approach shot on the par-4 third hole, where he hit it to a foot from 125 yards, that put him in cruise mode.
“I would describe it as me being very patient and having super low expectations. I slept terribly last night, I didn’t eat breakfast, and I was like, ‘this is going to be a tough day’. Just because this course is tough and I didn’t feel great. But somehow, I made a bunch of putts and shot 65. Probably luck.
“I thought I managed well. When I was in the rough, I was playing defensively, which you have to do out here, and then when I got on the green, I just made a bunch of putts.”
Dominic Foos of Germany. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour
Porter, who was in contention at Mandiri Indonesia Open last month but did not have a good weekend to finish tied 14th, said he had a plan to avoid a similar situation this week.
“I’m definitely going to try to get some rest and take my mind off golf. I did not do a good job of that in Indonesia, and I think I really struggled because of it. My mom’s here. I don’t know what we’re gonna do, but it’s not going to be related to golf,” Porter explained.
Foos, who concentrated on the HotelPlanner Tour in Europe last year, was happy to be back in Asia. He has already got a top-10 finish in the International Series Macau presented by Wynn, and is hoping to secure his card for next season during the Tour’s busy end to the 2025 schedule.
The two closing bogeys annoyed him, but Foos said: “I thought I was going to go bogey-free there for a second. That was kind of my goal all day. But things can get away from you quickly on this course, so overall, very happy. I kept the ball in play, hit a lot of fairways, hit a lot of greens, and then some putts dropped.”
Kazuki Higa of Japan. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour
Higa, winner of last week’s 41st Shinhan Donghae Open in Korea, carried on his form to Taiwan, where his wife hails from. The tournament sponsors Yeangder also happen to be his personal sponsor. The Japanese star made two bogeys, but made up for those mistakes with three birdies in his last six holes.
“The grass is completely different from last week, so I feel that it’s going to be more difficult this week, but we’ve managed to set a good pace, a good tempo with the swing, and it has worked well so far. Some misreads on the greens, but in general, it was good,” said the winner of 10 international titles, including two of the Asian Development Tour in 2018 and 2019.
“It was a pretty windy morning today, but we managed to make some birdies in the beginning of the of the day.
“Because it’s my sponsor’s tournament, I tried to manage my season to get a good preparation for this week, but the win came last week. But it’s a tournament that I want to win very, very much. It’s one of the tournaments I want to win the most.”
Amateur Hsieh made seven birdies and was the best-place player from Chinese-Taipei and was delighted with his second cut in professional tournaments.
Hsieh Cheng-wei of Chinese Taipei gives a selfie to one of his fans. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour
“This is my home course, but I can’t say I have too much of an advantage over others,” said Hsieh. “I still struggle to read the greens and sometimes, I can’t gauge the wind properly as well.
“But I putted very well (27 putts) today, and made only one 3-putt. I had some good saves out there. Driver was a bit off, but I did well with course management.
“This is my second time making the cut. The last time I was too young. But now, I think I’m a better player. I hope I can continue to play my best in the next two rounds.”
September 19: Charles Porter put a bow around his fantastic round of seven-under-par 65 with a closing birdie on the 18th hole, and took a commanding four-shot lead in the clubhouse mid-way through the second round Friday in the US$1 million Yeangder TPC.
The 26-year-old from San Francisco, had shot a solid 67 in the opening round, on a day his late father would have turned 75. The 65 on Friday took him to 12-under par total of 132, four better than Germany’s Dominic Foos and Japan’s Kazuki Higa.
Both Foos and Higa shot identical rounds of 67, but the German’s included two bogeys in his last two holes that somewhat spoiled a brilliant round.
Thailand’s defending champion Suteepat Prateeptienchai, the overnight leader, made an eagle two on the par-4 third hole, but also shot four bogeys for a 71. He was tied fourth at seven-under alongside Australia’s Travis Smyth (67).
Porter, who lost his Korn Ferry Tour card last year before qualifying for the Asian Tour, said he did not expect the day to go so well. He started with a birdie, but it was his approach shot on the par-4 third hole, where he hit it to a foot from 125 yards, that put him in cruise mode.
Dominic Foos of Germany. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.
“I would describe it as me being very patient and having super low expectations. I slept terribly last night, I didn’t eat breakfast, and I was like, ‘this is going to be a tough day’ Just because this course is tough and I didn’t feel great. But somehow, I made a bunch of putts and shot 65. Probably luck.
I thought I managed well. When I was in the rough, I was playing defensively, which you have to do out here, and then when I got on the green, I just made a bunch of putts.”
Porter, who was in contention at Mandiri Indonesia Open last month but did not have a good weekend to finish tied 14th, said he had a plan to avoid a similar situation this week.
“I’m definitely going to try to get some rest and take my mind off golf. I did not do a good job of that in Indonesia, and I think I really struggled because of it. My mom’s here. I don’t know what we’re gonna do, but it’s not going to be related to golf,” Porter explained.
Kazuki Higa of Japan. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.
Foos, who concentrated on the HotelPlanner Tour in Europe last year, was happy to be back in Asia. He has already got a top-10 finish in the International Series Macau presented by Wynn, and is hoping to secure his card for next season during the Tour’s busy end to the 2025 schedule.
The two closing bogeys annoyed him, but Foos said: “I thought I was going to go bogey-free there for a second. That was kind of my goal all day. But things can get away from you quickly on this course, so overall, very happy. I kept the ball in play, hit a lot of fairways, hit a lot of greens, and then some putts dropped.”
Higa, winner of last week’s 41st Shinhan Donghae Open in Korea, carried on his form to Taiwan, where his wife hails from. The tournament sponsors Yeangder also happen to be his personal sponsor. The Japanese star made two bogeys, but made up for those mistakes with three birdies in his last six holes.
“The grass is completely different from last week, so I feel that it’s going to be more difficult this week, but we’ve managed to set a good pace, a good tempo with the swing, and it has worked well so far. Some misreads on the greens, but in general, it was good,” said the winner of 10 international titles, including two of the Asian Development Tour in 2018 and 2019.
“It was a pretty windy morning today, but we managed to make some birdies in the beginning of the of the day.
“Because it’s my sponsor’s tournament, I tried to manage my season to get a good preparation for this week, but the win came last week. But it’s a tournament that I want to win very, very much. It’s one of the tournaments I want to win the most.”
Golf fans are in for a treat this November as the Moutai Singapore Open will feature an outstanding field headlined by LIV Golf League stars Paul Casey from England, and Americans Talor Gooch, Peter Uihlein and Anthony Kim.
The cream of the Asian Tour will also be competing, including defending champion Sadom Kaewkanjana from Thailand, former winner and compatriot Jazz Janewattananond, and the current Asian Tour Order of Merit leader Scott Vincent from Zimbabwe.
To take place from 6-9 November at The Singapore Island Country Club (SICC), the US$2 million tournament will be part of The International Series for the first time – the set of upper-tier events on the Asian Tour that offer a pathway to the LIV Golf League.
As the penultimate event on The International Series schedule this season, the Moutai Singapore Open will go a long way to determining who wins the season-long Rankings race and secures a place on the 2026 LIV Golf League.
Talor Gooch. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
A fan favourite known for being one of the game’s great ball strikers, Casey returns to Singapore after one of his strongest LIV Golf League seasons so far. The 15-time European Tour winner and Ryder Cup veteran played a key role in guiding Crushers GC to a second-place finish in the 2025 team standings, with three team wins this season.
He also racked up four top-10 individual finishes and led the League in Strokes Gained: Approach – a testament to his precision iron play. He came agonisingly close to his first individual LIV title at LIV Golf Dallas, finishing runner-up in a four-man play-off to Patrick Reed.
While Casey has competed in several Singapore Opens, including a notable runner-up finish to Jazz in 2019, this will be his first time competing at SICC.
“It is always a privilege to return to a tournament with such a rich history. Singapore is a place I love returning to; the fans are fantastic, and their energy at events is truly special. I have come close to winning before and hope I can do so this year. I’m excited to be part of this incredible field and play at The Singapore Island Country Club for the first time,” said Casey.
Casey is a two-time winner on the Asian Tour, winning the TCL Classic in China and the Volvo China Open in 2005. He has played in Singapore’s National Open on three occasions: 2012, 2019 and 2022.
Range Goats GC star Uihlein has tasted success before on The International Series – winning twice last season in England and Qatar. Smash GC player Gooch brings some excellent form into the tournament, finishing fourth in the individual LIV Golf standings thanks to a win at LIV Golf Andalucia, a third-place finish in Korea and a fourth at LIV Golf UK. Wild card Kim will be no stranger to Singapore’s golf fans as a former member of the US Ryder Cup team.
Peter Uihlein. Picture by Steve Bardens/Asian Tour.
Fans can also look forward to the return of the ‘Beat the Pro’ challenge this year – a popular fan experience that will be played on one of the signature par-3 holes at SICC. Brayden Lee and Troy Storm, who will represent Singapore at the World Amateur Team Championship this year on home soil, both featured in it before.
The Moutai Singapore Open will be open to the public, free of charge. More details on ticket registration and spectator activities will be shared in the coming weeks.
Recent Comments