Surratt and Meronk strike early with sizzling 62s on favoured ground
Caleb Surratt [main picture] and Adrian Meronk rekindled their magic with Riyadh Golf Club today, shooting nine-under-par 62s to take the first-round lead in the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers.
They lead from Belgium’s Thomas Pieters who returned a 63 while Kiradech Aphibarnrat from Thailand shot a 64 – in the final event of the season on The International Series, and the third from last stop on the Asian Tour calendar.
Both Surratt and Meronk have history at this venue. Surratt shot a course record 61 in this event last year in the third round before going on to lose in a play-off, while Meronk claimed the LIV Golf Riyadh title here in February.
Surratt, who was beaten by Chile’s Joaquin Niemann in extra-time 12 months ago, was comfortably on course to break his course record when, after starting on 10, he played the back nine in seven-under-par 29.
He birdied six on the trot from 11 and made birdie on the last, before two more birdies followed on holes one and two. That put the American on 59 watch, before that was stood down after a bogey on the fourth. He closed with a birdie on nine.
Adrian Meronk.
“It was a great day,” he said. “I’ve been working really, really hard the last few weeks. This is my fifth week traveling, so I’ve learned a lot. I’ve had to fight a lot of battles, so it was kind of nice to win today’s battle. I’m very pleased, but it’s just the start of the tournament.”
The 21-year-old from North Carolina joined the LIV Golf League soon after turning professional and plays for Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII team.
He is yet to win but has come close several times. As well as tying for second here last year he was also joint second in the International Series England earlier in 2024 and was equal third in the International Series Morocco before that.
“It’s been a much better year. I believe I’m one of the best players, and I truly have shown myself that, especially towards the back half of the year. I’m really starting to learn my process, learn what I need to do to play well,” he added.
“I think it’s an everlasting process to learn how to be more consistent. I feel like my good golf is more than good enough, but what makes all these great players so good is they can bring it nearly every week.”
Meronk’s victory here at the start of the season was his first on the LIV Golf League – which he debuted on last year.
Kiradech Aphibarnrat.
“I don’t know. It just seems like it [Riyadh Golf Club] suits my game,” said the Polish golfer, who plays for Cleeks GC.
“I really like it. I think I kind of know how to play this course already, and I like the greens. They roll nicely. I see the break nicely. Yeah, I just enjoy playing here. Excited to be here again.”
Pieters birdied the last two holes to close in at the end. The 4Aces GC man arrived here in encouraging form after top 10 finishes in both the Link Hong Kong Open and the Moutai Singapore Open.
He said: “I putted unbelievable today. I think I had 24 putts. Usually, I don’t make a lot of putts from 10 to 15 feet, and today I made all of them.
“I was putting on Sunday night on my putting green at home, and I was just kind of messing about with different models and stuff. I always like to tinker with putters. This one is an old one that I got eight, nine years ago, never used it, but it did a good job today.”
Kiradech, the Asian Tour Order of Merit winner in 2013, also clearly likes the course, as he was joint third in the Saudi Open presented by PIF early last year.
He said: “I’m quite pleased with the way I’m playing the past couple months. Starting really good, just can’t get everything going through the weekend. But I just keep knocking on the door, and hopefully everything is coming together.
Louis Oosthuizen.
“I’ve been playing here not often, but this is my third time playing in this place, and I would say the green conditions is one of the best compared with the last two I played before.”
South African Louis Oosthuizen and England’s Paul Casey are tied for fifth following 65s, along with Korean Seonghyeon Kim and Colombia’s Sebastian Munoz.
Defending champion Niemann has work to do after a 72, while Australian Cam Smith, who was also in the play-off last year, came in with a 71.
The race to finish in the top two on The International Series Rankings to secure a place on the LIV Golf League moved one step closer.
The leading three players in the rankings, Scott Vincent from Zimbabwe, Yosuke Asaji from Japan, and Filipino Miguel Tabuena were paired in the same group.
Vincent and Tabuena both carded 67s, while Asaji fired a 72.
Vincent leads the Rankings, with 325.59 points, ahead of Asaji in second, on 285.3, with Tabuena third, having earned 232.28 points.
However, with the winner this week set to earn 324 points, the race is wide open, meaning players further down on the Rankings also have a chance to grab one of the places at the very end.
Pictures by Ian Walton/Asian Tour.
The PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers brings the season to a close on The International Series, while it is the third from last stop on the Asian Tour calendar.
Boasting prizemoney of US$5million it is the most lucrative event of the year, where much will be decided.
The leading two players from The International Series Rankings at the end of the week will book their places on next year’s LIV Golf League, while the event will play a significant role in determining who claims the Asian Tour Order of Merit title.
The tournament first became part of the Asian Tour in 2022, and regularly attracts the strongest field of the year with a glittering array of stars.
First played in 2019, it has been won on two occasions by American Dustin Johnson while Chile’s Joaquin Niemann is the defending champion.
The event was held at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in Jeddah for the first five years before moving to Riyadh Golf Club last year.
General view of the !8th hole at Riyadh Golf Club.
Tournament Information
- Tournament: PIF Saudi International powered by Softbank Investment Advisers
- Date: 19 – 22 November
- Venue: Riyadh Golf Club
- Par/Yards: 71 / 7,411 yards
- Purse: US$5million (First place US$1million)
- Previous Winner: Joaquin Niemann (CHI) – won play-off against Cameron Smith (AUS) and Caleb Surratt (USA)
- Previous winning score: 263 (-21)
- Asian Tour leg: 19th
- The International Series leg: Ninth
- Edition of tournament: Seventh (Asian Tour 2022, 2023 and 2024, DP World Tour 2019, 2020, 2021)
- Total number of players: 120
- Format: Stroke play tournament over four rounds of 18 holes with a cut after 36 holes to leading 65 pros plus ties.
- Social media hashtags: #TimeToRise # InternationalSeries #ThisIsEverything
Sergio Garcia.
Field Breakdown
- Order of Merit winners: John Catlin (2024), Jazz Janewattananond (2019), Scott Hend (2016), Kiradech Aphibarnrat (2013)
- Nationalities: 30
- Top contenders: Tyrrell Hatton (ENG), Joaquin Niemann (CHI), Cameron Smith (AUS), Dustin Johnson (USA), Patrick Reed (USA), Tom McKibbin (NIR), Scott Vincent (ZIM), Kazuki Higa (JPN), Miguel Tabuena (PHI), Sergio Garcia (ESP), Yosuke Asaji (JPN)
- Highest ranked player on OWGR: Tyrrell Hatton #20
- Highest ranked player on 2025 Asian Tour Order of Merit: Kazuki Higa (JPN) #1
- Highest ranked player in 2025 International Series Rankings: Scott Vincent (ZIM) #1
- Number of amateurs in the field: 6
- Number of Saudi players in the field: 7
Graeme McDowell.
Tournament Notes
- Englishman Tyrrell Hatton is the highest ranked player in the field this week, after a successful season in which he won the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, finished runner-up at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and had a T5 at the BMW PGA Championship on the DP World Tour. He also finished T4 at the U.S. Open, his seventh career top 10 in a Major. He has won eight DP World Tour events, including one BMW PGA Championship and five Rolex Series events, and one PGA Tour event, the 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational. He is also a four-time Ryder Cup player for the European side. Playing on the LIV Golf League as part of John Rahm’s Legion XIII squad he has recorded one individual win which came in 2024.
- Defending champion Joaquin Niemann from Chile won an incredible five individual titles in the 2025 LIV Golf League season, as well as one team tournament as captain of the Torque GC team. This year he also recorded his first top-10 in a Major, finishing T8 in the PGA Championship. Prior to joining LIV Golf he recorded two wins on the PGA Tour, the 2019 A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier and the 2022 Genesis Invitational, and he also won the 2023 ISPS Handa Australian Open on the DP World Tour. Niemann was the number one ranked golfer in the World Amateur Golf Ranking for 44 weeks, from May 2017 to April 2018 when he turned professional.
- Australian Cam Smith was one of the two players in the play-off for this tournament last year that was eventually won by Niemann. He famously won the Open Championship in 2022, and during this career-best season he also picked up the winning trophies at the Players Championship, Sentry Tournament of Champions, Fortinet Australian PGA Championship, a T3 at the Masters Tournament and a T4 at the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers. As captain of Ripper GC on the LIV Golf League he has won three individual titles since joining in 2022.
- Dustin Johnson of the U.S. is a two-time Major champion, having won the 2020 Masters and 2016 U.S. Open. He was ranked number one in the world from February in 2017 and he held that position for 64 straight weeks, the 5th longest run as number one. He returned to the number one spot in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 and has been at number one for a total of over 130 weeks. Currently playing on the LIV Golf League as captain of the 4Aces, he has won one tournament each season there in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Johnson has won 24 PGA Tour events during his career and been part of five Ryder Cup teams and three Presidents Cup squads.
- American Patrick Reed has been in fine form this season in world-wide events, with a win at LIV Golf Dallas, a third-place finish in the Masters, and a T3 in the BMW PGA Championship. On the Asian Tour he was runner-up the International Series Macau presented by Wynn in March. On the DP World Tour he also recorded two other top-10’s while on LIV he posted five other top 10’s, finishing seventh in the individual standings. He won last year’s Link Hong Kong Open, his first title on the Asian Tour.
- Tom McKibbin from Northern Ireland won the Link Hong Open wire-to-wire three weeks ago for his first Asian Tour and International Series titles, after setting the tournament scoring record by six shots. Playing on the LIV Golf League as part of Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII team he posted four individual top-10s and four team wins this season. On the DP World Tour McKibbin has posted three top-10s this year, with a T3 at the Porsche Singapore Classic as his best result.
- Japan’s Kazuki Higa has led the Order of Merit since his T2 at the International Series Philippines four weeks ago, after earlier winning the Yeangder TPC and Shinhan Donghae Open in back-to-back weeks in September. He also had a strong start to his 2025 campaign, going T8, T5 and T2 in the Smart Infinity Philippine Open, International Series India Presented by DLF and New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sports respectively. On the Japan Tour he has recorded seven top 10’s this season, including wins at the Shinhan Donghae Open and at the ISPS HANDA Explosion in the Summer in mid-August.
- Scott Vincent from Zimbabwe tops The International Series Rankings after a win at the International Series Morocco in July, a runner-up at the Jakarta International Championship three weeks ago and a T10 at the International Series India presented by DLF earlier this season. He now sits in second place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit after Higa passed him with a T2 in the Philippines, and among Vincent’s other strong finishes are T2 at the Shinhan Donghae Open in September, T4 in the Kolon Korea Open and T8 at the Smart Infinity Philippine Open. In addition to his good results on the Asian Tour this season he has also posted three top-fives on the Japan Tour, the most recent at the Sansan KBC Augusta Golf Tournament in late August.
- Miguel Tabuena from the Philippines had a story-book week at home last month, winning the International Series Philippines on his home course for his fourth Asian Tour victory. Starting out the 2025 season with a T5 in the Smart Infinity Philippine Open he also added another T5 at the Yeangder TPC in September. With his win at Sta Elena, along with a T11 in the Jakarta International Championship a T14 in the International Series Macau presented by Wynn and a T21 in the Link Hong Kong Open, Tabuena sits in third place on both the Asian Tour Order of Merit and The International Series Rankings.
- Sergio Garcia of Spain has won 38 tournaments as a professional notably the 2017 Masters Tournament and the 2008 Players Championship. In addition to his Masters win Garcia has recorded an impressive 22 other top 10s in Major championships, including two second place finishes and two T2s. He has represented Europe in the Ryder Cup 10 times, on the winning side on six occasions, and he holds the Ryder Cup record for Most Overall Matches Won with 25, Most Overall Points Won with 28.5 and Most Wins in Foursome Matches with 12. His highest ever rank on the OWGR was second, which he reached in late 2008. Captaining the Fireballs GC team on the LIV Golf League Garcia won two individual titles, the 2025 LIV Hong Kong and 2024 LIV Andalucia.
- Japan’s Yosuke Asaji won the Moutai Singapore Open two week’s ago for his second Asian Tour and first International Series title, a fortnight after finishing T2 in the International Series Philippines. After these two great finishes he is now in second place on The International Series Rankings. On the Japan Golf Tour Asaji has recorded a win at The Crowns in early May and a T2 at the Kansai Open Golf Championship two weeks later as his best results this season.
- Major winners in the field this week: Martin Kaymer, Patrick Reed, Louis Oosthuizen, Graeme McDowell, Sergio Garcia, Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson
- Current LIV Golf League players in the field this week: 40
- Past champions in the field this week: Joaquin Niemann (2024), Abraham Ancer (2023), Harold Varner III (2022), Dustin Johnson (2021, 2019), Graeme McDowell (2020)
Pictures by Ian Walton/Asian Tour.
Joaquín Niemann has revealed the secret to his success this year: playing tournaments with “less expectations” but practicing beforehand with high expectations, like he means to win.
The Chilean spoke about his winning formula today ahead of the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers – which starts tomorrow at Riyadh Golf Club.
He won the tournament last year and will try to become the first player to successfully defend it, while he is also looking for win number six this season – having claimed five individual titles on the LIV Golf League.
It has been the finest season of his career and at the age of 27 his approach to the game shows maturity beyond his years.
“Obviously, I like to go out and play with the less expectations the better,” said Niemann, who won LIV Golf events in Adelaide, Singapore, Mexico, Virginia, and UK this season.
“I feel like all I have to do is prepare myself the best I can during very good preparation weeks, so I can get to the tournament and just play golf. Everything else I feel like is going to take care by itself. Yeah, my expectations during practice are big, I practice to win. Yeah, that’s one of the reasons that I’m here.”
Joaquin Niemann pictured winning LIV Golf Singapore in March. Picture by Thananuwat Srirasant/Getty Images.
He made a brilliant birdie to win here last year at Riyadh Golf Club on the second hole of a sudden-death play-off against American Caleb Surratt and Cam Smith from Australia.
An exquisite lob shot to a foot set up that winning birdie and it is a safe bet such flair will be on display this week.
The victory also saw him secure The International Series Rankings title, as like this year, it was the final event of the season on The International Series.
“I feel like the game is in a good spot at the moment. I feel like I’m working towards the right direction. I did a few changes on my team which I’m pretty happy about it. So, I got really big expectation of myself,” he said.
“So, yeah, it’s nice to have a good team that I can be surrounded with. I got, I think, the best support system that I could have and I got the best of the best on every aspect so I’m pretty happy where I am.
“I think the key is also the consistency of good quality work with my team. I feel like I said before I’m really happy to have the people that I have on my bag. You know, I know that they work hard and try to make me a better person, better player.”
He has been paired with American Dustin Johnson, winner of this event in 2019 and 2021, and Tom McKibbin from Northern Ireland, who claimed the Link Hong Kong Open earlier this month, for the first two days.
They are all LIV Golf players and will be joined on the franchise by the leading two players on The International Series Rankings at the end of the week.
Scott Vincent from Zimbabwe currently leads the Rankings, with 325.59 points, ahead of Japan’s Yosuke Asaji in second, on 285.3. Miguel Tabuena from the Philippines holds third place, having earned 232.28 points.
With the winner this week set to earn 324 points the race is wide open, with a wealth of players in with a chance.
The US$5million tournament, the richest of the season, is also the third from last stop on Asian Tour calendar and will play a significant role in helping to determine who wins the Tour’s Order of Merit title. Japan’s Kazuki Higa currently leads the Merit list, with Vincent second, and Tabuena third.
With this season’s International Series Rankings race going down to the wire this week, Japan’s Yosuke Asaji is taking inspiration in many different forms from the big-name stars he is plotting to join on the LIV Golf League next season.
Asaji currently sits second behind The International Series Rankings leader Scott Vincent from Zimbabwe going into the final marquee event of the campaign, the US$5 million PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers which starts tomorrow at Riyadh Golf Club. The top two players will make it through to the LIV Golf League.
The 32-year-old Asaji shot up the rankings after putting together a late-season run that included an impressive T2 at International Series Philippines and a stunning play-off win over Jeunghun Wang of Korea at the Moutai Singapore Open two weeks ago.
With this week’s Saudi showpiece offering elevated points, Asaji has a great chance to capitalise and secure a life-changing place on the LIV roster for next season.
Vincent leads the Rankings on 325.59 points, Asaji is on 285.3, while Miguel Tabuena from the Philippines holds third place, having earned 232.28 points. With the winner this week set to earn 324 points the race is wide open.
Yosuke Asaji after winning the Moutai Singapore Open two weeks ago. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.
Asaji should know what he must do to stay on track with his nearest rivals as he has been drawn in a group with Vincent and Tabuena.
Ahead of the Riyadh Golf Club event, Asaji admitted he had taken advice from “his best friend” on LIV Golf – and was constantly looking to learn technical aspects from some of the most famous names in world golf lining up in an elite-level field this week.
He explained: “Jinichiro Kozuma (the Japanese Iron Heads GC player) is my best friend, and he always says to me that LIV Golf is the best. At this week’s event we will be playing with a lot of LIV Golf players, and it is very important for me to experience that level and standard of golf every day.”
Asaji has already experienced life at the elite level – he finished second in the Philippines, behind Tabuena and tied with his compatriot Kazuki Higa, ahead of a stacked field that included former world No.1 Dustin Johnson and Major champions Patrick Reed, Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen.
However, there are specific players he will be looking out for this week in Saudi. Asaji singled out Ripper GC skipper Cameron Smith, the 2022 Open champion for his putting prowess. He also highlighted Torque GC captain Joaquin Niemann, the defending champion this week and a five-time winner on LIV Golf this season as a must-watch. Asaji praised Niemann, the reigning International Series Rankings champion, for his perfect swing technique.
He said: “I always want to learn more skills from the top LIV Golf players, and I always watch them on TV for technique. I watch a lot of Cameron Smith on Instagram – I am always checking his putting technique on there. Putting is actually something I am working more on at the moment anyway, I have been putting more focus on it than ever before. And with Joaquin Niemann, I think his swing is on a different level – his swing and process is always perfect.”
Ekpharit Wu from Thailand and Chinese Taipei’s Hung Chien-yao were in a class of their own on Sunday at the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open.
Wu chased down the overnight leader Hung on the back nine to post a five-under-par 67 verses Hung’s 70 to take the victory by two. They were eight and six shots respectively clear of Guatemala’s Jose Toledo and Charlie Lindh from Sweden in tied-third.
Wu’s touch on the Taifong Golf Club greens was exquisite, and he led the field in Putts per Round, together with Filipino Lloyd Jefferson Go, with 26 and topped the Putts per GIR list on his own with a 1.528 average.
He was also highly accurate off the tee and into the greens, ranking fourth in Fairways Hit with 69.64% and T5 in GIR with 73.61%.
Both Wu and runner-up Hung topped the list for Birdies made during the week with 23, two more than Toledo and three more then Lindh, and Wu also led the field in Eagles with two.
Hung Chien-yao.
Hung was in great form during the week and produced rock-solid ball striking stats, leading both the GIR category and Fairways Hit categories with 83.33% and 78.57% respectively. He also performed well on the greens and was T7 in Putts per GIR with a 1.65 average.
Of the two joint third-place finishers Lindh and Toledo, Toledo had better stats on the greens ranking T6 in Putts per Round with 26.75 and sixth in Putts per GIR with 1.646.
Lindh was better off the tee and into the greens, and was fourth in GIR 75% with and T12 in Fairways Hit with 60.71%. He also led the field in the Bounce Back category with 66.67%.
Statistics Categories leaders at the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open (of players making the cut):
- Putts per Round – Ekpharit Wu (THA), Lloyd Jefferson Go (PHI): 26
- Putts per GIR – Ekpharit Wu (THA): 1.528
- GIR – Hung Chien-yao (TPE): 83.33%
- Fairways Hit – Hung Chien-yao (TPE): 78.57%
- Driving Distance – Roberto Lebrija (MEX): 327.8 yards
- Most Eagles – Ekpharit Wu (THA): 2
- Most Birdies – Hung Chien-yao (TPE), Ekpharit Wu (THA): 23
- Fewest Bogies or Worse – Siddikur Rahman (BAN): 4
- Scrambling – Siddikur Rahman (BAN): 86.67%
- Bounce back – Charlie Lindh (SWE): 66.67%
Scott Vincent is in pole position to take one of two spots on LIV Golf next season as he tops The International Series Rankings race, with just one tournament remaining – this week’s PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers.
The Zimbabwean is taking nothing for granted as he looks to secure his return to the big league, having enjoyed two seasons with Iron Heads GC after winning the first ever Rankings race in 2022.
With two LIV Golf spots on offer this season via the Rankings race, he has carved out a healthy lead thanks to his victory at International Series Morocco and narrow play-off loss to Wade Ormsby at the Jakarta International Championship.
Going into this week’s US$5 million event – the final tournament of the season on The International Series, which offers elevated Rankings points – Vincent is changing nothing, simply sticking to his tried and tested formula of concentrating on the moment.
Scott Vincent with the International Series Morocco trophy. Picture by Steve Bardens/Asian Tour.
He said: “I never focus too much on leaderboards – to me it is more important to concentrate on every single shot, to make sure I give it my best. I practise this every day, and I try to stay in the moment during my practise so I can do the same out on the golf course.
“Of course there will be competition out there, but I can’t really worry too much about that – I just need to trust in my process and continue to try and improve and get better every day and every time I stand over the golf ball.”
Vincent leads the standings ahead of Japan’s Yosuke Asaji — who won the Moutai Singapore Open and finished T2 in the Philippines — and International Series Philippines champion Miguel Tabuena from the Philippines.
International Series India presented by DLF winner Ollie Schniederjans sits in fifth place, followed by Jakarta champion Ormsby in sixth and Japan’s Kazuki Higa in 10th. The remaining positions inside the top ten are held by four LIV Golf players.
Vincent, winner of the International Series England in 2022, has been paired with Asaji and Tabuena in the first two rounds.
Just when you thought the 2024 season had come to an end on the Asian Tour and The International Series, there was actually more to come. Story from 2024 Asian Tour Yearbook.
Chile’s irrepressible star Joaquin Niemann claimed the season-ending PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers, and The International Series Rankings, but not nearly as easily as was expected following a memorable and completely unexpected play-off victory, filled with drama, against Cam Smith and Caleb Surratt.
Niemann made a brilliant birdie, off the back of an exquisite lob shot to a foot, on the second play-off hole to triumph at Riyadh Golf Club, after both Smith and Surrat missed theirs from close range.
All three birdied the first hole of the play-off – played on the par-four 18th – soon after Niemann and Surratt, paired in the last group, both surprisingly bogeyed the last to fall back into a tie with Smith on 21-under.
Joaquin Niemann pictured with the PIF Saudi International and The International Series Rankings trophies on Saturday last year.
Niemann, the leader at the start of the day by one, closed with a four-under-par 67, Surratt shot a 66 while Smith, seemingly completely out of the running playing in the sixth from last group, stormed through with a 62.
“I enjoy being in that position, but there’s times sometimes that it takes a little bit longer. It was a good day. Caleb and me, we played great,” said Niemann, who plays on the LIV Golf League for Torque GC.
“Never thought we were going to be in a play-off with Cam Smith. He was early. An hour before us when he was done. I thought we were going to stay away from the 21-under, but you never know in golf.”
He got off to the perfect start with birdies on the first three holes and appeared on course for the win before dropping a shot on 14. On the 18th he found trouble off the tee and hacked his second out of some small trees and into the fairway before missing a tricky five footer for the outright win. Surrat made bogey after pushing his tee shot into the lake on the right. It was a calamitous finish in contrast to Smith who made birdie there.
He added: “Yeah, it’s a really good way to wrap up the season. I’m really excited for what’s coming next season on LIV and hopefully get into a few Majors.”
Caleb Surratt.
His success meant American Peter Uihlein and Ben Campbell from New Zealand finished second and third on The International Rankings, respectively.
It also marked his second win of the season in Saudi, as he claimed the LIV Golf Jeddah in March shortly after winning LIV Golf Mayakoba.
Said Smith: “I think it was a bonus to even get in there, to be fair, sitting down for an hour and a bit. It was fine. I did what I had to do. Obviously, a shame to miss the putt there, but it is what it is.
“I was thinking my percentage of having a top five was very slim. Yeah, it’s a weird game sometimes. It’s kind of lucky that there wasn’t any beers in the clubhouse because I would have had a few, I think. It’s a weird game sometimes, and you never really know what’s going to happen.”
Surratt, just 20-years-old, was attempting to win for the first time as a professional.
The bogey on 18 was his only dropped shot and meant yet another narrow miss on the Asian Tour, following joint third and second place finishes in International Series events in Morocco and England earlier in the year.
“Yeah, it’s a tough pill to swallow,” said the American, who plays for Legion XIII on the LIV Golf League.
“I’ve been really close a few times this year in The International Series, and I really fought hard this week because I didn’t get off to a great start.
“I did all I could do. I hit six perfect golf shots in the playoff, and I didn’t really find my way this time, and hopefully one day it does.”
Cam Smith.
Campbell claimed fourth place outright following a closing 64 to miss the play-off by one shot, and his chance of winning The International Series Rankings. Claiming the Rankings brings with it playing rights on the LIV Golf League and while he agonisingly missed that, he was later rewarded for his efforts by being asked to play for RangeGoats GC on the league in 2025.
Pictures by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
November 16: Thailand’s Ekpharit Wu (main picture) overcame local hero Hung Chien-yao on the closing stretch of the US$400,000 Taiwan Glass Taifong Open – winning his first title on the Asian Tour in his rookie season by two shots.
The 26-year-old Wu shot a five-under par 67 round on Sunday at the par-72 Taifong Golf Club, and benefited from a late stumble by Hung (70), who made back-to-back bogeys on the 15th and 16th holes to open the door for Ekpharit, who finished the tournament on 20-under.
The win not only helped Ekpharit jump from 73rd to 28th in the Asian Tour Order of Merit, it also secures him a spot in the US$5 million PIF Saudi International presented by SoftBank Investment Advisers in Riyadh next week.
Hung’s consolation was a leap of 53 places on the Merit list from 110 to 57, which nearly guarantees him a card for next season and keep his record of playing on the Asian Tour for 12 consecutive seasons intact.
Ekpharit Wu of Thailand. Picture by Taiwan PGA
Guatemala’s Jose Toledo shot the day’s lowest round of 65 to finish tied third at 12-under alongside Sweden’s Charlie Lindh (71).
Pakistan’s Ahmad Baig (70) looked set to join them at 12-under, but he finished with a bogey on the par-five 18th hole and dropped to solo fifth position.
The Korean duo of Heemin Chang (67) and Wooyoung Cho (70) were tied sixth where Thailand’s Poosit Supupramai (70) joined them later.
Ekpharit started the day one shot behind Hung, and finally caught up with the local star with his fourth birdie of the day on the seventh hole. But Hung made a birdie on the par-three eighth – where Ekpharit started his charge on Saturday with a hole-in-one – to move ahead once again.
The two players were neck and neck before Hung dropped a shot on the par-three 15th hole, and followed it up with another bogey by flaring his second shot right on the par-four 16th hole from behind a fairway tree.
Hung’s chances depended on how he handled the two par-five finishing holes, but he parred both. On 17 he had to lay up way back after hitting his tee shot into the difficult left fairway bunker and on the 18th his tee shot found thick rough on the left side.
Hung Chien-yao of Chinese Taipei. Pictures courtesy Taiwan PGA.
Ekpharit, who had his wife Pam on the bag this week, said: “It’s so special for me, very emotional. I only know one thing – all the hard work that I put in is for moments like these.
“I just talked to myself throughout the day. I just wanted to relax. I did not know about the future, but I knew that every shot I hit, I needed to stay within myself… just trust myself and hit the shot. Don’t think who was doing what, and who was in the lead.
“The two late bogeys by Hung were a bit of a cushion, but I knew I still had a job to do. I did not want to feel too confident at that stage.”
Ekpharit’s father is from Chinese Taipei, and the champion remembered him after the win: “Actually, he taught me how to play golf. I think he knows the best and what I am capable of doing. He will be so proud of me.”
Jose Toledo of Guatemala. Picture by Graham Uden, Asian Tour.
A disappointed Hung said: “I think I just didn’t have the luck to get it done today. I tried my best. To be honest, I don’t think I played any worse than him (Ekpharit). I can’t pinpoint any reasons, so, maybe, just my luck. Maybe, God wants me to work harder and maybe he’s planned for me an even bigger event.”
Toledo, who is still searching for his first win outside the Mexican Tour, did the bulk of his scoring on the back nine, where he returned in 31 shots after being two-under for the front nine.
“Actually, I have been hitting the ball quite well for a while but my results have not matched the way I have played. Today, I made a few putts towards the end and it got me a great round,” said Toledo, who started the week at No65 on the Order of Merit but is now 50th.
“I am pretty happy in the end because this is my best finish of the season. I was thinking about what to do next year, this and that, but I was also aware that I had three opportunities to get the job done and I am very proud that I have possibly secured my Asian Tour card for next season.”
Lindh could not make the charge after an early double bogey on the fourth hole and said: “Got a double early and that took me back and I did not have a chance to win. The way those two guys played, I wanted to be just behind them. It’s been a good week overall. My best finish on the Asian Tour so far, so I am happy with that.”
The Taiwan Glass Taifong Open was the 18th leg of the Asian Tour’s 2025 season. The Tour next moves to Riyadh for the PIF Saudi International presented by SoftBank Investment Advisers.
November 15: Local hero Hung Chien-yao (main picture) stayed out in front at the US$400,000 Taiwan Glass Taifong Open after Saturday’s third round today – but his lead was cut by a fast-charging Ekpharit Wu, who made a hole-in-one and an eagle.
At the par-72 Taifong Golf Club, Chinese-Taipei’s Hung shot a two-under-par 70 to move to 16-under for the tournament, leading by a slender margin of one shot over Ekpharit.
The Thai golfer carded a 65 that included a hole-in-one on the par-three eighth hole, while he nearly made an albatross on the par-five 17th before securing the three. He had started the day six shots behind Hung.
Sweden’s Charlie Lindh (67) is in solo third place at 11-under, while Thailand’s Sarut Vongchaisit (69) holds fourth at nine under.
All four players are looking for their first win on the Asian Tour.
Ekpharit Wu of Thailand. Pictures courtesy Taiwan PGA.
Three players are tied fifth on eight-under, including two from Chinese Taipei – Chi Huang (68) and Liu Yen-hung (68) – plus Pakistan’s Ahmad Baig (70).
The 33-year-old Hung has never lost his Asian Tour membership in 12 years but is in danger of doing so this year after dropping to No110 in the Asian Tour Order of Merit. He has been playing with his back against the wall and is hopeful of getting the job done tomorrow.
After a round in which he was even-par after 12 holes before making three birdies in his last six holes, Hung said: “I hung in there today. Still glad I managed to finish on 70 today and stay in the lead. I wasn’t as comfortable as I was the last two days. But I told myself to just play, it’s just me against the course. I can’t really control how other people play.
“This is the first time I’ve played with Ekpharit, and he is a strong competitor! He made a hole-in-one and almost had an albatross! It was so good to watch. But who knows? It might be my turn to make an ace tomorrow. I don’t think I’m nervous, but I’m definitely excited about what tomorrow holds.
“I just needed to focus on myself and my own game. I told my caddy to scold me and wake me up tomorrow if I were to drown myself in negative thoughts. You need some luck to win. Hopefully, I will be lucky tomorrow.”
Ekpharit was even-par through the first six holes and did all his scoring in the last 12.
His second ace in a competition, and the fourth of his life, was courtesy of a perfect nine-iron tee shot from 170 yards, and the eagle on the penultimate hole was set up by a laser-guided four-iron from 220 yards, which flirted with the hole and stopped one foot away for a tap-in eagle. If the ball had gone in, it would have been his third career albatross.
Charlie Lindh of Sweden. Pictures courtesy Taiwan PGA.
“Today, I felt a bit nervous at the start, but then I thought everything just came together. I felt like I could do everything that I wanted to do, like hit every shot the way I chose to hit. I don’t know how to say it, but whatever I wanted to do, I could do it,” said Ekpharit, whose father is from Chinese Taipei.
“Even when I made the two bogies today, I just forgot about it. I never let it affect me. Just go to the next shot.
“I am in a good position for the tournament and tomorrow, I just want to have fun.”
The 28-year-old Lindh has been a consistent performer on the Asian Tour and has two top-10s in International Series events this year.
“It was a good day and I played solid. Most of the holes on the back nine, I didn’t play as good as I did on the front nine. I hit the greens in the wrong spot and it’s not easy to make putts from the wrong spots on these greens. You need to be in the right positions,” said Lindh.
“I had a good start to the season, but I’ve been struggling a little bit in the middle. For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been able to shoot low scores, but have not got it together for four rounds.”
The Taiwan Glass Taifong Open is the 18th leg of the Asian Tour’s 2025 season. There are three more events left on the schedule.
November 14: Leader by two shots after the opening round, local hero Hung Chien-yao’s (main picture) immense course knowledge was evident in Friday’s second round as he shot a second successive seven-under par 65 and increased his cushion at the top to five shots in the US$400,000 Taiwan Glass Taifong Open at the halfway stage.
Hung shot the lowest round of the day for a second straight day at Taifong Golf Club and reached 14-under par total after 36 holes. Thailand’s Poosit Supupramai (68) was his closest challenger at -9, with another Thai star Ekpharit Wu (66) one shot behind at -8.
Five players – Indonesia’s Jonathan Wijono (68), Australia’s Todd Sinnott (69), Sweden’s Charlie Lindh (69), Pakistan’s Ahmad Baig (70) and Thailand’s Sarut Vongchaisit (69) – were tied for fourth place at six-under total.
India’s S Chikarangappa, who recently became a father for the first time, moved up to -5 with a round of 70 and was tied alongside Thai duo of Charng-Tai Sudsom (66) and Chanat Sakulpolphaisan (71)
Poosit Supupramai of Thailand. Picture by Taiwan PGA
Hung’s bogey-free round was special, and it was a result of a great start of three birdies in the first three holes, and then keeping up the momentum. He was so solid, his playing partners Soomin Lee and Shinichi Mizuno paid him the ultimate compliment that even Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods won’t be able to beat him on the golf course.
“This is not my personal best 36-hole score. I’ve shot lower, and my best round here is a 62. I made a long, curving, downhill 60-footer birdie putt on the 11th hole and both Soomin and Mizuno were joking that even if Rory or Tiger come and play here, they wouldn’t be able to beat me!” said the 33-year-old.
“I thought I did not play as well as I did yesterday. I wasn’t able to execute the shots the way I wanted to. I got off to a great start with three birdies in a row, but I didn’t eat much for lunch and felt a little weak towards the end. I thought I was about to get cramps towards the end. I quickly ate a banana and drank more water and felt better after that.
“Thankfully, I know this course very well. If you don’t get the chance to attack here, you need to play safe and try to play smarter on this course. I did that and kind of rode on the momentum from yesterday.
“The confidence I have on this course has always been there – since i last won here (in 2022 when the event was part of the Asian Development Tour schedule). But you need a bit of luck to win. I will just try to play my best and see what happens.”
Ekpharit Wu of Thailand. Picture by Graham Uden / Asian Tour.
Poosit started from the 10th tee and did most of his scoring on his first nine, including three birdies in four holes from the par-three 15th. The Thai player has not had a top 10 finish this season, and is ranked 107th on the Order of Merit, but he sensed something turning around in his game at last week’s Moutai Singapore Open, where he finished tied 37th.
“I hit my irons really well in Singapore, but could not make many putts. I have taken that confidence into this week, and even though my putting is still not at its best, I have continued to hit my irons well and given myself chances,” said the 32-year-old, who rated his birdie on the 18th, where he had to lay up to 80 yards and then made the up-and-down.
“It was not windy today in the morning, and when we played last afternoon, it was calm as well. So, I think we have been lucky with the draw so far.”
Ekpharit, whose father is from Chinese Taipei, also started from the 10th tee, was two-under at the turn, and did the bulk of his scoring between the par-five third and the seventh hole, where he made four birdies in a stretch of five holes.
The promising 26-year-old is currently ranked 73rd in the Order of Merit with two tied 14th finishes in the Link Hong Kong Open and the International Series Morocco being his best results.
“It was a very comfortable round today because my putter was working well. I made a few good ones to make birdies and a few good ones to save par from the 10-15 feet range,” said Ekpharit.
“I have a goal of finishing inside the top-five at least so that I have a chance to keep my card on the Asian Tour. This is my first full year on the Asian Tour and I really want to retain my card.”
The Taiwan Glass Taifong Open is the 18th leg of the Asian Tour’s 2025 season. There are three more events left on the schedule.
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