Published on September 23, 2025

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 11^th respectively.

Not one of the longest players off the tee Higa placed 51^st 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%.

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%, 42^nd 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%

Published on September 22, 2025

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.

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.”

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.”

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Japan’s Takumi Kanaya held his nerve to edge out countryman Ryo Ishikawa on the second play-off hole at the ANA Open on Sunday – to secure his eighth Japan Golf Tour title.

The reigning Japan Tour money ranking champion began the final round two shots back of leader Tomoharu Otsuki from Japan and got off to a rocky start with a bogey on the second hole.

But the 27-year-old quickly recovered, rattling off four successive birdies from the third at Sapporo Golf Club, Wattsu Course.

Although he dropped another shot on the eighth, Kanaya responded with a birdie at the ninth to make the turn in 35. He added further birdies on 12 and 17 to sign for a three-under-par 69, forcing extra holes with Ishikawa with his four-day total of 17-under-par 271.

“On the second hole I ran into some trouble, so it wasn’t the best start,” Kanaya, an Asian Tour member, admitted. “But I was able to reset and play well from the third hole. I stayed patient. From around the 14th hole onwards, I made some really good par putts and saves, and I think that’s what ultimately led to the win.”

Kanaya credited his composure in part to his local course caddie.

“This week my caddie was a local course caddie, and he always kept me steady, whether I played a good shot or a bad one. He encouraged me to stay positive. Managing my emotions has often been a challenge for me, so this week was a big learning experience,” said Kanaya –  winner of the International Series Oman on the Asian Tour in 2023.

In the play-off, Kanaya and Ishikawa traded pars on the first extra hole, before Kanaya prevailed with a steady par on the second while Ishikawa faltered. The champion was quick to pay tribute to Ishikawa.

“Ryo-san was playing a fantastic game. On the first playoff hole I thought his birdie putt was going to drop, and the outcome really came down to the smallest of margins,” he explained.

“I’m sure he’ll have more chances to win, and I hope he keeps going strong.”

Published on September 21, 2025

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).

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.

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.”

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.

Published on September 20, 2025

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.

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.”

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.

On Saturday, after making seven birdies in the round, the Sydneysider said: “It was pretty solid. I didn’t play great, but I putted great and that helped the score a lot. Ball-striking was a bit iffy since I spent a lot of time in the trees.

“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.”

Published on September 19, 2025

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).

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.”

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.”

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.

“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.”

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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.

“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.

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.”

 

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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.

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.

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.

Published on September 18, 2025

September 18: In what is becoming a recurring theme at Asian Tour events in Chinese-Taipei, Thailand’s Suteepat Prateeptienchai once again climbed to the top of the leaderboard at the end of the opening round Thursday in the US$1 million Yeangder TPC.

The 32-year-old Suteepat is a four-time winner on the Asian Tour, with three of those on Chinese-Taipei soil. The tournament’s defending champion also came to the week high on confidence, having recently won the Mandiri Indonesia Open three weeks ago.

As was expected, Suteepat got off to a flying start, reaching four-under by his fourth hole with two birdies and an eagle, and was solid throughout despite treacherous scoring conditions as wind gusts reached 50kmph at Linkou International Golf and Country Club.

At six-under par 66, Suteepat is one ahead of the six-feet-nine-inches-tall American Charles Porter (67), who brightened up an emotional week for himself and his mother with a solid start. Porter’s father had passed away last year and would have turned 75 this week.

Philippines’ Miguel Tabuena, who played in the morning session, posted a round of 68 for solo third place.

Another in-form star, Kazuki Higa of Japan, winner of last week’s 41st Shinhan Donghae Open, was among those tied for fourth place at 69. Bunched alongside Higa were the Chinese-Taipei duo of Chen Yi-tong, whose round included two eagles, and Wang Wei-hsuan; Hong Kong’s Matthew Cheung, Germany’s Dominic Foos, and Thailand’s Nitithorn Thippong and Witchayapat Sinsrang.

Local amateur Hsieh Cheng-wei, who holds the record of being the youngest player to make the cut in an Asian Tour event (14 years and 33 days) in the 2022 edition of the tournament, delighted the home fans with a 70 start.

Suteepat made just one bogey in the round – on the fifth hole – but added three more birdies before closing with a gutsy par when he chipped in from off the green on the par-5 18th hole for par after being in trouble with his third shot and leaving his chip short.

“I made an incredible start. Four-under after four. It was good, because the conditions are really tough and very different from last year. It was a case of hanging in there, making putts and hoping they would drop and not get angry,” said Suteepat, whose eagle came courtesy a 35-footer putt on the fourth hole.

“I have never played conditions like this in Taiwan before. I think I have confidence because I have done well here in the past. I am just thinking about the shot that I am hitting. We have three days more before the championship is decided, so I am not thinking of that already.”

On his season so far and his aims for rest of the busy Asian Tour season coming up, Suteepat added: “I am pretty happy with the way I have played so far. My ambition now is to win an International Series event this year. That would be cool.”

Porter, who was in contention in the Mandiri Indonesia Open before a frustrating final day saw him slip to tied 14th place, was happy to have made just one bogey on a tough day.

“I got a lot going on this week,” said Porter, who lost his card on the Korn Ferry Tour last year. “Personally, my mom’s out here from San Francisco. It’s great to have her for more support. My dad would have turned 75 today. He passed away last year, so I kind of felt like he was out there with me.

“It was really tricky, especially with the wind. It was blowing all over the place for the first 15 holes we played. I just stayed super patient. Told myself, if I make bogeys, it’s okay. Just try not to make anything worse than a bogey. And I somehow made some birdies and hit some good putts.”

Hsieh, 17, is playing only his fifth professional tournament, but showed once again that he can mix with the big boys. A bogey late in the round was his only blemish in a round that included three birdies.

Taking time out from his school studies this week, Hsieh said: “I was surprised to be the youngest player to make the cut on the Asian Tour a few years back. I thought it was a very good experience for me, but I never thought that was the only time I would make the cut here!

“I think I’ve become a better player now. With my current distances, I feel like I’m able to compete with the big boys. Last time, my technique wasn’t as good as the rest. I think I can compete out here. I just need to show it in the tournament.”

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September 18: Philippines’ Miguel Tabuena withstood brutal wind gusts of up to 50kmph at Linkou International Golf and Country Club to post a four-under-par round of 68 and take the clubhouse lead after Thursday’s morning session of the US$1 million Yeangder TPC.

Tabuena, a house guest of his good friend Chan Shih-chang for the two back-to-back events in Taiwan, made six birdies in tough scoring conditions to pull ahead of a pack of five players at 69.

That group was led by the Chinese Taipei duo of Chen Yi-tong, whose round included two eagles, and Wang Wei-hsuan, Hong Kong’s Matthew Cheung, and Thailand’s Nitithorn Thippong and Witchayapat Sinsrang.

Local amateur Hsieh Cheng-wei, who holds the record of being the youngest player to make the cut in an Asian Tour event (14 years and 33 days) in the 2022 edition of the tournament, delighted the home crowd with a 70 start. Japan’s Takumi Murakami, Australia’s Brett Rankin, India’s Yuvraj Singh Sandhu and Thailand’s Poom Saksansin also finished on 70.

Tabuena, seventh in the Asian Tour Order of Merit last year and 28th this season, is looking for his first win since the 2023 DGC Open in India. He has also finished as a runner-up in Taiwan on four occasions and is looking to go one step better this year.

“It was tricky. It wasn’t the easiest considering the winds were a bit gusty. It’s nice to post a score like that again after a long time. I know the game is there. I just haven’t been able to have the reps of tournament. And it’s nice that it’s coming along in time for what will be a very busy schedule,” said the three-time Asian Tour champ.

“I have been coming here since 2011, so I feel pretty familiar with these tough conditions in Taiwan. Probably, that is why I felt a bit comfortable out there. The greens are also a bit trickier this year, so it will be a case of whoever is the most patient at the end of the week. It won’t be an easy week, and you just have to grind it out.

“I’ve had a handful of second, third place finishes here, and I hope that is to my advantage. But the Asian Tour is getting stronger and stronger, and it’s always nice to have your best game against these players in this long stretch of events.”

Chen started his round from the 10th tee and finished it in some style.

One-over at the turn, he rolled in a 30-footer for eagle on the par-5 first hole to get into the red numbers and then closed with a holed second shot from 138 yards on the par-4 ninth.

Hsieh, 17, is playing only his fifth professional tournament, but showed once again that he can mix with the big boys. A bogey late in the round was his only blemish in a round that included three birdies.

Taking time out from his school studies this week, Hsieh said: “I was surprised to be the youngest player to make the cut on the Asian Tour a few years back. I thought it was a very good experience for me, but I did not think that was the only time I would make the cut here!

“I think I’ve become a better player now. With my current distances, I feel like I’m able to compete with the big boys. Last time, my technique wasn’t as good as the rest. I think I can compete out here. I just need to show it in the tournament.”