Poom Saksansin put his name on the leaderboard of the GS Caltex Maekying Open in Korea today, surprising only one person – himself.

Having arrived here following a seven-under-par 64 last Sunday to finish in a tie for sixth at the Singapore Open presented by The Business Times, the Thai started as one of the favourites.

He duly lived up to that this morning by firing a first round four-under-par 67 on the notoriously demanding Namseoul Country Club. Korea’s Taehee Lee, the only player to win this event back-to-back, in 2019 and 2020, holds the clubhouse lead with 65.

However, there was a look of confusion on Poom’s face after signing his scorecard.

“I’m not really expecting that here,” said the Thai, a four-time winner on the Asian Tour – the most recent the 2023 Yeangder TPC.

He explained he’s played here four times before and missed the cut on each occasion.

“I planned not to come here this year, to be honest,” he added.

Taehee Lee.

Records show he missed the cut in 2018, 2023, 2024, and 2025. He also withdrew in 2019 and 2020.

Asked how he managed to get the better of the course this time, he said: “I don’t know. Normally, I just cannot hit from the fairway here – it’s just like I cannot control the ball. The second shot is very important here. You have to be precise, due to the pin location. You cannot go over the pin.

“Also, I just scored well on the par threes today. I made three under on them. So, that’s why I scored well. And I found good places to make to up and downs.”

After starting on the front nine, he made the turn in four under thanks to birdies on 13, 15, 17 and 18. One of those, the 17^th, is a par three. The back nine was not as strong but the bogeys he made on five and seven, where countered by birdies on three and six – both par threes.

He said: “Made a long one on the first par three I birdied and the rest were inside 10 feet, which was nice. Here the greens are fast and firm.”

The 32-year-old made seven birdies and was bogey-free in that final round on Sunday in Singapore to record his best finish on the Asian Tour this year.

“I feel it just lucky last week, really,” he said. “It’s just one good round on the last day. It really helped my confidence. That’s why I came here.”

The Thai enjoyed a good season last year, finishing 10^th on the Asian Tour Order of Merit.

He best performance came on Korean soil, when compatriot Sadom Kaewkanjana beat him by two shots on an epic final day at the Kolon Korea Open.

“That hurt a little bit, because winner gets a five-year exemption to play in Korea,” he said.

“It was a good year though. I just focus on being happy. I don’t think too much. Don’t work after work. Live your life.”

Pictures courtesy Korea Golf Association.

Overview

This week marks the 45th staging of the GS Caltex Maekyung Open, one of Korea’s premier events, which as you know regularly attracts large galleries.

Koreans consider the event their version of the Masters, with the winner also donning a Green Jacket.

Maekyung is a Media Group that operates a newspaper, broadcasting network, weekly and monthly magazine publications, and an electronic newspaper. It has been the main title sponsor since the event’s launch in 1982.

The organisation’s Maeil Business Newspaper also became a media partner of the Asian Tour this year, helping to cement the relationship with extensive coverage in Korean and English.

The Korea Golf Association are the guardians of the event, along with the forthcoming Kolon Korea Open, and have always been a strong supporter of the Asian Tour.

Doyeob Mun pictured winning last year.

Namseoul Country Club

Described as an ‘old-school course’, with greens sloping almost exclusively from back-to-front, Namseoul Country Club has hosted nearly every edition of the GS Caltex Maekyung Open since the inception of the tournament.

Opened in 1971 and designed by Japanese course architect Seiichi Inoue, the Club traverses hilly and mountainous terrain which places an emphasis on being able to carefully master the slippery greens.

Jeong-soo Hur, former Chairman of the Korea Golf Association, founded the club – which is also one of the venues for the Korea Amateur Golf Championship.

Jeongwoo Ham won the Singapore Open on Sunday. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

Tournament Information

• Tournament: The 45th GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship
• Date: 30th April – 3rd May 2026
• Venue: Namseoul Country Club, Seongnam, Korea
• Par/Yards: 71 / 7,083 yards
• Purse: KRW1,300,000,000
• Asian Tour leg: Fifth
• Edition of tournament: 45^th
• Prevoius winner: Doyeob Mun (KOR)
• Winning score in 2025: 274 (-10)
• Total number of players: 138
• Format: Stroke play tournament over four rounds of 18 holes with a cut after 36 holes to leading 65 players (including amateurs) plus ties.

Pavit Tangkamolprasert. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

Field Breakdown

• Order of Merit winners: Andy Ogletree (2023), Sihwan Kim (2022), Jazz Janewattananond (2019)
• Nationalities: 19
• Top contenders: Doyeob Mun (KOR), Jeongwoo Ham (KOR), Seonghyeon Kim (KOR), Pavit Tangkamolprasert (THA), Jazz Janewattananond (THA)
• Highest ranked player on OWGR: Seonghyeon Kim #138
• Highest ranked player on the Order of Merit: Jeongwoo Ham #2
• No. of amateurs in the field: 7
• No. of Korean players in the field: 88

Tournament Notes

• Defending champion Doyeob Mun from Korea fired a final round 63 to win the prestigious tournament, known in Korea as the “Korean Masters”, last year. At last week’s Singapore Open he fired an impressive 65  in the final round to finish T6, so he’s coming into the week in good form. This week he will also attempt to become the second player to win the prestigious tournament back-to-back, although should he achieve the feat it will be something of a first. His compatriot Taehee Lee triumphed in 2019 and 2020 but his second win happened when the event was played on the Korean PGA Tour and wasn’t joint sanctioned with the Asian Tour, due to travel restrictions imposed by the global pandemic. On the Korean PGA Tour he posted one more win in 2025, claiming the KPGA Founders Cup.
• Fellow Korean Jeongwoo Ham is also in top form, winning last week’s Singapore Open wire-to-wire by two shots. With the win in Singapore, he also punched his ticket to The Open via the Open Qualifying Series. Prior to his victory last week he has also recorded four wins on his home tour in Korea, the last one coming in 2024.
• Seonghyeon Kim, also from the host country, plays on the PGA Tour after graduating from the Korn Ferry Tour last year. He posted a T7 at the Valspar Championship as his best result in 2026, and a T13 at the season opening Sony Open in Hawaii. He played in three Asian Tour events in 2025 with a sixth place in the Shinhan Donghae Open as his best finish.
• Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert, currently in third place on the Order of Merit, has started 2026 with excellent results after a T2 in the International Series Japan and a runner-up at the season opening Philippine Golf Championship. He also has an early season T2 on the All Thailand Tour after a playoff loss to compatriot Danthai Boonma.
• Jazz Janewattananond, also from Thailand, was T2 in last year’s edition of the tournament, after having been tied for the lead after three rounds. The 2019 Order of Merit champion is coming off a good week at the Singapore Open, finishing T3. Jazz is currently tied for ninth in all-time Asian Tour wins with seven, with the last one coming at the 2022 International Series Morocco.
• Past champions in the field this week: Doyeob Mun (2025), Hongtaek Kim (2024), Chanmin Jung (2023), Bio Kim (2022, 2012), Inhoi Hur (2021), Sanghyun Park (2018, 2016), Sanghee Lee (2017), Kyongjun Moon (2015), Daehyun Kim (2010), Sangmoon Bae (2009) and Innchoon Hwang (2008).
• The last time a non-Korean won the tournament was in 2004 when American, and winner of the 1989 Open Championship, Mark Calcaveccia took the title.

Korea’s Doyeob Mun says he is channelling Rory McIlroy ahead of defending his title at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open – which starts Thursday at Namseoul Country Club, south Seoul.

Koreans call the tournament their version of the Masters as the winner also dons a Green Jacket, so Mun has every reason to be thinking of the Northern Irishman who claimed his second Masters title this year.

“It’s always great to be a defending champion,” said Mun. “I want to play well again. I want to win like Rory did – he won the Masters twice, right. I want to try to win again.”

He will also attempt to become the second player to win the prestigious tournament back-to-back, although should he achieve the feat it will be something of a first.

His compatriot Taehee Lee triumphed in 2019 and 2020 but his second win happened when the event was played on the Korean PGA Tour and wasn’t joint sanctioned with the Asian Tour, due to travel restrictions imposed by the global pandemic.

Doyeob Mun after winning last year. Picture courtesy of the Korean Golf Association.

Said the 34-year-old: “It’s a Major for us in Korea. It’s very important for Korean player, it means a lot. We call it the Korean Masters. So, I just want four good rounds.”

Mun could not have asked for better preparation coming into the tournament, which is the fifth stop on this year’s Asian Tour.

He shot a six-under-par 65 in the final round of the Singapore Open presented by The Business Times on Sunday, to finish in a tie for sixth and move into 15^th place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit.

The performance wasn’t too far removed from his victory here last year when he shot a sensational bogey-free eight-under-par 63 to win by three from Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond, plus Koreans Baekjun Kim and Junghwan Lee.

Mun was six behind the leaders at the start of the day and playing nine groups ahead of the final pairing he stormed through with six birdies on the second half – including four-in-row from the 11^th.

He posted his 10-under-par tournament total two hours before the final players finished – anxiously waiting to see if he would be caught.

“Namseoul is a very tough course for all players. It’s narrow with tough greens, so I don’t feel comfortable playing it. You have to hit it short of the pins to leave yourself uphill putts every time. Don’t go past the pins!

“So, winning at Namseoul, because I played eight under in the last round, was truly special. One of my happiest moments.”

Asked if winning last year put more pressure on him to win again, he explained: “Not really, but I want to win again this year. I’m just going to focus on what I have to do, not just focus on winning, because that puts more pressure on me. I just want to focus on my process.”

He also claimed the KPGA Founders Cup the week after winning the Maekyung event for his fifth title on the local tour. The Maekyung win remains his sole success on the Asian Tour but after his result in Singapore two days ago a second might well be on the cards.

This year’s Singapore Open presented by The Business Times did not fail to disappoint. The action on the course was accompanied by plenty of emotion off it. Here are the best quotes of the week:

Round One

First round co-leader Ekpharit Wu of Thailand on having his wife on the bag:

“It’s been a very rewarding partnership. She being by my side makes me more confident on the course. She helps me not to get angry on the golf course. When on the course, we always hit some bad shots but it’s about not getting too emotional and she helps me a lot with that. When I was an amateur I used local caddies, but when I turned professional I spoke with her and she became my caddie straight away, no question.”

Six-time Asian Tour winner John Catlin when asked how important it would be to win again after his bogey free round of 67 (-4):

“It’s huge! I mean, that’s why I put in all the work I do. That’s why I practice all the hours and put myself in that position, because I want to have that last putt on Sunday to win. That’s, I want.”

Round Two

Korean Jeongwoo Ham, the first and second round leader, on if the two spots for the Open Championship up for grabs is an added motivation:

“I honestly wasn’t really thinking too much about The Open. I was feeling envious about the Korean players who were going to play at The Open, but since today’s round has ended well, now I really want to go as well.”

James Leow from Singapore when asked about the comfort of playing at home this week:

“Yeah, I mean, I got a couple practice round before this, thanks to Senosa for letting SGA players come in and do that. It was nice to acclimatise again after Japan, the weather was a little colder there, and then coming here was a lot different, with humid and hot weather. But I had two weeks to prep, game was actually looking good just some minor tweaks here with the body and stuff. Sometimes the body doesn’t feel right. And of course, on top of that, having local fans and sponsors and supporters backing me up and supporting me. So, it’s nice to obviously play at home.”

On his college golf experience at Arizona State University with LIV Golf stars Josele Ballester and David Puig from Spain:

“I mean, the team already knew those two guys, they were world class players. They hit it a long way and have Spanish hands they call it for short game, and great putters too. So I mean all around really strong. And no surprise they are on LIV Golf right now and doing well, especially last week, finishing second and third to John Rahm, all three guys from ASU too. So yeah, I mean, from my experience playing with them, learning to enjoy, or play to your strengths.”

Jazz Janewattananond.

Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond on how it feels coming back to Sentosa, the site of his 2019 Singapore Open triumph:

“It’s great. I’ve been wishing and waiting for the Singapore Open to come back here. The last time I was back here was the 2020 edition, I didn’t come here for the 2022 edition. But I’ve just been missing this place a lot, the golf course is always in great shape. I mean, it’s one of the best golf courses in Asia, and it suits my eyes, so I can’t really complain. There are not many places where you get when you can get heavy rain in the morning, and then the greens being this firm to play, you know, with the sub air and everything. It’s a privilege to get to play here.”

Local amateur Brayden Lee after his second round 68 (-3), making the cut in his second consecutive Singapore Open:

“Yeah, I mean, I kept my shots in play off the tee a lot more today, thanks to my dad with a few little pointers last night. My irons were better today as well, and the putting stayed the same. So happy with the round today, but looking forward to the weekend. Honestly, it’s just the drives today were much, much better than yesterday. More fairways hit, I think I hit like three fairways yesterday, compared to maybe even double digits today. So it’s good motivation when you hit the fairways and put yourself in good spots for your approach play.”

On playing his national Open on his home course this week:

“I’m lucky to be an adopted member here, sponsored player, so I do spend most of my time around here. Yeah, it’s a really tough course, because it’s very demanding off the tee and the greens are huge and undulating. So you know, you never know what you get.”

India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar, an 11-time winner on the Asian Tour, on how it feels to being back in the mix after a lean spell last year:

“Well, I’ve been not playing so many events, that’s why. But yeah, I mean, it feels good to be on the first page of the leaderboard, definitely feels good. I thought I played really well last year, but the scores they were not coming at the right time. So probably this week, I’ll try to do my routine and the process, and try and give my 100%.”

Round Three

Third-round leader Jeongwoo Ham on his third round 67 (-5):

“I made a birdie on the first hole so I started off comfortably. I played the next two holes decently but on the fourth hole I made an unexpected mistake by hitting the ball into the water and bogeyed. But thanks to that, it became a medicine to bring me back to my senses. Tomorrow, I hope to do as well as I’ve been doing up till now. Since the weather is hot I want to make lesser mistakes because it becomes hotter when I make ridiculous mistakes. I want to do all I can and make use of the chances and I think all will go well.”

On his goal for tomorrow he jokingly said:

“My new goal is to not hit 90 tomorrow. I do want a spot in The Open, but in life, just because you want something it doesn’t mean you’ll get it. Life’s like that — if I get the spot, great but if not then it’s ok.”

Australian Cameron John on his round and form coming into the week:

“I came in feeling pretty good. I played well in Japan (T7), then had a week off at home. I wasn’t feeling the best physically, but I got over that quite quickly. This is a strong golf course, so it’s about being patient. I probably don’t usually play this type of course as patiently as I have this week. I’d normally hit more drivers, but I’m happy with how I’ve managed my way around it so far. I got sick after Japan, had the flu, and it knocked me around for about a week and a half. But I’ve come good just in time, which is nice.”

On his strong start to his Asian Tour and The International Series season:

“It’s great. Any opportunity to play is a good one. I want to play as many events in Asia as I can this year, so hopefully playing well here shows that I belong at this level and helps me get into a few more events.”

Cameron John.

Julien Sale from France on what’s gotten him to fourth place after three rounds:

“I’ve been hitting a lot of greens, and the putting has been pretty good. I had the pace of the greens pretty well, so managed to keep the three putts away from the card, because those greens, they’re quite fast and quite slopey sometimes. So yeah, the putting has been pretty good, and all over around like the game’s been pretty good.”

On his experience in playing Sentosa Golf Club’s Serapong course for the first time:

“This course is really nice, yeah, a nice championship course and really challenging. There are a few pretty holes, but also tough holes. So yeah, I like the challenge of it, I love it.”

Final Round

Wire-to-wire Singapore Open champion Jeongwoo Ham on what he’s feeling after his victory:

“I feel so good right now, I’ve achieved a dream. In the last two years my golf hasn’t been doing too well so this is a motivational factor for me. It tells me that if I prepare well, I too can win. Honestly, I was not thinking at all about winning. Even today, I was playing just so-so so I thought I’d be 10th on the leaderboard. But I won so I’m feeling very proud of myself – that my golf has improved.”

On his tough Sunday battle with runner-up Cameron John:

“Firstly, John’s flow was great and much better than mine. But there’s no such thing as an easy win. I’ve had similar experiences like this in Korea so I just told myself to go all the way and was able to get the win. Honestly, I was feeling very calm because I was sure I wasn’t going to win – that the win wasn’t mine in the first place, so I just played my golf. John did well but I too improved towards the end so I feel very satisfied.”

On his winning strategy in the final round:

“My putting was really good today, I’d say the putter saved me for around six shots. My iron play was more like a 77 or 78, while the score was around 67 or 68. So although the putting was excellent, the irons were not that good. Thankfully, the putter worked well and helped me keep the momentum going.”

On dealing with the extreme heat in Singapore:

“Honestly, I sweat a lot and struggle in the heat, so I just kept thinking: play quickly, get through it, and get back to the hotel as soon as possible. Of course you still need to hit good shots, but because it was so hot, I actually wasn’t overthinking the golf too much. That probably helped me stay relaxed. I just wanted to finish quickly, shower, and lie down under the air-conditioning.”

Asked what it means to him to qualify for the Open Championship he said:

“Firstly, having Korean and Asian players play in The Open was something that I could only be envious of, and I didn’t expect that a dream could become a reality. The Open will be a new experience for me, but I’m going to go there and drink a lot of whiskey and have fun.”

Runner-up Cameron John when asked if him and his caddie had an aggressive strategy of chasing the leader today:

“Yeah, I was hitting it really solid, so we felt like the worst outcome was probably par most of the time. That gave us the confidence to stay aggressive. I hit a few really nice shots and holed a couple of long putts, so it worked well.”

On booking a place at this summer’s Open Championship he said:

“It’s an unbelievable feeling. I’ve wanted to play in Major championships my whole life. I came close back home in Australia, so to come over here and get it done means a lot. It’s something I’ll never forget.”

Low Singaporean Ryan Ang after his final round 66 (-5) to finish T12:

“Yeah, don’t really know what to say, to be honest, came out here just wanting to put a good round on the board. Got off to a pretty good start, and then kind of caught fire on the turn from 18 until four. Rain delay kind of happened at a not so good timing, caught me off guard, but, yeah, happy I reset after rain delay. Pity about the bogey on eight, but I hit good shots coming in. I hit committed shots coming in, that’s all we want. And honestly, I take five under all day at Serapong.”

Korea’s Jeongwoo Ham quashed any doubts that he would be unable to keep the lead in the Singapore Open presented by The Business Times for the fourth straight day by completing a famous wire-to-wire win today.

He was made to work extremely hard for it though by impressive young Australian Cameron John after a gripping final day duel on The Serapong at Sentosa Golf Club.

Ham closed with a three-under-par 68 to finish on 16-under and beat John by two shots. John shot a 66 while Spain’s Josele Ballester (66), Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond (68) and Tomohiro Ishizaka (70) from Japan shared third – a distant seven behind the winner.

The result also secured Ham and John places in this summer’s Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, as the tournament is part of the Open Qualifying Series.

The Korean’s performance is one of the most impressive in the 57-year history of Singapore’s National Open, considering a place in the game’s oldest Major was on the line as well as valuable points on The International Series Rankings.

The weather also had a big part to play today when after three days of oppressive heat and humidity, the skies darkened and at 11.47am play was stopped for just over three and a half hours due to lightning.

Jeongwoo Ham.

Ham started the day with a four-shot lead over John and when the interruption occurred they had completed seven holes with the Korean three ahead.

When play resumed at 3.30pm, Ham picked up where he left off by holing a 10-foot putt for par on the eighth that helped settle the nerves and was typical of his performance on the putting surface all week. He had another testing four-footer for par on the next which he slotted home.

It was then that John really put the pressure on with a succession on big birdie putts. The Australian holed a 25-footer for birdie on nine meaning Ham was two ahead with nine to play.

Ham lipped out for birdie on the 10^th before John closed the gap to one when he made a brilliant birdie on the 11^th, draining a putt from 15 feet.

The 13^th then produced high drama when Ham assumed the upper hand by holing his bunker shot for a birdie. It looked like he would move two ahead with John facing a 40-footer for birdie. To everyone’s astonishment the Australian holed his putt to keep the pressure on his opponent.

The action continued at a pace when they both hit their tee shots close on the par-three 14^th. Ham holed his from 12 feet before John followed him in from seven feet to keep the gap at one.

They both faced makeable birdie putts on the ensuing hole, but both missed, John first from 18 feet then Ham from a slightly shorter range. On the par-three 17^th again they both missed makeable birdie putts meaning Ham led by one with one to play.

On the par-five 18^th Ham sealed the deal when he reached the back of the green in two and two putted for birdie, while John made par – although he nearly holed his chip from just off the green for a three.

Cameron John.

Said Ham: “Honestly, I sweat a lot and struggle in the heat, so I just kept thinking: play quickly, get through it, and get back to the hotel as soon as possible.

“Of course you still need to hit good shots, but because it was so hot, I actually wasn’t overthinking the golf too much. That probably helped me stay relaxed. I just wanted to finish quickly, shower, and lie down under the air-conditioning.”

Ham becomes the second Korean to win the event. Younghan Song was the first in 2016 when he beat then world number one Jordan Spieth from the United States by one, also on The Serapong.

“My putting was really good today. I’d say the putter saved me for around six shots. Thankfully, the putter worked well and helped me keep the momentum going,” added the Korean.

It is the Korean’s first win on the Asian Tour, where he has only played 24 times since turning professional eight years ago, with 16 of those on home soil.

The impressive golfer’s textbook golf swing has previously brought him four wins on the Korean PGA Tour, the most recent being two years ago at the Golfzon-Toray Open.

For John it was yet another fine performance by one of Australia’s rising stars. He finished second on the 2025/26 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit, thanks to three wins, while today marks his finest overseas performance.

Missing out on the title was made up for by getting into The Open.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” said the 23-year-old.

“I’ve wanted to play in Major championships my whole life. I came close back home in Australia, so to come over here and get it done means a lot. It’s something I’ll never forget.

“My game feels like it’s in a really good place. Today was a different test mentally. The Open spot was definitely on my mind, but I felt like I managed it well. Looking back, it’s been an incredible year and I’m really grateful for the people around me who support and help me.

The Asian Tour moves swiftly on to the GS Caltex Maekyung Open next week – for one of Korea’s most prestigious events.

The tournament, which is celebrating its 45^th edition, will be played at Namseoul Country Club, south Seoul.

Korea’s Doyeob Mun warmed up perfecting for his defense of the title today by shooting a fine 65 today to climb in to a tie for sixth.

Ryan Ang closed with a 66 to finish as the leading Singaporean, in joint 12^th.

Jeongwoo Ham started this week’s Singapore Open presented by The Business Times as an unknown quantity outside of Korea.

However, that has changed with each passing day of the prestigious event, being played on The Serapong at Sentosa Golf Club.

He shot a three-under-par 68 today for a 13-under total to secure the lead for the third straight day, on another blisteringly hot and humid day.

The 31-year-old has a four-shot lead over Australia’s Cameron John in this International Series event, one of the Asian Tour’s enhanced events that offers a pathway to the LIV Golf League.

John returned a 67, the joint-lowest round of the day, while Japan’s Tomohiro Ishizaka is in third, another stroke back, following a 70.

Cameron John.

Frenchman Julien Sale carded a 69 for fourth place.

Ham was unflappable again today, conducting a putting exhibition.

After starting the day with a two-shot lead over Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond, he moved three ahead at the turn, before going four in front after a birdie on 10.

The Korean was fortunate on the par-four 13th, one of the most difficult holes on the course, when his tee shot just stopped short of the water. He capitalised on it by hitting his second to 15 feet and holing for birdie. He followed that up with another birdie on the ensuing hole, a par-three, by holing a putt from a similar length before impressing again by saving par on the next thanks to draining an eight-footer.
He parred in from there, making five birdies in total and two bogeys.

“It feels great because my name is always on the top and the other players aren’t overtaking me. I hope it stays that way tomorrow,” said Ham.

“There’s no secret to my putting, really. The greens are just perfect. There isn’t much I pay attention to when I’m putting, but I just make sure I get it done quickly because of the heat.”

Ham played in this event when it was last held on The Serapong in 2022.

He finished in a tie for 43rd and is well and truly on track to better that tomorrow.

Julien Sale.

He has only played in 24 Asian Tour events since turning professional eight years ago, with 16 of those on home soil.

Qualification for this summer’s Open Championship at Royal Birkdale is also on the line tomorrow. The tournament is part of The Open Qualifying Series, with the leading two players not otherwise exempt making it through to the game’s oldest Major.

“My new goal is to not hit 90 tomorrow,” joked Ham. “I do want a spot in The Open, but in life, just because you want something it doesn’t mean you’ll get it. Life’s like that — if I get the spot, great, but if not, then it’s OK.”

John, second on the 2025/26 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit behind countryman Travis Smyth, is making a rare appearance in the region. It’s only his third event in Asia on the Asian Tour, but the 23-year-old is making the most of it despite struggling with a bout of flu recently.

“I played well in Japan a few weeks ago, then had a week off at home. I wasn’t feeling the best physically, but I got over that quite quickly,” he said.

“I got sick after Japan, had the flu, and it knocked me around for about a week and a half. But I’ve come good just in time, which is nice.

“This is a strong golf course, so it’s about being patient. I probably don’t usually play this type of course as patiently as I have this week. I’d normally hit more drivers, but I’m happy with how I’ve managed my way around it so far.”

Gaganjeet Bhullar.

Sale is featuring on the leaderboard for the first time since winning the Philippine Open at the beginning of last year.

He said: “Yeah, I mean, obviously there’s The Open spot in the back of the mind, so I’ll see that at the end of the run tomorrow. But I’m just gonna try to keep going, as I did the first three rounds. Didn’t really have a score in mind. Just try to execute my process, stay hydrated and try to do the best I can. Try to beat the course. If you can beat the course, it’s gonna be a good day tomorrow.”

India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar returned a 72 and is knocking on the door of a 12th win on the Asian Tour and first since the 2023 Indonesian Masters.

He shares fifth with Pakistan’s Ahmed Baig (67) and Jazz (73), the champion here in 2019.

Pictures by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

Korea’ s Jeongwoo Ham enters the weekend of the Singapore Open presented by The Business Times as the surprise halfway leader at Sentosa Golf Club.

He carded a three-under-par 68 on the formidable Serapong Course to move to 10-under for a two-shot lead over Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond.

Jazz, the champion here on this course in 2019, returned a 66, while Gaganjeet Bhullar from India and Japan’s Tomohiro Ishizaka share third place, another stroke behind.

Bhullar and Ishizaka both shot 68s – in the fourth event of the season on the Asian Tour, which is also part of The International Series.

Ham started the day in a share of the lead with Thailand’s Ekpharit Wu and maintained yesterday’s momentum while Wu fell away, carding a 75.

Jazz Janewattananond.

The Korean has only ever played in seven Asian Tour events outside of Korea, with a best finish of joint 29^th in the International Series Japan two weeks ago.

The 31-year-old is on course to drastically improve upon that this week.

“It wasn’t like yesterday, today I didn’t make many mistakes,” said Ham, who has been a professional since 2018.

“Compared to yesterday a lot of the putts didn’t go in, but I played patiently. Feeling very satisfied now.”

He made four birdies today, including on the par-five 18^th, and dropped one shot, on 15.

He said: “At critical moments I made the putts and made use of the chances. My irons weren’t as good, my accuracy not great but I think I made putts at critical moments.”

Despite not having tasted victory on the Asian Tour he is a proven winner on the Korean PGA Tour, where he has won four times. The most recent of those came in the Golfzon-Toray Open in 2024.

Jazz once again showed he is back to his best and playing the kind of golf that won him this title seven years ago enroute to securing the Asian Tour Order of Merit title.

Gaganjeet Bhullar.

“It’s great coming back here,” said the seven-time winner on the Asian Tour.

“I’ve been wishing and waiting for the Singapore Open to come back here. The last time I was back here was the 2020 edition. I didn’t come here for the 2022 edition. But just been missing this place a lot, the golf course is always in great shape. I mean, it’s one of the best golf courses in Asia, and it suits my eyes, so I can’t really complain.”

When he won here he finished with a winning total of 18-under helped by a pair of 65s at the weekend.

He’ll need something similar to claim the title for a second time but is in confident spirits.

“Still not in the autopilot mode, but the tee shots kind of fit my eye here even if it’s a little different off the tee or little different wind. When I’m standing on the tee, it still looks quite nice to me. There are some courses which just do not suit me at all, but this golf course does, and I like the shape of it,” he said.

Bhullar, a 11-time champion on the Asian Tour, menacingly moved into contention, making two birdies in the last three.

“I’ve not been playing so many events. But I mean, it feels good to be on the first page of the leaderboard, definitely feels good,” he said.

Brayden Lee.

“I thought I played really well last year, but the scores were not coming at the right time. So probably this week, I’ll try to do my routine and process and try and give my 100%.”

Australian Jack Thompson fired his second 68 and is in outright fifth, four behind the leader.

Amateur star Brayden Lee and his compatriot Ryan Ang are the leading Singaporeans, in a tie for 19^th on three under.

Lee, who finished as the leading local player last year, came in with a 68 and Ang a 69.

Said Lee: “I’m lucky to be an adopted member here, a sponsored player, so I do spend most of my time around here. It’s a really tough course, because it’s very demanding off the tee and the greens are huge and undulating. So, you know, you never know what you get.”

His team-mate in the Singapore amateur team Troy Storm also survived the cut, which was one over. Storm carded a 71 to finish on the cut line.

Pictures by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

The golf played by Thailand’s Ekpharit Wu [main picture] and Jeongwoo Ham from Korea matched the sizzling hot weather today at the Singapore Open presented by The Business Times.

They fired sparkling seven-under-par 64s on The Serapong at Sentosa Golf Club to take the lead by two on day one of the US$2million event.

Charles Porter, Zimbabwe’s Kieran Vincent and Aidric Chan from the Philippines were equally impressive shooting 66s to share third place.

A big group of players came in with 67s: John Catlin from the United States, the 2024 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion, Australians Will Florimo and Kevin Yuan, Japan’s Tomohiro Ishizaka and Ryosuke Kinoshita, Spaniard Luis Masaveu, plus India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar.

Competitors in what is the 57^th staging of Singapore’s National Open will rarely play in more hotter and humid, sauna-like conditions than today.

Jeongwoo Ham. 

Ekpharit, playing in the event for the first time, was unperturbed, making seven birdies in a bogey-free round. He started on the back nine and made the turn in five under, helped by three in a row from the 14^th.

The Thai won his first title on the Asian Tour last year at the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open, in Chinese-Taipei. It was an especially significant win as his father is from there, while his wife Pam was on the bag.

She is his regular caddie and has been a big part of his success since turning professional – something he acknowledged today.

“It’s been a very rewarding partnership. She being by my side makes me more confident on the course,” said 26-year-old, who also tied for third at the Bharath Classic shortly after winning in Chinese-Taipei.

“She helps me not to get angry on the golf course. When on the course, we always hit some bad shots but it’s about not getting too emotional and she helps me a lot with that.

“When I was an amateur I used local caddies, but when I turned professional I spoke with her and she became my caddie straight away, no question.”

A professional since 2020 he is a graduate of the 2025 Asian Tour Qualifying School, having played mainly on the Asian Development Tour before that.

Charles Porter.

He is also a two-time winner on the All Thailand Golf Tour, having won back-to-back titles in 2024.

Ham mainly plays on the Korean PGA Tour and has only competed in a small number of Asian Tour events. He excelled today despite dropping a shot on his first, which was the 10^th. It was his only dropped shot of the day as he went on to make eight birdies, including three on the trot from 18.

Porter, the giant American who is 6 feet 9 inches tall, finished second on the driving distance statistics last year, in what was his rookie season on the Asian Tour. He boasted an average on 323.68 yards and unleashed a couple of big ones today.

“I hit a couple of big drives — over 350 yards on both 7 and 18 — which gave me short irons into the par fives, and I was able to make birdie on both,” he said.

“I also holed a really nice putt on nine. The driving iron wasn’t great today, but if the driver’s working, you can take that.

“I don’t really remember my bogeys, to be honest — I just remember the good shots. We had a great group out there, which always helps, and I was fuelling up with chicken burgers all day.”

Both Chan and Vincent joined him in second place thanks to making eagles on the par-five 18^th. Chan’s was the result of the putt of the day, a 70-footer.

Catlin is a six-time winner on the Asian Tour but surprisingly did not add to that hall last year.

When asked how important it is to win again he said: “It’s huge! I mean, that’s why I put in all the work I do. That’s why I practice all the hours and put myself in that position, because I want to have that last putt on Sunday to win.”

John Catlin.

He was also bogey-free today and even made par on par-five 18^th despite finding water off the tee.

“You know, I really only got in trouble once and drove it in the water on 18. I was still able to make a five,” he said.

“Just very steady Eddie. A lot of good golf shots. Yeah, was in position a lot, had a lot of birdie chances. A few times I was out of position, or I missed a green, I was in the right position and got up and down. So, it’s just, you know, a pretty steady Eddie round.”

The tournament is the fourth event of the season on the Asian Tour and the second leg of The International Series, the enhanced level of tournaments that provide a pathway to the LIV Golf League.

The event is also part of the Open Qualifying Series with the top two players not otherwise exempt eligible for this summer’s Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.

Pictures: Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

Travis Smyth will tee-off in the Singapore Open presented by The Business Times tomorrow high on confidence – currently leading the rankings on three of the world’s main Tours – but low on energy after a long-flight from LIV Golf Mexico.

The Australian is the man of the hour having won the Asian Tour’s most recent event, the International Series Japan, two weeks ago to lead both the Asian Tour Order of Merit and The International Rankings.

In what possibly is a first he is also sitting atop the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and Japan Golf Tour rankings – thanks in a big way to winning the joint-sanctioned ISPS Handa Japan-Australasia Championship last month. It was the penultimate leg of the 2025/26 season on the former circuit and helped him win their Order of Merit, while it was the season-opening event on the latter.

Smyth fulfilled his dream of returning to play on the LIV Golf League when he was invited to compete in their event in Mexico last week but had to make a mad dash to get there and then rush back here in time to play at Sentosa Golf Club.

He explained: “So, I was on a 5am flight from Mexico City, which was delayed. We landed into San Fran, everything was delayed. Got to the gate, they wouldn’t let us on, even though the plane was like, right there. That flight ended up getting canceled. I ended up waiting. We also waited, I don’t know what, 12 hours at the airport. I was sleeping on the floor of the lounge for about five hours, and then flew here and arrived this morning, 7am.”

Travis Smyth after winning in Japan. 

Asked how he is feeling at today’s press conference, he said with a smirk: “Feel great.”

He finished in a tie for 49^th last week, having little time to prepare following his win Japan.

“I played terrible,” he said. “It was a good experience, you know. I got to play the first three LIV events [in 2022], and that was incredible. And I was just so happy to be a part of it again. And although I didn’t play well, it was super fun and exciting week, and I hope to be a part of it again.”

He won the Japan event in jaw dropping circumstances by making birdie on 16 and an eagle on the last, thanks to a career-defining left to right breaking 20-foot putt.

This week’s US$2million event is the second stop on The International Series this year, and it marks the first time Singapore’s National Open has been back to Sentosa Golf Club since 2022, when Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana triumphed.

Smyth has a consistent record here, finishing joint 24^th in 2019, tying for 11^th in 2020 and taking equal 16^th in 2022.

Despite the fatigue he will start as one of the favourites, helping by living off the adrenaline of his win two weeks ago – which was his second victory on the Asian Tour and first on The International Series.

“Every time I have like, a 20 footer, I just think of that putt in Japan I rolled into win. But yeah, all the feeling is still in there, and I can’t wait to be in that position again.

“I want win to win again and the Rankings too. I mean, it’s still early days. It’s only the second event of the season. But yeah, just trying to play some good golf, and we’ll see where we’re at at the end of the week.”

This week’s tournament is part of the Open Qualifying Series with the leading two players not otherwise exempt qualifying for The Open at Royal Birkdale in July.

Smyth is one of those players otherwise exempt thanks to winning the Merit list Down Under.

The 31-year-old will start at 12.13pm tomorrow on the first hole with Sweden’s Bjorn Hellgren, who also competed in Mexico, and Hong Kong number one Taichi Kho.

Story: Simon Wilson/Asian Tour.

Pictures: Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

This week’s Singapore Open presented by The Business Times got off to a celebratory start when the Asian Tour Awards night took place last night at the Equarius Hotel – part of Resorts World Sentosa.

The most successful players and venues from last year were honoured during a glamorous evening attended by players, VIPS, sponsors and officials.

Japan’s Kazuki Higa took centre stage receiving both the Asian Tour Order of Merit trophy and The Kyi Hla Han Award for the Player of the Year title. Kyi Hla’s wife Marlene Lee attended the evening and presented him with the Award [main picture], which is named after her late husband and former Executive Chairman of the Asian Tour.

The other winners of the night were the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers, recognised as the Tournament of the Year, and the Link Hong Kong Open – which was The International Series Tournament of the Year.

Cho Minn Thant.

Royal Golf Dar Es Salam (Red Course), venue for the International Series Morocco, won the Players’ Choice Course of the Year.

Said Cho Minn Thant [main picture], Commissioner & CEO, Asian Tour: “The 2025 season was another year of growth and development and with it came some exceptional performances by our players – helped in such a big way by world class tournaments and venues.

“We congratulate Kazuki Higa on his success. Kyi Hla Han, our former Executive Chairman and Asian Tour Order of Merit champion, would have been delighted to see a Japanese player finish the year ranked number one – it is such a significant achievement for the region.

“And we applaud the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers, the Link Hong Kong Open and Royal Golf Dar Es Salam for their important contributions and worthy acknowledgment by our players.”

Last year Higa became the first player to win both the Asian Tour’s Merit list and the Japan Tour Money List, which he claimed in 2022.

Andy Kwok from the Hong Kong Golf Club is handed the famous venue’s award by Wade Ormsby.

He recorded back-to-back wins in September at the Shinhan Donghae Open, in Korea, and the Yeangder TPC, in Chinese-Taipei, before adding a joint second place at the International Series Philippines in late October. That result in the Philippines saw him regain top spot on the Merit list from Vincent, and from there on in he could not be caught.

For the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers it marks the third time in four years it has been named Tournament of the Year, following success in 2022 and 2023.

This year’s voting also meant more accolades for the Link Hong Kong Open and its venerable venue the Hong Kong Golf Club (HKGC).

In 2023 it was named The International Series Tournament of the Year, while HKGC was the Players’ Choice Course of the Year, along with Al Mouj Golf. The following season the event was again hailed as The International Series Tournament of the Year.

Andy Kwok, Captain, HKGC, said: “For the Link Hong Kong Open to be voted The International Series Tournament of the Year for the third successive time is an incredibly special honour and something everyone at the Club is very proud of. Our tremendous thanks to the players of the Asian Tour for this wonderful recognition and to all tournament officials and sponsors for making this historic event what it has become today.”