Indonesia’s Naraajie Ramadhanputra turned up the heat in the second round of the PKNS Selangor Masters today, with an eagle and six birdies to take a two shot lead into the final rounds of the opening event in the 2025 Asian Development Tour season.

Starting on hole one, his 63 was the low round of the day, edging him ahead of Thailand’s Tawit Polthai (64) who posted an unblemished seven birdies at the Seri Selangor Golf Club in the US$200,000 ADT event, co-sanctioned with the domestic Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) Tour.

“I shot five under on the front and three under on the back so a lot of good shots in the first nine, made one eagle also,” said Naraajie after his round. “On the back nine I was just kind of hanging in there, made a lot of pars and made a long birdie putt also,” he added.

“Today I putted really well,” he explained. “I made a lot of short putts, saved pars and made long putts for birdie also so I’m pretty happy with the way I putted today,” he said.

While not official due to the preferred lies ruling in place, Naraajie’s round matched the Seri Selangor course record of 63, recorded first by Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee in the 2008 Selangor Masters, followed by 2009 winner Rick Kulacz of Australia when it was an Asian Tour event.

Thailand’s Runchanapong Youprayong (68) was the early clubhouse leader and ended the day with a share of third place on six under, alongside compatriot Jakraphan Premsirigorn (68) who matched scores with four birdies and one dropped shot in their rounds.

With all players getting back into the game and shaking out the rust after the season break, Runchanapong was another who started to settle more into his game as the tournament progressed.

Thailand’s Runchanapong Youprayong pictured in action during the second round of the PKNS Selangor Masters at Seri Selangor Golf Club on January 23, 2025. Picture courtesy PKNS Selangor Masters.

“I feel like it was a little bit better than yesterday,” Runchanapong said after his round. “Yesterday was a little bit shaky to start, because I took a one month break and then came back and worked on my swing, so everything’s just starting to get into place at the moment.

“Today I was able to control myself and my mental side, and also I hit the driver pretty well, so that helps. I didn’t make a lot of putts, but rolled a birdie in on 18 so that helps makes lunch a bit better,“ he laughed.

American Shotaro Ban (69) holds solo fifth place on five under par going into round three, an early double bogey on his second hole made him work hard for his place, making the turn at par and eventual finish at two under for the day.

In sixth spot, on four under par, the group includes Thailand’s Poom Pattaropong (68) and overnight leader Amarin Kraivixien (71), who was unable to capitalise on his lead with an even par score.

Also in sixth spot are Malaysia’s Zia Izzuddeen (71), teenage Japanese amateur Daichi Hayashi (71) and Juvic Pangunsan (66) of the Philippines, and Italy’s Luca Cianchetti (65) who is making his debut on the ADT and enjoying his break from Europe.

Thailand’s Tawit Polthai pictured in action during the second round of the PKNS Selangor Masters at Seri Selangor Golf Club on January 23, 2025. Picture courtesy PKNS Selangor Masters.

“Last year I played mainly on the Challenge and Alps tour,” he said, “and then at the end of the year, I played Q School. And then suddenly I decided, ‘Okay, I want to try the Asian tour, to breathe some different air, some fresh air, and I kind of like it over here.

“I’ve been in Thailand and I’ve been here, so I’m pretty happy to get the card for ADT and compete this year,” he added.

“I’m really glad for this round today. I like the people around here, they’re kind so I’m happy to stick around here. This golf course is quite amazing. It was really, really hard today so I’m really pleased with my round of 66,” he said.

“The courses in Asia, obviously, are really different. The grasses are different here. A lot of Bermuda, a lot of grain on the greens. I feel like the courses that I have played are a little bit longer than the ones in Europe that I used to play and I think they kind of fit my game a little bit more,” he added.

With the cut made at +3, 58 players will contiunue into the final two rounds. Play begins again off two tees at 7.51am local time, with the leaders hitting off at 9.30am.

Main picture: Indonesia’s Naraajie Ramadhanputra pictured in action during the second round of the PKNS Selangor Masters at Seri Selangor Golf Club on January 23, 2025. Picture courtesy PKNS Selangor Masters.

Thailand’s Amarin Kraivixien showed his pre-season preparation was paying off in the first round of the PKNS Selangor Masters at Seri Selangor Golf Club today, shooting a four-under-par 67 to take the early clubhouse lead.

With play suspended due to darkness in the US$200,000 Asian Development Tour event, the opening match of the 2025 season, the Thai player shares the lead with Malaysia’s Zia Izzuddeen and Japanese amateur Daichi Hayashi.

“It was very smooth for the most part,” said Amarin after his round, “as I made a pretty good start in my opinion for holes one to four.

“My plan was that if I could par out for those four holes then with par fives coming up on the fifth and sixth, if I can do anything with it then I feel I can start my round,” he added.

With a three birdie finish to cement his lead, Amarin was quick to credit his off-season work with helping him to make a good start to the year.

“I would say I’m more pleased with the progress I made during the off season and that I can see the improvement on the course today,” he said.

“I worked really hard on my iron shots and it paid off very well.”

Zia, who finished well after posting three bogeys in his first nine, will look to capitalise on his strong finish alongside Daichi, who was cruising along with only pars and birdies until an unfortunate double on hole three, his 15th of the day.

England’s Matt Killen (68) leads a group in fourth spot on three-under-par after his round was disrupted by back to back bogeys on holes seven and eight.

Malaysia’s Leunkwang Kim who scored a hole in one at the PKNS Selangor Masters at Seri Selangor Golf Club. Picture provided by PKNS Selangor Masters.

He shares the position with Thailand’s Jakraphan Premsirigorn who made it through the first round with three birdies and no dropped shots.

They share fourth place with Yanhan Zhou of China, Thailand’s Runchanapong Youprayong and Natipong Srithong, and the American duo of Flint Bekkers and Shotaro Ban.

In 11th place, on 69, are two Malaysian amateurs, Aiden Kai and Hariz Hezri, alongside compatriots Amir Nazrin and 2022 winner Shahriffuddin Ariffin.

They share the spot with Australia’s Kade Webber, Korea’s Minhyeok Yang and Minwook Gwon, Singapore’s Gregory Foo, Naraajie Ramadhanputra of Indonesia and Malaysia’s Leunkwang Kim.

Kim, who started on the back nine, had an eventful start to his round. Opening with a bogey on 10, he recovered with a birdie on 11 and then pulled out his eight iron to ace the 158 meter hole 12.

Two players are still out on the course to complete Round One after poor light stopped play, the tournament will resume for Round Two at 7.45am local time from two tees.

Thailand’s Itthipat Buranatanyarat let his experience do the talking in the final round of the Aramco Invitational tournament in Saudi Arabia today, his two-under-par 70 enough to maintain his overnight lead and secure victory.

And with the extra prize money available in the US$250,000 season-ending Asian Development Tour event, the win was enough to propel him to the top of the Order of Merit standings, edging out three multiple tournament winners in the process.

Having played in all 12 ADT events this season, Itthipat’s consistency through the year meant he was able to take the honours without winning an event, unlike his nearest rivals Tanapat Pichaikool, Ahmad Baig and Rahil Gangee, all two-time winners this year.

With Asian Tour cards available for the top ten in the OOM, there was cause for celebration for Thailand’s Tanapat, India’s Gangee and Baig of Pakistan, who finshed second, third and fourth respectively.

Dodge Kemmer of USA pictured on November 30, 2024 during the Final round of Aramco Invitational Tournament at Rolling Hills Golf Club on November 30, 2024 in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Thananuwat Srirasant/Asian Tour)

Dodge Kemmer (70) of the USA, who finished second today, grabbed the sixth spot in the OOM, behind Liu Yung-hua (70) of Chinese Taipei who ended up in a share of 12th spot for the tournament.

Thailand’s Varanyu Rattanphiboonkij (70) finished third today, which was enoguh to help him into seventh spot on the OOM list, slightly ahead of compatriots Witchayapat Sinsrang (73) and Kosuke Hamamoto (72), who ended the day in 36th and 25th places respectively.

The final qualifier for next year’s Asian Tour card was Hong Kong’s Matthew Cheung (69), who shared 16th place today, enough to edge out Thailand’s Sarut Vongchaisit and Runchanapong Youprayong by the slimmest of margins.

Thailand’s Chanat Sakulpolphaisan (68) finished fourth in the tournament today, ahead of Tanapat and England’s Ben Jones and Matt Killen, who all shared the day’s low round of 67. They shared the place with Arjun Parsad (71) of India.

Ben Jones of England pictured on November 30, 2024 during the Final round of Aramco Invitational Tournament at Rolling Hills Golf Club on November 30, 2024 in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Thananuwat Srirasant/Asian Tour)

In ninth place, Runchanapong (68) finished alongside Joel Stalter (71) of France, a stroke ahead of Thomas Lim (71) of the USA.

In 12th place today, Liu shared the place with Aidric Chan of the Philippines (70), Shinichi Mizuno (72) of Japan and Sweden’s Filip Lundell (74).

With the 2024 ADT season now in the bag, for the top ten Order of Merit winners the prospect of a year on the Asian Tour in 2025 looms. For the others, there’s always Q-School, which enters its final stage in Thailand next month and concludes in Hua Hin from December 17-21.

Main pictures: Itthipat Buranatanyarat of Thailand pictured during the final round of the Aramco Invitational Tournament at Rolling Hills Golf Club on November 30, 2024 in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Thananuwat Srirasant/Asian Tour)

Singapore’s James Leow and Dodge Kemmer of the USA held a slim lead after the second round of the Aramco Invitational Tournament in Saudi Arabia today after rain and wind affected play at the mid-point of the final Asian Development Tour event of the year.

With both players posting a two under par score of 70, they lead by a single shot from the Thai duo of Varanyu Rattanaboonkij (72) and Itthipat Buranatanyarat (68) in the US$250,000 tournament at Rolling Hills Golf Club.

With Kemmer leading off in the morning wave, and Leow playing in the afternoon, the pair were able to play either side of the inclement weather, and will join in the leading group tomorrow to continue their battle into the third round.

Having shot seven under par yesterday, Leow reflected on the changes the weather had made to his round.

“We had favourable conditions for the afternoon wave,” he said, “but with the strong wind conditions, it didn’t make the hole the same as it was yesterday. It felt like I was a little further back and it made it tougher to get close to the tucked pins today.

‘The key was to give myself as many looks and opportunities as possible and I did as well as I could, I made some putts and came back pretty good,” he added.

“I played here last year and I was way back,” he said. “I didn’t really do much, but i think I learned a lot from last year. Playing the last couple of events has prepped me for this week’s conditions so I’m really excited for the weekend,” he said.

DHAHRAN, SAUDI ARABIA: Dodge Kemmer of USA pictured on November 28, 2024 during the 2nd round of Aramco Invitational Tournament at Rolling Hills Golf Club on November 28, 2024 in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Thananuwat Srirasant/Asian Tour)

Ryoto Furuya (68) of the USA shot the low round of the day alongside Itthipat and sits in solo fifth place on seven under par.

In the final event of the season, the race for Order of Merit honours is the real battle this week, and Pakistan’s Ahmad Baig (71) was the best performer of the season-long contenders.

He finished in sixth place today and will be looking to close the gap on OOM leader Rahil Gangee (73) who sits in joint 25th spot, and also stretch his advantage over third-placed Tanapat Pichaikool (74) in 14th.

In seventh place heading into Round Three, Joel Stalter (71) of France leads by one shot over a mixed international group in eighth which includes Sweden’s Filip Lundell, Thitipan Pachuayprakong of Thailand, Indonesia’s Kevin Akbar, Marcus Lim of Malaysia, Aidric Chan of the Philippines and India’s Khalin Joshi.

Despite the poor weather conditions during the day, Round Two was completed as scheduled and play will continue tomorrow with the first groups heading off at 8.20am local time.

The cut was made at two over par and 54 players will continue into the final rounds, with the leaders teeing off at 9.48am.

Main picture: James Leow of Singapore pictured on November 28, 2024 during the 2nd round of Aramco Invitational Tournament at Rolling Hills Golf Club on November 28, 2024 in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Thananuwat Srirasant/Asian Tour)

Thailand’s Varanyu Rattanaphiboonkij was the victor in a festival of birdies at the top of the leaderboard at the Aramco Invitational Tournament in Saudi Arabia today, his flawless 64 edging the field after the first round.

Six players atop the leaderboard did not drop a shot after 18 holes today, with James Leow of Singapore (65) in second place ahead by two shots of Uganda’s Joshua Seale, Matt Killen of England, Thailand’s Nattawat Suvanajanakorn and Naoki Sekito of Japan in third after carding bogey-free 67s.

Dodge Kemmer of the USA, who posted a lone bogey on hole 10, shared second place with a 65.

“It’s going very well,” said Varanyu after his round “I made birdie quite early and my game was flowing, going smooth, so I just tried to keep making birdies and not make any mistakes.”

DHAHRAN, SAUDI ARABIA: James Leow of Singapore pictured on November 27, 2024 during the 1st round of Aramco Invitational Tournament at Rolling Hills Golf Club on November 27, 2024 in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Thananuwat Srirasant/Asian Tour)

Sweden’s Filip Lundell also joined the group in fourth place with a 67, together with Thailand’s Kammalas Namuangruk, Nattawat Suvajanakorn and Tanapat Pichaikool, winner of last week’s Toyota Tour Championship and looking to consolidate his gains in the final Asian Development Tour event of the season.

Tanapat, who is closing in on the leaders in the season-long Order of Merit race, will be looking to get maximum points in this US$250,000 tournament at Rolling Hills Golf Club in Saudi Arabia.

Ahmad Baig of Pakistan, currently in second place in the OOM and also in joint fourth with a 67 after Round One today, will be looking to protect his slight advantage, while OOM leader Rahil Gangee of India is three shots back in a share of 26th place.

On four under par is a large group in 12th spot, led by Korea’s Hyukchul Shin, Marcus Lim and Amir Nazrin of Malaysia, Arjun Prasad and Khalin Joshi of India, Aidric Chan of the Philippines, Joel Stalter of France and the Thai quartet of Sarun Sirithon, Itthipat Buranatanyarat, Runchanapong Youprayong and Sarut Vongchaisit.

With everything to play for as the ADT season draws to a close, the tournament will continue for the second round starting at 6.30am, with the last goups teeing off at 11.40am.

Sarut Vongchaisit enhanced his chances of gaining an Asian Tour card for 2025 when he carded a six-under 66 to jointly lead the ADT-sanctioned Toyota Tour Championship with compatriot and good friend Tanapat Pichaikool after the third round at the Kota Permai Golf & Country Club here today.

Trailing by one stroke overnight, Sarut reeled off eight birdies against two bogeys while Tanapat maintained his composure for his third 67 in an absorbing contest. Both Thais have a three-day aggregate of 15-under 201 and are four shots ahead of another Thai, Witchayanon Chothirunrungrueng who improved from 10th placing overnight.

Sarut is currently ranked 13th in the ADT Order of Merit and a good finish here would give him confidence ahead of next week’s ADT finale in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Tanapat is sitting comfortably in third position and would like to celebrate his birthday tomorrow with a top three placing.

Overnight leader Tanapat said it wasn’t the start he preferred, birdieing the second and bogeying the fourth. But he came back strongly with red numbers on seven and nine. On the back nine, Tanapat started poorly with a bogey five but bounced back when he eagled the Par 5 12th and followed it up immediately with a birdie. Bogeys on 14 and 15 opened the doors for Sarut and Witchayanon but he clawed back defiantly, finishing with three birdies in a row.

Thailand’s Tanapat Pichaikool pictured in action at the Toyota Tour Championship at Kota Permai Golf and Country Club. Picture courtesy Toyota Tour Championship.

“Sarut and I grew up together, share the same practice area, play the same course and went to the US at the same time but to different schools. In fact, we live 10 minutes apart,” said Tanapat who has won on the ADT before.

“So, playing with him today in the same flight was almost like playing a round of golf among friends. Birthday gift tomorrow? Golf is a tough game to predict. I would be happy if I can put in a nice round to celebrate my birthday.”

Sarut felt today’s round was thoroughly enjoyable especially playing with his best friend. “We’ve been together since our junior golf days so today was a lot of fun,” said Sarut, adding that he has been having issues with his putter these past few months. “Today, my putter was in great form. I haven’t won an international event yet so, tomorrow will be a good fight between me and Tanapat.”

Edven Ying and Daeng Abdul Rahman are the best placed Malaysians at joint 10th, after fashioning scores of 70 and 69 respectively. They are bunched at seven-under 209 with four others.

Malaysia’s Edven Ying pictured in action at the Toyota Tour Championship at Kota Permai Golf and Country Club. Picture courtesy Toyota Tour Championship.

“I was hitting it well on my first nine holes and created a lot of birdie chances. I hit it close but just couldn’t put the ball in,” said Daeng. “My back nine holes was a bit of a roller-coaster with two bogeys against four birdies but still managed to finish with three under today. I’m happy.”

Both Malaysians are looking forward to finishing strongly tomorrow and Ying hopes that his aggressive style of play would help propel him up the ladder. “Today wasn’t consistent for me,” said Ying. “Sometimes being too aggressive doesn’t help because I might miss the green in the wrong place and getting up and down becomes tougher.

“For tomorrow I’ll see what happens after the first few holes. Continue to be aggressive but make sure I miss greens in the right places.”

Main picture: Thailand’s Sarut Vongchaisit pictured in action at the Toyota Tour Championship at Kota Permai Golf and Country Club. Picture courtesy Toyota Tour Championship.

Thailand’s depth in strength showed once again when they filled seven players among the top 10 after Round Two of the ADT co-sanctioned Toyota Tour Championship at Kota Permai Golf & Country Club here today.

With green speeds almost averaging 12 feet, many in the field found the surfaces fast and firm but Tanapat Pichaikool had an almost flawless round of six birdies against a lone bogey to card a second 67 and a two-day aggregate of 10-under 134 to snatch solo lead.

In joint second one stroke behind in the MYR400,000 ADT event were compatriots Nirun Sae-ueng and Sarut Vongchaisit, whose seven-under 65 was the low round of the tournament so far. Both are just one stroke ahead of another Thai player Tirawat Kaewsiribandit who produced a second 68 to share joint fourth with overnight leader Ben Jones of England.

Twenty-one Thai players made the half-way cut of 50 and ties, which spelt out at even par 144 while 14 Malaysians will also continue play for two more rounds. The local challenge was carried by Edvin Ying and Amir Nazrin bunched in 10th position with four others at five-under 139.

Tanapat confessed that his drives weren’t that great today but managed to get around with his iron play. “My short game was pretty amazing and especially my putter which was lovely!

Thailand’s Sarut Vongchaisit pictured in action at the Toyota Tour Championship at Kota Permai Golf and Country Club. Picture courtesy Toyota Tour Championship.

“No rain for both rounds and we’ve been lucky. The key to playing well here is off the tee. Good drives will benefit us as the course is relatively short. So yeah, finding fairways is important,” added Tanapat who is currently ranked 3rd in the ADT Order of Merit.

A strong finish here on Saturday for Tanapat could place him atop the rankings with the final round in Saudi Arabia coming up next week. India’s Rahil Ganjee and Ahmad Baig of Pakistan, ranked 1st and 2nd, have missed the cut at Kota Permai.

Sarut reckoned his iron play was what catapulted him to the low round of 65. Birdieing all par fives certainly helped. “I managed to hit it close to the pins most of the time and my putting helped.” The Thai knocked in eight birdies against a long bogey at the long par 3 17th.

The highlight of the day was a hole-in-one by Malaysian Paul San, at the short par 3 14th. It was his career sixth ace and only the second during a tournament. San made the cut on the number and is looking forward to climbing up the ladder over the next two days. He will compete in Dammam, Saudi Arabia in the season-ending finale.

Main picture: Thailand’s Tanapat Pichaikool pictured in action at the Toyota Tour Championship at Kota Permai Golf and Country Club. Picture courtesy Toyota Tour Championship.

England’s Ben Jones turned up the heat today in the opening round of the Toyota Tour Championship in Kuala Lumpur today, his six-under-par score of 66 setting the pace in the penultimate round of the Asian Development Tour season.

A bogey on the last hole was the only flaw in an otherwise perfect round, giving Jones a one shot lead over the field at Kota Permai Golf and Country Club.

He leads a group of four players in the MYR400,000 event, with second place shared by Malaysia’s Daeng Abdul Rahman, Tanapat Pichaikool of Thailand, Laotian Thammasack Bouahom and Indonesia’s Rory Hie (67).

“I started on the back nine, and holed a nice putt on the first which is always good to get your round underway,” said Jones after his round.

“I birdied the next and then it was frustrating for the rest of the back nine to be honest, hit some good shots but just kept making pars,” he said.

“The golf course has been really good and the conditions have been immense considering the amount of rain they have had. These are probably the quickest greens I have played on all year, which I like, and I seemed to roll it ok,” he added.

The Toyota Tour Championship is the final leg of the Malaysian circuit and is also the penultimate stop on the Asian Development Tour. With just one round left in the 2024 season after this week, third-placed Tanapat was the highest ranked contender in the season-long ADT Order of Merit.

OOM leader Rahil Gangee (76) of India and second-placed Ahmad Baig (75) of Pakistan both had disappointing opening rounds so will be looking to make amends and regain the advantage tomorrow.

Indonesia’s Rory Hie shares second spot after an opening round of 68.

Ganjee started off well on the first nine with birdies on the second and eighth holes. But he lost the script on the back nine, his scorecard dogged by four bogeys and a double on the finishing par five 18th for a four-over par score.

India’s Pukhraj Singh Gill (68) heads a group in sixth spot, together with Filip Lundell of Sweden, Malaysia’s Leunkwang Kim and Edven Ying, and Thailand’s Waris Manthorn and Tirawat Kaewsribandit.

The Thai quartet of Kosuke Hamamoto, Nirun Sae-ueng, Amarin Kraivixien and Varanyu Rattanphiboonkij make up the largest contingent of the 12th placed finishers, alongside Malaysia’s Wan Hasnul Daniel, Amir Nazrin and Fakhrul Akmal (69).

They share the spot on three under par with Ayoub Lguirati of Morocco, Korea’s Minhyeok Yang and Liu Yung-hua of Chinese Taipei.

Malaysia’s leading golfer Gavin Green, back from Abu Dhabi after completing his season on the DP World Tour, started off with nine consecutive pars on the back nine. After crossing over he scored his first birdie of the day on the reachable par five first, then succumbed to bogeys on five and six. A welcome eagle on seven put him one-under until a bad shot on the ninth resulted in a triple bogey.

Said Green: “I started off okay but didn’t finish very well. Finished quite badly actually. Yeah, just a bit of an unlucky break and I hit a bad shot at the last. I’ve got to start making some putts because I missed a lot today. I need a low one tomorrow to even make the cut, so we’ll see.”

The first round of the 72-hole tournament was completed on schedule today and play will resume tomorrow, with the first groups heading out at 7.20am. The afternoon wave will commence at 11.55am.

In what was favourable scoring conditions on the Ross Watson-designed layout, 58 players played par or better and the cut after tomorrow’s round looks likely to be either one or two under.

Main picture: England’s Ben Jones pictured in action at the Toyota Tour Championship at Kota Permai Golf and Country Club. Picture courtesy Toyota Tour Championship.

The Toyota Tour Championship returns this November 20-23 as the penultimate stop on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) for the second year running, thus playing a pivotal role in determining the final Order of Merit and the leading 10 players who will earn coveted Asian Tour cards for 2025.

Co-sanctioned with Malaysia’s domestic professional circuit, the Toyota Tour, the MYR400,000 (approx. US$91,000) event will be played at Asian Tour Destinations venue, Kota Permai Golf & Country Club, on the outskirts of the capital city of Kuala Lumpur.

With the 144-player field featuring the leading 66 available players from the ADT, 66 from the Toyota Tour and 12 invitations, fans can expect some scintillating action from a mix of established players and rising talents.

Headlining the ADT line-up is current Order of Merit leader Rahil Gangjee of India (pictured above), who has already won twice this year including once on Malaysian soil at the PKNS Selangor Masters in June.

The 46-year-old also won the BRG Open which took place at another Asian Tour Destinations venue, the Legend Danang Golf Resort in Vietnam, in August. Gangjee sits atop the Order of Merit with US$51,307.33 in season earnings.

Hot on Gangjee’s heels in the merit standings is rising Pakistani talent Ahmad Baig, who has amassed US$50,822.95 from his 2024 ADT exploits – which include two wins in Vietnam, at the Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters and the Lexus Challenge.

The 26-year-old will head to Kota Permai in fine form and high in confidence, having chalked up top-five finishes in his last two ADT starts.

Just over a month ago, Baig came close to claiming a third victory when he finished sole second at the inaugural ADT Players Championship, played at Asian Tour Destinations venue Angkor Golf Resort in Cambodia.

Gangjee and Baig aside, five winners on the 2024 ADT will be gunning for glory at Kota Permai – Liu Yung-hua of Chinese Taipei, along with the formidable Thai quartet of Kammalas Namuangruk, Tanapat Pichaikool, Nopparat Panichphol and Witchayapat Sinsrang.

The local challenge meanwhile will rest largely on the broad shoulders of Malaysian number one Gavin Green, who is back home following a solid season in Europe.

Other Malaysians of note in the field are Gavin’s younger brother Galven, Toyota Tour Rankings leader Paul San, Ervin Chang, Amir Nazrin and the promising rookie professional, Marcus Lim.

Veteran campaigner Danny Chia, a two-time Asian Tour and four-time ADT winner, will also fly the Malaysian flag at Kota Permai on the back of an impressive win at last week’s Yaris Cup on the Toyota Tour.

Kota Permai Golf & Country Club welcomes the ADT’s Toyota Tour Championship this November 20-23

The Toyota Tour Championship is also the season-ender for the Toyota Tour, which was launched last year as a tri-party collaboration between Professional Golf of Malaysia, UMW Toyota Motor as the naming partner, and MST Golf as the delivery agency.

The inaugural event at Saujana Golf & Country last November saw Thailand’s Suttinon Panyo triumph by three shots over India’s Khalin Joshi.

The ADT’s General Manager, Ken Kudo, noted that the 2024 championship will be one to savour: “As the penultimate event on the 2024 Asian Development Tour, the Toyota Tour Championship will certainly have a huge bearing on the top 10 players on the final Order of Merit who will graduate to the Asian Tour in 2025.

“Golf fans can look forward to some great golfing action as the leading ADT players take on the cream of Malaysian professional golf.

“We would like to extend our utmost appreciation to our valued partners, UMW Toyota Motor and Professional Golf of Malaysia, for their vision in promoting Malaysian golf and for making the ADT part of that vision.

“Our players are certainly geared up to take on the superb Kota Permai course, which is one of the foremost tournament venues in this part of the world,” said Kudo.

Crafted by Australian architect Ross Watson, the Kota Permai course is widely acknowledged as one of the best in Southeast Asia with its strategic, risk-for-reward design and super-fast greens.

The club has hosted a plethora of top-class events since opening in 1998, including the Malaysian Open (2008, 2020) and the Volvo Masters of Asia (2002, 2003, 2004).

“Players can expect a challenging yet fair course set-up with a mix of risk-and-reward holes, strategically-placed hazards, and fast, firm greens. The course will test both distance and precision, with difficult pin positions requiring careful shot selection and placement,” said Tang Meng Loon, Executive Director of Gamuda Land which owns and operates Kota Permai.

“Our primary objective in hosting this event is to support our local professional players, while showcasing Kota Permai as part of the Asian Tour Destinations network. Our exceptional facilities create the ideal environment for both players and spectators, ensuring a world-class experience for everyone involved,” he added.

In the week following the Toyota Tour Championship, the 2024 ADT season will come to a close with its 12th and final event, the US$250,000 Aramco Invitational Tournament at Rolling Hills Golf Club in Saudi Arabia.

Main picture: Current ADT Order of Merit leader Rahil Gangjee who will attempt to win for the third time this season.