Sarit Suwannarut completes wire-to-wire victory at Bangkok Classic
Thailand’s Sarit Suwannarut completed a wire-to-wire victory at the inaugural Bangkok Classic on Sunday, closing with a four-under-par 68 to finish on 24-under-par and claim a six-shot victory at Phoenix Gold Golf Bangkok.
Suwannarut laid the foundation for victory with a course-record 10-under-par 62 in the opening round and never relinquished the lead, opening the final day with an eagle at the first before cruising to the title.
The Bangkok Classic, played from June 25-28 for a prize purse of CNY1.5 million, was co-sanctioned by the China Men’s Professional Golf Tour and the Asian Development Tour and marked the first China Tour event to be staged outside China.
Hong Kong’s Shunyat Hak and England’s Matt Killen shared second place on 18-under-par after rounds of 68 and 66 respectively.
A group of five players shared fourth place on 17-under-par, including Malaysia’s Khavish Varadan, India’s Pukhraj Singh Gill, Thailand’s Itthipat Buranatanyarat, Korea’s Minhyeok Yang and China’s Jin Zihao, whose bogey-free nine-under-par 63 was the low round of the day.
China’s Jin Zihao pictured in action on June 28, 2026 during Round Four of the Bangkok Classic at Phoenix Gold Golf Bangkok.
Suwannarut said his eagle at the opening hole settled his nerves immediately.
“It’s nice,” he said. “It’s kind of like lifting something out of my chest. After that I just felt really light and I felt like I could make something today. It gave me a lot of confidence.”
The victory was particularly satisfying after narrowly missing out on wire-to-wire wins on the Asian Tour last season.
“It’s good,” he said. “I had a chance to do it twice last year on the Asian Tour but I didn’t do it, so I’m pretty happy to fight my demon and finally beat it.”
Although the victory provides a timely boost ahead of next week’s Queen’s Cup, Suwannarut said he would quickly turn his attention to the next event.
“After I wake up tomorrow it’s going to be yesterday already,” he said. “I’m going to throw everything away. I know what I have to do. I’ll prepare the same as this week, refocus and play as confidently as I can.”
The Thai was also grateful for the opportunity to compete after only receiving confirmation of his place shortly before the tournament.
“I put an entry in, but Unho (Park) texted me and asked if I still wanted to play,” he said. “Of course I did, so thanks to Unho for that.”
Suwannarut also enjoyed strong support throughout the week from family members following him around the course.
“My girlfriend, my mom and my dad came out to cheer me this week,” he said. “I’m pretty happy, especially with my mom’s food every day.”
England’s Matt Killen pictured in action on June 28, 2026 during Round Four of the Bangkok Classic at Phoenix Gold Golf Bangkok.
Killen finished with one of the best rounds of the day to earn a share of second place after bouncing back from a disappointing third round.
“I had a couple of stupid three-putts in the middle of the round which slowed me down,” said Killen. “Apart from that I hit a lot of good shots and finally holed a few putts.”
The Englishman felt Saturday’s struggles were more about missed opportunities than poor golf.
“I didn’t actually play that bad yesterday,” he said. “The putts just didn’t go in. All the short putts I would normally make I missed and I didn’t take care of the par fives very well.”
Despite falling short of victory, Killen was pleased with the way he responded.
“Obviously I wanted to win, but after five or six holes today I knew that probably wasn’t going to happen,” he said. “I’m happy to claw my way back after yesterday and get a good finish on the board.”
Jin Zihao surged through the field with a flawless nine-under-par 63 that featured two eagles and no bogeys.
“It feels amazing,” said Jin. “This is not an easy golf course when the wind starts blowing and the final-round pins were tucked. I told myself to stay patient. I was swinging it really well and I started to get my putter feel back.”
Competing in his first Asian Development Tour event, the Chinese player praised the inaugural co-sanctioned tournament.
“I really enjoyed the experience,” he said. “I think it’s a well-run tour together with the China Tour. Even with the weather issues, I think the committee made the best decisions to make sure we finished all 72 holes.”
Thailand’s Sarit Suwannarut will take a four-shot lead into Sunday’s final round of the Bangkok Classic after carding a five-under-par 67 to reach 20-under-par at Phoenix Gold Golf Bangkok.
Suwannarut, who opened the tournament with a course-record 10-under-par 62 on Thursday, followed with rounds of 67 and 67 to build a comfortable advantage heading into the final day of the inaugural event.
The Bangkok Classic, being played from June 25-28 for a prize purse of CNY1.5 million, is co-sanctioned by the China Men’s Professional Golf Tour and the Asian Development Tour and marks the first China Tour event to be staged outside China.
Hong Kong’s Isaac Lam sits alone in second place on 16-under-par after a third-round 68, while Malaysia’s Khavish Varadan is a further shot back in third after closing with a one-under-par 71.
Sharing fourth place on 13-under-par are India’s Pukhraj Singh Gill, whose seven-under-par 65 was the low round of the day, and Thailand’s Donlaphatchai Niyomchon, Waris Manthorn and Itthipat Buranatanyarat.
Suwannarut admitted there was more pressure during the third round but was pleased with the way he handled it.
“There was some pressure, but I kept myself together and still got a good score,” he said. “Even though I three-putted on the last, I’m still confident, so it’s the same game plan tomorrow.”
The Thai said the pressure came from within rather than from the leaderboard.
“It’s on myself,” he said. “I just want to play good. I know what I have to do. I just want to execute as well as I can, and I did it pretty well today, so I’m happy.”
Despite taking a four-shot advantage into the final round, Suwannarut said his approach would remain unchanged.
“I know what I have to do,” he said. “I have my goal in mind. I just want to prepare my best and then execute the best I can. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.”
Hong Kong’s Isaac Lam pictured in action on June 27, 2026 during Round Three of the Bangkok Classic at Phoenix Gold Golf Bangkok.
Lam moved into solo second after another steady round and credited his putting for keeping him in contention.
“I’d say putting has been the key,” said Lam. “I’m using a new putter this week and my caddie gives me good reads. I just let her do the job, make a good stroke and hopefully the hole gets in the way of the ball.”
The Hong Kong player, who has previously competed at Phoenix Gold Golf Bangkok during Qualifying School, said the course suits his eye.
“I’ve played this course a couple of times before for Q-School, so I’m quite familiar with it and I really like this golf course,” he said. “It really suits my eye.”
Looking ahead to the final round, Lam plans to keep his focus firmly on his own game.
“Just play my own game, sing my own song,” he said. “I don’t really care how the others play. I’m just focusing on my own game and making personal progress. That’s all that matters.”
Varadan remained firmly in contention despite not feeling he had struck the ball at his best.
“I didn’t hit the ball as good as I would have liked, but I scrambled well and putted solidly,” he said. “Obviously one bad hole, but other than that I’m always good on Sunday, so I’m looking forward to it.”
Asked about his strategy for the final round, the Malaysian’s answer was brief.
“Same as always,” he smiled. “Pedal down.”
Pukhraj Singh Gill of India pictured in action on June 27, 2026 during Round Three of the Bangkok Classic at Phoenix Gold Golf Bangkok.
Gill charged into a share of fourth place with the best round of the day after making three birdies in his opening four holes.
“It was pretty good overall,” said Gill. “I got off to a great start and I was always taking the opportunities that were presented. I didn’t miss much out there and the only blemish was a bogey on my 16th hole.”
The Indian believes his improving course knowledge has been the key to his progress this week.
“This is the first time I’ve played here and I think the course is very challenging with the green speeds and the contours,” he said. “I’m getting used to where I can miss it off the tee and that’s giving me better approach angles into the greens. I’m also getting used to the wind, so I think it’s mostly course knowledge.”
Gill said he intends to stay aggressive as he chases the leaders on Sunday.
“I’ve put myself in a good position now and I’ll try to make the most of it,” he said. “That’s the way I like to play this golf course, so unless the circumstances ask for it, I don’t think I’m going to change my game plan.”
Thailand’s Sarit Suwannarut will take a one-shot lead into the resumption of the second round after heavy rain forced the suspension of play at the Bangkok Classic on Friday afternoon.
Play at Phoenix Gold Golf Bangkok was suspended at 3.23pm due to inclement weather, with the remainder of the second round scheduled to be completed on Saturday morning before the third round begins.
The overnight leader followed his course-record opening 62 with a five-under-par 67 to move to 15-under-par, one shot clear of Malaysia’s Khavish Varadan, who matched the low round of the morning with an eight-under-par 64.
Thailand’s Poom Pattaropong also fired an eight-under-par 64 to share third place on 13-under alongside England’s Matt Killen, who returned a three-under-par 67.
Hong Kong’s HoHo Yue sits fifth on 11-under-par but has completed only three holes of his second round, reaching three under for the day before play was suspended.
Hong Kong’s Shunyat Hak is sixth on 10-under after a second-round 66, while Chinese Taipei’s Su Ching-hung is seventh on eight-under following a 70. Indonesia’s Naraajie Ramadhanputra is also on eight-under after playing four holes of his second round.
Suwannarut admitted the demanding conditions made for another testing day despite extending his lead.
Malaysia’s Khavish Varadan pictured in action on June 26, 2026 during Round Two of the Bangkok Classic at Phoenix Gold Golf Bangkok.
“Tired, pretty tired. I started off pretty good on the front nine and then on the back nine I felt really tired. I think because of the heat. I survived, so I think I’m happy.”
The Thai once again praised his caddie after making eagle on the par-five 18th for the second consecutive day.
“On the front nine I felt like I made every single putt. On the back nine I didn’t hit it good. I felt like I had no power. I just tried to make it on the green and try to two-putt. It was kind of like surviving out there today, so I’m still happy.”
Looking ahead to the weekend, Suwannarut hopes to recover before play resumes.
“Maybe sleeping a lot. I hope tomorrow is not going to be raining or a lot of heat. I’m just going to stay happy and try to play my game.”
Varadan moved into second place after producing one of the rounds of the day.
“I tried to hit the ball a little better today. Some putts fell in and I played the par threes pretty good today, so I hope to keep that up.”
Asked about his approach heading into the weekend, the Malaysian smiled and replied:
“Gas pedal down.”
Thailand’s Poom Pattaropong pictured in action on June 26, 2026 during Round Two of the Bangkok Classic at Phoenix Gold Golf Bangkok.
Pattaropong also climbed into contention after taking advantage of an early run of birdies.
“I got the putter going early and I was four under through five holes, so I got off to a good start. To keep it going the whole round feels good.”
Playing at his home course, Pattaropong said he was enjoying competing in the inaugural co-sanctioned event between the China Tour and Asian Development Tour.
“It feels like a very big tournament, and I’m glad I’m playing this week at my home course.”
China Tour Club Cup
This week’s tournament also incorporates the China Tour Club Cup Pro-Am. Unlike the regular tournament cut, which typically falls at the top 65 players and ties, the Club Cup field is restricted to the top 48 tournament players only, with each paired alongside an amateur partner for the weekend competition.
Should multiple players be tied for 48th place after the completion of the second round, the final qualifying positions will be determined by a scorecard playoff. Players finishing between 49-65 will receive unofficial prize money but will not take part in the weekend rounds.
Thailand’s Sarit Suwannarut set a new course record with a bogey-free 10-under-par 62 to take a two-shot lead after the opening round of the Bangkok Classic at Phoenix Gold Golf Bangkok on Thursday.
Suwannarut’s brilliant round featured eight birdies and an eagle at the par-five 18th hole, capping a flawless day on the South and West Course layout.
The Bangkok Classic, being played from June 25-28 for a prize purse of CNY1.5 million, is co-sanctioned by the China Men’s Professional Golf Tour and the Asian Development Tour and marks the first China Tour event to be staged outside China.
Hong Kong’s HoHo Yue sits alone in second place after a bogey-free eight-under-par 64. Sharing third place on seven-under-par 65 are Thailand’s Nirun Sae-ueng, Mexico’s Roberto Lebrija, England’s Matt Killen and India’s Pukhraj Singh Gill.
A group of seven players share seventh place on six-under-par, including Korea’s Minchan Kim, Indonesia’s Naraajie Ramadhanputra, Hong Kong’s Isaac Lam, Thailand’s Poopirat Klinkesom, Chinese Taipei’s Su Chung-hung, Malaysia’s Khavish Varadan and Singapore’s Gregory Foo.
Suwannarut credited his caddie after producing the lowest round of the day.
“I hit everything good. I just needed to read the greens correctly and my caddie this week has helped me a lot, so credit to him,” said Suwannarut.
Hong Kong’s Hoho Yue pictured in action on June 25, 2026 during Round One of the Bangkok Classic at Phoenix Gold Golf Bangkok.
The Thai said the heat proved more challenging than the wind during the opening round.
“We play a lot of windy golf courses on the Asian Tour, so the wind is okay,” he said. “The thing is not the wind, it’s the heat. Even for Thai people I think it was too hot today, but I made it, so I’m happy.”
Competing in front of a home crowd, Suwannarut said he was enjoying the opportunity to play in Thailand as the Asian Development Tour returned to the country and the China Tour staged its first overseas event.
“I’m happy. I’m happy to stay at my house, eat my mom’s food and know a lot of good players around the course,” he said. “I’m happy for the guys from the ADT to come back to Thailand and I’m enjoying seeing a lot of Chinese players come to play in Thailand also.”
Despite taking the first-round lead, Suwannarut said he plans to stick to the same approach heading into Friday.
“I’m trying to enjoy myself this week,” he said. “It’s kind of my warm-up event for next week’s Queen’s Cup, so I’m just going to enjoy myself, prepare my best and then execute.”
Yue’s bogey-free 64 continued a run of encouraging form for the Hong Kong player.
“It felt great. I always enjoy bogey-free rounds,” said Yue. “I stayed really patient and just stayed in the moment.”
Thailand’s Nirun Sae-ueng pictured in action on June 25, 2026 during Round One of the Bangkok Classic at Phoenix Gold Golf Bangkok.
The 27-year-old, who is a member of both the China Tour and Asian Development Tour, said he was enjoying competing in the strong field assembled for the inaugural event.
“It’s a really strong field with a lot of Asian Tour guys out here this week,” he said. “I’m just sticking with my patient mindset, letting things happen and enjoying the moment.”
Thailand’s Nirun Sae-ueng also remained firmly in contention after a bogey-free 65.
“Today I putted good and my approach shots were very good,” said Nirun. “The driver is important here. If you hit the fairway, you can make the shot to the pin because the greens are very firm.”
The Asian Development Tour (ADT) announced today that the inaugural DigiPlus Philippine ADT Open has been added to its schedule – ensuring a first visit of the year to one of its most important countries.
The US$100,000 tournament will be played at Luisita Golf and Country Club from 17-20 June and will be the sixth event of the season. The tournament aims to elevate Filipino golfers from local talent to national pride by providing elite playing opportunities in the DigiPlus Philippine ADT Open.
The golf club, located in Tarlac City, in Central Luzon, hosted the ADT’s most recent event in the Philippines: the ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A last year.
“The Asian Development Tour is delighted to welcome a new event on to our calendar, which now boasts 13 tournaments – with furthers additions likely,” said Ken Kudo, General Manager, ADT.
“The Philippines is such a big contributor to Asian golf, with great players and great golf courses, so it was important to make sure we returned there this season. We thank Luisita Golf and Country Club for hosting one of our events for the second successive season and we thank DigiPlus for becoming title sponsor.”
In a big plus for the tournament, the leading two Filipino golfers will earn exemptions into the Philippine Open on The International Series later in the year.
Said Jasper Vicencio, from Digiplus: “DigiPlus is excited to be playing an important role in golf in the Philippines and on the Asian Development Tour this year. DigiPlus remains dedicated to advancing sports development in the Philippines. It was proven last year when Miguel Tabuena championed the International Series Philippines. Hence, DigiPlus supported Miguel completely. Without a doubt, the DigiPlus Philippine ADT Open will make a big impact on both as we look to provide elite-level playing opportunities locally and regionally.”
The tournament will feature 132 players, with 82 from the ADT, 30 National Golf Association of the Philippines players, six from the national team, and fourteen invites.
The visit to the Philippines means the ADT is set to have tournaments in seven countries this season, as it will also journey to Chinese-Taipei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Morocco, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia.
The ADT has enjoyed an action-packed season so far, with four events having been played.
Singapore’s Nicklaus Chiam currently leads the Order of Merit helped by victory in the season-opening PKNS Selangor Masters. He won that event in a sudden-death play-off, which has been the case in the other three events.
Malaysia’s Khavish Varadan was victorious in the Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters, Amarin Kraivixien from Thailand won the Singha-SAT ADT Hua Hin Championship and Indian Pukhraj Singh Gill triumphed in ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A. Varadan is second on the Order of Merit, having also featured in the play-off with Chiam.
Thailand’s Tanapat Pichaikool won the am green IGPL Morocco Rising Stars event at the weekend.
Main picture: Sean Ramos, the leading Filipino golfer on the ADT Order of Merit in 10th place.
May 31: Tanapat Pichaikool showed that he was over with his days of struggle with the game when the Thailand star won the US$160,000 am green IGPL Morocco Rising Stars 2026 on Sunday by two shots.
The 26-year-old started the final round leading by two shots after a magnificent eight-under-par 64 round on Saturday and managed to end it with the same margin on top of the leaderboard following a battling two-under 70.
Tanapat left a good-looking birdie putt inches short of the cup on the 18th hole, but the par was good enough as none of his nearest rivals could make a move.
Runchanapong Youprayong (70) started three shots behind Tanapat and finished third at -14, while Bangladesh’s Siddikur Rahman jumped ahead of him with a birdie on the last hole in his 67.
That birdie on the 18th proved crucial because it sealed Rahman’s place in next week’s US$500,000 am green Bharat Classic, an Asian Tour event at the same Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort venue.
American Henry Chung (67) was in solo fourth place at -13, with the Hong Kong duo of Matthew Cheung (69) and Hoho Yue (70).
Tanapat Pichaikool of Thailand. Picture courtesy: IGPL
The last time Tanapat won was on his 25th birthday in November 2024, when he clinched the Toyota Tour Championship. Even though he held the sole lead throughout the final day, he said it wasn’t easy to get over the line.
Tanapat narrowly missed out on a full card on the Asian Tour last year when he finished 69th in the Order of Merit, as he struggled with his swing, but feels he is close to playing his best golf now.
“I was nervous. For the past five hours, it was all up and down. Golf isn’t that easy when you come down to the last couple of holes trying to win a tournament. You know others want to sneak up and shoot five or six under. I knew I just had to stay in the moment,” said Tanapat.
“Lots of changes in the last 18 months. I just kept believing that the choices I made were good choices.
“Swing-wise, I worked a lot on my downswing. I’ve been doing quite a bit of work for the past two months, and I wasn’t getting the result I wanted. And then, all of a sudden this week, all the things are working.
“I switched the driver shaft (to Mitsubishi Tensei Blue 6X on his PING G440 LST) and I think that’s a fantastic decision I made last week. I changed it probably three days before I flew here. It’s new, but it just clicked. I just saw a couple drive which were straight and all of a sudden, it was just robotic.”
Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh. Picture by Jason Butler/Asian Tour
Tanapat added that he was very excited about next week’s Asian Tour event.
“Excited, very excited indeed. It’s on the same course, and I feel I know it inside out. I will just try to play the same golf as I did this week, and hopefully, the result is the same again,” he added.
Rahman may have fallen short by a couple of shots, but he still had the smile of a winner after finishing solo second. The 41-year-old Bangladeshi legend, winner of two Asian Tour titles, is in Morocco with his family and will now have to change his air tickets after gaining an entry into next week’s event.
“Honestly, I really enjoyed myself this week. My family is with me, so I really enjoyed my work without any expectation. I thought I would not get into the next two tournaments because I was so down on the waiting list, I had to change my tickets,” said the 2013 Indian Open champion, who lost his Asian Tour card last year after finishing 94th in the Order of Merit.
“I did not expect much and spent the time taking my baby to the swimming pool and the sea. I think it was the experience of playing without much expectation. So, yes, it was really very important to me to play well this week, and I am happy that I get into the next week.”
Runchanapong Youprayong of Thailand. Picture By Ian Walton/Asian Tour
Runchanapong was eyeing that spot, which eventually went to Rahman, and he would rue the finish as he could not convert a single birdie after making three in his first eight holes and getting to within one shot of Tanapat. He then made a bogey on the 10th hole and finished with eight straight pars.
“I felt like I handled myself well out there. I gave myself a lot of chances, but the putter kind of went cold on the back nine. My distance control also felt a bit off with the wind, but it was a great experience overall to be in the last group and be in contention,” said Runchanapong, who improved to third place in the Order of Merit, one ahead of Tanapat.
“I am just trying to take it one tournament at a time. I have finished 12th on the ADT Order of Merit two times (2023 and 2024). That definitely stings a little bit and I’m just trying to improve that.
“I’m just gonna stick around another week, and hopefully, I can sneak in somehow. Let’s see if there are any withdrawals next week so that I get to play because I love this golf course.”
Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort, built on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, will also host next week’s am green IGPL Bharath Classic, a US$500,000 tournament on the Asian Tour. That will be followed by the US$2 million International Series Morocco presented by Visit Morocco. The next ADT event is the US$100,000 DigiPlus Philippine ADT Open from June 17th to 20th.
May 30: Thailand’s Tanapat Pichaikool shot a solid eight-under-par 64 to gain a two-shot advantage going into the final round of the US$160,000 am green IGPL Morocco Rising Stars 2026.
Pichaikool made an early eagle on the par-5 third hole on a windy Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort course, but immediately dropped a shot on the next hole. That was his only mistake as he added seven more birdies after that to reach 15-under par 201 total, two ahead of Argentina’s Franco Scorzato, who shot a bogey-free 67.
Another Thai star, Runchanapong Youprayong, shot a second 67 of the week to reach 12-under and was in solo third place.
American Carson Herron, son of four-time PGA Tour winner Tim, showed his golfing pedigree and shot the lowest round of the tournament. With nine birdies in his bogey-free 63, Herron jumped up 32 places to tied fourth alongside overnight leader Agusti Quinquilla Madalena of Spain (73) and Italy’s Michele Ortolani (66).
Carson Herron of the United States. Picture courtesy: IGPL
The tournament is the fifth leg of the Asian Development Tour (ADT) and is co-sanctioned with the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL). Among the IGPL players in the field, Syed Saqib Ahmed (70) was the leading contender at seven-under and in tied 14th position.
The 26-year-old Tanapat finished tied sixth in a PGT of India Tour event earlier this year – his only top-10 finish of the season – and is now hoping to get his third ADT win in a tournament that is co-sanctioned by another Indian body – the IGPL.
Having narrowly missed out on a full card on the Asian Tour last year when he finished 69th in the Order of Merit, Tanapat is looking to bounce back to the form of 2024 when he won the Toyota Tour Championship in Malaysia. He has won thrice on the All Thailand Golf Tour since then.
“It was a great round. It was a bit up and down, but I got some good breaks. The game was a bit off for the next few holes and I picked it up with a birdie on the seventh hole and managed to keep up the momentum until the end of the round,” said Tanapat, who finished second to Itthipat Buranatanyarat in the 2024 ADT Order of Merit.
“The last few months have been a lot of swing changes, and a lot of equipment changes as well. That’s why I did not get good results, but I’ve been patient through all those times for this to come. So hopefully, I can keep this going tomorrow.
“I feel that I have been executing pretty well for the past three days, so hopefully tomorrow I can execute the same things. Let’s see what happens.”
Franco Scorzato of Argentina. Picture courtesy: IGPL
Rookie Scorzato, who has not finished outside the top-23 in his last three ADT starts, will try and seal his best finish on the Tour. His previous best was a tied 8th at the Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters.
The 23-year-old made the turn in three-under with three birdies, and then kept bogeys away on the back nine with two more birdies.
“Today was a good round with no bogeys, which is always great. I hit almost every shot from the fairway, giving myself good birdie opportunities. There wasn’t much more to it than that; it was a very clean round, to be honest,” said Scorzato.
“I’m very happy to be in the last group. I think that reflects how well this week has gone, but at the same time, it doesn’t change anything about golf, and my mindset has to stay the same. I have to stay focused and committed to every shot, which is something I think I’ve been doing very well.”
The 23-year-old Herron has missed every cut in Official World Golf Ranking-recognised events this year, but Saturday was a walk in the park after making it to his first weekend of the season.
“I started in the back nine and I was able to put together a bunch of good shots and make a lot of putts. I kind of cooled down a little bit on the front nine. I kept trying to keep the pedal down, and that’s what I want to do tomorrow and just see what I can do.
“I started the week kind of slow, but I started hitting the ball better than I was in my last few tournaments. So, I kind of found something that clicked. I was just trying to hit some good wedge shots and just do well to square the clubs, and just piece it together.”
This week is the fifth stop of the 2026 season on the ADT. Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort, built on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, will also host next week’s am green IGPL Bharath Classic. The International Series Morocco presented by Visit Morocco, will bring the exciting North African adventure to a conclusion in three weeks.
May 29: Spain’s Agusti Quinquilla Madalena shot the lowest round of the tournament so far to take a four-shot lead at the halfway stage of the US$160,000 am green IGPL Morocco Rising Stars 2026.
On Friday at the stunning Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort, the 25-year-old Madalena took full advantage of the softer morning conditions. His bogey-free round had eight birdies, and it could have been even better but for a missed eagle putt from six feet on the 18th hole.
The eight-under par 64, added to his 68 in the opening round, took him to 12-under par going into the weekend rounds. He was four ahead of the Hong Kong duo of overnight leader Hoho Yue (70) and Matthew Cheung (68), and Argentina’s Franco Scorzato (68).
Thailand’s Tanapat Pichaikool (67) and Runchanapong Youprayong (70) were also in the hunt, tied fifth at seven-under, where they were joined by Indian teenager Kartik Singh (66).
The fifth leg of the Asian Development Tour event is co-sanctioned with the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL). Among the IGPL players in the field, Raghav Chugh and Syed Saqib Ahmed (both 70) were leading contenders at five-under and in tied 12th position, while the leading Moroccan player was Ayoub Id-Omar (68) in tied eighth place.
Agusti hasn’t had a single top-10 finish in Official World Golf Ranking events in his five years of playing as a pro, but that could all change after a flawless round of 64.
Hoho Yue of Hong Kong. Picture courtesy: IGPL
The Spaniard was two-under after nine holes, but had a brilliant stretch of three holes from the 10th onwards. He hit his second shot to tap-in distances on both 10th and 11th holes and then converted a 15-feet birdie putt on the 12th hole to get to five-under par for the day.
He then birdied the 14th and 16th, before his only ‘mistake’ of the day of not converting the eagle putt on the 18th hole.
“That was really good, I think the best golf I have ever played. No mistakes, just a perfect round. I made some good putts, very happy. I struggled to make par on the 17th hole, but it was a good two putt from a very long distance before I missed from about two meter for eagle on the 18th.
“I like the golf course. I think my playing style has adapted to this course layout very well.
“I will try to play the same over the weekend, but maybe, I will not be able to score this well. But I’m feeling good on the golf course, so I am hoping I can keep playing like this.”
“Honestly, I found the course was playing a little easier today. I had the first tee time of the day, so the wind wasn’t too strong, but I didn’t have the best day,” said the 26-year-old.
“I knew it was not going to be as smooth as yesterday. I had to make some adjustments, stay patient, and kind of recover from a rocky start. I felt like nothing was really going my way in the front nine. But I got to give credit to myself for being patient with my game and just let the putts drop.
“I’m pretty happy. It’s definitely not the best ball-striking round of the week, probably, but I’m glad about the score.”
Cheung finished tied second at the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open earlier this month and continued his good form from there.
“It feels good. The weather’s been beautiful for me. It was quite calm this morning, so we had some good scoring conditions and I played very consistent. Very happy over the last two days,” said Cheung.
“It’s a great golf course. I like it a lot. It gives you enough space off the tees, but you must hit good shots, because if you lose your golf ball into any cactus, you’re just praying out there. So I’ve been hitting a good off the tee, and hopefully I can continue in the same vein over the weekend.
“I actually switched to a broomstick putter the week before Taiwan. I putted it well there, and I’m putting pretty good here. So, I guess it’s working.”
This week is the fifth stop of the 2026 season on the ADT. Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort, built on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, will also host next week’s am green IGPL Bharath Classic. The International Series Morocco presented by Visit Morocco, will bring the exciting North African adventure to a conclusion in three weeks.
May 28: Hoho Yue made a birdie on his final hole to edge ahead by one shot in the US$160,000 am green IGPL Morocco Rising Stars 2026, which is being played at the stunning Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort and is co-sanctioned with the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL).
In Thursday’s opening round, the Hong Kong player made a sensational eagle on the par-5 seventh hole – where his second shot from 260 yards lipped out for an albatross – and six birdies to finish on six-under par 66.
One behind Hoho at five-under par were American Nathan Han and Thailand’s Runchanapong Youprayong. An eclectic group of four players – Sven Maurits of the Netherlands, Argentina’s Franco Scorzato, Hong Kong’s Matthew Cheung and Spaniard Agusti Quinquilla Madalena – were tied for fourth place at 68.
India’s Raghav Chugh, Syed Saqib Ahmed, Trishul Chinnappa and Sudhir Sharma were the best placed among the IGPL players at three-under 69, while Ayoub Id-Omar was the best among the local Moroccan players, tied 17th at two-under 70.
Yue, 26, played for the University of Oregon while pursuing college in the US. He had five top-10 finishes in different tours, including the Egyptian Open on the ADT, last year, and is looking to get his first win as a professional.
Playing in the afternoon session when the wind picked up compared to the morning tee times, Yue started with a birdie but quickly gave up the gain on the very next hole.
“It was good. It was a long day, and I knew the golf course was going to play hard. I woke up this morning, and I could feel the wind walking out. I knew it was going to be a grind and I had zero expectations. I knew I was just trying to go out there and stay as present as I could, which I did very well,” said Hoho.
Nathan Han of the United States. Picture courtesy: IGPL
“I started off the day with some fears. I was like, ‘Oh, the wind’s blowing in a tougher direction. The course is playing a lot tougher than it played during the practice rounds’. But I knew it would take a bit of momentum and a couple of good shots to get it going. Fortunately. I got hot pretty early, so I just felt like I had nothing to lose. I just had to pedal down the whole day.”
On the eagle on the seventh hole, he added: “Oh yeah, that was pretty sick. My whole group was pretty surprised to see that. The wind was blowing left to right very strong, and I just hit it a left, let the wind take it, and it was my day. The ball ended up lipping out from 260 yards and I made the five-feet putt.”
American Han, who is playing only his second recognised professional tournament, got off to a blistering start. The 25-year-old from New York, who played for Pepperdine University in NCAA Division I competition until last season, showed his class after getting fast off the block with six birdies in his first eight holes. He then ran into trouble on the 18th hole to make a double bogey seven on the par-5 hole, completely against the run of play. He was solid on his back nine for two birdies and a solitary bogey to finish on five-under-par 67.
“I started at 8:05am and I was feeling good, the body was feeling good. I didn’t do anything special, just stuck to my game plan. I hit drives the way I wanted it to, hit some good iron shots, and made a lot of putts,” said Han
“I was six-under through eight, but unfortunately doubled the 18th, my ninth hole of the day. I hit it into the ice plants and would advise that never hit it out of the ice plants if you’re in there. But I did not falter after that, and I just kept the momentum going. I’m happy with how I finished.”
Runchanapong Youprayong of Thailand. Picture courtesy: IGPL
Runchanapong, who finished second in the opening event of the schedule and is currently fourth in the ADT Order of Merit, was solid through the day, except for a solitary bogey on the par-5 14th hole, which was his fifth hole of the round having started from the 10th tee.
“I started off well until I made a bogey on the par five, and then kind of picked myself up again and made a few more birdies. I just hung tight into the round with all the wind going on, but overall it was solid,” said the Thai star.
“It’s fun playing in a place like this. Every time I make a good swing or a bad shot, I can still look out at the views and see the ocean and stuff. It’s very beautiful out here.”
This week is the fifth stop of the 2026 season on the ADT. Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort, on Morocco’s Atlantic coast, will also host next week’s am green IGPL Bharath Classic. The International Series Morocco presented by Visit Morocco, will bring the exciting North African adventure to a conclusion in three weeks.
Recent Comments