Thailand’s Warun Iaemgaew fired a superb seven-under-par 29 to take the first-round lead at the SINGHA-SAT ADT Hua Hin Championship 2026, while India’s teenage talent Kartik Singh sits second after an excellent five-under-par 31 on Wednesday.

The THB3 million event is being played at Royal Hua Hin Golf Course, Thailand’s oldest golf course celebrating its 100th anniversary, and is co-sanctioned by the Asian Development Tour and Thailand PGA Tour.

Warun mixed eight birdies with just one bogey and said his round exceeded expectations on one of the region’s most demanding layouts.

“Today was better than expected,” said the Thai, and pointed to his work off the tee as an example.

“My tee shots were good, which gave me opportunities for good approach shots and birdies. A good tee shot is the key here,” he said.

Warun also welcomed the chance for local players to compete in a co-sanctioned event.

“This is a good opportunity for Thai players to play on the ADT,” he said. “A win here would mean a lot to me and I’ll try my best to win here.”

Kartik Singh of India pictured in action during Round One of the Singha-SAT ADT Hua Hin Championship at Royal Hua Hin Golf Course on April 22, 2026. Picture courtesy PGA Thailand.

Just two shots back, 16-year-old Singh continued his rapid rise with seven birdies and two bogeys.

“I played pretty well today. I got off to a good start birdieing the first two holes and I was able to carry that momentum through my round.”

Singh, who turned professional late last year after a decorated amateur career, said the move into the paid ranks has sharpened his game.

“The transition has been really good. Playing as a professional is definitely a different experience playing with the seasoned pros.

“In the professional world everyone is so good, so you really need to be at your best to compete. I think that is pushing me to improve and play well.”

He believes limiting mistakes is the key difference at this level.

“At amateur level, even if you make a couple of mistakes, you can still get away with it. But here, all the other players are playing almost flawlessly, so to be at the top you need to make as few mistakes as possible.”

Singh added that securing promotion to the Asian Tour is one of his main goals this season.

Sharing third place on four-under-par 32 are Italy’s Michele Ortolani, Thailand’s Puwit Anupansuebsai, Thanakorn Thipayachan and Thanapol Charoensuk.

Michele Ortolani of Italy pictured in action during Round One of the Singha-SAT ADT Hua Hin Championship at Royal Hua Hin Golf Course on April 22, 2026. Picture courtesy PGA Thailand.

Ortolani mixed five birdies with a lone bogey at the last after a composed display.

“A little bit frustrated because I was bogey-free until the very last hole,” he said. “Overall I am very happy, but the bogey on the last wasn’t the best.”

The Italian, who has former ADT player Eduardo Lipparelli on the bag this season, said arriving early in Hua Hin had helped him understand the subtleties of the historic layout.

“This is a really tricky course because it is very dry, so the ball kicks unpredictably on the fairways.

“You always need to respect old courses. Give yourself chances to hit the greens, and then if you hole putts, you hole putts.”

Puwit took a more adventurous route to four under, combining six birdies and an eagle with four bogeys after starting on the 10th tee.

The highlight came on his second nine, where he played holes one through six in six under par.

“It was a little crazy but I just kind of let it happen,” said Puwit.

“I made a good birdie on two, then on three I hit a really good six-iron for my second shot, about 200 yards uphill, and made a 12-footer for eagle.”

He said the co-sanctioned event offers an important pathway for local players.

“The co-sanction itself is awesome, giving Thai players an opportunity to play at a higher level and have a shot at the Asian Tour,” he said.

Sharing seventh place, on three under par, are Jaeil Kim of Korea, Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh, Italy’s Gabriele de Barba and the Thai trio of Chanat Sakulpolphaisan, Weerawish Narkprachar and Warit Boonrod.

With the opening round complete, play resumes tomorrow with the first groups scheduled to tee off at 6.30am.

Malaysia’s Khavish Varadan triumphed in a two-hole playoff against Thailand’s Jazz Janewattanond to clinch the Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters at Royal Long An Golf & Country Club.

The pair were tied at 15-under-par after the final round of the US$100,000 Asian Development Tour event, with Varadan birdieing the last to post the clubhouse lead two groups ahead of Janewattanond, who made three birdies over his closing holes to force a playoff.

“It feels great,” said Varadan after lifting the trophy. “It’s always special to win a golf tournament against a strong field, and to get my first professional victory means a lot. I’ve been knocking on the door for a while, so it’s nice to finally get it done.”

Reflecting on returning to a playoff after losing the previous event, he added: “I thought, here we go again. But honestly, I felt more comfortable this time. Not that I wasn’t before, but I felt more settled. Hopefully I don’t have to be in too many more playoffs — it would be nice to get the job done a bit quicker.”

Having his father alongside him throughout the week also played an important role. “It’s always great to have my dad with me. Golf can be a very lonely sport, so having that support around the course means a lot.”

Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand pictured in action during Round Three of the US$100,000 Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters at Royal Long An Golf & Country Club on March 19, 2026.

He was quick to thank those closest to him after securing the win. “Thanks to my family, my sisters for putting up with me, and my coaches for tuning me up and staying patient with me. This one’s for you guys.”

Third place was taken by Thailand’s Witchayapat Sinsrang with a bogey-free 64 — the low round of the day alongside Argentina’s Frank Scorzato. The position was shared by Vietnam’s Nguyen Nhat Long (68), Korea’s Seungtaek Oh (69), Canada’s Henry Lee (69) and overnight leader Jonathan Wijono (71) of Indonesia.

“Today I played really well. I drove it well, my irons were good and I putted very well, so I just tried to give myself as many chances as possible. Everything came together,” said Witchayapat after his round.

“I’ve been thinking about the wind — it’s been coming from the same direction each day, so that helped me plan how to play each hole and decide which way to go,” he added.

A group of players finished tied for eighth, including Scorzato, Australia’s Adam Coull (66), Hong Kong’s Hoho Yue (66), the USA’s Henry Chung (67), and Thailand’s Newport Laparojkit (68) and Poopirat Klinkesorn (69).

Looking ahead, the Asian Development Tour moves on to Thailand for the Singha-SAT ADT Hua Hin Championship, to be played from April 22–25 at Royal Hua Hin Golf Course. With a prize fund of THB3,000,000, the historic layout is set to provide a strong test as players continue their early-season push for form and momentum.

Main pcture: Malaysia’s Khavish Varadan pictured in action during Round Three of the US$100,000 Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters at Royal Long An Golf & Country Club on March 19, 2026.

Indonesia’s Jonathan Wijono will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters after carding a four-under-par 68 on day two at Royal Long An Golf & Country Club.

The US$100,000 event, the second of the season on the Asian Development Tour, is being played over 54 holes from March 17–19.

Wijono leads on 11-under-par and is chasing his maiden professional victory.

“I feel great. I’ve been hitting it really solid the past few days and I think the putter is really helping me build some confidence and momentum,” he said.

Having previously competed at the venue in 2024, Wijono believes conditions have improved.

“I think it’s in better condition. The putting greens are much faster and rolling purely. A few holes have changed but the feel is kind of the same,” he said. “The wind is not as strong as when I played here before, but I feel confident on this golf course.”

“I’m excited, obviously, trying to get my first win, but we’ll see. I need to stick to my plan, which is just to stay focused on every shot, and we’ll see what happens,” he added. “Of course a win would mean so much to me — a first win and something that would help me internationally as well.”

A key factor behind his recent form has been a switch to a long putter after a difficult spell on the greens.

“I’ve been struggling. When I played in the Philippines I had my trusty putter and was missing two-footers — I think I missed three each day,” he said. “I missed the cut by one, so with six in total it was pretty bad.”

“I changed putter in Selangor which was better, but on some short putts I still felt like I would twitch. My coach said he was fed up with the drama after three years with the putter and told me to be more open-minded and try a long putter — and it works.”

Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond carded a 69 to move into second place on 10-under-par.

“It was a bit tougher today with the wind. It’s been blowing since the morning, but overall I’m in a pretty good position to try and get that win,” said Jazz.

He added that some of the pin positions did not suit his eye but remained satisfied with his position heading into the final round.

“A win would mean a lot more confidence going onto a bigger stage. When you haven’t won for a while, you need to learn how to win again because winning is a skill that you need to practice,” he said. “I’m definitely going to do my best to win tomorrow and give it all I have.”

Jazz also welcomed the prospect of playing alongside Wijono in the final group.

“It will be good if I get to play with Jonny. He’s someone I know already and he’s on the main tour sometimes, so it’s good to play with someone you know.”

Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand pictured in action during Round Two of the US$100,000 Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters at Royal Long An Golf & Country Club on March 18, 2026.

India’s Aman Raj surged into contention with the round of the day, an eight-under-par 64, to move into a tie for third on nine-under alongside Korea’s Seungtaek Oh (69) and Canada’s Henry Lee (68).

Starting on the 10th, Aman made a fast start with a string of birdies.

“Feeling great. I started off pretty well — I had two birdies to start and then another run of three birdies, so I turned at five under,” he said. “Then I made a three-putt on my 10th hole. I was kind of thinking too much about the line, but then I thought, let’s just keep playing and forget about the score.”

He responded strongly to complete the lowest round of the day.

“Soon I got another birdie, then two more in a row, and one more on the eighth, so I just hung in there and I’m glad I completed a low round,” he added.

Aman credited improved driving for his turnaround after a frustrating finish in round one.

“Just keeping myself on the fairway. At the end of the round yesterday my shoulder kind of gave up and I hit three hazards in the last four or five holes,” he said. “I was actually lucky to save bogey from those.”

“If I keep myself on the fairway and keep giving myself chances to make birdies, I think I can keep it going.”

Looking ahead to the final round, Aman is keeping his approach simple.

“Honestly I’m just trying to take it shot by shot, not really thinking about much,” he said. “The weather is nice and windy, and it’s hot as well, so I just hope I keep myself in play and my brain keeps working.”

Vietnam’s Nguyen Nhat Long matched compatriot Nguyen Tuan Anh with a six-under-par 66 to share fifth place alongside Malaysia’s Khavish Varadan (69), Korea’s Jungsoo Yang (67) and Thailand’s Poopirat Klinkesorn (69).

“I was more focused on my pace of play, my routine, and maybe putting a little better — that’s all,” said Long.

Despite the strong round, he admitted the 12th hole continues to trouble him.

“It hits me in a way that’s very hard to explain,” he said. “Yesterday I hit it inside 20 feet and three-putted it, and the last tournament here I had three bogeys there in three days.”

“I think hole 12 is my Kryptonite,” he added with a laugh. “My goal is just to make a par there.”

Amateur Tuan Anh also impressed with a composed performance, carding seven birdies against a single bogey.

Having performed well at this venue last year, the young Vietnamese player acknowledged the added expectation but is pleased with his position heading into the final round.

With the cut being made at three under par, 52 players will contend the final round which starts at 6.32am off two tees.

Main picture: Jonathan Wijono of Indonesia pictured in action during Round Two of the US$100,000 Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters at Royal Long An Golf & Country Club on March 18, 2026.

Singapore’s Nicklaus Chiam claimed his first Asian Development Tour title in dramatic fashion at the PKNS Selangor Masters, prevailing in a three-way playoff after a chaotic finish at Seri Selangor Golf Club in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The US$175,000 Asian Development Tour (ADT) season opener appeared to have slipped away from Chiam as he signed for 10-under-par from the penultimate group and watched events unfold ahead of him.

Hong Kong’s Matthew Cheung stood on the 18th tee at 13-under, with Thailand’s Poom Pattaropong one shot behind. But the final hole turned everything on its head.

Cheung pulled his drive left and was forced to chip back into play, finding the right rough. His third shot found the hazard, and after taking a drop and making the green he could only two-putt for a triple-bogey seven.

Pattaropong’s approach sailed long and left of the green. Attempting a delicate, high lob wedge to check near the flag, the ball refused to stop and trickled well past the hole. Needing only a bogey to secure a playoff place, he three-putted for a double-bogey six.

The late drama left Chiam, local favourite Khavish Varadan and Thailand’s Runchanapong Youprayong tied and heading back to the 18th tee for a playoff.

Poom Pattaropong

Runchanapong exited with a bogey at the first extra hole, leaving Chiam and Varadan to duel. After they matched pars on the second playoff hole, Chiam finally sealed victory with a birdie on the third extra hole — a putt he will long remember.

Nicklaus Chiam admitted the final day was an emotional rollercoaster.

“Today especially was really up and down — a lot of emotions,” he said. “There weren’t many birdies, but there were bogeys and a few mistakes. But with that last playoff birdie, I just let myself go.”

The winning putt was from around 20 feet.

“It was about 20 feet, right to left and downhill a little bit, a slider. I thought maybe a grip outside the hole and it broke quite a bit. As soon as it came off the putter face I felt it had a chance, and as it got closer I could see it was going to be close — and then, yes!”

Chiam described Seri Selangor as a stern but rewarding examination.

“It’s a difficult course. Not easy, but very challenging — and I like that. It’s a different kind of course that really tests your skills.”

Although he arrived with ambition, his approach remained measured.

“Of course I came here to contend and to win, but my goal was to take it one shot at a time, hole by hole, and just do what I can.”

Matthew Cheung

Chiam also credited his girlfriend Olivia, who has been on the bag since last year and shared in his first ADT victory on Valentine’s day.

“I don’t have a professional caddie. She only started caddying for me last year, so she’s learning a lot, but she’s actually helping me a lot throughout the game.”

Chiam added: “Khavish played really, really well. The three playoff holes were phenomenal. We were both nervous and excited.”

Varadan, who narrowly missed out in the playoff, was gracious in defeat.

“It’s always tough losing in a playoff, but I’m really proud of myself,” he said. “There’s not much more I could have done. Overall I had a great week.”

Despite the disappointment, Varadan saw positives.

“It’s not a golf course that I usually feel that comfortable on, so to be in contention means a lot to me. That’s a big positive.”

Leading amateur Koshin Nagasaki was also encouraged by his performance.

“It was a really good experience,” he said. “Playing four rounds against professionals taught me a lot.”

Chiam’s victory continues a strong run for Singaporean golf. It marks the second consecutive ADT win for a Singaporean player, following James Leow’s triumph at the Aramco Invitational Tournament in Saudi Arabia at the end of last season.

Action continues on the ADT next month with the Nam A Bank Masters at Royal Long An Golf & Country Club in Vietname. The US$100,000 three day event begins on March 17.

Main picture: Nicklaus Chiam of Singapore celebrates with girlfriend and caddie Olivia after winning the PKNS Selangor Masters.

Nicklaus Chiam had to dig deep to stay in contention at the PKNS Selangor Masters today, dropping five shots after a promising start before posting a two-over-par 73 to finish the day in a four-way share of the lead.

An eagle at the par-five fifth and a birdie at the sixth proved crucial in keeping the Singaporean level with the charging Matthew Cheung of Hong Kong (66), Australia’s Adam Coull (67) and Thailand’s Poom Pattaropong (69).

Chiam admitted he did not strike the ball as well as in the previous two rounds but was pleased to remain in the mix.

“It wasn’t as good today — I didn’t hit it as well as I did the last two days — but my short game helped me a lot,” he said. “I gave myself a few chances but the putts just didn’t drop.”

Despite the tougher day, he remains upbeat heading into the final round. “I’m still in contention and it’s the first ADT event of the year, so it’s going to be exciting. I just want to enjoy the moment as much as possible and see what tomorrow brings.”

Matthew Cheung

Cheung rebounded from a 72 yesterday to share low-round honours at Seri Selangor Golf Club with an eagle and three birdies on a flawless card, alongside Thailand’s Runchanapong Youprayong and Weerawish Narkprachar.

Two shots off the lead in fifth place, Runchanapong recovered from an early setback with an eagle at the fifth and four further birdies on a largely clean card, joining Marcus Plunkett (69) and England’s Matt Killen (71).

Indonesia’s Jonathan Wijono carded his second consecutive 68 to head the group in eighth place on six-under-par, alongside Malaysia’s Khavish Varadan (71) and Thailand’s Kosuke Hamamoto (74) in the US$175,000 Asian Development Tour season opener.

Hamamoto will be ruing his round after a shaky start that featured four bogeys in his opening stretch. Although he responded with two birdies, two further dropped shots stalled his progress before the turn. He picked up two strokes on the back nine but gave one back at the last to sign for a disappointing 74.

Poom Pattaropong

Pattarapong, who finished tied third here last year, said he feels comfortable at Seri Selangor. “I just love it. I feel like the course really suits me,” he said. “Even though it’s tight, my misses are still in play.”

He added: “You have to hit it straight off the tee and know which side to miss it on because it’s quite slopey. I’m playing smart golf here and that’s why I’ve been consistent.”

Killen felt his round could easily have been better despite a frustrating finish.

“I hit it okay, but a few things didn’t go my way,” he said. “I missed a couple of short putts and then made a mistake on the last. Apart from that, it was alright.”

The Englishman closed with a double bogey but remains firmly in contention. “It would have been nice not to finish with a double, but I’m only two shots back,” he added. “That’s not much.”

Matt Killen

Australia’s Adam Coull credited a fast start and solid driving for his strong round.

“I hit it pretty well off the tee and got it in play,” he said. “I was five under through six or seven holes, which helped me relax into the round.”

Making his first appearance in Malaysia, Coull described Seri Selangor as demanding but fair.

“It’s a really good golf course and very demanding off the tee. You need a good game plan and make sure you get it in play.”

Although the leading Malaysian after three rounds, Varadan admitted his score did not fully reflect how he felt he played.

“The score doesn’t really translate how I played,” he said. “I didn’t have my best on the greens.”

With 56 players remaining following the cut, final-round play will begin at 7.46am off two tees, with the leading group of Pattaropong, Coull and Cheung teeing off at 9.25am.

Singapore’s Nicklaus Chiam strengthened his grip on the lead at the PKNS Selangor Masters today, posting a four-under-par 67 to maintain a two-shot advantage over Thailand’s Kosuke Hamamoto heading into the final two rounds.

Chiam, who sparkled with a superb 64 in the opening round at Seri Selangor Golf Club yesterday, dropped just two shots against six birdies to keep his momentum firmly on track.

England’s Matt Killen, winner of the Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament last August, recovered from an indifferent start to fire a 65, lifting him into a share of third place alongside Thailand’s Poom Pattaropong, who carded a 67.

Alone in fifth place on six-under-par 136 was Malaysia’s Khavish Varadan, who signed for a bogey-free 66. Seven Malaysians made the cut, which fell at two-over-par: Varadan (-6), 2022 champion Shahriffuddin Ariffin (-5), Galven Green (-3), Daeng Abdul Rahman (-2), Kenneth De Silva (-1), Sukree Othman (+1) and Seri Selangor ambassador Zia Izzuddeen (+1).

This is not the first time Chiam has led going into the final 36 holes of a professional tournament, although he admitted he could not recall the last occasion.

“I played steady golf and tried to minimise mistakes,” said Chiam. “I’ll stick to the same game plan tomorrow — shot by shot, hole by hole — but I’ll try to be aggressive when the opportunity arises.

“On this course you have to keep the ball in play. If you’re going to miss the green, you have to miss it in the right place.”

Khavish Varadan

Leading Malaysian Varadan was pleased with his approach play.

“I was hitting my numbers,” he said. “My goal is to hit as many greens as I can over the next two days. I love the layout.”

The second round produced the tournament’s third hole-in-one, courtesy of Indonesia’s Kevin Akbar, who used a seven-iron at the par-three eighth — the same hole aced by Hamamoto and Canadian Henry Lee yesterday. It was Akbar’s first hole-in-one as a professional and his third overall.

The round of the day belonged to Japan’s Naoki Sekito, who matched the Seri Selangor course record of eight-under-par 63. After opening with a six-over 77, Sekito bounced back in spectacular fashion, carding an eagle and seven birdies against a lone bogey.

“Today I found more fairways and holed a few more putts, and that made the difference,” said Sekito. “After the 77 I wasn’t sure if I would make the cut, so I’m obviously very happy with today’s score.”

Two amateurs also progressed to the final 36 holes, making it on the number — Australia’s Josiah Edwards and Japan’s Koshin Nagasaki, winner of last week’s Selangor International Junior Golf Championship.

Defending champion Tawit Polthai of Thailand saw his title defence end after missing the cut by one shot following rounds of 72 and 73.

Twelve-year-old Malaysian talent Raja Muhd Syakir was also among those who missed out, but the highly rated youngster was upbeat after his first professional appearance. A student of the PKNS Golf Academy, Syakir is a prolific winner at junior level.

“The experience has been great, as I was able to meet and play with professional golfers,” said Syakir. “They are very good in all parts of their game and very precise in their practice. Hopefully I can learn from that.”

For the second consecutive year, the US$175,000 tournament serves as the season-opening event of the 2026 Asian Development Tour (ADT). The 144-player field comprises 80 ADT members, 40 from the Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) Tour and 24 invitees.

With the top 10 players on the final Order of Merit earning Asian Tour cards for the following season, there is plenty of incentive for ADT members to begin their 2026 campaigns strongly.

Singapore’s Nicklaus Chiam made a sparkling start to the 2026 Asian Development Tour season with a seven-under-par 64 to lead the PKNS Selangor Masters after the first round at Seri Selangor Club in Malaysia.

The 30-year-old hit five birdies in a row on his back nine and dropped just three shots, leading by one from Thailand’s Amarin Kraivixien and Kosuke Hamamoto, who aced the par-three eighth hole on his way to a 65.

Matthew Cheung of Hong Kong holds solo fourth spot on five under par, ahead of the USA’s Berry Henson by one shot. Korea’s Jaeill Kim and Thailand’s Poom Pattaropong share sixth place on three under.

Chiam (pictured above), who turned pro in 2021, will look to build on the momentum despite a handful of dropped shots. “I got very lucky,” he said after his round. “The highlight was the five birdies in a row from hole 11 to 15, that helped to keep me going,” he added.

“It’s not an easy course,” he explained. “I got lucky on some holes but the layout is really nice. You just have to keep it slow and steady. My girlfriend Olivia has been on the bag for the last couple of months so it’s really fortunate for her to be around, hopefully she’s my good luck charm.

“I’m just trying to go with the flow as much as possible,” he said, “Trying to enjoy every single shot and hopefully get lucky enough to win.”

Kosuke Hamamoto

Hamamoto, who like many young Thai men recently spent time in a monastery, showed signs of a return to form in his round today, and his hole-in-one was the highlight around the turn, despite opening with a bogey on the first hole.

“I started off pretty slow,” he explained, “ I was even par through seven and then I was last to hit on hole eight so I had a pretty good view for that shot. When the ball was in the air it looked really good and then once it landed it just rolled into the hole which was a bit of a surprise.

“From there I just tried to keep riding the wave and I was happy to finish with a good round,” he added. “As a professional I think that’s my fifth hole in one in a tournament, I’ve had six overall.

“I love coming back here, I think it’s a really nice golf course. It’s not long but the layout is nice, you have to keep the ball in front of you, keep it in play and miss it in the right spots. The greens are rolling really nice as usual. Last time I came here was two years ago and they are still as good.

“I did a lot of work with my coaches in the off season and I’m just trying to focus on what we’ve been working on. There are still three more days of this tournament and it’s still the beginning of the season so I am trying not to get too far ahead,” he added.

“Right now my tee to green game is much better compared to last year and I am starting to make some putts so I hope that will equal some good scores,” he said.

He spent part of his off season away from the course, which he said helped with his focus.

“I was in monkhood for a week,” he explained. “Back in our country we believe that it is a nice gesture for our parents, so it was nice to do that. I learned a lot of things and I am trying to apply this into my daily life as much as possible,” he added.

Playing in the afternoon session when conditions cooled with some showers, Kraivixien shrugged off heat exhaustion from his practice round to post 65. The 29-year-old was elated to be returning to Seri Selangor, where he has enjoyed some strong finishes including T5 in 2023 and T8 last year.
 
“I like this country in general, as it’s very similar to home. This golf course suits the way I place each shot, as I’m not a very long hitter, and having some good finishes here definitely helps with confidence. This is definitely the ADT event that I look forward to the most each year,” said Kraivixien.

Amarin Kraivixien

Gregory Foo achieved a rare albatross when his six-iron second shot at the 468-metre, par-five sixth hole ended up in the hole.
 
“I hit a good tee shot and was left with about 185 metres. From where I was, I could just see the top of the pin and went for it. I knew I carried the bunker and thought I had a chance for an eagle putt. When we got to the green, I couldn’t see my ball, until the scorer said the ball was in the hole,” said the Singaporean, who wound up with a round of one-under-par 70.

Marcus Plunkett of the USA shares ninth place on two under par with compatriot Henry Chung, Australia’s Adam Coull and the Indian duo of Khalin Joshi and Shaurya Bhattacharya.

Thailand’s Nitithorn Thippong on three under and seasoned Malaysian campaigner Sukree Othman on two under par are among the 12 players who could not finish their rounds due to failing light. They will return to the course at 7.45am tomorrow.
 
2025 champion Tawit Polthai of Thailand carded a one-over-par 72 and lies T41.
 
For the second year in a row, the US$175,000 tournament is the season-opening event of the 2026 Asian Development Tour (ADT). The field of 144 players is made up of 80 players from the ADT, 40 from the Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) Tour, and 24 invitees.

With the top 10 on the final Order of Merit earning Asian Tour cards for the following season, there is much incentive for the ADT players to do well this week and start their 2026 campaigns on a positive note.