Eagle-eyed Vanchai sets his sights on victory

Thailand’s Vanchai Luangnitikul held off his playing partners by a single stroke in the third round of the BNI Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament today, his six under 66 enough to hold a slender lead going into the final round on 17 under par.

Fellow Thai Ekpharit Wu and Hong Kong’s Matthew Cheung each posted scores of 67 – Cheung with a bogey free card – and will be looking to keep the pressure on when the US$140,000 Asian Development Tour event concludes tomorrow.

With Cheung in solo second at -16, Ekpharit was joined in third place on -15 by Asian Development Tour rookie Liu Yung-hua of Chinese Taipei, whose faultless eight birdie round lifted him into contention at Damai Indah Golf’s BSD course, located in Tangerang on the outskirts of Indonesia’s capital Jakarta.

“It was quite similar to yesterday’s round,” said leader Vanchai when asked about his performance. “ I didn’t play well on the front nine, but made some birdies and an eagle coming in.”

Liu Yang-hua of Chinese Taipei pictured in action at the BNI Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament. The US$140,000 Asian Development Tour event is being held from August 21-24 at the Damai Indah Golf BSD course in Tangerang, Indonesia. Picture courtesy of Damai Indah Golf.

His eagle on the par five 18th was his second of the tournament, and this time he managed to pull it off despite a conservative approach.

“I hit my five iron for my second shot,” he explained. “I just made sure it could clear the water. I had about 50 or 60 feet left for eagle, and I holed the putt!”

“There’s still a lot of golf to be played,” he continued. “I’m just going to stick to my plan, try to do same same every day.

“It would be nice to win on the ADT. The quality of the players is really strong so you have to play almost perfect golf to win here,” he added.

Four shots back sharing fifth place are the Indian duo of Khalin Joshi (66) and defending champion Yuvraj Singh Sandhu (65) who celebrated his return to the event with a scintillating display on the back nine.

“It was a bit of a slow start today,” said Singh after his round. “I was feeling a little anxious on the putting green but got the round started on the back nine. Definitely the golf course asks for more patience during the first nine holes,” he added.

“My putter got hot from the tenth hole onwards and it was one of the hottest back nines I have ever had on this golf course,” he said. “I’m liking that the putter is on again and the ball striking was on point. Patience just paid off today and I enjoyed it,” he added.

Matthew Cheung of Hong Kong pictured in action at the BNI Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament. The US$140,000 Asian Development Tour event is being held from August 21-24 at the Damai Indah Golf BSD course in Tangerang, Indonesia. Picture courtesy of Damai Indah Golf.

In seventh place, on -10, Korea’s Minhyeok Yang (68) is joined by the Thai pair of Kammalas Namuangruk (69) and Chanat Sakulpolpaisan (70).

Ervin Chang (66) of Malaysia, winner of the inaugural Kyi Hla Han Future Champions award in 2023, shares 10th spot with Ben Jones (67) of England and the leading Indonesian player, amateur Jonathan Hartono (68).

Joel Stalter (71) of France, Varanyu Rattanphiboonkij (71) of Thailand and James Leow (72) of Singapore all fared poorly on Day Three and slid down the leaderboard, where they were joined in 13th spot by the ascending Thai Tirawat Kaewsribandit (65).

Matt Killen of England moved into a share of 17th place with his round of 68, sharing with Danny China (71) of Malaysia and Kosuke Hamamoto (73) of Thailand.

All players completed the third round without incident and the final round will be held as scheduled tomorrow, with the first players off the tee at 6.41am and the leaders hitting off at 8.20am.

Main picture: Vanchai Luangnitikul of Thailand pictured in action at the BNI Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament. The US$140,000 Asian Development Tour event is being held from August 21-24 at the Damai Indah Golf BSD course in Tangerang, Indonesia. Picture courtesy of Damai Indah Golf.

Hong Kong’s Matthew Cheung posted a clean round of 67 at the BNI Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament in Tangerang today, cementing his grip on the lead despite a challenge from Thailand’s Vanchai Luangnitikul whose round of 65 earned him a share of first place.

At 11 under par, they sit one shot ahead of joint overnight leader Ekpharit Wu (68) who is looking to extend his two game winning streak with a victory this week on the Damai Indah Golf BSD course, just outside the Indonesian capital Jakarta.

As the US$140,000 Asian Development Tour event heads into its third day, a group on eight under par will also be looking to overtake the leaders from fourth place, including the Thai duo of Chanat Sakulpolphaisan (69) and Kosuke Hamamoto (70), Singapore’s James Leow (69) and Australia’s Peter Wilson (67) .

“I played really good today,” said Cheung after his round. “I shot five under with three birdies and an eagle so kept the card clean, which is always good.”

Starting from the 10th tee, he played a steady opening nine but the eagle on the par five ninth hole pushed his performance up a gear, but it was not without its surprises.

“I was in the bunker of the left side,” he explained. “I hit a drive that almost went like 330 yards, so i was very surprised, and then had 66 metres to the flag. I had a good lie and hit a really good seven iron and it landed perfectly.

“At first i thought it went in because it went up the slope and then rolled back down so I couldn’t see it from there but I’d hit it to like four feet and made the putt,” he added.

The leading group tomorrow will comprise Cheung, Vanchai and Ekpharit, and Cheung was adamant that he would have some work to do to hold on to his lead.

“I know Ekpharit’s been playing really good golf,” he said. “He won the last two All Thailand events so I just need to play my game and hopefully come out on top.”

Vanchai Luangnitikul of Thailand pictured in action at the BNI Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament. The US$140,000 Asian Development Tour event is being held from August 21-24 at the Damai Indah Golf BSD course in Tangerang, Indonesia. Picture courtesy of Damai Indah Golf.

Vanchai, who also eagled the ninth hole, had an excellent round, marred only by a single bogey on the 11th hole. The back nine also saw him score four birdies, and revealed that a mishit tee shot actually helped him bag the eagle.

“To be honest, it was quite lucky,” he said, “because I mishit my three wood on the tee shot but that gave me a perfect yardage for my rescue so I was able to hit it really close and then holed the putt.”

“The course is really firm, more so than last year,” he added. “Last year was a bit softer but this year the greens are a lot firmer and also faster so it’s really importabnt this week to keep it in the fairway.”

Australia’s Peter Wilson, who is looking to play more golf on the ADT this year, explained after his round how a four week break has brought new life into his game.

“I haven’t been working (on my game) at all,” he said after his round. “My son got into the Olympics for skateboarding so i went home, left my clubs in Thailand, and spent a month with him getting ready for the Olympics.

“I needed the break too, as I haven’t been playing very well at all. My mum passed away last year so I haven’t really played that well since then. I’ve been trying to play too much to not think about it, if that makes sense, but when I had the four week break from golf I just reflected on the good times and I’ve come back wanting to play again,” he explained.

Ekpharit Wu of Thailand pictured in action at the BNI Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament. The US$140,000 Asian Development Tour event is being held from August 21-24 at the Damai Indah Golf BSD course in Tangerang, Indonesia. Picture courtesy of Damai Indah Golf.

“I’m just going to play the ADTs for this year, getting into a few and playing when I can. I play the Thai PGA as well, and some of the All Thailand Tour pre-qualifiers. I’ve based myself here in Thailand this year just to play the ADT.

“I found last year I tried to play the ADT but because I was going from Australian conditions to Asian conditions I found it too hard to adjust. But now, with playing predominantly here, I’m starting to be able to adjust to the grasses and the grain on the greens and I’m figuring it out a bit better.

“This is a great course,” he added. “The greens are fast, which is great. Normally the courses in Thailand I’ve been playing are eight or nine on the stimp, but now this is nearly up to 11 which is pretty much like Melbourne speed, which is nice. And there’s not a lot of grain on these ones, so it’s alright.”

In eighth spot, Thailand’s Kammalas Namuangruk (64) posted the low round of the day to make up for a poor showing yesterday. he heads a group on seven under which includes compatriot Varanyu Rattanaphiboonkij (67), Liu Yung-hua (68) of Chinese Taipei, leading Indonesian player Jonathan Wijono (69) and Joel Statler (69) of France.

In 13th place on six under, Minhyeok Yang (71) of Korea is tied with Malaysia’s Danny Chia (71). One shot back in 15th are the Indian pair of Khalin Joshi (71) and Rahil Gangjee (70), Huang Chi (68) of Chinese Taipei and Indonesian amateur Jonathan Hartono (69).

The field was able to complete their rounds and the cut was called at one under par, which means 57 players will tee it up for the third round in the morning. The first groups are off the tee at 6.41 am local time, with the leaders heading out at 8.20 am.

Main picture: Matthew Cheung of Hong Kong pictured in action at the BNI Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament. The US$140,000 Asian Development Tour event is being held from August 21-24 at the Damai Indah Golf BSD course in Tangerang, Indonesia. Picture courtesy of Damai Indah Golf.

They were later joined by Kosuke Hamamoto of Thailand who was one of the lunchtime starters in the first round of the US$140,000 Asian Development Tour event at Damai Indah Golf’s BSD course.

Ekpharit, coming into the tournament after back to back wins on the All Thailand Golf Tour, made a steady start from the 10th tee, posting two birdies before dropping a shot on the 16th hole.

He regained his composure swiftly on the par five 18th, threading a four iron 195 yards into the wind and between two greenside bunkers to post an eagle and get back on track.

With three additional birdies in his second nine, Ekpharit was clearly in form following his victories at the Singha All Thailand Memorial on August 11 and the Singha Pattaya Open last week.

“It was a very good day for me today to start with six under,” he said after his round, adding that the two wins had helped his confidence coming into this event.

“They helped me a lot,” he said, “one because it was my first All Thailand Tour win, and then with back to back wins which gave me a lot of confidence to play on the ADT,” he added.

“Today I putted very well, but for my tee shots i have a lot of work to do, tomorrow I will work on that,” he said.

Kosuke Hamamoto of Thailand pictured in action at the BNI Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament. The US$140,000 Asian Development Tour event is being held from August 21-24 at the Damai Indah Golf BSD course in Tangerang, Indonesia. Picture courtesy of Damai Indah Golf.

Cheung was another of the morning starters who stood up to the test of the Tangerang course near Jakarta. A total of seven birdies, with just a single dropped shot on 17, saw him grab a share of the clubhouse lead after the morning session

“I thought I played really good today, especially the front nine,” he said after his round. “I gave myself a lot of opportunities and was able to make some putts.

“On the back nine the irons werent quite there but I missed in the right spots, which is what you have to do on this golf course. I made a lot of pars and a couple of birdies coming in,” he added.

“The course is really good, super fair,” he said. “The greens are quite firm this week so you really need to be careful with your iron shots, pick the right spots and miss them in the right spots or you can make bogeys really easy,” he added. “I thought i did that really well today so it was a good score.”

Kosuke, who finished second to Ekpharit in Pattaya last week, was equally ready to take on the BSD course.

“It felt really good to finish with an eagle for a really solid round,” he said after posting his score. “I’m just very happy with how I handled myself out there today.”

After three opening pars, he posted a string of birdies before a double bogey on the par three seventh hole threatened to derail his round.

Danny Chia of Malaysia pictured in action at the BNI Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament. The US$140,000 Asian Development Tour event is being held from August 21-24 at the Damai Indah Golf BSD course in Tangerang, Indonesia. Picture courtesy of Damai Indah Golf.

Undeterred, he bounced straight back with a birdie on the eighth, and notched a couple more on the back nine before finishing with an eagle on 18 to match the 66 of the early leaders.

For his eagle on the last, his second shot may have missed the green but things turned out in his favour.

“For the second shot I had 181 in,” he explained, “but I just leaked out my iron to the right a bit. It was pin high but it was off the green.

“Luckily Rahil (Gangee) chipped before me. He was just two yards away and I saw his chip so it gave me a good idea of what the pace was. I thought I’d hit it a bit too hard but it hit the pin and went in,” he chuckled.

In fourth place, with 67 and five under par, Chanat Sakulpolphaisan of Thailand was joined by Singapore’s James Leow, Danny Chia of Malaysia and Korea’s Minhyeok Yang.

Thailand’s Paunuphol Pittayarat posted a bogey free round to head a group in eighth place on four under par, alongside compatriots Tanapat Pichaikool, Sarujn Sirithon and Vanchai Luangnitikul.

They were joined by India’s Khalin Joshi and defending champion Yuvraj Singh Sandhu, leading Indonesian player Jonathan Wijono, Deyen Lawson of Australia, Malaysia’s Ervin Chang, Ben Jones of England and Joel Stalter of France.

All 150 players were able to finish the first round of the 72 hole tournament which concludes on Saturday, August 24. Round Two will start at 6.20am on Tursday for the morning session, with the afternoon flights teeing it up from 11am.

The ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A will take place at Angkor Golf Resort – the Asian Tour Destinations venue that hosted the Cambodian Classic on the Asian Tour in 2012 – from September 25-28 this year, for what will be the eighth event on the ADT schedule.

The tournament will boast prizemoney of US$100,000 and will mark the first time the ADT, the Asian Tour’s development circuit, has visited Cambodia.

Said Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner & CEO, Asian Tour, Asian Tour, said: “One of the Asian Development Tour’s missions is to aid the development of golf in countries where golf is still relatively new but has huge potential for growth.

“The ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A very clearly ticks this box, and is especially significant as we are working with our friends at The R&A – an Affiliate Partner of the Asian Tour – and Angkor Golf Resort, where we have enjoyed a long-term relationship.

“It is fair to say that the launch of this tournament is one of the most exciting developments for the Asian Development Tour in recent times and we thank The R&A and Angkor Golf Resort for making this possible.”

The tournament – an important project that will allow the ADT and The R&A to collaborate on their common goal of growing the game in the region – will provide opportunities to elite amateurs from around Asia and is expected to be the ADT’s season-opening event next year.

The R&A has also confirmed the winner will receive an invite to play in an Asian Tour event that is part of the Open Qualifying Series in 2025.

Phil Anderton, Chief Development Officer at The R&A, said, “We believe that it is important to support pathways which provide opportunities for aspiring golfers in Asia-Pacific to compete on the international stage and possibly go on to reach new heights within the sport. We look forward to working with the Asian Development Tour on this new initiative.”

The event will feature a field of 144 players, with 94 from the ADT, up to 36 invited from The R&A, and up to 14 from the Cambodia Golf Federation.

David Baron, General Manager of Angkor Golf Resort, said, “We’re delighted to be host venue for the inaugural ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A. We have fond memories of hosting the Asian Tour back in 2012 and we’re very excited to be welcoming back the next generation of golfing talent. Siem Reap has gone from strength-to-strength in recent years but this wonderful initiative from The R&A will be instrumental to raising awareness for the game of golf in the kingdom. We will use this as a platform to further enhance grass roots development in Cambodia”.

The award-winning Angkor Golf Resort ‒ which sits at the doorstep of the famous Angkor Wat Temple in Siem Reap ‒ became part of Asian Tour Destinations in 2021 and is the only Cambodian venue that is a member of the exclusive network.

The popular resort, which boasts a Sir Nick Faldo-designed 18-hole layout, is one of 13 golf clubs that are part of Asian Tour Destinations ‒ which was launched in 2020 to set up an affiliate network of premier golfing properties in the region that have direct ties with the Asian Tour.

Opened in 2008, Angkor Golf Resort, has a proven track record for hosting tournaments, including the Asian Tour event 12 years ago, where American David Lipsky triumphed.

The Resort has also hosted a stage of the Ladies European Tour Qualifying School, as well as the Faldo Series Asia Cambodian Qualifier, the Angkor Amateur Open and the Angkor Fourball championship.

The Asian Development Tour (ADT) will make its first stop of the season in Indonesia this year at the BNI Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament, after organisers confirmed today that the event will be played at Damai Indah Golf, BSD Course, from August 21-24.

The ninth edition of the event, which proudly boasts PGA Tour star Tom Kim as a former winner, will be the sixth leg of the season and offer a purse of US$140,000 – one of the Tour’s most lucrative, and a 12% increase from last year.

Said Ken Kudo, General Manager, ADT: “The BNI Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament, first held in 2014, is one of the ADT’s anchor events and we are therefore delighted to announce its return this year.

“We thank BNI, the Ciputra Group and Damai Indah Golf, BSD Course, for facilitating the event’s return with a significant increase in prizemoney, and we look forward to another successful staging of the event.”

From a starting field of 144, 91 players from the ADT are exempt for the tournament, along with 40 from the Professional Golf Tour of Indonesia. There will be 13 invites from the promoter.

Last year, India’s Yuvraj Singh Sandhu took advantage of a hot putter to win by four shots. Playing in the penultimate group he posted a brilliant bogey-free final round 65, as his rivals fell by the wayside at Damai Indah Golf, BSD Course – which has hosted every edition of the tournament.

Remarkably, the tournament has been won by a player of a different nationality every year.

Kim beat Singapore’s Mardan Mamat to triumph in 2019, after overcoming a five- shot deficit on the last day. He was just 17 years old at the time, and it was just the second victory of his professional career, having won on the ADT two months earlier.

The other winners are Thailand’s Suteepat Prateeptienchai (2022), Miguel Carballo from Argentina (2018), Japan’s Masaru Takahashi (2017), Swede Oscar Zetterwall (2016), Michael Tran of Vietnam (2015) and Scotland’s James Byrne (2014).

Pakistan’s Ahmad Baig has taken the ADT by storm this year: he currently leads the ADT Order of Merit, thanks to two victories, and will be one of the favourites at the BNI Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament.

ENDS

Organisers of the BRG Open Golf Championship have followed through on their commitment to the tournament by confirming today the third edition of the Asian Development Tour (ADT) event will be staged in Vietnam next month.

The BRG Open prize purse now stands at US$100,000, with 25% of the fund coming from tournament partner SeABank.

Returning to the Legend Da Nang Golf Resort, the event’s home since its launch in 2022, it will be played over the Nicklaus Course from August 29-31 as the seventh stop on the ADT circuit and third time this year that the ADT has visited the emerging golf market of Vietnam.

“The Asian Development Tour is over-the-moon to see the BRG Open Golf Championship become a regular event on our schedule, and we thank title sponsor BRG Group, along with partner SeABank and supporting organizers Da Nang Tourism, for ensuring the return of one of our pillar events,” said Ken Kudo, General Manager, Asian Development Tour.

“Two years ago, the BRG Open Golf Championship became the first tournament in Vietnam sanctioned by the Asian Development Tour. The event played a very important role in our entry to Vietnam and is seen the most significant step that opened the door into this emerging market.”

“This pioneering golf tournament is very popular with our players and is always hotly contested here on the Nicklaus Course at Legend Da Nang Golf Resort. We have had great winners and exciting finishes here in the past and we expect to see another talented young champion lift the trophy at the end of the coming tournament week.”

Said Mark Reeves, General Deputy Director at BRG Group: “The BRG Open Golf Championship that we both sponsor and host here in Da Nang is a key component of our strategy to support the City to establish itself as a leading golf tourism destination.”

“The event also serves as a solid platform to inspire Vietnamese golfers and allows them to measure themselves against top talent in the region as they consider a career in the professional game.

Again, this year we are excited to see players from many countries come here to Da Nang to test themselves over the Nicklaus Course – arguably the best tournament course in the country today.”

On behalf of our Group chairman Madame Nguyen Thi Nga I can say: “We are very proud of our involvement in this tournament and our association with the Asian Tour that gives us an opportunity to showcase the very best of what Vietnam has to offer today.”

The tournament will boast a strong international field of 144 players from across the region, including 110 ADT members who will play alongside 20 professionals and elite amateurs nominated by the Vietnam Golf Association plus 14 invites.

Australia’s Aaron Wilkin triumphed last year, succeeding China’s Chen Guxin.

The impressive Da Nang City venue – a member of Asian Tour Destinations – boasts two 18-hole courses, one designed by Jack Nicklaus and the other by Greg Norman.

The Nicklaus Course will be used for the BRG Open Golf Championship.

The fickle hand of fate that guided India’s Rahil Gangee through the first three rounds of the PKNS Selangor Masters wavered today, but he was able to hold on to secure a dramatic wire-to-wire finish against an onslaught of his younger competitors.

His five-shot lead going into the final round in overcast conditions disappeared within a matter of holes as he was unable to find the form that had bewitched the field since round one. With three bogeys in his first nine, and another to match on hole 10, he soon found himself neck and neck with Thailand’s Runchanapong Youprayong in an old fashioned duel to the finish.

And with local rising star Marcus Lim and Australia’s Deyen Lawson breathing down their necks just one shot behind at Kelab Golf Seri Selangor, both knew that the slightest slip could prove fatal in the US$175,000 Asian Development Tour event, the fourth tournament of the year.

Fortunately for Gangee, the clouds finally parted. He was able to craft a birdie on the par-three hole 12, and that brief glimpse of sunshine was enough to get his game back in gear. A second birdie followed, with another two holes later, and by the time he reached the 17th tee, Runchanapong had dropped away and only Lawson was left, two shots behind.

And how quickly those two shots vanished. Gangee (73) was only able to manage a bogey while Lawson’s birdie meant the pair were heading down the final fairway with just one shot between them. And yet, after all that, the pair were only able to bogey the 18th and Gangee was finally able to breathe easily with the win secured (272) and Lawson (69) in solo second.

“Having a five-shot lead has got its own challenges. You think it’s going to be easy, but there are certain nerves that show up that you don’t expect … and they definitely showed up on a golf course like this!

“Having said that, I think also I had a good head on my shoulders today. I just kept it down and kept going through. Played one shot at a time and kept believing in myself,” said Gangjee.

Gangjee paid tribute to his wife, Ruhi, who caddied for him throughout the week. “My wife, Ruhi, she’s basically been a rock to me. She keeps putting positive thoughts into my head and that’s what basically helped me win.”

“I lost my Asian Tour card last year, went to Q-School and didn’t get it back. I wasn’t really in the best shape. I have been playing well back home and am now ranked number three in the Order of Merit, but my goal is to get my Asian Tour card back via the ADT. This win is a great stepping stone,” noted Gangjee.

Lawson was stoic in defeat, although the missed putt on the 18th obviously stung.

“I hit a really good putt, but just misread it. It’s a tricky pin and just so hard to get to, but I think everyone would have struggled with it. It’s a good result in the end, I finished second,” said the 33-year-old, who also finished runner-up in 2023 jointly with Runchanapong.

Runchanapong (69), two under at the turn after three birdies and a bogey, was unable to maintain the charge and a double on the par-four 16th hold put paid to his chances.

“I got off to a pretty good start and then kept the momentum going, but didn’t have many chances for birdies on the back nine. But I double bogeyed 16, which cost me the tournament. Even so, everything feels good. I’m playing solid golf right now and am excited for the next few events,” Runchanapong said.

For Lim (69), playing in his first tournament as a professional, his performance gave a glimpse in what could be a great future in the world of golf. Despite two early bogeys, he recovered well to make the turn in one-under-par. A birdie on 13 moved him closer but he also fell foul of the 18th hole, and his bogey there meant he shared third place with Runchanapong.

Lim was elated with his performance and noted that he learnt a lot this week. “I definitely learnt a lot about myself, how to carry myself on the golf course and a lot about my game. It’s been a great week because I played with a lot of experienced players. This gives me a lot of confidence going into the rest of 2024.”

Lim moved up to 12th place on the ADT Order of Merit with the USD11,025 cheque he received for finishing joint third. The 22-year-old also pocketed a RM10,000 bonus as the leading Malaysian, with Paul San the next best local player in joint seventh on one-under-par 279 (70, 71, 68, 70).

“I have a lot of respect for all the other Malaysian pros. They’re all great players and I think I just got lucky this week. A lot of them have given me good advice since turning professional,” said Lim.

Poosit Suprapramai (66) of Thailand posted the only bogey free round of the day, his four birdies helping into a share of fifth spot alongside compatriot Sarut Vongchaisit (71).

In seventh place Malaysia’s Paul San (70) finished alongside Thailand’s Kosuke Hamamoto (71), trailed by fellow Thai Danthai Boonma who posted a 64 to take the low round of the day and a share of ninth spot, alongside Malaysia’s Shahriffuddin Ariffin (70) and Siddikur Rahman (69) of Bangladesh, who bucked the bogey trend at the difficult par four 18th by holing out from the fairway for a closing eagle.

India’s Rahil Gangee continued his blistering return to form at the PKNS Selangor Masters today, posting a three-under-par 67 to take a five shot lead going into the final day.

Recovering from injury and regaining strength and speed with every round, Gangee shrugged off two early bogeys and went on a run of five birdies in eight holes to cement his hold on the tournament.

Playing at Kelab Golf Seri Selangor, the US$175,000 Asian Development Tour event has proved a challenge for the majority of the field, with most of the contenders unable to sustain any momentum in day three.

Instead it was up to Australia’s Deyen Lawson, playing three groups behind the leaders, who was able to step up, posting a bogey-free 64 to clinch the low round of the day and take solo second place on six under par.

“I’m very happy with the round today,” said Lawson after posting his score. “It’s a very strong golf course so any time I do that I’m always happy.

“Everything was pretty solid,” he said when asked if he had done anything different for his round. “You have got to hit it really straight here and your distance control has got to be on,” he added.

Rising Malaysian star Marcus Lim (71), playing in his first professional tournament, was unable to exploit his knowledge of the course, posting three early bogeys before he was able to get his round back on track, eventually finishing at one over par for a share of third place alongside Thailand’s Runchanapong Youprayong (66).

Sarut Vongchaisit (69) of Thailand holds solo fifth spot on three under par, followed by compatriot Kosuke Hamamoto (72) one shot further back in sixth and the Malaysian duo of Paul San (68) in seventh spot and Shahriffuddin Ariffin (71) in eighth on even par.

Siddkur Rahman (70) of Bangladesh and Thailand’s Varanyu Rattanaphiboonkij (68) share ninth spot, ahead of Dodge Kemmer (72) of the USA, Malaysia’s Amir Nazrin (73) and Poosit Suprapramai (71) of Thailand in 11th place.

In 14th place, on three over par, lie Thailand’s Witchayapat Sinsrang (72) and Ekpharit Wu (73), Malaysia’s Fakhrul Akmal (70) and James Leow (75) of Singapore.

Main pic: India’s Rahil Gangee pictured in action at the PKNS Selangor Masters. The US$175,000 Asian Development Tour event is being held at Kelab Seri Selangor from June 19-23, 2024. Picture courtesy PKNS Selangor Masters.

India’s Rahil Gangee once again showed his prowess around Kelab Golf Seri Selangor course, posting a second round of 66 to take a two shot lead into the final rounds at the PKNS Selangor Masters.

The Indian veteran has recently returned from injury and is showing a determined return to form at the US$175,000 Asian Development Tour event with a five birdie, one bogey score to match his opening day tally.

His eight-under-par total leads the field by two shots ahead of Malaysia’s Marcus Lim (66), and a further two shots in front of Thailand’s Kosuke Hamamoto (66), all three posting the low score of the day.

Despite already challenging for the lead, rising Malaysian star Marcus Lim was circumspect about the first 36 holes of his professional career.

Malaysia’s Marcus Lim pictured in action at the PKNS Selangor Masters. The US$175,000 Asian Development Tour event is being held at Kelab Seri Selangor from June 19-23, 2024. Picture courtesy PKNS Selangor Masters.

“Honestly I’m just happy with the way I’ve played over the past two days,” he said after his round. “It was a bit of a grind but I definitely hit it a lot better today. I know the course and can plot myself around here, I think that’s the key to playing here.

“Tomorrow I’m just going to stick to the same game plan, it seems to be working. Be aggressive when I can and play conservatively when I have to,” he added.

In fourth place, the Thai duo of Sarun Sirithon (67) and Sarut Vongchaisit (68) were joined by Singapore’s James Leow (69), one of the late finishers who struggled with low light conditions at the end of the day.

Thailand’s Runchanapong Youprayong (72) and Nopparat Panichphol (69) share seventh place going into the final two rounds with Malaysia’s Shahriffuddin Ariffin (70) and Amir Nazrin (72).

in 11th spot, on even par, Australia’s Deyen Lawson (71) and Jared Edwards (71) are joined by Thailand’s Ekpharit Wu (69) and Dodge Kemmer of the USA (72).

At one over par in a share of 15th place are Thailand’s Poosit Suprapramai, Tawit Polthai and Witchayapat Sinsrang, Paul San of Malaysia, Singapore’s Marc Ong, Michael Herrera of the USA and Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh.

Despite better weather than yesterday, the challenging Selangor course gave no quarter to the field today, with every player enduring the penalty of at least one bogey in their round.

The cut was made at four over par and 51 players will continue into the final two rounds. Play will resume at 7.45am tomoorow with the final group teeing of at 9.13am.

Indian veteran Rahil Gangee ground out a one shot lead in the first round of the PKNS Selangor Masters, with seven birdies and three bogeys in his four-under-par score illustrating the challenging nature of the Kelab Seri Selangor course.

He leads by one shot in the rain-delayed tournament, heading local favourite Amir Nazrin who posted three birdies to claim second spot. He was joined by Thailand’s Runchanapong Youprayong who finished late in the day.

“I’m feeling very tired right now,” said Gangee after his round, “It’s hot out here, it’s sweaty, but I’m happy.

“I haven’t been playing much, “ he said. “I had an injury on my intercostal muscle and had to just sit around for a month and a bit. When I got back to it, there was no speed, no strength and last week was a struggle for me just to walk around. This week seems a little bit better, speed’s come back” he added.

“I’ve played this golf course before and there are good memories,” he explained. “I know where to miss it and what the putts do, so all in all, a good day.”

Malaysia’s Syahiran Syakir pictured in action at the PKNS Selangor Masters. The US$175,000 Asian Development Tour event is being held at Kelab Seri Selangor from June 19-23, 2024. Picture courtesy PKNS Selangor Masters.

Play was suspended due to adverse weather at 3.57 pm, and the wait for the greens to dry sufficiently on holes 13 and 18 meant play was unable to resume until 5.30pm at the US$175,000 Asian Development Tour event.

In fourth place in the clubhouse were Malaysia’s Syahiran Syakir, Marcus Lim and Casper Loh, Dodge Kemmer and Michael Herrera of the USA and Thailand’s Panuphol Pittayarat on two under par.

Still on course at close of play with the same score was Australia’s Jared Edwards, who had two holes to go when play was suspended at 7.29pm due to bad light. Play will resume at 7.30am tomorrow.

In 11th place, on one under par and finished for the day, were Thailand’s Witchayapat Sinsrang and Sangchai Kaewcharoen, Daeng Rahman of Malaysia and Singapore’s James Leow.

Looking to complete their rounds in the morning and currently on one under par were Order of Merit leader Ahmad Baig of Pakistan, who won last week’s event in Vietnam, Malaysia’s Shahriffuddin Ariffin, winner here in 2022, and Thailand’s Danthai Boonma, Amarin Kraivixien and Tanapat Pichaikool.

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