Bandar Seri Begawan, April 19:  Thai star Kiradech Aphibarnrat is set to defend his title at the Butra Heidelberg Cement Brunei Championships, which will celebrate its second straight edition on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) next week.

The 29-year-old Kiradech, the highest-ranked Thai in 41st place on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), will headline a cosmopolitan field of 144 players from over 20 countries at the highly-rated Empire Golf and Country Club from April 24 to 27 (Wednesday to Saturday).

The popular event, which offers an increased prize purse of US$75,000 this year, will feature more than 26 ADT champions including Argentina’s Miguel Carballo, Japan’s Kazuki Higa, American Sam Gillis and Wang Wei-lun of Chinese Taipei.

Kiradech, the 2013 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion, underlined his star credentials when he dominated a talented field at the inaugural edition last year, completing a wire-to-wire victory to win by six shots.

“Winning last year was huge for me, it gave me a boost in confidence before I went back to play in the United States. I treat every tournament the same. It doesn’t matter if it’s a big or small event,” said Kiradech.

Kiradech’s victory in Brunei, which marked his third title on the ADT, came a week after he finished tied-fifth at the 2018 World Golf Championships – Mexico Championship. He would go on to cap another top-five finish two weeks later at the WGC- Dell Technologies Match Play.

The big-hitting Thai then wrote a slice of history by becoming the first Thai golfer to earn playing rights on the PGA TOUR for the 2018/2019 season, thanks to his noteworthy performances which also include a tied-13th place finish at the Memorial Tournament, a tied-30th result at THE PLAYERS Championship and a 15th place finish at the U.S. Open.

Kiradech, a three-time Asian Tour winner and four-time European Tour champion, enjoyed a tied-49th place finish when he made his third appearance at The Masters tournament last week.

“From playing the Masters, one of the biggest events in the world, to playing on the ADT, it feels the same to me as I still try and win every single time I tee up for an event.

“I am excited to be going back to Brunei to defend my title. My good friend Prom (Meesawat) is also playing in the event and I know he won’t make it easy for me,” added Kiradech.

ADT Order of Merit champion Itthipat Buranatanyarat, who won the season-opener on home soil earlier in January, is ready for another shot at the event, where he played alongside Kiradech in the final round last year before settling for a third-place result.

“I was honoured to have the opportunity to play with Kiradech in the final round last year. Watching him play helped me realised what I needed to work on if I want to be the best. I have been working hard on my weaknesses since then,” said Itthipat, who ended a three-year title drought when he won his third ADT title three months ago.

The leading seven players on the final ADT Order of Merit will earn playing rights on the premier Asian Tour for the 2020 season.

All ADT events offer Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points. The winner will receive at least six OWGR points while the top six players and ties will also earn points based on a sliding scale.

Ends.

Penang, Malaysia, April 18: Thailand’s Nirun Sae-Ueng posted a three-under-par 69 to take a share of the halfway lead with countrymen Kasidit Lepkurte and Poom Pattaropong at the PGM ADT Penang Championship on Thursday.

The 23-year-old Nirun started his round on fire, chipping in from 50 yards on his first hole for an eagle. He went on to trade two bogeys against three birdies to compile a two-day total of eight-under-par 136 with Kasidit (65) and Poom (68) at the Bukit Jawi Golf Resort.

Three players sit in fourth place one shot behind the leading trio at the RM225,000 (approximately US$54,000) Asian Development Tour (ADT) event. They include Singapore’s Jesse Yap (71), Thailand’s Kosuke Hamamoto (66) and American Sam Gillis (67).

Nirun, who earned his maiden ADT victory in 2015, had a hot putter to thank for his round where he only totalled 25 putts.

“I was just really confident all day. Especially starting off with an eagle helped to kick-off the momentum. I knew that even if I missed the green I could get up and down from anywhere because I have been putting it good these two days,” said Nirun.

Hoping to translate his consistent tee-to-green approach into a victory this week, the Thai will be adopting the same game plan for the next two days.

“This course is very narrow so I just need to stay focused off the tee and keep making greens. If the pin is in a good position, I will keep attacking it like today, but if I feel I need to aim for the centre of the green then I will trust my instincts,” added Nirun.

Starting on the first hole, Kasidit birdied four of his opening six holes before dropping a shot on hole eight for an outward 33. He notched four more birdies and dropped a shot on hole 16 before grabbing a birdie on his way home for an inward 32.

“The course is difficult but I managed to make a lot of birdies today because I was hitting it well. I am very happy with how I played and hopefully I will keep up this momentum for the next two days,” said the Thai, who made his breakthrough on the ADT in 2017.

Play was suspended at 2.55pm local time due to heavy rain but resumed at 4pm. The halfway cut was set at one-under-par 143 with 50 players advancing to the final two rounds.

The leading seven players on the final ADT Order of Merit will earn playing rights on the premier Asian Tour for the 2020 season.

All ADT events offer Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points. The winner will receive six OWGR points while the top six players and ties will also earn points based on a sliding scale.

Leading second round scores:

136 – Kasidit Lepkurte 71 65, Nirun Sae-Ueng 67 69, Poom Pattaropong 68 68

137 – Jesse Yap 66 71, Kosuke Hamamoto 71 66, Sam Gillis 70 67

138 – Trevor Simsby 67 71, Suttijet Kooratanapisan 70 68, George Worrall 72 66

139 – T. Kiishaan 71 68, Naoki Sekito 70 69, Kheng Hwai Khor 70 69, Pawin Ingkhapradit 68 71, Leunkwang Kim 71 68, Jack Murdoch 69 70, Shahriffuddin Ariffin 71 68, Shinichi Mizuno 70 69, Jakraphan Premsirigorn 71 68

Ends.

Penang, Malaysia, April 17: Malaysia’s Amir Nazrin set the early pace by posting a seven-under-par 65 to take the first round lead at the PGM ADT Penang Championship on Wednesday.

Amir, who is chasing his first win on the Asian Development Tour (ADT), enjoyed a bogey-free round by marking his card with seven birdies to take a one-shot advantage over Singapore’s Jesse Yap at the Bukit Jawi Golf Resort.

Thailand’s Nirun Sae-Ueng, together with Trevor Simsby and Jeremy Wendelken of the United States are tied for third after they returned with matching 67s.

Malaysia’s Sukree Othman signed for a 68 to share sixth place with Thailand’s Poom Pattaropong, Pawin Ingkhapradit and Japan’s Nari Gamma at the RM225,000 (approximately US$54,000) ADT event.

Teeing off from the back-nine 10, Amir got his charge underway quickly with three birdies in his first four holes.

The Malaysian, who was denied his ADT breakthrough after losing in a three-way play-off in Indonesia last year, birdied 16 and 18 to reach the turn in 31.

After making five straight pars, Amir made further gains on holes six and nine to end the day with a 65 at the PGM ADT Penang Championship which is the fifth leg on the ADT schedule.

“I stayed patient all day and struck the ball really well. My iron play was good and I was really focused throughout the day.

“It was a bitter pill to swallow when I lost in the play-off last year. So I’m determined to make up with a good showing this week. It’s still early days but at least I’m in a good position and have a chance now,” said Amir.

Like Amir, Sukree is also hoping to secure his first ADT win after opening his campaign encouragingly.

A multiple winner on his home circuit, the 42-year-old believes he can translate his domestic form into wins on the ADT if he continues to play true to form.

“I know I have the game to win on the ADT. I just need to put together four solid rounds and right now, I have a good score already. It’s all about being consistent over the next three days,” said Sukree.

The leading seven players on the final ADT Order of Merit will earn playing rights on the premier Asian Tour for the 2020 season.

All ADT events offer Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points. The winner will receive six OWGR points while the top six players and ties will also earn points based on a sliding scale.

Leading first round scores:

65-  Amir Nazrin (Mas)

66- Jesse Yap (Sgp)

67 – Nirun Sae-Ueng (Tha), Jeremy Wendelken (Usa), Trevor Simsby (Usa)

68- Sukree Othman (Mas) , Poom Pattaropong (Tha) , Nari Gamma (Jpn), Pawin Ingkhapradit (Tha)

69- Bjorn Hellgren (Swe), Austen Truslow (Usa), Kenneth De Silva (Mas), Fakhrul Akmal (Mas), Jack Murdoch (Aus),

Ends.

Penang, Malaysia, April 16: Thailand’s Nitithorn Thippong will seek a repeat of his past success when he defends his title at the PGM ADT Penang Championship on Wednesday.

Returning to the venue where he claimed his maiden breakthrough last year, the 22-year-old remains hopeful of rebounding from his slump when he contends at the RM225,000 (approximately US$54,000) Asian Development Tour (ADT) event.

He will be part of the talented field of 121 players vying for honours at the Bukit Jawi Golf Resort. They include reigning ADT number one Miguel Carballo of Argentina, Thai duo Itthipat Buranatanyarat and Varanyu Rattanaphiboonkij and American Sam Gillis, who are all winners on the ADT.

Nitithorn was in supreme form in May last year, where he earned three consecutive top-10 finishes before lifting his maiden victory. He stayed consistent the rest of the year to notch five other top-10 results to finish in second place on the ADT Order of Merit and earn his Asian Tour card for the 2019 season.

“I don’t know how to explain my feelings coming back as defending champion. It is a mixture of pressure and familiarity returning to this course.

“This win last year meant a lot because I was playing well leading up to my maiden victory. It moved me high up on the Order of Merit ranks and I didn’t have to worry about trying to keep my ranking in the top seven for the rest of the season,” said Nitithorn.

However, the Thai has endured a slight dip in form and has not made a single cut this season, resulting in a loss of confidence. Seeking help from his mental coach to rid himself of his negative mindset, Nitithorn will adopt a different approach this week.

“I changed my swing in January and I do feel it getting better but I wasn’t seeing the results. I met my psychology coach last week and it really help with clearing the negative thoughts. I realised that I need to have fun with it and not focus on the technicalities in my swing,” added Nitithorn.

Two-time Asian Tour winner Malaysia’s Danny Chia will spearhead the local charge alongside Shahriffuddin Ariffin, Sukree Othman and Amir Nazrin at the event which marks the fifth leg on the ADT schedule.

The leading seven players on the final ADT Order of Merit will earn playing rights on the premier Asian Tour for the 2020 season.

All ADT events offer Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points. The winner will receive six OWGR points while the top six players and ties will also earn points based on a sliding scale.

Ends.

Bandar Seri Begawan, April 15: Thai star Prom Meesawat is relishing his long-awaited return to Brunei where he will headline the Butra Heidelberg Cement Brunei Championships on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) next week.

Prom, a two-time Asian Tour winner, will return to the Sultanate following a 14-year hiatus for his first appearance in the US$75,000 ADT event, which will be held for the second consecutive year at the highly-rated Empire Golf and Country Club from April 24 to 27.

The 34-year-old Prom, who last played an Asian Tour event on the same venue in 2005, will be part of the talented 144-man field chasing for glory at the event where fellow Thai star Kiradech Aphibarnrat emerged triumphant in 2018.

“It has been very long time since I last visited Brunei. Of course, I am very excited to be going back there again since I last played the course in 2005,” said the Thai, who secured a coveted spot at The Open this July thanks to a tied-fifth place finish at the season-opening SMBC Singapore Open in January.

“The course is beautiful. From what I remember, there is a hole playing alongside the sea that was very nice and the last hole was also my favourite because of the view hitting down the fairway from the tee box. It is nice to have a chance to go back there again,” Prom added.

Prom, nicknamed ‘Big Dolphin’ due to his burly physique and because he hails from the coast town of Hua Hin, broke through on the Asian Tour when he won in Korea in 2006. He endured a long wait before claiming his second title in Chinese Taipei in 2014.

The father of two also represented his country for the first time at the ISPS HANDA Melbourne World Cup of Golf alongside childhood friend Kiradech, just a couple of days after welcoming his baby son last November.

“I have no complaints about my season so far. I earned a ticket The Open at the start of the year and even though I didn’t finish as well as I would have liked in my last two events, I have been in the top-15 going into the weekend rounds in Malaysia and India (Asian Tour).

“I’m still working on every part of my game try to get everything in good shape and to stay sharp for next week,” said Prom, who also claimed a victory on his local circuit last month.

Other notable names in the field include ADT Order of Merit champions Miguel Carballo (2018) of Argentina, Thailand’s Pannakorn Uthaipas (2017) and American Casey O’Toole (2015), as well as the in-form Kazuki Higa of Japan, who claimed his second title in Malaysia last month.

ADT hopefuls will be looking to boost their Merit rankings as the leading seven players on the final ADT Order of Merit will earn playing rights on the premier Asian Tour for the 2020 season.

All ADT events offer Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points. The winner will receive at least six OWGR points while the top six players and ties will also earn points based on a sliding scale.

Johor, Malaysia, March 15: Japan’s Shintaro Kobayashi fired a sizzling 10-under-par 62 to take over the lead in the third round of the PGM UMW ADT Championship on Friday.

Kobayashi marked his card with two bogeys, eight birdies and two eagles to lead by one shot with his three-day total of 16-under-par 200 at the RM225,000 (approximately US$54,000) Asian Development Tour (ADT) event.

Overnight co-leader compatriot Kazuki Higa dropped to second place following a 68 while Malaysia’s Ben Leong trails two shots in third place after posting a 69 at the Palm Resort Golf and Country Club.

Starting the day five shots off the pace in tied-ninth, the 32-year-old Kobayashi was thrilled to shoot his career-best round that has now put him in a good position for his maiden victory since turning professional in 2012.

“This is the best round of my professional career. I was making a lot of putts and only needed to make 10 putts in total in my back nine. I hit some pretty great shots today too like on hole 11, I had a 190-yard approach and struck it perfectly to two metres before rolling the putt in for eagle,” added Kobayashi.

The Japanese, who struggled to adapt to the firm greens at the ADT event held at the same venue last week, made the decision to purchase a new wedge over the weekend, after finishing in tied-37th.

“The greens here are much harder compared to what I am used to in Japan and I needed a higher loft. I am glad my decision is paying off this week,” added the Japanese, who plays mostly on the AbemaTV Tour.

Higa, a one-time ADT winner, lamented his poor iron-shots but took pride in his performance as he managed to meet his personal goal of shooting a 68 on moving day thanks to his solid putting.

“My goal today was to play four-under or below so I am glad to have hit that goal. I wasn’t hitting it well today but my distance control with my long putts helped me save a lot of pars,” said Higa, who traded six birdies against two bogeys.

Coming off a joint runner-up finish on the ADT last week, the 23-year-old Japanese remains confident ahead of his final-day challenge.

“I have enjoyed three wins since I turned professional and all of them were because I was leading after three rounds. This will be the first time I am chasing for a win from behind and I hope I can get the job done tomorrow,” said Higa, who claimed his breakthrough on the ADT in Bangladesh last April.

The leading seven players on the final ADT Order of Merit will earn playing rights on the premier Asian Tour for the 2020 season.

All ADT events offer Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points. The winner will receive a minimum of six OWGR points while the top six players and ties will also earn points based on a sliding scale.

For more information, visit www.asiandevelopmenttour.com

Leading third round scores:

200 – Shintaro Kobayashi 71 67 62

201 – Kazuki Higa 68 65 68

203 – Ben Leong 65 69 69

204 – Suttijet Kooratanapisan 68 66 70, Kerry Sweeney 67 66 71

205 – Reo Hiruta 68 68 69, Naoki Sekito 69 67 69

Johor, Malaysia, March 14: Japan’s Kazuki Higa fired a superb seven-under-par 65 to seize the second-round lead with American Kerry Sweeney at the PGM UMW ADT Championship on Thursday.

The 23-year-old Japanese marked his card with one bogey, six birdies and an eagle to share the lead on an 11-under-par 133 total with Sweeney who carded a 66 at the RM225,000 (approximately US$54,000) Asian Development Tour (ADT) event.

Malaysia’s Ben Leong (69) and Thailand’s Suttijet Kooratanapisan (66) trailed by one shot in third place while Japanese duo Naoki Sekito (67) and Reo Hiruta (68) take a share of the fifth spot at the Palm Resort Golf and Country Club.

Malaysia’s Araf Shardd carded his first ace of his career on hole 17 with his nine-iron from 159 yards.

Higa made fast charge with a birdie on hole one followed by an eagle on hole three before dropping his first shot on hole six. He went on to grab five more birdies on his way home to move into contention.

“I played very well today and was putting well. Pretty steady round for me and the only mistake I made was on hole six when I three-putted,” said Higa, who claimed his maiden victory in April last year in Bangladesh.

Coming off a joint runner-up finish at the ADT event staged on the same course last week, Higa will seize the opportunity to seek redemption this week.

“I finished tied-second last week and played well. I just need to finish strong and make good use of the next two rounds so that I can win,” added Higa.

The 23-year-old Sweeney nailed birdies on holes one, seven and 11 before dropping his first shot of the day on hole 12. He rallied back to grab two more birdies on holes 13 and 15 and an eagle on hole 16 thanks to a monstrous drive and a solid nine-iron that left him with an eight-foot putt.

“I was putting well today and doing the right things around the greens so I felt really confident all day. I haven’t play hole 12 very well the past two rounds and bogeyed it again today. But I’ll just stay patient and keep doing what I’m doing,” said the American, who only missed six greens in his second round.

Playing in only his third start on the ADT, Sweeney was thrilled to make the halfway cut for the first time this year since making the mark at the Asian Tour Qualifying School in January with a tied-21st result.

“I am very happy that I made my first cut on the ADT in my first three starts this year. After last week I just told myself to stay positive and keep going and I’m glad my game is trending in the right direction,” added Sweeney, who is chasing for his breakthrough victory this week.

A total of 54 players made the halfway cut set at one-under-par 143.

The leading seven players on the final ADT Order of Merit will earn playing rights on the premier Asian Tour for the 2020 season.

All ADT events offer Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points. The winner will receive a minimum of six OWGR points while the top six players and ties will also earn points based on a sliding scale.

For more information, visit www.asiandevelopmenttour.com

Leading second round scores:

133 – Kerry Sweeney 67 66, Kazuki Higa 68 65

134 – Suttijet Kooratanapisan 68 66, Ben Leong 65 69136 – Naoki Sekito 69 67, Reo Hiruta 68 68137 – Wang Wei-lun 66 71, Varanyu Rattanaphiboonkij 68 69

138 – Oscar Zetterwall 68 70, Leunkwang Kim 66 72, Wilson Choo 70 68, Shahriffuddin Ariffin 71 67, U-Minn Woon 72 66, Shintaro Kobayashi 71 67, Miguel Carballo 70 68, Itthipat Buranatanyarat 69 69, Joohyung Kim 68 70