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.