June 20: A fascinating quest that took Michele Ortolani (main image) to unheard-of places across the globe finally fructified in the form of a first international win for the Italian at the inaugural US$100,000 DigiPlus Philippine ADT Open on Saturday.

The 29-year-old Ortolan, who has missed just one cut this season in 10 starts and was runner-up after losing in a playoff at the Singha-SAT ADT Hua Hin Championship, was rewarded for his persistence and consistency. At the par-72 Luisita Golf and Country Club, he shot a final-round three-under-par 69 to reach 16-under total, which eventually proved to be one better than runner-up Ching-hung Su (68) of Chinese Taipei.

Argentina’s Franco Scorzato (69), and Malaysia’s Galven Green (72), were tied third at 14-under.

Michele Ortolani of Italy. Picture by Joki Escandor/ADT

Sean Ramos and Clyde Mondilla grabbed the two spots to the US$2 million Philippine Open on The International Series as the two leading Filipino golfers.

Ramos (71) was tied fifth at 11-under, his second top-five finish on the ADT this season, while Mondilla (68) was tied 11th at -8. Angelo Que (69, -10, tied 8th) was the second-best Filipino in the field, but he is already exempt to the tournament later in the year.

The front nine gave no hint of who’d pick up the trophy at the end of the day. At the turn, Ortolani, Ching-hung and Scorzato were tied for the lead at 13-under par, with Green just one behind at -12.

The back nine became a neck-and-neck race between Ortolani, playing in the lead group, and Ching-hung, playing one group behind. Both players made three birdies on the back nine, but the crucial difference was the Chinese Taipei player’s bogey on the par-4 14th hole. That was followed by a decisive, if conservative, birdie on the par-five 16th hole by the champion.

Ching-Hung Su of Chinese Taipei. Picture by Joki Escandor/ADT

The Milan-based Ortolani played several years on the Alps and HotelPlanner Tours in Europe, before deciding to ply his trade in Asia. He secured his ADT playing rights in 2023, and has also been a popular member on the PGT of India Tour. He said he knew in his heart that a win would come soon.

“It’s been a long while, and it’s always special to get that first win,” said Ortolani, who narrowly missed securing his Asian Tour card by a mere US$42 last year after missing the cut in the season-ending Aramco Invitational.

“In my mind, I already believed that I would have won eventually this year, because when you see this consistency, and it’s been since last year. I believe that you just need to do the work. I have learned that positive or negative thoughts are still thoughts that come in your way. I learned to deal with them and how to just stay in my lane.”

Ortolani said he had no idea where he was, or what Ching-Hung was doing, but he would have still played the 16th hole with a 2-iron off the tee and a 5-wood for his second shot. He did that and was left with a 15-footer birdie putt after a chip with a 54-degree wedge.

Sean Ramos (left) and Clyde Mondilla of the Philippines. Picture by Joki Escandor/ADT

“I had no idea of the scores. But even if I did, I would not have played that hole differently. I would have still played three shots. Probably, I would have had a little more pressure (if he knew the scores), but I tell you I already had a lot of pressure.”

On his journey so far, Ortolani added: “The decision to come to Asia and go to India has been tough, but it turned out to be the best decision I’ve ever made in my life. Being in India has taught me a lot about gratitude for the life I get to live, and even playing golf there has taught me a lot. Like I need to put the ball in the fairway, try to make birdies with the wedges.

“So, at first people called me crazy, and now it has worked out. I think it really validates everything I’ve done. Hopefully, it’s only the beginning.”

Despite getting so close to his first win on the ADT, Ching-hung wasn’t disappointed. It was his third consecutive runners-up finish, following back-to-back PGA Tour of Taiwan events earlier this month.

“I feel I’ve performed quite well in all aspects this week. When I teed off today, I didn’t set my sights on winning; I just focused on hitting my shots well,” said Ching-hung.

“I also finished second in two previous Taiwan Tour events, so this second-place finish gives me a lot of confidence. It showed me that I need more patience and hard work to win.”

Ramos, who missed retaining his card on the Asian Tour this year after “missing it by a hair” last year (finished 71st in the Order of Merit with 65 players keeping their cards), was delighted to secure his place in the International Series event later this year.

“Very excited, of course,” said Ramos. “Being able to go back out there and then prove myself, and hopefully play better than I did last year in the last international Series, it would be great. Hopefully, I can get a win or play really well for that week.

“It was a great tournament, almost staged like a major championship. So many people attended that week and so many of my friends talked about it and have started playing golf because of it.”

The Asian Development Tour heads to Thailand next week for the Bangkok Classic.

June 19: On a perfect Moving Day, players with the three lowest rounds of the day moved to the top of the leaderboard in the inaugural US$100,000 DigiPlus Philippine ADT Open, with Malaysia’s Galven Green (main image) grabbing a narrow one-shot advantage after a sensational eight-under-par 64.

At the par-72 Luisita Golf and Country Club, Italian Michele Ortolani had the second-best round of the day – a seven-under 65 – and he climbed to second place at 13-under par total. England’s Thomas Plumb (66), who had the third-best round of the day, was one shot further behind at -12.

Overnight leader, Argentina’s Franco Scorzato, kept himself in the mix with a one-under 71, which was good for a tied fourth place at 11-under with Chinese Taipei’s Ching-hung Su (70) at 11-under.

Michele Ortolani of Italy. Picture by Joki Escandor/ADT

Two spots for the US$2 million Philippine Open on The International Series later in the year is up for grabs for two leading Filipino golfers, and Sean Ramos, who recently lost the ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A in a playoff, kept a stranglehold on it with a 67 that moved him to tied sixth place at 10-under, two better than Angelo Que (-7, tied 10th).

Brother of Gavin, one of the finest golfers Malaysia has produced, Green is looking for his first win in an Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) event. He had several top-five finishes on the ADT before this, including a tied third at the 2024 Indonesia Pro-Am presented by Combiphar & Nomura.

Green started the day four shots behind the leader, but enjoyed a good start with birdies in his first two holes, and then made the turn at five-under for the round with an eagle on the ninth hole. He then added three more birdies on the back nine, including the last two holes, to bookend his round perfectly.

“Honestly, it’s just about making the putts out here. If you can hit some greens and make some putts, you would have done well here, and that’s what I did, said Green who hit his mini driver twice to reach the green on the ninth hole and made a 20-footer putt for his eagle.

Thomas Plumb of England. Picture by Joki Escandor/ADT

“Obviously, there is a lot of golf to play still, and it would be my first international win. So, it will mean a lot, for sure. But it’s a different day and golf is golf. It’s always a different day and you always try your best. You want to win every tournament, but in golf, it is not always the case.”

Like Green and Plumb, Ortolani, a typical journeyman in the game who has cards on the Alps Tour, the PGTI in India and on ADT, is also looking for his first international win.

After finishing his round with back-to-back birdies, he said: “Today was a fantastic Moving Day. I would say, my seven-under was almost flawless, except for a little accident on the 16th (hit into the water) where I ended up making a bogey. But I bounced back very nicely with two birdies on the 17th and 18th, so I’m very happy.

“It feels good. I have been working really hard. I am looking forward to tomorrow. I have been knocking on the door a few times, so I’m very grateful to be in this position. Every time I am in this position, I learn something new and add something to my experience. Hopefully, I can seal the deal tomorrow.”

Sean Ramos of the Philippines. Picture by Joki Escandor/ADT

Ramos, who shot his best round of the tournament so far, made a solitary bogey on the 11th hole, but compensated for that with six birdies.

“I started well with birdies on the first and third holes, and then I got cold. I don’t know why, but for some reason I tend to get cold for long periods on this course. And then made a few birdies from the 10th hole onwards. I three-putted the 11th, which was a little clumsy of me,” said Ramos.

“There obviously is a little bit of pressure (of being the top Filipino player), but I think coming off the playoff in Malaysia, I feel a little bit more experienced of being in contention now.”

Including the visit to the Philippines, the ADT is set to have tournaments in seven countries this season. It will also travel to Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Morocco, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia.

June 18: Argentina’s Franco Scorzato may be struggling with the language and food in Asia, but proved once again that his golf is ready to flower in the continent. For the second successive event on the Asian Development Tour, he moved into contention, snatching the halfway lead in the inaugural US$100,000 DigiPlus Philippine ADT Open.

At the par-72 Luisita Golf and Country Club, Scorzato birdied the 18th hole to shoot a six-under-par 66 round and reached a 10-under-par total after 36 holes. That gave him a one-shot edge over Chinese Taipei’s Ching-hung Su (70), and Japan’s Naoki Sekito (69), who were tied second at nine-under par.

Macau’s Kelvin Si (70) moved to solo fourth place at 138, one ahead of Australia’s Darcy Brereton (67), American Brent Ito (70) and Thai Suttinon Panyo (67).

Overnight leader, Thomas Plumb of England slipped to tied seventh place at six-under total after a round of 74, where he was joined by Malaysians Galven Green (69) and Marcus Lim (72) and Italian Michele Ortolan (68).

Naoki Sekito of Japan. Picture by Ryan Tambalque/ADT

The tournament is offering spots in the US$2 million Philippine Open on The International Series later in the year to the two leading Filipino golfers. Of the 45 Filipino players that made the starting field, 15 made the cut with Sean Ramos (71) the best placed at tied 12th place at five-under par total.

The 23-year-old Scorzato was second by two shots going into the final round of the am green IGPL Morocco Rising Stars earlier this month, but did not have the best Sunday and dropped to tied 12th place. He was confident he had learned enough from his experience to do better this week.

“I’ve played very well over the last two days. My tee shots in particular have been very good and I have been able to take advantage by putting myself in the right positions,” said Scorzato, who made eight birdies in his round.

“Yes, I was in a great position going into that final round in Morocco, but I unfortunately didn’t have a good day. It’s all about the experiences and the learning. I think it will help me going forward into the weekend rounds this week and in the future.”

Ching Hung Su of Chinese Taipei. Picture by Ryan Tambalque/ADT

On his first year in Asia, Scorzato added: “It’s been an incredible experience thus far, from the people, the tournaments to the organisers and the incredible countries I have visited for the very first time.

“I first heard about the Asian Tour via my friend Miguel Carballo (a two-time ADT and Korn Ferry Tour champion). He has been on the Asian Tour for many years and I made the decision to try it out and managed to join through Q School.

“I’ve really enjoyed all the countries I have visited so far. The biggest challenge so far for me is the food and I haven’t quite managed to get accustomed to it yet, but the level of hospitality in all these places has truly been incredible. The people have been so welcoming and amazing.”

Sekito, a three-time champion on the ADT, showed his class on a day when he did not hit the ball too well. He hit only 10 fairways and was one-over after his first eight holes, but somehow battled it out for a three-under 69 in the end.

Sean Ramos of the Philippines. Picture by Ryan Tambalque/ADT

“Compared to yesterday, I would say my hitting was quite bad today. I hit only 10 greens, but I still made a lot of good ups and downs, and like yesterday, my caddy helped me a lot on the green. I had like a 20-footer for birdie on the last hole, and I made it. So, I’m very happy to finish with 69 today,” said Nekito, who is playing his third ADT event of the season.

The 28-year-old revealed he suddenly increased his swing speed while practicing with a baseball bat during the winter months in Japan last year. That led to a drastic change in his club set-up. He is also playing with a new driver and three-wood this week.

“I think last year, I almost changed all 14 clubs in the bag. I used to have six hybrids, so my longest iron was six-iron until last year, but I have my four-iron back now. I started hitting longer last year, and I had to change everything,” said Sekito, whose last ADT win was the 2023 OB Golf Championship.

“I don’t really go to the gym and work out, but last year, when I had no events, like in the first two- three months, I kept on swinging a heavy baseball bat. And once the weather started getting warm, I saw I was actually hitting it longer.”

Including the visit to the Philippines, the ADT is set to have tournaments in seven countries this season. It will also travel to Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Morocco, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia.

June 17: Thomas Plumb (main image) snatched a narrow one-shot lead in the opening round of the inaugural US$100,000 DigiPlus Philippine ADT Open on the Asian Development Tour following a clean card with eight birdies on Wednesday.

Englishman Plumb’s eight-under-par 64 was one better than Chinese Taipei’s Ching-hung Su (65), who recorded a similar number of birdies but slipped because of one bogey on his card.

At the par-72 Luisita Golf and Country Club, Malaysia’s Marcus Lim, Japan’s Naoki Sekito, Korea’s Jaeil Kim, and Macau’s Kelvin Si were tied third with rounds of 66, while American Brent Ito and Hong Kong’s Hoho Yue were a shot further behind at 67.

Ching Hung Su of Chinese Taipei. Picture by Ryan Tambalque/ADT

The tournament is offering spots in the Philippine Open on The International Series later in the year to the two leading Filipino golfers. That race was already heating up with five players – Sean Ramos, Fidel Concepcion, James Ryan Lam, Jeffren Lumbo, and amateur Shinichi Suzuki – tied ninth at 68, alongside the reigning ADT Order of Merit champion Nicklaus Chiam of Singapore.

The 27-year-old Plumb has been playing on various development tours in Europe, before his friend Sam Broadhurst, who graduated to the Asian Tour from the ADT last year, managed to convince him to come out to Asia. That decision is looking like a good one as Plumb felt comfortable in the hot conditions.

Playing in the afternoon session from the first tee, he made two birdies on his first eight holes, and then added half a dozen more over the next 10 holes.

Marcus Lim of Malaysia. Picture by Ryan Tambalque/ADT

“Before I started out in Asia on ADT, Sam was the first person who kind of gave me the nudge to come out here. I played a Q School event with him last year at Huddersfield, and he was like, you need to do it, you need to go and try it. He’s loved it out here, and I don’t see myself going anywhere else for a minute. This has been so much fun,” said Plumb, making his first visit to the Philippines.

“Today, I got off to a fairly slow start, a few pars, and then just the birdies kept coming after that. I holed a few, and then it was kind of steady. I just played really well. It was perfect.

“I birdied the 10th, 11th, and 12th, and then it just kind of kick-started there, and all of a sudden, I was minus six through 12. I thought I could actually get a good round going, like a really low one.

“I was always in play off the tee, and never really hit it outside of 20-25 feet. From that range, you feel like you’re never going to make a bogey from there. So, I think the biggest part of the game that went well was just hitting it close.”

Sean Ramos of the Philippines. Picture by Ryan Tambalque/ADT

Ching-hung started from the 10th tee with three birdies in a row, before making the turn with his solitary bogey on the 18th hole. On his back nine, he added more birdies on the third and fourth holes, and added a second hat-trick of birdies from the sixth to eighth holes.

Lim started with four birdies in his first five holes but rued the two bogeys on the two par-three holes of the front nine of the course (his back nine, having started from the 10th tee).

“I just played. I was solid today. I had a good start and just tried to stay calm after that. However, when I crossed over, I made two bogeys on both the par three holes (second and sixth), which were big mistakes. I made two three-putts, and that is something that I want to avoid tomorrow.”

Including the visit to the Philippines, the ADT is set to have tournaments in seven countries this season. It will also travel to Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Morocco, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia.