Manila, Philippines: The elements proved to be the winner with torrential rain forcing the cancellation of the third and final round of the 2025 Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) Senior Amateur Championships.
With heavy downpours brought on by Typhoon Opong (Bualoi) and further bad weather forecast, tournament organisers had no option but to call a halt to proceedings at Orchard Golf & Country Club.
In a message to the players released at 8.40 am Manila time – 10 minutes after the first flight had been scheduled to tee-off – the APGC Senior Championship Committee said: “The Committee regrets to inform you that the Final Round scheduled for today is cancelled due to the heavy rains and the approaching typhoon.
“The safety of all players, caddies, and officials remains the Committee’s foremost priority.”
Typhoon Opong was the Philippines’ 15th tropical cyclone for 2025, threatening many areas in Luzon and the Visayas, including Metro Manila, the rest of Southern Luzon, and Eastern Visayas.
It made landfall in Eastern Samar late Thursday evening and was expected to move toward Bicol for another landfall today.
The southwest monsoon or habagat is also affecting several provinces on the western side of the country.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned the public to be on alert for hazards, including floods, landslides, and storm surges.
With all participants having completed two rounds, the Championship Committee deemed that scores after 36 holes would be taken as the final results.
That meant that Australia made successful title defences in the men’s and women’s team categories – the fourth year in succession they have claimed both titles.
With an aggregate of 432, the Australian men’s quartet of Graham Hourn, Greg Rhodes, Mark Allen and Ian Frost finished seven strokes clear of second placed Korea with India a further 10 shots back in third in the event in which the best three daily scores in each four-man team were counted.
In the women’s event in which the best two daily scores from each team of three were counted, the Australian trio of Gemma Dooley, Louise Mullard and Wendy Harrington compiled a total of 310, Japan were second on 322 with the Philippines third on 330.
Dooley also had the satisfaction of being declared the overall women’s champion following rounds of 77 and 76 over the Gary Player course at Orchard. Runner-up was Japan’s Haruko Hirabayashi (155) with Mullard third (157).
In the men’s category, the round three cancellation denied the possibility of an exciting finish with just five shots separating the top-six after day two.
With Indian Sandeep Sandhu and Korean Heo Ji-baek, the individual winner in Vietnam last year, both on four-under 140 after 36 holes they were declared joint champions.
Rhodes and Hourn were assessed in joint second place on 143 with Pakistan’s Ahmad Zaffar Ahmad Hayat and Steven Kelbrick from the United Arab Emirates sharing third spot on 145.
In the men’s age group categories, victory went to Heo (55-59), Sandhu (60-64), Rhodes (65-69) and Indian Gangesh Khaitan (70 and above).
In the women’s segment, the winners were Hong Kong, China’s Cathy Chung (50-54), Dooley (55-59) and Mullard (60 and above).
Final Leading Scores
Men's Team Championship
432 – Australia 214-218 (Graham Hourn 70-73, Greg Rhodes 70-73, Mark Allen 74-72, Ian Frost 79-84)
439 – Korea 216-223 (Heo Ji-baek) 67-73, Moon Ji-seon 75-74, Kim Dong-sub 74-76, Chung Hwan 78-77)
449 – India 226-223 (Sandeep Sandhu 70-70, David D’Souza 79-72, Gaurav Ghosh 77-81, Amandeep Singh Bajwa 90-84)
450 – Hong Kong, China 218-232 (Syren Johnstone 69-77, Jay Won 70-80, Tony Melloy 80-77, Doug Williams 79-78)
453 – New Zealand 228-225 (Tam Slaven 75-74, Andrew Hobbs 77-75, Stephen Hunger 76-76, Roy Hollick 80-80)
Women's Team Championship
310 – Australia 155-155 (Gemma Dooley 77-76, Louise Mullard 78-79, Wendy Harrington 80-79)
322 – Japan 158-164 (Haruko Hirabayashi 79-76, Shiori Uchiyama 79-88)
330 – Philippines 165-165 (Leana Carmona 81-80, Sandy Prieto-Romualdez 84-85, Joan Morales 94-89)
334 – Hong Kong, China 168-166 (Loida Arnold 84-83, Yvonne Wong 89-83, Cathy Chung 84-94)
Men's Individual Overall
140 – Sandeep Sandhu (India) 70-70; Heo Ji-baek (Korea) 67-73
143 – Greg Rhodes (Australia) 70-73; Graham Hourn (Australia) 70-73
145 – Ahmad Zaffar Ahmad Hayat (Pakistan) 75-70; Steven Kelbrick (UAE) 74-71
146 – Mark Allen (Australia) 74-72; Syren Johnstone (Hong Kong, China) 69-77
147 – Ryu Ki-ro (Korea) 74-73
148 – Alex Baik (Guam) 75-73
Men's Individual (Age 55-59)
140 – Heo Ji-baek (Korea) 67-73
143 – Graham Hourn (Australia) 70-73
145 – Ahmad Zaffar Ahmad Hayat (Pakistan) 75-70; Steven Kelbrick (UAE) 74-71
146 – Mark Allen (Australia) 74-72
147 – Ryu Ki-ro (Korea) 74-73
148 – Alex Baik (Guam) 75-73
149 – Moon Ji-seon (Korea) 75-74
150 – Kim Dong-sub (Korea) 74-76; Jay Won (Hong Kong, China) 70-80
Men's Individual (Age 60-64)
140 – Sandeep Singh Sandhu (India) 70-70
149 – Tam Slaven (New Zealand) 75-74
153 – Jimmy Aw (Singapore) 77-76
155 – Chung Kwan (Korea) 78-77
156 – Jung Gyeong-ho (Korea) 78-78
Men's Individual (Age 65-69)
143 – Greg Rhodes (Australia) 70-73
146 – Syren Johnstone (Hong Kong, China) 69-77
151 – Kim Yang-kwon (Korea) 79-72
157 – Tony Melloy (Hong Kong, China) 80-77; Doug Williams (Hong Kong, China) 79-78;
161 – Lee Kab-so (Hong Kong, China) 78-83
162 – Marc Compagnon (Hong Kong, China) 85-77
163 – William Houng-Lee (New Zealand) 81-82; Ian Frost (Australia) 79-84
Men's Individual (Age 70 and above)
160 – Gangesh Khaitan (India) 82-78
171 – Laksman Singh (India) 85-86
173 – Joe Pethes (Hong Kong, China) 85-88
Women's Individual Overall
153 – Gemma Dooley (Australia) 77-76
155 – Haruko Hirabayashi (Japan) 79-76
157 – Louise Mullard (Australia) 78-79
159 – Wendy Harrington (Australia) 80-79
161 – Leana Carmona (Philippines) 81-80
167 – Loida Arnold (Hong Kong, China) 84-83; Shiori Uchiyama (Japan) 79-88
169 – Sandy Prieto-Romualdez (Philippines) 84-85
172 – Yvonne Wong (Hong Kong, China) 89-83
174 – Siangpio Chia (Singapore) 86-88
Women's Individual (Age 50-54)
178 – Cathy Chong (Hong Kong, China) 84-94
181 – Chelsea Chen Xiaoqin (Singapore) 91-90
Women's Individual (Age 55-59)
153 – Gemma Dooley (Australia) 77-76
155 – Haruko Hirabayashi (Japan) 79-76
159 – Wendy Harrington (Australia) 80-79
161 – Leana Carmona (Philippines) 81-80
167 – Loida Arnold (Hong Kong, China) 84-83; Shiori Uchiyama (Japan) 79-88
169 – Sandy Prieto-Romualdez (Philippines) 84-85
172 – Yvonne Wong (Hong Kong, China) 89-83
174 – Siangpio Chia (Singapore) 86-88
Women's Individual (Age 60 and above)
157 – Louise Mullard (Australia) 78-79
178 – Rose Tarpley (Guam) 91-87
181 – Teresita Blair (Guam) 92-89
183 – Joan Morales (Philippines) 94-89
