Lessons Learnt for Singaporean Leow
Hong Kong SAR, China: Singapore’s former amateur standout James Leow is taking the positives from his first full season on the Asian Tour.
Hong Kong SAR, China: Singapore’s former amateur standout, James Leow, is taking the positives from his first full season on the Asian Tour.
Following a solid start with two top-20s in his first three tournaments of the year, Leow went off the boil although his only missed cut came at the SJM Macao Open in mid-October. The very next week at the US$2 million Link Hong Kong Open, the penultimate stop of the 2026 season, the 29-year-old turned in a battling performance against a strong field.
Sandwiching rounds of 67 and 68 between even-par 70s at Hong Kong Golf Club’s tricky Composite Course, Leow finished joint 43rd on five-under-par 275. This was his second appearance in the storied championship, having made the cut as an amateur in 2020.
Leow rated his performance a six out of 10, highlighted by a grandstand finish at the iconic par-four 18th where he spun a wedge to four feet and drained the putt.
“A little bit disappointed but, at the end of the day, I fought hard to make the cut and play my way into the weekend. I made birdie at the last in front of a big crowd, so I had fun and enjoyed the week,” noted Leow, a three-time Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) participant.
Competing on the Asian Tour, Leow stressed, was still part of a learning curve.
"It's been a season of learning, growth and adapting. Competing week in and week out against some of the best players in the region has challenged me to raise my standards, both on and off the golf course. There have been positives and lessons along the way, and I've gained valuable experience understanding what it takes to compete consistently at this level,” he acknowledged.
Heading into next week’s season-ending Philippines Open, Leow is ranked 46th on the Asian Tour Order of Merit. He finished fourth on the 2025 Asian Development Tour Order of Merit, thanks to a win at the season-ending Aramco Invitational, to earn his Asian Tour card for this year.
Leow enjoyed an outstanding amateur career, highlighted by winning an individual gold medal at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines. In 2022, he finished runner-up individually at the Asia-Pacific Men's Amateur Team Championship for the Nomura Cup, leading Singapore to second place in the team event. He also played in the AAC in 2018, 2019 and 2022, with his fifth-place finish at the 2019 event in China remaining the best performance by a Singaporean.
Leow recalled: “The Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship was a very important part of my development as a golfer. Having the opportunity to compete against some of the best amateurs in the region exposed me to a higher level of competition and taught me how to handle pressure on bigger stages.
“Sheshan in 2019 was particularly memorable and gave me confidence that I could compete with the best. Looking back, those experiences helped prepare me mentally and competitively for the transition into professional golf.”
Inaugurated in 1959, the Link Hong Kong Open celebrated its 65th edition this year as the city’s longest-running professional sports event. Champion John Catlin of the United States took home a cheque for US$360,000, along with two priceless Major rewards – an invitation to next year’s Masters Tournament at Augusta National, and a place in The 155th Open at St Andrews.
