Manila, Philippines: With the threat of storms hanging heavily in the air, players – and tournament organisers – are steeling themselves for what promises to be a stressful and protracted final round at the 2025 Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) Senior Amateur Championships.
In spite of weather disruptions at Orchard Golf & Country Club’s Gary Player-designed course today, the second round was completed with congested leaderboards suggesting a thrilling finale to the 54-hole stroke play event on Friday.
However, with meteorologists forecasting that Severe Tropical Storm Bualoi will intensify into a typhoon tomorrow and then slam into the southern end of the Philippines' largest island, Luzon, participants and officials will casting anxious eyes to the heavens.
If play is able to proceed uninterrupted, there’s likely to be plenty of drama with exciting finishes in store in various categories.
While Australia is poised to retain its men’s and women’s team titles in comprehensive fashion, the race for individual honours may well go down to the wire.
Defending champion Heo Ji-baek of Korea and Indian Sandeep Sandhu share the lead in the men’s overall segment, but there are half-a-dozen well-credentialled players within striking distance.
It’s also tight at the top in the women’s overall category, Australian Gemma Dooley holding a two-stroke lead from Japan’s Haruko Hirabayashi. Four and six shots back they may be, but Dooley’s compatriots Louise Mullard and Wendy Harrington are not out of the picture by any means.
Focus among the men will be on the eight players who will go out in the first two groups on Friday at 8.30 am.
The first flight consists of Heo and Sandhu who are locked together on four-under 140, Hong Kong, China’s Syren Johnstone (146) and Australian Greg Rhodes (143), who is bidding for a third APGC Seniors individual crown having topped the standings in Malaysia in 2022 and in 2016, the last occasion the event was staged in the Philippines.
Drawn together in the second group at 8.40 am are Australian Graham Hourn (143), Korean Moon Ji-seong (149), Hong Kong, China’s Jay Won (150) and Indian David D’Souza (151).
The leaders will also follow the progress of Pakistan’s Ahmad Zaffar Ahmad Hayat and United Arab Emirates representative Steven Kelbrick, both of whom are tied for sixth on 145.
LEADING SCORES
Men's Team
432 – Australia 214-218 (Graham Hourn 70-73, Greg Rhodes 70-73, Mark Allen 74-72, Ian Frost 79-84)
439 – Korea 216-223 (Hei 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
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 Kelbrik (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
1 59 – 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) 94-8