ZHOU, IM, AND FLORIMO SHARE FIRST DAY LEAD AT SJM MACAO OPEN
LOCAL HOPE KELVIN SI NGAI IN T4, HONG KONG’S MATTHEW CHEUNG A SHOT BEHIND
[Macao SAR, 15 October, 2026]: China’s teenage golf star Zhou Yanhan, Sungjae Im from Korea, and Australian Will Florimo shared the first-round lead today at the SJM Macao Open after shooting fine six-under-par 64s.
They lead by one shot at Macau Golf & Country Club from a large group of players, who returned 65, including Kelvin Si, who is impressively flying the flag for Macao, Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert, the current leader of the Asian Tour Order of Merit and the winner of this event 10 years ago, 2016 Open Champion Henrik Stenson, Australian Jed Morgan, Chase Koepka from the United States, Jose Toledo from Guatemala, China’s Wu Ashun.
Zhou, just 18 years old and making his debut on the Asian Tour, said: “It’s a brilliant experience playing on the Tour, I love the course and I love the people here. Just an amazing experience here. This course is not that open, so you have to make sure your ball is safe and your ball is in play and just try to hole the putts.”
He made seven birdies and dropped one shot, on the sixth – after which he responded with three birdies in a row.
Zhou has been one of his country’s most talked about players over the past few seasons. In 2025 he triumphed seven times on the China Tour, secured the Order of Merit, and has also been playing well on the DP World Tour.
Korean star Im, who tied for seventh here last year, was bogey free today and birdied the par-five 18th late in the day to catch Zhou and Florimo – who were out in the morning flights.
The two-time PGA Tour champion commented: “It’s a very windy day today. It played to the plan that we had before the round. Playing last year and then knowing the course was a big help. If the wind stays in this direction, the three days are going to be the same plan.”
Pavit, who won this event in 2016 for his first success on the Asian Tour, said: “I have a lot of good memories from that year. Our King Rama IX passed away that year, on Thursday. So, I just said to myself, from then on, win for him. So, yeah, it was emotional and this week has special meaning.”
Local hope Si had a fantastic day, carding eight birdies. The 23-year-old said: “My iron game, short game, and putting were pretty solid today, but there is improvement to be made on tee shots, especially just driver. Playing at home, I find myself more nervous at the first tee compared to other tournaments, but I hit a good one there and it kind of calmed my nerves. I was trying to stick to my own game plan to see what I could do.”
Hong Kong’s Cheung finished a stroke behind Si at three-under. On his round, the 31-year-old said: “It was really solid. It was tricky but I putt really well out there. It was quite windy from the first tee, so it’s tough all day but I’m happy with this score. This golf course has so much undulation, you really have to pay attention to where the wind’s coming from and make a decision accordingly. But I’ve played this golf course a lot and I played in the wind frequently, I’m very comfortable in the wind.”
Title-sponsored by SJM Resorts, S.A. (“SJM”) for the fourth consecutive year, the prestigious event is one of the major sporting highlights on Macao’s annual international events calendar, and a cornerstone event on the Asian Tour, with a history of bringing amazing experiences for players and fans alike. The tournament will take place from 15-18 October at the spectacularly scenic Macau Golf & Country Club, located along the South China Sea, with international stars and elite regional talents competing for the coveted title.
In its 23-year history, the Macao Open has grown into a highlight on the Asian Tour calendar, attracting major champions such as Ernie Els, Nick Faldo, Fred Couples, Padraig Harrington, and Vijay Singh. Zhang Lianwei, a pioneer of golf in China, has won the prestigious event twice and remains the only golfer to have successfully defended his title in the tournament’s history.
Admission to the SJM Macao Open 2026 is once again free to the public. Fans can register for complimentary tickets from today, with each person able to request up to four tickets. For more information and to secure your tickets, please visit www.sjmmacaoopen.com.
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Released on behalf of SJM Macao Open 2026 by Elite Sport Asia.
Media enquiries:
| Elite Step Asia Eric Chiu (English language) M: +852 9225 0105 E: eric.chiu@elitestep.com | Kitty Wu (Chinese language) M: +852 9132 4588 E: kitty.wu@elitestep.com |
About Sports Bureau of Macao SAR Government (MSB)
Sports Bureau of Macao SAR Government, under the capacity of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, is a public organization of administration autonomy. The organization is responsible for the implementation of sport strategy and policy formulated by the Macao SAR Government. Its objective is to stimulate, encourage, and promote all kind of sports in Macao, also to create an essential condition for sport development.
For the development of competitive sports and ‘Sport for all’, Sports Bureau of Macao SAR Government organizes various high level international sport competitions as well as recreational classes and thematic ‘Sport for all’ activities each year, in an endeavor to promote the international status of Macao, reinforce communication and co-operation with other countries and cites, enhance citizens’ quality of life and arouse their interest in sport, so as to accelerate and facilitate the enhancement of the level of sport in Macau.
For more information, please visit http://www.sport.gov.mo/
About SJM Resorts, S.A.
SJM Resorts, S.A. (“SJM”) is a signature enterprise in Macau’s integrated tourism and leisure industry and a principal subsidiary of SJM Holdings Limited, listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEx 880). Its iconic “Lisboa” hotels, including Grand Lisboa Macau and Grand Lisboa Palace Resort Macau, are enduring symbols of the city’s tourism legacy. Located in Cotai, Grand Lisboa Palace features 1,892 rooms and suites across three distinctive hotel towers: Grand Lisboa Palace Macau, THE KARL LAGERFELD MACAU, and Asia’s first Palazzo Versace Macau, making it the only resort in the world to house two designer-branded hotels.
SJM is a steadfast advocate for Macau’s development as an international sports and wellness destination. By bringing elite, world-class branded sporting experiences to the city, SJM seeks to attract new visitor segments, broaden Macau’s global appeal, and reinforce its positioning as a “World Centre of Tourism and Leisure” through the synergy of “Sports + Tourism.” At the same time, SJM is committed to nurturing home-grown talent while also contributing to China’s broader sports development and the elevation of athletic standards through cross-border collaboration across the Greater Bay Area.
Its multi-year title sponsorships of marquee events include the CTA Tour SJM Professional Finals (Macau) and National Tennis Championships, the SJM Macao Open, the SJM Theodore Racing Team at the Macau Grand Prix, the SJM Macau International Dragon Boat Races, and the Asian Wushu Championships, among others. By leading at the intersection of sports, tourism and social responsibility, SJM continues to build a legacy of excellence in sport — inspiring local pride, expanding Macau’s international visibility, and advancing the city’s long-term development as a “City of Sports.”
For more information, please visit https://www.sjmresorts.com/en.
About Asian Tour
The Asian Tour represents the pinnacle of professional golf in the region.
Celebrated as the most vibrant, youthful and diverse golf tour in the world, it has built a reputation for intense competition on the course and warm camaraderie off it.
The Tour, which was launched in 2004, is responsible for looking after the best interests of over 350 members, representing 35 countries managing a year-long schedule of events across five continents.
With Asia being the next powerhouse region for golf, the Tour is the steward of its legacy.
Central to its structure is the Asian Tour Order of Merit – a points-based player ranking system.
Since 2022, The International Series has featured prominently. Consisting of 10 upper-tier events integrated into the schedule, the landmark initiative provides a pathway to the LIV Golf League via The International Series Rankings.
The Tour is the official sanctioning body for professional golf in the region and a member of the International Federation of PGA Tours. Also, it is an affiliate of The R&A and all sanctioned events qualify for Official World Golf Ranking points.
It controls its television production and distribution through Asian Tour Media (a joint venture with IMG) which broadcasts to over 100 countries worldwide.
The Tour also operates the Asian Development Tour – the popular feeder circuit that nurtures the next generation of stars.
Its eco-system also includes the Qualifying School which attracts over 650 entrants vying for 35 cards for the following season.
In 2018, it set up Asian Tour Destinations – an affiliate network with exclusive, world-class golfing venues across the region.
Rolex, Kweichow Moutai and Bluewater are the Tour’s three main partners.
The Tour is headquartered on Sentosa Island in Singapore, home to the award winning Sentosa Golf Club – a member of Asian Tour Destinations.
About IMG
IMG is a leading global sports marketing agency, specializing in media rights management and sales, multi-channel content production and distribution, brand partnerships, strategic consulting, digital services, and events management. It powers growth of revenues, fanbases and IP for more than 200 federations, associations, events, and teams, including the National Football League, English Premier League, International Olympic Committee, National Hockey League, Major League Soccer, ATP and WTA Tours, the AELTC (Wimbledon), Euroleague Basketball, CONMEBOL, DP World Tour, and The R&A, as well as UFC, WWE, and PBR. IMG is a subsidiary of TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: TKO), a premium sports and entertainment company.
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