Overnight leader Ham bags title in Singapore Open

Monday, April 27, 2026

Jeongwoo Ham won the $2 million Singapore Open despite heavy rain delays, securing one of two qualifying spots for The Open Championship. His victory highlights his steady performance under pressure and marks a significant step in his career as he prepares for golf's oldest major.

KUALA LUMPUR — Jeongwoo Ham of South Korea claimed victory at the $2 million Singapore Open on Sunday, maintaining his lead throughout the tournament despite challenging weather conditions marked by heavy rain and high humidity. The International Series event, held at The Serapong course, forms part of the Open Qualifying Series and awards two spots for The Open Championship, golf’s oldest major.

Ham, who entered the final round with a four-shot lead over Australian Cameron John, held firm even after a rain delay of more than three hours disrupted play early Sunday morning. At the time of the suspension around 1:47 a.m. local time, the leader group had completed seven holes, with Ham three strokes clear. Both players resumed their rounds maintaining strong form, finishing bogey-free on the remaining holes.

In the end, Ham secured the win by two strokes over John, earning one of the coveted qualifying positions for The Open. Speaking after his victory, the 31-year-old noted that his recent form had been inconsistent but said the win served as motivation for him to continue preparing rigorously. Ham, a four-time winner on the Korean PGA Tour, acknowledged the significance of qualifying for The Open and looked forward to the experience, adding lightheartedly that he planned to enjoy the event with some whiskey.

The tournament saw mixed results for Indian contenders. Pukhraj Singh Gill emerged as the highest-placed Indian, finishing tied for 26th with a total score of 279 (71-70-72-67), improving significantly from a tied-45th position overnight. Gaganjeet Bhullar, an 11-time Asian Tour winner, also ended tied for 26th but struggled with a final round 73 in challenging conditions, slipping from a tied-fifth position after Saturday’s play. Bhullar found some rhythm only in the closing holes but was unable to mount a significant charge toward the top of the leaderboard.

The Singapore Open concluded with Ham’s wire-to-wire triumph, underscoring his resilience and putting him alongside John as the qualifiers advancing to this year’s Open Championship.