Singapore: Abdul Hadi’s mastery of Sentosa Golf Club’s Serapong Course continued with victory in the seventh and penultimate leg of the Singapore Pro Series Invitational Presented by FTAG.
In so doing, the 26-year-old became the first player to register back-to-back triumphs in the Series, having also won the sixth leg a fortnight earlier.
Having fired four sub-70 rounds on the notoriously demanding Serapong Course in the last two Series events, Hadi is in a positive frame of mind ahead of his trip to America for next month’s Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying School.
“I played well. I was very consistent,” said Hadi, who is affiliated to Sentosa Golf Club, a Facility Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.
“With my back-to-back wins, I feel more confident, and I will take this positive vibe with me to Q School,” added the former national amateur squad member who won by three shots on the Serapong Course in the 36-hole mixed tournament.
In the sixth leg, he was victorious by five strokes. In the seventh leg, he carded successive rounds of three-under-par 68 for a six-under total of 136.
His latest success saw Hadi move to the top of the Order of Merit for the first time, ahead of second-placed countryman Gregory Foo, while Mardan Mamat was third.
A five-time winner on the Asian Tour, Mardan was looking for his first Pro Series win but had to settle for second for the third time on the new circuit after a closing 68.
Mardan said: “I am actually happy for Abdul’s back-to-back wins, and I wish him all the best at Q School. I hope he makes Singapore proud.”
Hadi endured a slow start to the final round, dropping a shot on the par-five fourth. But be recovered by birdieing five of the next seven holes to sprint clear and allow himself the luxury of a bogey on 18.
Hadi was part of Singapore’s 2015 Southeast Asian Games silver medal-winning team and in early 2019 finished first at the Qualifying School for the PGA Tour Series-China.
Joshua Shou placed outright third after shooting 69 to finish on two-over. Foo and Singaporean amateur Justin Kuk were joint fourth after carding 73s to end three-over.
The season-ending tournament will be held on January 5-6, also at Sentosa ‒ home to the SMBC Singapore Open.
Each of the Pro Series legs counts towards the ‘Race to FTAG Cup’. The winner of the Order of Merit will receive a bonus of S$10,000.