Manila, Philippines: The elements proved to be the winner with torrential rain forcing the cancellation of the third and final round of the 2025 Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) Senior Amateur Championships.

With heavy downpours brought on by Typhoon Opong (Bualoi) and further bad weather forecast, tournament organisers called a halt to proceedings at Orchard Golf & Country Club.

In a message to the players released at 8.40 am Manila time – 10 minutes after the first flight had been scheduled to tee-off – the APGC Senior Championship Committee said: “The Committee regrets to inform you that the Final Round scheduled for today is cancelled due to the heavy rains and the approaching typhoon.

“The safety of all players, caddies, and officials remains the Committee’s foremost priority.”

Typhoon Opong was the Philippines’ 15th tropical cyclone for 2025, threatening many areas in Luzon and the Visayas, including Metro Manila, the rest of Southern Luzon, and Eastern Visayas.

It made landfall in Eastern Samar late Thursday evening and was expected to move toward Bicol for another landfall. The southwest monsoon or habagat also affected several provinces on the western side of the country.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned the public to be on alert for hazards, including floods, landslides, and storm surges.

With all participants having completed two rounds, the Championship Committee deemed that scores after 36 holes would be taken as the final results.

That meant that Australia made successful title defences in the men’s and women’s team categories – the fourth year in succession they have claimed both titles.

With an aggregate of 432, the Australian men’s quartet of Graham Hourn, Greg Rhodes, Mark Allen and Ian Frost finished seven strokes clear of second placed Korea with India a further 10 shots back in third in the event in which the best three daily scores in each four-man team were counted.

In the women’s event in which the best two daily scores from each team of three were counted, the Australian trio of Gemma Dooley, Louise Mullard and Wendy Harrington compiled a total of 310, Japan were second on 322 with the Philippines third on 330.

Dooley also had the satisfaction of being declared the overall women’s champion following rounds of 77 and 76 over the Gary Player course at Orchard. Runner-up was Japan’s Haruko Hirabayashi (155) with Mullard third (157).

In the men’s category, the round three cancellation denied the possibility of an exciting finish with just five shots separating the top-six after day two.

With Indian Sandeep Sandhu and Korean Heo Ji-baek, the individual winner in Vietnam last year, both on four-under 140 after 36 holes they were declared joint champions.

Rhodes and Hourn were assessed in joint second place on 143 with Pakistan’s Ahmad Zaffar Ahmad Hayat and Steven Kelbrick from the United Arab Emirates sharing third spot on 145.

In the men’s age group categories, victory went to Heo (55-59), Sandhu (60-64), Rhodes (65-69) and Indian Gangesh Khaitan (70 and above).

In the women’s segment, the winners were Hong Kong, China’s Cathy Chung (50-54), Dooley (55-59) and Mullard (60 and above).