Singapore Open 2026: Open Championship Spots on the Line as Steller Field Prepares for Sentosa Test

Singapore, April 22: The Serapong course at the Sentosa Golf Club is set to host the 57th edition of Singapore's National Open starting tomorrow. Presented by Business Times, the prestigious event is a marquee stop on The International Series, boasting a US$ 2 million prize purse and a stellar international field.

Beyond the prize money and the title, the stakes this week are incredibly high: the tournament serves as a direct qualifying route for the 154th Open Championship this July. The leading two players not already exempt will earn coveted spots in the game's oldest Major.

Indian Contingent Arrives with High Hopes

An impressive roster of 11 Indian golfers will tee off tomorrow, eyeing both the Singapore Open title and the Open Championship qualification spots.

Leading the charge is 26-year-old Karandeep Kochhar, who arrives in scintillating form following a 4th place finish at the Philippine Golf Championship and a 5th place result at the International Series Japan. He is joined by a formidable group of Indian heavyweights, including:

• Gaganjeet Bhullar: 11-time Asian Tour winner
• SSP Chawrasia: 6-time Asian Tour winner
• Jeev Milkha Singh: Two-time Asian Tour Order of Merit winner with six tour victories
• Shiv Kapur: 3-time Asian Tour winner

Former champions Ajeetesh Sandhu and Rashid Khan are also in the field, alongside a promising young brigade comprising Pukhraj Singh Gill, Sachin Baisoya, Shaurya Bhattacharya, and Shubham Jaglan.

Kochhar is eager to capitalize on his rich vein of form. "This is one tournament I look forward to, especially just in terms of the golf course," he shared ahead of the event. "I think it's an amazing golf course and I love playing here. Hopefully, I can play well."

Speaking on the conditions at Sentosa, Kochhar praised the venue while acknowledging the grueling physical test ahead: "I think the conditions are really pure. Think this is probably the best-manicured course we play all year... Obviously, it's a tough track. It's a long golf course. But the conditions are great. I think it's going to be a hot, hot week. It's like we're in an oven this week, so it's quite warm. Rest and recovery will be quite vital."

Global Stars and LIV Golf Presence

The Singapore Open was last played at Sentosa in 2022, where Thailand's Sadom Kaewkanjana emerged victorious over Korea's Tom Kim. Sadom returns to defend his title against a packed global lineup.

The field features prominent LIV Golf stars, including Australia's Lucas Herbert, Spain's Josele Ballester and Luis Masaveu, and Americans Peter Uihlein and Caleb Surratt. Sweden's Bjorn Hellgren is also teeing up.

Furthermore, reigning Merit champion Kazuki Higa from Japan has entered the fray alongside former Order of Merit winners John Catlin, Andy Ogletree, and Sihwan Kim (USA), as well as Thailand's Jazz Janewattananond.

Travis Smyth Battles Fatigue After Grueling Journey

Australian Travis Smyth enters the tournament as arguably the most in-form player in the field, currently leading the rankings on three major global tours. Following his victory at the International Series Japan two weeks ago, Smyth tops both the Asian Tour Order of Merit and The International Rankings. In a rare feat, he also currently leads the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and Japan Golf Tour rankings.

Despite his sky-high confidence, Smyth is battling severe exhaustion following a chaotic journey from last week's LIV Golf event in Mexico.

"So, I was on a 5am flight from Mexico City, which was delayed," Smyth explained. "We landed into San Francisco, everything was delayed. That flight ended up getting canceled. I ended up waiting, I don't know what, 12 hours at the airport. I was sleeping on the floor of the lounge for about five hours, and then flew here and arrived this morning, 7am."

When asked at today's press conference how he was feeling after the ordeal, the 31-year-old simply smirked and replied, "Feel great."

Smyth will hope to ride the adrenaline of his recent successes when he tees off at 12:13 pm tomorrow on the first hole alongside Hellgren and Hong Kong's Taichi Kho. Meanwhile, India's Karandeep Kochhar begins his campaign early, teeing off at 8:15 am from the 10th tee with Thailand's Ekpharit Wu and Charles Porter of the USA.