SINGAPORE – Japan’s Yosuke Asaji clinched a dramatic victory at the Singapore Open on Sunday, becoming the first Japanese golfer since 1976 to win the historic tournament. The 32-year-old triumphed on the first playoff hole after South Korea’s Wang Jeung-hun found the water and carded a bogey.
Both players finished tied on 19-under par after Wang drained a tense 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th to force the playoff. Asaji, however, held his nerve with a six-foot birdie on the extra hole to seal his maiden international victory.
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Thailand’s Rattanon Wannasrichan and South Korea’s Lee Soo-min finished one stroke behind in joint third, while Asaji’s steady round of five-under 67 featured five consecutive birdies early on to seize control of the leaderboard.
“This win means so much to me — it’s my first victory overseas, something I’ve always dreamed of,” Asaji said after the win. His triumph also elevated him to second in the International Series standings behind Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent, putting him in prime position for a spot in the lucrative 2026 LIV Golf League.
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The Singapore Open, now in its 64th edition, saw Asaji become only the sixth Japanese winner in its storied history. The 2025 International Series concludes later this month with the $5 million Saudi International in Riyadh.