Khavish Varadan secured his first professional golf victory at the Vietnam Masters 2026, triumphing over seasoned Thai golfer Jazz Janewattananond in a sudden-death playoff. The Malaysian golfer lifted the trophy and received 17,500 USD in prize money.

Varadan and Janewattananond were tied after three rounds of play. In the final round on 19/3, Varadan led Janewattananond by two holes before birdying the final hole to take sole possession of the lead at 15-under. However, the Thai golfer made three consecutive birdies in the last four holes, forcing a playoff. Varadan ultimately clinched the title on the second extra hole.

Varadan's father accompanied him throughout the tournament week on the course designed by legend Nick Faldo. "Having my father by my side is always wonderful. Golf is often a solitary sport, so having that support means a lot," Varadan stated after his win.

Khavish Varadan celebrates his Vietnam Masters 2026 championship at Royal Long An Golf & Country Club on 19/3.

The loss was a setback for Janewattananond, who boasts significantly more experience and achievements than Varadan. Janewattananond has competed in dozens of events on the PGA Tour US and DP World Tour Europe, and holds seven Asian Tour titles, a feat his Malaysian opponent had not achieved prior to this victory.

The recent Vietnam Masters featured 133 players, including 29 representatives from Vietnam. Only two Vietnamese golfers made the cut, based on the top 50 rule, finishing at 2-under after round two: professional Nguyen Nhat Long and amateur Nguyen Tuan Anh. In the final round, Nhat Long scored 4-under, while Tuan Anh scored 2-under. Nhat Long finished tied for 3rd at 12-under, and Tuan Anh placed tied for 18th at 9-under, also earning the "Outstanding Amateur" title.

The best round at the Vietnam Masters 2026 was a 63 (9-under), set by Frenchman Alexis Leray in the opening round. Despite a second-round 77, Leray recovered with a final-round 66 to finish tied for 14th at 10-under.

Historically, the lowest round recorded at the tournament is a 61. The best overall score over three rounds is 18-under with a total of 198 strokes. Both records were achieved by Thai player Sarut Vongchaisit during his championship run in the 2025 tournament, also on the par-72 course at Royal Long An Golf & Country Club.

The Vietnam Masters is Vietnam's oldest professional golf tournament, established in 2017. Since 2024, the event has been part of the Asian Development Tour (ADT) through a partnership between the Vietnam Golf Association and the governing body of professional golf in Asia. This classifies it as a second-tier ADT event linked to the first-tier Asian Tour. The ADT has been active since 2010, with Tran Le Duy Nhat being the only Vietnamese champion, winning the Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament in 2015.

Quoc Huy