Major Champion Stenson Debuts at 2026 SJM Macau Golf Open Targeting USD 1 Million Prize
SingTao · 1 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
The 2026 SJM Resorts Macau Golf Open launches Thursday at Macau Golf Country Club, headlined by 2016 British Open champion Henrik Stenson making his tournament debut. The four-day Asian Tour flagship event carries a USD 1 million prize purse, with Stenson joined by Australian Travis Smyth and Korean star Sungjae Im as leading contenders. Chinese prodigy Ding Wenyi, who just claimed team gold at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, returns seeking to surpass last year's third-place finish.
Key Points
- The tournament runs October 15-18 at Macau Golf Country Club, jointly organized by the Macau SAR Government Sports Bureau, SJM Resorts, and IMG, and certified by the Asian Tour
- Henrik Stenson, 50, brings 22 career tour victories including the 2016 Open Championship and 2009 Players Championship; he joined the PGA Champions Tour earlier this year
- Australian Travis Smyth currently sits second on the Asian Tour Order of Merit with four professional wins; Korean Sungjae Im, a seven-time tour winner and 2019 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, finished T7 last year with 269 (7-under)
- Chinese 21-year-old Ding Wenyi won the 2022 U.S. Junior Amateur and 2024 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship; he claimed 2026 Asian Games team gold and recorded nine top-25 finishes this season
- Chinese veteran Wu Ashun, a five-time DP Tour winner, and Thai star Jazz Janewattananond, the 2019 Asian Tour Order of Merit winner, also headline a competitive international field
Why It Matters
The tournament marks SJM Resorts' fourth consecutive year as title sponsor, reinforcing Macau's growing status as a premier destination for international sporting events that attract top global talent . Stenson's debut and the presence of rising Asian stars like Ding Wenyi underscore the sport's generational shift, with veterans competing alongside a new wave of talent from the region .
The tournament marks SJM Resorts' fourth consecutive year as title sponsor, reinforcing Macau's growing status as a premier destination for international sporting events that attract top global talent . Stenson's debut and the presence of rising Asian stars like Ding Wenyi underscore the sport's generational shift, with veterans competing alongside a new wave of talent from the region .