The SJM Macao Open 2026 teed off in Coloane yesterday at the Macau Golf & Country Club with a US$1 million (8 million patacas) prize purse, featuring 2016 major champion Sweden’s Henrik Stenson and two-time PGA Tour* winner South Korea’s Sungjae Im among a star-studded field.
The tournament is jointly organised by SJM, the Sports Bureau (ID) and IMG (International Management Group), and co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Macau Golf Association. Running through Sunday, the tournament features a 144-player field comprising established champions and rising talents.
The 23rd edition of the tournament will feature seven of the top 10 players in the 2026 Asian Tour Order of Merit.
Im, who finished among the top 10 last year, said in a press conference on Tuesday: “I’m very pleased to be back again after last year. I had a very good performance last year and now I know the course better. I’m hoping for a good result this week.”
Returning to defend his title is Germany’s Dominic Foos, who staged a comeback from six shots behind to win last year’s tournament in a sudden-death playoff.
Meanwhile, local golfer Ma Kaijun, who earned an invitation as the top Macau finisher at last year’s event, is also taking part in the tournament. Oscar Hung Chi Che, another local golfer, said in a statement on Tuesday: “My goal this week is to make the cut. I hope to become the first Macau amateur golfer to achieve that at the SJM Macao Open.”
Moreover, the Chinese mainland’s golfing legend Zhang Lianwei, a two-time Macao Open champion, also praised the tournament’s significance back in July’s press conference. Zhang shared his ambitions to secure a third Macao Open title and expressed his desire to continue competing past the age of 60. Alongside his personal competitive goals, he highlighted his long-standing financial commitment to youth golf development and urged young golfers to build independence and self-motivation to navigate the inherently “lonely” nature of the sport.
According to an SJM statement on Tuesday, the tournament aims to bring golf into the community through outreach programmes designed to introduce more people to the sport and encourage wider participation. Admission to the SJM Macao Open 2026 will once again be free to the public. Fans can register for complimentary tickets at www.sjmmacaoopen.com, with each person able to request up to four tickets.
* The Professional Golfers’ Association Tour (PGA Tour) is the main professional golf tour for men in the United States – and one of the major tours worldwide. It organises and runs a schedule of golf tournaments where professional golfers compete for prize money, ranking points, and titles. – DeepSeek
Two-time PGA Tour winner Sungjae Im swings his club at the course yesterday. – Photos: Khalel Vallo
This photo taken at the Macau Golf & Country Club in Coloane on Tuesday shows the SJM Macao Open 2026 trophy.
