Khavish has momentum

Building on a run of consistent performances, Khavish Varadan now sits atop the rankings. Photo: Handout

AS we begin the second half of the season, Khavish Varadan has established himself as Malaysia’s top-placed men’s golfer in both the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) and the Asian Development Tour (ADT) – and it’s not merely about enjoying a hot streak.

It is a calculated approach that is shaping his season, one defined by discipline, gratitude, and a belief in process over noise.

Khavish, who turns 26 next Sunday, has authored a significant climb this season, moving more than 1,000 places up the OWGR since the end of last year when he was 1,874th and is now 783rd – the highest Malaysian on the OWGR as of last Monday.

On the ADT, he leads the Order of Merit with 41,372 points, ahead of Singaporean Nicklaus Chiam (36,793) and Italy’s Michele Ortolani (31,608).

It’s a leaderboard that, while far from finished, reflects consistency of a player who is learning to convert opportunity into momentum.

Khavish, in earnest, started 2026 with a tie for 36th at the Asian Tour’s Philippine Golf Championship in February and followed that up with a runner-up finish at the PKNS Selangor Masters on the ADT Tour at Sri Selangor Golf Club in Kota Damansara.

And then came his breakthrough triumph at the US$100,000 Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters in March, held at Royal Long An Golf & Country Club on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City.

In his most recent event, the Bangkok Classic at Phoenix Gold Golf Club in Bangkok, Thailand – a tournament co-sanctioned by the China Golf Association – Khavish settled for fourth place, an effort good enough to elevate him to the summit of the ADT Tour rankings and the best-placed Malaysian in the global standings.

This week, in an exclusive with TeeUp, Khavish shared his thoughts on where his game is and where it’s heading.

What emerged was a clear portrait of a young professional who understands what sustainable success is and that it’s built not on chasing accolades, but rather on shaping a plan that can withstand the demands of mixing it with those in elite golf.

“My main concern now is to be the best version of myself every day,” Khavish said. “It’s nice to see the work that I’ve been putting in show progress.

“I’m not too concerned about the accolades honestly, as my main focus is to be the best version of myself every day.”

On what has made the biggest difference to his game this season, he said: “Simply playing in a better tournament schedule. This helped me achieve that”.

He added that he “made some changes last year to his swing and putting, which are showing some great progress”.

The numbers certainly back him up as his scoring average has tightened, his ballstriking metrics have improved, and his ability to stay competitive across different course styles have been a defining feature of his season so far.

Conceding that he has some “lofty goals and dreams” for himself, he said he “recently put Callaway XForged irons into play in Thailand, and that “they have been promising”.

“The biggest investment I made this year was hiring Guna as my caddy – he has helped me in many ways on the course and I’m excited to see how we improved together.”

The addition of Guna has been one of the understated developments of Khavish’s season.

A seasoned caddy like Guna, with the storied success he has, can be a compass, a calming presence, and indeed, a second strategist.

For an emerging pro like Khavish, navigating the complexities on tour, that partnership may prove pivotal.

Khavish also mentioned his long practice days, and measured tournament weeks.

“My practice weeks are always harder (typically starting at 6am and ending around 4pm) than my tournament weeks, which include my physical conditioning,” he said.

“By doing that I believe I’m prepared and relaxed on my tournament weeks.”

This classic highperformance model of building intensity early, before tapering into competition is recognition tournament weeks are not for grinding but for executing.

“The goals I’ve set for myself for the remaineder of the year are simple. They are to learn from each competitive event and see how I can improve on it in the next one and enhance my game management each day.”

That simple answer is one that aligns with the season he’s building. Game management – knowing when to attack, when to hold back, when to trust the percentages – is proving one of Khavish’s strengths. His measured aggression, especially on par-5s and short par-4s, has been key to his season thus far.

And should he continue in that vein, who knows what’s to come next. For now, though. he remains grounded at the top – calm, composed, and quietly building something that looks a lot like a long-term project.