Singapore

THE golfers of Team Emerio have been ardent supporters of the The Business Times Corporate Golf League for the last eight years.

The Singapore-headquartered IT-services company was founded in 1997 by entrepreneur Harish Nim and three employees with an initial start-up capital of just S$12,000.

Other than the annual golf event's inaugural 2010 edition, Team Emerio has taken part each year since.

Although Team Emerio are out of the running for top honours this year, its captain Mr Nim hopes to improve on their current eighth placing (in a field of 11 teams) as the tournament enters its sixth and final leg at Tanah Merah Country Club's Garden course on Friday.

Mr Nim, Emerio's group CEO, believes that "hope springs eternal" and is confident that his team of four will deliver the goods.

But winning the tournament has never been obsession with Mr Nim, who sees the BT Corporate Golf League as an opportunity to get together with great people, both from industry and The Business Times.

"The sponsorship (of the event) gets our name out in BT and that helps," said the captain, whose team's best finish came in 2016, when they were runners-up.

The championship is headed for what looks a two-horse race with newcomers Proelect (442) and Team Boss (440) set to fight it out at the Garden course.

With all four scores to count in the final leg, the two teams are set to field their best players on Friday.

Proelect's key player Tan Lee Hong, who played in all five legs, averages 36.4 points (par is 36); Team Boss' John Lim, who featured in four with a 35.25 average, are expected to lead their teams' charges.

It looks a tall order for defending champions and third-placed Team Boustead to catch up on the duo as they lie 17 points adrift of Team Boss, with 423 points.

An interesting climax is in store, and the organisers have set up a bonanza of lucky draw prizes, with the OSIM uDiva Star massage chair (retailing at S$3,299) among those up for grabs.