Chen Xing Tong’s 250-metre drive outshines the competition at BT Golf League

THERE were many talking points at the end of the second leg of The Business Times Corporate Golf League presented by Singapore Pools tournament, with the most chatter around national player Chen Xing Tong’s massive 250-metre drive that led to the day’s only eagle.

SPH Sultans of Swing was the best performing team at Orchid Country Club’s challenging Vanda and Aranda courses on Mar 22.

After all the scores were tabulated, there was a surprise reshuffle of the standings with Singapore Global Trust now in the lead, while pre-tournament favourites Team Boss slipped from first to fourth.

This sets the stage for a titanic tussle in the third leg at Tanah Merah Country Club’s Tampines course on Apr 4, with the contenders ready to parade some new acquisitions.

Xing Tong, a 15-year-old student at the Singapore Sports School, impressed with the longest drive on Aranda’s Hole 7 which led to the day’s only eagle on what was a perfect day for the teenager.

Following the massive drive and left with 190 metres, she used a five-wood and sank a 10-footer for the eagle.

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Representing Singapore Global Trust, she also bagged four birdies, but her even-par score of 71 gave her only 33 points because of her very low handicap index of plus 3.9.

The team’s two other players, Tan Ah Ee and Benjamin Seah, played heroic roles with 35 points each to boost the team’s total to 104 points.

Team Boss, hit by the late withdrawal of national player Denise Ng, who was down with illness, suffered with only 80 points and dropped to fourth with a 145 two-leg total, 12 below Singapore Global Trust.

Team Boss captain Marilyn Lam was not downcast, though, and said that Ng and her sister Jaymie (also a national player) will join up with Angelina Xiong and Stephanie Lee for the third leg.

The remarkable rise of SPH Sultans of Swing, who were cellar-dwellers last year, was also a big talking point at dinner at Orchid Country Club.

They claimed the day’s top honours with 105 points, one ahead of Singapore Global Trust, to finish second on the table with 152 points.

Media consultant Tim Pinnegar was their star performer with 36 points, garnered from his 74 boosted by one birdie. He was ably supported by Bob Seth (35 points) and K Sreerangan (34 points).

Playing off a handicap index of 3, Pinnegar, who turns out for Singapore Island Country Club in the league, played steady golf and suffered just one blotch – a double-bogey on Vanda’s par-four first hole.

It cost him heavily as he lost on countback to Clinton Ang (handicap index 17.4) for the day’s individual honours.

KPMG’s Mark Lim (handicap index 11.8) was the best social golfer with his 79 for 39 points, two ahead of I-Kare’s Lee Se Heon (11.0).

The best social team was KPMG with 109 points from Mark Lim (39), Toh Ai Ling (35) and Lee Choon Li (35).