IGF chief lauds Singapore’s successful bid to host world amateur golf event in October
International Golf Federation’s Antony Scanlon says the Republic’s bid was ‘fabulous’, and urges stakeholders to do more to promote the sport
SINGAPORE is gearing up to stage the World Amateur Team Championships (WATC) golf event in October, a biennial international amateur competition organised by the International Golf Federation (IGF).
With just weeks to go until the big tee-off at the Tampines course at Tanah Merah Country Club (TMCC), the preparations have received the thumbs-up from IGF’s executive director, Antony Scanlon.
In an interview with The Business Times during his recent visit to Singapore, he said: “The Singapore Golf Association (SGA) presented a fabulous bid, and we recognised its merit during the bidding process. We were also impressed by the quality of the challenging Tampines course, and the deep commitment shown by the SGA officials.”
Singapore and Morocco were on the shortlist at the IGF’s last biennial meeting in Paris last year. It was agreed unanimously that the Republic would stage the 2025 event, and Morocco, the 2027 one.
In Singapore, the women’s competition for the Espirito Santo Trophy will take place from Oct 1 to 4, followed by the men’s competition for the Eisenhower Trophy from Oct 8 to 11. The field has been cut from 72 to 36 teams, with the team from Singapore gaining automatic qualification.
Each team has two or three players and plays 18-holes of stroke play for four days. In each round, the total of the two lowest scores from each team constitutes the team score for the round. The four-day (72-hole) total is the team’s score for the championship.
A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU
Friday, 2 pm
Lifestyle
Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself.
Scanlon, a 60-year-old Australian, said of the WATC: “A significant number of top amateurs who play in this tournament eventually progress to the professional ranks, including participation in major championships. In fact, 70 to 80 per cent of the golfers who play at the Olympics today previously competed in the WATC.”
The last championships in 2023 were held at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club’s National course in the United Arab Emirates. South Korea won the women’s event for the fifth time, while the United States took the men’s crown.
The values of golf
The IGF, which is based in Lausanne, Switzerland, is recognised by the International Olympic Committee as the international federation for golf. It is the umbrella body for the national governing bodies of golf in 152 countries.
In addition to the WATC, the federation also organises the golf competitions at the Olympic Games and the Youth Olympic Games.
Scanlon, who defeated 70 candidates for the IGF’s top job in 2010, is a nine-handicapper who picked up the sport at age six. He also once played rugby league and cricket.
During his trip to Singapore, he took the opportunity to play at TMCC’s award-winning Tampines course and Sentosa Golf Club’s famed Serapong course.
While he had much praise for Singapore as a destination for golf, he called on Singapore’s national golf association and the many golf clubs across the island to do more to promote the sport.
Even as the number of courses here is set to shrink as the government renews fewer of their leases, Scanlon said that stakeholders should raise the awareness that golf is back as an Olympic sport, and that every effort should be made to ensure Singapore’s continued presence at the quadrennial event. In the Paris games last year, Shannon Tan became Singapore’s first Olympic golfer.
Scanlon was among the prime movers for golf’s reinstatement in the Olympic programme at the Rio Games in 2016, after having been absent for 112 years.
He urged stakeholders to impress upon the authorities the many positives that golf brings.
“All we can do is to continue to speak loudly about the values of golf. Golf instils strong values such as honesty, integrity and patience. It promotes not just activity, but also mental well-being. We should publicise these.”
Asked about what the SGA could do to keep golf alive and buzzing in Singapore despite the challenges, he said: “Around the world, golf is buzzing; the playing population and spectatorship are growing. I hear that in Singapore, it is growing at a fast pace too, although the clubs are getting fewer.”
Scanlon also pointed out the vast green spaces of golf courses could also be used by non-golfers in some instances.
“These spaces can be used by the public for pursuits such as walking or other forms of exercise, like taichi. The famous St Andrews courses in Scotland are closed every Sunday, and people take the chance to walk their dogs or exercise around the greenery,” he said.
Copyright SPH Media. All rights reserved.
