James Leow, Nicklaus Chiam among a dozen local golfers gearing up for Singapore Open

[SINGAPORE] Barely two hours after touching down in Singapore on Monday (Apr 6) morning after enduring a delayed flight from Tokyo, Singaporean golfer James Leow was back on the course with just 30 minutes to spare for his 8 am tee-off.

The 29-year-old had just spent a week in Japan for an Asian Tour event, and from the airport he rushed home for a quick shower, grabbed a light breakfast and headed to Warren Golf and Country Club.

Inclement weather, however, meant the tee-off was pushed back by two hours, and Leow took the chance to enjoy a short nap in the locker room during the break.

Perhaps that little rest was what just he needed. Leow – one of 12 local golfers who will play at this month’s Singapore Open presented by The Business Times – ended up shooting a 62, a pretty rare feat for any golfer in a competitive round.

He ended up playing an incredible game, bagging 10 birdies in his round to lead by four shots at the end of the first day of the Singapore Professional Golfers’ Association tournament. He eventually went on to win the event.

Leow is hoping to build on that strong performance as he prepares for the US$2 million Singapore Open, which will be held from Apr 23 to 26 at Sentosa Golf Club’s Serapong course.

As one of the local favourites, the in-form golfer knows exactly what he needs to do in order to succeed in a competitive field.

“I can derive so many positives from my round at Warren. My ball striking was great, my short game was sound, and my putting was good,” he said.

“The only other time I played a nine-under round in a competition was in Saudi Arabia when I won by Asian Tour card by claiming the Asian Development Tour victory last November.”

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Leow was introduced to the game at the age of six by his father and turned professional in 2022 after his college days at Arizona State University in the US.

The Seletar Country Club member enjoyed a stellar amateur career with several victories in college golf. He also won the individual gold medal at the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines.

Although he is not among the big-hitters – he drives 265 metres on average – Leow loves the long Serapong course because “it fits my game, I love the layout, and it’s a constant work in progress”.

“Everybody, even all the Singaporean players will look forward to the Singapore Open. And with two available spots to The Open (in July in the UK), that’s a very big opportunity for all of us. I like to compete against the best and see where I get myself,” said Leow.

“Golden Bear”

Also hoping to do well at Serapong is fellow professional Nicklaus Chiam, who shot a 71 to finish joint-fourth at the Warren event.

The 30-year-old is currently the highest-ranked Singaporean on the Official World Golf Ranking and fresh off his maiden Asian Development Tour victory at the PKNS Selangor Masters in Kuala Lumpur earlier this year.

“I’m very honoured to represent Singapore as the top ranked Singaporean golfer. But that also comes with pressure. I’ll continue to focus on my processes and do what I can to replicate that success I had when I won in Malaysia,” he said.

Named after the legendary “Golden Bear” Jack Nicklaus by his father Andrew, Chiam is a big hitter who averages 290 metres in his drives.

“I know the course well, having been adopted by Sentosa Golf Club, which means I can train on the Serapong layout often,” he said.

Like Leow, Chiam has also had a bright career in the US, having been a college golfer with Washington State University for about five years.

Chiam, who is currently in China for two tournaments, said: “(The win in Kuala Lumpur) makes me realise that I’m heading in the right direction. Whatever I’m doing, I’m doing correctly.”

The other 10 Singaporean golfers are Ryan Ang, Gregory Foo, Koh Dengshan, Wong Qiwen, Dennis Lim, Joshua Yap, Marc Ong and Mardan Mamat. Amateur stars Brayden Lee and Troy Storm complete the 12-strong list.

This year’s Singapore Open is the 54th edition of what is described as Asia’s “most treasured” national Open, and will be the fourth leg on the 2026 Asian Tour schedule. Last year’s tournament was won by Japan’s Yosuke Asaji, after he overcame Wang Jeung-hun from South Korea in a playoff.

The upcoming event is also part of the Open Qualifying Series, with the top two players not otherwise exempt earning spots in The Open at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in the UK, scheduled from Jul 16 to 19.