With more younger players stepping up, future is bright for Singapore golf: SGA chief
The likes of Shannon Tan and Hiroshi Tai are making waves in the sport, both at home and abroad
I WAS playing at the Sentosa Golf Club’s Tanjong course two years ago when I watched veteran lawyer Tan Chong Huat – who had just started work as the Singapore Golf Association’s (SGA) president at the time – hit a stunning 190-metre drive straight to the middle of the fairway on the par-five eighth hole.
My buggy mate quipped: “If there’s a takeaway from that near-perfect drive, it’s that this is the direction he wants to take golf in Singapore as the SGA’s head honcho.”
Since he took on on the sport’s top job here, Tan’s stint at SGA – his current tenure ends in the middle of 2026 – has overlapped with some significant milestones achieved by some of Singapore’s golfers.
In 2024, history was made when Shannon Tan became the first local golfer to qualify for the Olympic Games. It was also a memorable year for Hiroshi Tai, who won the National Collegiate Athletic Association Individual Championship to earn a spot at the Masters tournament in Augusta, Georgia, US. Tai was also the first Singaporean to compete at the 2024 US Open at Pinehurst.
For 20-year-old Shannon Tan, she owes much of her success to Lyn Yeo, a former SGA vice-president who mentored her during her teenage years. Shannon is currently managed by 54, a sports and entertainment agency, and supported by a series of sponsors and Sentosa Golf Club.
SGA, Sport Singapore and the Singapore National Olympic Council supported her Olympic campaign with coaches, managers and training camps after she qualified. She is also a regular on the Ladies European Tour, and won the Magical Kenya Ladies Open on her debut appearance.
As for the 22-year-old Tai, SGA has been managing him and sourcing for more events to prime the Georgia Tech student for Augusta.
Other than Tai, there are 10 other promising Singapore golfers who are based overseas. They are: Inez Ng, Sean Lee, Guo Jun Xi, Valencia Chang, Bruce Kwong, Shang Yu, Shayne Lim, Ethan Lim and Eng Wei Jin – all in the US – as well as Samuel Tan, who is based in Thailand.
Last year, SGA also staged the South East Asian Amateur Golf Team Championship, which saw the emergence of young talents such as Brayden Lee, Troy Storm and Aaron Wee, who dethroned Thailand to become the new Lion City Cup champions.
At Seletar Country Club, Aloysa Atienza and Chen Xingtong won the individual categories of the Santi Cup and Kartini Cup, respectively, while Ryan Ang finished runner-up in the Putra Cup.
“Their achievements were inspiring as they emphasised that Singapore can also make an impact on the international stage in golf,” said Tan. The SGA chief is also a senior partner and one of the founding members of RHTLaw Asia.
“We are working towards building a vibrant golf ecosystem and to push the envelope further. We want a robust system for the 40 members of the High Performance Squad with weekly training and no less than 30 events, with 15 of them overseas,” he added.
There are 40 players in the Future Squad who will be involved in 15 events and the SGA’s Junior Inter-Club League this year, said Tan.
On the sponsorship front, one of SGA’s main partners, EFG Bank, offers a scholarship programme that helps athletes to defray their competition costs.
SGA has other stakeholders and sponsors such as Lexus, HSBC, ONERHT Foundation, Radar Tyres, FootJoy and NTUC Club.
As for upcoming events, the association will stage the World Amateur Team Championships at Tanah Merah Country Club in October, said Tan.
This particular tournament has been a platform for some of the world’s top amateurs over the years, with the likes of Tiger Woods, Annika Sorenstam and reigning Olympic gold medallists Lydia Ko and Scottie Scheffler all having taken part in the past.
Reflecting on his involvement in the sport, Tan described his time at SGA so far as a “very memorable journey”, as he continues to work with stakeholders and the community to grow the golf ecosystem here.
“We have achieved significant progress in introducing golf to the wider community, including the disabled,” he said. “We have forged strategic partnerships with various national associations and governing bodies in the region to further develop our capabilities.”
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