Singapore Pools close in on BT Corporate Golf League title
The teams in second to fifth place are separated by just five points, ensuring a tight finish to the competition
SINGAPORE Pools – the presenting sponsor of The Business Times Corporate Golf League – have a commanding 11-point lead at the top of the standings as the annual tournament heads into its final day on Thursday (May 9).
At the end of the fourth and penultimate leg held at Seletar Country Club, Singapore Pools are in prime position to be crowned champions as they try to fend off their closest challengers. SPH Sultans of Swing are in second place.
Singapore Pools have a total of 341 points. And with the next four teams in the table separated by just five points, the stage is set for a grandstand finish at the final to be played at Laguna National Golf Resort Club’s Masters course.
Everything is still up for grabs as the scores of all four players in each team will count (compared to three players in the earlier rounds), and the rule that states each team is encouraged to field at least one current employee.
Singapore Pools captain Tay Boon Khai said after the fourth leg on Apr 26: “Yes, we are in a comfortable position, but we cannot afford to relax. I have selected a good mix of players and we hope to maintain our top position.”
Tay aside, the golfers representing Singapore Pools for the final leg are Kevin Pang, the Singapore Pools tournament champion; Seah Chin Siong, the company’s former chief executive officer; and Francis Wan, the so-called “hired gun” who was joint top scorer for the last leg at Seletar with 37 points.
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After a poor start in the first leg at Sentosa Golf Club’s Serapong course when Singapore Pools managed just 48 points, the team have bounced back strongly since then.
At Tanah Merah’s Tampines course and at Seletar, they recorded the highest scores.
Partners Gerald Ng (37 points) and Francis Wan (37 points, which was later adjusted to 33 points on a rain-hit 15-hole count) were the respective star players in those rounds.
Few would disagree if the Singapore Pools golfers do go on to win the BT Corporate Golf League title. The game of golf has been in the company’s DNA for decades and used for networking purposes and forging partnerships since the 1990s.
The company’s annual golf tournament is a huge draw among many companies, business partners and stakeholders.
As for SPH Sultans of Swing, they will be relying on media consultant Tim Pinnegar, a single-handicapper who has played leading roles in this year’s league, to spearhead their challenge on Thursday.
Outsiders Singapore Global Trust, meanwhile, will put their faith in Winston Oh – the winner of the individual event and the longest drive at 262 metres at Seletar – for their push towards the top of the standings.
The other teams in the competitive category are the defending champions Team Boss, hole-in-one car sponsor Team Performance Motors Limited, and CLA Global TS.
Olam Agri – represented by Mostyn Gregg, Wilson Woo, Woon Yim Yee and Andrew Romanis – won the team event in the social category at Seletar.
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