Hiroshi Tai, Inez Ng claim top honours at Singapore Golf Association annual gala and awards dinner
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Hiroshi Tai and Inez Ng were named Male and Female Golfer of the Year respectively.
PHOTOS: AFP, UNCWOMENSGOLF/INSTAGRAM
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SINGAPORE – It has been a year of breakthroughs for Singaporean golfers, with Hiroshi Tai and Shannon Tan leading the charge for the Republic.
Tai became the first Singaporean to tee off at the US Open in June, a month after he claimed a historic win at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 Men’s Individual Championship.
For his feats, Tai, whose NCAA victory also earned him a spot at the 2025 Masters, was named Male Golfer of the Year at the Singapore Golf Association (SGA) Annual Gala and Awards dinner. The event was held at the Sentosa Golf Club on Dec 5.
“I really appreciate all the support I received from SGA, my parents, sister, friends and family back in Singapore,” said the Georgia Tech undergraduate in a video recording from the United States, where he is based.
“It’s always an honour to represent Singapore at the various events around the world and I cannot wait to do that more often.”
Meanwhile, Inez Ng clinched the Female Golfer of the Year award. In September, the University of North Carolina student won both the individual and overall team championship at the Cavalier Regional Preview.
The 21-year-old said: “I would like to thank SGA for the countless number of times they have supported me and been there for me since day one. Without SGA’s support I would not have been the golfer than I am today.”
Shannon Tan received the Special Achievement Award for becoming Singapore’s first Olympian in golf at the Paris Games in August.
The 20-year-old has had a phenomenal first year on the Ladies European Tour (LET). After clinching the Magical Kenya Ladies Open title on her LET debut in February, Tan continued to impress on the Tour, eventually finishing sixth on the Order of Merit.
She also became the first female Singaporean golfer to feature at the Majors, making appearances at the Evian Championship and the AIG Women’s Open.
At the latter, she made the cut – she was just the second Singaporean to do so after Lam Chih Bing in 2008.
Chen Xingtong and Brayden Lee were named Junior Female and Male Golfer of the Year respectively. Xingtong, 15, triumphed at the Singapore Open Amateur Championship in July, while 17-year-old Brayden captured the individual boys’ title at the Asia Junior Team Championship in September.
The award ceremony at Sentosa, where Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng was the guest of honour, also recognised the contributions of various stakeholders in the local golf ecosystem.
The Awards and Gala Dinner was part of the activities lined up during the annual SGA Golf Week which also included the President’s Cup, a golf fundraiser for the SGA to support its initiatives and programmes.
Earlier this week, the SGA also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Singapore Disability Sports Council (SDSC) and Keppel Club as part of the association’s plans to introduce and promote golf to the wider community, which includes persons with disabilities.
SGA president Tan Chong Huat said: “On behalf of the SGA, I would like to thank our group of stakeholders for their valuable contributions and supporting us in building a vibrant and inclusive golf ecosystem in Singapore.
“With their continued support, we are confident of reaching even greater heights.”
