Singaporean Mardan Mamat’s passion for golf burns strong at 58
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Mardan Mamat still has the ball he made a hole-in-one with at the 1994 Singapore Open.
ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
Follow topic:
- Mardan Mamat recalls his hole-in-one at the 1994 Singapore Open, which earned him a Jaguar but, more importantly, gave him the belief to pursue golf professionally.
- Mardan, a five-time Asian Tour winner and pioneer of Singaporean golf, still competes and maintains his fitness despite physical limitations due to age.
- At 58, Mardan will play in the upcoming Moutai Singapore Open, which is like a major tournament to him.
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SINGAPORE – Taking pride of place in Mardan Mamat’s home is the ball he made a hole-in-one with in his professional debut at the 1994 Singapore Open – the memento is framed up and sits alongside newspaper clippings documenting his feat.
Over three decades have passed, but the veteran golfer can still recall the moment vividly.
He rattles off the details: It happened at the par-three, fifth hole of the Tanah Merah Country Club’s Garden Course. With a four-iron, he hit the ball straight to the pin, it bounced in front of the green and rolled into the hole.
He remembers turning to his caddie to ask if he was dreaming as onlookers shouted “hole-in-one!”, before giving himself a slap to make sure it was real.
It earned him a Jaguar XJS convertible worth $350,000, which he later sold for $270,000. But more than the car or money, it gave him something more valuable – belief.
“I will never forget about that moment because it was a breakthrough for me – my first tournament as a pro, then getting a hole-in-one. It was something that told me that I can play this game as long as I want,” said the 58-year-old, who will be making his 23rd appearance at the Singapore Open this week.
“I’ve kept the ball to recall that this is the moment when my golf career started as a pro and with that ball, it always motivates me. It won me the car and also got me money to move on, to play and push my golf career.”
The moment set the tone for Mardan, whose journey in golf began as a 13-year-old caddie at Jurong Country Club alongside his elder brother Mazlan.
When he was not working, he would sneak onto the course at hole No. 4 with just a six-iron, playing from tee to green with balls retrieved from the course’s ponds.
He has come a long way since, carving out a reputation as one of Singapore’s most successful golfers.
A five-time Asian Tour winner, Mardan’s accolades include titles at the Royal Challenge Indian Open (2004), Osim Singapore Masters (2006), ICTSI Philippine Open (2012), Resorts World Manila Masters (2014) and Bashundhara Bangladesh Open (2015).
He became the first Singaporean golfer to win on the Asian and European Tours, and the first to qualify and play at the British Open, when he did so in 1997.
Golf continues to be a big part of Mardan’s life and he still loves competing.
His career money status allows him to play Asian Tour events, and over the past few years, he has also competed in senior events in Europe and the US Champions Senior Tour Qualifying School.
On what has kept him going, he said: “Last time when I was younger, my body was still strong – I kept pushing myself to the limit. But now the body isn’t as strong as last time, but my heart still loves to play so I just play and enjoy myself.”
Mardan Mamat (in red shirt) with his family at his home on Oct 16.
ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
Even though wear and tear in his knee and calf means he can no longer play 20 to 25 tournaments a year and he has to be more selective with the courses, Mardan remains dedicated to his craft.
He keeps up with his physiotherapy work with morning stretches and goes to the gym thrice weekly.
He still practises regularly, although his sessions are now about five hours instead of the eight-hour days he used to put in.
One tournament he is eager to participate in is the Moutai Singapore Open, which takes place at the Singapore Island Country Club from Nov 6 to 9.
He is among 11 Singaporeans who will feature in the US$2 million (S$2.6 million) tournament, which is headlined by former Ryder Cup champion Paul Casey, who competes for LIV Golf team Crushers GC.
Mardan said: “As a kid, I dreamt of playing in the Singapore Open for my country, so to get to play it is like playing in a major tournament.”
The stakes have been raised at the Singapore Open, one of the tournaments in the International Series, a set of elevated events sanctioned by the Asian Tour.
On Nov 3, it was announced that the top two players in the final 2025 International Series rankings – an increase from one previously – will gain a LIV Golf spot for 2026.
At the pre-tournament press conference, Casey said: “I’m a big fan of that. You really have a season-long race, a promotion up to LIV, if you want to call it that.
“It’s fully deserved and it’s an exciting part of the sport.”
