Golfer Chen Xingtong looks to build on US stint for World Amateur Team Championships

SINGAPORE – When Chen Xingtong made her debut at the World Amateur Team Championships (WATC) in 2023, the Singaporean golfer felt a mix of nerves and excitement.

Playing alongside Sweden’s then world No. 1 amateur Ingrid Lindblad in the first two rounds, Xingtong was tested from the start. But the teenager took it as a learning experience, paying close attention to the different aspects of her flightmate’s game.

In Abu Dhabi, she finished 101st in the individual standings and was part of the women’s team alongside Inez Ng and Aloysa Atienza, who tied for 20th, which was Singapore’s best result at the tournament.

Since then, the 16-year-old has steadily built on her international experience and is looking forward to a return, after being named in the 2025 WATC squad by the Singapore Golf Association (SGA) on Aug 14.

She said: “There were a lot of really important takeaways from watching the best in the world, just learning from how they do it and trying to take small bits of their routine to integrate into my own.

“I definitely have a bit more experience than the last time I was in this position, excited and eagerly anticipating the tournament.”

The Singapore Sports School (SSP) student will team up with Ng – who finished joint-fourth in 2023 – and Valencia Chang at the Tanah Merah Country Club’s (TMCC) Tampines Course as they compete for the Espirito Santo Trophy from Oct 1 to 4.

In the men’s competition, the team will feature Hiroshi Tai, Brayden Lee and Troy Storm, as they battle for the Eisenhower Trophy from Oct 8 to 11.

Tai, 23, was the first Singaporean to feature at the US Open (in 2024) and Masters (2025) after winning the National Collegiate Athletic Association title in 2024.

Xingtong is feeling confident after a fruitful stint in the United States, where she finished second at the US Girls’ Junior Championship in July.

In her historic run to the final, she was defeated 2 and 1 by Canada’s eventual champion Aphrodite Deng at the Atlanta Athletic Club’s Riverside Course.

She said: “I’m more confident coming into this event, still just trying to enjoy myself on and off the course for this event and staying patient.

“It was really fun to be able to make such a deep run and meet up with some of my good friends during the tournament.”

Her performance during the tournament also proved to Xingtong what she is capable of mentally and physically.

She added: “It was really taxing on the mind and body, but I’m really glad to have gone through all that because it shows that I can handle it.”

All these experiences are crucial for the world No. 192 amateur, who is looking to study and play college golf in the US from 2028.

Xingtong, who is currently pursuing the International Baccalaureate diploma programme at SSP, noted that the US would be crucial for her growth as “many of the world’s best amateurs go there to compete and study”.

She will then decide whether to turn professional.

Noting the progress in Xingtong’s game, national coach Murray Smit attributed it to the technical work she has done with her coach Skye Neal at Sentosa Golf Club, coupled with “improved preparation and strategy when building up to tournament”.

With the WATC fast approaching, Smit said the team have ramped up their preparations in a bid for best-ever team finishes in both the men’s and women’s competitions.

For the men, their best finish was in 2022, when Tai, James Leow and Ryan Ang came in 21st.

Ahead of the championships, the golfers – including Tai and Ng, who returned from the US during their summer break – attended a training camp at TMCC, while getting tips and insights from some of the local professionals who have competed on the course.

Smit said: “Ultimately, the players will come in prepared and ready, and then it’s just about enjoying what will be one of the most memorable weeks of these players’ careers, competing on home soil in the biggest amateur team event in golf.”