S’pore golfers optimistic ahead of SEA Amateur Golf Team C’ships after recent positive results

SINGAPORE – A string of positive results in 2024 has boosted the confidence of Singapore’s golfers ahead of the South-east Asian Amateur Golf Team Championships at the Seletar Country Club from July 8 to 12.

The tournament will feature over 100 golfers from 10 countries vying for the individual and team trophies in four categories – the Putra Cup (men’s), Lion City Cup (boys’ under-16), Santi Cup (women’s) and Kartini Cup (girls’ U-16).

The last time Singapore won at the event was in 2019, when the quartet of Nicklaus Chiam, Low Wee Jin, Donovan Lee and Justin Kuk clinched the country’s first Putra Cup title since 2011.

With the tournament returning to the Republic, the hosts will be banking on 2024 Kedah Amateur Open champion Brayden Lee, as well as Ryan Ang and Aloysa Atienza, who both won the Kuala Lumpur Amateur Open in May, to make an impact.

Atienza, who will be making her first appearance in the tournament, believes that Singapore have a shot at emerging victorious in the event, adding that preparations are going well.

The 25-year-old wants to make what could be her final chance to take part in the tournament count, as she looks to turn professional soon.

She said: “I really think the team have been really working their butts off the last couple of months and it’s showing in some of the results in the first half of the year.

“Looking at the players selected to represent Singapore, I think we have a strong chance at winning the tournament this year.”

Putra Cup defending champions Indonesia will include Randy Arbenata Bintang and Rayhan Abdul Latief, who clinched the top two spots in the individual standings in 2023 to end Indonesia’s 29-year title drought at the event in Malaysia.

Thailand, on the other hand, swept the Santi, Lion City and Kartini Cups.

Thai golfer Jiradech Chaowarat, a gold medallist in the team event at the 2023 Cambodia SEA Games, is also in the powerhouses’ quartet.

Singapore will be without the United States-based Hiroshi Tai, who

won a historic National Collegiate Athletic Association Championship title in May.

But Ang did not rule out the hosts’ chances of getting their hands on the Putra Cup.

Ang, who earned his card on the 2024-25 PGA Tour of Australasia after finishing among the top 36 at the Tour’s qualifying school in April, is raring to go, especially since the men’s individual winner will get exemption into the final stage of the Asian Tour Q-School.

The 24-year-old said: “We have a solid team.

“The Lion City team and the respective girls’ teams are very strong.

“For the men, we have to put in a solid week to have a chance because a lot of the South-east Asian teams are very strong.”

He is in the United Kingdom participating in a few tournaments, before heading to Queensland for a short training camp.

Brayden, who finished second in the Lion City Cup with Tai and Brandon Han in 2019, is looking forward to taking part in the event again.

The 16-year-old said: “It’s a very interesting type of event because there’s a team aspect to it.

“Singapore do have a good chance of winning the Lion City and Putra Cups... these encouraging results have motivated us and boosted our morale, so we are trying to work towards a pretty good showing.”

Correction note: An earlier version of the story said that the tournament was last hosted in Singapore in 2019. This has been corrected.