Singapore Local company starts professional tour for golfers
By Patwant Singh
SINGAPORE : A local company called “OAAG” has pledged S$200,000 to launch a five-series golf tour, starting next week.
It aims to give golfers more tournament exposure, and by doing this, it wants to help more amateurs turn pro.
Touring golf professionals Mardan Mamat and Lam Chih Bing are two Singaporeans who have made a name for themselves in the world of professional golf.
However, not many locals are following in their footsteps. Observers said that most prefer to be teaching professionals, rather than become touring pros. So when it comes to big events like the recent Barclay’s Singapore Open, Singapore suffers.
Dean Tan, Committee Member, Singapore Professional Golf Association, said: “There are a lot of pros; they don’t have enough tournaments for the tour… (so) now we are doing more… (hoping) that other sponsors can come in and help us so that the local pros get more exposure to play in overseas tournaments in future.”
“Accenture” had recently stopped sponsoring the only local tour, but that is set to change. OAAG, which specialises in a range of golf services, is reviving the much-needed tour. It has come up with a S$200,000 sponsorship and that is just a start.
Nicklaus Dcruz, CEO, OAAG, said: “All of this is with the intention of bringing in additional sponsors, and two things will happen - we can increase the prize money and… we can increase the number of legs.”
Raffles Country Club will host the first tournament, which may last up to 15 legs in a year.
The inaugural “OAAG Golf Tour 2008″ will start on January 7, and it will see 78 golfers, including two amateurs, competing.
Besides a Challenge Trophy, also at stake is S$50,000 in prize money.
Local women golfers too will also have something new to look forward to. The HSBC Women’s Champions is making its debut in February and will hold qualifiers next week.
The winner will be the only Singaporean to play in an LPGA-sanctioned event; she will get to tee-off with some of the best women golfers in the world.
Natalie Gulbis, Professional Golfer, LPGA, said: “This is going to be the first really Asian Major, 72-hole event, (it is) going to be the biggest that Asia has ever seen and what a great place to have it in Singapore.” - CNA/ms
Source : Channel NewsAsia - 05 Jan 2008
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