Final Round
Team Singapore misses out on podium finish, extends wait for golf medals at Asian Games
Hangzhou, October 1: Team Singapore signed off from the 19th Asian Games in fifth place for the men’s team competition while the women’s team finished in eighth place as the golf competition concluded on Sunday.
James Leow closed with a four-under-Par 68 to share 12th place with Ryan Ang (73) and India’s Anirban Lahiri with the four-day total of 14-under-par 274.
Koh Dengshan, meanwhile, carded a final round 71 to settle for tied-21st place while Gregory Foo posted a 77 to finish in 39th place in the men’s individual competition.
Korea finished atop the podium in the men’s team competition with Thailand and Hong Kong, China clinching the silver and bronze medal respectively.
Taichi Kho from Hong Kong, China took home the gold medal in the individual competition while Korea’s Sungjae Im secured the silver medal and Chinese Taipei’s Hung Chien-yao winning the bronze medal.
In the women’s competition, Koh Sock Hwee posted a 77 to end her individual campaign in tied-18th place.
Thailand Arpichaya Yunos won the gold medal with India’s Aditi Ashok and Hyunjo Yoo taking the silver and bronze respectively.
Thailand also took home the gold medal in the women’s team competition with Korea and host nation China in second and third place respectively.
Ends.
Women’s
For individual results, click here
For team results, click here
Men’s
For individual results, click here
For team results, click here
Round 3
Ang places country before self as Team Singapore remains in the hunt for golf medal
Hangzhou, September 30: Ryan Ang fired a third round six-under-par 66 to head into the final round of the men’s individual competition in ninth place, where he is within five shots off a podium finish.
The 24-year-old is spearheading Singapore’s charge after compiling rounds of 66, 69 and 66 for a three-day total of 15-under-par 201. However, he is turning his attention to helping Team Singapore secure their first medal in golf since the sport made its debut at the Asian Games in 1982.
“I’m not really focused on the individual standings. I just want to help the team to the best of my abilities. We really have a good chance for a medal tomorrow. It’s going to be on our minds, but all four of us just need to focus on getting the job done. Whatever happens, happens. We cannot control what the rest do,” said Ang.
Team Singapore currently trails third placed Hong Kong, China by four shots in the Team competition.
Like the last two rounds, James Leow and Koh Dengshan returned with matching scores again after they signed for a 68 to share 17th place with India’s Anirban Lahiri, 2015 Asian Tour Order of Merit winner on 206 total. Gregory Foo slipped one spot down to tied-37th place after returning with a 75.
The day will also be remembered for the hole-in-one that Amanda Tan aced on the 13th hole at the West Lake International Golf Course en route to signing for a 71 in the women’s team competition where Team Singapore is tied for seventh place with Hong Kong, China.
“I really didn’t expect it (hole-in-one). I used a seven-iron where the ball landed at a nice distance and it just rolled into the hole. So, that was a very nice surprise. I had nice birdies in the holes before and after the hole-in-one. That was a very good three-hole run for me,” said Tan.
Ends.
Women’s
For individual results, click here
For team results, click here
Men’s
For individual results, click here
For team results, click here
Round 2
Ang and Foo mount fightback as Singapore’s medal hopes remain alive
Hangzhou, September 29: Singapore’s medal hopes for golf remain alive as the men’s team along with Koh Sock Hwee made the weekend cut for the individual tournament while both men’s and women’s teams also progressed into the final 36 holes at the West Lake International Golf Course.
Ryan Ang, who opened with a first round 66, moved two places up the leaderboard to a share of 13th place after signing for a second round three-under-par 69. Like Ang, Gregory Foo also made his move with a 70, climbing two spots up to tied-36th place with his two-day total of three-under-par 141.
Teeing off from the back-nine 10, Ang stumbled early with a bogey on the par-five 10. He recovered quickly with a pair of birdies on 11 and 12 before adding another birdie on 15.
Ang then dropped another shot on 16 but picked up another gain on 17. After turning in 34, he parred the par-four first before trading a birdie against another bogey on holes two and three before marking his card with another birdie on seven to sign for a 69 and 135 total.
“It was a pretty scrappy round. I hit it okay but drove it into lots of fairway bunkers and rough. But I managed to put together a solid round with six birdies and three bogeys. I’m looking forward to putting together another good round for Team Singapore tomorrow,” said Ang.
James Leow and Koh Dengshan, who signed for matching 64s in the first round, both slipped to a share of 26th place after returning with identical 74s on a day where Hong Kong, China’s Taichi Kho set the scorching pace with 60 to take a six-shot lead over first round leader Jang Yubin of Korea.
Korea continues to lead the men’s team’s competition while Team Singapore slipped from second to eighth place.
In the women’s individual competition, Koh Sock Hwee posted a 70 to progress into the weekend rounds, seven shots behind second round leader Arpichaya Yubol of Thailand in a share of 10th place. Although Amanda Tan and Aloysa Atienza missed the cut in the individual event after returning with scores of 69 and 77 respectively, they will continue to battle for honours in the team competition after making it the halfway cut in a share of seventh place with Hong Kong, China.
“I struggled a little bit at the start but I just remained patient and tried to save pars which I did. I holed a long eagle putt on 17 which gave me some momentum.
“I birdied the first hole after I made the turn but made some loose shots again. But I just hung in there and tried to put together a good score for today,” said Sock Hwee.
Ends.
Women’s
For individual results, click here
For team results, click here
Men’s
For individual results, click here
For team results, click here
Round 1
Leow and Dengshan fire matching 64s to propel Singapore to second place behind Korea
Hangzhou, September 28: James Leow and Koh Dengshan kickstarted their golf campaigns at the 19th Asian Games promisingly with matching first round scores of eight-under-par 64 to lift Singapore to second place behind Korea in the men’s team golf competition that began on Thursday.
Leow, the 2019 SEA Games individual gold medallist, stormed off the blocks with a birdie on the second hole followed by an eagle two on the par-four five. Leow’s only blemish came on the eighth hole where he dropped a shot for a bogey-six.
The 26-year-old then stormed home with four more birdies on holes 10, 12, 15 and 16 before carding another eagle on 17 to sign for a 64.
“It was a good back-nine where it brought back the fire in me. I kept telling myself to keep pushing on and go for a lower score. I was also trying to climb up the leaderboard for the team. It was a great round today and I enjoyed everything,” said Leow.
Dengshan, meanwhile, raced to the turn in 31 after an eagle on eight and three birdies on holes two, five and seven. His birdie blitz continued in his inward-nine where he picked up further gains on holes 11, 12 and 17.
“I got off to a good start with a couple of birdies in the first few holes. I had a good eagle on eight where I hit a good second shot before tapping in. That was the key highlight for me today. I got a good momentum from the front-nine and that helped,” said Dengshan of his bogey-free 64.
In the individual leaderboard, Leow and Dengshan are tied for sixth place with Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai, three shots behind Korea’s Jang Yubin, who leads with his opening 61 at the West Lake International Golf Course.
Ryan Ang signed for a 66 for a share of 15th place while Gregory Foo returned with a 71 for tied-39th place.
In the women’s competition, Koh Sock Hwee posted a 69 where she is bunched in 10th place with four other players including Thailand’s Eila Galitsky, the reigning Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific champion.
Sock Hwee carded two birdies in her first three holes before an eagle three on the par-five eight saw her reach the turn in 32. She stumbled with two bogeys on 13 and 16 before recovering with another birdie on 17 to sign for a 69, where she trails Japanese first round leader Saki Baba by four shots.
“I started my round with a birdie and continued the momentum. I tried not to get too ahead of myself, stayed in the present and gave myself chances. I chipped in for an eagle on eight and that really put me in a good spot. I’ll continue to hit fairways and greens and make those putts,” said Sock Hwee.
Amanda Tan (74) and Aloysa Atienza (76) are in a share of 26th and 29th place respectively. The women’s team ended the day in ninth place on 143 total, nine shots behind host nation China.
The Asian Games golf competition features both individual and team events over four rounds of stroke play. The individual event follows the typical format of a pro tournament, with the player having the lowest score after 72 holes getting the gold medal.
For the team competition, the three best scores from four male players and the two best scores from three female players in each round are combined to determine the medallists.
Ends.
Women’s
For individual results, click here
For team results, click here
Men’s
For individual results, click here
For team results, click here
Team Singapore ready for Asiad challenge
Singapore’s national coach Murray Smit is confident his charges will be up for the challenge when the golf tournament at the 2023 Asian Games 2023 tees off at the West Lake International Golf Course in Hangzhou, China from September 28 to October 1.
The South African, who took over the coaching reins earlier this year, will lead his squad that includes James Leow, Koh Dengshan, Gregory Foo, Ryan Ang, Aloysa Atienza, Amanda Tan and Koh Sock Hwee to the 19th edition of the continental showpiece in China.
Having already led the team to the South East Asia (SEA) Games in May which he described as ‘an amazing experience’, the 32-year-old is upbeat about their chances despite the stiffer challenges from several of the continent’s heavyweights.
“I love the team atmosphere and the incredible vibe surrounding the whole event with top athletes from around the region coming together to compete. The Asian Games will be an even bigger event and I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to attend as part of Team Singapore.
“There is no doubt the other countries will bring extremely strong sides. It is also going to be interesting to see the make-up of those teams as it is now a mix of professional and amateur players.
“In saying that, we have seven brilliant players in our own team, who have all achieved a lot in their own right. They have all been playing a lot of events and working hard on their respective games over the last few months, so I have no doubt that they will be ready. A medal of any sort would be a wonderful achievement and I certainly believe that we have the players capable of achieving that,” said Smit.
The multi-sport event will see golf professionals compete in the men or women events for the first time. The eligibility has got professionals like Koh excited as he now has the chance to don the national colours again for the first time after more than a decade.
“The last time I was in the national team was when I competing as an amateur about 11 years ago. I’m definitely very excited as professionals can now play for our country in the Asian Games. Not only as an individual but also in team event and that really motivates everyone to do their best daily,” said the 35-year-old, who plays primarily on the Asian Tour and Asian Development Tour.
Like Koh, Ang will also be making his Asian Games debut. The amateur drew plaudits when he made the cut at the Singapore Classic – a DP World Tour event – ahead of former Ryder Cup players Thomas Bjorn and Rafa Cabrera-Bello en route to a 67th-place finish and has laid out his bold ambitions ahead of the games.
“I’m really excited for Hangzhou as it’ll be my first Asian Games, and it’s an honour competing alongside my teammates and being the only amateur in the team of four guys. My goal for the upcoming games is to finish as high up the leaderboard as I can, with the aim of bringing home a medal for the country! It’s a big goal to set for sure, but it never hurts to dream big and push myself to strive for something bigger and better!” said Ang, the 2021 Singapore Open Amateur Champion.
While it might be Foo’s fourth appearance at the Asian Games, the joy of flying Singapore’s flag remains palpable for the 2017 SEA Games men’s team gold medallist.
“This will be my fourth Asian Games, so I’m very excited to tee it up in Hangzhou. It really is a privilege to represent your country at any major games and I certainly thought Jakarta in 2018 would be my last Asian games as professionals were not allowed to play at the time. So, I’m definitely very excited to get another opportunity to don national colours again,” said Foo, who joined the professional ranks in 2018.
Leow ended Singapore’s 30-year wait for an individual gold medal in golf at the 2019 SEA Games and all eyes will be on him to repeat his heroics on the bigger stage. The weight of expectations will be on him.
After all, the 26-year-old won the Thunderbird Collegiate and the Pacific Coast Amateur titles in the United States and also represented the Team International side that beat the United States at the prestigious Palmer Cup in 2022. He also clinched both team and individual silver medals at the Nomura Cup- leading Singapore to its best-ever result at the event.
“There’s definitely loads of country pride when you’re selected to represent your country but at the same time there’s some pressure and nerves to compete and come out on top against other Asian country’s top golfers. It’s similar yet a little different as this year, professionals are allowed to be competing in the Asian games as well,” said Leow.
Atienza, who became the first Singaporean woman in more than 30 years to clinch the individual silver medal at the 2022 SEA Games in Hanoi, believes her time in the United States where she is aiming to make her breakthrough on the LPGA, has given her the confidence for a good showing.
“I have been in the US for the last three months where I’ve been training and competing. Having to adapt to the different golf courses and conditions trains me to be more adaptable wherever I go.
“For the Asian Games, my goal and focus would be on myself- to play the best golf I possibly can in every given circumstances. I think that if I’m able to focus on hitting one shot at a time and taking it day-by-day, I’ll be giving myself the best chances at success.,” said Atienza.
The 24-year-old is looking forward to teaming up with Koh and Tan as they battle for glory against some of the world’s best players.
“I never thought I would be playing in the same team as Amanda and Sock Hwee since they joined the professional ranks even before I was in the National Squad. It’s a huge motivation for me to don the national colours for the first time at the Asian Games.
“I cannot really put into words how excited I am to be playing in the Asian Games. It’s also the first time this format is being played where both professionals and amateurs can be in the team.
Asians have been dominating the women’s professional golf scene and it will be amazing to play against some of these top players and also learn from them,” said Atienza.
Amanda, the first Singaporean to earn a card for the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Epson Tour – the second tier of the women’s professional circuit in the United States, is, meanwhile, sharpening her mental fortitude as she seeks to bring more glory to Singapore having joined the play-for-play ranks in 2017.
“My mental game is definitely something I have been focusing a lot more on. I am hoping to keep learning and getting more confidence in my game. It is always special being able to represent Singapore.
“Now after turning professional, being able to do it again and being in a team atmosphere I am definitely excited and looking forward to it,” said Tan.
For Koh, whose career highlights include winning two bronze medals at the 2015 Singapore South East Asia (SEA) Games, the 34-year-old is indeed looking forward to answering her call of duty as she puts the country before herself when she steps up to the tee in China.
“This is the first time since 2015 that I will be participating in a major games, let alone my very first Asian Games. I’m really looking forward to the whole experience – travelling as a team, being in a team environment, cheering and encouraging each other, and playing for something bigger than oneself.
“Professional golf on the road is vastly different to that and golf is such an individual sport that anytime I get to be in a team environment, it is such a nice and different feeling. I am really excited about it,” said Koh.
