The World Amateur Team Championships, a biennial international amateur golf competition, is relocating from Hong Kong to Singapore for its 2020 edition.
The Singapore Golf Association (SGA) will host the two tournaments at Tanah Merah Country Club and Sentosa Golf Club on October 12-24, with the Espirito Santo Trophy for women scheduled from October 14-17 and the Eisenhower Trophy for men taking place from October 21-24.
The International Golf Federation, the organiser, is moving the 2020 edition as a precaution due to the continued uncertainty in Hong Kong.
“We appreciate the SGA’s willingness to host the Championships and its efforts in securing government and local support to enable this to happen on the same dates as scheduled. At the same time, we want to acknowledge and thank the HKGA for all the work it did and its understanding for the decision that we have made. We look forward to the opportunity to hold the Team Championships in Hong Kong at a future date and will be inviting the HKGA to submit a proposal for staging the 2024 edition.” said Antony Scanlon, Executive Director of the IGF.
Kenneth Lam, President of the Hong Kong Golf Association, said: “While the decision to relocate the competitions is naturally disappointing, we wish our friends at the Singapore Golf Association the very best, and we are sure they will put on two fantastic weeks of first-rate competition. We eagerly anticipate the return of the World Amateur Team Championships to Hong Kong in the coming years.”
“The World Amateur Team Championships will be hosted in Singapore for the first time. We look forward to warmly welcome all the top amateur golfers and officials from around the world to our island for a great tournament ahead. We also thank Hong Kong Golf Association for their well wishes, and hope that the Championships will return to Hong Kong soon, added Ross Tan, President of SGA.
Ms Ong Ling Lee, Director, Sports, Singapore Tourism Board, said: “The 2020 World Amateur Team Championships adds to our calendar of world-class sporting events and further entrenches Singapore’s position as a regional sports tourism hub. We look forward to welcoming the travelling players and their accompanying friends and families, and strive to provide them with a memorable experience on and off the golf course. Local golf enthusiasts will also be able to participate in golfing clinics and seminars, in addition to enjoying the top level golfing action.”
Mr Galastein Tan, Head, Partnerships (Major Events & Industry Development), Sport Singapore, said: “Singapore is humbled that the International Golf Federation has chosen to host the World Amateur Team Championships here. While we remain committed to deliver a world-class experience for the participants, the health and safety of everyone is our top-most priority. We are aware that the situation is dynamic and will continue to remain vigilant, with measures in place to ensure the safety and well-being of those involved.”
The World Amateur Team Championships, which date back to 1958, are a biennial competition that includes up to 72 countries competing in 72 holes of stroke play competition. Each country fields two or three players with the two lowest scores counting per round.
The IGF is composed of 151 Member Federations, from 146 countries, representing more than 60 million people who play golf. All national golf federations affiliated to the IGF are being included in the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) of their countries. The IGF is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the international federation for golf. In addition to the World Amateur Team Championships, the IGF also organizes the golf competitions at the Olympic Games and the Youth Olympic Games.
For further information, please contact Singapore Golf Association General Manager, Mr Jerome Ng at jerome@sga.org.sg or Marcom Executive, Mr Raizan Rosli at raizan@sga.org.sg.