Singapore, August 12: Singapore will field one of its strongest-ever golf teams at the 20th Asian Games, with Nicklaus Chiam, James Leow, Hiroshi Tai, Shannon Tan, Amanda Tan and Chen Xingtong selected to represent the nation when the competition tees off at Kasugai Country Club in Nagoya, Japan, from September 30 to October 3, 2026.
The six-player squad brings together an accomplished mix of established professionals and proven talented amateurs, reflecting the rapid progress of Singapore golf on both the regional and international stage.
The selection comes on the back of a landmark period for Singapore golf, highlighted by victories on regional and international professional tours by Tan, Leow and Chiam.
Tan enjoyed a breakthrough campaign on the Ladies European Tour (LET), winning twice before clinching the prestigious LET Order of Merit title last year. Her achievements saw her become the first golfer to be named The Straits Times Athlete of the Year, while also receiving the Outstanding Contribution to Singapore Golf Award.
The 22-year-old has also enjoyed her best major result to date with a tied-sixth finish at the AIG Women’s Open last month, and she delivered another timely reminder of her talent on National Day by securing a third-place finish at the PIF London Championship.
“It’s always a huge honour to represent Singapore, and I’m really excited to be part of the Asian Games team next month!
“I’ve been fortunate to represent Singapore on a few big stages, but every time I put on the national colours, it still means a lot. I’m looking forward to competing, enjoying the experience and hopefully making Singapore proud,” said Tan.
Leow, meanwhile, secured his Asian Tour card after capturing the Asian Development Tour (ADT) title in Saudi Arabia in 2025, while Chiam claimed his maiden professional victory at the PKNS Selangor Masters in February 2026.
“Representing Singapore at the Asian Games is something that means a lot to me. Having had the privilege of representing Singapore at the previous Asian Games, the memories and experience from that week are still very special to me. To have the opportunity to do it again, this time bringing the experience I’ve gained from competing professionally on the Asian Tour, makes it even more meaningful.
“I’m really proud to represent Singapore and excited for the opportunity to compete alongside the best athletes from across Asia. Hopefully, I can use the experience I’ve gained from professional golf, both on and off the course, to contribute to the team and make Singapore proud,” said Leow.
Tai, the reigning Singapore Golf Association (SGA) Male Golfer of the Year, made history in 2025 when he became the first Singaporean to compete at The Masters Tournament. The Georgia Tech graduate has also established himself as one of the country’s finest amateur golfers, highlighted by his victory at the 2024 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship.
17-year-old Chen was named SGA Female Golfer of the Year following a breakthrough season that saw her become the first Singaporean to reach the final of the prestigious U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship in 2025.
She also played a key role in helping Singapore secure the women’s team silver medal at the SEA Games and contributed to Singapore’s best-ever finish of tied-15th at the World Amateur Team Championships (WATC) in 2025.
Amanda, who in 2017 became the first Singaporean to win on the China Ladies Professional Golf Tour, completes the women’s line-up, where she is expected to bring valuable international experience to the squad.
National coach Murray Smit believes Singapore possesses a squad capable of challenging the continent’s best.
“All six players are proven champions in their own right and I have full confidence that they will fly the Singapore flag high in Japan when the competition starts,” said Smit.
Singapore will be aiming for its first podium finish at the Asian Games. At the previous edition in Hangzhou in 2023, the men’s team finished fifth while the women’s team placed eighth.
The Asian Games golf competition will feature both individual and team events contested over four rounds of stroke play. Individual medals will be awarded to the players with the lowest aggregate scores after 72 holes.
For the team event, the two best scores from the three male and female players in each round will count towards the team standings.