California, United States, May 28; Hiroshi Tai will become the first Singaporean to tee up at this year’s U.S. Open as well as the Masters Tournament in 2025 after he won the NCAA Division 1 Men’s Individual Championship on Monday.
Tai’s one-shot victory over six players at the Omni La Costa North Course in Carlsbad, California also meant he is the first Asian player to win the prestigious title in its 127-year history.
With the revised qualification criteria for the Masters tournament, the 22-year-old has earned his spot to Augusta National as the reigning NCAA Division I individual champion after the Georgia Tech sophomore closed with a final round one-under-par 71 for a winning total of three-under-par 285.
Tai had finished his round nearly two hours earlier. He had led by as many as four shots earlier in the day but made an unfortunately triple-bogey on the par-three eight which was his penultimate hole on the front-nine. He then composed himself and made an important par save on the final hole.
“It was pretty nerve-wracking but winning the individual championship means a lot to me,” said the 22-year-old.
“All the guys on the team have really helped me a lot in my past two and a half years here now. That includes not just the six guys here but all the guys back home as well. They are the best friends in my life, and I am really grateful for the relationships.”
Joshua Ho, General Manager of Singapore Golf Association said: “Congratulations to Hiroshi, his family, and his support team for this remarkable achievement.
“His par save on the last hole, following a challenging triple bogey on the 17th hole, demonstrated his maturity and mental resilience—attributes that have been key to his success over the years.
“It is indeed also a proud day for Singapore golf and we are beyond thrilled that Hiroshi has won this prestigious event and earned his place at the US Open and Masters. He also played a crucial role in getting his college, Georgia Tech, to qualify for the quarterfinal of the team championship. We wish him and his team all the best in the team event.”