Saturday 27 November 2010

2 Wins for Marc in Annual MGA SGA Match


Marc Ong, the youngest member of the SGA Men's National Team collected 2 points for Singapore in the Annual Match against The Malaysian Golf Association held at the A'Famosa Golf Resort, Malaysia.

Marc and playing partner Kenji Cheung were defeated in their opening 4-Ball match but Marc bounced back in the Foursomes, pairing up with former Academy student and fellow Singapore Sports School golfer Gregory Foo to beat their Malaysian opponents 3&2. Marc then backed it up with another victory in his Singles Match after beating Low Khai Jei 2&1.

Although a great effort by young Marc, it was not enough to help Team Singapore retain the Annual Trophy with MGA winning 14 1/2 points to SGA 9 1/2 points.

Thursday 25 November 2010

Academy Teenagers Dominate Club Championships

15yr old's Marc Ong and Lim Jia Yi have claimed impressive victories in their respective club championships.

First it was SGA national squad member Marc Ong who took out the 2010 NSRCC Men's Club Championship played over 2 weekends at NSRCC's Kranji Sanctuary course. Marc opened his championship campaign with rounds of 71 and 69 for a commanding 13-shot lead. The 3rd day's play had to be abandoned due to poor weather and Marc then went on to the final round where he further extended his lead and claimed a brilliant wire-to-wire victory.

It was then another teenagers turn to upstage the adults, as Lim Jia Yi made it all the way through to claim victory in the 2010 OCC Ladies Club Matchplay Championship. Jia Yi had a gripping semi-final match against another Academy teenager, Cathleen Wong. The match was all-square coming down the 18th hole where Jia Yi was fortunate to make a 4 against Cathleen's 5 to win the match. Jia Yi then went on to win the final 3&2. Jia Yi's good fortune on the golf course did not stop there, a few days after claiming the Matchplay crown she joined me for a game at Raffles Country Club where she recorded her very first hole-in-one on the par 3, 3rd hole of the Palm Course. Congratulations Jia Yi!

Sunday 21 November 2010

Nicholas Wins Brisbane Amateur Championship


17yr old Nicholas Smits has fired a superb round of 67 at the Keperra Golf Club to take out the Brisbane Amateur Championship.

Nick trained as a junior golfer under my guidance at the Singapore Academy where he collected numerous international titles including the Asia-Pacific Junior Championship and a commendable 3rd place finish at the prestigous World Junior Championship. Realizing Nick's huge potential in the game, arrangements were made for him to continue his training and studies on the Gold Coast, Australia. It was a huge move and sacrifice for a kid of his age to leave his family and friends but Nick's determination, passion and talent for the game has helped make his time in Australia a huge success.

Nicholas now playing off an impressive +3 handicap, trains with Gary Edwin at The Glades Academy and is studying at the All Saints Anglican School, located just a few minutes down the road from the Golf Academy.

Nicholas has recorded some fine results in 2010 including 3rd at the Queensland Boys Amateur Championship, 2nd in the Greg Norman Junior Classic and 2nd in the Gary Player Junior Classic. He also claimed convincing wins in both The Glades and The Colonial Club Championships.

Congratulations Nick on a fine achievement!!

Wire to Wire Victory for Peter Senior


Peter Senior has won the 200 Handa Australian Senior Open title by 3 strokes over Sandy Lyle at the Royal Perth Golf Club.

Senior complete a hugely impressive wire-to-wire victory, compiling rounds of 65-70-72 to post a nine under par winning score to take the €54,498 first prize in what was the first event of the 2011 European Senior Tour season.

Senior, who narrowly missed out on claiming the title in 2009 after losing in a play-off to fellow Australian Mike Harwood, was delighted to finally get his hands on the Handa Australian Senior Open trophy.

He said: “It’s been a great week. The course was sensational and it’s been great to see the European boys out this week. “I would have liked to have played a little bit better coming down the stretch. I think I played a little bit safe, which is why I made a few mistakes, but nobody really came after me. “I’m really happy to finish on top, especially after what happened last year, when I let a lot of guys in. To win golf tournaments whether it’s Senior or the main Tour you’ve still got to play well to win. It still feels great winning tournaments.”

Former Masters and Open Champion Sandy Lyle secured second place on his own with a final round of 69.

Former British Open Champion and PGA Tour commentator Ian Baker-Finch, making his return to tournament golf also put together a solid performance finishing in a tie for 15th on even par. Finchy was on the Gold Coast early this year working on his golf swing with Gary Edwin in preparation for some Senior Tour events.

Congratulations Pete Senior on a well-deserved victory!!

Saturday 20 November 2010

Barr Tees Up with John Daly


Scott Barr has enjoyed his 3rd round of the UBS Hong Kong Open with playing partner and two-time Major Champion John Daly. Daly is always a crowd pleaser and was going along nicely at 2-under through 13 holes before a disappointing double bogey-bogey finish for a round of 71. Barr upstaged his long-hitting playing partner, dropping just one shot on the day for a round of 68.

Peter Senior Holds the Lead


Peter Senior will take a 3-shot lead going into the final round of the 2010 Handa Australian Senior open. Senior added a 2-under par 70 to his first round 65 to be at 9-under for the championship and 3 strokes clear of fellow Aussie Peter Fowler.

The lead could have been larger had it not been for two rare bogeys late in today's second round which will give hope to a suddenly hot chasing pack when it had once appeared gone.

"I played pretty good and had a lot of opportunities through the middle of the round," the Queenslander said. "I thought if I could pick up a couple (of birdies) around 10-13, I might spreadeagle the field and have a little bit of a coast tomorrow, but then a three-putt on 15 and a bogey from nowhere on 16 and it's still a contest."

Senior and Fowler have played many big tournaments together and Senior is convinced it would take something spectacular for one of them not to hold on today.

"Three shots is absolutely nothing. The guys at three under are really going to have to shoot a good score to get in front of myself and `Chooky' because I'm pretty sure that one of us will go ahead". Senior led by four shots heading into the final round of the Open last year at the same venue and was eventually beaten by Mike Harwood in a play-off. "It's there for me to win and there for me to lose ... but I don't want to let them in again" said Senior.

It has been a very consistent year for Senior who competed in his first season on the US Champions Tour in 2010, making the cut in all 25 events played and finishing top 25 in 18 of these tournaments. Senior ammassed US$821,666 in prizemoney in his rookie year on the Champions Tour, finishing 20th and securing his playing rights for the 2011 season.

Best of luck to Pete for tomorrow's final round!

Thursday 18 November 2010

68 for Scott Barr in Hong Kong

Scott Barr opened his UBS Hong Kong Open campaign with a round of 68 that included 5 birdies.

Fabrizio Zanotti who trains at the UK Academy with Luke Ringrose also played nicely with an opening round of 67.

Monday 15 November 2010

Barclays Singapore Open - Final Round


Scott Barr returned to Sentosa in the early hours of monday morning to complete his final round of the 2010 Singapore Open. Barr had 9-holes remaining on his round and started nicely with a birdie on the 1st hole. He picked up another 2 birdies on the 5th and 6th before dropping a shot at the 9th...his final hole of the championship to close out the tournament with a 1-under par round of 70. Daniel Vancsik finished the tournament in a tie with Scott on 3-over for the championship.

Congratulations to Adam Scott (pic right) who shot a final round 68 to win his 3rd Singapore Open title!!

Sunday 14 November 2010

A Monday Finish for Barclays Singapore Open

After a long week of disruptions to play owing to bad weather, the final round of the Singapore Open was delayed for 5 and a half hours as heavy rain and lightning covered the Serapong course.

Players went back out on course late on Sunday afternoon to complete as much as they could of their final round before darkness set in. Play will resume at 7:30am on monday morning with Adam Scott still holding onto the lead.

Saturday 13 November 2010

Barclays Singapore Open - Round 3

Play got under way in the 3rd round at Sentosa Golf Club without many of the tournament's high profile players. With the halfway cut at 3-under par, the likes of European players Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington, Robert Karlson and Paul McGinley all found themselves outside the cut mark after 2 rounds. Also having the weekend off are two of Asia's leading players Thaworn Wiratchant and Noh Seung Yul who is trying to become the Asian Tour's youngest ever Order of Merit winner.

Friday 12 November 2010

Barclays Singapore Open - Round 2

Right-Siders Scott Barr and Daniel Vancsik have survived the halfway cut at the US$6million dollar Barclays Singapore Open. Barr could not quite keep the momentum going from his earlier morning round where he recorded 7 birdies and an eagle. After a very long and exhausting day which saw Barr complete 31 holes, he ended the day on a total of 3-under par for the tournament. Argentina's Daniel Vancsik who trains with Right-Sided coach Luke Ringrose clawed his way back into the tournament with a round of 66 to be at 4-under for the Championship.

Singapore Sports School student Edgar Oh was doing a terrific job at managing his game against a world-class professional field and stood at even par through his first 11 holes around Serapong...one of the toughest courses in the region. The young star found the going tough through the next stretch of 6 holes which are notorious for claiming many victims. Edgar narrowly missed his birdie on the 18th and tapped in for a par and a round of 77, receiving a huge applause from the local supporters. What an amazing experience for a 14yr old!!

Australian Adam Scott who played a practice round on tuesday with our own Edgar Oh, fired consecutive rounds of 65 to take the 2nd round lead on 12-under par. Adam is 2 shots ahead of defending champion Ian Poulter.

Barclays Singapore Open - Round 1 Continued


Play resumed at 7:30am on friday morning for those players who were yet to complete thursdays opening round. Scott Barr (pic above)resumed his 1st round on the Tanjong course with par at the 6th and 7th holes before a brilliant approach shot on the par 4 9th hole hit the flagstick, setting up a birdie opportunity which he converted to close out his first nine holes of the tournament with a 6-under par score of 30. Barr then added another birdie on the difficult 11th before two terrific shots on the par 5 12th set him up for an eagle opportunity and a chance to take the outright lead on 9-under. The eagle putt narrowly slid past the edge of the hole but Barr tapped in the birdie for a share of the lead on 8-under par through 12 holes. With a 3-putt bogey on the 13th and a birdie on 16th, Barr was still holding a share of the lead with two holes to play.

Barr hit yet another great approach shot into the par 4 17th hole which set up a 6ft birdie putt and another opportunity to take the outright lead. He was unable to convert the birdie and with a bogey up the last, Barr signed off for a very impressive yet slightly disappointing round of 64.

Thursday 11 November 2010

Barclays Singapore Open - Round 1


Singapore Sports School student Edgar Oh (pic above) made history when he teed off this morning alongside Indian Jyoti Randhawa and Australia's Richard Moir at the Singapore Open. Edgar becoming the tournament's youngest ever qualifier at just 14yrs of age. After hitting a terrific approach shot into Tanjong's 4th hole, the siren went off and play was suspended due to inclement weather. A 4hr rain delay was to follow and all afternoon tee times were then pushed back meaning that Scott Barr did not hit his first shot of the tournament until 5:10pm, leaving very little light in the day.

Edgar played some commendable golf for a young kid in what is now being called "The Major of Asia", placing himself in position to shoot a solid even par round until some unfortunate putting woes on the final green. Edgar settled for an opening round of 75 however the score did not reflect how well he struck the ball and composed himself under the pressure of being the tournament's youngest competitor.

Scott Barr came out of the blocks firing on all cylinders as he put together birdies on the 3rd, 4th and 5th holes before a magnificent approach on the par 5 6th hole set up a short eagle opportunity which he rolled in to go 5-under through his first 6 holes. Unfortunately just as he was building some good momentum, play was suspended for the day due to darkness.

Preparing for the Barclays Singapore Open


Scott Barr accompanied Singapore Open Amateur Champion Edgar Oh for his final round of practice at the Tanjong course in preparation for the opening round of the 2010 Barclays Singapore Open. This years tournament will see 204 players compete over 2 rounds on the Serapong and Tanjong courses at Sentosa Golf Club before the field is cut to the top 65 players who will then play over the weekend on the demanding Serapong course.

Other Right-Siders in the field this week include Daniel Vancsik, Jason King and Fabrizio Zanotti who trains under the guidance of Luke Ringrose at the UK Academy.

Wednesday 10 November 2010

Edgar plays alongside Adam Scott


14yr old Academy student Edgar Oh was privileged on tuesday with the opportunity to rub shoulders with 2005/2006 Barclays Singapore Open Champion and reigning Australian Open Champion Adam Scott. Joining them for tuesdays practice round was 2-time Asian Tour winner David Gleeson as well as Guido Van Der Valk of the Netherlands.

Adam was full of praise and encouragement for the young Singaporean!

Edgar earned his place in the 2010 Barclays Singapore Open by virtue of his impressive victory in this years Singapore Open Amateur Championship. Edgar will create history when he tees it up on thursday as the youngest ever to play in the Singapore Open. He is also one of the youngest ever to compete in a European Tour event.

Best of luck this week to both Edgar and Adam!!

Monday 1 November 2010

Jason King Tops Singapore Open Qualifiers


Asian Tour player Jason King has emerged at the top of the qualifying field for the 2010 Barclays Singapore Open. Jason shot 67 around The Tanjong Course at Sentosa Golf Club to tie with South Korean Kim Young Jin and claim one of 5 qualifying spots that were on offer.

Jason was recently in Singapore working on his game at the Academy prior to the Iskandar Johor Open. King is a good ball-striker and a very long hitter who I expect to put up a good showing at Sentosa next week.

The US$6million Barclays Singapore Open will tee off at Sentosa Golf Club from November 11-14. This years event will have all four Major champions of 2010, headed by US Open winner and Europe's Ryder Cup hero Graeme McDowell. He will be joined in the elite field by Masters champion Phil Mickelson, British Open winner Louis Oosthuizen and US PGA Champion Martin Kaymer. 3-time Major champion Padraig Harrington, Asia's first Major winner Y.E. Yang and 2-time Singapore Open Champion Adam Scott will also be in Singapore to contend for the prestigous title.

For the second year running the Barclays Singapore Open will be joint-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and The European Tour and for the first time a field of 204 players will compete on both The Serapong and The Tanjong Courses.