ACADEMY of GOLF - Singapore

Top 10 for Pampling at Farmers Insurance Open

2012-01-30T19:23:00.001-08:00

Rod Pampling has closed out his week at Torrey Pines with a 1-under par 71 to finish in a tie for 8th place at the PGA Tour's Farmers Insurance Open. Pampling's 10-under par total was 6 shots back of eventual winner Brandt Snedeker. This is a great start to the season for Rod as he collected a cheque for US$162,000.

Pampling 9-under at Torrey Pines

2012-01-28T23:11:00.000-08:00

Gary Edwin Tour Player Rod Pampling is 9-under through 3 rounds of the PGA Tour's Farmers Insurance Open. After a brilliant bogey-free opening round of 8-under par 64 on the North Course, Pampling posted a disappointing 2nd round 75 on the South Course before bouncing back with a solid 3rd round of 68. Rod is currently in a tie for 11th place and in great shape to record a top 10 finish with one round to play.

Marc Cruises to Victory in China

2012-01-13T02:47:00.000-08:00

After finishing runner-up last year, 16yr old Singaporean Marc Ong has gone one better, claiming a wire-to-wire victory at the 2012 HSBC China Junior Open.

Marc closed out the week with a round of 71, for an impressive 3-day total of 10-under par and a massive 9-stroke margin of victory. After final round birdies on both the 3rd and 9th holes, Marc all but secured the victory with a brilliant eagle on the par 5 10th hole to reach 13-under par for the championship....opening up a commanding lead. Marc momentarily stumbled with a triple-bogey on the par 4 12th hole but bounced back in style making a birdie 2 at the short 13th hole before cruising through the final 5 holes in even par to take the title.

Marc had a total of 19 birdies and 1 eagle for the tournament....an amazing effort for a junior golfer! Congrats on a great start to the year!!

Marc Leads HSBC China Junior Open

2012-01-12T19:32:00.000-08:00

Academy junior Marc Ong has opened up a commanding 7-stroke lead at the 2012 HSBC China Junior Golf Open in Guangzhou. Marc blitzed his way around the Guangzhou Nansha Golf Club, recording an incredible 15 birdies through the first 36 holes of the tournament. After brilliant rounds of 68 and 67, the 16yr old is on a total of 9-under par and in a commanding position to claim victory with just one round left to be played. Marc's nearest rival is Japanese golfer Shion Okawa who is 2-under par for the tournament, with Mexico's Alfredo Ruiz a further stroke back on 1-under.

It has been a great week so far for Marc who earlier recorded his first ever hole-in-one during the tournament practice round! The Academy wishes to congratulate Marc on this achievement and wishes him all the very best in todays final round.

Ramsay McMaster will be Sadly Missed

2011-12-30T19:31:00.000-08:00

Our Golf Academy has been saddened by the tragic news that world-renowned golf fitness trainer and friend Ramsay McMaster passed away on the evening of 29 December 2011.

This sudden and most unexpected news is a huge loss to the golf industry. Ramsay was a true pioneer of golf-specific physiotherapy. His knowledge and expertise in the area of golf fitness, injury prevention and rehabilitation changed the lives of thousands of golfers across the globe. His energy and passion was a huge inspiration to all those golfers fortunate to have trained under him or professionals who worked alongside him.

We were most privileged to have Ramsay conduct several golf fitness workshops at our Singapore Academy over the years, leaving a lasting impression and influence on all students and staff who had the pleasure of meeting him.

I am truly grateful to have known Ramsay both as a professional golf service provider and a friend. His incredible energy, personality and passion for life will be missed but not forgotten. My spikey-ball will continue to have a place in my suitcase throughout all of my travels!

The Academy's thoughts and prayers are with Ramsay's wife, children and family at this difficult time.

Marc Ong 3rd at SICC Junior Invitational

2011-12-24T16:52:00.000-08:00

Three Academy juniors have finished inside the top 10 in the Boys 'A' division at the 20th SICC-DBS Junior Invitational Golf Championship. Marc Ong recorded the best performance of our juniors after three steady rounds of 72,72,73 at Singapore Island Country Club's Old Course. His 1-over par total put him in 3rd place. Edgar Oh closed out his tournament with a very good final round of 2-under par 70 for 7th place, while Abdul Hadi's final round 75 gave him 10th place.

Former Academy student and Singaporean Gregory Foo ran away the Boys 'A' division title after an incredibly impressive week of play on his home course. Gregory fired a 3-round total of 12-under par, streeting the field and claiming a massive 10 shots margin of victory. This included a brilliant 2nd round score of 7-under par 65! Gregory has had a terrific junior record of achievement. During his many years training under our Academy he claimed such titles as the Asia-Pacific Junior Championship as well as a 3rd placing at the prestigous Callaway Junior World Championships.

This years event was represented by junior golfers from countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Korea, Japan, India, UK, Australia and the Unites States.

Solid Finish for Barr in Thailand

2011-12-18T02:35:00.000-08:00

Scott Barr closed out his 2011 season on the Asian Tour by finishing in 18th place behind world no.2 Lee Westwood in the Thailand Golf Championship. Barr ended the week around the difficult Amata Spring Country Club on a total of 2-under par, collecting 17 birdies along the way.

Even after Barr's good performance in Thailand, he was unable to climb any higher on the Asia Tour Order Of Merit, finishing the year in 26th position and comfortably earning his full playing rights for 2012.

It was also a very good week for former Academy student Lam Zhi Qun (below) who made the cut on his professional debut. The young Singaporean was playing on a sponsors invitation and didn't disappoint, finishing in a commendable 27th place on 1-over par for the tournament. Lam groomed his skills for several years as a junior golfer under our Academy's training program with the Singapore Sports School, collecting many junior and amateur championship titles. Lam will head to the Asian Tour Qualifying School in January in a bid to earn his tour card for the 2012 season. We wish Lam all the very best for his professional career.

Peter Senior T4th in JBWere Masters

2011-12-18T02:20:00.000-08:00

52yr old Peter Senior has capped off a terrific year by finishing in a tie for 4th behind winner Ian Poulter at the JBWere Masters in Australia. Senior put together 4 sub-par scores of 69,70,68 and 70 around Melbourne's Victoria Golf Club to upstage many of Australia's finest young players. Senior also ended the week 3 shots ahead of tournament drawcard and world no.1 Luke Donald.

Congratulations Pete on your brilliant play in 2011!

Phoebe Wins HSBC Youth Challenge

2011-12-07T04:34:00.000-08:00

Phoebe Tan wrapped up the 3rd and Final Leg of the HSBC Youth Challenge Series for 2011 with a 3-shot victory in the Girls 'A' division after a final round 78. In the Boys 'A' division, Princeton Yeo played some very solid golf for the week but had to settle for 2nd place after his 3rd and final round score of 76 was no match for eventual winner Joshua Ho who fired a 2-under par 70. Fellow Academy junior Leonard Tee also recorded a commendable result in the Boys 'B' division (12-14yrs), after finishing in 2nd place behind winner Yash Madjmudar.

HSBC Youth Challenge Update

2011-12-06T01:54:00.000-08:00

The 3rd Leg of the HSBC Youth Golf Challenge is currently being played at the Laguna National Golf & Country Club, venue for the European Tour's former co-sanctioned Singapore Masters. (pic above)

Several of our Academy's junior golfers have put together a good performance so far in the competition and are in contention with just one round to play on the difficult and heavily water-logged Masters course.

In the Boys 'A' division (15-17yrs), Princeton Yeo is in 2nd place after solid rounds of 76,73. Abdul Hadi also survived the 2-round cut. Unfortunately Academy junior Edgar Oh who is the HSBC Youth Challenge defending champion on this golf course was forced to withdraw from the event prior to the opening round. Last year Edgar put together a blistering opening round of 7-under par 65 and went on to claim the title.

In the Boys 'B' division (12-14yrs), Leonard Tee finds himself in with a great chance to taste victory, currently sitting in 2nd place and just one shot off the lead after posting scores of 78,76. Other juniors to make the cut in this division were Lucius Toh, Nicholas Mok, Jordan Tsan and M.Vickneshwaran.

In the Girls 'A' division (15-17yrs), Phoebe Tan has a commanding 7 stroke lead after recording a terrific 1-under par 71 in today's 2nd round of competition. While in the Girl's 'B' division, Maisarah Bte Saadon and Rachael Lim are in 5th and 6th place respectively.

Barr Finishes Well in Hong Kong

2011-12-04T13:30:00.000-08:00

Academy Touring Professional Scott Barr has recorded a strong performance in another of the European Tour's co-sanctioned events in Asia after finishing in a tie for 17th place behind eventual winner Rory McIlroy at the 2011 UBS Hong Kong Open.

Barr posted rounds of 69,71,68 and 69 at the Hong Kong Golf Club, picking up a cheque for US$34,925.00 which has helped move him up to 26th place on the 2011 Asian Tour Order Of Merit with just the one event remaining. Scott has struck the ball extremely well in his last 3 weeks competing in the European Tour co-sanctioned events in Asia. Even with his putter not being at it's best, his scoring average for these 3 European Tour events was 69.2!

The final event of the season on the Asian Tour will be the US$1million Thailand Golf Championship to be played from Dec 15-18 at Amata Spring Country Club in Bangkok.

Pampling shoots 66 on Moving Day at Coolum

2011-11-26T16:11:00.000-08:00

Rod Pampling has made his charge up the leaderboard on the 3rd day of play at the Australian PGA Championship after shooting a brilliant 66. Pampling's round which included 7 birdies was the lowest score recorded in the field yesterday at Hyatt Coolum and moved him up inside the top 10 on 7-under par for the Championship.

Fellow Gary Edwin Tour player and the defending champion, Peter Senior, couldn't quite get anything going in the 3rd round. Senior settled for an even par 72 which has him on a total of 1-under for the Championship.

With 5 of last week's President Cup players currently amongst the top 10, the stage is set for an exciting finish.

Barr T2nd at SPGA Testimonial Event

2011-11-24T19:38:00.000-08:00

Scott Barr has finished in a tie for 2nd place at the 54-hole SPGA Testimonial Tournament. The event was played at the Warren Golf & Country Club where extremely undulating greens always provide a difficult challenge. Barr fired rounds of 69,72 and 68 to fall just one stroke short of fellow Australian and Asian Tour player Unho Park who stormed to victory with a closing round of 65.

Sock Hwee Leads 26th SEA Games

2011-11-15T13:40:00.000-08:00

Academy student Koh Sock Hwee has fired a brilliant round of 3-under par 69 on the opening day of competition to take the early lead at the 26th SEA Games in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Sock Hwee played near flawless golf around the difficult Jagorawi Golf & Country Club to gain a one stroke lead in the Women's Individual Event over Malaysia's Kelly Tan and Thailand's Pinrath Loomboonru who both shot similar rounds of 2-under par 70. Sock Hwee is using experience to her advantage, with this being her 3rd time representing Singapore at the prestigious South-East Asian Games.

In the Women's Team Event, Koh Sock Hwee(69)and Amelia Yong(75) combined to put Team Singapore in 3rd place on the opening day, just 2 strokes behind Malaysia and 1 shot behind Thailand.

Solid Finish for Barr at Sentosa

2011-11-13T21:58:00.000-08:00

Scott Barr fired a 3rd and final round 68 to end his campaign at the US$6million Barclays Singapore Open on a total of 6-under par and in a tie for 23rd alongside major winners Ernie Els and Y.E Yang, with tournament drawcard Phil Mickelson a further shot back on 5-under.

Barr, who was paired in the final round with 2010 US Open Champion Graeme McDowell, put together 4 birdies and just the one bogey on the last day of the rain-shortened event. This result has moved Barr up to 30th on the Asian Tour's Order of Merit with 3 events remaining for the season.

The championship was eventually won in thrilling fashion by Spains Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano who prevailed over Juvic Pagunsan in a 2-hole playoff. The Asian and Eurpoean Tour's will now go across the border to Malaysia where players will compete in this week's US$2million Iskandar Johor Open.

Singapore Open Reduced to 54 Holes

2011-11-12T05:22:00.000-08:00

After yet another wet and miserable day at Sentosa, tournament organizers have been forced to reduce the $6million Barclays Singapore Open to 54-holes. Only a handfull of groups got their 3rd rounds underway before the lightning storm covered the island for more than 5hrs before play was abandoned on Saturday.

Scott Barr will return to the golf course early tomorrow morning to complete his 3rd and final round alongside 2010 US Open Champion Graeme McDowell!

Rain Delay Stalls Barr's Momentum

2011-11-11T15:45:00.000-08:00

In an all too familiar scene at the US$6million Barclays Singapore Open, play was suspended in yesterday's 2nd round at Sentosa for 2hrs 45mins due to a lightning storm.

The suspension of play came just as Academy Touring Professional Scott Barr climbed to 5-under par for the tournament and in a tie for 10th place. Upon returning to the golf course, Barr dropped shots on his opening two holes but pulled his game together on Serapongs difficult back nine to shoot an even par round of 71 to go with his 1st round score of 68. Scott made a terrific birdie putt on the 18th hole yesterday to assure himself a place in the field for the weekend, but will have to wait for several groups to complete their 2nd rounds early this morning before the cut is decided and the 3rd round draw can be made.

Senior Secures 3rd in Charles Schwab Cup

2011-11-06T17:37:00.000-08:00

Peter Senior ended a terrific 2011 campaign on the Champions Tour with a solid 3-under par round of 68 in the Charles Schwab Cup Championship. Senior's 68 equalled the lowest round of the day at Harding Park and moved him into 17th place for the championship.

This result earned Senior enough ranking points to collect the US$300,000 bonus for securing 3rd place in the season-running Charles Schwab Cup. Senior played consistently well throughout 2011, racking up 12 top 10's and amassing US$1,434,119 in prizemoney. With 3 runner-up finishes that included 2 playoff losses, the only thing that could have made Senior's year sweeter would have been a victory.

Congratulations to Pete and coach Gary Edwin on a fantastic season!!

Marc 2nd at Selangor Amateur Open

2011-11-05T16:36:00.000-07:00

Marc Ong produced another impressive performance for a 15yr old junior golfer after finishing in 2nd place at the 2011 Selangor Amateur Open.

Marc shot an opening round of 2-over par 74, before launching himself into contention with a fantastic 6-under par 66 on day two of the tournament. His 66 around Perangsang Templer Golf Club was the lowest score recorded by any player for the week and included 7 birdies and just the one bogey on his 17th hole. Trailing by 4-shots heading into the final round, Marc posted a very commendable 1-under par round of 71 but could still not make up any ground on the leader as fellow countryman Jerome Ng ran away from the field with a closing 3-under par 69. It was an impressive wire-to-wire victory for Jerome and a terrific result for Singapore golf as members of the 2011 SEA Games team all showed solid form, taking out the top 3 places after Choo Tze Huang secured 3rd place behind Marc with a fine closing round of 68.

Congratulations Marc on yet another great tournament and best of luck to the Singapore team for the upcoming SEA Games in Jakarta!

5th Nationwide Tour Win for Coles

2011-10-23T20:02:00.000-07:00

Gavin Coles has carded a 1-over-par 71 in extremely tough windy conditions to beat Sweden's Jonas Blixt by one shot and win the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open. The victory is the first of the year for Coles and the 5th of his career on the Nationwide Tour. With the victory came a cheque for US$108,000....moving Gavin up to No. 15 on the Money List entering next week's season-ending Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island.
With the Top-25 money winners after next week's finale earning themselves PGA TOUR cards for 2012, Coles has all but assured himself a spot back on the main tour.

Congratulations to Gavin and coach Gary Edwin!

Coles Takes the Lead in Jacksonville

2011-10-23T04:46:00.000-07:00

Gary Edwin Tour Player Gavin Coles has a one-stroke advantage over the field heading into the final round of the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open. Coles has shot rounds of 70,64 and 69 around Dye's Valley Course at the TPC Sawgrass, averaging just 25 putts per round.
A victory this week will almost ensure Coles a return to the PGA Tour, with the Top 25 on the Nationwide Tour moneylist earning full playing rights for the 2012 season. The Tour Championship is the only event remaining to be played after the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open.

Aguilar Tied 3rd at Portugal Masters

2011-10-17T23:02:00.000-07:00

Head Gary Edwin Golf UK Instructor Luke Ringrose has had a fine result with his student Felipe Aguilar at the Portugal Masters. Aguilar posted four sensational rounds of 66,66,67,71 to end his week at the Oceanico Victoria Golf Course on 18-under par and in a tie for 3rd place. Aguilar collected a cheque for 110,000 Euros and has now moved up to 48th on the European Tour's Race to Dubai.

Well done Luke and great play Felipe!

Senior 5th at AT&T Championship

2011-10-17T21:49:00.000-07:00

A final round 67 has left Peter Senior in 5th position at the Champion Tour's AT&T Championship. With this result, Senior clocked up his 12th top 10 finish of the season (only Mark Calcavecchia has more top 10's)and keeps his hopes alive of winning the Charles Schwab Cup. Senior is one of only 5 players who still have a chance of earning enough points in the final event of the season to claim the Cup and the US$1million bonus purse that goes with it!

Remarkably, Pete Senior finished the tournament without making a bogey, marking the second time he has done so this year and the third time he has accomplished this feat in his two seasons on the Champions Tour. Dating back to the previous tournament, Senior has a run of 58 consecutive holes without a bogey and will carry that string into the first round of the upcoming Charles Schwab Cup Championship later this month.

Barr Contends at Indian Open

2011-10-15T21:41:00.000-07:00

After rounds of 67 and 70, Scott Barr is 7-under par and in a tie for 4th heading into the weekend at the US$1.25million Indian Open being played at Delhi Golf Club. Barr has managed to eagle the par 5, 8th hole during both the 1st two rounds of the championship!

Academy Juniors Dominate Faldo Series

2011-10-14T21:09:00.000-07:00

Academy Juniors have occupied 6 of the top 8 places in the U16 division at the recent Faldo Series Singapore, held at the Tanah Merah Tampines Course.

Continuing his fine play this season, 15yr old Marc Ong clinched victory with birdies on his last 2 holes for a total of 1-over par for the championship. The win qualifies him for the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final to be played at Mission Hills Golf Club, China in March 2012.

Fellow Academy student and defending champion, Edgar Oh, fought his way into 3rd place with a brilliant final round of 3-under par 69. Lucius Toh 5th, Abdul Hadi 6th, Nicholas Mok 7th and Jordan Tsan 8th also put together good performances.

Pampling one back at Frys.com Open

2011-10-06T19:42:00.000-07:00

Rod Pampling has put together 5 birdies and 2 bogeys for an opening round of 69 at CordeValle Golf Club to end the first round of the Frys.com Open just one shot off the lead. A good finish this week could secure Rod his full PGA Tour card for the 2012 season.

Teenager Performing well in Thailand

2011-10-06T19:19:00.000-07:00

15yr old Marc Ong is once again demonstrating his potential after 3 steady rounds of 72,72,71 have him on a total of 1-under par and 6 shots off the lead with one round to play at the 77th Singha Thailand Amateur Open. Marc has played solid all year and will be looking for his form to peak in time for next month's SEA Games in Jakarta, where he will become Singapore's youngest ever SEA Games golf representative!

Coles Finishes Tied 4th in Texas

2011-10-03T19:16:00.000-07:00

Gavin Coles fired a terrific 3rd round of 65 to put himself in contention for a 5th Nationwide Tour victory at the WNB Golf Classic but could not quite get the job done in the final round, coming up 3 shots short of the playoff. Coles took the lead heading into the back nine on Sunday but dropped shots on 16 and 17 ended his chances of victory. It was still a solid week for Gavin....finishing 15-under par and moving up to 39th on the Nationwide Tour moneylist. The top 25 players at the end of the season will receive full playing rights on the PGA Tour for 2012.

Marc Bounces Back with Brilliant 68

2011-10-01T18:35:00.000-07:00

Marc Ong put together a brilliant 4-under par round of 68 during yesterday's 3rd round of the Asian Amateur Championship at the Singapore Island Country Club. Teeing off the 10th hole, the 15yr old Academy junior strung together 3 birdies on the back nine, before dropping his only shot of the day on the par 4 3rd hole with an unfortunate 3-putt. The teenager then collected another two birdies at the 6th and 8th holes before setting himself up with a very makeable birdie putt on the par 5, 9th....his final hole of the day. The putt for 67 narrowly missed but his 68 was still the lowest 3rd round score posted by a Singaporean and this moved Marc up more than 20 places on the leaderboard into a tie for 35th amongst the best 120 Amateur golfers in the Asia-Pacific region.

Other Singapore golfers who have graduated through our Academies training program with the Singapore Sports School and are also performing very well this week include Lam Zhi Qun 74,66,74....George Foo 73,72,71 and Gregory Foo 74,71,73.

Pampling Opens with 66 in Las Vegas

2011-10-01T06:43:00.000-07:00

Rod Pampling has put together 7 birdies for an opening round of 66 at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open on the PGA Tour. Pampling took just 25 putts around the TPC Summerlin course and is in a tie for 5th place.

Peter Senior 2 behind at SAS Championship

2011-09-30T06:56:00.000-07:00

Peter Senior is once again amongst the leaders at a Champions Tour event after posting a 1st round score of 5-under par 67 at the SAS Championship. Senior recorded 5 birdies and no bogeys around Prestonwood Country Club to trail Corey Pavin by just two shots.

Academy Junior Youngest in Asian Amateur Field

2011-09-29T23:25:00.000-07:00

15yr old Marc Ong was not only the youngest player to qualify for this year's Asian Amateur Championship, but he also had the honor of hitting the opening tee shot of the Championship yesterday.

Marc teed off early yesterday morning at the Singapore Island Country Club's New Course alongside Australia's current no.1 ranked amateur Matt Stieger and Chinese Taipei's Lee Chieh-Po. Marc played a very steady opening round of 72 which included two birdies and two bogeys. It has been a terrific experience so far for the teenager, who yesterday played in front of members of the Augusta National committee including Chairman Mr Bill Payne. Marc also had the pleasure of meeting with former World No.1 and six-time Major winner Sir Nick Faldo who is in Singapore as a tournament guest.

The winner of the 2011 Asian Amateur Championship will receive an invitation to play in the 2012 US Masters, and together with the runner-up, will earn a place in International Final Qualifying for the 2012 Open Championship.

See news articles...

http://www.asianamateurchampionship.com/en/news/2011/Opening-tee-shots.aspx

http://www.asianamateurchampionship.com/en/news/2011/Marc-Ong-interview.aspx

Senior Edged Out in Playoff

2011-09-20T19:08:00.000-07:00

Peter Senior has finished runner-up on the US Champions Tour for the 3rd time this season after losing out in a 4-way playoff at the Songdo IBD Championship in Korea.

Senior stormed his way up the leaderboard and into the playoff with a brilliant bogey-free final round of 8-under par 64! Senior joined Mark O'Meara, John Cook and Jay Don Blake in a sudden-death playoff after all four finished the tournament 13-under par. Senior was edged out of the playoff together with O'Meara on the 3rd hole before Jay Don Blake birdied the 5th extra hole to clinch the title from John Cook.

This continues what has been a very impressive 2011 Champions Tour campaign for Senior, with ten top 10 finishes now placing him 3rd on the Charles Schwab Cup rankings. Senior has now collected US$1,240,429.00 in prizemoney this season.

While disappointing for Pete to once again come so close to a maiden Champions Tour victory...it was another terrific performance and keeps him well in the hunt for the Charles Schwab Cup!

Marc shoots 66 on route to Putra Cup Victory

2011-09-13T19:30:00.000-07:00

Marc Ong, Choo Tze Huang, Gregory Foo and Jerome Ng have claimed the 51st Putra Cup for Singapore with a brilliant victory at the South-East Asian Amateur Golf Team Championship. Team Singapore trailed Hong Kong, Indonesia and Malaysia through 2 rounds but then vaulted their way to the top of the leaderboard in round 3 after all four team members posted rounds in the 60's. Singapore's charge to the top was lead by 15yr old Academy student Marc Ong who fired a fantastic 66 around Hong Kong's Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club. Singapore managed to hold off Hong Kong and Indonesia in the final round to eventually win the Cup by 5 strokes.

In the overall individual championship, Marc Ong began the final round just 2 shots off the lead and after a shaky start by his rivals, Marc hit the lead early on the front nine. 3-putt bogeys on the 8th and 9th holes plus a disappointing back nine unfortunately dropped him out of the title contention. The individual title went to fellow countryman and former Academy student Choo Tze Huang who despite finding water on the 72nd hole, held on to claim his 2nd victory at this event. Congratulations to the boys on a great achievement!!

Sock Hwee Closes with 69 at Santi Cup

2011-09-13T19:28:00.000-07:00

Koh Sock Hwee has fired a terrific closing round of 69 to finish in 10th place in the Ladies division of the South-East Asian Amateur Golf Championship in Hong Kong. Sock Hwee was the leading Singaporean in the Championship, with the Singapore Team finishing in 5th place behind Thailand for the 3rd Santi Cup.

Singapore National Amateur Update

2011-08-24T09:41:00.000-07:00

Marc Ong continued his solid play from yesterday with a 2nd round score of 72 to complete the strokeplay section of the National Amateur Championship in 1-under par. Marc qualified through to the matchplay section of the championship in 2nd place behind Gregory Foo.

Other Academy students to perform well and earn themselves a spot in the matchplay were Billie Pay(4th), Princeton Yeo(13th) and 14yr old Lucius Toh who hung in their to take the 15th spot.

In the Ladies division....Koh Sock Hwee shot 76 to climb up and claim the number one qualifying spot after 36 holes of strokeplay. With the Ladies tees pushed well back, the Palm Course proved to be a very difficult challenge for the girls. Phoebe Tan also qualified through to the matchplay after finishing the strokeplay in 5th place.

Marc Leads National Amateur Championship

2011-08-23T07:23:00.000-07:00

15yr old Academy student Marc Ong has taken a share of the first round lead after shooting a solid bogey-free round of 1-under par 71 at the 2011 Singapore National Amateur Championship. Marc made the turn at the Raffles Country Club Palm Course in 1-under par before reeling off 9 consecutive pars on the back nine.

The Championship is played over 36 holes of strokeplay with the top 16 players in the Men's division then qualifying for the matchplay section of the tournament, where the championship will be decided.

Marc shares the lead with former Academy student Gregory Foo. During his time training at our Academy, Greg had an outstanding junior record of achievement, winning numerous titles including the Asia-Pacific Junior Championship, Singapore Junior Open Golf Championship as well as a 3rd place finish at the prestigous Callaway Junior World Championships.

The Singapore National Amateur Championship has provided much success to our Academy students over the years, with the likes of Daren Lim, Patrick Tang, Lam Zhi Qun and Quincy Quek hoisting the trophy. In actual fact, 9 of the 11 winners in the National Amateur Championship's history have come through our Academy's training program!

Koh Sock Hwee, having recently just returned from competing at the World University Games, is currently in 4th position amongst the Ladies after her opening round. The National Amateur Championship included a Ladies division for the first time in 2010 and was won by another former Academy student Melissa Loh.

Senior 2nd in Race for Charles Schwab Cup

2011-08-22T00:18:00.000-07:00

Peter Senior has missed out on joining Fred Couples and John Cook in a playoff for the Senior Players Championship by just one shot. Senior's final round 71 at Westchester Country Club was not quite enough to secure his first Champions Tour Major but was good enough for outright 3rd place and a nice cheque for US$194,400.00. Pete's record in the Senior Major's this year has been most impressive, finishing inside the top 6 in four of the five Major Championships.

Senior might not have closed out the victory at Westchester, however the 3rd place finish secured him enough points to charge up to 2nd place in the Charles Schwab Cup standings. The winner of the Charles Schwab Cup at the end of the season will walk away with a US$1million bonus.

Well done Pete on another great effort!

Sock Hwee Top 30 at World University Games

2011-08-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

SLGA National player Koh Sock Hwee has recorded a 30th place finish at the World University Games held at Mission Hills in Shenzhen, China. Competing against the best amateur and professional golfers representing universities across the globe, Sock Hwee closed out her week with two solid rounds of 75 to finish as the leading Singaporean golfer.

Senior One Shot Behind Couples

2011-08-20T16:10:00.000-07:00

Peter Senior has birdied his last 2 holes in the 3rd round of the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship to put himself in a great position to win his first Champions Tour Major on Sunday. Senior has fired rounds of 66,68,69 for a 10-under par total and is just one shot off the lead being held by American Presidents Cup captain Fred Couples.

The final round proves to be a great battle, with the top of the leaderboard filled with former PGA Tour winners such as John Cook, Corey Pavin, Tom Lehman, Mark Calcavecchia and Mark O'Meara. All players will be chasing the double points on offer this week for the Charles Schwab Cup standings. Best of luck Pete!

Senior shoots 66 at Senior Players Championship

2011-08-18T22:54:00.000-07:00

Peter Senior has started well at the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship, recording a bogey-free opening round of 5-under par 66. Senior is tied for 2nd, one shot behind Jeff Sluman.
This is the final major of the year on the Champions Tour and with double points awarded this week for the Charles Schwab Cup standings, Senior could move his way up from his current 7th place position in the rankings. The top 5 players at the end of the season will share in a $2.1 million bonus prize purse.

Academy Students Start Well in Fiji

2011-08-16T05:51:00.000-07:00

The Men's Asia-Pacific Teams Championship known as the Nomura Cup teed off today at the Denarau Golf Club, Fiji. Academy students Marc Ong and Edgar Oh, representing Singapore, fired opening rounds of 71 and 73 respectively. Marc's 1-under par 71 was the low score of the day for team Singapore, 4-shots behind Australia's Cameron Smith and China's Li Haotong who both blitzed the course in 5-under par 67.

Conducted by the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation, each team consists of four male amateur golfers from each country, contesting 18 holes of stroke play for four days. In each round, the total of the best 3 out of 4 scores from each team constitutes the team score. The four-day (72-hole) total is the team’s score for the championship, with the winning team receiving the Nomura Cup.

Coles Eagles for 2nd at Price Cutter Championship

2011-08-14T18:58:00.000-07:00

Gary Edwin Tour Player Gavin Coles had a terrific week at the Price Cutter Charity Championship on the Nationwide Tour, finishing 21-under par and in 2nd place. Coles fired rounds of 64,68,69 and then eagled the 72nd hole on the last day to close with 66 and break away from the pack of 5 players who finished 20-under. Coles could not however keep up with the blistering pace set by eventual winner Steve Friesen who's final round 64 gave him an impressive 4-day total of 26-under par.

Coles set a remarkable record for the week on the 18th hole at Highland Springs Country Club, playing the 542yd par 5 in 7-under! Coles made a 12-footer for eagle on Thursday then an 18-footer for eagle on Friday, settled for birdie on Saturday after missing his 12-foot putt for eagle and then finished the week by rolling in a 4-foot eagle putt on the 18th on Sunday.

Gavin is currently 37th on the Nationwide Tour moneylist, with the top 25 at the end of the season earning full playing rights on the PGA Tour in 2012.

Marc Ong Wins Etiqa Asean Cup for Singapore

2011-08-11T16:57:00.000-07:00

Fresh off a team victory in the Singapore Open Amateur Championship, Marc Ong (above right) has once again joined forces with fellow countryman Jerome Ng to claim another title for Singapore, with the pair winning the 2011 Etiqa Asean Cup.

The Etiqa Asean Cup is a team event comprising the best two amateur golfers from each of the participating Asean countries. The event was held at the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club, venue for this years Maybank Malaysian Open and was played in a similar format to that of the World Cup, where teams competed over 72 holes of Fourball and Foursomes. Team Singapore's scores of 69,77,69,75 were good enough to secure a 4-stroke victory over Myanmar. Team Malaysia were a further 4 shots back in 3rd place, with Thailand and the Philippines in 4th and 5th respectively.

Congratulations Marc on another terrific result!

Senior Falls One Short at 3M Championship

2011-08-07T07:11:00.000-07:00

Peter Senior has finished runner-up for the 2nd time this year on the Champions Tour after Jay Haas birdied the 72nd hole to win the 3M Championship by one shot.

After two terrific rounds of 65 and 67, Senior held a share of the 36-hole lead with John Huston on 12-under par. Senior made 3 birdies and just one bogey in the final round to close out his tournament with a 2-under par round of 70, sharing 2nd place with Americans Kenny Perry and Tom Lehman.

This was Senior's 8th top 10 finish for the season and has him positioned 7th on the Charles Schwab Cup point standings. Since joining the Champions Tour in 2010, Senior has remarkably made the cut in all 40 events he has played! Fantastic effort Pete!

Brilliant 65 for Senior at 3M Championship

2011-08-05T21:15:00.000-07:00

Peter Senior has scorched his way around the TPC Twin Cities Course in 7-under par during the opening round of the 3M Championship on the US Champions Tour. Senior, coming off a 6th place finish in last weeks US Senior Open Championship, made an impressive 8 birdies through his first 15 holes before an unfortunate lone bogey on the par 5 18th hole. Pete's round of 65 has him positioned just one shot behind leaders Jay Haas and John Huston who both fired 64.

Pampling 3-back at Reno-Tahoe Open

2011-08-05T21:03:00.000-07:00

Rod Pampling has fired 68,70 through the 1st two rounds of the Reno-Tahoe Open on the PGA Tour. Pampling's 6-under par total around the Montreux Golf & Country Club has him nicely positioned in a tie for 6th behind American Vaughn Taylor heading into the weekend.

Marc Wins Team Event for Singapore

2011-08-05T20:50:00.000-07:00

Academy student Marc Ong (above right) has joined forces with fellow National Squad member Jerome Ng to claim a victory for Singapore in the International Team Event held in conjuction with the Singapore Open Amateur Championship.

Marc's 3 round scores of 75,74,70 combined with Jerome's 74,73,70 gave Team Singapore a 3-shot win over Thailand. 6-shots back in 3rd place were the Team representing Chinese Taipei.

Senior Finishes 6th at Inverness

2011-07-31T23:13:00.000-07:00

Peter Senior has once again finished inside the top 10 on the Champions Tour after closing with an even par 71 at the US Senior Open Championship. Senior's 9-under par total placed him 6th in the Championship and moved him up into 7th place behind 3-time winner Tom Lehman on the all important Charles Schwab Cup standings.

Great work Pete!

Peter Senior Contends at US Senior Open

2011-07-30T14:57:00.000-07:00

Peter Senior's 3rd consecutive round in the 60's has moved him up into a tie for 3rd place with one round left to play at the US Senior Open Championship. Senior returned scores of 69,67,68 at the Inverness Club and is at 9-under par for the Championship. With a high finish this week, Pete will move right up there amongst the leaders in the Charles Schwab Cup standings.

America's Olin Brown goes into the final round with a 2-shot lead over Mark O'Meara after Brown stormed home on his 3rd round back nine, needing just 29 strokes!

Sock Wins Warren Amateur Open

2011-07-29T05:28:00.000-07:00

Several Academy students have performed well at this years Warren Amateur Open but it was Koh Sock Hwee who lead the pack, claiming the overall Ladies Title by 3 strokes.

It was extremely tough going for the Ladies in this World Amateur Ranking Event with the tees pushed back, strong gusty winds and punishing pin positions on the last day. Sock Hwee played very solid golf through the first 7 holes of the final round, at one stage stretching her lead to 8. Former Academy student and SLGA National Squad member Kok Jo Ee posted a challenge to Sock, but it was not quite enough to make up the 6-shot overnight deficit. Sock Hwee stumbled late in the day with a double-bogey on her final hole but it was still enough for her to cruise to a 3-stroke victory.

Fellow Academy student, 16yr old junior Phoebe Tan also played nicely in the final round of the championship, moving her way up to claim 5th place.

In the Men's division of the tournament, Singapore Sports School student Marc Ong who started the final day back in a tie for 9th, opened up his final round with back-to-back birdies. Marc continued to fight hard all day and whilst he did let a number of opportunities slide by on the greens, his closing round of 72 was the lowest score on a very difficult day and good enough for outright 2nd place. Marc won the Warren Amateur Open as a 14yr old last year, so this was a great defense of his title!

Other Academy students to perform commendably were Princeton Yeo and Abdul Hadi. Princeton played some very solid golf throughout the tournament and played himself right into contention on the back nine. He finished in 4th position overall. 15yr old Hadi upstaged all the older more experienced players in round 2 after posting the days lowest round of 71 on a day when scoring was very high owing to the severely undulating and challenging Warren greens.

Congratulation to Sock Hwee and well done to all our students who performed well on this difficult golf course.

Campbell Shoots 66 at Irish Open

2011-07-29T05:19:00.001-07:00

Michael Campbell has posted a terrific 5-under par 66 on the first day of the European Tour's Irish Open at Killarney. Cambo, the 2005 US Open champion and former winner of the Irish Open, is in 3rd place behind India's Jeev Milkha Singh.

Campbell made his move on the back nine, picking up five strokes after making the turn at even par. His back nine highlight was an eagle three at the par-five 16th.

Warren Amateur Open Underway

2011-07-27T22:28:00.000-07:00

The opening round of the Warren Amateur Open was completed today with some of our Academy students playing their way onto the leaderboard. In the Men's division, Princeton Yeo fired a solid first round of even par 71 to be just one shot off the lead. Princeton has been working hard on his game this year under the guidance of Academy coach Paul Tudor. Fellow Academy student and current Singapore Open Amateur Champion Edgar Oh is 3 shots back of Princeton after a 74, while defending Warren Open Amateur Champion Marc Ong is a further shot back. Marc tasted victory in this World Amateur Ranking event last year as a 14yr old junior!

In the Ladies division, Koh Sock Hwee is in contention just one shot behind the leader after her first round of 79. Scoring was very high in the Ladies division, as the golf course setup was very long and posed a difficult challenge for the girls.

Monica 3rd at Optimist International Junior

2011-07-27T20:26:00.000-07:00

Academy junior and rising star Monica Matsabura has played some fantastic golf to finish 3rd in the Girls 13-14yr division of the prestigous Optimist International Junior Golf Championship in Florida. Monica stormed into the lead on the first day of competition at the renowned PGA National Course at Palm Beach Gardens, after equalling her lowest ever tournament score of 3-under par 69. She followed up this brilliant opening round with two steady rounds of 74 and 73 for a 54-hole total of even par 216, just 2 shots behind eventual champion Brooke Henderson of Canada.

It was a very International leaderboard in Monica's division, with the top 10 players representing countries such as Canada, Philippines, Argentina, USA, Hong Kong, Thailand and Indonesia. Monica herself is an American-born Japanese.

Monica has been competing in several major junior events in the US during the past month, including the College Combine-Girls Championship where rounds of 74,78 placed her 13th and also the Callaway Junior World Championship in San Diego where she finished in a tie for 43rd place.

Scott Barr at Selangor Masters

2011-07-25T00:08:00.000-07:00

Scott Barr shot a final round of 2-under par 70 at Kota Permai Golf & Country Club to give him a 4-day total of 5-under in the Worldwide Holdings Selangor Masters.

After opening with a 72, Barr recorded 7 birdies and one eagle during his 2nd round of 66, then added another 5 birdies to his tally through 12 holes of the 3rd days play to climb within one shot of the lead. An unfortunate run of dropped shots late in the 3rd round ended his challenge for the title. Barr's total of 18 birdies and an eagle for the tournament shows that he is playing some terrific golf. Once Scott has reduced the number of dropped shots in a tournament, he will be a regular contender on Tour.

Nicholas Ties for 2nd at PGA West

2011-07-21T09:51:00.000-07:00

17yr old Nicholas Smits has finished 1-over par and in a tie for 2nd place at the 54-hole FCG World Championship in California. The 15-18yr category of the Championship was played over the famous TPC Stadium Course at the La Quinta Golf Resort, Palm Springs. Nick fired 3 solid rounds of 74,71 and 72 to be just 2 shots adrift of eventual winner and local Californian junior golfer Gordon Neale.

Nicholas will be stopping by the Singapore Academy next week on his way back to Australia where he has been schooling and working on his golf game under the guidance of Gary Edwin's coaching team at The Glades.

Well done Nick!!

Rory Hie tied 2nd at Indonesian Open

2011-07-17T13:55:00.000-07:00

Rory Hie came agonizingly close to becoming only the 2nd Indonesian golfer to ever win his countries National Open after a final round 2-under par 70 left him just one shot behind eventual champion Thaworn Wiratchant at the US$1 million dollar Indonesian Open.

Trailing overnight leader Wiratchant by 4 strokes, Hie cruised through the front nine in 3-under par to draw level with the Thai after the leader made bogey on the 9th. Wiratchant then dropped another shot on the 11th to give Hie a 1-stroke lead with 7 holes to play. Both players birdied the short par 5 13th hole before Rory dropped a shot on the difficult par 3 15th. Hie, playing in the 2nd to last group, stood on the 18th tee with a share of the lead but unfortunately his tee shot rolled into the hazard. After taking a penalty drop, Hie managed to land his 3rd shot on the green but could not convert the par-saving putt and dropped back to 12-under par for the tournament. This gave Wiratchant a one shot advantage playing the final hole and a sudden-death play-off beckoned after his tee shot found an awkward lie on the edge of a bunker. Wiratchant was forced to play the shot with his feet in the trap. He splashed it out just short of the green and then chipped to within a foot of the hole to secure his par and the 2011 Indonesian Open title.

Although disappointing for Rory not to go on and claim his maiden Tour victory, it was yet another terrific performance from the 22yr old, who collected a cheque for US$72,500. Hie started working on his golf swing at our Academy in March this year and in the 4 months since then has recorded seven top 10 finishes in tournament play. He has been outstanding in major competition on his home soil, also finishing 2nd in the 2011 Indonesian PGA Championship as well as 9th place behind former World No.1 Lee Westwood in the 2011 Indonesian Masters.

It is only a matter of time before this kid breaks through to the winners circle. Congratulations Rory on another fine effort....great play!

Rory Just 3 off the Pace

2011-07-15T06:03:00.000-07:00

Rory Hie is once again putting in a solid performance in his hometown, shooting 68,70 through the first 2 rounds of the US$1 million Indonesian Open.

The tournament is part of the OneAsia Tour and is being played at Damai Indah Golf - Pantai Indah Kapuk Course. Rory got off to a slow start in today's 2nd round but battled hard to finish with birdies on his last 3 holes. The 22yr old Indonesian is trying to become only the second Indonesian to win the National Open since Kasiadi in 1989.

SGA Win Annual Match against MGA

2011-07-15T05:42:00.000-07:00

The Singapore Golf Association have won their Annual Match against The Malaysian Golf Association by a single point. The SGA recorded 12 1/2pts to the MGA's 11 1/2pts in a closely fought match over 2 days at Sentosa's Serapong Course.

The Singapore Team comprised 8 boys from the SGA National & Youth Squad plus 4 girls from the SLGA National Squad. In credit to the work our Academy has done toward developing elite golfers in Singapore, 9 of the 12 players representing Team SGA had come through our Academies training program.

Congratulations to all players who represented Team Singapore!!

Barr & Hie share 9th place in Malaysia

2011-07-10T02:26:00.000-07:00

Scott Barr and Rory Hie have shot final rounds of 69 and 68 respectively to end their campaign at the Negeri Sembilan Masters Invitational in a tie for 9th place on 8-under par.
The tournament was part of the Asean PGA Tour and was won by Asian Tour regular Siddikur who stormed home for victory with a final round 65.

Academy Juniors finish well in San Diego

2011-07-08T07:58:00.000-07:00

Nicholas Smits and Monica Matsubara have recorded top 10 finishes in their respective divisions at the San Diego Junior Masters.

Nick opened with a one-over par 73 in the Boys 15-18yr division, before firing up the leaderboard in round 2 when he got it to 3-under through the first 6 holes. A bogey on the final hole of the tournament cost Nick what could have been a runner-up finish. His 2nd round 72 placed him in a tie for 5th.

13yr old Monica continued her good form, shooting two very steady rounds of 74,75 to finish in a tie for 10th place in the Girls 13-14yr category. Both golfers will now make their way to the Callaway Junior World Championships after Monica won the qualifying tournament for Girls 2 weeks back. Nicholas has a very good record of achievement in the Junior World Championships, so expect to see his name up on the leaderboard.

Best of luck to our juniors at the World Championships!!

Pampling Finishes AT&T with a 66

2011-07-04T01:12:00.000-07:00

Rod Pampling finished the PGA Tour's AT&T National with a bogey free round of 66 which moved him up into a tie for 38th. This was a great finish considering that Rod started the week with a quadruple bogey 8 on the 1st hole after a very difficult chip shot came rolling back to his feet 3 times!

Sock makes Ladies European Tour Debut

2011-07-02T21:53:00.000-07:00

Singapore amateur golfer Koh Sock Hwee had the privelege of playing in her very first Ladies European Tour event, when she teed it up this week at the Finnair Masters. 21yr old Koh, playing on a sponsors invitation, took a week away from her university studies to seize the opportunity and gain the invaluable experience of playing alongside Europe's best female professional golfers.

Sock fired a pair of 77's around Helsinki Golf Club, which was very respectable considering she is a full-time university student who only plays part-time tournament golf. She hit the ball very solid from tee to green but unfortunately could not convert the putts. Sock did however have the opportunity to play in the same group as the 1st round leader Titiya Plucksataporn who opened with a fabulous round of 65.

Sock has been training at our Academy for many years and has a terrific golf swing. I am sure the experience of competing on the European Tour will give Sock Hwee the inspiration to continue working at her game after she completes her studies.

Senior Ties for 6th in New York

2011-06-29T00:57:00.000-07:00

Peter Senior closed out his week at the Dick's Sporting Goods Open with a 5-under par 67 to tie for 6th place with a tournament total of 10-under. This was Pete's 6th top 10 finish this season on the Champions Tour and has moved him up to 4th in the Charles Schwab Cup standings. Great effort Pete!

2011 US Open Championship

2011-06-28T19:11:00.000-07:00

Finally found time to post the blog about my week in Washington DC for the US Open...

Sunday 12 June: After traveling with Scott Barr for 27hrs on Saturday, we turned up bright and early on Sunday morning to take our first look at Congressional.
The clubhouse and practice facilities were spectacular as expected of a US Open venue. Being the weekend before the 2nd major championship of the year, there were very few players around, with many either competing in the PGA Tour's FedEx St.Jude Classic or over in Europe at the BMW Italian Open.

I didn't know a whole lot about the golf course at Congressional before arriving in the United States capital, although I remember watching Ernie Els win there in 1997. All I knew was that Congressional was to become the longest course in US Open history at 7,574yds!...breaking the US Open record set by Bethpage Black in 2009.

The opening hole at Congressional eases you into the round....a 402yd par 4 with a generous fairway, thick but not horrendous rough and a relatively large flat putting surface. Walking off the 1st green, I had the impression that this may not be quite as intimidating as some of the past US Open Championship venues. I was immediately proven wrong as we stood on the 2nd tee...a 233yd uphill par 3 with quite a small green protected by 6 bunkers. Then came the 466yd par 4 3rd, followed by the 470yd par 4 5th....what an early grind! Players would usually seize birdie opportunities on the par 5's, but Congressional only has 3 par 5's and as we found out at the 636yd monster par 5 9th....the par 5's were no push-over!

While the front nine was a fair test, the back nine was absolutely brutal! Five of the back nine's par 4's measured above 467yds, with Congressional's finishing hole playing as a whopping 523yd par 4!!

Monday 13 June: We joined Adam Scott for a practice round on Monday.(pic below) Hard to imagine the number of spectators lining the fairways during a practice round! The media had created some hype around the fact Adam had Steve Williams on his bag for the week. Stevie is an old mate of mine, but is better known for being the caddie of Tiger Woods. After Tiger withdrew from the Championship owing to injury, Adam called on Steve to help him out at Congressional.

Steve shared with me that he had caddied 7 times over the years at major events held at Congressional, so it was therefore great to have his thoughts on the course. Scott Barr definitely benefitted from Adam and Steve's knowledge of the golf course and picked up some valuable tips from both Australia's No.2 ranked player and arguably the best caddie of all time.

Making up our foursome in Mondays practice round were American's Peter Uilhein and David May. Uilhein, was the 2010 US Amateur Champion and former No.1 Ranked Amateur golfer in the world.

Tuesday 14th June: I caught up with Michael Campbell at the range on Tuesday. Cambo is a former US Open Champion and has been under the coaching guidance of "The Guru" Gary Edwin since late 2010. In Gary's absence I helped keep an eye on Cambo's swing throughout the week of the tournament. I sent Gary some of Michael's swing footage early in the week and he was very happy with how Cambo's technique was looking.

The practice range on Tuesday was lined with the world's best players, their coaches and a large number of Major Championship winners, including the defending US Open Champion Graeme McDowell(below).

After some time on the range, I walked with Scott Barr who had joined the European pair of Freddy Jacobsen & Alex Noren for 9-holes. Scott's game was getting better and better each day of practice, and he certainly seemed ready for a solid US Open performance.

On Tuesday night we were invited along with the other Australian's in the US Open field to attend a dinner at the home of the Australian Ambassador, Kim Beasley. Kim treated us all to a terrific Aussie BBQ at his magnificent home in the heart of Washington DC.

Wednesday 15th June: Michael Campbell was looking great on the range on Wednesday. His golf swing was in good shape, appeared confident on the greens and was undoubtedly having good memories as a former US Open Champion. In 2005, Cambo fired a final round 69 at Pinehurst to defeat Tiger Woods by 2-strokes and claim his first Major Championship!(pic below)

After spending some time with Cambo, I did some short game practice and final range work with Scott Barr before heading out on the course for a 9-hole practice round with Robert Allenby & young American talent Bud Cauley. Forgot to mention how long it took the players to walk from the range to the 1st tee...with all the autographs to be signed!(see pic below).

Scott had chosen to play Wednesday's practice round in the afternoon from the 1st tee....similar to how he would be playing the golf course in Thursday's opening round, where he drew an afternoon tee time.

It was great playing on Wednesday with Allenby, a multiple PGA Tour winner who had made several tournament appearances at Congressional over the years. And to witness the talent of rookie professional Bud Cauley was impressive. This kid is only 21yrs of age, fresh out of College, and believe it or not playing in his first ever tournament as a professional golfer....what a place to kick-start your professional career!

Thursday 16th June: Michael Campbell was flushing it on the driving range early on Thursday morning. He teed off at 7:33am with local favorite Fred Funk and amateur David Chung, runner-up in the 2010 US Amateur Championship. I followed Campbell out on course together with Australian Rugby Union legend and former Wallaby captain George Gregon. George had made the trip over to Washington to support Cambo in his campaign to win a 2nd US Open Championship. Freddy Funk had a huge following so the atmosphere around there group was brilliant. Unfortuantely Cambo did not quite hit the ball as well as he was earlier on the range but still signed off for a respectable 75 around the brutally long Congressional layout.

After Cambo's round, it was back to the range for me to meet Scott as he warmed up for a 12:40pm start alongside Maarten Lafeber and American Ty Tryon. Ty was the junior golfer who made headlines in 2001 by becoming the youngest player in history to earn his PGA Tour card through the gruelling Qualifying School.

Barr put together an impressive ball-striking display around Congressional on Thursday, hardly missing a shot. He was also rolling the putter nicely but just couldn't get anything to drop on the greens....4 putts lipped-out and 2 others were left hanging on the edge of the hole. This led to round of 75, which with a bit of luck could comfortably have been 1 or 2-under par. Nonetheless, Scott did a terrific job in his opening US Open round and would go into the 2nd round knowing he just needs a few putts to drop and he will be right back in there.

Friday 17th June: Scott Barr was the first group off 10th tee on Friday morning. I can assure you that at 7am, the 218yd par 3 10th hole across water at Congressional is one of the tougher opening shots in tournament golf!(pic below)
Scott continued his good play from Thursday but got very unlucky with a few shots on his first nine and just like the day before, could not quite get a putt to drop. A back nine of 1-under par gave Barr another round of 75 and although he played some brilliant golf, it would unfortunately not be enough to stay around for the weekend's play. Scott's statistics for the Championship looked like this....

Fairways in Regulation: 50%
Greens in Regulation: 50%
Putting Avg: 30
Driving Avg: 305.25yds
Sand Saves: 57.14%

After Scott's round I was back out on the range to see Michael Campbell warm-up. Cambo was once again flushing it on the range and looked ready to put a low number on the board. Campbell started well, rolling in a nice birdie putt on the difficult 10th to get his round underway. Unfortunately not much else went Cambo's way on Friday....a few wayward drives and several missed putts, and he would end the day with a disappointing 77.

The weekend: I went out to watch the final days play from the comfort of the players hospitality lounge inside the Congressional clubhouse. I did sneak out onto the course to catch a glimpse of the leaders, but with the crowds 10 deep behind the ropes....it was a far better option to return to my seat in front of the big screen back at the clubhouse! It was really fantastic to see several players(even some who’d missed cut)return to Congressional on Sunday afternoon and hang out in the players lounge watching Rory McIlroy make history. There was a huge amount of respect shown to Rory for the incredible golf he had played all week and for re-writing the US Open record books. A well-deserved and most impressive victory!

Marc Ong 2nd in Vietnam Amateur Open

2011-06-15T19:09:00.000-07:00

15yr old Singapore junior golfer Marc Ong has performed commendably in the Vietnam Amateur Open, finishing in outright 2nd place with a 294 total of 4-over par. Marc stormed into the lead after a 1st round course record-breaking 68 around the spectacular Greg Norman designed Dunes Course at Danang Golf Club. Marc continued to play very solid throughout the tournament but could not keep pace with eventual winner, Chanachox Dejpiratana of Thailand. Chanachox came home strong with a final round 68 to be the only player in the 120 strong field to finish under par.

This result has moved Marc into 2nd place in Singapore's 26th SEA Games Selection Ranking....putting him in a good position to earn one of 4 coveted spots in the 2011 SEA Games Team.

IFS Corporate Golf Day

2011-06-13T09:10:00.000-07:00

The 2nd Annual IFS Corporate Golf Day was held on Friday 10th June at Sentosa Golf Club's beautiful Serapong Course, home of the Barclays Singapore Open.

IFS(International Financial Services)are one of Scott Barr's major corporate sponsors, so it was with great pleasure that Scott, myself and fellow Golf Instructor Richard Harries were in attendance for the IFS event, offering instruction, advice and encouragement to all participants.

It was a terrific day, comprising a golf clinic, luncheon, 18-hole individual event, beat-the-pro competition as well as a prize-presentation dinner.

I would like to thank to all those sponsors who supported us in this event!

Pampling Shares 2nd at Muirfield Village

2011-06-04T09:56:00.000-07:00

Rod Pampling's 2nd round 6-under par 66 has vaulted him into a share of 2nd place at The Memorial Tournament. Pampling had a flawless bogey-free round at Muirfield Village to sit just 3 shots behind Steve Stricker heading into the weekend.

Lucius Cruises to Victory

2011-06-04T09:25:00.000-07:00

Academy student Lucius Toh has recorded a terrific final round of 2-under par 70 to be crowned the 2011 Singapore Junior Open Champion(12-14yrs Boys).

Fighting off an illness during his first two rounds of 74,74, the 14yr old Singapore Sports School student played an almost flawless 3rd and final round to claim a 6-stroke victory over Malaysia's Paul San. Against a very strong field of 15-17yr old boys, Lucius was placed 3rd overall with a 54-hole total of 2-over....a fantastic result!

The Overall Boys Champion was former Academy student Gregory Foo. The 17yr old Singaporean who spent six years grooming his game under my guidance, fired a blistering opening round of 8-under par 64 which smashed the Keppel Club course record and set him up for what was to be a 3-shot victory over Singapore Sports School student and Keppel Club member Nicklaus Chiam.

Academy student Princeton Yeo also played some great golf early in the tournament, shooting a 2-under par opening round of 70. Princeton eventually finished in 8th position in the Boys 15-17yrs Division.

Peter Senior 5th at Valhalla

2011-05-29T04:26:00.000-07:00

Peter Senior has finished off his week at the 72nd Senior PGA Championship with a 3-under par round of 69 at Valhalla Golf Club. Senior's 4-round total of 7-under par, put him in a tie for 5th place, just 3 shots behind eventual champion Tom Watson.

It has been a great season so far in the US for Senior and he now ranks 5th on the 2011 Champions Tour Charles Schwab Cup. Great work Pete!

Pampling 8th at Byron Nelson Championship

2011-05-29T04:17:00.000-07:00

Rod Pampling has shot rounds of 70,68,71 and 72 to share 8th place with 5 other players at the HP Byron Nelson Championship.

The scoring conditions were brutal on the last three days at the TPC Four Seasons, particularly over the weekend when the winds were howling between 25-40mph. Rod finished just 4 shots behind eventual winner Keegan Bradley who defeated fellow American Ryan Palmer in a playoff.

This is Pampling's 2nd top 10 finish in as many weeks on the PGA Tour!

Teenager Leads Negeri Sembilan Amateur Open

2011-05-29T04:07:00.000-07:00

Singapore Sports School student Marc Ong has continued his good run of form, shooting back-to-back 69's to take the outright lead at the Negeri Sembilan Amateur Open Golf Championship. The teenager's two round total of 6-under par on the Seremban Golf Course in Malaysia gives him a 2-stroke lead heading into the final round. If Marc can maintain the consistent form he has shown over the past few weeks, he will be well on his way toward gaining selection into Singapore's 2011 SEA Games Team.

Marc Ong 5th at Saujana Amateur Open

2011-05-27T18:23:00.000-07:00

Academy student Marc Ong has recorded a 5th place finish at the Kurnia Saujana Amateur Open. Saujana Golf & Country Club has hosted several major professional events and is renowned as one of Malaysia's strongest tests of golf. Marc's 3 day scores of 73,72,76 were therefore very commendable for a 15yr old against a strong international field. The Championship title was eventually won by local favourite Gavin Green who triumphed over Australia's Ryan Peake in a sudden-death playoff.

Singapore National Amateur players now head to Seremban International Golf Club for another R&A World Amateur Ranking Event, the Negeri Sembilan Amateur Open Golf Championship.

Scott Barr Qualifies for US Open

2011-05-23T19:34:00.000-07:00

Scott Barr has fired a brilliant 2nd round of 8-under par 63 to qualify for the 111th US Open Championship!

After an opening round of 72 at the Sectional Qualifying held at Ibaraki Golf Club in Japan, Barr then reeled off an impressive haul of 10 birdies in his 2nd round to finish with a total of 7-under par and claim top honours alongside Korea's Kim Do Hoon and Japan's Kenichi Kuboya. The 4th and final US Open Qualifying spot went to Korea's Bae Sang Moon in a playoff over Kim Dae Hyun.

Scott now becomes the 6th Australasian player to enter the 2011 US Open field after Michael Campbell, Geoff Ogilvy, Adam Scott, Jason Day, Robert Allenby and Aaron Baddeley, who are all exempt. The 2011 US Open will be played at Congressional Country Club from June 16-19.

Congratulations Scott on a terrific effort!

Hie Finishes with 67 in China

2011-05-23T10:02:00.000-07:00

Rory Hie, coming off a victory on the Indonesia PGA Tour has once again showed his class by firing a brilliant 67 to finish off his week on the China PGA Tour. Rory's final round 67 was the equal low-round of the tournament and moved him up into a tie for 4th place.

In a solid run of form....Rory has now recorded five Top 10 finishes in his last six starts. Remarkably, Hie's Top 10 finishes have been recorded on five different Professional Tours across Asia.

Sock Hwee Leads SLGA Contingent

2011-05-23T09:30:00.000-07:00

Koh Sock Hwee returned to the golf course after several months out of competition, recording a commendable 12th placing in the Ladies Division of the Malaysian Open Amateur Championship. Sock Hwee fired rounds of 75,76 and 73 around the Afamosa Golf Resort to finish the Championship as the leading Singaporean female golfer.

Fellow Academy student and SGA National Squad Member Marc Ong, also recorded a commendable performance in the Mens Division of the Championship. The 15yr old posted four consistent rounds of 73,72,73,72 to finish the World Amateur Ranking Event on 2-over par and in 11th place.

Pampling Top 10 at Colonial

2011-05-22T21:22:00.000-07:00

Rod Pampling has fired rounds of 65,69,71 and 70 at Colonial Country Club to end his week in a tie for 10th at the Crowne Plaza Invitational. Gary Edwin was with Rodney this week in Texas and it looks like they've done some great work together in preparation for the upcoming events on the PGA Tour. Rod will play the Byron Nelson Championship followed by The Memorial Tournament.

Well done Rod and Gary!

Rory Hie Cruises to Victory

2011-05-13T19:48:00.000-07:00

Academy student Rory Hie has won the Raharja SK, T&E System tournament on the Indonesia PGA Regular Tour.

Rory fired rounds of 70 and 68 before blitzing the Bandung Giri Gahana Golf Course in a course record-breaking 8-under par 64! Hie finished off his week with a 3-under round of 69 for a 4-day total of 17-under....cruising to an 8-stroke victory.

The work we have done in recent months toward improving Rory's swing technique is really paying dividends. 22yr old Hie is now way out in front at the top of the PGPI Tour 2011 Order Of Merit and confirms his position as Indonesia's No.1 Professional Golfer.

Congratulations Rory!!

Senior edged-out in Playoff

2011-05-09T19:01:00.000-07:00

Peter Senior came ever so close to winning his first Champions Tour Major in the United States after losing the Regions Tradition, Shoal Creek in a playoff against Tom Lehman.

Senior climber his way to the top of the leaderboard in the final round with a superb 4-under par 68 to finish in a tie with Lehman on 13-under. Both players returned to the 18th hole for sudden-death, and after Lehman missed the green long it was Senior who had a chance to grab the victory with a 15ft birdie chance. The putt looked good all the way until narrowly sliding by the right edge of the hole. In a disappointing end to the tournament, Senior's 5ft par saving putt on the 2nd playoff hole lipped-out, giving Tom Lehman his 3rd win of the season.

It has been a terrific start to the 2011 season for Pete, this being his third Top 10 finish in six starts on the Champions Tour. His scoring average is an impressive 69.38 and he has yet to finish worse than 17th in any event. Senior is currently in 6th place on the Charles Schwab Cup standings.

Congratulations to Pete on his fine performance this season!

Hie Contends in Singha Pattaya Open

2011-05-08T18:42:00.000-07:00

Rory Hie is once again in contention, this time at the ASEAN PGA Tour's Singha Pattaya Open being played at Burapha Golf Club, Thailand.

Hie has fired rounds of 70,66 and 67 to be at 13-under par and will enter the final day's play in 2nd place, 3 shots behind Thailand's Prom Meesawat who vaulted into the lead following a brilliant 2nd round 10-under par 62.

Marc and Edgar Tie for 4th

2011-04-28T18:41:00.000-07:00

Academy juniors Marc Ong and Edgar Oh have upstaged their older competitors in the 3rd and final round of the 2nd National Ranking Game for 2011. Marc followed up his earlier rounds of 76,72 with the final days low round of 67 to move him up into a tie for 4th. Edgar finished off his Ranking Game with a solid but disappointing 69, after closing with a double bogey six on the last hole. Edgar's earlier rounds of 74,72 placed him in a tie with Marc for 4th place.

The 2nd National Ranking Game was won by former Academy student and Singapore Sports School graduate Lam Zhi Qun. Lam fired rounds of 72, 66 and 72 to win by 2-shots. This is a good start for these boys in their bid to gain selection into Singapore's 2011 SEA Games Team.

In the Girls division, Phoebe Tan shot a final round of 79 to finish in 3rd place behind Kok Jo Eee and Stephanie Loi.

Rory Tied 9th behind Westwood

2011-04-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

Rory Hie birdied his final two holes at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club to sign off with a final round 69 to place him in a tie for 9th at the Asian Tours US$750,000 Indonesian Masters. It was a nice way to finish yet another major tournament in front of his home crowd after securing outright 2nd place in the Indonesian PGA Championship a few weeks back.

The adjustments we made to Rory's posture and backswing early in the week really paid dividends, as his ball-striking was most impressive throughout the tournament. If not for a poor putting round on Day 2, Rory would have been a serious contender over the weekend. Rounds of 68,74,69,69 gave him a four round total of 8-under par. Speaking with the Asian Tour media, Rory had this to say...."It was probably one of the best weeks that I hit the ball. I only missed one fairway and hit my tee shots really solid. I just couldn’t capitalize on the birdie putts again. It was a good finish for me. I managed to put in three good rounds for me".

Scott Barr had another good week on Tour, finishing in a tie for 20th on 5-under. All aspects of Scott's game are in very good shape and it's only a matter of time before he seriously challenges for a Tour victory.

With several players in the mix heading to the weekend, it was World No.2 Lee Westwood who eventually romped home to a 3-stroke victory over Thongchai Jaidee.

Cambo Finishes with 69 in Volvo China Open

2011-04-24T06:35:00.000-07:00

Michael Campbell has ended his week in the Volvo China Open by shooting a 3-under par final round of 69 at the Luxehills International Country Club. It was the 4th consecutive cut made on the European Tour for Cambo this season. The results are showing for all the work Cambo and Gary Edwin have put in toward revamping his swing technique.

Peter Senior Leads Liberty Mutual Event

2011-04-24T05:25:00.000-07:00

Peter Senior has teamed up with Sandy Lyle to take a share of the lead heading into the final days play at the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf.

Played under the best-ball format, Senior and Lyle have fired two brilliant rounds of 63, 61 to be tied for the lead on 20-under par with Wayne Levi and Keith Fergus. A host of Legend teams breathing down there neck include Kenny Perry/Scott Hoch and Tom Kite/Gil Morgan who are just one shot behind. Ian Baker-Finch/Joe Ozaki are in a group of 4 teams tied a further shot back on 18-under.

All the best to Pete in his bid to claim his maiden Champions Tour win.

Rory Leads Local Challenge at Indonesian Masters

2011-04-21T21:03:00.000-07:00

Indonesia's No.1 player Rory Hie fired an opening round 4-under par 68 to be the leading local professional at the Asian Tour's Indonesian Masters in Jakarta.

I was in Jakarta early in the week to assist Rory in his preparation for this event. We did some great work with Rory's swing on Monday....making some slight adjustments to his posture and considerable narrowing of his backswing, Rory's ball flight became much more consistent and penetrating. His wedge play showed great improvement, with shallower divots allowing for better distance and spin control.

After a solid days practice on Monday, Rory was fortunate to put his game to the test as he joined World No.2 Lee Westwood for a practice round. This was a priceless learning experience for Rory who's round of 68 yesterday equalled that of the World No.2! Both players are just 2 shots off the lead held by Siddikur after he shot a fine round of 66.

During practice on Tuesday, I followed Scott Barr as he joined one of Asia's best players Thongchai Jaidee. Scott and Thongchai were both striking the ball extremely during practice and it therefore came as no surprise when Thongchai shot 6-under par 30 for his first 9 holes played yesterday! Barr opened his campaign with a disappointing 73 but I am sure he will turn on the birdies tomorrow.

Maybank Malaysian Open

2011-04-18T16:46:00.000-07:00

It was off to Kuala Lumpur for me last week to help out our Academy students in their preparation for the US$2.5 million dollar Maybank Malaysian Open.

The tournament was played at the beautiful Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (pics below). With the event co-sanctioned with the European Tour, it attracted the strongest field ever assembled in Malaysia for the countries National Open.

With the likes of Martin Kaymer, Rory McIlroy, Charles Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen, the tournament had actually gained more World Ranking points than the Valero Texas Open being played at the same time on the PGA Tour.

My week started out walking a practice round with Scott Barr, who was joined by fellow Aussie David Gleeson and America's Todd Hamilton (pic below right)....one of 5 Major Champions in the field. Hamilton captured the 2004 Open Championship in a playoff against Ernie Els at Royal Troon, won the PGA Tour's Honda Classic and has accumulated another 11 victories on the Japan Tour during his career. It was therefore a great experience for myself and Scott to observe and discuss tournament preparations with Todd.

Did some good work with Scott early in the week, squaring up his clubface and shallowing his downswing path. These minor adjustments together with a change of shaft in his rescue club, made a significant improvement to his ball flight.

2005 US Open Champion Michael Campbell was also in the Malaysian Open field. Campbell has been working closely with Gary Edwin since December last year and is evidently getting better every week. I helped Cambo and Gary Edwin out early in the week by taking some video footage which was emailed across to the Academy in Australia where Gary instructed Campbell and myself of a few things for him to focus on technically in his preparation for the event.

After monitoring these positions in Cambo's swing during practice on Tuesday and Wednesday it was obvious to me that he was going to put up a good performance. Both Gary and Michael have done some great work in their short time together....exciting to see Cambo getting his game back on track. From what I saw of Campbell last week, it's only a matter before he's back in the winners circle.

The weather delays in Kuala Lumpur proved to be a real challenge for those players teeing off late on Friday...unfortunately that was the case for both Scott Barr and Michael Campbell. When play was finally abandoned on Friday, Barr was playing superbly and featured on the leaderboard at 6-under through 28 holes. Both players would return to complete their 2nd round early on Saturday morning. Barr's momentum from Friday did not quite carry over into Saturday, however rounds of 69,73 saw him comfortably survive the cut mark. It was a brilliant 2nd round for Campbell who after opening with 73, reeled off 8 birdies to shoot a 5-under par 67 and climb his way up the leaderboard. Cambo put together yet another solid round on Saturday afternoon, posting a 2-under 70.

With sweltering heat, difficult pin locations and faster greens, Sunday was a tough and slightly disappointing end to the week with Campbell and Barr shooting final rounds of 76 and 77 respectively. Keep an eye on both these players, as the way they are striking the ball, they will surely feature highly in several events this season.

In a most impressive display of golf, the tournament was won by teenage sensation Matteo Manassero....just two days shy of his 18th birthday!

Academy Students Sweep National Titles

2011-04-06T02:40:00.000-07:00

The 10th National Inter-School Golf Championships were played over the past 3 days at the Marina Bay Golf Course, with many of our Academy students successfully claiming Individual and Team titles.

Secondary 2 student Lucius Toh shot solid rounds of 75,77 to take out the Individual Boys "C" Division Championship by a comfortable 6-stroke margin over another of our students Leonard Tee, also representing the Singapore Sports School. The Girls "C" Division Championship came down to the final hole with Rachel Cheang hanging on for a 2-stroke victory over Wong Yen Ting. Maisarah Bte Saadon finished just outside the medals in 4th position for the Championship.

The Boys "B" Division Championship was dominated by the Singapore Sports School students, taking out 5 of the top 6 placings. Defending champion Marc Ong and fellow SGA National Squad member Edgar Oh could not quite get the birdie putts to drop during the Individual competition, both players finishing the 36-hole event on 3-over par 147. Fellow Sports School student Nicklaus Chiam had no such trouble on the greens, reeling off 5 birdies over his 2nd round back nine to shoot an impressive 3-under par 69. Nicklaus was crowned the 2011 Champion with Edgar knocking Marc out of 2nd place on a countback. Academy students Abdul Hadi and Billie Pay also performed well in the Boys "B" Division, finishing just outside the medals in 5th and 6th place respectively.

In the Girls "B" Division, Lim Jia Yi returned to competition for the first time this year. Jia Yi posted rounds of 74,79 to take 2nd place behind the in-form Jennifer Yan.

After the completion of the Individual events, Day 3 witnessed some terrific golf in the fight for the National Inter-School Team Championships. In the Girls "A" Division, Phoebe Tan teamed up with Kok Jo Ee to take out the first of the Girls Titles up for grabs. Phoebe's round of 77, steered the VJC Team to victory by 8 strokes.

In the Boys "B" Division, it was no surprise to see the Singapore Sports School's Team of Marc Ong and Edgar Oh claim the Championship trophy. The pair of 15yr old's sailed home for a commanding 17-stroke winning margin, courtesy of Marc Ong's incredible 7-under par round of 65! Marc put on a brilliant ball-striking and putting display around Marina Bay Golf Course, making 7 birdies and not a single bogey on his scorecard. Marc's 65 matched the lowest score ever recorded by one of our juniors in tournament play, equalling the 65 recorded by his Team-mate Edgar Oh last year at Laguna National, Masters Course. An impressive feat by these two talented junior golfers.

In the Girls "B" Division, Rachel Lim and Dion Lim teamed-up to claim 3rd place for the Singapore Sports School, just 2 shots out of 2nd. Elizabeth Ang and her team-mate representing SJC took out 4th.

The Singapore Sports School's Lucius Toh and Leonard Tee proved a tough Team to beat in the Boys "C" Division, claiming the Championship Title by a massive 16-strokes! Lucius, having also won the Individual title, posted a fine round of 74 to steer his Team to victory.

It was not so clear-cut in the Girls "C" Division after Rachel Cheang and Choi Seon Hee representing the Singapore Sports School finished on exactly the same score as their opponents from MGS. Unfortunately the countback went against our girls and they had to be content with 2nd place.

Congratulations to all our juniors for their achievements at this Championship!

Marc Attempts Hat Trick of National Titles

2011-04-03T06:21:00.000-07:00

15yr old SGA National Squad member Marc Ong will attempt to win his 3rd consecutive National Inter-School Championship when he tees it up at Marina Bay on Monday.

Marc has dominated this event over the past 2 years, claiming the title by 5-strokes in 2010 and also winning by 7-strokes back in 2009.

We would like to wish Marc and all Academy students competing in this year's National Inter-School Championship the very best of luck!

Pampling Finishes Well at Bay Hill

2011-03-27T21:00:00.000-07:00

Rod Pampling has shot a solid final round of 71 to finish in a tie for 12th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. On a very tough week for scoring, Rod finished with a total of 2-under par for the tournament, one shot ahead of Tiger Woods.

Gary Edwin was with Rod this week at Bay Hill and said he played great all week, commenting...."He left a couple of putts in the heart early but otherwise played really solid".

Rod will always have fond memories of Bay Hill after triumphing in this event back in 2006.

Rory Hie 2nd at Indonesian PGA Championship

2011-03-27T20:08:00.000-07:00

In what was a commendable performance for a 22yr old, Indonesia's rising star Rory Hie has finished outright 2nd at the OneAsia Tour's Indonesian PGA Championship in Jakarta, collecting a cheque for US$102,000.

Playing in front of a home crowd in Sunday's final round, Rory shot 1-under through his first 9 holes and held on to the lead heading into the back nine. Hie then stumbled on the par 5 11th after his 2nd shot unfortunately hit a tree and finished out of bounds. Hie went on to drop 2 shots and give up the lead to Australia's Andre Stolz. With another bogey on the par 4 12th hole, it seemed as though the tournament was well out of his grasp, but in a gutsy display, Rory went on to birdie the 14th, 17th and 18th to end up just one shot short of forcing a playoff with eventual winner Andre Stolz.

This was a terrific effort by Rory considering that the Indonesian PGA Championship was his first tournament back after recently spending time at the Singapore Academy remodelling his golf swing. Looks like he is back on the right path and has a bright future in tournament golf.

Congratulations Rory!

Monica T20 in Thailand Ladies Amateur Open

2011-03-27T17:15:00.000-07:00

Monica Matsubara might have been the youngest competitor at this years SINGHA Thailand Ladies Amateur Open Championship, but age and inexperience didn't stop the 13yr old Academy student from finishing inside the top 20.

The Amateur Championship was played over 54 holes at Thailand's Bangkok Golf Club. Monica put together rounds of 78,74 to survive the cut before a final round of 77 placed her in a tie for 20th behind eventual winner Chihiro Ikeda.

Hie Fires 67 to Lead Indonesian PGA

2011-03-26T06:34:00.000-07:00

22yr old Rory Hie continued his great play from yesterday, firing a 3rd round 5-under par 67 to storm his way into the lead at the US$1million Indonesian PGA Championship. Hie reeled off 7 birdies for the day at Imperial Klub Golf, courtesy of a solid ball-striking display and some brilliant putting. Hie began the day 3 shots off the lead but soon overcame the deficit with birdies on 5 of the first 6 holes. Hie is now 13-under for the tournament and will take a one shot lead going into Sunday's final round. Overnight tournament leader Matthew Millar is one shot behind, Andre Stolz and Park Eun Shin a further shot back in a tie for 3rd.

It's been less than 3 weeks since we started working on Rory's swing changes, so he's doing a fantastic job to make it all work so well under the pressure of tournament play. The weight of an entire nation will be on this talented young Indonesian's shoulders tomorrow as he attempts to record what could possibly be Indonesian golf's greatest achievement to date.

The Academy wishes Rory all the very best for the final round!

Rory Contends at Indonesian PGA

2011-03-25T07:27:00.000-07:00

Rory Hie has continued his great play in Jakarta, posting a 2nd round 68 at the Indonesian PGA Championship. Similar to yesterday's round, Rory got away to another terrific start today....making the turn in 4-under. With one birdie and only one blemish on his second nine, Rory's 68 puts him 8-under for the Championship.

Rory will now give the local Indonesian crowd plenty to cheer for over the weekend as he sits just 3 shots off the lead held by Australia's Matthew Millar. Millar added a 2nd round of 70 to his course record opening round of 63 to be at 11-under par.

If Rory continues to swing the club as well as he has been then you can expect to see this promising young Indonesian contending on sunday for this, the first tournament on the 2011 OneAsia Tour schedule.

Rory Back on Track

2011-03-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

Young Indonesian golfer Rory Hie has fired a terrific opening round of 68 at the Indonesian PGA Championship. The 22yr old got off to a flying start at The Imperial Klub Golf....stringing together 4 birdies in his first 5 holes.

Rory became the first Indonesian golfer to earn an Asian Tour card, however struggled with his game last year on Tour....at one stage missing six consecutive cuts. Rory recently made the trip over to Singapore to spend some quality time working with me on improving his swing technique in an effort to eliminate the hooks from his game. With some minor adjustments to his setup angles and posture, we then worked toward narrowing the radius of his backswing and minimizing his amount of shoulder turn at the beginning of his swing. This prevented the club from swinging too far around his body with the clubface shutting. As a result, Rory was able to keep the face angle more square to his body and cover the ball more at impact, therefore improving the quality of contact and his ball flight.

We also worked toward incorporating these new swing movements into Rory's pitching. Rory was immediately then able to make better contact with his pitch shots, trimming out the divots...hitting them higher and softer.

Should be exciting to see how far this young Indonesian talent can go. Keep up the good play Rory!

Barr Falls One Short at Hiro Food Classic

2011-03-17T01:27:00.000-07:00

Scott Barr has fallen just short of winning the SPGA Hiro Food Classic after a final round 2-under par 70 at Raffles Country Club.

Barr had earlier rounds of 72 and a brilliant 67 to trail fellow Asian Tour player Zaw Moe by 2 shots heading into the 3rd and final round. Scott put up a strong challenge against Zaw but unfortunately could not convert a birdie opportunity on the 18th which would have forced a playoff.

Singapore's No.1 player Mardan Mamat was a further shot back in 3rd place.

Lucius and Rachel Win CIMB Qualifier

2011-03-09T18:48:00.000-08:00

The CIMB Junior Golf Development Programme Qualifying Tournament was held over 2 days at Keppel Golf Club. Academy juniors Lucius Toh and Rachel Cheang claimed victory in the Boys "A" Division and Girls "A" Division respectively.

I the Boys Division, Lucius trailed the leader by one shot after an opening round of 77 which included a disastrous triple bogey on his final hole. Lucius however did not let this affect his game on the 2nd day of competition and played some terrific golf to card an even par round of 72. This proved good enough for a commanding 6-shot win! Fellow Academy junior Leonard Tee had 2 steady rounds to finish in 3rd place.

In the Girls Division, Rachel Cheang overcame a 3-shot deficit to narrowly win the qualifier by just one shot over Keppel Club member Wong Yen Ting.

Congratulations to both Lucius and Rachel who by winning the qualifier have earnt themselves a trip to the Unites States to attend the CIMB Junior Golf Development Programme.

Top Ten Finish for Hadi in Qatar

2011-03-06T18:02:00.000-08:00

The Qatar Open Amateur Championship was played from the 3rd-5th March in very tough windy conditions. Academy junior golfer Abdul Hadi put in a steady performance at Doha Golf Club to finish in a tie for 7th behind England's Max Wiliams.

This was a World Amateur Ranking Event, so therefore a fine result for a 15yr old!

Marc Ong Wins in Florida

2011-02-07T06:02:00.000-08:00

In his debut junior tournament on American soil, Marc Ong has claimed a 2-stroke victory on the IMG Leadbetter Junior Golf Tour.

Held at the Victoria Hills Golf Club situated 1/2hr out of Orlando Florida, the tournament was played over 2 rounds on the 7,149yd championship layout. Marc, at just 15yrs of age was competing in the 15-18yrs division of the tournament so was therefore up against some tough competition against the older and more experienced juniors. This did not pose a problem for Marc, who fired rounds of 73,75 to take the title ahead of three players all tied a further 2 shots back.

Congratulations Marc!

Asia Junior Golf Team Championship

2011-01-27T05:45:00.000-08:00

India has won the Asia Junior Golf Team Championship 2011 Qualifier, beating Thailand on a count back. With this win, both India and Thailand qualify for the 2011 Asia Junior Golf Team Championship to be held in Nagoya Japan.

In third and fourth place were the teams from Japan and Korea respectively. The Singapore Junior Team, comprising Academy students Edgar Oh and Ashwin Bhanu together with Low Wee Jin and Benedict Ho came in fifth position, 3 shots ahead of the Philippines Junior Team.

Marc Finishes 2nd in China

2011-01-24T16:42:00.000-08:00

After winning the 2010 HSBC Junior Series in Singapore, Marc Ong earned himself a trip to compete at last weeks 2011 HSBC China Junior Golf Open.

Marc (pictured above right) played solid all week in China, posting rounds of 76,74 and a commendable final round of 73 for a 2nd place finish in the tournament.

It was China's Li Haotong who claimed victory ahead of Marc after he closed out the tournament with a remarkable 5-under par 67 in the 3rd and final round.

In the team event, Team Singapore was represented by Marc Ong, fellow Academy student Phoebe Tan (pictured above left) and former students Gregory Foo and Joey Poh. Singapore emerged 2nd runner-up behind Team China and Team Chinese Taipei.