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.
Wednesday, 9 March 2011
Sunday, 6 March 2011
Top Ten Finish for Hadi in Qatar
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!
This was a World Amateur Ranking Event, so therefore a fine result for a 15yr old!
Monday, 7 February 2011
Marc Ong Wins in Florida
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!
Thursday, 27 January 2011
Asia Junior Golf Team Championship
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.
Monday, 24 January 2011
Marc Finishes 2nd in China
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.
Wednesday, 12 January 2011
Academy Juniors Receive National Honours
Two Academy juniors have been promoted into the SGA's National Squads for 2011.
Abdul Hadi (pic above) has become the newest member of the SGA Development Squad following some promising tournament results in 2010.
Edgar Oh (pic above) was the second junior to be promoted. After a stellar year in 2010 which included victories in the Singapore Open Amateur Championship and The Faldo Series amongst others, Edgar has duly been promoted from the Development Squad to the SGA National Men's Squad. 15yr old Edgar will now join fellow Academy student Marc Ong as the youngest two members of the National Squad....quite an achievement!
The Academy would like to congratulate Hadi and Edgar on their National selection and wishes to offer them the best of luck when representing their country in 2011.
Pebble Beach and More...
After a long 2010 season of golf coaching, I took a few weeks out from the Academy and headed over to North America. During my time in the United States I had the opportunity to play some of the best golf courses in California!
Half Moon Bay, Spyglass Hill, Links at Spanish Bay and Carmel Valley Ranch were fantastic but the highlight was playing the famous Pebble Beach, venue for the recent 2010 US Open Championship and home of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.
Since starting golf as a kid, I've watched many telecasts of tournaments played at Pebble Beach...from Tom Watson's 1982 US Open triumph, through to the 100th US Open won in historic fashion by Tiger Woods in the year 2000, not to mention Graeme McDowell's 2010 US Open victory. It was therefore quite a surreal experience teeing it up at Pebble.
We were very fortunate with the weather on the Monterey Peninsula....pretty cold but the rain held off which was great. Even better was the scarse number of golfers out playing that day. No group directly in front or behind us all day....brilliant!
My caddie Todd told me on the 1st tee "You need to make your score here at Pebble through the first 6 holes". So with Todd's local knowledge and advice, I proceeded to hit every fairway and 5 greens in regulation through the first 6, but struggled to hole-out. After reaching the par 5 6th hole in two, I barely missed my eagle attempt then carelessly let the next one slip by the edge for a 3-putt par...the grainy greens had gotten the better of me!
Standing on the 7th tee, looking down at one of the most famous holes in golf (pic below), with it's postage stamp green, the pin cut over the front-righthand trap and the wind howling off the ocean from the right....one can finally begin to appreciate how a 109yd downhill par 3 can actually be intimidating!
With a wedge in hand, I hit a 3/4 knock-down shot (pic below) that bounced just through the green into the heavy rough. I played a delicate chip to 2ft and was pleased to tap in for my par on this signature hole.
The next stretch of par 4's along the ocean were both picturesque and brutally tough in the prevailing winds, but none more breathtaking and no shot more daunting than the approach to the 8th green. Jack Nicklaus has named this his favourite approach shot in golf...and I can see why! (pics below)
At 505yds and 495yd respectively...the 9th and 10th holes played along the ocean into a strong headwind and were two of the toughest back-to-back par 4's I've ever played. Making 4 on both these holes was a bonus. The course finally gives you a break on No.11....just a drive and a wedge, but the green is incredibly narrow. You really can't appreciate how small the greens are at Pebble until you've played it. Holes 12 through to 15 weren't any different....all small undulating greens, so well protected by deep greenside bunkers that short-siding yourself almost guaranteed a dropped shot.
The last three holes at Pebble were brilliant...16's a great par 4 then comes the 208yd par 3 17th which plays back toward the ocean, and for us, it also played into a stiff offshore breeze. The pin was cut about 15ft right of the ridge that runs through the centre of the green...at which point the green is barely five paces deep (see pic from behind green below)....a near impossible target with gusty winds and a 3-iron in hand!
Looking down the fairway from the 18th tee was a great sight....knowing how many legends of the game have stood on that tee box on a sunday afternoon with the lead in a US Open or AT&T National was pretty cool. (see pics below)
It felt great to flush a drive straight down the middle on 18, leaving myself the perfect angle to attack the green in two. However my caddie Todd suggested that I should lay it up in front of the greenside bunker with a hybrid and pitch it on from there. With 248yds to the green and a huge ego in hand I reached into the bag, pulled out my 3-wood and confidently told my caddie "I didn't travel half way across the world to lay up!" So with the pin tucked over on the left side of the green I tried to draw it in but overcooked it, got a bad bounce off the edge of the greenside bunker and ended up in the ocean! Not satisfied with the outcome and in true "Tin Cup" fashion, I dropped another down in the fairway and proceeded to play my 4th shot with a 3-wood from 248yds yet again, only this time I fortunately made no mistake....landing it in the apron just off the front edge of the green. I got it up and down for a bogey and signed off for a round of 76.
Although I paid the price for my aggressive play down the last, it was awesome to play Pebble Beach with one of my best mates and my wonderful wife....certainly a day to remember.
Half Moon Bay, Spyglass Hill, Links at Spanish Bay and Carmel Valley Ranch were fantastic but the highlight was playing the famous Pebble Beach, venue for the recent 2010 US Open Championship and home of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.
Since starting golf as a kid, I've watched many telecasts of tournaments played at Pebble Beach...from Tom Watson's 1982 US Open triumph, through to the 100th US Open won in historic fashion by Tiger Woods in the year 2000, not to mention Graeme McDowell's 2010 US Open victory. It was therefore quite a surreal experience teeing it up at Pebble.
We were very fortunate with the weather on the Monterey Peninsula....pretty cold but the rain held off which was great. Even better was the scarse number of golfers out playing that day. No group directly in front or behind us all day....brilliant!
My caddie Todd told me on the 1st tee "You need to make your score here at Pebble through the first 6 holes". So with Todd's local knowledge and advice, I proceeded to hit every fairway and 5 greens in regulation through the first 6, but struggled to hole-out. After reaching the par 5 6th hole in two, I barely missed my eagle attempt then carelessly let the next one slip by the edge for a 3-putt par...the grainy greens had gotten the better of me!
Standing on the 7th tee, looking down at one of the most famous holes in golf (pic below), with it's postage stamp green, the pin cut over the front-righthand trap and the wind howling off the ocean from the right....one can finally begin to appreciate how a 109yd downhill par 3 can actually be intimidating!
With a wedge in hand, I hit a 3/4 knock-down shot (pic below) that bounced just through the green into the heavy rough. I played a delicate chip to 2ft and was pleased to tap in for my par on this signature hole.
The next stretch of par 4's along the ocean were both picturesque and brutally tough in the prevailing winds, but none more breathtaking and no shot more daunting than the approach to the 8th green. Jack Nicklaus has named this his favourite approach shot in golf...and I can see why! (pics below)
At 505yds and 495yd respectively...the 9th and 10th holes played along the ocean into a strong headwind and were two of the toughest back-to-back par 4's I've ever played. Making 4 on both these holes was a bonus. The course finally gives you a break on No.11....just a drive and a wedge, but the green is incredibly narrow. You really can't appreciate how small the greens are at Pebble until you've played it. Holes 12 through to 15 weren't any different....all small undulating greens, so well protected by deep greenside bunkers that short-siding yourself almost guaranteed a dropped shot.
The last three holes at Pebble were brilliant...16's a great par 4 then comes the 208yd par 3 17th which plays back toward the ocean, and for us, it also played into a stiff offshore breeze. The pin was cut about 15ft right of the ridge that runs through the centre of the green...at which point the green is barely five paces deep (see pic from behind green below)....a near impossible target with gusty winds and a 3-iron in hand!
Looking down the fairway from the 18th tee was a great sight....knowing how many legends of the game have stood on that tee box on a sunday afternoon with the lead in a US Open or AT&T National was pretty cool. (see pics below)
It felt great to flush a drive straight down the middle on 18, leaving myself the perfect angle to attack the green in two. However my caddie Todd suggested that I should lay it up in front of the greenside bunker with a hybrid and pitch it on from there. With 248yds to the green and a huge ego in hand I reached into the bag, pulled out my 3-wood and confidently told my caddie "I didn't travel half way across the world to lay up!" So with the pin tucked over on the left side of the green I tried to draw it in but overcooked it, got a bad bounce off the edge of the greenside bunker and ended up in the ocean! Not satisfied with the outcome and in true "Tin Cup" fashion, I dropped another down in the fairway and proceeded to play my 4th shot with a 3-wood from 248yds yet again, only this time I fortunately made no mistake....landing it in the apron just off the front edge of the green. I got it up and down for a bogey and signed off for a round of 76.
Although I paid the price for my aggressive play down the last, it was awesome to play Pebble Beach with one of my best mates and my wonderful wife....certainly a day to remember.
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