The battle for regional golfing supremacy is set to ignite again when the South East Asian Amateur Golf Team Championship makes its return to Singapore at the award-winning Seletar Country Club from July 8-12.
Supported by the R&A, a total of 10 countries have confirmed their participation in the tournament. They include Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Myanmar, Brunei, and Hong Kong, with over 100 elite amateurs expected to tee up at the award-winning Seletar Country Club from July 8-12.
The Putra Cup, initiated in 1961 by Malaysia’s former Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman, was designed to foster closer ties among South East Asian nations and elevate the regional standard of golf.
Complementing this legacy, Singapore introduced the Lion City Cup in 2004 to recognise the region’s best boys golfers under 16 while Thailand started the Santi Cup in 2009 to feature the top women amateurs, followed by Indonesia with the Kartini Cup in 2013 to highlight junior girls under 16.
Host nation Singapore, who last won the tournament in 2019, will be banking on the likes of 2024 Kedah Amateur Open champion Brayden Lee, Chen Xingtong and Ryan Ang, Aloysa Atienza- who both won the Kuala Lumpur Amateur Open last month to reclaim their title that they last won in 2019.
Singapore’s title hopes will be put to the test by defending champion Indonesia, who has already sent its statement of intent by selecting a strong squad led by Randy Arbenata Mohamad Bintang and Rayhan Abdul Latief. The duo clinched the top two spots in the individual standings while also ending Indonesia’s 29-year title drought at the Putra Cup in Malaysia last year.
Thailand, a traditional powerhouse in the region, will be looking to reclaim their dominance as they have included Jiradech Chaowarat- a gold medal winner in the team event at the 2023 Cambodia SEA Games into their team.
While Thailand might have been struggling in the Putra Cup in recent years, the kingdom has managed to maintain its grip on the other trophies- capturing the Santi Cup, Lion City Cup, and Kartini Cup in Malaysia last year.
The Philippines and Malaysia, meanwhile, will seek to return to the winner’s circle, having won the title in 2013 and 2005 respectively. All eyes are also on Vietnam, who finished as runners-up for the first time in the tournament’s history last year. That significant milestone marked a turning point in Vietnam’s golf history, coming on the heels of their first-ever gold medal in golf at the 2023 Cambodia SEA Games.
Tan Chong Huat, President of the Singapore Golf Association and ASEAN Golf Federation said: “This year’s South East Asian Amateur Golf Team Championship promises to enhance the overall spectatorship experience for everyone and we are looking forward to welcoming all players, officials and fans to Singapore in July.
“Apart from the action inside the ropes, it’ll be a digitally immersive experience for all with the event taking on a progressive stance that is driven by digital technology, sustainability, and security.
“The South East Asian Amateur Golf Team Championship will also be open to the public as one of our objectives is also to provide golf fans and the wider community with the opportunity to witness top-tier amateur golf up close, aiming to inspire a new generation of enthusiasts, particularly among the youth.”
