Golf: S’pore to clash with Malaysia in ‘Ryder Cup’ format

Top golfers from Singapore and Malaysia will clash in their own version of the Ryder Cup -- The Causeway Trophy – which will tee off from 7 to 9 June at the Laguna Golf and Country Club.

The Ryder Cup is arguably the most exciting team tournament in golf which sees star-studded teams from Europe and the United States compete against each other.

The Causeway Trophy 2013 will follow the same Ryder Cup format and pits 12 of the best golfers from Singapore and Malaysia in what promises to be a highly charged atmosphere over three days. The qualifying criteria includes top performers on the local order of merit as well as spots for permanent residents.

Team Singapore, led by Honorary Secretary of Singapore PGA Lip Ooi, will boast of experienced tour veterans with the likes of Mardan Marmat, Quincy Quek and Lam Chih Bing, as well as Singapore’s up and coming professional golfers such as Choo Tze Huang, Koh DengShan, Mitchell Slorach and Lam Zhiqun.

Marmat, who is Singapore’s most successful golfer, is thrilled by the chance to play in a Ryder Cup format and believes it will be beneficial to the young players.

The 45-year-old told Yahoo! Singapore, “I think it’s a fantastic idea to have a golf tournament in the Ryder Cup format here. I am really looking forward to it and to have a taste of what Ryder Cup is about.

“This will also encourage youngster to step up and a good platform to improve their game. We have very strong youngsters coming up like Choo, Koh and Quek so I think we stand a very good chance.”

Quek, regarded as the next rising golf star in Singapore, is relishing the Causeway rivalry and hopes the tournament will raise the profile and awareness of golf in the country.

The 25-year-old told Yahoo! Singapore, “I think it’s great to have this of team events to get some camaraderie among the pros. It will also be good for the younger amateurs to see how we fare and encourage them to one day make it to the team.

“We will give our best shot and hopefully win the first installment of the tournament.. Hopefully we can get the same feedback as football gets in the Malaysia Cup. Hopefully it will elevate the sport of golf in Singapore and raise awareness among the locals,” he added.

The Causeway Trophy will be hosted in Singapore for the first three years and Yahoo! Singapore understands from Laguna Golf and Country Club that “there is a good chance that it will be free entry to the public.”

By Daniel Teo | Fit To Post Sports