The DP World Tour returns to the Far East this week for the first time since 2019 as Laguna National Golf Resort Club plays host to the Singapore Classic. Here are your five things to know.
The DP World Tour is back in Singapore
After a nine-year absence on the DP World Tour schedule, we are back in Singapore for the inaugural Singapore Classic. This week’s venue Laguna National was the scene of the last visit to the country when Chilean Felipe Aguilar finished birdie-eagle to win his second Tour title in The Championship. The club – inaugurated in 1993 – was also where home favourite Mardon Mamat won the Singapore Masters in the most memorable moment in the country’s golfing history in 2006 as he finished one stroke ahead of England’s defending champion Nick Dougherty. The DP World Tour first visited Singapore in 1993 when Sir Nick Faldo won the first edition of the Johnnie Walker Classic, with fellow Major Champion Ian Woosnam following suit three years later. Former World Number One duo Vijay Singh and Adam Scott have also tasted success in Singapore, in 2001 and 2010 respectively, while European golfing great Colin Montgomerie was a victor in 2004.
Inside the field
A host of DP World Tour stars are set to tee it up this week at Laguna National. Last season’s Seve Ballesteros Award winner Ryan Fox is the top ranked player in the 132-strong field, which also includes two-time DP World Tour winners Jordan Smith and Ewen Ferguson, who also played in the Hero Cup last month. 2018 Ryder Cup Captain Thomas Bjørn is another familiar name in action alongside the Asian quartet of Chinese duo Li Haotong and Wu Ashun alongside Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Malaysian Gavin Green. Fans will also get a glimpse into the future of Asian golf, with Japanese former World Number One amateur Taiga Semikawa joined by Thai 15-year-old Ratchanon Chantananuwat and Chinese 17-year-old Ding Wenyi in the field. Semikawa is set for his DP World Tour debut after making his first start on the PGA TOUR at the Sony Open in Hawaii last month.
Start of a two-event South East Asia swing
After an exciting four-week run of tournaments in the UAE, the Singapore Classic marks the start of two back-to-back events taking place in South East Asia. Following this week’s stop on Singapore’s east coast, the Tour will then stage the inaugural Thailand Classic at Amata Spring Country Club in Bangkok. The month of February will then be rounded off by the return of the Hero Indian Open after a four-year absence from the schedule due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But before that, who will this week become the Tour’s first winner in the Far East since Mikko Korhonen triumphed at the 2019 Volvo China Open?
G4D Tour’s first visit to the Far East
The expanded second season of the G4D Tour (Golf for the Disabled Tour) continued earlier this week with its first ever visit to the Far East. The two-day G4D Tour @ Singapore Classic – the third of eight stops in the 2023 schedule – featured a ten-strong field and came to a conclusion on Tuesday as David Watts claimed his maiden victory. The South African birdied three of his final four holes to win by three shots following a thrilling tussle with World Number One Kipp Popert. “It’s hard to put into words, it’s a bit of a surreal feeling. I’m delighted to get it over the line,” said Watts. This year’s season features an expanded calendar of eight events in six countries, with the introduction of a season-long Order of Merit to determine the Number One player. Popert, who won four titles in the inaugural campaign, leads the rankings after victory at the season-opening Australian All Abilities Championship in December, before Spaniard Juan Postigo Arce claimed his maiden triumph at the G4D Tour @ Hero Cup in Abu Dhabi last month.
Remote production saves over 140 tonnes of carbon emissions
This week will see European Tour Productions conduct their second remote production supported by Official DP World Tour Supplier Tata Communications, which follows on from last year’s Cazoo Open de France at Le Golf National. The full live production crew will be working on the coverage from our London-based office rather than on site at Laguna National. The move means there is a 29 per cent reduction in crew travelling to Singapore which means over 140 tonnes of carbon emissions are avoided. The remote operation is another step in moving towards a more sustainable future of production and the European Tour group’s commitment towards priority issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, air and ocean pollution and sustainable and ethical procurement.
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