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ASEAN Tour launches Laguna National ASEAN Championship

The ASEAN Golf Tour will pay its maiden visit to Singapore next month for the Laguna National ASEAN Championship at Laguna National Golf & Country Club from November 7 to 10.

In another encouraging development for professional golf in the region the new event will boast prize money of US$50,000 and will form the third leg of this year’s ASEAN Golf Tour.

The ASEAN Golf Tour was launched last month with the inaugural International Championship presented by Telkomsel in Indonesia - won by Malaysian Danny Chia – while this week sees the circuit stage a second new event in the Philippines, called the Active Mt. Malarayat Championship.

A field of over 100 players from the ASEAN region will compete in the Laguna National ASEAN Championship including top Singaporeans Mardan Mamat and Lam Chih Bing.

"The ASEAN Golf Tour is delighted to be heading to Singapore for the first time especially to a golf club that has staged its fair share of top international golf tournaments, Laguna National Golf & Country Club," said A.C. Wong , Chairman of the ASEAN Golf Tour.

As well as a strong turnout of Singaporean professionals, the tournament will also attract competitors from Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia.

"Our first two events have been extremely well received by players from across the region and we are confident that the Laguna National ASEAN Championship will attract a strong field. Our first event in Singapore will of course have special significance as it is where the ASEAN Golf Tour has its headquartered," added Wong.

The ASEAN Golf Tour, whose patron is His Excellency Mr Ong Keng Yong, the ASEAN Secretary-General, was set up in order to provide greater playing opportunities for players in the region.

In particular it is targeting the up and coming players and giving them more tournament playing experience.

A total of five events feature on this year’s ASEAN Golf Tour schedule, with two more to come in Vietnam and Thailand.

"It is a real boost to have a new tournament on the golf calendar in Singapore and so Laguna National Golf & Country Club looks forward to welcoming the ASEAN Golf Tour next month," said Rowland Wong, Group Managing Director, Laguna National Golf & Country Club.

"As one of the leading golf clubs in the region we feel it is important to help nurture the younger generation of professionals. This tournament, and the others on the ASEAN Golf Tour, will also give playing opportunities to professionals who do not get to play in the bigger events in Asia," added Wong.

In a move that will help strengthen the field, the Laguna National ASEAN Championship is being staged the week after the Barclays Singapore Open at Sentosa Golf Club.

The country’s national Open draws a huge field of players from the region and also features qualifying rounds on the Monday and Tuesday of tournament week.

Many are expected to stay on for the ASEAN Golf Tour event which is being played on the Classic Course at Laguna National and is sanctioned by the Singapore PGA.

October 16, 2007