Singapore to host 2011 Asian Amateur Championship
The Asia Pacific Golf Confederation, the Masters Tournament and The R&A today confirmed that Singapore will be the host country for the 2011 Asian Amateur Championship.
The third playing of the championship, which offers a place in the following year’s Masters Tournament to its winner, will be played on The Singapore Island Country Club’s New Course from September 29-October 2, 2011.
In addition to the champion’s Masters Tournament invitation, the winner and the runner(s)-up receive positions in International Final Qualifying for the Open Championship at Royal St George’s Golf Club next year.
Confirmation of the 2011 venue came during the first round of this year’s championship, being played at Kasumigaseki Country Club, about one hour northwest of Tokyo, Japan.
Tommy Lee, Chairman of the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation, Billy Payne, Chairman of the Masters Tournament, and Peter Dawson, Chief Executive of The R&A, were joined by Peter Teo, General Manager of the Singapore Golf Association, and Eugene Yang, Honorary Treasurer of The Singapore Island Country Club, for the announcement.
Said Lee: “We are delighted to confirm that The Singapore Island Country Club will host the 2011 Asian Amateur Championship. Singapore, one of Asia’s most dynamic countries and one with a thriving sporting and golfing community, will be the ideal venue for this championship. In Singapore Island Country Club, we have an outstanding partner for growing the game in Asia.”
“It will be a great honour for Singapore to play host to the best amateur golfers from countries around Asia Pacific. Our national players will not only have the opportunity to play such a prestigious event on home soil, but we hope they will spur the next generation of Singaporean golfers to see a pathway to the top through this championship,” said Teo.
Added Yang: “Providing the venue for this championship will rank as one of our club’s greatest achievements. The Singapore Island Country Club has a distinguished history of hosting major events and we promise to bring that experience to bear in staging the Asian Amateur Championship.”
The Singapore Island Country Club has an enviable reputation as a host of major international golf events, including the 1969 World Cup, 1993 Johnnie Walker Classic, 28 playings of the Singapore Open and the European Tour’s Singapore Masters in 2001.
A 118-player field is currently competing in the 72-hole stroke play event on the West Course at Kasumigaseki Country Club, which is due to conclude on Sunday.
Tokyo Broadcasting System is producing a world feed that is being distributed in high-definition to more than 150 countries via ESPN STAR Sports (Asia), ONE HD (Australia), TSN (Canada), ESPN Latin America, Fox Sports (Middle East), Sky Sports (New Zealand) and ESPN2 (United States).
Earlier in the year it was announced that Samsung and Japan Airlines would join the 2010 event as ‘Proud Partners’. The support of Samsung and JAL complements that of IBM, KFC, Rolex and Zurich, all of whom also backed the inaugural championship in 2009.
