(June 13, Singapore) As a model of sports exchange between China and Singapore, the Singapore Women’s Masters is set to tee off on June 14 at the renowned Laguna National Golf & Country Club in Singapore.
With a total purse of US$100,000 and a winner’s share of US$15,000, the Singapore Women’s Masters is an independently certified event on the China LPGA Tour and the only overseas tournament on this year’s calendar. A field of 132 players will compete, including 110 professionals and 22 amateurs. The champions from this year’s three regular China LPGA Tour events—the Tianjin Women’s Open winner Ji Yue’ai, Beijing Women’s Challenge winner Ren Yijia, and the recently concluded Golf Wine Zhuhai Guangdong Women’s Open champion Cao Xinyu—will all be in attendance.
The inaugural event last July served as testament to the Sino-Singapore sports exchange. Singaporean amateur Chen Xuan’en engaged in a fierce battle with Chinese professional debutante Ji Yue’ai, with Chen emerging as the one-stroke winner, becoming the second Singaporean champion on the China LPGA Tour and the first amateur victor, boosting the local golf scene. She has since risen to 200th in the world rankings and is poised to become Singapore’s first Olympic golfer through her efforts.
This season has seen a recurring theme of professionals and amateurs vying for glory. From Tianjin to Beijing and then Zhuhai, amateurs like Wang Zixuan challenged Ji Yue’ai at Tianjin’s Pan Shan, finishing runner-up. In Shanghai, Ren Yijia and Pan Yanhong contested an overtime playoff at Dongfang Pearl, with Ren securing the title as the youngest champion in tour history. At Zhuhai Cuihua, Cao Xinyu and Liu Yujie battled in two extra holes, with Liu narrowly falling short.
This week, besides talented Chinese juniors like Ren Yijia, Wang Zixuan, and Zhou Shiyuan, a cadre of “rising stars” from across Asia, such as 13-year-old Singaporean Sydnie NG, the youngest competitor, will also be in action.
Ji Yue’ai acknowledges the pressure exerted by amateurs, anticipating more of the same at Laguna. “I think it’s quite normal; when we were amateurs, our sights were also set on top-five, top-three, or even winning,” Ji said. “If the young amateurs aren’t contending for the title, that would be abnormal, indicating a lack of strong contenders coming up. We welcome the competition between pros and amateurs, as it drives us both to improve.”
Cai Danlin, who finished third as a junior on the China LPGA Tour, is still awaiting her maiden victory. “I believe 14 or 15 is a crucial age for girls. If they’ve been playing since young, their competitive level should be high by then, and they’ve gained some experience,” Cai said. “When they’re in contention, they have fewer distractions and big aspirations. As we get older, our thoughts can become more complex. We strive to stay focused, but external influences can’t be avoided entirely.”
Li Hong, Director General of the China Golf Association’s Women’s Professional Events Department and CEO of the China LPGA Tour, also highlighted another key point: every year, many top Chinese players venture abroad to compete on the global stage, with 22 currently playing on the LPGA’s main and secondary tours. Their experiences on higher platforms create opportunities for aspiring talents, including amateur prodigies.
“Young players winning on the China LPGA Tour is not a recent phenomenon; it’s been the case since our inception in 2009. We’ve produced numerous young champions, like Feng Simin, Wang Ziyi, Liu Yu, and although Lin Xiuyi turned pro early, she also won at 14 or 15. More recently, we’ve seen Yin Xiaowen, Ni Zixin, An Tong, and Ren Yijia,” Li said. “We are a young tour with a different development path. While nurturing professionals, we also provide opportunities for amateur players. We encourage our best to compete in the US and Japan. The fact that amateurs challenge professionals for titles is a natural occurrence, indicating a bright future for the China LPGA Tour.”
“The Singapore Women’s Masters differs in that its founder, Yang Liliang, has also extended invitations to young Southeast Asian, particularly Singaporean, players, giving them exposure to the China LPGA Tour. This event is not just a platform for Sino-Singaporean sports exchange but also a chance for golfers from South Asia and Southeast Asia to engage. We look forward to three exciting days of competition and trust it will be another successful tournament,” Li concluded.