Xingtong, Brandon Claim National Golf Titles
22nd Singapore National Amateur Championship, Simone Asia Pacific, World Team Amateur
With inputs from
Ng Kok Wei
Senior General Manager, Individual Programme
Secondary 3 golfer Chen Xingtong and post-secondary student-athlete Brandon Han Zhen Guang claimed the 22nd Singapore National Amateur Championship (SNAC) titles after a four-day intense competition. The tournament, which attracted 61 participants, was held at Warren Golf and Country Club from 15 to 18 August 2022.
Eight past and present golfers from Singapore Sports School participated in the tournament. All of them made it to the last 8, and claimed most medals on offer.
In the Men’s Division, Team Sports School swept all medals. Brandon, who is doing the extended programme in the Diploma in Business Studies, stole the show. He maintained good performance throughout the four days and was consistently at the top of the table. On Day 3 when the tournament format switched from stroke to match-play, Brandon and alumnus Justin Kuk Zheng Zhong comfortably dispatched their opponents by wide margins of 9 and 7, and 8 and 6 respectively. Meanwhile, golfer Irvyn Tan Sheng Kang (Diploma in Business, Year 1) was having a great run of his own, taking out higher-ranked opponents consecutively to earn a semi-final spot where he met top local golfer Justin Kuk. He extended his great run with a 2 and 1 victory over Justin to set up a final date with Brandon. Brandon who entered the matchplay section as the top seed, overcame a pond-water shot to edge home on the final hole, narrowly beating Irvyn, who himself managed a best-ever performance at the national level. Justin finished 3rd in the tournament.
Brandon had shared with Singapore Golf Association: “I believe this week is a good reflection of how much blood, sweat and tears I’ve put into this game. The past couple of years have not been easy for me– my golf has been rather stagnant. I used to think that I wasn’t talented in this game but after this week, I’ve learnt that hard work is a talent as well.”
Women’s Champion Chen Xingtong, who also won the Girl’s B division in the Singapore Junior Golf Championship earlier in June, proved to be a class of her own. At the end of Day 1, fellow National Squad teammate Yoko Tai took the lead in the women’s division with an opening 73 (+2), ahead of Xingtong with a six-over 77. In the semi-finals, Xingtong and Chloe Ng Ker Ee (Secondary 3) were neck-to-neck and were all square right to the final holes, with Xingtong eventually edging her way into the final. As alumna Hailey Loh Suanne lost to US-based Yoko, Xingtong was set to meet Yoko in the final round. Xingtong was able to hold up her nerves against Yoko and had a 1-up victory over Yoko.
Hailey Loh and Chloe Ng came in 3rd and 4th place respectively, while IBDP Year 5 student-athlete Jillian Kuk Jia Lin completed her run in the tournament at the quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, Jaymie Ng Wan Xin (IBDP, Year 5) gained valuable experience at the inaugural Simone Asia-Pacific Cup at the Pondok Indah Golf Course in Jakarta, where 44 top professionals and amateurs from 16 countries participated in the Ladies Asian Tour event. Jaymie later headed to the World Amateur Team Championships 2022 with alumna Hailey Loh and teammate Aloysa Atienza, where they will tee it up against golfers from 60 countries from 24 August to 3 September.
RESULTS
22nd Singapore National Amateur Championship
Women’s Category
1st – Chen Xingtong
3rd – Hailey Loh Suanne (Alumna)
4th – Chloe Ng Ker Ee
Men’s Category
1st – Brandon Han Zhen Guang
2nd – Irvyn Tan Sheng Kang
3rd – Justin Kuk Zheng Zhong
With inputs from
Ng Kok Wei
Senior General Manager, Individual Programme
Secondary 3 golfer Chen Xingtong and post-secondary student-athlete Brandon Han Zhen Guang claimed the 22nd Singapore National Amateur Championship (SNAC) titles after a four-day intense competition. The tournament, which attracted 61 participants, was held at Warren Golf and Country Club from 15 to 18 August 2022.
Eight past and present golfers from Singapore Sports School participated in the tournament. All of them made it to the last 8, and claimed most medals on offer.
In the Men’s Division, Team Sports School swept all medals. Brandon, who is doing the extended programme in the Diploma in Business Studies, stole the show. He maintained good performance throughout the four days and was consistently at the top of the table. On Day 3 when the tournament format switched from stroke to match-play, Brandon and alumnus Justin Kuk Zheng Zhong comfortably dispatched their opponents by wide margins of 9 and 7, and 8 and 6 respectively. Meanwhile, golfer Irvyn Tan Sheng Kang (Diploma in Business, Year 1) was having a great run of his own, taking out higher-ranked opponents consecutively to earn a semi-final spot where he met top local golfer Justin Kuk. He extended his great run with a 2 and 1 victory over Justin to set up a final date with Brandon. Brandon who entered the matchplay section as the top seed, overcame a pond-water shot to edge home on the final hole, narrowly beating Irvyn, who himself managed a best-ever performance at the national level. Justin finished 3rd in the tournament.
Brandon had shared with Singapore Golf Association: “I believe this week is a good reflection of how much blood, sweat and tears I’ve put into this game. The past couple of years have not been easy for me– my golf has been rather stagnant. I used to think that I wasn’t talented in this game but after this week, I’ve learnt that hard work is a talent as well.”
Women’s Champion Chen Xingtong, who also won the Girl’s B division in the Singapore Junior Golf Championship earlier in June, proved to be a class of her own. At the end of Day 1, fellow National Squad teammate Yoko Tai took the lead in the women’s division with an opening 73 (+2), ahead of Xingtong with a six-over 77. In the semi-finals, Xingtong and Chloe Ng Ker Ee (Secondary 3) were neck-to-neck and were all square right to the final holes, with Xingtong eventually edging her way into the final. As alumna Hailey Loh Suanne lost to US-based Yoko, Xingtong was set to meet Yoko in the final round. Xingtong was able to hold up her nerves against Yoko and had a 1-up victory over Yoko.
Hailey Loh and Chloe Ng came in 3rd and 4th place respectively, while IBDP Year 5 student-athlete Jillian Kuk Jia Lin completed her run in the tournament at the quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, Jaymie Ng Wan Xin (IBDP, Year 5) gained valuable experience at the inaugural Simone Asia-Pacific Cup at the Pondok Indah Golf Course in Jakarta, where 44 top professionals and amateurs from 16 countries participated in the Ladies Asian Tour event. Jaymie later headed to the World Amateur Team Championships 2022 with alumna Hailey Loh and teammate Aloysa Atienza, where they will tee it up against golfers from 60 countries from 24 August to 3 September.
RESULTS
22nd Singapore National Amateur Championship
Women’s Category
1st – Chen Xingtong
3rd – Hailey Loh Suanne (Alumna)
4th – Chloe Ng Ker Ee
Men’s Category
1st – Brandon Han Zhen Guang
2nd – Irvyn Tan Sheng Kang
3rd – Justin Kuk Zheng Zhong
