SINGAPORE – The Republic will stage a China Ladies Professional Golf Association (CLPGA) event for the first time when the inaugural Singapore Ladies Masters tees off at the Laguna National Golf Resort Club from July 6 to 8.
Presented by Trust Golf and organised by LLD Sports, the 54-hole stroke-play tournament will see 132 players battle for a US$100,000 (S$135,170) prize purse at Laguna National’s Masters course.
The event was supposed to take place in 2021, but was postponed owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The CLPGA was established in 2008, with former world No. 1 Feng Shanshan among its Order of Merit winners.
The Singapore Ladies Masters is the fourth leg of the 2023 CLPGA season after stops in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong.
LLD Sports founder Lyn Yeo said: “We are proud to present the first CLPGA event in Singapore and very excited to introduce the very talented ladies in the tour who will be coming to Laguna National Golf Resort Club this July.
“The CLPGA is an exceptional tour and is known to be a very hospitable tour that will definitely offer something different for golf fans and spectators who come to watch them play.”
CLPGA Order of Merit leader Sui Xiang, 23, is among the top names competing at the Singapore Ladies Masters. She turned professional in 2017 and won her maiden CLPGA event at the season-ending Zhuhai Challenge in December 2022.
Singapore’s top women’s professional golfer Amanda Tan and top amateur Shannon Tan will also be taking part in the tournament. Amanda, 24, is the first Singaporean to earn a card for the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Epson Tour, the second tier of the women’s professional circuit in the United States.
She said: “I am glad the event worked out well with my playing schedule on the Epson Tour, so I can be back competing in familiar ground. It is always a pleasure being able to compete at home so I am very excited for the week ahead.”
Shannon, a Texas Tech University undergraduate who finished joint fourth in the recent NCAA Division 1 regionals, shared her excitement about coming back.
Ranked 75th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, the 19-year-old will be joined by compatriots Anne Fernandez and Jaymie Ng. She said: “I hope to do well against top competitors in China and the region.”
A qualifying event will be held at Laguna National’s Masters course with one more amateur spot and another two Open spots up for grabs.
