Cartimes Singapore Junior Development Tour
Junior Golf Development Receives Local Sponsorship Boost
Junior Golf Development Receives Local Sponsorship Boost
The Cartimes Singapore Junior Development Tour Championship recently came to successful conclusion at Laguna National Golf & Country Club’s Masters Course with two future stars in the making. The full-field, World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), 54-hole stroke play tournament is open to boys and girls across four divisions, namely, Open, Under-18, Under-15 and Under-12.
The event is also ranked on the Junior Golf Scoreboard (JGS) and can earn American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) exemptions, representing the first time a junior event in Singapore has been able to achieve this triple feat.
Cartimes sponsorship of the Singapore Junior Development Tour (SJDT) program, which consists of six to eight monthly events, is key to ensuring its long-term sustainability and growth. Holistically, the program provides on course training, physical training and access to professional advice on the pathway to college golf.
“This is a long-term program that can last from 8 to 10 years. We provide a conducive environment for the young golfers to build themselves to be the best that they can be. Not all will become professional golfers, but our primary aim is to get as many as possible recruited for college golf and higher education at top colleges and universities,” said Lyn Yeo, Founder and Managing Director of LLD Sports Management and Development, the company responsible for the Singapore Junior Development Tour program as well as the Cartimes Singapore Junior Development Tour Championship.
SJDT has also formed international alliances to provide its members with opportunities to train and compete overseas. As the official qualifying tour for the FCG Callaway World Championship in San Diego, the Champion of Champions tournament in Ireland, and Feng Shanshan Junior Invitational in China, opportunities exist to compete on the biggest stages in the world.
Potential star and SJDT member Shannon Tan, 17, fired a final round six-under-par 66 to win the Girls’ Under-18 and Open category at the Car Times SJDT Championship.
Her winning total of seven-under-par 209 also qualifies the home-schooled Tan for the China Lpga-sanctioned Singapore Ladies Masters Championship in December. Currently ranked 227th in the world and the highest-ever ranked Singaporean amateur golfer, she is also due to receive a full scholarship at Texas Tech University and compete in the Big 12 Conference at NCAA Division 1 next year.
In the Boy’s category, Sean Lee carded rounds of 74, 72 and 77 to clinch the Boys’ Under-18 and Open category titles. Despite feeling the nerves out on the course, the 17-year-old managed to outclass Darryl Tan by two shots for the win.
“With the support of key partners like Cartimes and Laguna National Golf and Country Club, the SJDT can now dream to groom our very own Yuka (Sasao) and Patty (Tavatanakit),” said Yeo, encouraged by the two young Southeast Asian golfers who had won the LPGA’S first two Majors this year.