Singapore: Former World Amateur Golf Ranking number one Taiga Semikawa will make his DP World Tour debut in next week’s Singapore Classic at Laguna National Golf Resort Club.
The 22-year-old Japanese made headlines last year when he became the first amateur to win the Japan Open in its 95-year history, capping a run of winning three consecutive professional events before beginning his pro career at the end of 2022.
Semikawa also became the first amateur golfer to win more than once in the same season on the Japan Golf Tour, claiming the Panasonic Open Golf Championship in addition to his Japan Create Challenge in FukuokaRaizan victory on the Abema Tour.
After making his PGA Tour debut at last month’s Sony Open in Hawaii, Semikawa is now set to make his first DP World Tour appearance when the Tour returns to Singapore for the first time since 2014.
“This is an incredible opportunity and I’m excited to play a DP World Tour event for the first time. I’ve heard wonderful things about Singapore and seen photos of Laguna National – it’s a beautiful venue. Playing there against some of the great names from that Tour would be a fantastic experience,” said Semikawa.
Semikawa will tee up alongside a host of DP World Tour stars, including former Ryder Cup Captain Thomas Bjørn, last season’s Seve Ballesteros Award winner Ryan Fox and China’s Li Haotong.
Young amateur stars Ding Wenyi and Ratchanon ‘TK’ Chantananuwat will also be in action at Laguna National.
Also in the field are Great Britain and Ireland Hero Cup players Jordan Smith and Ewen Ferguson. Smith secured a long-awaited second DP World Tour title last year at the Portugal Masters, bridging a five-year gap, while Ferguson became the first Scotsman in a decade to win multiple titles in the same season, winning in Qatar and Northern Ireland.
“I’m really looking forward to playing in the Far East for the first time on the DP World Tour,” said Ferguson, who graduated from the Challenge Tour in 2021. “I played in China on the Challenge Tour a few years ago; we were made to feel really welcome and I’m looking forward to the same when we visit Singapore.”
The Singapore Classic marks the return of the DP World Tour to Singapore for the first time since 2014.
