Singapore: Performing with pride and passion will be the mantra for fresh-faced members of the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) team in their Bonallack Trophy defence next year.
To be held at Al Hamra Golf Club in the United Arab Emirates from January 8-10, the APGC team for the 12th edition of the Bonallack Trophy consists of a 12-strong line-up, all of whom are within the top-236 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).
“We’re delighted to be represented by such a fine group of talented young men. They’ll be driven to perform with pride and passion – for themselves, their countries and the continent,” said non-playing captain Rishi Narain of the line-up for the Ryder Cup-style match play event against the European Golf Association.
Bidding to retain the trophy they won in Spain last year, the APGC team features two players apiece from Japan, New Zealand and Thailand and one each from China, Hong Kong, India, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.
Narain, who captained the triumphant team at La Manga 15 months ago, said: “We’re fortunate to have so many outstanding players to choose from – a testament to the overall strength at the elite level of the men’s amateur game across the region.”
Five of the team that will take to the fairways at Al Hamra are currently in the WAGR top-100 with a further five in the top-200.
As well as US college standouts Phichaksn Maichon of Thailand, Hiroshi Tai of Singapore, Enrique Dimayuga of the Philippines and New Zealand’s Zach Swanwick, the team includes four members of the International Team at September’s Junior Presidents Cup – Vietnam’s Nguyen Anh Minh, Thai Thanawin Lee, Indian Kartik Singh and New Zealand’s Joshua Bai.
Adding further firepower are China’s Zhou Ziqin and Japan’s Rintaro Nakano, second and third-place finishers at last month’s Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC).
Completing the APGC line-up are Hong Kong’s Jeffrey Wong Ngai Shen and Japan’s Taishi Moto, both of whom had top-20 finishes at the AAC and represented their countries with distinction at last month’s Asia-Pacific Amateur Team Championships for the Nomura Cup.
“Our team has an excellent balance of players who are at college in America and those who are still succeeding in our region as they make the transition from junior golf,” said Taimur Hassan Amin, Chairman of the APGC.
The two highest ranked players in the team are Texas A&M’s Phichaksn (24th in the WAGR) and Georgia Tech’s Tai, who made international headlines in May when he won the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 Men’s Individual Championship.
In so doing he earned starts in this year’s US Open as well as the Masters Tournament in 2025. Currently 30th in the WAGR, Tai was the first Asian player to win the NCAA title in its 127-year history and is the first Singaporean to play in the two men’s Major championships.
Also making waves this year has been Vietnam’s Anh Minh, who led his country to an historic first victory in the Nomura Cup, claiming low individual honours.
Anh Minh and New Zealand’s Bai are the only two survivors from the APGC team that upset the odds to win the Bonallack Trophy in Spain last year.
“That was a fabulous experience and I’m looking forward to representing the Asia-Pacific again in January,” said 17-year-old Anh Minh, who has committed to play collegiate golf at Oregon State University.
Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation Bonallack Trophy Team
(Nationality and World Amateur Golf Ranking as of November 13 in brackets)
Phichaksn Maichon (Thailand, 24); Hiroshi Tai (Singapore, 30); Nguyen Anh Minh (Vietnam, 58); Enrique Dimayuga (Philippines, 63); Rintaro Nakano (Japan, 98); Zhou Ziqin (China, 116); Jeffrey Wong Ngai Shen (Hong Kong, 146); Kartik Singh (India, 152); Zach Swanwick (New Zealand, 163); Thanawin Lee (Thailand, 166); Joshua Bai (New Zealand, 206); Taishi Moto (Japan, 236)