Singapore: The 61st edition of the Southeast Asian Amateur Golf Team Championships has officially kicked off with more than 100 elite amateur golfers from 10 countries attending the opening ceremony at Seletar Country Club.

Teeing-off tomorrow, the championships will be contested across four tournaments – Putra Cup, Santi Cup, Lion City Cup and Kartini Cup – over four days.

Initiated by former Malaysian Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman in 1961 to foster closer ties among Southeast Asian nations and elevate the regional standard of golf, the Putra Cup will see defending champions Indonesia, traditional powerhouses Thailand, hosts Singapore along with Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines vying for glory.

Represented by the trio of Thitikarn Thapasit, Pimpisa Rubrong and Achiraya Sriwong, Thailand will defend the Santi Cup which features the region’s top women amateurs.

Thailand will also be seeking to mount successful title defences in both the Lion City and Kartini Cups in which the top boys and girls Under-16 amateurs compete.

The event, by invitation only, extends to all members of the ASEAN Golf Federation. This year’s tournament features teams from Brunei, Cambodia, Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore.

Tan Chong Huat, President of Singapore Golf Association (SGA) and ASEAN Golf Federation, said: “The Southeast Asian Amateur Golf Team Championships offers our national athletes the opportunity to compete against the best in Southeast Asia.

“It also enhances Singapore’s reputation as a key centre for important regional and international golf events.

“With the Southeast Asian Amateur Golf Team Championships, the community in Singapore can enjoy a golf event that is organised at the highest level.

“This event foreshadows the World Amateur Team Championships and we want it to be known for three aspects – digital, sustainability and security.”

The World Amateur Team Championships for the Eisenhower Trophy (men) and Espirito Santo Trophy (women) will be staged at Singapore’s Tanah Merah Country Club in October, 2025.