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Business Times
11-08-2025
- Sport
- Business Times
IGF chief lauds Singapore's successful bid to host world amateur golf event in October
SINGAPORE is gearing up to stage the World Amateur Team Championships (WATC) golf event in October, a biennial international amateur competition organised by the International Golf Federation (IGF). With just weeks to go until the big tee-off at the Tampines course at Tanah Merah Country Club (TMCC), the preparations have received the thumbs-up from IGF's executive director, Antony Scanlon. In an interview with The Business Times during his recent visit to Singapore, he said: 'The Singapore Golf Association (SGA) presented a fabulous bid, and we recognised its merit during the bidding process. We were also impressed by the quality of the challenging Tampines course, and the deep commitment shown by the SGA officials.' Singapore and Morocco were on the shortlist at the IGF's last biennial meeting in Paris last year. It was agreed unanimously that the Republic would stage the 2025 event, and Morocco, the 2027 one. In Singapore, the women's competition for the Espirito Santo Trophy will take place from Oct 1 to 4, followed by the men's competition for the Eisenhower Trophy from Oct 8 to 11. The field has been cut from 72 to 36 teams, with the team from Singapore gaining automatic qualification. Each team has two or three players and plays 18-holes of stroke play for four days. In each round, the total of the two lowest scores from each team constitutes the team score for the round. The four-day (72-hole) total is the team's score for the championship. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up Scanlon, a 60-year-old Australian, said of the WATC: 'A significant number of top amateurs who play in this tournament eventually progress to the professional ranks, including participation in major championships. In fact, 70 to 80 per cent of the golfers who play at the Olympics today previously competed in the WATC.' The last championships in 2023 were held at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club's National course in the United Arab Emirates. South Korea won the women's event for the fifth time, while the United States took the men's crown. The values of golf The IGF, which is based in Lausanne, Switzerland, is recognised by the International Olympic Committee as the international federation for golf. It is the umbrella body for the national governing bodies of golf in 152 countries. In addition to the WATC, the federation also organises the golf competitions at the Olympic Games and the Youth Olympic Games. Scanlon, who defeated 70 candidates for the IGF's top job in 2010, is a nine-handicapper who picked up the sport at age six. He also once played rugby and cricket competitively. During his trip to Singapore, he took the opportunity to play at TMCC's award-winning Tampines course and Sentosa Golf Club's famed Serapong course. While he had much praise for Singapore as a destination for golf, he called on Singapore's national golf association and the many golf clubs across the island to do more to promote the sport. Even as the number of courses here is set to shrink as the government renews fewer of their leases, Scanlon said that stakeholders should raise the awareness that golf is back as an Olympic sport, and that every effort should be made to ensure Singapore's continued presence at the quadrennial event. In the Paris games last year, Shannon Tan became Singapore's first Olympic golfer. Scanlon was among the prime movers for golf's reinstatement in the Olympic programme at the Rio Games in 2016, after having been absent for 112 years. He urged stakeholders to impress upon the authorities the many positives that golf brings. 'All we can do is to continue to speak loudly about the values of golf. Golf instils strong values such as honesty, integrity and patience. It promotes not just activity, but also mental well-being. We should publicise these.' Asked about what the SGA could do to keep golf alive and buzzing in Singapore despite the challenges, he said: 'Around the world, golf is buzzing; the playing population and spectatorship are growing. I hear that in Singapore, it is growing at a fast pace too, although the clubs are getting fewer.' Scanlon also pointed out the vast green spaces of golf courses could also be used by non-golfers in some instances. 'These spaces can be used by the public for pursuits such as walking or other forms of exercise, like taichi. The famous St Andrews courses in Scotland are closed every Sunday, and people take the chance to walk their dogs or exercise around the greenery,' he said.
The Australian
05-08-2025
- Sport
- The Australian
Cameron Smith's Olympic hopes alive as golf body reviews rules
Cameron Smith's Olympic dream is not dead, with the governing body in charge of setting qualification rules 'reviewing' the system that could abandon world rankings as the only measure and open the door for LIV stars. An Olympic gold medal has joined winning major championships as a driving force for the current and next generation of golfing stars and Smith, who represented Australia in Tokyo, spoke with passion about the Games as his rankings slide pushed him beyond the selection criteria for Paris in 2024. As is stands, the top 15 players on the world rankings get automatic entry, with a cap of four players per country. Then from those outside the top 15, the top-two ranked players from countries not already represented fill out the 60-player fields in the men's and women's draw. Jason Day and Min Woo Lee were Australia's male representatives in Paris. Smith has fallen outside the top 200 after missing all four major cuts in 2025, the only events he could have received world ranking points before playing in the Australian PGA and Open later this year. Jason Day, Luke Reardon, Karrie Webb, Stuart Davidson and Min Woo Lee at the Paris Olympics. Picture:But Antony Scanlon, the Australian boss of the International Golf Federation, which oversees golf in the Olympics, said the desire to get the 'strongest field possible' had prompted a review and the qualification for LA in 2028 was not 'locked in'. Scanlon said the addition of the mixed teams event for the LA Games showed the program could evolve and that evolution could include qualifying as the golfing landscape continued to change. 'We're not locked in,' Scanlon told NewsWire. 'We've reviewed our schedule and now we've got an extra event. We're also currently reviewing the qualification system and we'll have to have that finalised by the end of this year. 'What we want is the strongest field possible and also the most diverse in terms of the national Olympic committees. 'We'll look at the world rankings and whether that is the best scenario or if there's some other method that we need to do to tick those boxes. 'Nothing is set in stone and we're determined to get the strongest field possible.' Cameron Smith at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Picture:Any changes could also impact LIV players from South Africa and England, including English star Tyrrell Hatton. LIV headliner Jon Rahm remains Spain's highest-ranked player despite dropping to 75 in the world, but that could change by the time the LA Games come around given the 'churn' that takes place in the sport. 'The best players are competing in world ranking events at majors and also those that are participating on the Asian Tour., so there is opportunities for those that have a vision to be part of the Olympic Games,' Scanlon said. 'But as I said, we'll look at how we can go about getting the best field. 'For every sport that's on the Olympic program, it's the international federation that works out the qualification system and the IOC then ratifies that. 'And we are managing that process.' Scanlon said the emotion shown by the likes of world No.1 Scottie Scheffler, who was in tears standing on top of the podium in Paris, has franked Olympic gold as a driving force for golfers and cemented it as part of the Games. Russell Gould Sports editor Russell Gould is a senior sportswriter with nearly 20 years' experience across a wide variety of sports including AFL, cricket, golf, rugby league, rugby and horse racing. Starting as a sports reporter at MX, then the Herald Sun, he has written news and in-depth features as well as covering major events in both Melbourne and around the world, from the 2003 rugby World Cup, though to the 2019 Ashes in England, two US Masters at Augusta and every Boxing Day Test since 2010. Having also spent four years as the Herald Sun sports chief of staff, he is now the founding sports editor of NCA NewsWire. @gouldynews Russell Gould
News.com.au
05-08-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Cameron Smith's Olympic hopes alive as golf body reviews rules
Cameron Smith's Olympic dream is not dead, with the governing body in charge of setting qualification rules 'reviewing' the system that could abandon world rankings as the only measure and open the door for LIV stars. An Olympic gold medal has joined winning major championships as a driving force for the current and next generation of golfing stars and Smith, who represented Australia in Tokyo, spoke with passion about the Games as his rankings slide pushed him beyond the selection criteria for Paris in 2024. As is stands, the top 15 players on the world rankings get automatic entry, with a cap of four players per country. Then from those outside the top 15, the top-two ranked players from countries not already represented fill out the 60-player fields in the men's and women's draw. Jason Day and Min Woo Lee were Australia's male representatives in Paris. Smith has fallen outside the top 200 after missing all four major cuts in 2025, the only events he could have received world ranking points before playing in the Australian PGA and Open later this year. But Antony Scanlon, the Australian boss of the International Golf Federation, which oversees golf in the Olympics, said the desire to get the 'strongest field possible' had prompted a review and the qualification for LA in 2028 was not 'locked in'. Scanlon said the addition of the mixed teams event for the LA Games showed the program could evolve and that evolution could include qualifying as the golfing landscape continued to change. 'We're not locked in,' Scanlon told NewsWire. 'We've reviewed our schedule and now we've got an extra event. We're also currently reviewing the qualification system and we'll have to have that finalised by the end of this year. 'What we want is the strongest field possible and also the most diverse in terms of the national Olympic committees. 'We'll look at the world rankings and whether that is the best scenario or if there's some other method that we need to do to tick those boxes. 'Nothing is set in stone and we're determined to get the strongest field possible.' Any changes could also impact LIV players from South Africa and England, including English star Tyrrell Hatton. LIV headliner Jon Rahm remains Spain's highest-ranked player despite dropping to 75 in the world, but that could change by the time the LA Games come around given the 'churn' that takes place in the sport. 'The best players are competing in world ranking events at majors and also those that are participating on the Asian Tour., so there is opportunities for those that have a vision to be part of the Olympic Games,' Scanlon said. 'But as I said, we'll look at how we can go about getting the best field. 'For every sport that's on the Olympic program, it's the international federation that works out the qualification system and the IOC then ratifies that. 'And we are managing that process.' Scanlon said the emotion shown by the likes of world No.1 Scottie Scheffler, who was in tears standing on top of the podium in Paris, has franked Olympic gold as a driving force for golfers and cemented it as part of the Games.
CNN
16-04-2025
- Sport
- CNN
Los Angeles 2028 Olympics will feature mixed-gender golf event, as new venues confirmed for Games
The Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028 will now feature a mixed-gender team golf event, the International Golf Federation (IGF) confirmed on Tuesday. The new edition will consist of a 36-hole competition across two 18-hole rounds, with each team consisting of one male and one female player who have already qualified for the single events. Only one pair per nation will be permitted to take part. The competition will be split into two formats – foursomes (alternate shots) for the first round and four-ball (best ball) for the second. Golf was reintroduced to the Olympics at Rio 2016, after more than 100 years away from the Games. The 1904 Games in St. Louis, Missouri, was the last time a team golf competition was included. 'We're absolutely thrilled to see a Mixed-Team Event added to the programme for Los Angeles 2028,' said IGF Executive Director Antony Scanlon in a statement. 'Golf was incredibly successful at Paris 2024, and as we continue building on the momentum from Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, we're excited to bring even more attention to our sport through this additional format. 'The athletes were very enthusiastic about their desire to play with their compatriots, and we look forward to watching them compete together in Los Angeles.' The International Olympic Committee (IOC) published the full event program for the 2028 Games last week. The new golf tournament is one of six mixed events added to the list, joining track and field (4x100m mixed relay), archery, beach sprint rowing, gymnastics and table tennis. The golf events in Los Angeles will be played at The Riviera Country Club, as the IOC confirms more venues for the Games. For example, the city's famous Venice Beach neighborhood will now host the triathlon, as well as the start of the marathon and road cycling routes. The coastline will also host beach volleyball at Alamitos Beach, and surfing at Trestles Beach in San Clemente. In addition, baseball's Olympic return will be held at the iconic Dodger Stadium, and squash's debut will be hosted at the Courthouse Square. 'Los Angeles is the epicenter of sports, culture and entertainment, and every venue selected for the 2028 Games will provide athletes and fans the best possible experience,' LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover said in a statement.
Arab News
16-04-2025
- Sport
- Arab News
Mixed-team golf event approved for 2028 Olympics
NEW YORK: The International Golf Federation (IGF) announced on Tuesday that the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles will see the debut of a mixed-team golf event, with each team composed of a male and female athlete from the individual competitions. Like the men's and women's individual events, the 36-hole mixed-team competition will take place at the Riviera Country Club. It will consist of an 18-hole alternate shot format followed by 18 holes of best ball. Each country will be limited to a maximum of one team, according to the IGF. 'We're absolutely thrilled to see a Mixed-Team Event added to the program for Los Angeles 2028,' Antony Scanlon, executive director of the IGF, said in a statement. 'Golf was incredibly successful at Paris 2024, and as we continue building on the momentum from Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, we're excited to bring even more attention to our sport through this additional format. 'The athletes were very enthusiastic about their desire to play with their compatriots, and we look forward to watching them compete together in Los Angeles.' Golf made its return to the Olympic games in 2016, its first appearance since 1904. It now joins archery, athletics, gymnastics, rowing coastal beach sprint and table tennis as the lone sports to feature a mixed-gender competition for the 2028 Olympics.
