This Thursday sees the start of the Porsche Singapore Classic, the fifteenth tournament of the DP World Tour season. The venue is the Laguna National Golf Resort Club and it offers a prize pool of two and a half million dollars and three thousand points for the Race to Dubai. At first glance, it may seem like just another week on the calendar, but let us assure you that it is not, that it is marked in red, that it is overflowing with attractions. Here are a handful of reasons…
– It is the return of the DP World Tour after a week off and the start of a new tour on the calendar: Asian Swing. It is the first of the four tournaments of this tour. India, Japan and China are added. Also in this stretch are two Majors, Masters and PGA, but they do not count for the swing ranking and South Korea, an event that is initially going to move to October. It has not been officially announced yet, but that’s the news we have at Ten Golf. When the tournament is over, exactly a third of the season will have been completed: 15 of the 45 tournaments scheduled in the calendar.
– In this Asian Swing, three spots for the PGA Championship are up for grabs. The top three of this mini tour will qualify to play the second Major of the season. A huge motivation.
– Also in this Asian Swing, a spot for the US Open is decided. The best golfer in the Race to Dubai 2024 by May 20 who is not qualified for this third Major of the season, will get the ticket to Pinehurst. In other words, there are more than juicy things at stake.
– Singapore is an important place for Spanish golf. After all, since 2011, three of our own have won here: Gonzalo Fernández Castaño, Sergio García and David Puig.
– The memories of what happened a year ago are not bad at all, on the contrary. The Madrid-born Alejandro del Rey was fighting for victory until the last minute. He went out to play the last round tied for the lead with Jeunghun Wang and ended up in third place behind Ockie Strydom and Sami Valimaki. In addition, Del Rey himself comes to this event with very good feelings, after a very positive preparation in the capital of Spain.
– They assure from Singapore to Ten Golf, that the course is even in better conditions than last year. Both the fairways and the greens are a bit firmer, so lower scores than in 2023 are expected. If Strydom won with -19, calculate that this year’s winner could be at -15. In addition, wind is expected, not a gale, but enough to affect the game. What it does do is very hot, muggy. Shorts week. Obviously, do not take the winning result literally, after it depends on how these players have the week.
– There are seven Spaniards present in Singapore: Alex del Rey, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Iván Cantero, Ángel Hidalgo, Manu Elvira, Adrián Otaegui and Adri Arnaus.
– Presence of some important players, raising the average of the last dates of the European Tour. In Singapore we have Shane Lowry, Paul Casey or Matthieu Pavon. It is the Frenchman’s first tournament on the DP World Tour after his victory on the PGA Tour.
– Very quietly and without anyone hearing us, the weather report at this time says that no storms are expected this week. Undoubtedly, one more incentive. There is nothing more tedious than Asian suspensions due to storm.
– Hole 1 of Laguna National. A short par 4 that can be shot in one. What an attractive way to start a round.
– Hole 17. Don’t miss it. Par 3. Similar to Sawgrass last week. Practically on an island. It gives a lot of play because the players are hitting against the wind a 6 iron and sometimes a 5… Serious stuff. Remember that at Sawgrass a wedge is hit without wind.
