European DP World Tour comes back to Singapore in 2023 for the first time in 9 years

The DP World Tour will come back to Singapore in 2023 without precedent for nine years, as the golf organization beefs its Asian footmark, the European Tour announced on Tuesday (June 21).

The Singapore Classic will tee off on Feb 9, 2023, at the Laguna National Golf Resort Club and return every year as a feature of a three-year arrangement. Players will tee off for the Singapore Classic at the Laguna National Golf Resort Club on Feb 9 one year from now.

The course was additionally hosted during the Tour’s last excursion here in 2014 when Chilean Felipe Aguilar came out on won The Championship at Laguna National. The tour last halted in the country in 2014 at a similar course.

With a US$2 million (S$2.77 million) prize satchel, the Feb 9-12 tournament by DP World Tour – otherwise called the European Tour before its rebranding – will be one of the region’s top sporting events, organizers said.

Past winners of the tour’s Singapore events incorporate Scottish legend Colin Montgomerie, China’s Zhang Lianwei and Liang Wenchong, and neighborhood star Mardan Mamat.

“Asia continues to be an important region for the DP World Tour and we look forward to announcing further exciting events there in due course,” European Tour group chief executive Keith Pelley said in a statement.

Singaporean golf player Koh Dengshan invited the events to return, saying: “(It’s) always nice to have events in Singapore. It is a good opportunity for us to improve our rankings and creates playing opportunities for us worldwide. It’s well different from (playing) overseas as we can stay at home and sleep in our own bed! Also, it’s really nice to be able to have the home crowd supporting you and have family and friends come down and walk with you during tournament rounds.”

Peter Kwee, Laguna National’s chairman, said: “We have a long history of hosting DP World Tour Championship golf … We’re excited to once more welcome many of the world’s best players to our Club.”

With prize cash of US$2 million, the tournament will be one of the region’s top sporting events, organizers said.

The DP World Tour was first held in Singapore for two editions of the Johnnie Walker Classic, won by Nick Faldo in 1993 at the Singapore Island Golf Club and Ian Woosnam in 1996 at the Tanah Merah Country Club.

Another Major champion, Vijay Singh, won the Singapore Masters in 2001 at the Singapore Island Golf Club before the tournament moved to the Laguna National course for the following six years, where winners remembered Montgomerie for 2004 and local boy Mamat two years after the fact.

The DP World Tour originally visited Singapore for two editions of the Johnnie Walker Classic, won by Major champions Nick Faldo (1993) and Ian Woosnam (1996).

In 2001, the Singapore Masters was held at Singapore Island Country Club before it moved to Laguna National for the following six years.

Four editions of the Singapore Open were then hosted at Sentosa Golf Club from 2009 to 2012 preceding the Tour’s last outing to Laguna National in 2014.