Superintendent volunteers are briefed on course set-up ahead of the SMBC Singapore Open.
Singapore:
Prayad Marksaeng was not the only Thai with cause for major-style celebrations at the 2017 SMBC Singapore Open.
The Asian Tour and Japan Tour veteran confounded the odds by upstaging Major champions
Ernie Els and
Adam Scott and European Ryder Cup strongman
Sergio Garcia to emerge triumphant over the Serapong Course at Sentosa Golf Club, a Golf Course Facility Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.
In so doing he guaranteed himself a starting spot at the 146th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in July.
Joining him at the famed Lancashire links will be his compatriot
Minachai Srichanya, the Course Superintendent at Hua Hin’s Banyan Golf Club. He will be part of the team that is responsible for participating in the set-up and the daily operations of the 2017 Open Championship course.
Like Prayad, Minachai was a big winner at the SMBC Singapore Open where he was named as the star performer in the Sentosa Agronomy Superintendent Volunteer Programme.
Organised by Sentosa Golf Club and supported by the Asian Golf Industry Federation (AGIF) and the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA), the Sentosa Agronomy Superintendent Volunteer Programme has become an integral part of the SMBC Singapore Open in recent years.
As well as helping with the course preparation and daily set-up, volunteers attended seminars presented by CMAA stalwarts Dr
Larry Ross, PHD, Florida Southern College, and Dr
Jack Ninemeier, a retired professor in
The School of Hospitality Business at Michigan State University who serves on the Master Club Manager Academic Council of the CMAA.
This year a new and exciting dimension was added with The R&A agreeing to send the Superintendent Volunteer of the Week to this year’s Open Championship.
The winner from the 91 participants was determined by votes cast by all volunteer superintendents with Minachai emerging triumphant.
Andy Johnston, General Manager and Director of Agronomy at Sentosa Golf Club, said: “Our thanks to all the volunteers for their commitment and sacrifices to working with us during tournament week.
“We are delighted to have been able to work out an arrangement with The R&A to send the Superintendent Volunteer of the Week to the Open Championship. It will be an experience the lucky winner will never forget.”
Superintendents attended top-level presentations at the SMBC Singapore Open.
Dominic Wall, Director – Asia-Pacific at The R&A, who have recently opened an office at Sentosa Golf Club, said: “The R&A holds a long association with the Sentosa Golf Club and, as such, we were pleased to support the Sentosa Agronomy Superintendent Volunteer Programme.
“By offering the Volunteer of the Week a chance to be involved with The Open Championship, we hope to raise the profile of superintendents in general and highlight the excellent work they do, which often goes unnoticed and unpraised.”
Eric Lynge, the AGIF’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “Congratulations to Minachai and to Andy Johnston and his team at Sentosa for the outstanding work they do in supporting superintendents.
“Like Sentosa, our Federation is committed to offering educational platforms aimed at improving overall standards in course maintenance. We ran five seminars and field days for course superintendents around the region this year and will have a similar number in 2017.”