Singapore: Sentosa Golf Club’s Serapong Course will host this week’s rescheduled third leg of the Singapore Pro Series Invitational presented by FTAG.

Postponed last month when Singapore re-entered Phase 2 of the Covid-19 heightened alert to curb the spread of the virus, the 36-hole event that features leading professional and amateur players from the Island Republic will take place on June 30 and July 1.

For Singapore national team coach Matt Ballard, it’s a chance to see how his squad members cope with the pressure of tournament play.

Ballard said: “For an elite amateur golfer, the best way to improve is to learn and compare your game to the professionals.

“The Series is exposing our national players to the traits, demeanour, skills and approach of the professionals. Ultimately, it is about how they execute their golf under pressure.

“Some of the lessons learned from competing in these Singapore Golf Association events will be invaluable for our athletes. It will also serve as a great form of motivation for them to raise their game to new heights.”

The six amateurs lining up this week are Daryl Low, Donovan Lee, Irvyn Tan, Justin Kuk and females Hailey Loh and Shang Yu.

Gregory Foo, winner of the second leg in April, leads a field that also includes 16 men and two women professionals, competing for total prize money of S$10,600.

Foo currently heads the Series’ professional leaderboard, ahead of Choo Tze Huang, and is looking forward to returning to competition.

“Being able to play competitive golf again means a lot to me as it’s going to benefit my game and help me stay sharp. It will certainly serve as good preparation for any opportunities that may come my way later in the year to compete overseas,” said the 27-year-old Foo, a former Singapore Open Amateur Championship winner.

The Series has been a boon for Foo and other local golfers, as many have had to put off plans to compete overseas, especially in the US and Japan, for more than a year.

Koh Dengshan said: “Playing in the Series has kept me in a competitive environment. This will definitely help prepare my game and mental fitness for qualifying school for overseas tournaments when slots open up, hopefully in the coming months.”

The fourth leg of the series is scheduled to take place at Tanah Merah Country Club from July 13-16 and will be staged in conjunction with the Singapore Open Amateur Championship.

Sentosa Golf Club and Tanah Merah Country Club are both Facility Members of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.