Singapore: The development of women’s golf in Asia will be thrust into the spotlight at a high-powered gathering next month.

The first R&A Women in Golf Forum will be staged at Tanah Merah Country Club on December 9, coinciding with the opening round of the inaugural Singapore Women’s Open.

With the theme of Growing Women’s Golf in Asia, featured speakers include Pak Se-ri (Baz International), Yuko Tashiro (Accordia Golf), Jackie Davidson (The R&A), Hana-Rae Seifert (Golf New Zealand) and Karen Proctor (Textron Specialized Vehicles). 

“The R&A’s Women in Golf Forum is an important milestone for women’s golf in Asia and will highlight at a number of initiatives and strategies to help the development of women’s golf in Asia,” said Dominic Wall, Director – Asia-Pacific with The R&A.

“We are fortunate to be bringing together a very experienced and prominent group of speakers who will be able to outline their experience in helping grow golf in Asia,” added Wall, who will participate in a panel discussion, alongside Pak, Tashiro and Proctor.

Davidson, Assistant Director of Golf Development, will tee-off proceedings with a presentation on The R&A’s Women in Golf Charter, a topic touched upon by R&A Chief Executive Martin Slumbers during last week’s Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific in Thailand.

Fittingly, the first of three keynote addresses will be delivered by Pak, a genuine golfing pioneer whose daring Major victories in America in the late 1990s sparked the remarkable success in the women’s professional game of Asian players in general and Koreans in particular over the past two decades.

A Journey in Golf and Addressing Barriers or Challenges, Pak’s presentation will review her remarkable career, highlighting the triumphs as well as how she tackled some of the obstacles along the way.

Taking Leadership in the Golf Industry is the topic to be addressed by Tashiro, Chairman of the Board and Director at Accordia Golf Trust.

Meanwhile, Proctor, Director of Sales – APAC with Textron and one of the first female Board members at the Asian Golf Industry Federation, will talk about Women in Sport.

The Forum is supported by the Asia Golf Leaders Forum and the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation.