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Setting the Stage
Alex Jenkins
The HK Golfer guide to the Southeast Asian Team Golf Championship, incorporating the 51st Putra Cup, the fifth Lion City Cup and the third Santi Cup, which will be played at Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club from September 5-9. 38
HK Golfer・SEP 2011
Early Years and Later Expansion
The Southeast Asian Team Golf Championship (The Putra Cup) was inaugurated in 1961 by the late Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-haj, the then Prime Minister of Malaya, to develop close relations and to raise the standard of golf among countries around the region. The trophy the teams play for – the actual Putra Cup – was donated by the Prime Minister.
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Special Setting: Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club will host this year's Southeast Asian Team Golf Championship, a tournament that was inaugurated by the late Malaysian Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman (inset) in 1961 HK Golfer・SEP 2011
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Most Successful Nation
With 17 wins, the Philippines has won more Putra Cup titles than any other nation. Much of the Philippines' success came in the late 1960s and 70s, when they recorded six straight wins from 1968, a lt hough t he country last tasted victory in 1996. Thailand has 14 titles to its credit and has dominated the championship in recent times, winning seven of the last 11 events. Malaysia has the third best record, with seven wins.
Record Score
The first Putra Cup was played on July 19, 1961 at Royal Selangor Golf Club and saw teams from Burma (now Myanmar), Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam taking part. Royal Selangor also hosted the next three events, but from 1965 it was decided that the venue should rotate among the participating countries in alphabetical order. Since its inception, the Putra Cup has expanded to include more nations. The Philippines entered in 1963, with Papua New Guinea, Brunei, Cambodia and Laos joining in later years. In recent times, the championship has expanded yet further to include a junior Putra Cup event (the Lion City Cup, which was first played in 2007) and a ladies' team championship (the Santi Cup, which debuted in 2009).
1 50 823
Golem's Genius Numerous players have won the individual competition on more than one occasion but the most successful of all was undoubtedly the Filipino amateur great, Luis "Golem" Silverio. Silverio, who became the first Asian golfer to play at the Masters when he was invited to Augusta for the 1966 event (where he made the cut), won a total of six individual Putra Cup championships between 1963 and 1974. Such was Silverio's ballstriking ability that it was said "he could stop a three-iron on concrete". Silverio never turned pro and worked as a golf club manager in his homeland for more two decades before passing away in 2008.
NUMBERS GAME
The number of times Hong Kong has won the Putra Cup. Hong Kong's solitary victory came at the inaugural event in 1961 at Royal Selangor in Kuala Lumpur when they triumphed by a massive 33 strokes. Three golfers from Hong Kong have won the individual title.
Singapore's winning aggregate total – a Putra Cup record – from the 2008 championship, which was held at the Bukit Course at Singapore Island Country Club. Represented by Choo Tsz-huang, Jonathan Leong, Quincy Quek and Jerome Ng, Singapore finished an impressive 29-under-par.
Familiar Names
As one would expect from Southeast Asia's most prestigious amateur championship, the Putra Cup has showcased the talents of many young amateurs who have gone on to make a name for themselves on the professional stage. Thai stars Boonchu Ruangkit, Thongchai Jaidee, Prayad Marksaeng and Prom Meesawat have all represented their country at the Putra Cup, while Filipinos Felix Casas and Frankie Minoza cut their teeth in the championship before becoming regular winners on the Asian Tour. Mardan Mamat, who won the Singapore Masters, a European Tour event, in 2004, is another former Putra Cup individual title winner. He helped Singapore to the team win in 1993 at the Hong Kong Golf Club.
Hong Kong Success
Hong Kong's only Putra Cup victory to date came at the inaugural championship in 1961. Represented by Hugh Staunton, Alan Sutcliffe, Jock Mackie and Bill Leighton, the team won by 33 strokes from Singapore in second place. The individual title has been won by three Hong Kong players – Hugh Staunton (1961), Alan Sutcliffe (1962) and Brooke Carter (1976). To learn more about Hong Kong's win read Alan Sutcliffe's account on page 40.
YEAR (Host Nation) 2010 (Malaysia) 2009 (Thailand) 2008 (Singapore) 2007 (Philippines 2006 (Papua New Guinea) 2005 (Myanmar) 2004 (Indonesia) 2003 (Brunei) 2002 (Hong Kong) 2001 (Malaysia) 2000 (Thailand) 1999 (Singapore) 1998 (Philippines) 1997 (Papua New Guinea) 1996 (Myanmar) 1995 (Malaysia) 1994 (Indonesia) 1993 (Hong Kong) 1992 (Brunei) 1991 (Thailand) 1990 (Singapore) 1989 (Philippines) 1988 (Papua New Guinea) 1987 (Indonesia) 1986 (Hong Kong) 1985 (Malaysia) 1984 (Myanmar) 1983 (Thailand) 1982 (Singapore) 1981 (Philippines) 1980 (Papua New Guinea) 1979 (Malaysia) 1978 (Indonesia) 1977 (Myanmar) 1976 (Hong Kong) 1975 (Thailand) 1974 (Singapore) 1973 (Philippines) 1972 (Malaysia) 1971 (Indonesia) 1970 (Hong Kong) 1969 (Myanmar) 1968 (Malaysia) 1967 (Singapore) 1966 (Thailand) 1965 (Philippines) 1964 (Malaysia) 1963 (Malaysia) 1962 (Malaysia) 1961 (Malaysia)
TEAM CHAMPIONS Thailand Thailand Singapore Thailand Singapore Malaysia Thailand Thailand Thailand Malaysia Thailand Thailand Thailand Thailand Philippines Philippines Indonesia Singapore Indonesia Thailand Philippines Thailand Indonesia Philippines Thailand Thailand Malaysia Philippines Philippines Philippines Myanmar Malaysia Indonesia Indonesia Malaysia Philippines Malaysia Philippines Philippines Philippines Philippines Philippines Philippines Singapore Malaysia Philippines Philippines Philippines Malaysia HONG KONG
TOTAL 864 846 823 860 868 857 837 855 838 876 877 858 876 877 962 852 848 640* 874 859 864 913 897 851 870 865 911 913 872 868 891 874 869 900 883 902 897 887 889 895 673* 915 889 897 894 914 920 922 974 941
INDIVIDUAL CHAMPION Poom Saksansin (THA) Thanyakorn Krongpha (THA) Thanyakorn Krongpha (THA) Quicy Quek (SIN) Choo Tze Huang (SIN) Ben Leong (MAS) Wisut Artjanawat (THA) Ben Leong (MAS) Prom Meesawat (THA) Prom Meesawat (THA) Prom Meesawat (THA) Prom Meesawat (THA) Thongchai Jaidee (THA) Thongchai Jaidee (THA) Antonio Lascuna (PHL) Sukamdi (INA) Sukamdi (INA) Mardan Mamat (SIN) Sukamdi (INA) Preecha Senaprom (THA) Felix Casas (PHL) Prayad Marksaeng (THA) Sukamdi (INA) Robert Pactolerin (PHL) Sanchai Senaprom (THA) Boonchu Ruangkit (THA) Suffian Tan (MAS) Antolin Fernando (PHL) Frankie Minoza (PHL) Gil Ababa (PHL) Frankie Minoza (PHL) Sahabuddin Yusof (MAS) Frankie Minoza (PHL) Muang Pyone (MYN) BROOKE CARTER (HKG) David Hernandez (PHL) Luis Siverio (PHL) Luis Siverio (PHL) Luis Siverio (PHL) Luis Siverio (PHL) Ed Unson Jr (PHL) Bobby Lim (MAS) Luis Siverio (PHL) Phua Thin Kiay (SIN) Darwis Deran (MAS) Luis Siverio (PHL) Alan Gaston (PHL) Luis Siverio (PHL) ALAN SUTCLIFFE (HKG) HUGH DE LACY STAUNTON (HKG)
AFP
Dominant Display: Before turning pro, Thai stars Prom Meesawat and Thongchai Jaidee (top) won the individual championship at the Putra Cup for six years running, from 1997 to 2002
The Putra Cup has been played this many times. The Philippines has the best team record at the event, with 17 wins, followed by Thailand, which has 14 titles to its name. Luis "Golem" Silverio accumulated more individual titles than any other player, with six.
The Singapore team that won the 2008 Putra Cup holds the record for the lowest aggregate with a blistering total of 823 - 29-under-par, which was recorded over the Bukit Course at Singapore Island Country Club. The scoring format used in the championship counts the three best daily rounds from each four-man team. The Putra Cup, like the Lion City Cup and Santi Cup, is contested over four rounds.
Putra Cup Honour Roll
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HK Golfer・SEP 2011
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HK Golfer・SEP 2011
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