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Agence France-Presse

Amateur Hiroshi Tai cites Green Jacket winners Hideki Matsuyama and Scottie Scheffler among his golfing heroes and is hoping “not to be in awe” of them when he becomes the first Singaporean to tee off at the US Masters in April.
“Being from Asia, Hideki Matsuyama is a big role model for how he carries himself on and off the golf course,” the 22-year-old Tai told reporters in his home city at the weekend.
“Scottie Scheffler has been playing very well, and he is mentally very strong.
“I hope not to be in awe of them when we meet,” added Tai, who studies business administration at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he made headlines earlier this year when he captured college golf’s biggest prize.

Tai’s victory in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championship in May secured his invitation for a Masters debut in the most elite field of any of the four majors.
The prestigious victory put Tai’s name in lights alongside previous NCAA champions such as Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau.
It also gave him his first taste of a major with an entry to this year’s US Open at Pinehurst, where he missed the cut by four strokes after solid rounds of 75 and 74.
Born in Hong Kong to a Singaporean father and Japanese mother, Tai cannot wait to soak in the atmosphere at Augusta National and test himself alongside his role models at the highest level.
“I just want to play to the best of my abilities and finish as high as possible,” said Tai.
“But I’m sure I’ll be looking around and enjoying the experience.”
Tai was introduced to golf by his parents when he was four.
As his interest in golf grew, so did his talent for the sport.
“My parents would bring me to the driving range where I would hit balls with my younger sister,” said Tai.
“That’s how I started. I went to high school in the US, and it was around that period when I knew playing golf was something I could pursue.”


Tai’s talents did not go unnoticed by the Singapore Golf Association and he was inducted into the national squad.
He represented Singapore at major amateur tournaments, including the World Amateur Team Championship and Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, where he finished 14th as a teenager in 2019.
Tai’s golfing priority is testing himself against the best at the Masters, but he is already setting sights on a professional career after he graduates in 2026.
“Hopefully, in a year-and-a-half, after I finish college, I can turn professional.”
Asian golf fans will hope he can play back on the continent of his birth in the future in Asian Tour events, and Tai is not ruling it out.
“I would like to try playing in the US first,” Tai admitted.
“But there are many different pathways today, and I’ll look at them when the time comes.”


US Masters: first Singaporean golfer at Augusta hopes to ‘not be in awe’ of his heroes

US Masters: Amateur golfer Hiroshi Tai, 22, becomes first Singaporean to qualify for Major after winning US college title

Who is world No 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler – and is he the ‘new Tiger Woods’? The 27-year-old Texan is a devoted Christian who married his high school sweetheart and is expecting his first baby

Masters: Scottie Scheffler emulates Tiger Woods feat in his second Augusta triumph

The Masters

Hiroshi Tai of Georgia Tech with the trophy after winning the NCAA D1 Men’s Golf Championship at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in May in Carlsbad, California. Photo: Getty Images

Hideki Matsuyama (right) helps Scottie Scheffler put on the Green Jacket at the 2022 Masters. Photo: EPA-EFE

Winnipeg Jets’ Kevin He becomes first Chinese-born player to sign NHL deal

Winnipeg Jets’ Kevin He (right) and Edmonton Oilers’ William Nicholl battle for the puck during the second period of a NHL pre-season game in Edmonton. Photo: AP

US swimmers dominate while China fosters next generation at world championships in Budapest

America’s Kate Douglass of competes in the women’s 200m medley on day one of the World Swimming Championships in Budapest. Photo: AP

Team gold (from left): Chris Guiliano, Kieran Smith, Luke Hobson and Jack Alexy celebrate after the men’s 4x100m freestyle final. Photo: EPA-EFE

Sport

Golf

Amateur Hiroshi Tai, born in Hong Kong to a Singaporean father and Japanese mother and still a student, tees off at the US Masters in April


Amateur Hiroshi Tai, born in Hong Kong to a Singaporean father and Japanese mother and still a student, tees off at the US Masters in April.


Singapore