Hiroshi Tai hopes his debut at the Masters Tournament next April can inspire fellow Singaporeans to strive for greater sporting excellence. The business administration student at Georgia Institute of Technology in the US, was back in Singapore for the holidays and will make history next April when he becomes the first Singaporean golfer to tee up at Augusta National.

“Being the first Singaporean golfer to compete at the Masters Tournament at Augusta National is indeed an honour and privilege. I hope I can be an inspiration to all Singaporeans as we show the world we can punch above our weight on the global stage. We need to believe in ourselves and be confident in our own abilities,” said Tai.

A national squad member of the Singapore Golf Association (SGA), Tai represented Singapore at several major tournaments including the World Amateur Team Championship and Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship. Together with James Leow and Nicklaus Chiam, he also clinched the team silver at the 2019 South East Asian (SEA) Games in the Philippines. He also finished tied-eighth at the Singapore Open Amateur that year.

“SGA has given me a lot of support from offering me a scholarship grant to allowing me to represent Singapore at big amateur events such as the World Amateur Team Championships which will be here (this) year.”

But teeing up at the Masters among elite company ranks as his biggest career highlight yet. “It’ll be a great experience for me. I want to play to the best of my abilities and finish as high as possible.” Tai fulfilled his National Service (NS) obligations as a weapons specialist with the Navy and credits his time during NS for shaping him into the golfer he is today. “I enjoyed my time in NS. I got to interact with many people from different backgrounds and made some good friends. I learnt a lot about being disciplined and also, time management.”

When asked why he chose golf over other sports, Tai said: “Golf teaches you many life lessons even as you try to get better at it every day. It’s also a great way to spend time with your family and friends. You are out there for a couple of hours and it’s a great way to bond.”