SINGAPORE, 20 March 2024 – Shane Lowry is aiming to continue his good run of form at this week’s Porsche Singapore Classic, his final event before the first Major Championship of the year.
Laguna National Golf Resort Club plays host to the opening event on the DP World Tour’s Asian Swing from 21-24 March, and the Irishman will tee it up in Singapore for the first time in 12 years as he makes his season bow on the 2024 Race to Dubai.
The 2019 Open Champion and Ryder Cup star arrives in Singapore in a strong vein of form, with last week’s tie for 19th at THE PLAYERS Championship following back-to-back top five finishes. He is now targeting another strong result ahead of next month’s Masters Tournament, the first Major of the year.
Frenchman Matthieu Pavon makes his DP World Tour return this week after a life-changing few months. The 31-year-old claimed his breakthrough victory at the acciona Open de España by Madrid last year as he earned dual membership on the PGA TOUR, where he has since risen to wider prominence.
In just his 11th start – and third of the season – Pavon became the first Frenchman to win on the PGA TOUR since Arnaud Massy at The Open in 1907 when he claimed a one-shot victory in the Farmers Insurance Open in January.
The World Number 27 is the highest ranked player in the field and will be joined by a strong mixture of proven winners and rising stars in Singapore, including defending champion Ockie Strydom and Denmark’s Rasmus Højgaard, who has finished no lower than 11th in his five starts in 2024.
Meanwhile, Race to Dubai Number Two Rikuya Hoshino will look to replace Rory McIlroy at the top of the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex following his maiden victory in Qatar last month.
Singapore will be represented by three qualifiers: Nicklaus Chiam, Joshua Yap and amateur Irvyn Tan. The full entry list is available here.
Porsche is continuing its long-standing relationship with the DP World Tour by extending its global golf involvement with a new multi-year deal to become Title Partner of the Porsche Singapore Classic, which was announced earlier this year.
The US$2.5 million Porsche Singapore Classic is the first of five events on the Asian Swing, with visits to India, South Korea, Japan and China on the schedule in weeks to come. Event updates can be found on the Porsche Singapore Classic website, as well as its Facebook and Instagram pages.
Tickets to the Porsche Singapore Classic are available here. Children aged 16 and under receive complimentary entry when accompanied by an adult with a valid ticket. The Porsche Singapore Classic spectator village will feature a multitude of activities, food & beverage and entertainment options for golfers and non-golfers alike.
Player quotes
Shane Lowry: “I played well the last few weeks, I’ve got a few nice results under my belt, so I’m pretty happy with how things have been going this season so far. I’ve come out pretty good and yeah looking forward to the next few weeks.
“I think it’s such a long time difference that it doesn’t really matter these days — no problems sleeping last night and might head out today and get some work done and get to know the course a little bit. And hopefully I can get out tomorrow then hopefully I get a good night’s sleep tonight and get out there tomorrow and go after it.
“I’ve got a lot of confidence and feel great about my game coming off the last few weeks so it’ll be nice to continue that on. And then I’ve got a two-week break leading into Augusta so you never want to go into a Major off the back of a bad result so there’s a little bit of pressure on me to try and play well this week. But I’ve always got high expectations of myself and I’m hoping to come here and give myself a good chance come Sunday afternoon and hopefully do the business.”
Ockie Strydom: “It’s special. I booked a plane ticket for me and my wife. My wife didn’t want to come, but I said she doesn’t have a choice. So, it’s nice to be back. It’s not as humid as last year, a little bit more windier. But love this place. Just go out and enjoy myself again.
“You’ve got to stay hydrated. If you are not used to the humidity, then it’s going to drain you, it’s going to drain you mentally. You got to have a nice guy on the bag and I’ve got a great friend/brother in law in the bag. And he’s doing a great job. My wife’s here to help me with that as well, she calms me down. So I’m thankful she is here.”
Rasmus Højgaard: “I feel good. It was nice to have a week at home. The game’s been good and I had a good start to the year and I’m really looking forward to playing out here.
“The course is good, it’s very different from what we play in Europe. It’s quite nice — wide fairways we can hit it long off the tee. But the greens are tricky, there’s a lot of slope and you need to hit the right part of the green and you don’t want to be long off 18 because that’s a tricky up and down. So you really got to pay attention to where you hit your approach shots.”
Nicklaus Chiam: “In terms of training I didn’t change anything, I’ve just been preparing how I normally do – playing on the golf course as much as possible, giving myself challenges, playing against my peers. I didn’t want to do anything excessive, which I didn’t need to. I didn’t set myself a target for this week, I just want to climb as high as possible and take it shot by shot, hole by hole.”
-Ends- [Credit: Porsche Singapore Classic]
Porsche in Golf
Porsche has been involved in golf since 1988 through the Porsche Golf Cup. The tournament
series is one of the company’s most successful customer events and has developed into an
international event in which over 17,000 Porsche customers recently took part in 261 worldwide
qualifying tournaments. After its first involvement in professional golf as the title sponsor of the
prestigious DP World Tour’s Porsche European Open in 2015, Porsche has been instrumental in
establishing a top golf event in Germany. In its role as the new title sponsor of the Porsche
Singapore Classic, the sports car manufacturer is internationalising its commitment to
professional golf in the important Asian market. Car partnerships at US PGA Tour and DP World
Tour tournaments, including the Omega European Masters in Crans Montana as well as in
women’s golf (The Amundi Evian Championship), round off its involvement in professional golf.
Launched in 2017, the Porsche Golf Circle is also highly successful. The international community
for keen golf-playing Porsche customers gives members the opportunity to enjoy exclusive
golfing experiences at unique locations and at professional tournaments. Paul Casey has been
complementing the Porsche family as the first Brand Ambassador from the game of golf since 2020.
About the Porsche Singapore Classic
The Porsche Singapore Classic stands as the opening event on the DP World Tour’s “Asian Swing”,
showcasing world-class golfing excellence against the stunning backdrop of Singapore. As a
premier tournament in the global golfing calendar, the Porsche Singapore Classic brings together
top-tier players to challenge themselves at the venerable Classic Course at Laguna National Golf
Resort Club for an unforgettable celebration of skill and sportsmanship.
Presented by Porsche, one of the world’s most recognised and respected brands and staged in
collaboration with the DP World Tour’s event delivery partner, Vantage Pointe, the Porsche Singapore Classic promises an unparalleled experience for players and spectators alike offering
not only spectating of competitive golf, but a unique spectator village and activities set within the
lush resort grounds of the Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore.
Through a commitment to excellence, precision, and passion for the game, the tournament
continues to raise the bar for golfing events, setting the stage for thrilling competition and
fostering a vibrant golfing community. Past winners from the DP World Tour’s history of
championships in Singapore include Major Champions Sir Nick Faldo, Ian Woosnam, Vijay Singh
and Adam Scott; eight- time DP World Tour Order of Merit winner and 2010 winning Ryder Cup
Captain Colin Montgomerie; the first ever Singaporean to win on the DP World Tour Mardan
Mamat; the first ever Chinese player to win on the DP World Tour, Zhang Lian Wei; the first ever
Indian player to win on the DP World Tour, Arjun Atwal as well as Nick Dougherty and Matteo
Manassero. Last year’s tournament was won by South Africa’s Ockie Strydom.
The Porsche Singapore Classic, where the spirit of the sport meets the dynamic energy of
Singapore, creating a legacy of golfing brilliance that resonates worldwide. Our Game. Our Style.
About the DP World Tour
The DP World Tour is the main men’s professional golf Tour of the European Tour group.
Our 2024 global schedule features a minimum of 44 tournaments in 24 different countries across
three distinct phases of the season: five ‘Global Swings’ from November 2023 to August 2024; the
‘Back 9’ from September 2024 to October 2024; and the ‘DP World Tour Play-Offs’, comprising
two consecutive Rolex Series events in November 2024.
Overall, the 2024 season features five Rolex Series events – the premium category of events on
the DP World Tour – and four Major Championships, all of which count towards the Race to Dubai
Rankings in partnership with Rolex, the Tour’s season-long competition which concludes at the
DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.
DP World, the leading provider of global smart end-to-end supply chain and logistics solutions,
has been the title partner of the DP World Tour since the start of the 2022 season, the Tour’s 50th
season following its formation in 1972.
About Vantage Pointe
Vantage Pointe, a boutique sports agency, stands as the enduring event delivery partner for the
DP World Tour’s Porsche Singapore Classic, solidifying its reputation as the go-to strategic
partner for a select group of golf-centric clients. Renowned for its bespoke services, Vantage
Pointe is engaged long term with industry leaders such as the DP World Tour, PGA Tour, Topgolf
Callaway, Airsprint Private Jets, and Laguna Hotel Holdings. Setting itself apart, Vantage Pointe is
dedicated to delivering unparalleled value to its clients, leveraging a commitment to global best
practices, coupled with the team’s profound technical expertise and extensive experience in the
sports management space.