Asia-Pacific Amateur: Kartik Singh becomes youngest ever to make the cut

October 30, 2023 | by Amit Pandey of AmateurGolf.com

Kartik Singh (Asia Pacific Amateur Championship)

The 13-year-old Singh struggled on the weekend a bit but played well enough early to make the cut in the impressive field.

13-year-old Kartik Singh, a Gurgaon-based golfer who trains at DLF Golf Academy under the tutelage of Anitya Chand and Karan Bindra, carded rounds of 78-72-81-77 to register a tied-59th finish at a total score of 24-over at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia.

Singh made history as the youngest competitor at the age of 13 years, nine months, and 22 days. He achieved another remarkable feat by becoming the youngest golfer to make the cut, surpassing the previous record held by China's Tianlang Guan, who was 14 years and eight days old when he reached the weekend at Amata Spring Country Club in Thailand in 2012.

Singh, the youngest-ranked Indian golfer, boasts a tally of six wins in 2023 alone. Remarkably, in the previous year, he achieved a perfect win rate, securing all seven titles on the domestic IGU's National Junior Golf circuit.

Young Singh is gradually becoming accustomed to adding "firsts" to his list of achievements. This marked his inaugural experience representing India in a team event, following his earlier distinction as the first Indian to receive an invitation to the US Junior Amateur at the Daniel Island Golf Club in South Carolina in July, where he also held the title of the youngest competitor on the course.

Singh embarked on his golf journey at the tender age of six, citing Tiger Woods and Shubhankar Sharma as his golfing role models. Apart from golf, Singh also displays a keen interest in various other pursuits, including tennis, swimming, chess, and solving Rubik's cubes.

“Kartik, as a player, thrives on elevated competition and challenging conditions," Singh’s father, Capt. Dhananjay Singh, an Indian Naval Officer, said. "He eagerly anticipated his participation in this highly acclaimed amateur tournament. Known for his intense competitiveness, Kartik wasted no time in Melbourne, immersing himself in rigorous practice, particularly dedicating hours to decipher the swift greens.”

Singh's father was also his caddy in the championship.

His father added, "Although he exudes unwavering confidence in his striking, driving, and long irons, he was well aware that mastering these new putting conditions would be his most formidable challenge. Nevertheless, he tackled this challenge with exceptional focus, patience, and unwavering dedication on the practice greens."

Kartik's recent collaboration with Callaway facilitated a seamless arrival in Melbourne, alleviating any concerns he may have had, even from afar in India.

“Callaway, recognizing Kartik's potential, has provided him with equipment support, and he underwent his first professional fitting at the Melbourne Callaway Performance Centre on the day we arrived here in Melbourne," Dhananjay Singh said. "However, we did not want to change the clubs just before a competition of this stature, so he played with his old bag.”

Kartik created history at the tournament and gained invaluable insights from competing against the world's top talents. As he looks ahead to his upcoming tournaments, he exudes newfound confidence in his abilities. "It was truly an exceptional learning experience for me," Kartik Singh said. "I believe that as I venture onto other courses from here on, I'll find them considerably more manageable, allowing me to achieve even better scores in the days to come."

Jasper Stubbs from Australia secured victory in a thrilling tournament that culminated in a three-way playoff featuring the Chinese pair of Sampson Zheng and Wenyi Ding.

Related: JASPER STUBBS TRAVELS JUST TWO MILES FROM HOME TO WIN THE ASIA PACIFIC AMATEUR

Results: Asia-Pacific Amateur

Place	Player	Location	Pts	Scores
1	Jasper Stubbs	, Australia	1500	68-74-74-69=285
T2	Wenyi Ding	, China	1000	69-70-76-70=285
T2	Sampson Zheng	, China	1000	74-71-65-75=285
T4	Chuan-Tai (Teddy) Lin	, Chinese Taipei	700	72-67-78-69=286
T4	Max Charles	, Australia	700	73-72-71-70=286

View full results for Asia-Pacific Amateur

About the Asia-Pacific Amateur

Asia-Pacific Amateur: Kartik Singh becomes youngest ever to make the cut

The Asia-Pacific Amateur (formerly known as the Asian Amateur) is the first of a series of worldwide championships put together by a between the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), the Masters Tournament and The R&A. The event offers the winner a...