Xingtong on the Upswing

Older, wiser golfer, 16, confident about home amateur event after fruitful US stint

- Kimberly Kwek

When Chen Xingtong made her debut at the World Amateur Team Championships (WATC) in 2023, the Singaporean golfer felt a mix of nerves and excitement.

Playing alongside Sweden's then-world No. 1 amateur Ingrid Lindblad in the first two rounds, Xingtong was tested from the start. But the teenager took it as a learning experience, paying close attention to the different aspects of her flightmate's game.

In Abu Dhabi, she finished 101st in the individual standings and was part of the women's team alongside Inez Ng and Aloysa Atienza, who tied for 20th, which was Singapore's best result at the tournament.

Since then, the 16-year-old has steadily built on her international experience and is looking forward to a return, after being named in the 2025 WATC squad by the Singapore Golf Association (SGA) on Aug 14.

She said: "There were a lot of really important takeaways from watching the best in the world, just learning from how they do it and trying to take small bits of their routine to integrate into my own.

"I definitely have a bit more experience than the last time I was in this position, excited and eagerly anticipating the tournament."