アジアアマチュア選手権
マスターズと全英オープンへの道
開かれた世界への登竜門
Good morning from Singapore,
For the 10th time annually, the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship is being conducted by the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation, the Masters Tournament and The R&A, beginning Thursday. This year, the event is taking place at Sentosa Golf Club from October 4-7. I am on-site at the event, alongside Virginia Dent (Augusta National) and Mike Woodcock (The R&A). We will be providing recaps, results and complimentary imagery -- by request -- throughout. If you need any background on the event, I’d encourage you to visit www.AACgolf.com, and you can always follow the event on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Attached is our press release that announces the expansive television coverage. Below is the schedule for the ESPN broadcast in the United States. As always, do not hesitate to write or call with any questions or requests.
ESPN Coverage – All Times Eastern U.S.
Thursday, 10/4 – 3a-6a on ESPN2 (Live)
Friday, 10/5 – 2:30a-5:30a on ESPN2 (Live)
Saturday, 10/6 – 12a-3a on ESPN3/App (Live) and 3a-6a ET on ESPN2 (Delayed)
Sunday, 10/7 – 12a-3a on ESPN3/App (Live) and 3a-6a ET on ESPN2 (Delayed)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
27 September 2018
TENTH EDITION OF THE AAC TO REACH MORE THAN 160 COUNTRIES
World’s Most Widely Telecast Amateur Event
SINGAPORE –The Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC), one of the world’s leading amateur
golf events, will be televised across 160 countries and reach millions of homes around the world.
The Asia Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), the Masters Tournament and The R&A – the event’s
Founding Partners – have announced that there will be three hours of live coverage on each of the
four competition days when the 10th edition of the championship is played on the New Tanjong
Course at Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore next week from October 4-7.
The championship, which is one of the key elite events on the World Amateur Golf Ranking
(WAGR), is supported by six Proud Partners – AT&T, 3M, Delta, Mercedes-Benz, Samsung and
UPS – and two Scoring Partners, Rolex and IBM.
This year’s AAC will continue to raise the profile of golf in the region and give the players the
opportunity to compete on the world stage.
A full field of 120 amateurs from 39 countries will vie for what has often been described as the
ultimate prize for them. The champion earns an invitation to the 2019 Masters Tournament at
Augusta National Golf Club and a place in The 148th Open at Royal Portrush, provided he retains
his amateur status. The runner(s)-up will gain a spot in The Open Qualifying Series.
The broadcast will include three hours of high-definition coverage, and a 30-minute highlight show
will also be produced after the conclusion of the event. All live coverage will also be streamed on
the official event website, www.AACgolf.com, supplemented by unique video and editorial content
available on the website throughout the championship.
Kei Muratsu, APGC Chairman, said: “With the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, we want to grow
the game in the region and also showcase the wealth of talent that we already have. Our partners
and broadcasters play a very important role in this entire process.
“The AAC is the world’s most televised amateur golf tournament. We are very thankful for the
continued support of our broadcast partners, who, along with our Proud Partners and Scoring
Partners, make this endeavour and its success possible.
“We look forward to creating more heroes this year and bringing the action at Sentosa Golf Club in
Singapore to millions of viewers around the world.”
The English-speaking commentary team will include Bill Macatee, a regular member of the Masters
Tournament television broadcast, who will now be announcing his ninth AAC. Frank Nobilo, one of
New Zealand’s most successful golfers and CBS analyst in the United States, will return for the
seventh consecutive year. CBS host Amanda Balionis and Fox Sports Australia broadcaster Paul Gow will handle player interviews and on-course reporting duties.
With a host of broadcast partners around the globe, golf fans can follow the AAC through TV channels covering key markets on five continents. Live coverage in Singapore and most parts of Asia will be on Fox Sports. Three hours of live coverage begins at 15:00 local time on Thursday, 4 October, and will move half an hour earlier to 14:30 on Friday, 5 October.
Coverage of the weekend rounds, after the top-60 players and ties make the cut, air from 12:00 to 15:00 hours on Saturday, 6 October, and Sunday, 7 October.
In addition to Fox Sports, broadcasters in various markets include iQiyi in China, SBS Sports in Korea, Tokyo Broadcasting System in Japan, Fox Sports in Australia, Sky Sports in New Zealand, ESPN2 in the United States, ESPN in Latin America, SuperSport in Southern Africa, TSN in Canada, Eurosport in Europe and OSN in the Middle East.
The event at Sentosa promises to be a real festival of golf in a special year for the championship, which has been a springboard for players such as two-time champion Hideki Matsuyama of Japan (2010 and 2011), China’s Guan Tianlang (2012 winner who went on to become the youngest ever to make the cut at the Masters) and the promising Australian Curtis Luck (2016), who just received his PGA Tour card.
Spectators are encouraged to watch the drama unfold at Sentosa Golf Club. Entry to the 2018 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship is free of charge.
For more information, please visit www.AACgolf.com and follow the AAC on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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About the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship
The Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship was created in February 2009 as a joint initiative to grow the game by the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation, the Masters Tournament and The R&A.
The 120-player field is annually comprised of the top male amateurs in the Asia-Pacific region representing the 41 Asia Pacific Golf Confederation member organisations.
Han Chang-won of Korea won the inaugural event at Mission Hills Golf Club in southern China, while Hideki Matsuyama of Japan triumphed in 2010 at Kasumigaseki Country Club on the outskirts of Tokyo and again in 2011 at The Singapore Island Country Club. Chinese teenage sensation Guan Tianlang won the title in 2012 at the Amata Spring Country Club in Chonburi, Thailand. Korean Lee Chang-woo won the 2013 event in China at Nanshan International Golf Club. Australian Antonio Murdaca became the next champion in 2014 at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club, and China’s Jin Cheng claimed victory at The Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club in Hong Kong. Curtis Luck of Australia overcame a seven-stroke deficit to clinch the 2016 title at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Korea, and at 17, Lin Yuxin became the third AAC champion from China after finishing with a birdie and eagle in the final round to win by three strokes at Royal Wellington Golf Club in New Zealand.
Visit www.AACgolf.com for more information.
