20TH ASIA·PACIFIC AMATEUR GOLF TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP(NOMURA CUP)

A stralia are set to defend their title at the Asia Pacific Amateur Golf Team Championship which start at Wu Yi Fountain Plam Golf club in Jiangmen on October 25th. This is the first time that championship will be hosted in mainland China and represents another major step forward for Chinese golf. This id the premier amateur golf event of the Asia Pacificregion and involves teams stretching from Iran in the middle east to New Zealand in the Pacific area. Many of the compertitors are the golfing stars of the future who are out to prove themselves against the best amateur talent in the region. The ruling body for amateur golf in the region is the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation and there are 25 member golf associations,making it one of the biggest areas in the world for amateur golf.

Korea were runners up last time and hope to go one better this year but they will face an extremely strong challenge from, not only holders Australia,but also New Zealand(3rd place finishers last year). China finished in 12th place in last event and it would be good to see just how far golf has developed here with a,hopefully,much improved performance this year. The Asian Amateur Golf Team Championship was first held in 1963. Shun Nomura,then Vice President of the Japan Golf Association,donated a trophy and now the Champioship is also called The Nomura Cup. In those early years only three teams were involved-Japan,Chinese Taipei and Philippines. On the final day of that first Champioship, the Amateur Golf Federation of Asia was officially established and, 15 years later, in 1978,it changed to the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation with 17members including the Australian Golf Union and the New Zealand Golf Association. In 1983,the number of teams competing had risen to 12 and thereafter about 14 teams have competed. It is hoped that soon all 25 member golf associations will send teams to compete.