Hiroshi Hirahara Tai is a Singaporean amateur golfer who has made significant strides in the collegiate golf scene. He gained widespread recognition in 2024 after winning the NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship[1], becoming the first Asian[2] to achieve this feat. Tai's success on the golf course began early in his life, and he has since become a prominent figure in both Singaporean and collegiate golf.

He is set to compete at the 2024 U.S Open and the 2025 Masters, where he will be writing a new chapter to the Singaporean golf history as the first Singaporean National[2] to compete at Augusta.

Early Life

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Tai was born in February 5th, 2002 in Hong Kong. His family shortly moved to Singapore where he spent majority of his youth. He then attended Windermere Prep in Orlando, FL where as the captain, he led the Windermere Lakers to the state championship in 2019.


Military Service

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After graduating from high school in 2020, Tai served 22 months in the Singapore Navy[3]. During his military service, Tai developed discipline and mental toughness, qualities that have significantly contributed to his composure on the golf course. He reflect his time in the Navy to have been instrumental in shaping his approach to both life and golf[4], preparing him for the rigors of competitive sports and academic pursuits at Georgia Tech.

Collegiate Career

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2022-2023: Freshman Season

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Hiroshi started his collegiate career in 2022 with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. In his freshman year, he has won two events (Maui Jim / Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate Invitational), which was fifth in the program history[5], joining the likes of Luke Schniederjans, Cameron Tringale, Matt Kuchar, Bill McDonald.

He was part of the 2023 Georgia Tech team that was a runner-up in the NCAA team championship. [6]

2023-2024: Sophomore Season

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In his second season with the Yellow Jackets, he won the NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship at Omni La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, California, with a final score of 3-under-par 285. Tai overcame a triple bogey on the 17th hole in the final round and secured his victory with a closing par.

His final round performance helped Georgia Tech to advance to match play where the Yellow Jackets beat Top seed Illinois[7], and eventually finishing with Top 4 in the tournament after the loss to Florida State in the semi-finals.

Amateur Career

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Hiroshi has been the core member of the Singaporean National team, first representing his country as early as in high school. As a member of the team, He represented Singapore in the 31st SEA games[8] and twice in the World Amateur Team Championship (2022: Dubai / 2023: Paris).

Awards and Honors

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Personal Life

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References

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  1. ^ "Georgia Tech's Hiroshi Tai claims individual title at 2024 NCAA Division I men's golf championship | NCAA.com". www.ncaa.com. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
  2. ^ a b Ang, Ervin (2024-05-28). "Hiroshi Tai to be first S'pore golfer to compete at the Masters after historic NCAA win". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
  3. ^ "For Singapore's Tai, college golf will have to wait until 2022". NBC Sports. 2019-11-20. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
  4. ^ Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (2024-02-14). GT Golf - Hiroshi Tai featured on WUPA-TV (Ch. 69) Sports - November, 2023. Retrieved 2024-06-06 – via YouTube.
  5. ^ "Hiroshi Tai". Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. 2022-01-10. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
  6. ^ NCAA.com. "Florida wins the 2023 DI men's golf championship, Gators' Biondi takes individual title | NCAA.com". www.ncaa.com. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
  7. ^ "Tech Knocks off Illinois in NCAA Golf Quarterfinals". Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. 2024-05-28. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
  8. ^ "31st SEA Games: National Flag Flies High as Team of Seven Displayed Strong Values of Resilience throughout Biennial Tournament – SGA". Retrieved 2024-06-06.