Almost after five years, the Ryder Cup-style match play team events that pit the leading amateurs from APGC member nations against their counterparts from the European Golf Association (EGA) will resume at Spain’s La Manga Club from August 3-5.

 

Rishi Narain and Liz Mckinnon are recognised as non-playing captains of the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) teams for this year's Bonallack Trophy and Pasty Hankins Trophy. 

 

At the helm for the APGC will be Indian Narain (Bonallack Trophy) and New Zealander McKinnon (Patsy Hankins Trophy). Both the Narain and Mckinnon have been the ex-professional golfers who had worked in prominent administrators for a quite long time.  McKinnon has been involved in golf almost her entire life, starting playing at the age of six and going on to district and national representative honours. She played professionally for 4.5 years on the Ladies European Tour and got retired as a touring pro. 

 

 

Liz McKinnon

 

 

Rishi Narain was a member of the gold medal-winning Indian team at the 1982 Asian Games, where he finished fourth individually, and is one of only two Indian golfers to have won national amateur titles at three levels – Junior (1979), Men’s (1984) and Senior (2018 and 2022). 

 

After four years playing college team golf at NCAA Division A top-ranked Brigham Young University, Narain turned pro, playing on the Asian Tour as well as domestic circuits in India and Malaysia between 1988 and 1992.

 

Narain was subsequently a leading coach in India for many years and, more recently, he’s been a mentor to some of India’s leading professionals and amateurs, including Avani Prashanth, individual winner at this year’s Queen Sirikit Cup.

 

 

Rishi Narain

 

 

Taiman Hassan Amin, Chairman of the APGC, said: “The APGC Board members are excited to renew the action between players from the Asia-Pacific and Europe. Match play is such an exciting format which brings out nail-biting contests.

 

“We’re all looking forward to renewing our association with the EGA. For the players, in particular, it will be a memorable experience and they’ll develop friendships that will last throughout their careers.”