SINGAPORE – Taking pride of place in Mardan Mamat’s home is the ball he made a hole-in-one with in his professional debut at the 1994 Singapore Open – the memento is framed up and sits alongside newspaper clippings documenting his feat.

Over three decades have passed, but the veteran golfer can still recall the moment vividly.

He rattles off the details: it happened at the par-three, fifth hole of the Tanah Merah Country Club’s Garden Course. With a four-iron, he hit the ball straight to the pin, it bounced in front of the green and rolled into the hole.

He remembers turning to his caddie to ask if he was dreaming as on-lookers shouted “hole-in-one!”, before giving himself a slap to make sure it was real.

It earned him a Jaguar XJS convertible worth $350,000, which he later sold for $270,000. But more than the car or money, it gave him something more valuable: belief.

“I will never forget about that moment because it was a breakthrough for me – my first tournament as a pro, then getting a hole-in-one. It was something that told me that I can play this game as long as I want,” said the 58-year-old, who will be making his 23rd appearance at the Singapore Open this week.

“I’ve kept the ball to recall that this is the moment when my golf career started as a pro and with that ball, it always motivates me. It won me the car and also got me money to move on, to play and push my golf career.”

The moment set the tone for Mardan, whose journey in golf began as a 13-year-old caddie at Jurong Country Club alongside his elder brother Mazlan.

When he was not working, he would sneak onto the course at hole No. 4 with just a six-iron, playing from tee to green with balls retrieved from the course’s ponds.

He has come a long way since, carving out a reputation as one of Singapore’s most successful golfers.

A five-time Asian Tour winner, Mardan’s accolades inclu...