By Jeanette Wang

For someone who has an MBA from the University of Leicester and a finance degree from the University of Arizona, Lam Chih Bing's golf career has probably not made much financial sense.

As a golf pro since November 1999, he has raked in US$148,087 (S$200,347) on the Asian Tour.

He is guaranteed at least 9,500 pounds (S$25,700) for making this weekend's play.

Still, Lam would probably have been better off being a fund manager - his once-upon-a-time ambition - earning over $8,000 a month.

But, for the 31-year-old, it was a never a doubt that golf would be his career.

On Friday, his faith and passion paid off.

At the British Open at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England, he entered the history books as the first Singaporean to make the cut in a Major.

A gutsy performance saw him finish tied-38th on seven-over 147 after two rounds, two strokes clear of the cut, as many stars suffered amidst gusty and rainy conditions.

He did not enjoy a good third round, carding a 13-over 83 to lie on 20-over 230 for tied 82nd, at the bottom of the pile.

And while that performance may have put a dampener on an otherwise creditable Open outing, his closest friends had already been optimistic of his chances this week.

'His game has been hot and he's been playing very confident,' said Laguna National Golf and Country Club teaching pro, Adrian Ng, 36, Lam's buddy for over a decade.

Lam began working with swing coach Andrew Welsford towards the end of last year and has since won small events in Indonesia, India and Singapore.

M. Murugiah, 44, the Singapore Professional Golfers' Association president, said: 'He works very hard on his game and now it's payback time for him.'

Just hours before his flight to England last week, Lam was still tirelessly hitting balls at the range.

'He practises his swing everywhere he goes,' said Bernard Tang, who has been best friends with Lam since they were 14.

'Be it shopping centres or restaurants, as long as there are mirrors or window reflections, he's practising.'

Golf, after all, is in his blood.

His dad Pin Thiam is the former Singapore Island Country Club golf captain, while mum Lian Suan is a competent golfer.

He was introduced to the game when he was 10. The Maris Stella High School boy liked it so much, he cast aside swimming, basketball and athletics for the greens.

When he turned 12, he was a 24-handicapper. A year and a half later, it was slashed to nine. By 17, he was a scratch golfer.

Even golfing stars like Gary Player and Seve Ballesteros had taken notice of his talent and long-hitting ability.

'He has one of the nicest and most natural swings I've ever seen,' Player had said of Lam after seeing him in a golfing clinic he held in Singapore at the 1993 Rolex Masters.

After an illustrious amateur career, highlighted by the 1993 Putra Cup title and a 1999 South-east Asia Games bronze, Lam turned pro in 1999.

His career, though, has been up-and-down since, still barren on the Asian Tour.

'But he has never wanted to give up on golf,' said Ng.

'Chih Bing just loves the game too much.'

So much, that Lam even tries to spread his love of golf around.

'He gave us some of his old clubs and golf DVDs so we could learn the sport,' said Joey Ng of Oakley, his eyewear sponsor.

At a Sunday Times kids' golf clinic in April, Lam even took time off from his busy schedule to teach, staying on much longer than the scheduled one hour.

His dedication to the sport is perhaps only rivalled by his dedication to his loved ones - who call him 'Bing chai' (Cantonese for Bing boy).

Friends describe him as ever-cheery and humble.

Said Tang: 'When it comes to the crunch, Chih Bing is someone who will always be there for his friends.'

And when it came to the crunch at Royal Birkdale yesterday, despite a poor round, he still saw positives.

Playing alongside former Open champion Tom Lehman, Lam said he learnt from his more illustrious rival.

'Just seeing him make minor adjustments in the wind, I don't have some of the shots that he has,' said the Singaporean.

It is this willingness to learn, said Welsford, 34, that made Lam stand out.

Coupled with 'prodigious talent' and a high work ethic, the former Australian pro predicted Lam will achieve his goal of playing in the PGA Tour earlier than the targeted three years' time.

Making the Open cut has already catapulted him halfway there, giving him exemption into PGA Tour qualifying school second stage.

Financial sense or not, who cares? Because for Lam, golf is a love affair, not a job.

This article was first published in The Straits Times on July 20, 2008.