20 May 2010: 14 year-old Zhang Jin returned to the scene of a recent triumph when he stormed to a two shot victory at the first ever Faldo Series Beijing Championship staged over the Nick Faldo-designed Beijing Honghua International Golf Club.
Zhang made the headlines in April when he won at Beijing Honghua to become the youngest ever qualifier for the Volvo China Open and he repeated that form in the opening event of the 2010/2011 Faldo Series Asia season where he recorded rounds of 68 and 69 for a seven under par aggregate of 137 and a two shot victory over Li Hao Tong.
The victory earned Zhang a place in the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final, which Sir Nick Faldo will host over the Faldo Course at Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen next March, and where he will be joined by 15 year-old Yang Jia Xin, who was crowned Girls’ Under-21 winner with a one over par total of 145 courtesy of a tournament-low 67 in round two.
Zhou Jun, 19, won the Boys’ Under-21 title with rounds of 73 and 77 and will also tee up in the fifth Asian Grand Final on the Faldo Course at Mission Hills. Also exempt for the 2010/2011 Grand Final, a R&A World Amateur Golf Ranking event, are the next two best finishers, 14 year-olds Li Hao Tong and Dou Ze Chen. Li challenged Zhang all the way with rounds of 69 and 70 for a five under par aggregate of 139 while Dou finished strongly with a second round 68 to finish tied third with Yang and Li Yuan on one over par 145.
The Beijing Championship gave some of China’s most talented young golfers aged 12 to 21 the chance to benefit from 36 holes of top level competition under strict tournament conditions on a course that six-time Major winner Faldo opened in 2004 and which has since been voted in the top-10 best golf courses in China on several occasions and hosted the Volvo China Open in 2006. The Faldo Series Asia field of 38 boys and girls was also treated to some expert advice from USPGA golf professional and one-time caddie to Jack Nicklaus, Billy Martin.
Underwritten by Faldo himself, the Faldo Series Asia is supported by major partners ISPS, Mission Hills and The R&A as well as official golf wear partner Alpine Creations. It is also endorsed by the Asian Tour and the Asia Pacific Golf Federation (APGC).
Further to the success of the Faldo Series Europe, launched in 1996, the Faldo Series Asia was established in 2006 to bring opportunities to young people in Asia and to help develop the region’s next generation of champions. Over 30 tournaments now take place in more than 25 countries across the UK, Europe, South America, the Middle East and Asia and former winners include recent PGA Tour and Ladies European Tour champions Rory McIlroy and Melissa Reid, two-time European Tour winners Nick Dougherty and Marc Warren, India’s number one amateur Rashid Khan and Chinese Taipei’s two-time LPGA Major winner Yani Tseng.
The Beijing Championship was the opening event on the 2010/2011 Faldo Series Asia schedule which features a record 17 tournaments in 12 different countries including six in mainland China plus others in The Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Bahrain, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Japan, Chinese Taipei, Indonesia and Thailand.
The 2009/2010 Faldo Series Asia boys’ title was won by 14 year-old Masamichi Ito from Japan and the girls’ title by Thidapa Suwannapura, 17, of Thailand. Both will be invited to play in a professional tournament on the Asian Tour and Ladies European Tour respectively as well as in the Faldo Series Europe Grand Final, to be played over the Faldo Course at the Lough Erne Resort in Northern Ireland in September.
Leading final scores: Boys’ Under-21: 150 – Zhou Jun (73-77); 151 – Zhou Tian (74-77); 152 – Ling Zhi (76-76), Li Mo Tao (76-76). Boys’ Under-16: 137 – Zhang Jin (68-69); 139 – Li Hao Tong (69-70); 145 – Dou Ze Chen (77-68), Li Yuan (73-72). Girls’ Under-21: 145 – Yang Jia Xin (78-67); 153 – Liu Rui Xin (77-76), Ji Rong (77-76).
Click here for a full list of results.