13 July 2010: 20 year-old Wu Tianyi fired two birdies in his last three holes to win the fourth Faldo Series Shanghai Championship at Shanghai Silport Golf Club and clinch his spot in the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final.
The Shanghai leg of the Faldo Series Asia turned into a two-way tussle between the Chinese pair of Wu and Billy Zhao, 16, who both led after day one with rounds of 74 and were still level after the front nine of the final round on day two. However it was Wu who eventually pulled away with a brilliant birdie-par-birdie finish to close on 150 and claim the title by two from Zhao.
The consolation for Zhao was that, as winner of the Boys’ Under-16 category, he will join Wu at the fifth Grand Final next March, an R&A World Amateur Golf Ranking event hosted by six-time Major winner Sir Nick Faldo on the Faldo Course at Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen.
Other qualifiers for Mission Hills included the Boys’ Under-21 runner-up Chen Hao, 20; the Girls’ Under-21 winner, Tarah Taylor, 19, from the USA; and China’s Yuting Shi who, aged only 12, was the Girls’ Under-16 winner and finished in third place overall behind Wu and Zhao on 154.
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 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 Tour champions Rory McIlroy, Nick Dougherty, Marc Warren, Melissa Reid, Florentyna Parker and Yani Tseng.
The Shanghai Championship was the fourth of a record 17 tournaments in 12 different countries on the 2010/2011 Faldo Series Asia schedule, including a total of 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 and both have earned exemptions into the Faldo Series Europe Grand Final, to be played over the Faldo Course at the Lough Erne Resort in Northern Ireland on September 21-23.
Leading final scores: Boys’ Under-21: 150 – Wu Tianyi (74-76); 162 – Chen Hao (82-80), Ding Rui (80-82). Boys’ Under-16: 152 – Billy Zhao (74-78); 161 – Ryu Jae Hyeon (79-82), Hu Guangyao (81-80). Girls’ Under-21: 162 – Tarah Taylor (77-85). Girls’ Under-16: 154 – Shi Yuting (79-75); 165 – Gao Meiqi (86-79); 167 – Yu Xinyun (82-85).