2010 Faldo Series Asia Grand Final Highlights Future Golfing Champions

Junior golf is proving to be a game open to up and coming young stars from across the world.

Hosted by its founder, the six-time Major champion Sir Nick Faldo - The 2010 Faldo Series Final, an R&A World Amateur Golf Ranking tournament, saw 76 competitors from 18 different countries playing. Faldo gave players expert advice and support, which obviously paid off for Masamichi Ito when the 14 year old became the first Japanese golfer to win the Faldo Series at Mission Hills Golf Club, Shenzhen, China.

The fourth Faldo Series Asia Grand Final was played under strict tournament conditions over three rounds on the Faldo Course. Boys and girls played from different tees with the Faldo Series Asia challenge trophy presented by Faldo to the player with the lowest gross score.

Masamichi Ito, who last year became the youngest player to make the cut on the Japan Golf Tour lived up to his reputation with rounds of 75, 70 closing with a three under par 69 and beat Chinese Taipei’s Hsieh Chi Hsien with a birdie four. Close on Ito’s heels was determined 2008 and 2009 Faldo Series Asia champion Rashid Khan, 18, from India. Khan became the first back-to-back victor in Faldo Series Asia history last March when he birdied the closing hole of the 54-hole Grand Final which he credits Faldo for his form. Khan was hoping to achieve three Grand Final victories in a row but ended up third.
The Girls’ prize went to Thailand’s Thidapa Suwannapura, who had rounds of 72, 74 and 74 and lead from start-to-finish to claim a two shot victory over Liu Yi Chen from Chinese Taipei. England’s Holly Clyburn, the English and French Under-18 champion, shared third place with Chinese Taipei’s Chien Pei Yun on ten over par 226.
The five age-category winners, three boys and two girls, have been invited by Faldo to compete in the 2010 Faldo Series European Grand Final to be held on the Faldo Course at the Lough Erne Resort, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, on September 21st. The overall Asian champion, boy and girl, will also be invited to play in a flagship event on the Asian Tour and the Ladies European Tour.

Will these juniors eventually become tomorrow’s golf stars?