Korean ace clinches junior golf crown
Hong Kong teenager Jimmy Ko Ming-chak carded an impressive par-70 in his second round, but it was not enough to catch South Korean ace Kim Do-hoon, who clinched the 2005 MacGregor Hong Kong Open Junior Championship at Fanling.
The 16-year-old Korean had a comfortable cushion after his astonishing six-under-par 64 in the first round last Thursday.
His one-over-par 71 in round two on Friday put him nine points clear of Jimmy's 144 total. Taiwan's Chang Kung-chih was third.
In the girls' event, overnight leader Wannasiri Sirisampant from Thailand held off China's Zhou Xiaoxuan for a slim one-stroke victory. Hong Kong's Ginger Mak finished third, two shots adrift of the winner. Local celebrations were saved for 12-year-old Steven Lam Tsz-fung, who dominated the boys' 11-12 age category, finishing six strokes ahead of his nearest rival.
Starting the final round with a one-shot lead, Steven carded a steady 74 and eased to a comfortable win.
Hong Kong's Kitty Tam Yik-ching gave the home fans more reason to cheer following her two-stroke triumph in the girls' eight-and-under category.
National junior coach Brad Schadewitz said that his young players did well considering the strength of the international field. But Schadewitz added that he hoped to see an overall improvement before Hong Kong hosted the 2007 Asia Pacific Junior Championship.
'It was great to see Steven [Lam] play so well and also to watch Jimmy [Ko] battle back to finish second overall,' said Schadewitz. 'Some of the region's finest players were here this week so they're very impressive results. We need more strength in depth across all the age divisions to really compete but the future looks promising.'
Chief executive of the Hong Kong Golf Association Iain Valentine described the tournament as one of the strongest junior events in living memory. 'The MacGregor has truly become an international event. We're delighted that so many overseas players have come to Hong Kong, especially those visiting for the first time, and we've been rewarded with two days of excellent golf. We look forward to welcoming them all back in 2006,' Valentine said.
