Hong Kong teenage prodigy Steven Lam Tsz-fung will have to overcome jet lag if he is to challenge for the Masters Golf Fashion Hong Kong Open Amateur Championship, which starts today at the Discovery Bay Golf Club.
The 13-year-old only arrived back in Hong Kong on Monday after travelling for more than 20 hours from South Africa where he represented the SAR in the World Team Amateur Championship (Eisenhower Trophy). The St Joseph's School student, who became one of the youngest representatives in the elite tournament's long history, performed admirably, finishing as Hong Kong's highest ranked player.
'Luckily I managed to get some rest on the flight and I'm really looking forward to playing again. I've got an early tee-time in the morning which isn't great news as it'll be difficult to sleep because of the time difference. I'm hoping it won't affect me too much because I want to do my best in this tournament,' he said.
Lam believes he has a good chance of capturing his first men's title if he can carry over his fine form from South Africa.
'I was very happy with the way I played. It was my first Eisenhower Trophy and to finish in the top half of the field was a good achievement. My short game is in really good shape at the moment, which is what you need at Discovery Bay. So I'm feeling confident about doing well,' he said.
The four-day tournament features over 100 competitors from around the Asia-Pacific region and includes 2004 champion Chan Shi-chang, of Taiwan. The winner will receive an invitation to play in the UBS Hong Kong Open, which starts at Fanling on November 16.
