Hong Kong golfer Motin Yeung scores landmark victory on PGA Tour Series-China
Playing on a sponsor’s invite after missing out at Q-School, the 24-year-old wins in a play-off and secures his card through next year
Yeung, 24, sank a 10-foot birdie putt at the first extra hole to deny Callum Tarren, who led after the first two rounds and was hoping to become the tour’s first English winner, and American Joseph Gunerman, the joint 54-hole leader with Canada’s Richard Jung.
Yeung and Tarren, 27, played in the penultimate group and both shot 6-under 65s to set the clubhouse lead at 19-under. Gunerman, 25, then joined the pair with a 67 that featured an eagle at the par-5 16th.
Yeung, 24, was thrilled to win with his girlfriend and friends watching, having secured his place in the play-off with a third successive 65. After failing to record a birdie in his first 12 holes on Thursday, he birdied 27 of his last 60 holes in regulation – plus the first extra hole.
Yeung was playing on a sponsor invite, having failed to earn any status at Q-School in February.
In March, he progressed through a qualifier at the tour’s second event, finishing joint 14th in Chongqing before two more top-20 finishes helped him earn his place in four straight events.
“This means so much to me because I didn’t even have any status on this tour before this and now I’m finally a member so it feels amazing,” said an emotional Yeung, who earned US$42,000 and a full card through next year thanks to the victory.
Yeung moved to Orlando in 2006 when he was 12 before playing college golf at Duke University from 2012 to 2016. He returned to represent Hong Kong in regional events.
Since turning pro in September 2016, Yeung has not won a tournament and his previous best result on this year’s tour was a tie for sixth at last month’s Haikou Championship, but he kept his cool in the play-off to beat two more seasoned pros.
“I missed a lot of short putts and putting wasn’t my strength this week, so I was a little nervous. I just aimed where I needed to aim and hit the putt. I tried not to think too much.”
The Kunming Championship was the sixth event on this year’s PGA Tour Series-China, established in 2014 as the PGA Tour’s third international development tour.
