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Alexander Yang tees off on a windy morning in the fourth round of the Hong Kong Open at Fanling. Photo: Dickson Lee

Hong Kong Open: new poster boy Alexander Yang mobbed by fans after finishing the tournament’s best-placed amateur

  • Yang finishes at seven-under-par on Open debut and welcomes an invitation to the next edition in November
  • The 17-year-old’s mother anticipates more appearances under the Hong Kong flag in future

New Hong Kong golf star Alexander Yang was mobbed by local fans after finishing as the Hong Kong Open’s best-placed amateur with an impressive seven-under-par for the tournament.

The 17-year-old high school junior shot below-par throughout every round and capped his last day in Fanling with five birdies on his way to a sizzling 68.

“I was really happy with the way I played today. I got some more putts to fall even though I didn't hit as good. The conditions were a little harder because it was windy and cold in the morning,” said Yang, a top-ranked US junior who returns to the United States with his parents on Monday.

“It's an honour to be the low-am for the tournament this year. I came here wanting to win and I wasn't really thinking about it, but it's pretty exciting.”

Alexander Yang tries to find the green in the fourth round of the Hong Kong Open. Photo: Dickson Lee

After Hong Kong-born Yang strolled off the 18th hole having secured another memorable two-under for the day, young golf fans swarmed for autographs, selfies, golf balls – and whatever they could get their hands on.

“Walking down 18 I didn't think there’d be that many kids wanting a signed hat,” Yang said. “I felt bad not signing anybody’s so I tried to sign as many as I could. It was very special. I’ll definitely remember that.”

Still a teenager, Yang had mentioned throughout the week that he was busy finishing his homework in between rounds. Whether the children identified with that familiar balance between school and sport, or they were simply celebrating the birth of a new Hong Kong golf poster boy, Yang expressed his gratitude for the new experience.

“It’s really special for the kids to get signatures from everybody. It’s a really good memory to come out here and watch some really good golf,” he said. “I’m really thankful for the experience to be here. It was amazing to watch and play among these guys and I learned a lot about myself this week. I look forward to playing more tournaments like this going forward.”

The Stanford student-to-be is likely to feature at the next Hong Kong Open scheduled for November of this year, saying he hoped to get reinvited and that the target would be the same for every tournament: to win.

Yang with young Hong Kong fans after finishing his round. Photo: Handout

Yang’s mother, Nancy Wong, was proudly taking photos of her son as he struggled through the crowd on the way to the scoring booth. The Yang family walked all 72 holes as they watched their son steal the limelight in his first big professional tournament.

“He was mobbed by all these little children, which I was surprised by,” said Wong, who used to work in the city. “We’ve always taught him to be humble because I believe the game of golf will humble you if you're not humble, anyway. He's always taking that to heart and we really believe in a good work ethic. He's worked really hard on his game and tried to balance school and work – and done very well at that.”

While Yang's Open debut will go down in the history books, Wong is sensibly giving education the nod for now.
Yang poses with his mother Nancy after round three of the Hong Kong Open. Photo: Handout

“We’ve not had as many opportunities to play at this high level because we’ve given education our first priority. To get an opportunity like this is very special for him and he really gave it his all.

“If [golf] is the road he wants to take, we will give him 100 per cent of our support. We’ve done it so far so it’s really up to him where he goes,” Wong said, adding that her son’s recipe for success is to calmly embrace the chaos in whatever it is he is doing.

Hong Kong fans will be delighted to hear that Yang’s Hong Kong appearance is not a one-off. It appears that part of his future lies with the Hong Kong Golf Association, at least.

Alexander Yang (centre) celebrates his round three with parents and Hong Kong Golf Association coaches. Photo: Handout

“We have spoken to the HKGA a number of times about him coming to play – we just struggled with an ocean apart and school,” Wong explained. “Now that he’s much older, it’s a bit easier. It was hard to take a young child and fly them everywhere to compete. Now we have different opportunities to compete globally.

“We’ve already done some competitions on behalf of Hong Kong, like the junior open in Scotland two years ago, so I anticipate we’ll do more on behalf of the HKGA.”

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: new poster boy Yang mobbed by young fans after stellar week
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