Asian Tour: Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho takes difficult lesson from International Series England, but ‘grateful’ for the experience
- For Kho, the tournament was the first in a run of three over the next month, and another test against some of the game’s best
- Up next is The Amateur Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes followed by the European Amateur Championship in Valencia
Taichi Kho said he “wanted it too badly” after stumbling to a three-over-par 74 in the final round of the International Series England, but added he wouldn’t have done anything differently.
The Hong Kong amateur slipped to level-par for the tournament and went from having a shot at a top 10 finish to ending in a tie for 25th at the Asian Tour’s first event in the UK.
In contrast, Scott Vincent carded a five-under 66 and a par at the last gave him a one-shot win over Travis Smyth after the pair went back and forth in a birdie battle over the back nine.
“It’s amazing,” said the 30-year-old Vincent of his maiden Asian Tour triumph. “This is the tour I started on, so obviously it’s nice to get the first win out here. It has felt like a long time but my game is trending in a good direction.”
While Kho’s day got off to a good start with a birdie at the par-4 second hole, he gave back shots at four and six to reach the turn at one-over for the day.
Back-to-back bogeys at 14 and 15 dropped him further down the field, and afterwards he said chasing a good start might have worked against him. His final round was the worst of the week, and undid all the good of a 67 two days before.
“Today was quite a different challenge,” Kho said. “I felt that if I got off to a hot start I was right there, I feel like I wanted it a little too badly, so there are lessons to be learned there. But I wouldn’t have done anything differently today, and I feel like I learned a lot.”
For Kho, the tournament was the first in a run of three over the next month, and another test against some of the game’s best.