Yang leads way as Hong Kong trio make strong start to World Amateur Team Championships
- Yang fires 3-under 69, with teammates Taichi Kho and Leon D’Souza carding 70 and 72 respectively
- Hong Kong end first day in tie for 11th, with Japan taking early lead on 14-under
Alexander Yang led the way as Hong Kong made a strong start to the 2022 World Amateur Team Championship.
Yang’s three-under-par 69 helped lift his team into a share of 11th overall on Wednesday after the first round of the Eisenhower Trophy, which is being held over the the Le Golf National and Golf de Saint-Nom-La-Bretèche courses just outside Paris.
Teammates Taichi Kho and Leon D’Souza also had good days, finishing with rounds of 70 and 72, respectively.
“I’m happy with the start to the tournament for both myself and the team,” Yang said. “The two courses demand precise drives, irons and good putts to make birdies and I think if we continue to execute we will do great this week.
“I’m looking forward to the rest of the week and thanks to [the HKGA’s] Tim [Tang] and Martin [Liu] for the support out there.”
Yang, who played his first round at the Golf de Saint-Nom-La-Bretèche course, had a run of four straight birdies from holes four to seven as part of his back nine.
That left Hong Kong on five-under, and chasing early leaders Japan, whose 14-under, thanks largely to Taiga Semikawa and Kohei Okada, gave them a six-stroke lead over Spain.
Organisers reported “nearly ideal scoring conditions” and with 26 teams finishing under par on day one, Hong Kong take to Le Golf National course on Thursday hoping for more of the same.
