Hong Kong Golf Sensation
TIGER WOODS could be set to battle it out with a 15-year-old kid at next year’s Masters and the 150th Open at the home of golf.
Teenage Hong Kong golf sensation Jason Hak is among the favourites to land this week’s inaugural Asian Amateur stroke-play championship at China’s Mission Hills.
With the title will come invites to Augusta and final qualifying for The Open at St Andrews.
Hak was just 14 when he shot two rounds of 70 at last year’s Hong Kong Open to become the youngest player ever to make the cut in a European Tour event.
And golf guru David Leadbetter believes young Asians like Hak are set to dominate the sport.
Golf in Asia is on a high following South Korean Y,E. Yang’s US PGA win in a head-to-head with Woods two months ago.
He is the first Asian to win a major while Chinese 17-year-old An Byeong-hun won the US Amateur crown.
Yang’s countrymen, Chang-Won Han and Meen-Whee Kim are also expected to push Hak hard along with Steven Lam from Hong Kong.
The 16-year-old led qualifying for next month’s Hong Kong Open by 12 shots.
Leadbetter, who coached major winners Nick Faldo, Ernie Els and Nick Price, said: “I think we are going to see the next great wave of male golfers emerging from Asia.
“I have been amazed by the technically sound swings of their young players.
“They also show a great work ethic and discipline and display a calm temperament and they always give the impression that nothing is impossible.”
From GolfinHongKong.com