There was a vision of the future of Chinese – and perhaps world – golf at Stone Bay & Resort in Weihai, Shandong Province as, after three days of intense competition, the 30 best young golfers in China came down to just four age group champions, as all four finals were decided on the final hole.
And a coveted place in next year’s Volvo China Open awaits Senior Boy’s champion Chen Ze Shan Chuan from Beijing after an eagle at the 17th hole to lock the victory against fellow-Beijing player Dou Ze Cheng, with Guangdong girl Wang Xi Yue earning a place in the Volvo China Open Pro-am after another thrilling finish in the Senior Girls event。
Volvo’s 50th tournament in China was celebrated in style as the winners from Guangdong and Beijing shared the spoils at the end of three days of gruelling golf over the splendid Stone Bay Golf & Resort with the Yellow Sea presenting a fitting backdrop to the seventh Volvo China Junior Championship.
And Beijing teenager Chen Ze Shan Chuan (15) was in seventh heaven as he won the Senior Boy’s title, closing out the younger Dou Ze Cheng on the final green for the most prestigious title in Chinese junior golf and a place in his national open golf championship at Binhai Lake Golf Club in Tianjin in April.
Chen turned the tables on the younger Dou, who had played the stand-out round in the first day’s stroke play qualifier, carding a fine two-under-par to Chen’s 78, but match play proved the older boy’s strength as he cruised through the quarter and semi finals, ending Dou’s dream on the final hole of a tense final.
“It was a very tough day and congratulations to Dou for making such a tight match of it,” said a delighted champion afterwards, adding, “I am very excited to be the winner of the Volvo China Junior Championship and having the opportunity to play in the Volvo China Open in with a field of top stars is a dream come true.”
He concluded, “I will need to go away and work hard on my game, with lots of practice before going to Binhai Lake, where it will be amazing to be in the same competition as great players such as Liang Wenchong and Paul Casey.”
Conversely, Guangdong girl Wang Xi Yue (16) had played the best round of her age group in the stroke play qualifier, and held her form in the match play stages, edging-out Ye Zi Qi from Liaoning Province, again on the final green.
“I had to play my very best to win,” admitted Wang, adding, “To be Volvo China Junior Championship Senior Girl’s winner makes me very proud and I am so excited to be the national champion of China in golf.”
Meanwhile, both the Junior Boys and Junior Girls championships also went down to the wire, 13-year-old Jiang Zhi Jie Guangdong player narrowly beating local Shandong teenager Xu Guo Zhen on the final hole, as did his Guangdong team mate, 14-year-old Wu Sha, the second seed clinching victory over the number-one seed Ji Rong from Yunan Province, once again on the final hole.
Commenting on what had been the tightest four finals in the seven-year history of the Volvo China Junior Championship, Per Ericsson, President, Volvo Event Management Golf said at the prize-giving ceremony, “The standard of play was exceptional, the intensity of the competition was fierce and I am confident all 30 players will have learned a great deal about playing their best golf under extreme pressure.”
He added, “Congratulations to all four winners, commiserations to the four losing finalists who pushed them all the way, and thanks to the China Golf Association, Stone Bay Golf & Resort as well as all the players and their families for helping to make the 2011 Volvo China Junior Championship the huge success it was.”
The 18th Volvo China Open, in which 15-year-old Beijing boy Chen Ze Shan Chuan will feature in the 156-man field, takes place at Binhai Lake Golf Club, Tianjin from 19th – 22nd April 2012.
2011-10-05
