30 November 2007, Shenzhen: Over 60 of Asia’s most talented young golfers will be competing in front of Nick Faldo for the title of Faldo Series Asia champion 2007 when the second grand final tees off at Mission Hills Golf Club in China on December 12.
Supported by Mission Hills, The R&A and UBS, a total of 68 golfers, boys and girls aged 12 to 21, will take part in the 54-hole Faldo Series Asia (FSA) grand final on December 12-14, including 63 players from 10 different Asian countries and a further five winners from the Faldo Series grand final in Europe.
13 competitors alone will represent mainland China, including FSA Yunnan winner Guo Caizhu, a 20-year-old girl from Kunming who took up a job as caddie four years ago and only took up golf itself two years ago. Runner-up in the girls’ under-21 category in the 2006 grand final by virtue of a wild-card invitation, Guo hopes to go one better in 2007: “I am really excited about the grand final at Mission Hills and hope to improve on my performance last time. I also received some great advice from Nick Faldo – the tips he gave me on bunker shots have helped me a great deal this season – so I am really looking forward to learning even more from him this year.”
Over 60 players have qualified from 10 FSA championships that took place in nine different Asian countries during 2007, including 18-year-old girl Xu Yue (FSA China champion); Chan Shih Chang (21, FSA Chinese Taipei champion); Chawinroj Krobteeranon (17, FSA Thailand champion); Jimmy Ko (19, FSA Hong Kong champion); Matthew Turner (16, FSA UAE champion); Wilson Choo (17, FSA Malaysia champion) and Rahul Bakshi (17, FSA India champion).
Sanctioned by the Asian Tour, the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation and the Guangdong Golf Association, results will count towards The R&A’s World Amateur Golf Ranking and six Asian winners will receive an invite from Faldo to compete in the 2008 Faldo Series grand final in Europe. Furthermore, courtesy of the Asian Tour, the leading Asian boy will receive an invite to play in an Asian Tour event in 2008 and a scholarship to stage one of Asian Tour qualifying school; while the leading Asian girl will earn a start at a flagship event on the Ladies European Tour in 2008.
Also backed by Korn/Ferry, Faldo will spend time with the finalists at Mission Hills, the World’s No. 1 Golf Club as recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records, in order to pass on his advice and experience from over 30 years of playing at the highest level. Other experts from the world of golf will also be educating the finalists during the practice days through a series of unique player-seminars on topics ranging from media and PR, rules and etiquette, life on Tour and diet and fitness.
In a bid by Faldo to simultaneously create access to the sport for a younger audience, local school-children will be invited to the FSA grand final at Mission Hills, during which they will watch the finalists in action and have the opportunity to experience golf themselves through a series of grass-roots activities.
Commented Faldo: “The first Faldo Series Asia grand final at Mission Hills was a huge success but this year looks like being even bigger and better and I’m really looking forward to it. I hope the whole experience for the players – including conditions that replicate a Tour event on the course and spending time with me off the course – will play a part in helping them become champions of the future.”
Faldo continued: “I also look forward to meeting the local children who come along to Mission Hills to enjoy the grass-roots activities. Hopefully they will be inspired by the experience and perhaps even return to a Faldo Series Asia grand final one day as a competitor.”
Tenniel Chu, Executive Director Mission Hills Golf Club, China added: “Mission Hills since its inception has strongly supported golf development in Asia so we are especially pleased to be associated with the Faldo Series Asia. Over the years we have built a strong relationship with Nick and his course at Mission Hills is a firm favourite amongst our members and guests. By lending our support to this tournament, we are seeking to help improve the future of golf in Asia by building on a platform of excellence, where budding golfers can not only improve their skills under tournament conditions but develop other aspects of their game too.”
The FSA grand final will be played over 54 holes on the highly-acclaimed Faldo Course, with a cut after two rounds. The format will be gross stroke-play with trophies awarded to the leading boy and girl in each of the under-21, under-18 and under-16 categories. Boys will play from the gold tees (6,500 yards) and girls from the blue tees (6,100 yards). The FSA trophy will be presented by Faldo to the overall champion, regardless of age or gender.
For information on the Faldo Series Asia visit www.nickfaldo.com |