(7 December 2007 – Shenzhen, China) Mission Hills Golf Club, the world’s number one golf club is pleased to announce Jake Younan-Wise of Australia as the winner of the second annual Mission Hills Asia-Pacific Open Amateur Championship. Younan-Wise’s win today affords him an automatic exemption for the 2008 Australian Open.
Apart from bogeying the 5th and 17th holes, Younan-Wise played what appeared to be an effortless round of golf to close one under par 71. That he was able to hold on to his lead with mounting pressure coming from Japan’s Yuki Usami and the omnipresence of Taiwan’s Toa Huang was surely an amazing feat of not only grit and determination, but also cool collectiveness. It is precisely this level of maturity, which sets Younan-Wise apart, and marks his card as one to watch in the future.
Meanwhile, Yuki Usami clearly finding his grove blazed a trail through the competition to close play six under par 66, with five birdies on the front nine and two on the back nine. Usami’s sheer tenacity saw him come from eight strokes off the pace and sixth place this morning to joint second place with Toa Huang this afternoon. Indeed, with bogeys on the front and back nine Toa Huang did well to retain second spot, coming in one over par 73.
Tenniel Chu, Executive Director of Mission Hills Golf Club, David Cherry, Vice Chairman of the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation and Jiang Yong Jun, Vice General Secretary of the Gungdong Golf Association presided over the Mission Hills Asia-Pacific Open Amateur Championship prize presentation ceremony, held in the Grand Ballroom of the five star Mission Hills Resort.
Speaking at the prize presentation ceremony, Tenniel Chu said, “Together, we have witnessed over the last four days the region’s most talented amateurs; dedicate themselves to performing at an outstanding level. Events such the Mission Hills Asia-Pacific Open Amateur Championship are excellent platforms that enable players to further develop their skill-sets by competing against the best of their peers.” Tenniel Chu went on to add, “By leveraging our vast knowledge and experience in the golf industry in support of this tournament, we seek to further the development of the next generation of golf superstars. And in so doing, raising the profile of golf globally, encouraging a new generation of players to take up the game.”
Immensely pleased to gain an exemption for the 2008 Australian Open, Younan-Wise said, “The Mission Hills Asia-Pacific Open Amateur Championship has been an exceptional experience. The four-day challenge has allowed me to pit my skills against the best amateur players from around the world on what has got to be one of the most demanding courses in Asia. I am truly delighted to have won this trophy in the face of such stiff competition. I look forward to the chance to compete in the 2008 Australian Open and to defend my title here at Mission Hills next year.”
About Mission Hills Golf Club, China
Founded in 1994, Mission Hills Golf Club, China, seeks to create ‘International Goodwill through Golf.’ The Club occupies over 15 square kilometres of land and boasts 12 signature courses designed by golf legends from five different continents. The Jack Nicklaus, Pete Dye, José Maria Olazábal, Ernie Els, Nick Faldo, Zhang Lian-Wei, David Leadbetter, Greg Norman, Jumbo Ozaki, Vijay Singh, Annika Sorenstam and David Duval. Each course is reflective of the designers’ style, offering unique risk / reward challenges to the player. As a complete golf destination, the Club houses a five star hotel and world class spa and was voted Best Golf Resort in Asia by readers of Asian Golf Monthly in 2006 and Golf Resort of the Year in the Rest of the World category in 2005 by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO). In May 2004, the Club was accredited by the Guinness World RecordsTM as the World’s Largest Golf Facility, making a name for itself in the world of premier golf through its exceptional ability to deliver an unsurpassed level of service excellence. Mission Hills is the proud venue of the OMEGA Mission Hills World Cup for the next consecutive twelve years (2007 – 2018).
The Mission Hills Asia-Pacific Open Amateur Championship
The Mission Hills Asia Pacific Open Amateur Championship is a world-class amateur golf tournament, jointly organized by the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation and Mission Hills Golf Club, China; it is the first event in China to run under R&A Amateur Ranking Points System.Endorsed by R&A and sanctioned by CGA, this Amateur Open Championship is scheduled from November 28th to December 1st in 2006. The field will consist of 65 players with 2 top amateurs from more than 20 countries being invited to play. In addition to the invited players the field will be opened to any other male amateur golfers with a valid and recognized handicap of not higher than 5.4.
The Mission Hills Asia Pacific Open Amateur Championship is 4-day, 72-hole strokeplay championship allowing players from all over the world to compete in a completely international environment and neutral location. Mission Hills China will be the host venue of the tournament for the next 10 years.
About the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC):
The APGC was formed in 1963 to unify and assist the official Golf Associations of the Asia Pacific region and now has 26 member countries, and is recognized as the Asia-Pacific amateur golf body by the United States’ Golf Association (USGA) and the R&B. Aside from promoting the World Amateur Team Golf Championship, the confederation also supports other APGC events such as the biennial Asia-Pacific Amateur Team Championship or the Nomura Cup, the Bonnalack Trophy, the APGC Seniors Golf Championship. In 2006, the confederation joined Mission Hills Golf Club, China to co-found the Mission Hills Asia Pacific Amateur Open Championship, the first event in China to run under R&A Amateur Ranking Points System. |