junior close
MacGregor Masters: Shinichi Mizuno and Tiffany Chan hold aloft the silverware following their fine wins
Mizuno Makes it Two
Shinichi earns second MacGregor Hong Kong Junior Close title with play-off win over Terrance Ng; Tiffany Chan eases to girls' victory
S Daniel Wong
hinichi Mizuno's year just keeps getting better and better. The 17-year-old West Island School student added the MacGregor Hong Kong Junior Close title to his ever-growing list of achievements thanks to a sudden-death victory over Terrence Ng at Fanling in late April. Mizuno, who earned a spot in this December's UBS Hong Kong Open after victory at the Men's Close Championship over the Lunar New Year, birdied the first play-off hole at the New Course to claim the win after finishing tied with Ng on a two-day total of 142 (two-over-par). Overnight leader Liu Lok-tin, who started the day with a one-shot advantage after a stellar 68 in the opening round, faded to a 78 and had to settle for third spot. "It feels great to get my title back," said Mizuno, who won this event, also in a playoff, in 2009. "This is the last year I'm eligible for the Junior Close, so it's a nice way to finish – and having won the Men's Close earlier this year, it's a great double to have." Mizuno didn't have everything go his way however. On the 11th hole of regulation play, and with his ball under a tree, the Nagoya-born Mizuno elected to play the shot left-handed, but somehow managed to strike his golf bag with the ball, thereby incurring a one-shot penalty. The ensuing double-bogey narrowed his advantage and let Ng, who was round in a best-of-the-week 66, back in the frame. Mizuno responded superbly though; a pitching-wedge to within a foot of the flag in the play-off sealed the victory. "The eleventh [hole] didn't quite go to plan; the ball didn't go anywhere near where I intended," laughed Mizuno after his round. Tiffany Chan was a class apart in the girls' division, rounds of 72 and 70 giving her a 10-stroke margin over Isabella Leung in second. Defending champion Mimi Ho finished third, a further one shot adrift. – Alex Jenkins 54
HK Golfer・MAY 2011
Overall Boys Results 1 2 3 4 5 6= 8=
Shinichi Mizuno Terrence Ng Liu Lok-tin James Inge Ambrose Tam Marcus Lam Anthony Tam Michael Wong Jackie Chan Sebastian Cheng Linus Lo
69 73 76 66 68 78 73 76 73 78 78 75 78 75 81 74 79 76 77 78 77 78
142 142 146 149 151 153 153 155 155 155 155
72 70 79 73 76 77 82 80 79 83 83 81 81 83 90 78 85 83 91 81
142 152 153 162 162 163 164 168 168 172
Overall Girls Results 1 2 3 4= 6= 8= 10
Tiffany Chan Isabella Leung Mimi Ho Tiana Lau Christy Chong Michelle Cheung Michelle Ho Emily Leung Kimberley Wong Veronica Szeto
HKGOLFER.COM
Clockwise from top left: Ambrose Tam; Terrence Ng congratulates Shinichi Mizuno; Tiffany Chan; defending champion Mimi Ho; Tiana Lau; all the winners from across multiple age groups; the top three boys share a laugh.
HKGOLFER.COM
HK GolferăƒťMAY 2011
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