Hideki Matsuyama wins the Asian Amateur Championship
The 18-year-old Hideki Matsuyama stood on the podium with sweat tears running from his forehead to the trophy in the hand. The crowd applauded when the name of the winner of the Asian Amateur Championship was announced at the Kasumigaseki
Country Club.
The beautiful crystal trophy was a delightful prize, but the actual souvenir was the entrance into the 2011 Masters. Winner of the title will become the first Japanese amateur to tee off at the Augusta National.
The teenage was surprised at his victory which he drafted with the help of 15-under-par (68-69-65-67). He said, “I never imagined going to the Masters this early in my life, rather than being satisfied by just being there, I would
like to play well in Augusta, as well."
Kasumigaseki Country Club is one of the oldest courses in Japan and according to the critics, it is not easy to beat the tough, hard greens of the 78-year-old, par-71 course, but Matsuyama did it. He scored a 65 when it was raining
on Saturday and shot a bogey free round of 67 on Sunday to surge into victory. He was chased by 21-year-old, Tarquin MacManus of Australia.
Both the boys were untouched by the weather conditions on Saturday. Only seven players entered the final round under par out of whom all the eyes were on these two; Matsuyama was standing at 11-under while MacManus was three strokes
behind. Trailing behind was their compatriot, Yosuke Asaji. Although, he stepped into the third round with a lead, but owing to the terrible weather conditions, he had to surrender at 72.
In the final, Matsuyama and MacManus gave each other head to head challenge over the first seven holes, exchanged pars from the first to the fifth and birdied the sixth and the seventh. However, on the 403-yard, par-4 eighth hole,
the Aussie broke the setup and shot a 40-foot birdie to jump into a lead of two strokes.
The student of University of Arizona (MacManus) told the press, "I thought I might have a bit of a chance when I birdied those three holes in a row, but from there, it just went a bit flat place finish, I played well out there,
gave it everything I had and just got beaten. He played some amazing golf out there and I just couldn't quite match it."
It was not easy for the Aussie to take an advantage of Matsuyama’s mistakes. For instance, Matsuyama took a tee shot towards the right of 380-yard, par-4 14th hole, but the ball flew behind few trees. The 18-year-old
did not give a second thought and smashed the ball from within the trees and weaved it all the way at eight feet from the pin. The scorecard reflected a birdie.
Lam Zhiqun, vaulted his ticket to Augusta on Saturday; he carded seven birdies and settled with a score of six-under 65. The same record was made by Jeev Milkha Singh in the 2006 Japan Open. Matsuyama' gave a superb performance
in both the closing rounds. His sole bogey arrived, when his shot got stuck in the wet sand on the 13th.
Hideki Matsuyama won the Asian Amateur Championship and along with that a tour card to the 2011 Masters. He was followed by yet another, talented player, Tarquin MacManus.
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