Dongguan, China: It was a case of third time lucky for Meng Lin at Mission Hills as the teenager swept to victory in the Faldo Series China Championship.
Having posted top-10 finishes in two junior events at Mission Hills in May, the 18-year-old Meng finally made her way into the winner’s enclosure in the fourth leg of the record-breaking 2016-17 Faldo Series Asia campaign.
With a 54-hole aggregate of five-under-par 211, Meng claimed the overall title by four strokes from Liu Zehao, the only other player in the 139-strong field to end in red figures, signifying a sub-par return.
Meng opened with a solid even-par 72 which was followed by accomplished rounds of 69 and 70 over the Greg Norman-designed layout at Mission Hills Dongguan, rated as one of the most difficult courses in Asia.
It was a welcome triumph for Meng, who topped the standings in the Girls’ Under-16 category in the 2013 Faldo Series Kunming Championship at Lakeview Golf Club in Yunnan Province.
Her latest success is the culmination of a series of strong recent performances, including a ninth-place finish in Annika Invitational at Mission Hills and a fourth-place finish in the Mission Hills Jack Nicklaus Junior Championship, both in May.
As well as improving her standing in the R&A World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), Meng will also break into the top-20 in the China Golf Association Junior Ranking system.
Furthermore, as a result of her win the three-handicapper will now have another opportunity to showcase her talent on the regional stage when she heads to Laguna Lang Co in Danang, Vietnam, in March, 2017 to fly the China flag in the 11th Faldo Series Asia Grand Final.
Joining Meng in Vietnam will be other age-group winners from the Faldo Series China Championship – Hong Kong’s Lucas Lam (Boys’ Under-21); Australian Kieran Vogels (Boys’ Under-18) and the mainland Chinese trio of Liu Zehao (Boys’ Under-16), Li Linqiang (Boys’ Under-13) and Chen Yulin (Girls’ Under-16).
Six-time Major championship winner Sir Nick Faldo, Britain’s most successful golfer, said: “Congratulations to Meng Lin. For her to shoot two sub-par rounds was an exceptional effort.
“My thanks also to Mission Hills for once again proving such an outstanding venue and for hosting 139 players, a record turnout for the Faldo Series China Championship.”
Since its establishment in 2006, the Faldo Series China Championship has now seen more than 1,000 players participate from no fewer than 18 countries and regions, including representatives from Australia, Belgium, Canada, England, France, Germany, South Africa and the United States.
Supported by The R&A and endorsed by the Asian Tour and the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation, the 2016-17 Faldo Series Asia campaign stretches over 11 months.