Kau Sai Chau, Hong Kong, Aug 7, 2012 (HK Golfer Newswire) - Shinichi Mizuno overcame a disastrous final hole in regulation to defeat Terrence Ng in a sudden-death play-off to win overall boys' honours at the now TV Presents 2012 Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Junior Open on Tuesday.
Mizuno had played brilliant golf all day and stood at five-under for the round after 17 holes of the Gary Player-designed North Course – and a healthy four-stroke advantage over Ng , who had matched Mizuno with a 71 on day one.
But then disaster struck as Mizuno, with driver in hand, lost two balls from the tee – the first was hooked into impenetrable jungle, while the second was pushed right into knee-high rough. The resulting quadruple bogey eight – the dreaded "snowman" – meant extra holes after the in-form Ng made a solid par.
Returning to the par-five 1st – the first play-off hole – both players, who are international teammates, hit good drives, but it was Mizuno who took the advantage after firing a brilliant three-iron from 220 yards to within eight feet of the pin to set up an eagle chance. But again, Ng survived, this time after pitching to within a couple of feet of the hole for a cast-iron birdie, while Mizuno saw his putt for a three drift by the hole.
The second hole played – the demanding par-four 9th – would produce a winner, however, as Ng failed to get up and down from a greenside bunker, while Mizuno made amends for his earlier implosion by holing a three-footer for par and the title.
"I probably didn't need to hit driver down the last," said a visibly relieved Mizuno, who won the Hong Kong Amateur Close title in 2011. "I thought I was in control of the situation but those two drives nearly cost me. But aside from that I played well throughout the tournament and am glad to come away with the win.
Ng, who like Mizuno has only recently returned from the Hong Kong Golf Association's junior squad's summer tour of the United States, didn't leave Kau Sai Chau empty-handed, as he won the Faldo Series Asia Hong Kong qualifying event, which was played concurrently with the Junior Open, thanks to a count back victory over Mizuno. The Faldo Series, unlike the Junior Open, is decided over 36 holes and play-off results are not counted.
Ng and Mizuno both now qualify for the 2013 Faldo Series Asia Grand Final, which will be played at Mission Hills Golf Club in China next March.
In the girls' division, Mimi Ho eased to a comfortable five-stroke win thanks to solid rounds of 73 and 71. Ho, 15, also qualifies for the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final, alongside runners-up Kitty Tam and Isabella Leung.