Xiao, who got off to a shaky start with a double bogey on the first hole of the tournament, fought back superbly to card back-to-back level-par rounds of 71 to take the title by three shots from 15-year-old Leon D’Souza. Another Hong Kong player, Tang Kei-hin finished a further five shots adrift in solo third place.
D’Souza fought tooth and nail with Xiao in the final round and only bogeys on the 16th and 17th, holes that Xiao did brilliantly to par, prevented the event from reaching a play-off.
"Winning home soil, and being able to do so against a field including former champions like three-time winner Doug Williams and defending champion Jordan Yeung, gives me a boost of confidence," said Xiao, a four-handicapper.
Xiao credited his win to the opportunity give to him by the Macau Golf Association and the Macau Sports Development Board to play at the All China Games, the Venetian Macau Open as well as the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship. “The experience I gained from playing in those elite field events has given me an understanding of where I stand in the game and what I needed to work on,” Xiao added.
Click here to see the published article.
