Established in 1996, the year of Faldo's dramatic Masters win over close rival Greg Norman, with the aim of nurturing the next generation of champions, the Faldo Series consists of 40 annual events in 30 countries worldwide and boasts a slew of tour winners among its alumni. Faldo is by no means the only pro to have started his own junior development programme, but his is arguably the most successful. In 2006, at the inaugural staging of the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final's precursor, the International Trophy, which was held at the Hong Kong Golf Club, future women's world number one Yani Tseng of Taiwan captured the overall girls' title, while a fresh-faced and tousled-haired Rory McIlroy took home the silverware for his win in the boys' under-18 division, a feat that D'Souza, a decade on, has just matched.
"It's a big event with a strong field so to follow in the footsteps of Rory and win the same tournament is obviously a great boost," continues D'Souza, who opened up with a fine 68 over the challenging Faldo Course on his way to a four-stroke victory. "Hopefully I can build from here, keep learning and continue to get better in future tournaments."
Nobody has impressed more on the local golf scene over the past two years than D'Souza, the reigning Hong Kong Open Amateur champion, which he puts down to a newly discovered - one may say Faldoesque - will to win.
"I've grown a lot stronger, meaning I hit it further, which helps with my long game, but having played in so many tournaments I now know how to act in pressure situations," says D'Souza, who received an invitation to compete in the 20th Faldo Series Grand Final, which will be played in continental Europe this September, on the back of his win at Mission Hills. "Having more experience in these kind of situations has definitely helped, but the biggest thing is that I am more determined [to succeed] than I have ever been."
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