It wasn't all plain-sailing from there on in however. After a birdie at the driveable 7th to extend his advantage, Liu's lead was whittled down to one after a bogey at the 13th was trumped by an Ng birdie. Showing a composure that belied his years, Liu played steady golf and then finished in style – back-to-back birdies at 17 and 18 – sealing the sweetest moment of his career to date.
Traditionally, the winner of the Open Amateur earns a berth into November's UBS Hong Kong Open, the US$2.5 million European Tour event. But Liu, whose Close Amateur win also carries the same reward, won't be teeing it up alongside the pros at Fanling as he will be representing the SAR at the Asian Games in Guangzhou, which will be the first time Hong Kong has fielded a golf team at the event.
Although Liu, who lives in Sheung Shui, a stone's throw from the first tee at The Hong Kong Golf Club, will be missing out, he realizes the importance of representing his country.
