AAC Champion Lin Seeking Masters Redemption

Augusta, Georgia, United States: Two-time Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) winner Lin Yuxin has a score to settle with Augusta National this week.

Courtesy of his victory at the ninth edition of the AAC at New Zealand’s Royal Wellington Golf Club in late 2017, the Chinese left-hander earned an invite to the following year’s Masters Tournament.

It was to prove a humbling Major championship debut for Lin who comfortably missed the half-way cut after struggling to adapt to conditions and posting rounds of 79 and 80.

Stung by that letdown, Lin promised himself he’d do everything within his powers to secure a return passage to Augusta and do himself justice at the Masters.

The chance of redemption will begin tomorrow when the 20-year-old from Beijing tees-off in the first group from the 10th tee at 7 am (Augusta time), alongside American Jimmy Walker and Scotsman Sandy Lyle, the 1988 Masters champion.

Now a sophomore at the University of Southern California, Lin sealed his second invitation to the Masters thanks to a dramatic sudden-death play-off win against Japan’s Takumi Kanaya at Shanghai’s Sheshan International Golf Club in September, 2019, the last time the AAC was staged.

“It is such a great feeling to win this again,” said Lin, in the immediate wake of becoming only the second player after Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama to win the AAC on more than one occasion.

“I am excited about getting back to Augusta. My hope this time is to play better and keep learning from the experiences of playing in Major championships,” added Lin, then still a precocious teenager.

In the ensuing 13 months, Lin has matured considerably but playing opportunities have been limited by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Highlights include a 30th place finish in a star-studded professional field at January’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and a joint-fourth spot in August’s Alpharetta Classic on the PGA Tour Latin America.

His sole win in 2020 came at the Southern Highlands Collegiate in March although his last competitive outing a fortnight ago offered further encouragement, ending eighth at the Azalea Invitational at The Country Club of Charleston.

That performance that saw him retain 29th place in The R&A World Amateur Golf Ranking. If he’s able to play all four rounds at Augusta National this week, he’ll not only improve that standing – but also will emulate Guan Tianlang as only the second mainland Chinese amateur to make the cut at the Masters.