China Duo Reflect on Painful Play-Off Loss

Melbourne, Australia: In defeat, China’s Sampson Zheng and Ding Wenyi have learned some valuable lessons that they believe will propel them to greater heights in their careers.

In the first three-way play-off in Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship history, Zheng and Ding were edged out by Australian Jasper Stubbs.

Courtesy of his dramatic triumph, Stubbs has earned starting places in the Masters Tournament and The 152nd Open Championship in 2024.

Meanwhile, third-round leader Zheng and Ding were left to ponder what might have been after missing out on the grand prize by such a narrow margin.

Reflecting on the bitter taste of extra-time defeat at Royal Melbourne Golf Club on Sunday afternoon, the Chinese duo were in philosophical mood.

Ding, last year’s US Junior Amateur champion, said: “It was a really great week. I thank all the people that support and create this tournament.

“I think I did well. Just sometimes if you want to be the champion, you have to have some luck. Actually, on the last putt on the 18th hole before the play-off, I didn’t think I had a chance. But I didn’t give up. I made a par and I got into the play-off.

“I didn’t feel nervous because I've played a lot of tournaments and I know the champion sometimes is waiting for you. This time, it’s not mine … but that’s okay.”

For his part, Zheng will rue a tough final day that saw his four-stroke overnight lead wiped out. He signed off with a four-over 75 while Ding posted a 70 and Stubbs returned a two-under 69.

“Obviously coming down the stretch (in the final round), I didn’t have my best stuff … but I think I fought really hard and kept myself in it,” said Zheng who made a brilliant sand save for par on the last hole of regulation to book himself a place in the play-off, matching the 72-hole one-over-par aggregates of Stubbs and Ding.

The University of California - Berkeley senior said: “It was a good up‑and‑down on the last hole. It wasn’t the easiest bunker shot. I was a little short-sided and I had to land it on a downslope. I knew I had to get it up‑and‑down or it was over, so I did what I had to do. 

“There’s a lot of positives that I can take away, especially the round yesterday and how I bounced back after two not‑so‑good rounds in the first two rounds. So, a lot to learn and a lot to take away from here.”