Historic Triumph for Teenage Amateur Liu

Shanghai, China: Beijing teenager Liu Yujie has written her name into the record books by becoming the first amateur to win the Women’s China Open.

Underlining her status as one of the world’s most promising golfing prospects, the 16-year-old upstaged her professional rivals, racing to a four-stroke victory at the links-style PGA Anying Golf Club Yangtze Dunes course on Shanghai’s Chongming Island. 

Liu, who began the final round one stroke off the lead, closed with an accomplished three-under 69 in sunny but breezy conditions for a 54-hole total of seven-under 209.

It was the third CLPG Tour victory for China’s top female amateur in the past two years against professional fields.

“The thing I’m especially happy about is that I won my first tournament after being away from competition for two months. I’m a player who really loves competing, and I usually play tournaments consecutively rather than taking such a long break,” said Liu, the daughter of former table tennis world champion and Olympic gold medallist Liu Guoliang.

“To come back and achieve such a good result feels great. I think it shows that I’ve matured as a player and become better at adapting to different situations.”

Cui Jinghan bolstered the strong showing by Chinese amateurs at the CLPG Tour’s flagship event with the 15-year-old Beijing native carding an even-par 72 to finish equal runner-up with overnight leader Shi Yuli (74).

Shi, who led the tournament through the first two rounds, had the consolation of collecting the RMB180,000 winner’s purse.

Playing in the final group, Liu tied for the lead when she made par at the first hole as playing partner Shi opened with a bogey. Liu took the outright lead with a birdie at the second hole.

Shi drew level with a birdie of her own at the 164-yard fifth, before Liu took command at the seventh with a two-shot swing in her favour, making a birdie to her rival’s bogey.

Shi dropped another stroke at the eighth to fall three strokes back. Liu, meanwhile, was a model of consistency, reeling off 10 consecutive pars before finishing in style with a birdie at 18.

Liu, 16th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), said: “Overall, I felt good about my game today. My driving, approach shots and shots around the greens were all pretty steady. I was able to maintain a consistent scoring level throughout the three rounds.

“Even with a two-shot advantage heading into the final hole, nothing is certain until the ball drops into the cup. I knew I had to stay patient and concentrate on what I needed to do.

“The 18th was definitely the highlight of my day. It was the final hole, and there were more spectators there than anywhere else on the course. It was great to play such a beautiful hole in front of everyone, and I was really happy to make a birdie.”

Shi, last year’s inaugural points ranking winner, lamented a missed opportunity to pick up her second career title after winning the season-ending CLPG Tour Championship last December.

She said: “My game wasn’t in great shape during the first half of the year as I was sick quite a bit. This week, I felt like I was getting back into form, so it was a bit of a shame that I couldn’t quite finish the way I wanted to.

“I struggled to find my rhythm today and my tempo felt a little off, particularly with my putting. I was probably a bit too aggressive on the greens.”

Cui, 79th in the WAGR, started the day two shots behind Shi but never really challenged for the lead while playing in the final group. Her round included three birdies and three bogeys, the final one coming on the last hole.

She said: “I played pretty well today, especially on the back nine where I holed a few long putts. On a few holes, particularly the first two or three, I didn’t judge the wind quite right, which affected my distance control.

“This result will give me more confidence moving forward. When I play in bigger tournaments in the future, I’ll feel more confident, setting higher goals for myself. It’ll also encourage me to keep practicing and improving my game.”

Ren Yijia, the CLPG Tour points ranking leader, shot a one-over 73 to finish fourth, five shots off the pace. Thai Nook Sukapan was a shot further back in fifth, signing off with a 67 for the low round of the tournament.

Pang Runzhi, last year’s champion, closed with a 77 to finish equal 29th, 15 strokes off the winning score.