Proud Bo Driven to Deliver for Asia-Pacific

Singapore: Jin Bo will be filled with pride when he takes his place in the Asia-Pacific team for the 11th edition of the Bonallack Trophy.

Not only is he excited by the fact that he joins a short and elite list of mainland Chinese players to have represented the continent in the Ryder Cup-style match play contest against the leading players from the European Golf Association.

But also, Bo’s appearance at Spain’s La Manga Club from August 3-5 will mark a notable first as he follows in the footsteps of his elder brother Jin Cheng. 

It was in 2014 that Cheng was part of the Asia-Pacific team that suffered a narrow Bonallack Trophy loss in Bangalore. Nine years on and Bo hopes to go one better than his sibling by contributing to an Asia-Pacific triumph. Regardless of the outcome, Cheng and Bo will enter the record books as the first pair of brothers to fly the flag for the Asia-Pacific at the Bonallack Trophy. 

“I think it’s a great honour to be part of this team,” said Bo, a standout at Oklahoma State University, who is currently 79th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).

“Being a part of the team not only allows me to represent my home country, China, but also it means I’m representing the whole Asia-Pacific region which is something I dreamed of since I was a kid,” added Bo, who has twice been narrowly denied from emulating his brother and winning the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC).

In 2021 in Dubai, Bo was the half-way leader and despite a closing 68 he fell two shots shy of joining the play-off between Japan’s Keita Nakajima and Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho.

After that tied third finish, Bo went even closer last year, ending in sole possession of second spot, one shot behind triumphant Australian Harrison Crowe at Thailand’s Amata Spring Country Club.

It was in 2015 that Cheng was victorious in the AAC in Hong Kong, earning a starting slot at the 2016 Masters Tournament where Bo acted as his caddie during the par-three tournament.

Bo said: “I’m very proud to have a brother like Cheng, who had a very successful amateur career. Being able to follow in his footsteps has always been one of my goals.

“Not only is he a brother to me, he’s also a role model. He pushed me through hard times and gave me advice that he learned on and off the course. I feel very fortunate to have him as a brother.”

A finalist in the US Junior Championship in 2019, that year Bo was selected for the International Team at the Junior Presidents Cup. He was also a member of the International Team at the Arnold Palmer Cup in 2021.

Born in Beijing, Bo truly qualifies as an ‘international’ player. After spending the first seven years on his life in the China capital, his family moved to Singapore. He spent the next seven years there before moving to the San Diego area in 2016 when he was aged 14.

Rishi Narain, Asia-Pacific’s non-playing Bonallack Trophy Captain, said: “Bo has had an outstanding college career in the United States and his experience in team competitions is a real bonus. We’re delighted to have him on the Asia-Pacific team.”