Jakarta, Indonesia: Big things are expected of Ding Wenyi, the Chinese teenager who won last month’s Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC).
The 19-year-old showed glimpses of his talent as he comfortably made the cut at the BNI Indonesian Masters, the seventh event on The International Series, in only his second tournament as a professional.
Ding won the AAC in Japan, beating compatriot Zhou Ziqin by one shot. In 2023, he was runner-up, defeated in a sudden-death play-off by Australian Jasper Stubbs at Royal Melbourne.
At Royale Jakarta Golf Club on Friday, a two-under second round and six-under aggregate secured him a place at the weekend in a star-studded field that includes two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson and double seniors Major winner Richard Bland, as well as a number of other LIV Golf League players and the cream of the Asian Tour.
For Ding it was vindication of sorts after opting to go pro and turn his back on the guaranteed spots at The Masters and the Open Championship that come with the Asia-Pacific Amateur title.
Ding, who finished tied 11th last month on his professional debut at the Hangzhou Open (China) on the Challenge Tour, admitted: “It didn’t feel very good to lose two Major chances, but I made this choice to turn pro before that (the victory in Japan), so I have no chance. I sacrificed those two Majors.
“But if I play well, I hope I will come back. Of course, for me it was a really good end to my amateur career, and it has already helped me a lot.”
Discussing his second round in Jakarta, he said: “I was struggling a bit at first on the back nine (his front nine), but actually from hole nine it was better. I found some touch on my back nine.”
Ding is no stranger to The International Series, the set of 10 elevated events sanctioned by the Asian Tour. Last year as an amateur, he sat tied second going into the final round of the Volvo China Open before finishing joint seventh at Hidden Grace Golf Club in Shenzhen. He also recorded a tied 40th at the International Series Vietnam earlier in the season.
He’s hoping he will be able to play more on the Asian Tour and The International Series in future should his schedule allow it.
“I’m grateful to the Asian Tour for giving me a chance to play here and The International Series must be the highest of titles that the Asian Tour has. I know the field and the facilities on Tour are really good. I think if the Asian Tour hosts any event in China, and that week there’s no other commitments on the DP World Tour, I will play.”
Not only did Ding turn his back on those two Major appearances next year, he also walked away from college golf, stepping down after his freshman year at Arizona State to turn pro.
His education has not stopped, though, and he is hoping to learn as much as possible from the seasoned professionals around him.
This week he was playing with England’s Steve Lewton, winner of the Mandiri Indonesia Open on the Asian Tour this year, and Australian Travis Smyth, runner-up in the Shinhan Donghae Open and currently 14th on the International Series Rankings.
Ding said: “It is important to learn how to play like the professionals and just improve myself. I know they are really good players on the Asian Tour, and they are very good guys just to chat with me and be really friendly. They were a great help to make me feel comfortable in one of my first professional events.”