Gotemba, Japan: Tears flowed as Ding Wenyi added his name to the illustrious list of winners of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC).
Widely touted as China’s first male Major champion in the making, the 19-year-old posted a typically clinical closing three-under-par 67 at the Taiheiyo Club Gotemba Course.
With a four-round total of 12-under 268, Ding triumphed by one stroke from fellow-Chinese Zhou Ziqin, a freshman at the University of California – Berkeley.
Rintaro Nakano was the leading Japanese in third place on 270 with his countryman Reo Maruo one shot behind in fourth. Masato Sumiuchi and Korean An Seong-hyeon tied for fifth on 273.
Ding is the fourth Chinese winner of the AAC, following in the footsteps of Guan Tianlang, Cheng Jin and two-time winner Lin Yuxin.
However, unlike his predecessors as AAC champions, he will not be taking up the prize reward of starting spots in the Masters Tournament and Open Championship.
Instead, he confirmed that he’ll be turning professional next week to take advantage of an enticing opportunity to gain playing rights on the 2025 DP World Tour via a Global Amateur Pathway.
Admitting it was a difficult decision, he said: “I talked a lot with my coaches, with my friends, my agent. I think it’s really hard to get a Tour card for a young player. This was probably the only chance (at the Global Amateur Pathway), and I should take it.
“No matter whether I’m amateur or professional, I want to play The Masters and The Open.”
Defeated in a play-off at Royal Melbourne last year, Ding was determined to set the record straight here and he did just that with four rounds of three-under 67.
While his father-caddie celebrated every birdie putt with vigour, Ding remained in control of his emotions throughout.
It was only at the very end that he finally let down his guard, letting out a scream and pumping his fists after holing a knee-trembling three-footer for a par on 18 to secure the win.
The realisation of what he’d achieved hit him even harder at the prize-giving ceremony on live television when he broke down in tears. “It was then that I realised this was my last chance in the Asia-Pacific Amateur and my last tournament as an amateur.”
After weather-affected days on Friday and Saturday, Ding entered Sunday trailing pace-setting Nakano by two shots having completed just five holes of the third round.
On what proved a marathon final day during which he played 31 holes, he signed for a bogey-free third round 67 to share top spot with Zhou.
Birdies at third, ninth and 10th in the final round saw Ding open up a three-stroke lead. But his only dropped shot of the last day – at 11 – and a Zhou birdie saw Ding’s advantage reduced to one. While Zhou, playing one flight ahead of his compatriot, battled away gamely, it was Ding who struck a huge blow, converting an eight-foot birdie putt after a towering tee-shot at the 230-yard 17th.
To his credit, 18-year-old Zhou made a fabulous up-and-down for birdie from behind the 18th green, forcing Ding to need a par at the last to avoid a second successive AAC play-off. He did it, but only just.
Among other things, Ding now joins an elite list of players to have won tournaments at Taiheiyo Club Gotemba that includes Tommy Nakajima, Seve Ballesteros, Jose Maria Olazabal, Jumbo Ozaki, Darren Clarke, Hideki Matsuyama and Takumi Kanaya.
Leading Final Scores
268 – Ding Wenyi (China) 67-67-67-67
269 – Zhou Ziqin (China) 69-67-65-68
270 – Rintaro Nakano (Japan) 66-67-70-67
271 – Reo Maruo (Japan) 70-67-69-65
273 – Masato Sumiuchi (Japan) 69-70-68-66; An Seong-hyeon (Korea) 72-65-66-70
275 – Shoon Kobayashi (Japan) 68-70-67-70
276 – Cho Sung-yeop (Korea) 67-72-70-67; Shu Fukuzumi (Japan) 67-70-69-70; Cooper Moore (New Zealand) 69-67-69-71; Rizq Adam Rohizam (Malaysia) 67-68-71-70
