US Masters place a major incentive for golfers at Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Hong Kong
Jin Cheng wants to emulate China teammate Guan Tianlang while Australia's Ryan Ruffels wants to follow defending champion Antonio Murdaca
The incentive of playing at Augusta will have added value for China’s Jin Cheng and Australian Ryan Ruffels at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, which tees off on Thursday at the Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club.
Both golfers have teammates who have used the event to qualify for the US Masters at Georgia’s hallowed golf course, with Australia’s Antonio Murdaca winning last year’s tournament by seven shots at Royal Melbourne and Chinese sensation Guan Tianlang becoming the youngest winner, at 14, in the 2012 event in Thailand.
Hong Kong golfers love the homely feeling
Murdaca failed to reach the weekend at this year’s Masters with scores of 78 and 73. Guan, however, became the youngest golfer to make the Masters cut in 2013, finishing 58th at three-over-par 300.
Guan’s teammate in Hong Kong this week, Jin, is the highest-ranked Chinese player in the 120-strong field and would love to emulate Guan by qualifying for Augusta.
“I think for all Chinese players, Guan is our role model because he made it to Augusta and he made the cut,” said 17-year-old Beijing-born Jin, whose best finish at this tournament was a tie for 12th last year.