I
the starter
Steven’s
t’s been described as one of the finest rounds ever compiled by a Hong Kong golfer – and for very good reason. Playing in the Faldo Series Asia Hong Kong qualifying tournament, which was held concurrently with the UBS Hong Kong Open qualifier on October 15, Lam fired an astonishing eight birdies over the North Course to break Derek Fung’s record of 66 by a shot. As anyone who has ever played the course can attest – and that will include the majority of HK Golfer readers – the North is one of the most brutal tests in Asian golf, the kind of course that can, on occasion, destroy all faith in one’s abilities. But Lam, aided by calm conditions and laser-like iron play, made short work of the Gary Player-designed layout, putting on a masterful display of course management. “The North Course is essentially my home course,” said Lam, who followed up his 65 with an almost equally impressive 68 in the final round. “I’ve played it so many times that I know what to do, but this was by far my best ever round.” Lam, who entered the event in a rich vein of form after making the cut at the Asia-Pacific Panasonic Open – an Asian Tour and Japan
Sweet 65
16-year-old Lam sets new course record at Kau Sai Chau
Golf Tour co-sanctioned event – two weeks previously, had a simple strategy: get his gapwedge in hand. “The only plan I had was to leave myself as many shots with my 52-desgree gap-wedge shots as possible,” said Lam, who was no slouch with the putter either, using the flatstick on only 27 occasions. “The North Course isn’t so much about power as it is precision. I was just trying to leave myself with around 100 yards to the flag each time.” “It was unbelievable to watch,” said fellow squad member Charles Stone, Lam’s playing partner, “and the funny thing is it could have been even lower.” Starting off with a run of five consecutive pars over the course’s championship routing, Lam drained a birdie on the sixth before playing holes eight to fourteen in a remarkable sixunder-par. A bogey at the sixteenth, where he missed a five-foot putt, was quickly recovered by a stunning birdie at the tough par four seventeenth (which normally plays as the tenth), while a solid four down the daunting 464-yard final hole (normally the ninth) completed the round. Lam ended up winning the Faldo Series Asia qualifier by a staggering twenty-five strokes
from second-placed Liu Lok-tin. Although he wasn’t entered for the UBS Hong Kong Open qualifier – having won the Hong Kong Close Amateur Championship earlier in the year, Lam was already exempt for the event – he bettered winner William Fung’s 36-hole total of 145 by twelve strokes.
Seaside stunner (top): A seven-iron to six feet gave Steven a birdie at the signature fourteenth (which played as the twelfth).
How Steven did it Hole 1
Hole 2
Hole 3
Hole 4
Hole 5
Hole 6
Hole 7
Hole 8
Hole 9
Hole 10
Hole 11
Hole 12
Hole 13
Hole 14
Hole 15
Hole 16
Hole 17
Hole 18
560 yards. Par 5. Driver, hybrid, 40 yard pitch to 15 feet, 2 putt. PAR.
364 yards. Par 4. Hybrid, 7-iron to 20 feet, 2 putt. PAR.
174 yards. Par 3. 7-iron to 20 feet, 2 putt. PAR.
401 yards. Par 4. Driver, 8-iron into greenside bunker. Splash to 3 feet, 2 putt. PAR.
348 yards. Par 4. Driver, gap wedge to 15 feet, 2 putt. PAR.
338 yards. Par 4. 3-iron, gap wedge to 7 feet, 1 putt. BIRDIE.
148 yards. Par 3. 9-iron to 15 feet, 2 putt. PAR.
568 yards. Par 5. Driver, 4-iron, gap wedge to 20 feet, 1 putt. BIRDIE.
210 yards. Par 3. 3-iron into greenside bunker, splash to 4 feet, 1 putt. PAR.
521 yards. Par 5. Driver, 3-wood, chip to 4 feet, 1 putt. BIRDIE.
308 yards. Par 4. Hybrid, gapwedge to 1 foot, 1 putt. BIRDIE.
168 yards. Par 3. 7-iron to 6-feet, 1 putt. BIRDIE.
344 yards. Par 4. Driver, sandwedge to 3 feet, 1 putt. BIRDIE.
308 yards. Par 4. 3-iron, gapwedge to 3 feet, 1 putt. BIRDIE.
570 yards. Par 5. Driver, 5-iron, gap-wedge to 20 feet, 2 putt. PAR.
373 yards. Par 4. Driver, 9-iron short of green, chip to 5 feet, 2 putt. BOGEY.
462 yards. Par 4. Driver, 8-iron to 5 feet, 1 putt. BIRDIE.
464 yards. Par 4. Driver, hybrid to 30 feet, 2 putt. PAR.
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HK Golfer・Dec 2009/Jan 2010
HKGOLFER.COM
HKGOLFER.COM
HK Golfer・Dec 2009/Jan 2010
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