Faldo's European titles go East

Report from Colin Callander
Japan’s Masamichi Ito and Chinese Taipei’s Yi-Chen Liu re-wrote the record books when they won the boys’ and girls’ titles at the 14th Faldo Series Europe Grand Final played over the Faldo Course at the Lough Erne Resort in Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland today.
Ito carded a closing round of two over par 74 for a two under par, three-round aggregate of 214 to finish four shots ahead of fellow Asian, Yi-Chen Liu, and six shots in front of England’s Jack Colgate and Poland’s Adrian Meronk.
Ito’s victory meant that he became the first Asian golfer to win the Faldo Series Europe Boys’ title. The Japanese youngster also became the first golfer to claim both the Faldo Series Europe and Faldo Series Asia titles and he superceded European Tour star Nick Dougherty as the youngest golfer to claim the Faldo Series Europe title at the age of 15 years and 46 days.
Liu began the day with a three shot lead over England’s Abi Laker and she became the first Asian to win the Faldo Series Europe Girls’ title when she closed with a three under par 69 that saw her finish five shots ahead of English Curtis Cup player, Holly Clyburn, on two over par 218.
Laker fell back with a closing 82 but her consolation was to claim a single-shot victory over Ireland’s Chloe Ryan in the Girls’ Under-16 age group category. The other four age group winners after three days of gruelling competition over the testing Faldo Course were England’s Hugo Dobson (Boys’ Under-21), England’s Jack Colegate (Boys’ Under-18), Ito (Boys’ Under-16) and Liu (Girls’ Under-21).
All now qualify to play in the 2011 Faldo Series Asia Grand Final to be played next March at Mission Hills, China. Ito and Liu will also be invited to play in a professional Tour event.
Ito came into the Faldo Series Europe Grand Final with the record as the youngest golfer ever to make the cut at a Japan Golf Tour event and he displayed all of his precocious talent with three rounds of 70, 70 and 74 to leave a strong international field comprising 81 golfers from 18 different countries trailing in his wake.
The diminutive Japanese golfer, who won his Faldo Series Asia Grand Final title at Mission Hills in March, began the day with a fright when he hit his second shot into the water at the 367-yard par-4 1st but he recovered to post a bogey and then got that shot back on the 370-yard par-4 7th to go out in level par 37.
He dropped two more shots when he found water at the 321-yard par-4 10th but recovered his composure with a birdie on the 554-yard par-5 14th and then closed in style with a 5-iron to 10-feet for a birdie in front of a large crowd on the last.
“It’s a great feeling to win and add this title to the Faldo Series Asia title I won in March,” he said. “I didn’t know until a few minutes ago that I am the first person to win both titles but that makes me very proud.
“I’m very tired but also very happy.”
Liu claimed a comprehensive five-shot victory in the girls’ event and came within four shots of catching Ito at the top of the leaderboard with a marvellous three under par 69 that included no less than three birdie 2s.
She was level par for the day when she carded the first of those twos on the 174-yard par-3 5th and went to three under when she registered the same score at the 148-yard par-3 15th after a bogey on the 7th and birdies on the 11th and 12th. She made her sixth birdie of the day on the 491-yard par-5 16th but then dropped two shots when she hit her second into the water on the 304-yard par-4 17th before recovering in style with a 6-iron and a 9-foot putt for her third two of the day on the 153-yard par-3 18th.
“It was an exciting way to finish,” said Liu. “For the first time all week I felt good with the putter and that was the difference between today and the first two days.”
“I can’t believe I have won,” she added. “I came over here to do my best but it wasn’t until we finished on Tuesday that I began to think I could win.
“It’s a great honour to win a trophy with Sir Nick Faldo’s name on it and I’d like to thank him for all he’s done for us this week.”
Sir Nick Faldo, the eponymous Faldo Series founder, and six-time Major champion, congratulated both Ito and Liu for their outstanding victories: “Both Masamichi and Yi-Chen played marvellous golf and fully deserved their victories. Golf is now a truly international game and that message was reinforced with the results today.”
“I have had a tremendous week,” Faldo added. “It’s been great fun watching the competitors on the course and also helping them off the course. That’s why I set up the Faldo Series and it’s very gratifying to see how much it has grown since we started it back in 1996.”
It turned out to be a disappointing day for the four-strong Irish contingent at Lough Erne Resort. 2010 Faldo Series Ireland Champion Conor Glynn (Carton House) climbed up to a tie for tenth overall with a fine closing 71 while Kieran Lynch (Skibbereen and West Carberry) was tied 14th after a 76 and Patrick Small (Bangor) was 26th after posting the same score on the last day.
Sixteen-year old Chloe Ryan (Castleroy) posted a final round 80 and suffered the anguish of finishing second, one shot behind England’s Abi Laker in the Girls’ Under-16 age group category.
That meant Ryan narrowly missed out on a trip to Mission Hills, China, for the 2011 Faldo Series Asia Grand Final.
The final day of the 2010 Faldo Series Europe Grand Final was completed when the assembled field watched Faldo, former Faldo Series winner, Rory McIlroy, the Touring Professional at Lough Erne Resort, and the five age-group winners take part in a one-club challenge over the 17th and 18th holes.
McIlroy also joined the six-time Major winner for the subsequent Gala Dinner and prize presentation.
FINAL TOTALS
Overall
214 – Masamichi Ito (Jap) 70-70-74
218 – Yi-Chen Liu (Cht) 75-74-69
220 – Jack Colgate (Eng) 74-74-72, Adrian Moronk (Pol) 78-68-74, Ewan Scott (Sco) 74-75-71
221 – Hugo Dobson (Eng) 73-75-73, Josh Loughrey (Eng) 71-75-75
222 – Nathan Kimsey (Eng) 77-70-75, Harrison Greenberry (Eng) 71-73-78
223 – Conor Glynn (Ire) 80-71-72, Holly Clyburn (Eng) 75-78-70, Jack Brooks (Eng) 70-75-78
Boys’ Under-21
221 – Hugo Dobson (Eng) 73-75-73, Josh Loughrey (Eng) 71-75-75 (Dobson won on count-back)
223 – Jack Brooks (Eng) 70-75-78
224 – Jonathan Bell (Eng) 77-72-75
226 – Adam Andrews (Eng) 74-70-82
227 – James Maw (Eng) 77-72-78
228 – Sam Robertshawe (Eng) 75-72-81
230 – Patrick Small (Ire) 74-78-78
Boys’ Under-18
220 – Jack Colegate (Eng) 74-74-72, Adrian Meronk (Pol) 78-68-74 (Colgate won on count-back)
222 – Nathan Kimsey (Eng) 77-70-75
223 – Conor Glynn (Ire) 80-71-72
226 – Nicholas Inderthal (Ger) 77-76-73
227 – Craig Ross (Sco) 76-76-75, Steve Jones (Eng) 75-76-76
Boys’ Under-16
214 – Masamichi Ito (Jap) 70-70-74
220 – Ewan Scott (Sco) 74-75-71
222 – Harrison Greenberry (Eng) 71-73-78
226 – Kieran Lynch (Ire) 70-76-80
227 – James Newton (Eng) 75-74-78
232 – Mateusz Gradecki (Pol) 77-74-81
233 – Benjamin David (Eng) 74-79-80
Girls’ Under-21
218 – Yi-Chen Liu (Cht) 75-74-69
223 – Holly Clyburn (Eng) 75-78-70
237 – Dana Greenslade (Eng) 80-82-75, Katherine O’Connor (Wal) 78-80-79
238 – Danielle Anderson (Eng) 77-80-81
240 – Katie Burman (Eng) 77-83-80, Helen Searle (Eng) 82-76-82
Girls’ Under-16
234 – Abi Laker (Eng) 82-70-82
235 – Chloe Ryan (Ire) 78-77-80
238 – Sophie van Wijngaarden (Ned) 79-76-83
239 – Lesley Atkins (Sco) 84-77-78, Lauren Taylor (Eng) 84-76-79
243 – Jessica Evans (Wal) 82-81-80
244 – Dominica Gradecka (Pol) 84-77-83