MIXED LUCK FOR ENGLISH/IRISH YOUNGSTERS AT FALDO/CHINA

There were mixed fortunes for the six English and Irish youngsters in an international field of 80 players for the first round of the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final 2012 over the Faldo Course at Mission Hills GC, China.
England's Cameron Long (35-38) and Gavin Samuels (35-38) as well as Ireland's Gavin Moynihan (37-36) returned creditable one-over-par 73s to be sharing seventh place behind the Japanese players in the 1-2 postions - Masamicho Ito with a 68 and Kohei Kinoshita with a 70.
Joshua Gibbons from England has a 78 (38-40) to be sharing 23rd place.
England's girls did not do so well. Brogan Townend (43-42) and Charlotte Thomas (43-42) both returned 85s to be joint 57th overall.

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Masamichi Ito of Japan charged to the top of the leaderboard on day one of the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final with an opening four-under-par 68 on the Faldo Course at Mission Hills Golf Club in China.

Sixteen-year-old Ito, who in 2010 became the first player to win Faldo Series titles in Asia and Europe, fired seven birdies in his round of 68 and leads by two from compatriot Kohei Kinoshita.  Four players lie one shot further back on one under par including local player Guan Tian Lang from Guangzhou in China.

Three players share the lead for the girls’ title on three over par.  Nur Durriyah Damian and Aretha Pan, both from Malaysia, and Japan’s Mai Arai carded rounds of 75.

A total of 80 golfers from 17 countries have joined Sir Nick Faldo at Mission Hills in Shenzhen for the sixth Asia Grand Final.  The tournament’s largest-ever field is competing over three rounds for the title of Faldo Series Asia Champion, awarded to the player with the lowest gross score, regardless of age or gender.

With competitors aged 13 to 21 divided into five age-categories – three for boys and two for girls – the category winners will each receive a trophy and an exemption into the 16^th Europe Grand Final at Lough Erne Resort, Northern Ireland in September 2012. 

 The leading boy and girl overall at the World Amateur Golf Ranking event will also be invited to play in a professional Tour event.

The winner of the inaugural Mission Hills Trophy, awarded to the highest-placed golfer from mainland China, will also receive an invitation to play in the 2012 Europe Grand Final if he or she is not already exempt.

Leading Category scores:

Par 72

Boys’ Under-21:

71 Cahyo Adhitomo (INA)

73 Gavin Samuels (ENG)

74 Mikumu Horikawa (JPN). 

Boys’ Under-18:

71 Joshua Ho (SIN), Elki Kow (INA)

73 Sittipong Wiangchanok (THA), Gavin Moynihan (IRE). 

Boys’ Under-16:

68 Masamichi Ito (JPN)

70 Kohei Kinoshita (JPN)

71 Guan Tian Lang (CHN). 

Girls’ Under-21:

75 Aretha Pan (MAL), Mai Arai (JPN)

81 Wang Chi (TPE), Chen Cui Xia (CHN), Vanaskrit Sillaparungson (THA). 

Girls’ Under-16:

75 Nur Durriyah Damian (MAL)

77 Cheng Ssu Chia (TPE), Kitty Tam (HKG), Yu Okamura (JPN), Wad Phaewchimplee (THA).

For tee times, live scores and results during the sixth Faldo Series Asia Grand Final, visit http://www.nickfaldo.com/.  You can also follow the Faldo Series on Facebook at www.facebook.com/faldoseries and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/faldoseries