CHINESE PLAYER MAKES HISTORY BY WINNING BRITISH GIRLS GOLF TITLE

 Jing Yan (left) and Roberta Liti with their trophies after the      final at Fairhaven GC (Picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency).

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Singapore-based Jing Yan has become first player from China to win the British girls golf championship in its 94 year history.
She beat Italy's Roberta Liti by one hole in the 18-hole final on a gloriously sunny afternoon at Fairhaven Golf Club, Lytham St Annes in Lancashire.
Jing Yan is 17 and her father is a TV golf commentator for ESPN.
She played in this championship for Under-18s at Tenby, South Wales last year but lost in the second round.
Liti, 18-year-old from Siena near Florence, is the Italian women's amateur stroke-play champion. She was making her fourth appearance in the tournament but this was by far her best performance in the event. Liti is bound for Arizona State University.
Jing Yan was never behind in the match and looked as if she had taken a grip on the outcome when she won the ninth, 10th and 11th, more by her opponent's mistakes than by her own brilliance.
But it is dangerous to take anything for granted. Liti found her form late in the final, birdieing the long 15th and the long 16th to cut her deficit to one but Jing Yan held her at bay by holing a 4ft putt for a half in par 5s down the 18th.
The old adage that you play your best golf getting to a tournament final and not-so-good golf when you get there was probably borne out by this afternoon's action at Fairhaven.
Jing Yan was a couple over par for the 18 holes of the final whereas she had been scoring under par in the previous rounds. Liti also did not play as well in the final as she had done earlier. She tended to spray her drives but, give her due credit for battling on to the end and getting a couple of late birdies to put the pressure on the winner down the last hole.
"I think we are all tired by the end of the week," said Jing Yan who speaks perfect English. "The tension and tiredness is a lot for teenage golfers to cope with in a championship final.
"I am very pleased to have won and I am looking forward to going to Scotland to play in the British women's stroke play championship at Prestwick next week."

Her Singapore-based Australian coach and her dad were in the gallery all week.
"It's all about acquiring experience," said her coach. "Jing has not played all that much match-play golf so she will have learned a lot from this week.
"I think she has the potential to make a name for herself on the LPGA Tour, but she is only 17 and turning pro is another three or four years down the road.
"I have been her coach for the past 10 years and I have seen her develop as a player. Now she needs tournament experience, probably more in Europe.
"Going to a US college is an option but we've another year to make a decision on that."



FRIDAY RESULTS

BRITISH GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP
Fairhaven GC, Lytham St Annes
 Lancashire
SEMI-FINALS _ Roberta Liti (Italy) bt Michaela Finn (Sweden) 4 and 2; Jing Yan (China) bt Puk Lyng Thomsen (Denmark) 1 hole.
FINAL - Jing Yan bt Liti 1 hole.