Guan Tianlang
CHONBURI, Thailand (Nov. 2, 2012) -- Guan Tianlang, 14, continued his amazing charge for the fourth Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship with nine birdies in a second-round, eight-under 64 to post the early clubhouse lead at 14-under.
Minutes later, Thailand’s Prin Sirisommai signed for a seven-under 65 to lie five shots back at the Amata Spring Country Club in Chonburi, outside Bangkok. Prin had earlier set a new championship nine-hole record with his outward 29.
Natipong Srithong, runner-up in this year’s Putra Cup, strengthened the home challenge with a second straight 69 to lie six-under and in third place after the morning rounds. Korean Lee Soo-min, last year’s runner-up and the current Korean Amateur champion, was one shot back after a 70.
Guan, who led the event after an opening 66, had to get up at 4.30am to tee off on hole 10 at 7.24am. Wearing a yellow shirt for the second day, the slightly built Guangzhou schoolboy set off quickly with birdies on his first two holes and then picked up further shots on 15 and 17.
Guan, who won the 11-12 division in last year’s Junior World Golf Championships in the US, began the front nine with three straight birdies and added two more at six and seven.
However, on his last hole, the 464-yard par-four ninth, he hooked his three-wood approach, chipped to eight feet before his attempted par putt lipped out, leading to his only bogey of the day.
Earlier, Prin had made headlines with a seven-under outward nine to beat the event’s nine-hole record of 30 set last year by Lee in the first round in Singapore.
Prin, who opened with a 70 on Thursday afternoon, teed off on the first at 7.24am and opened with a par before his round took off with an eagle on the 563-yard par-five second, after hitting his approach to six feet.
A fired-up Prin then tore up the course, firing five birdies in a row from holes three to seven, before cooling off with two pars to round off his sensational outward nine. The 21-year-old added birdies on 11 and 15, but double bogeyed his last hole.
ABOUT THE Asia-Pacific Amateur
The Asia-Pacific Amateur (formerly known as the
Asian Amateur) is the first of a series of
worldwide
championships put together by a between the
Asia
Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), the Masters
Tournament and The R&A. The event offers the
winner an invitation to the Masters Tournament at
Augusta National Golf Club and the British Open
Championship.
The event has historically moved throughout the
region and has now been held in China,
Japan, Singapore, Thailand,
Australia and Hong Kong, Korea, and New
Zealand.
A field, topping out at 120 players, is selected by
the
following criteria.
The top two ranked amateur players from
each
of the APGC member countries plus the four
top ranked players from the host country. If
there is not a sufficient number of players
ranked from that member country, the
member
country may nominate a player(s) from
their
country, to be approved by the APGC, to
fulfill
the two positions eligible from that country.
The remainder of the field will be filled
taking
the next highest ranked players of APGC
member countries, not otherwise qualified.
The
maximum number of eligible players from
any
APGC member country (with the exception
of
the host country) is six. Additional players may
be offered at the event's discretion.
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