Final Shot with Steven Lam

The Hong Kong international talks to Alex Jenkins about how he was introduced to the game, his favourite courses and who would be in his dream fourball

 Steven is currently doing a golf degree at the University of Birmingham

When and where did you go up playing?

When I was eight and a half my family started playing golf at Kau Sai Chau every Sunday. When they were off playing on the course I was left with Eric Ma, the coach there, who taught me how to play. After a few months we went out and played nine holes of the North Course. It was a lot of fun and he taught me about the rules and etiquette as well as the swing.

I’m struggling to remember my first handicap but it would have been around 23. I had a hole-in-one when I was nine during a squad game - it came at the third hole on the North Course and I hit a 4-wood from about 125 yards! Later I won my age category at the Hong Kong Junior Open and by the age of 12 I was playing off single figures. It got down to scratch very quickly afterwards thanks to my performance at an event at WuYi Golf Club in Guangdong. I had a 76 on the first day, which was my best-ever round and then I had a 64 in the second round - a 10-shot difference!

How often do you play?

I’m currently doing a golf degree at the University of Birmingham and I get to practice two or three times a week when the weather is okay - it rains a lot in England! I’m going to try and play a lot more this summer though.

What’s your favourite course in Hong Kong?

I like all the courses at The Hong Kong Golf Club but my favourite of the three would be the New Course. I just love it and have good memories having won the Hong Kong Close Amateur Championship on it on two separate occasions. It helps if you can hit a draw around there, which I do.

And your favourite in the world?

I’ve never played it but Augusta National would have to be my favourite. I’ve grown up watching the Masters every year and it would be a dream to one day get a chance to play. I had the chance to walk round the Old Course at St Andrews earlier this year - it was closed in preparation for The Open - but that is another course I’d love to play. I do like links golf. In 2008 I played at Hesketh Golf Club during the R&A Junior Open. I played with Jordan Spieth in the final round and we finished tied second. His game then was pretty much as it is now. He’s so smart. He might not have the best swing but he controls the ball really well and he has the best short game I have ever seen … even when he was 15.

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