Keeping His Cool

Shinichi Mizuno saves final-hole blushes to take Kau Sai Chau Junior Open in a play-off, while Mimi Ho canters to victory in the girls' division.
 

Shinichi Mizuno wins in a sudden-death play-off

Shinichi Mizuno overcame a horrific final hole in regulation to defeat Terrence Ng in a sudden-death play-off to win overall boys' honours at the now TV Presents 2012 Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Junior Open in early August.

Mizuno had played quite brilliant golf for 17 holes of the final round over the Gary Player-designed North Course at Kau Sai Chau. Standing on the 18th tee, the Nagoya-born, Hong Kong-raised Mizuno was five-under for his round and held a healthy four-stroke advantage over Ng, his playing partner, who had matched him on day one with a 71.

But then disaster struck as Mizuno, with driver in hand, lost two balls from the tee – the first was hooked into impenetrable jungle, while the second was pushed right into waist-high rough. The resulting quadruple bogey eight – the dreaded "snowman" – meant extra holes after Ng made a solid par.

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