Third Time Lucky?

Older, wiser and with his game back on track, amateur Steven Lam believes he has what it takes to shine at the UBS Hong Kong Open

Lam tees off at Fanling’s 18th hole during the 2009 UBS Hong Kong Open

Next month's Hong Kong Open heralds not only the return of UBS as title sponsor for an eighth consecutive year but also of Steven Lam, the young local amateur who will be making his third appearance at Hong Kong's oldest professional sporting event.

Once considered the territory's brightest golfing prospect in a generation, Lam's form has fluctuated over the past couple of years. From the highs of 2008 and 2009, a period which saw him earn his first Hong Kong Amateur Close title, a second-place finish at the R&A's prestigious Junior Open tournament on the links at historic Hesketh and generally dominate the local golfing scene, the former St Joseph's College student began to struggle with his game, while the likes of Jason Hak and Shinichi Mizuno – Lam's peers – raised theirs and took away much of the spotlight.

But now, aged 19 and with a new-found maturity, Lam is well on the road to recovery. After a dramatic come-from-behind win at the Mizuno Hong Kong Amateur Close Championship at Fanling earlier this year, Lam has recommitted himself to the sport in which he has so much potential.

"I started over-thinking things too much and put way too much pressure on myself," Lam admits of his former slump. "My situation was stressful and frustrating but nevertheless it has been a learning and maturing experience and I never gave up."

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