World Amateur Team Championships

A disappointing final round took the edge off an otherwise encouraging display by Hong Kong at the World Amateur Team Championship (The Eisenhower Trophy) in Argentina last month.
Hong Kong, represented by Jason Hak, Steven Lam and Liu Lok-tin, finished in 35th place of the 70 nations participating at the prestigious event. But it could have been even better for the side – which was one of the youngest at the event – after they got off to a tremendous start.
With two of the three individual scores counting towards the team event, Hong Kong began superbly, with Lam and Hak contributing rounds of 72 and 74 over the Buenos Aires Golf Club track on the first day, which left Hong Kong in 13th spot. Hak, who made headlines around the world in 2008 when he became the youngest ever player to make the half-way cut at a European Tour event when he achieved the feat at the UBS Hong Kong Open, claimed shot-of-the-day honours by holing his second to the par-5 second hole for that rarest of birds – an albatross two.
It wasn't to be Hak's week, however, as despite carding a fantastic 71 at Olivos Golf Club on the second day, his final-round 84 pushed him down the leaderboard into a tie for 71st in the individual rankings. Liu (with a three-round total of 235, 20-over-par) and Lam (242, 27-over-par) struggled in the high winds that characterised days three and four. The third round was cancelled due to poor weather.
France won the event on a total of 423, seven-under-par.
"The guys were outstanding on those first 15 holes, but they struggled coming in," said national coach Brad Schadewitz. "The conditions were really challenging and we didn't get off to a good start on day two. But overall we had a very good result. Any time we – as a small golfing community – can finish in the top half of the World Amateur Championship is an outstanding effort, especially given the fact that the guys are amongst the youngest out there."

Written by Alex Jenkins