If this finally ends up being Wenyi Ding’s closing match as an newbie, what a technique to exit.
Ding, the 19-year-old Chinese language standout who’s ranked fifth in World Beginner Golf Rating, received the Asia-Pacific Beginner on Sunday at Taiheiyo Membership in Gotemba, Japan. He fired his fourth straight 3-under 67 within the closing spherical to edge countryman Ziqin Zhou, a freshman at Cal, by a shot.
Ding’s victory comes a yr after he misplaced this championship to Australia’s Jasper Stubbs on the second additional gap at Royal Melbourne.
“It feels actually good,” mentioned Ding, who birdied the 239-yard, par-3 seventeenth gap, from 6 toes, to interrupt out of a tie with Zhou after which parred the par-5 ending gap after having to put up out of a fairway bunker. “Final yr, I misplaced within the playoff and simply felt like I can play higher. And this yr I acquired the trophy, so it’s superb.”
With the win, Ding earns exemptions into subsequent yr’s Masters Event and Open Championship at Royal Portrush. Nevertheless, Ding was not sure whether or not he’d keep newbie to make use of these invitations. He presently is ranked No. 1 within the new International Beginner Pathway rating (suppose PGA Tour College for non-college gamers), and the highest participant on Oct. 15 will earn a full DP World Tour card for subsequent season. Coming into this week, Ding, who left Arizona State this summer season after only one semester, had deliberate to leap to the professionals after competing in Japan.
Now that he’s received, Ding has a tough resolution positioned in entrance of him.
“Earlier than I performed this, I can’t think about I’m assure to win this match,” Ding mentioned. “So, I don’t know. It’s an issue.”
Ding then added: “I feel extra seemingly I ought to take the cardboard.”
If he does determine to forego his exemptions and switch professional, he would certainly accomplish that earlier than the brand new DPWT season begins on Nov. 21 in Australia.
“It doesn’t matter what, I’m newbie or professional, I’ll nonetheless play the Masters and The Open,” Ding mentioned. “So, if I can, I could make it later. … This could give me plenty of confidence. I attempted to play the DP World Tour final yr, and I made some cuts. So, I do know I can do higher and attempt to study to be a professional participant.”
