Taichi Kho made history today by becoming the first player from Hong Kong to win an Asian Tour event after he recorded a hugely popular and significant victory at the inaugural World City Championship presented by the Hong Kong Golf Club.
Kho, who only turned professional in January, triumphed by two shots from New Zealandās Michael Hendry on another wet day at the Hong Kong Golf Club to fittingly celebrate the week he was announced as an ambassador for the club and the return of international tournament golf to the Special Administrative Region of China for the first time in 38 months.
Twenty-two-year-old Kho closed with an even-par 70 to finish the tournament, which was reduced to 54 holes because of the inclement weather, on 12 under, and also secure one of the four spots up for grabs in this yearās Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in July.
Hendry shot a 68 while Australian Travis Smyth returned a 66 to finish third, three behind Kho. Korean Bio Kim (65) and Miguel Tabuena (72) from the Philippines tied for fourth, a shot further back.Ā
Hendry, Smyth and Kim also made it through to The Open, where Kho will also become the first Hong Kong Chinese player to compete in the gameās oldest and most prestigious Major. Kim secured his berth ahead of Tabuena due to a better world ranking.
āBeing at home, in front of everyone, having my parents here, it just means the world to me. I want to say thank you to everyone,ā said Kho.
āI canāt put into words how grateful I am to have this opportunity. To play on the Asian Tour and represent Hong Kong Golf Club, to play well with both those things it is very special. The fans gave me a lot of momentum, thank you to Hong Kong.ā
Yesterdayās poor weather meant Kho could only play two holes of his third round before play was stopped for the day at which point he had a healthy four-shot lead over Tabuena. But when played resumed this morning at 8.05am he struggled to find his rhythm, to the concern of his many local supporters, and dropped shots on the third and sixth to see his lead reduced to two.
However, to the delight and relief of everyone watching he sensationally got back on track when he holed out from 50 yards for a birdie on the par-four ninth before holing a difficult five-foot putt for par on the next.
A dropped shot on the ensuing hole was again cause for alarm especially as further ahead Smyth and Korean Yoseop Seo had made birdies to close the gap to one.
But Kho produced another master shot on the short par-three 12th nearly holing his tee shot. He confidently holed a four-foot putt there for a birdie and a two-shot advantage.
On the par-five 13th he reached the green in two to set up a birdie for a three-shot cushion. He then had a chance to go four ahead on the following hole but missed a 12 footer for birdie before he dropped a shot on the next after failing to get up and down from a greenside bunker.Ā
That mean he had a two-shot lead over Smyth with three to play but it soon moved to three when the Australian dropped a shot on the last.
And by the time he reached 18 his lead was back to two over playing partner Hendry, who made a strong finish with birdies on 16 and 17. Kho opted to hit driver on the famous par-four closing hole and to the thrill of the large gallery watching his ball landed safely to help set up a comfortable, drama free par.Ā
He said: āI definitely wasnāt fearless, I was nervous, which was perfectly natural in the moment, but I said to myself I will be a better player by the end of it. I stuck to my game plan, did not shy away from him it and fully committed to what I have in my book. I told my coach last night whether I have a two-shot lead or back by one on the last hole, I am taking driver, and I fully committed to that. Thatās the reason why I succeeded this week.ā
This is only Khoās third event as a professional on the Asian Tour as he made it through the Tourās Qualifying School in January. He is the third fastest graduate from then school to win on tour.
āI’ve been playing really solid for a while now,ā said Hendry.
āPretty much all year I’ve been playing really well, I had win on the Aussie Tour not long ago and I sort of keep putting myself out there or there abouts, so I’m really happy with the game and excited. I only got the opportunity to play this event on Saturday, so to come here and have a great event, and get myself an Open start, thatās awesome.
The Asian Tour now has a two-week break before the inaugural International Series Vietnam at KN Golf Links from AprilĀ 13Ā toĀ 16.
Scores after round 3 of the The World City Championship being played at the par 70, 6710 Yards Hong Kong GC course (am – denotes amateur):
198 – Taichi Kho (HKG) 64-64-70.
200 – Michael Hendry (NZL) 68-64-68.
201 – Travis Smyth (AUS) 69-66-66.
202 – Bio Kim (KOR) 68-69-65, Miguel Tabuena (PHI) 63-67-72.
203 – Berry Henson (USA) 67-69-67, Jazz Janewattananond (THA) 67-67-69, Yoseop Seo (KOR) 69-64-70.
204 – David Drysdale (SCO) 69-70-65, Veer Ahlawat (IND) 71-67-66, Sam Brazel (AUS) 70-67-67, Zach Murray (AUS) 71-66-67, Brett Coletta (AUS) 69-67-68, Kiradech Aphibarnrat (THA) 68-68-68, Deyen Lawson (AUS) 69-67-68, Mingyu Cho (KOR) 67-68-69, Suradit Yongcharoenchai (THA) 66-68-70.
205 – Chonlatit Chuenboonngam (THA) 71-69-65, Todd Sinnott (AUS) 70-68-67, Shahriffuddin Ariffin (MAS) 70-67-68, Prom Meesawat (THA) 71-65-69, Lee Chieh-po (TPE) 69-67-69, S. Chikkarangappa (IND) 66-69-70.
206 – Gaganjeet Bhullar (IND) 73-67-66, Thomas Power Horan (AUS) 71-68-67, Wade Ormsby (AUS) 69-70-67, Ben Leong (MAS) 72-66-68, Kevin Yuan (AUS) 66-71-69, Micah Lauren Shin (USA) 69-67-70, Kieran Vincent (ZIM) 67-67-72.
207 – Suteepat Prateeptienchai (THA) 68-71-68, Chapchai Nirat (THA) 69-70-68, Andrew Martin (AUS) 73-65-69, Michael Maguire (USA) 68-70-69, Shiv Kapur (IND) 71-67-69, Ye Wocheng (CHN) 67-70-70, Steve Lewton (ENG) 69-68-70, Ian Snyman (RSA) 66-71-70.
208 – Minkyu Kim (KOR) 67-72-69, Chang Wei-lun (TPE) 68-70-70, Ben Campbell (NZL) 67-71-70, Jeev Milkha Singh (IND) 71-66-71, S.S.P. Chawrasia (IND) 70-67-71, Ding Wenyi (am, CHN) 70-66-72.
209 – Hanmil Jung (KOR) 67-73-69, Ian Poulter (ENG) 68-72-69, Gunn Charoenkul (THA) 71-69-69, Karandeep Kochhar (IND) 69-70-70, Bjorn Hellgren (SWE) 71-68-70, Dodge Kemmer (USA) 71-66-72, Scott Hend (AUS) 65-71-73, Settee Prakongvech (THA) 68-67-74, Sarit Suwannarut (THA) 68-67-74.
210 – Danthai Boonma (THA) 76-64-70, Itthipat Buranatanyarat (THA) 72-67-71, Natipong Srithong (THA) 71-68-71, Chanat Sakulpolphaisan (THA) 71-68-71, Rattanon Wannasrichan (THA) 68-70-72, Seungtaek Lee (KOR) 67-71-72, Matthew Cheung (HKG) 71-66-73.
211 – Sadom Kaewkanjana (THA) 75-65-71, Liu Yanwei (CHN) 68-72-71, Henrik Stenson (SWE) 70-69-72.
212 – Lloyd Jefferson Go (PHI) 72-68-72, John Lyras (AUS) 67-70-75, Pawin Ingkhapradit (THA) 68-67-77.
213 – Wu Sho-wai (am, HKG) 70-69-74, Siddikur Rahman (BAN) 68-71-74, Terry Pilkadaris (AUS) 69-69-75.
215 – Terrence Ng (HKG) 70-70-75, Honey Baisoya (IND) 69-69-77.