Mission Hills, China: Angad Cheema was tied 13th place at the end of the first round of the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final at the Faldo Course at Mission Hills Golf Club in China. Cheema, who won the All India Matchplay championships in January, shot three-over 75.

Cheema, who won the Indian National championships this year, was seven shots behind Masamichi Ito of Japan who carded four-under-par 68. The 16-year-old Ito, in 2010 became the first player to win Faldo Series titles in Asia and Europe. He was two ahead of compatriot Kohei Kinoshita.  Four players lie one shot further back on one under par including local player Guan Tian Lang from Guangzhou in China. Vashistha Pawar was tied 37th with a round of 81 and Ankur Chadha carded 84. Aditi Ashok was the best Indian among girls at 84 and Gursimar Badwal shot 89.

Cheema had one birdie and one bogey in the first 13 holes at which point he was even par. Then he double bogeyed the 14th and bogeyed the 15th. Then a birdie on 16th was followed by another double bogey on 17th and a birdie on 18th as he ended in an eventful manner.

Three players share the lead for the girls’ title on three over par.  Nur Durriyah Damian and Aretha Pan, both from Malaysia, and Japan’s Mai Arai carded rounds of 75.

A total of 80 golfers from 17 countries have joined Sir Nick Faldo at Mission Hills in Shenzhen for the sixth Asia Grand Final.  The field is competing over three rounds for the title of Faldo Series Asia Champion, awarded to the player with the lowest gross score, regardless of age or gender.

With competitors aged 13 to 21 divided into five age-categories – three for boys and two for girls – the category winners will each receive a trophy and an exemption into the 16th Europe Grand Final at Lough Erne Resort in Northern Ireland in September 2012.  The leading boy and girl overall at the World Amateur Golf Ranking event will also be invited to play in a professional Tour event.

By Indian Sports News Network