Teenagers top qualifying to secure Haikou Classic spots

Chinese mainland amateur Zhao Junlin and Chinese Taipei's Lawrence Ting carded 2-under 69s to top Monday's qualifier and secure spots in this week's Haikou Classic on Hainan Island.

The 15-year-old Zhao will tee off in the PGA Tour Series-China tournament on Thursday along with 19-year-old Ting.

It was an impressive performance from the two teens, who were the only players to shoot under par at Mission Hills Golf Club's Sandbelt Trails, one of 10 courses located at the iconic venue.

The top nine players qualified directly for the tournament, while another Chinese amateur, Tang Junyi, won a four-way playoff on the fifth extra hole to nail down the final spot.

Ting was solid from the start, with birdies on holes 1 and 3 before making a double bogey on 8 for his only mistake of the day.

He added two more birdies on the back (11 and 18) to finish strong.

"My putting and my irons were good today except for one bad hole. I hit my driver to the right and then chunked my next shot and three-putted, so I was really upset with that ... but otherwise everything was really good," said Ting.

"I hope I can finish inside the top 10 this week because I'm feeling really good, and I'm looking forward to playing well. That would be great."

With over a dozen events across the country annually, the PGA Tour Series-China offers homegrown golfers the chance to test themselves against international competition, with the ultimate goal of earning a berth on the Korn Ferry Tour (formerly Web.com Tour), a stepping stone to the main PGA Tour.

shifutian@chinadaily.com.cn