Australian Scott Barr and American Benjamin Lein joined Chinese amateurs Yichen Wang and Wei Kang and professionals Haoyuan Lv and Jia Zhang in qualifying for the inaugural Shenzhen International, which takes place at Genzon Golf Club in Shenzhen, southern China, from April 16–19.
Played over 36 holes of stroke play on the Neil Haworth-designed B Course at Genzon Golf Club, the sextet led home a field of 80 players seeking qualification for the new tournament co-sanctioned by The European Tour and China Golf Association.
The qualifying event was won in impressive fashion by Haoyuan Lv who, after posting rounds of 66 and 74, finished level on four under par with Barr (71-69) and Lein (68-72), the two men he beat in the resulting play-off.
Barr said: “It was my first time playing here at Genzon Golf Club. The course was very challenging, especially when the winds picked up, but I’m really happy to qualify and am looking forward to returning next month.”
Looking ahead to next month’s tournament, which will feature his compatriot and World Number Two Bubba Watson, Lein added: “I didn’t play my best golf today, but luckily I put myself in a good enough position yesterday under great conditions to secure my place in the tournament.”
Speaking about the inaugural qualifying tournament, Fei Hai-long, General Manager of Genzon Golf Club, said: “We offer our congratulations to these six highly-talented players for successfully qualifying for the 2015 Shenzhen International. They will join a competitive field of 156 players, featuring some of the very best players in the world when they return to Genzon Golf Club in a month’s time. They have qualified on merit, and we wish them every success in the tournament.
“We look forward to welcoming the international golf community to Genzon for the inaugural Shenzhen International. The Pearl River region in southern China has been instrumental in the development of the game in mainland China over the years, and we hope that with this tournament we are able to inspire future generations to take up the game and use the positive influence of the sport to lead healthy and happy lives.”
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