Defending champion Daniel Owen of England cruised to his second successive win in the Faldo Series Middle East Championship with a two under par total of 142 over 36 holes at the Royal Golf Club in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Playing on the course that will host the European Tour’s inaugural Volvo Tournament of Champions in January 2011, Bahrain resident Owen booked himself a return trip to the fifth Faldo Series Asia Grand Final at Mission Hills Golf Club in China with commanding rounds of 70 and 72 on his home course for an 11-shot victory over his nearest rivals.
Joining 21 year-old Owen at Mission Hills for the R&A World Amateur Golf Ranking event, to be hosted by Sir Nick Faldo in March 2011, will be the Bahrain pair of Dhari Al Borshaid and Mohamed Jalal, winners of the Middle East Nationals’ Under-21 and Under-16 categories respectively, plus Girls’ winner Georgina Coughlin of England.
“It’s great to win the tournament again this year and qualify for China,” commented Owen. “Having been there and experienced competing in the Grand Final already, I believe this will stand me in good stead for a successful week.”
“Congratulations to Dan,” added John Wilson, the Royal Golf Club’s Golf Events Key Accounts Manager. “It’s never easy trying to retain a title, but he’s played some solid golf this weekend and reaped the rewards. We wish him all the very best in the Grand Final at Mission Hills in March.”
Younger children from the local community were also in attendance at the second Middle East Championship to watch Owen reclaim his title. The children earlier played nine holes themselves on the Royal Golf Club’s par-three course as part of Faldo’s drive to create access to the game for a younger audience.
Underwritten by the six-time Major winner himself, the Faldo Series Asia is supported by major partners ISPS, Mission Hills and The R&A, together with official golf wear partner UFL and official equipment supplier TaylorMade. It is endorsed by the Asian Tour and the Asia Pacific Golf Federation (APGC).
Further to the success of the Faldo Series Europe, launched in 1996, the Faldo Series Asia was established in 2006 to help develop the region’s next generation of champions. Over 30 Faldo Series tournaments now take place in more than 25 countries across the UK, Europe, South America, the Middle East and Asia and former winners include Rory McIlroy, Nick Dougherty, Marc Warren, John Parry, Melissa Reid, Florentyna Parker and Yani Tseng, all of whom have since won on Tour.
The 2010/2011 Faldo Series Asia schedule features a record 17 tournaments in 12 different countries including six in mainland China plus others in The Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Bahrain, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Japan, Chinese Taipei, Indonesia and Thailand.
The 2009/2010 Faldo Series Asia Grand Final was won by 14 year-old Masamichi Ito from Japan and the girls’ title by Thidapa Suwannapura, 17, of Thailand. Ito then became the first player to claim the Faldo Series ‘double’ by winning the 2010 Faldo Series Europe Grand Final as well, played over the Faldo Course at the Lough Erne Resort in Northern Ireland last month. The girls’ title at the Faldo Series Europe Grand Final was also won by an Asian golfer, Liu Yi-Chen from Chinese Taipei.
Leading final scores: Boys’ Under-21: 142 – Daniel Owen (England) 70-72; 153 – Ronan Hall (Ireland) 75-78, Sam Hobday (England) 71-82. Girls’ Under-21: 186 – Georgia Coughlin (England) 95-91; 199 – Tabea Lutz (Germany) 96-103. Middle East Nationals’ Under-21: 168 – Dhari Al Borshaid (Bahrain) 87-81; 189 – Ali Al Hajeri (Kuwait) 99-90. Middle East Nationals’ Under-16: 177 – Mohamed Jalal (Bahrain) 89-88; 188 – Fahad Abdulla Al Hakam (Bahrain) 103-85.
For full results and more information visit www.nickfaldo.com or follow the Faldo Series on Facebook.
Additional photo caption 1: Daniel Owen (kneeling) with all the prize winners
Additional photo caption 2: Daniel Owen in action
Media enquiries should be directed to:
Bahrain: Sue Addison, Royal Golf Club, +973 1775 0777, s.addison@theroyalgolfclub.com
Hong Kong: Tom Phillips, Faldo Series Asia, +852 2819 3364, tphillips@nickfaldo.com
UK: Adam Roberts, Golf Marketing Services, +44 (0)1438 718399, adam@gmsgolf.co.uk
About the International Sports Promotion Society
Based in Tokyo, ISPS is a ‘General Incorporated Association’ founded by Japanese philanthropist, Dr Handa. ISPS contributes to society by supporting various sporting interests – currently focusing on golf and bowling. In golf ISPS actively supports the International Blind Golf Association in addition to a number of other sport related charities for disadvantaged people.
About Mission Hills
Mission Hills Group, the owner and operator of Mission Hills Shenzhen, Dongguan and Haikou, is the key player in China's fledgling sports and leisure industry. Mission Hills is recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world's largest golf facility with 12 signature masterpiece courses designed by golf legends from around the globe. Mission Hills has hosted over 100 international tournaments, including the 1995 World Cup of Golf and the Tiger Woods China Challenge in 2001. In 2007, Mission Hills signed an unprecedented agreement to host 12 consecutive editions of the Omega Mission Hills World Cup. The recently-opened Mission Hills Haikou lies on the volcanic region of exotic Hainan Island, China. The resort sets a new standard in leisure, recreation and wellness experiences and is home to the Mission Hills Star Trophy 2010.
About The R&A
Based in St Andrews, The R&A is golf's governing body and the organiser of The Open Championship. The R&A is committed to working for golf and operates with the consent of 136 organisations, from the amateur and professional game, and on behalf of over 30 million golfers in 123 countries.
About UFL
UFL – which stands for Uniting Future Legends – is a youth-inspired golf wear brand with innovative designs based on feedback from Faldo Series Asia players. UFL was launched in 2010 by Alpine Creations Ltd, a Singapore-based apparel manufacturer with more than 30 years experience and excellence in Asia. Alpine Creations is known for its one-stop solutions, “from the factory to the store”, and is an established, trusted, global consumer brand as well as a preferred producer for many well-known international retailers. Its state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, in-house design team, textile network and excellent market reputation make it uniquely able to marry innovative technology with fashion forward design in producing its own line of UFL sporting wear.
