Blake Windred has finished the Asia-Pacific Amateur in 13th position at four under after a disappointing final round 76 at the Shensan International Golf Club in Shanghai.
Windred couldn’t get going on a testing day for the final groups, and it was Local favourite Lin Yuxin of China who lifted the trophy after a sudden-death playoff against the defending Champion and world amateur number one, Takumi Kanaya of Japan.
Lin saved his best for the playoff. After both made birdie on the first extra hole, Lin played the shot of the day from the greenside bunker on 18 to about three feet to guarantee his second birdie in as many attempts.
Kanaya had a long birdie chance from the back edge to force it to a third hole, but when it missed, Lin calmly rolled his putt in and with it booked his place in the 2020 Masters and Open Championship to be played at Royal St George’s.
It was also the first playoff in the 11-year-history of the Asia-Pacific Amateur, and Lin now joins Japanese PGA Tour Star Hideki Matsuyama as the only two-time winners.
PLAYER PROFILE: BLAKE WINDRED
Earlier, Lin thought he had looked like he had thrown away his chance when he laid up into the water on the par-5 18th hole, and eventually took a bogey for a 68 to finish at ten under.
Kanaya had a chance to win in regulation also but missed a 7-foot birdie putt on the last.
It was heartbreak too for Chinese Taipei’s Yung-Hua Lin. Tied with the Lin and Kanaya playing the last, and playing his first Asia-Pacific Amateur, nerves got the better of the 19-year-old; a three-putt bogey on the final hole saw him fall out of the playoff.
Karl Vilips was the leading Australian, tied eighth, three shots outside the playoff, after a closing 69, while countrymen David Micheluzzi and Nathan Barbieri tied for 15th at two-under.
