Indian Prasad prevails at Faldo Series Final

Arjun Prasad receives the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final trophy from Nick Faldo. Photo supplied

Indian Prasad prevails at Faldo Series Final

Mon, 7 March 2016

H S Manjunath

India's Arjun Prasad closed out with a six-under-par 66 to claim victory in the 10th Faldo Series Asia Grand Final at the Sir Nick Faldo-designed Mission Hills course in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen on Friday.

Going into the final day of this 54-hole World Amateur Ranking event, four shots off the pace, the 17-year-old Indian stayed the course to return a 10-under 206, two shots ahead of Thailand’s overnight leader Atiruj Winaicharoenchai, who finished the round with an even-par 72.

Japan’s Nasa Hataoka carded a 70 and ended three strokes further back in third. She had the consolation of topping the Girls’ Under-16 division and finishing as the leading female overall.

“My thanks to Nick Faldo for all his support and encouragement. I was awestruck to meet him and to see him hit shots during the clinics. That was really inspiring,” said Prasad, who is the third Indian to win the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final, following in the footsteps of Rashid Khan and Abhijit Chadha.

“Arjun’s victory is a fitting finale to our 10th anniversary Faldo Series Asia Grand Final. It was an engrossing contest between him and Atiruj and this certainly ranks as one of the most exciting and dramatic final rounds we’ve seen since we launched the Series here at Mission Hills in 2007,” said six-time Major champion Nick Faldo.

In the Girls’ Under-21 category, victory went to American Kaitlyn Papp, a three-time Rolex Junior All-American who was joint second in last September’s Faldo Series Grand Final at Sporting Club Berlin.

Fourth overall at Mission Hills, the Boys’ Under-21 winner was England’s Jack Yule, who also won that segment at the Faldo Series Grand Final in Berlin.

In the Boys’ Under-18 it was Hong Kong’s Leon D’Souza who emerged triumphant, seeing off the challenge of Japan’s Ibuki Yoshida.

As well as receiving the Faldo Series Asia trophy, Prasad will be granted an exemption into an Asian Tour event, while Hataoka will be given a start in a Ladies European Tour event.Both have also earned themselves a trip to compete in this year’s Faldo Series Europe Grand Final.

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