Former caddy Guo books place in Faldo final

Four years ago, Guo Caizhu took up a job as caddy in her home town of Kunming in the Yunnan province of China. Two years later she took up golf itself and on 12 December this year, aged 20, she will be teeing off in the grand final of the Faldo Series Asia (FSA) at Mission Hills Golf Club, China, watched by Nick Faldo and with victory in her sights.

Guo Caizhu - winner of the Faldo Series Asia Yunnan Championship

As winner of the FSA Yunnan championship at the Faldo-designed Lakeview Golf Club in Kunming, Guo will join over 70 leading young golfers from across Asia and Europe, boys and girls aged 12 to 21, for the second FSA grand final on December 12-14 on the Faldo championship course at Mission Hills, the World’s No. 1 Golf Club as recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records.

Runner-up in the girls’ under-21 category in the 2006 grand final by virtue of a wild-card invitation, Guo hopes to go one better in 2007: “I am really excited about the grand final at Mission Hills and hope to improve on my performance last time. I also received some great advice from Nick Faldo – the tips he gave me on bunker shots have helped me a great deal this season – so I am really looking forward to learning even more from him this year.”

Supported by Mission Hills, The R&A and UBS, 60 players will qualify from 10 FSA championships taking place in nine different Asian countries during 2007, including the other champions to date: 18-year-old girl Xu Yue (FSA China champion); Chan Shih Chang (21, Chinese Taipei); Chawinroj Krobteeranon (17, Thailand); Jimmy Ko (19, Hong Kong); Matthew Turner (16, UAE); and Wilson Choo (17, Malaysia). A further five age-category winners from October’s Faldo Series grand final in Europe have been invited by the six-time Major winner, plus a selection of promising players from Asian territories not currently on the FSA schedule.

Sanctioned by the Asian Tour, the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation and the Guangdong Golf Association, results will count towards The R&A’s World Amateur Golf Ranking and six Asian winners will receive an invite from Faldo to compete in the 2008 Faldo Series grand final in Europe. Furthermore, courtesy of the Asian Tour, the leading Asian boy will receive an invite to play in an Asian Tour event in 2008 and a scholarship to stage one of Asian Tour qualifying school; while plans are in place to ensure similar opportunities for the leading Asian girl.

Also backed by Korn/Ferry, Faldo will spend time with the finalists at Mission Hills in order to pass on his advice and experience from over 30 years of playing at the highest level. Other experts from the industry will also be educating the finalists during the practice days through a series of unique player-seminars on topics ranging from media and PR, life on Tour and the mental, physical and technical aspects of the sport.

In a bid by Faldo to simultaneously create access to the sport for a younger audience, local school-children will be invited to the FSA grand final at Mission Hills, during which they will watch the finalists in action and have the opportunity to experience golf themselves through a series of grass-roots activities.

Commented Faldo: “The first Faldo Series Asia grand final at Mission Hills was a huge success but I think this year will be even bigger and better and I’m really looking forward to it. I hope the whole experience for the players – including conditions that replicate a Tour event on the course and spending time with me off the course – will play a part in helping them become champions of the future.”

Faldo continued: “I also look forward to meeting the local children who come along to Mission Hills to enjoy the grass-roots activities. Hopefully they will be inspired by the experience and perhaps even return to a Faldo Series Asia grand final one day as a competitor.”

Tenniel Chu, Executive Director Mission Hills Golf Club, China added: “Mission Hills since its inception has strongly supported golf development in Asia so we are especially pleased to be associated with the FSA. Over the years we have built a strong relationship with Nick, his course at Mission Hills is a firm favourite amongst our members and guests. By lending our support to this tournament, we are seeking to help improve the future of golf in Asia by building on a platform of excellence, where budding golfers can not only improve their skills under tournament conditions but develop other aspects of their game too.”

The FSA grand final will be played over 54 holes on the highly-acclaimed Faldo course, with a cut after two rounds. The format will be gross stroke-play with trophies awarded to the leading boy and girl in each of the under-21, under-18 and under-16 categories. Boys will play from the gold tees (6,500 yards) and girls from the blue tees (6,100 yards). The FSA trophy will be presented by Faldo to the overall champion, regardless of age or gender.

October 31, 2007

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