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EmailSHENZHEN, China – The Asian Amateur Championship got underway Thursday morning with a ceremony made famous by Augusta National Golf Club, one of the organizing bodies behind this tournament.
Augusta National Golf Club chairman Billy Payne, R&A captain Colin Brown and Asia Pacific Golf Confederation president Kwang-soo Hur hit ceremonial tee shots into the morning fog shortly before the first group. Play commenced at 7 a.m. Thursday on Mission Hills Golf Club's World Cup Course.
The first tee shot in tournament history was hit by China’s Wenyi Huang, who had the honor of opening play in his homeland. He hit a well-struck high draw with a fairway metal, the ball landing on the left side of the fairway on the 378-yard first hole. Huang made par.
The opening of play was treated as a ceremonious occasion. About two dozen female caddies in red jumpsuits lined both sides of the cart path near the first tee, applauding everyone who walked to the tee (even journalists). Several Augusta National members stood near the first tee in their green jackets, a sight that immediately adds to the credibility of any event. The tournament trophy sat on a podium just off the tee.
“This is an extraordinary sight and certainly what we had envisioned when we set out to create an atmosphere never before seen in amateur golf in this region,” Payne said. “Having so many organizations come together with the common goal of help growing the game is inspiring and speaks to the seriousness of this initiative.”
