Sherratt and Han Chang

-won share halfway lead


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Shenzhen, China – Australia’s Jordan Sherratt and Han Chang-won of Korea share the 36-hole lead at the inaugural Asian Amateur Championship after finishing Day 2o at nine-under 135 at Mission Hills Golf Club’s World Cup Course in China.
Sherratt recorded an equal low round of the day of five-under 67 to take the clubhouse lead in the morning session, before being joined late in the day by Han, who added a 69 to his opening 66 yesterday.
The inaugural tournament offers an invitation to the 2010 Masters Tournament as a reward for the champion, with both the winner and the runner(s)-up earning places in International Final Qualifying for The Open Championship being played next year at St Andrews.
The leading duo head New Zealander Peter Spearman-Burn, who returned 68, by two shots with Mhark Fernando (71) from the Philippines alone in fourth one shot further back at six-under 138.
Three players share fifth, including India’s Rashid Khan, who has twice won the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final at Mission Hills, Korean Song Tae-hoon and another Filipino, Antonio Asistio. A total of 60 players qualified for weekend play, with the cut coming at five-over 149.
Korea’s 21-year-old Han, who was one shot off the lead overnight, kept himself right in the hunt for the tournament’s grand prizes with his solid follow-up to yesterday’s seven-birdie round.
Four more birdies today were offset by a lone bogey at 17, allowing him the chance to add to Korea’s international golf heroics already in 2009, headed by Y. E. Yang winning Asia’s first Major at the US PGA Championship.
Said Han: “I am a calm and patient person and that helps me to play consistently. I didn’t play with any pressure today and I feel that will allow me to play my best game tomorrow and the day after.
“I have not had the chance to play with Y. E. Yang yet, but I really hope I can play with him one day. I respect him a lot. He is a great player and an inspiration for all Korean golfers,” added the individual champion from the 2009 Nomura Cup (Asia-Pacific Amateur Golf Team Championship), which was played last month in Korea.
Sherratt, who won the prestigious Riversdale Cup earlier this year in Australia when he opened with a course-record 63, stumbled with a bogey at the first after missing a two-foot par putt.
However, the 21-year-old got the shot straight back with a birdie at the following hole, before picking up shots at six, eight and 11 and adding consecutive birdies on 13 and 14. A closing bogey was not able to stop the Adelaide, South Australia, resident from taking the clubhouse lead after the morning session.
Said Sherratt: “I have been playing really well over the last few days and putting well, which has helped me make birdies.
“I didn’t make the best start and missed a short putt to make a bogey on the first, but after that, it was very good. I was hitting greens and making putts and I made birdies on the par-fives, too, which helps your scoring.
“I am not really surprised by the strength of the field here (and the low scoring). There are a lot of good players in Asia and anyone can win if they were good enough to qualify for this event,” he added.
Overnight leader Han Ren of China endured a tough day, struggling to 78. However, local golf fans still have plenty of favourites to follow, with Huang Wenyi, who struck the first shot in Asian Amateur Championship history yesterday morning, and Hong Kong’s Steven Lam amongst those sharing eighth position.
For more information on the Asian Amateur Championship, including the latest news from Mission Hills, live scoring and a selection of video features, please visit http://www.asianamateurchampionship.com/.