Wenyi Ding wins Asia-Pacific Amateur to earn spot in Masters, The Open

SHIZUOKA, Japan (AP) — Wenyi Ding capped off a marathon Sunday with a 3-under 67 that carried the 19-year-old from China to a one-shot victory in the Asia-Pacific Amateur and a spot in the Masters and The Open Championship next year.

Ding had to play 14 holes to complete a 67 that left him tied for the 54-hole lead with Ziqin Zhou of China. He pulled ahead in the final round when Zhou made bogey on the second hole and Ding birdied the third, and there was plenty of drama at the end.

Zhou, an 18-year-old who plays for the California Golden Bears, birdied the 18th for a 68 to tie for the lead. Ding regained the lead with his final birdie at the 17th, a 239-yard par 3, where he hit his tee shot to 6 feet.

On the par-5 closing hole at Taiheiyo Club Gotemba, Ding found a bunker off the tee, laid up and hit his third to the back of the green. He ran his putt about 4 feet by the hole and made the par putt for the win.

Ding, a former U.S. Junior Amateur champion and the highest-ranked amateur in the field at No. 5, finished at 12-under 268 and atoned for a playoff loss in the Asia-Pacific Amateur last year at Royal Melbourne.

“It feels really good,” Ding said. “Last year I lost in the playoff and just felt I couldn’t play any better. And this year I got the trophy. It’s amazing.”

He becomes the fifth player from China to win in the 15 years of the Asia-Pacific Amateur.

The victory comes with an invitation to the Masters and an exemption to The Open at Royal Portrush, meaning Ding will have played three of the four majors before starting his junior year of college. He played in the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club by winning the U.S. Junior Amateur the previous year at Bandon Dunes.

The tournament was forced to a long Sunday because of heavy rain Friday in the foothills of Mount Fuji, along with fog, that suspended competition.

Zhou moved into a share of the 54-hole lead with a 65 in the third round.

“I’m happy about the performance all week,” Zhou said. “I didn’t make like a big mistake. I hit every tee shot good. Probably missed a couple, but I only got six bogeys through four days on this course. I’m very happy for him. The trophy is back on Team China now.”

Rintaro Nakano, who held the 36-hole lead, went 70-67 on Sunday and finished third.

The Asia-Pacific Amateur next year goes to the Emirates Golf Club in Dubai.