Yeung yearning to become a hometown hero
Hong Kong’s Motin Yeung is “going for the trophy” at this week’s 2 million yuan ($290,000) Clearwater Bay Open in a last-gasp bid to finish in the top five of the PGA Tour Series-China order of merit and earn status on next year’s Web.com Tour.
Yeung, 25, won his first tour title at June’s Kunming Championship and is currently seventh on the money list with 522,850 yuan.
Nick Voke of New Zealand currently occupies the fifth slot, with 627,500 yuan.
To have a chance of overtaking Voke, Yeung needs to at least finish third at Clearwater Bay — his local course — which would earn him 136,000 yuan, while a runnerup finish (216,000 yuan) makes a top-five finish highly probable.
However, only the winner’s check (360,000 yuan) at the season-ending event would guarantee his place on next year’s Web.com Tour regardless of other players’ results.
“I just want to be in the chase. I think winning takes not just skill and mental toughness, but also luck. I think just to put myself in that situation would be a success,” said Yeung.
“I’m going to play the best I can this week … and I’m going for the trophy.”
Yeung, who will play the first two rounds with Canada’s Richard Jung and Australia’s Kevin Yuan, has come a long way this season after starting the year without status on any tour as a result of missing out at the PGA Tour Series-China qualifying tournament.
After progressing through the Monday qualifier at the Chongqing Championship, he secured top-20 finishes to play in the three next events, but needed a sponsor invitation to compete in Kunming.
After an opening 70, Yeung reeled off three straight 65s to enter a three-way playoff with England’s Callum Tarren and American Joseph Gunerman. He sank a 10-foot birdie on the first extra hole to secure a victory.
“That was a really exciting time for me,” said Yeung.
“I think the last time I got into contention before Kunming was when I was an amateur in 2013, so I hadn’t had that kind of feeling for about five years.
“It had been a long time, so I was really excited to be in the chase and hope I can feel that again this weekend.”
Meanwhile, “Jason” Hak Shunyat, Hong Kong’s longtime No 1 until he was overtaken in the world rankings by Yeung this year, sits 38th in the order of merit. He’s looking for a breakthrough at Clearwater Bay, where he finished sixth last year and tied for 20th in 2016.
“In my mind, I want to win here more than anything because it’s my home course. People say there might be more pressure because of that, but I want to use that pressure to give confidence to myself,” said the 24-year-old Hak.
The top five on the order of merit will automatically earn status on next year’s Web.com Tour.