Liu leads the way at Angkor Golf Resort.
Golfers from six different countries competed over 72 holes in the Ladies European Tour’s new Asian Pre-Qualifying tournament for Lalla Aicha Tour School at Angkor Golf Resort, a stunning venue in Cambodia.
The event was played from 23rd to 26th November on the award winning Faldo Design Championship Course and six players progressed to the Final Stage in Morocco, led by Yan Liu of China, who was presented with a winner’s cheque for $1000 (USD).
For all of the competitors, this was not only their debut in the LET Q-School but also their first time visiting Cambodia and it did not disappoint.
Jenny Lee of the United States commented: “The golf course and facilities, the city and the people are amazing: this place is awesome – totally unexpected!”
The round one scores highlighted what the golf course has to offer: lots of birdies for those brave enough to challenge the water and the tricky approaches, but with any small mistakes, bogeys will be made.
Rong Ji of China posted a solid opening round of 68 (-4) to lead after round one, closely followed by Jenny Lee (USA) & Yan Liu (China) on -3 and Isabella Leung (HK) on -2.
Round two saw what would be a significant move from Yan Liu posting a 67 (-5), which was a new ladies’ professional course record.
She took a four shot lead at the half way stage from Ji but it was round three that produced the highlight of the week… Liu started with six birdies in her first seven holes and went on to break her own course record with an incredible round of 63 (-9).
The final round saw a slight breeze to offer the players a new challenge from the hot calm conditions of the first three rounds. Liu ended with a final round of 69 (-3) for a grand total of 268 (-20) and a 14 stroke margin of victory: a significant score any week of the year and surely a strong favorite to proceed through from final qualifying.
Alan Martin, Head Professional at Angkor Golf Resort, (pictured below with Liu) commented: “It was a great privilege for us to bring the LET to Angkor Golf Resort and very rewarding to hear the many positive comments from the players. We know we have a great golf course and the facilities to match but it is always good to put it to the test at the highest level, hosting a successful professional event. We look forward to growing the event next year and hopefully this will help raise the profile of Angkor Golf Resort and golf in Cambodia to the golfing enthusiasts around the region and the world.”
Left to right – Lee, Ji, Liu, Wakimoto, Leung and Then
