Kartik Sharma Signs off Tied 22nd at Asia-Pacific Amateur C'ship

Shanghai, Sep 29 (PTI) India's Kartik Sharma carded a four-over 76 in the final round to finish Tied-22nd at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championships here on Sunday.

Sharma, who shot 68-67 on second and third days, ended with a four-day total of four-under 284.

Among other Indians in fray, Harshjeet Singh Sethie (76) was T-60, while Rayhan Thomas (83), runner-up in 2018, and Girraj Khadka (80) were T-62.

At the top, Lin Yuxin overcame his nemesis at the closing hole, the 18th, at the Sheshan Golf Club, to win the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championships a second time and earn the privilege of going to two of the most coveted Majors.

Yuxin, who turns 19 in three weeks, became the only player after Hideki Matsuyama to win the AAC twice.

The first time was in Wellington, New Zealand in 2017, but when he went to the Masters and the Open in 2018, he missed the cut at both.

Yuxin is a freshman at the University of South California and admitted he has school homework to finish before celebrating this win.

He birdied the 18th twice in play-off holes to beat defending champion Takumi Kanaya after both were tied at 10-under 278. Yuxin shot 68 and Kanaya 69 in the final round.

Before the play-off, Yuxin had gone into the water on the 18th in the second, third and final rounds. Then in the play-off he had a difficult lie first time and went into bunker in the next attempt.

Both times he came out superbly and birdied, while Kanaya, who had a chance to close the event in regulation play from six feet, failed to birdie the second play-off.

Thai Tanapat Pichaikool (65) and Chinese Taipei's Yung-hua Liu (71), who in the morning made a big charge, were tied third at 9-under, while Chun An Yu (68), Sinagporean James Leow (69), who had two eagles on back nine, and Ren Yonezawa (72) were tied fifth at 8-under.

Asked about the 18th hole, Yuxin said, "I was having a little trouble with No. 18 three days in a row. We know there's extra holes coming up.

"Stepping on 18 was not a great feeling for me, and especially that lie on the tee shot, the first hole. Definitely not the lie that you want, but at least everything turned out pretty well, so I'm pretty satisfied."

"To be honest, I don't really know what's going on with that hole. If I knew what was going on, would have saved me a couple shots in the round."

On how he would celebrate, Yuxin, who has already played in over 40 pro events on various Tours as an amateur, laughed and said, "Meet a few friends, but I have tons of homework to do, so I need to finish that, too."

The next Asia pacific Amateur Championships will be held in Melbourne, Australia.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)