Kartik Singh comes in 18th as the best-placed Indian at AAC

File photo of 14-year-old Kartik Singh who coped well with the long and testing Taiheiyo Club in Gotemba, Japan. Image courtesy IGU.

By Rahul Banerji 

Fourteen year old Kartik Singh finished 18^th as the best-placed Indian at the 2024 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Gotemba, Japan, on Sunday.

The DLF Academy trainee played 27 holes on Sunday, parring every hole on the back nine of the third round and then had four birdies and four bogeys in his final 18 holes, shooting 71, 67, 72 and 70 for a level par 280, the IGU said.

Two other Indians who made the cut, also played their closing rounds well. Krishnav Nikhil Chopraa (68-77-74-67) had his best card of 3 under par 67 while Rakshit Dahiya carded a level par 70 for the second straight round. The two finished in a share of 37^th place on 6 over-par totals.

All of them had to lay between 27 and 30 holes on the final day at the par-70 7,200-plus yard Taiheiyo Golf Club in Gotemba, near Mount Fuji.

Great experience

Kartik said, “I parred the back nine of the third round, where I began bogey-bogey and then had 16 pars. In the fourth round. My driver did not work well but my short game saved me. Still, it was a great experience on a great golf course.”

At Royal Melbourne last year, the teenager became the youngest ever to make the AAC cut at age 13 years, nine months and 22 days. The event is the premier amateur tournament for the Asia-Pacific region and he went on to make the cut at The Masters as well.

Before the Japan trip, Kartik was part of the Junior Presidents Cup in Montreal where he contributed 1.5 points towards the Junior Internationals against the Junior USA team. Earlier, he played the prestigious Sage Valley Junior Invitational and was third at the Junior Players at TPC Sawgrass.

A beneficiary of the Sports Authority of India’s Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), Kartik is the highest-placed Indian at 171^st on the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

Ding wins AAC title

China’s Ding Wenyi won the 2024 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship with a closing 67, his fourth consecutive 3 under score.

But the 12-under total for a win which gives him exemption into the 2025 Masters and the 2025 Open, saw him face a major dilemma.

Before the event, Ding said he would turn pro even if he won, but with the emotional win achieved, he may change his mind. He said, “It is now a problem. I want to turn pro because I can get a DP World Tour card, but this is a big chance.”

Wenyi Ding with the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship Trophy at the Taiheiyo Golf Club. Image courtesy APAC.

Ding will soon need to take that call, though before the event he maintained he would become a pro and even forfeit the two major exemptions.

The 19-year-old is set to get a card from the DPWT because of the newly instituted Global Amateur Pathway (GAP) announced in June by the European tour.

Meeting the mark

As per the announcement, the eligible player should not be a current NCAA Division I (US) collegiate golfer and be 20 at the end of the ranking year. Ding at no.5 is the highest eligible player and turns 20 next month.

Fellow Chinese golfer Zhou Ziqin stretched Ding all the way before finishing on 11 under 269. They even briefly shared the lead.

“It feels really good. 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,” said Ding.

“Before I played hole 17 I didn’t want to play for a birdie. I just wanted to save a par. I felt nervous on the birdie putt (on 18). I don’t know why but it went three or four feet by. I was able to hole it.”

As well as claiming the AAC trophy with his victory, Ding secured an exemption to the Masters Tournament, The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush and The 130th Amateur Championship at Royal St George’s. 

Also read: IGU felicitates Mannat, Zara for R&A Girls Amateur performances