SHANGHAI: Chinese fans at the $7m BMW Masters had something special to cheer yesterday when one of Shanghai’s own, Wu Ashun, fired a hole-in-one at Lake Malaren Golf Club.
Playing in a star-studded European Tour field with four of the top five ranked players in the world, Wu created a little magic with his eight-iron, which found the cup at the sixth hole 156 yards away.
“The ball bounced once on the green and then disappeared into the hole,” said Wu. “I heard all the noises and cheers from the green and the first thing I did was turn around and see where the car is.”
Unfortunately for Wu, the first Chinese player to win on the Japan Tour, the sponsors were offering a BMW 6 Series convertible for an ace on the 17th hole.
The sixth hole has proved a happy hunting ground for Asia’s finest swingers this week. Y E. Yang of Korea also scored a hole in one there on Friday.
“I had a hole-in-one on the Japanese Tour this year at the Asia-Pacific Panasonic Open, but there was no prize there either,” Wu added.
“One of these days I’m going to get a hole in one on the right hole and win the car,” he smiled.
Wu has enjoyed a wonderful week so far, flying the flag for China golf.
He shot a three-under 69 yesterday to finish on six-under par for the tournament, tied for 24th place.
Meanwhile, World number nine Jason Dufner hit first hole-in-one at a PGA Tour sanctioned event when he aced the 201-yard par three seventh hole during the third round of the CIMB Classic yesterday.
The American’s shot was the highlight of a seven-under-par round of 64 that catapulted him up the leaderboard on a nine-under 204 total that is co-sanctioned with the Asian Tour and PGA of Malaysia. AGENCIES
