Xu outduels fellow amateur Zhou for CLPG triumph in Zhuhai

In an epic battle of China's top female amateurs, Xu Ying won her second CLPG Tour title on Friday when the 16-year-old beat Zhou Shiyuan, the country's No. 1 amateur, by three strokes at the Golf Liquor Challenge in Zhuhai, southern Guangdong Province.

Starting the day with a one-stroke lead on the mountainous Norman Course at Zhuhai Lakewood Golf Club, Xu closed with a 3-under-par 69 at her home course for a 54-hole score of 11-under 205. The 15-year-old Zhou, a three-time winner on the CLPG Tour, shot 71 for her second runner-up finish of the season.

Wang Zixuan claimed the 60,000-yuan (US$8,370) winner's purse as the Beijing native shot 70 to finish third at five shots back. Pang Runzhi was fourth at eight shots off the pace after her third straight round of 71, one shot ahead of Thailand's Dolnapa Zukphokinvanich (74) and two ahead of Malaysian Ng Jing Xuen (70).

Playing in the final group under hot and sunny conditions, the towering Xu, 48th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, kept the 34th-ranked Zhou at bay throughout the day in closing with a round featuring four birdies and a bogey at the 394-yard third.

"The highlight today was definitely the 42-foot downhill breaking putt on hole 11. That putt got me really excited and pumped up. My home is just 30 minutes from the course. Tonight, I'll celebrate by having dinner with any friends who haven't left yet," said Xu, who in August will play in the US Women's Amateur Championship at Bandon Dunes in Oregon.

"For the rest of the year, I aim to maintain my amateur world ranking within the top 50 to qualify for the Augusta National Women's Amateur (in April)."

Zhou, whose round included six birdies, a triple bogey at the 417-yard fourth and a double bogey at the 16th hole, said she was not "particularly disappointed" with her finish as her triple bogey came when she hit into woods and failed to get out on the first attempt, while bunker trouble at 16 cost her the championship.

"There are certainly many lessons to be learned," reasoned the Chongqing teenager. "I didn't handle some details well enough and lacked patience at crucial moments. Hopefully, I can make adjustments next time and achieve better results."

Wang, who started the day four shots back, carded five birdies and two bogeys to finish as the leading pro and keep her place atop the CLPG Tour Order of Merit.

"The prize money is certainly some consolation. I mainly lost this tournament on two holes during the second round (bogey and double bogey). Without those two holes affecting me, I definitely could have made more birdies and entered the final round in a better position with a chance to contend for the title," said the 17-year-old rookie pro, winner of the Golfjoy Women's Open in March.

"Today I wasn't really thinking about winning anymore, because the two players ahead of me were performing exceptionally well. I could only focus on playing my best game and trying to keep up with their pace."