FAR HILLS, N.J. – Chang-Woo Lee of Korea held his nerve in shooting a final-round, 1-under-par 70 to win the 2013 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship for a three-stroke victory at Nanshan International Golf Club’s Garden Course in Longkou City, China.
Lee, who finished second alongside 2011 U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy at last week’s Korea Open and is No. 31 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, posted a 3-under total of 281 in securing an invitation to the 2014 Masters as well as an exemption into next year’s U.S. Amateur at the Atlanta Athletic Club and a spot in 2014 U.S. Open sectional qualifying.
The 19-year-old also secured a place in International Final Qualifying for the 2014 British Open, along with runner-up Shohei Hasegawa of Japan, who shot a 71 and finished the 72-hole competition at even-par 284.
Hasegawa’s compatriot Kenta Konishi (70) finished strongly to claim solo third place at 1-over.
Zecheng Dou, 16, of China, a quarterfinalist in this year’s U.S. Amateur Public Links and U.S. Junior Amateur, was in second position entering the final round, but struggled to a 75 and tied for fourth (287). Dou was trying to become the second Chinese player to win the championship in as many years, following 14-year-old Tianlang Guan last year. Guan, now 15, who made the cut at this year’s Masters to earn low-amateur honors, tied for eighth at 289 alongside 2013 U.S. Amateur semifinalist Brady Watt of Australia.
U.S. Amateur runner-up Oliver Goss of Australia, who likely has a Masters invitation from his performance at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass., finished seventh at 4-over 288 after a final-round 72.
Lee, meanwhile, became the second Korean to take the title following Chang-Won Han’s win in the inaugural championship in 2009.
“Playing in the Masters has been my dream since I started playing golf,” said Lee, who won the Dongbu Promi Open on the professional Korean Tour last month. “I didn’t think I would have an opportunity [to ever do so], so this is a great honor. I have never been so excited.”
The Asia-Pacific Amateur is sanctioned by the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation, The R&A and Augusta National Golf Club.