12-year-old qualifies for Queensland Amateur C'ship
IN: News | Queensland Mens | Queensland Amateur Championship (2003) | General | 06 May 2003
Eagle Chang, a 12-year-old Taiwanese boy now living in Brisbane, has survived a gruelling 72 hole strokeplay qualifying tournament to become the youngest ever qualifier in the draw for the Amateur Championship of Queensland.
The Amateur Championship of Queensland was first contested in 1900, and previous winners of the event include Norman Von Nida, Jim Ferrier, Shane Tait, Jarrod Moseley, Gareth Paddison and Andrew Buckle. The matchplay format has been used to determine the winner in 54 times, and it is believed that Chang, at 12 years 11 months is the youngest player to ever qualify for the matchplay draw.
The average age of the other 31 qualifiers for the Konica Amateur Championship of Queensland is 23 years. Amongst those qualifiers are two Australian Institute of Sport and three Queensland Academy of Sport scholarship-holders. Eagle can expect a tough first round match against 30 year-old Luke Simpson playing on his home course.
In the strokeplay qualifying tournament - the Konica Queensland Medal, Chang was placed 29th, after rounds of 75-74-79-73 - 302 (13 over par).
Eagle Chang was born in Taiwan on 24th May 1990, and started playing golf (still in Taiwan) approx. 3 years ago. His family moved to Australia in September last year. He joined the Oxley Golf Club a month later, and entered the Queensland Medal with a handicap of 3.6.
Queensland Golf Union Executive Director Tony Rollins said today "For any player to make the final 32 in this tournament is a great achievement, for a 12 year-old it is simply outstanding. We have had some fantastic young players go through this tournament in the past, but none of those have matched the feat of Eagle Chang this year".
Oxley Golf Club's General Manager Don Gregory was thrilled for his young member. "Eagle has worked very hard on his game in the six months he has been a member of the Club. He can be seen on the practice putting green with his father virtually every afternoon. He went through the Junior Pennant season undefeated this year, which is another great achievement"
The Konica Amateur Championship of Queensland will commence tomorrow morning at Keperra Country Golf Club, and will conclude with a 36-hole final on Friday 9th May.
Source - QGU
