Richmond’s Alex Zhang has come up with a huge win in North Carolina.
The Quilchena Junior captured the 10-year-old division at the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship thanks to a sizzling 8-under 64 in the third and final round, played on Friday.
Each year since 2005, the world-renowned Pinehurst Golf Resort and the surrounding community have played host to hundreds of junior golfers from across the globe. The weeklong experience includes a Parent/Child Tournament, Team Challenge, Parade of Nations, three rounds of championship play and the Closing Ceremony.
The 10-year-old boys tournament took place at the Legacy Golf Links and featured an international field of 143 players.
Zhang opened with an even par-72 and followed with a 69. That set the stage for huge bogey-free final round that featured eight birdies — including on consecutive holes from 11-to-14— to finish three strokes ahead of India’s Anshul Mishra.
The division also featured players from Denmark, Puerto Rico, Columbia, Romania, Mexico, Germany, Paraguay, Brazil, Czech Republic, Panama, Chile, Thailand, Philippines and the United States.
Earlier this year, Zhang was awarded the best peewee golf swing in the world in the boys 9-to-10 division — voted by Jack Nicklaus, Francesco Molinari, PGA president Suzy Whaley, Lauren Thompson from the Golf Chanel and many others — at the ninth annual Little Linksters contest.
He is coached by Colin Bykowski out of the Pacific Golf Academy.