File picture of Chinese golfer Jin Cheng.

AFP/Hong Kong

Third-round leader Jin Cheng won a place at the US Masters after a passing typhoon caused the cancellation of the final round of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Hong Kong on Sunday.
The 17-year-old Chinese number one amateur, who shot a course record eight-under 62 in the first round, won the title by one stroke as storms caused by Typhoon Mujigae tore across the exposed Clearwater Bay course.
“That’s my lowest tournament score ever,” Jin told a news conference after his win, referring to his 62 on Thursday. “I think that’s pretty important for this win.”
His 54-hole total of 11-under par 199 gave him a one-shot victory over the Australian pair of Ryan Ruffels and Cameron Davis, who shared second place.
Jin’s final action had been a sublime chip to set up what proved to be a winning birdie four at the 18th hole on Saturday.
“I was thinking of playing golf today, so I didn’t really think that would be the winning shot,” Jin said.
“This win just came so fast and so sudden. I was ready for the round today, and unfortunately the weather didn’t work out.”
With a typhoon warning signal raised, play was halted at 7:41 am and finally cancelled shortly before midday.

HOPES SCUPPERED  
“Obviously there’s nothing we can do about the situation,” said a disappointed Ruffels, who takes away the consolation, along with Davis, of a place in the final round of qualifying for the 2016 British Open at Royal Troon.
“You could see weather coming in. It just looked absolutely horrendous coming in over the hill,” said Davis. “It was so bad... we were ready, but it was never going to happen.”
Both runners-up congratulated Jin. “Credit to Jin, he played amazing this week, to back up eight under with those two rounds in some tough conditions,” said Ruffels.  
“But obviously we would have liked to have a crack at it today.”
Sunday’s washout scuppered the hopes of a repeat win for defending champion Antonio Murdaca of Australia, who had got into contention with a scintillating best of the day 64 in blustery conditions on Saturday to lie just four strokes off the lead.
Jin, who turns 18 in March, will follow in the footsteps of compatriot and fellow teenager Guan Tianlang, who won this title in 2012 and went on to become the youngest player in Masters history at Augusta in the 2013 event aged 14 years and five months.
The chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament, Billy Payne, said Jin deserved his place among the elite.
“While weather regrettably shortened the event, we have identified a very worthy and talented champion in Jin Cheng,” he said.