02 November 2009 11:49 GMT

Han Chang-won of Korea enjoyed the finest moment of his young golfing career when he booked a place at International Final Qualifying for the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews with a dominant victory in the inaugural Asian Amateur Championship in China.

Leading by two shots overnight, the 17-year-old earned his place at either Asian or Australasian qualifying with a final-round two-under-par 70 at Mission Hills Golf Club’s World Cup Course.

Han finished with a 72-hole total of 276, five shots in front of compatriot and playing partner Eric Chun, who could only manage a 73 on Sunday. Chun joins his countryman in the final qualifying stage for next year’s Open at St Andrews on the 150th anniversary of the Championship.

Understandably, he was thrilled with the victory which also secures him an invitation to Augusta National to compete in the Masters Tournament.

“I knew I was leading by five or six after the first nine holes, but I was trying not to think about the result,” said Han. “Anything can happen in a round of golf and I was very nervous towards the end.”

While disappointed to miss out on victory, the runner-up, Chun, went away happy with his place in International Final Qualifying for the 2010 Open. For him it will represent a second Major chance after disappointment earlier this year.

“I was happy with how I played this week,” he explained. “I started poorly and played really well on the second and third day and gave myself a chance and that is what you have to do in tournaments. You have to stay patient, which is what I did, and I am happy with second place.

“The IFQ is a huge opportunity. Earlier this year I got to the final stage of qualifying for the US Open. I was leading by two shots with three holes to play and finished bogey-par-bogey and went into a play-off and lost. That is a bad memory, so I am hoping to get a little payback,” he said.

The successful pair will choose whether to compete in Asia or Australasia in their bids to make it to St Andrews in 2010.

International Final Qualifying events for The Open Championship were introduced in 2004 and are held on five continents to give more players from around the world the chance to gain direct entry into golf’s oldest championship.

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