MELBOURNE, Dec. 9 -- Chinese junior golfers Jin Bo and Xu Andi enjoyed closely fought wins in their singles matches in the Junior Presidents Cup on Monday, which reinforced their belief that they can reach for the stars.
Both Jin and Xu are members of the International Team, which lost 11-13 to the U.S. Team in the two-day competition, which is a prelude for the Presidents Cup scheduled to start in the Royal Melbourne Golf Club on Thursday.
Jin secured his second win in the tournament by closing out Benjamin James 3 and 2 in a match he never trailed. Xu, who lost his first two matches on Sunday, bounced back to edge Maxwell Moldovon, the 2019 Rolex Junior Player of the Year, one point up.
"It's really special to play in an event which mirrors the Presidents Cup. This is the best event by far that I've played in and it's something I'll never forget," the 17-year-old Xu said.
"The first day was pretty tough as our long game wasn't good and we struggled. It's really about learning how to manage on this golf course, your distance control and where to hit it. I made some mistakes which I think can help me in the future as I'll know how to perform better."
Xu will remain in Australia over the next few days to watch the Presidents Cup, a biennial team event run by the PGA Tour that pits the U.S. Team against a rest-of-the-world side.
"I hope to learn from the guys. It's my hope to get to the PGA Tour someday. If I play well in college, I definitely want to turn professional and getting to the Presidents Cup will be a good goal to aim for," Xu said.
Jin, whose elder brother Jin Cheng, a winner of the 2017 Asia Pacific Amateur Championship, was delighted he made amends with a strong win in the Singles.
"It's my first time to Australia and it feels so good. The whole set-up in this tournament astonished me. I am glad I won today as I played quite good," Jin said.
On Monday, golf superstar Tiger Woods also touched down in Melbourne for the upcoming matches and joined International Team Captain Ernie Els for a Fan Experience at the bank of Yarra River.