Han Gets Invite to Masters in 2010

Han Chang-won completed the Korean championship trifecta at Mission Hills Golf Club in China Sunday, cruising to a five-stroke victory at the inaugural Asian Amateur Championship and earning the most-coveted invitation in all of golf – a spot in next year’s Masters Tournament.

Han, 17, will join fellow Koreans Y.E. Yang, this year’s PGA champion, and Byeong-Hun An, the winner of this year’s U.S. Amateur, next April at Augusta National.

“When I started playing golf I dreamed of going to the Masters Tournament,” said Han, who began the final round with a two-stroke lead and padded has advantage with a closing 70. “I feel this has come a little earlier than I expected, but I am so grateful for the opportunity to come over and play this tournament.”

Fellow Korean Eric Chun finished alone in second place at 7 under while Meen-Whee Kim (Korea), Peter Spearman-Burn (Australia) and Jordan Sherratt (Australia) tied for third.

The victory also earns Han an exemption into International Final Qualifying for next year’s British Open, but it was a potential ride down Magnolia Lane that made the teenager nervous coming down the stretch.

“We are excited that the Asian Amateur Championship has met its stated goal of establishing golfing heroes and will be a portion of the long-term solution for growing the game of golf in this region of the world,” Billy Payne, the chairman of Augusta National and the Masters, said in a statement.

After a historic year, there doesn’t seem to be a shortage of Korean golf heroes.