Published July 17, 2008 on December 2, 2018

New Castle Hill Challenge at Faldo Series Australia Championship

---

Talented teenagers Bella Kil and Markopolo Fullepp will have unfinished business to attend to when they tee-off in the fourth edition of the Faldo Series Australia Championship.

Given their past Faldo Series experiences, Kil and Fullepp, both aged 18, are setting their sights on qualifying for the 13th Faldo Series Asia Grand Final, to be hosted by Sir Nick Faldo at Laguna Lăng Cô in Danang, Central Vietnam in March 2019.

To achieve that aim, however, they’ll have to be on top form at the new-look layout at Castle Hill Country Club in the 12th leg of the 2018-19 Faldo Series Asia season.

David Andrews, part of the management team at Castle Hill, a frequent tournament venue since its inception in 1950, said: “We’ve made a number of positive changes to the course layout over the last four months, including four new hole redesigns and a number of new bunker formations. Players competing in this year’s Faldo Series should really enjoy the changes.”

As a member at Castle Hill, Kil, playing off a handicap of +2, will be familiar with the amendments as she bids to earn a return to the Grand Final following a one-year absence.

It was in 2017 that the former Girls Championship of Victoria winner represented Australia at Laguna Lăng Cô. On that occasion she finished 11th among the girls, a performance she’s keen to improve on.

For his part, Fullepp also has plenty of incentive to book his place in the Grand Final.

Over the course of the past decade, the widely travelled Fullepp has competed in more than 100 tournaments in 23 countries. As well as recording three holes-in-one, Fullepp has claimed 14 wins.

Included in his curriculum vitae are three Faldo Series Europe events during 2017.

After competing in the Faldo Series England Championship (South II) at Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club and the Faldo Series Scotland Championship over the Dukes Course at St Andrew’s, Fullepp headed to the Greensgate Resort for the Faldo Series Czech Republic Championship.

There, he finished tied for top spot with Ondrej Lisy after the regulation 54 holes. The duo returned to the course for what proved to be an epic sudden-death play-off with Fullepp eventually being edged out at the seventh extra hole.

Six-time Major champion Faldo, Britain’s most successful golfer, said: “My thanks to everyone at Castle Hill Country Club for their continued support of the Faldo Series Australia Championship.

“I was pleased to see Daniel Gale, winner of the Boys’ Under-21 Division at the 11th Faldo Series Asia Grand Final, win his first professional tournament this year. I’m sure his success will inspire all those taking part at Castle Hill next week.”

The 2018-19 Faldo Series Asia season is supported by The R&A and endorsed by the Asian Tour and the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation. The International Junior Golf Academy is a partner of the Faldo Series.

As well as two events in China, India and Thailand, championships are being staged in Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Chinese-Taipei, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.