China Golf, 中国高尔夫

The 2009 China Female Professional Golf Tour has been held recently in Shanghai with fierce competition. Teenager players including Minting Shi, Jiaxin Yong, Xiyu Lin, Yu Liu, Xin Wong catch most of the attention from the media.

In the qualifying tournament on Monday, the 14-year-old Xin Wong and 11-year-old Minting Shi entered the elite tournament as No.1 and 2. Minting Shi participated the tournament with the recommendation from China Golf Association. She entered the final with a ranking of 45 which gained her a name of “child prodigy” given by the media. Even the champion of the tour station Shanghai, Ping Huang, admired her skills, saying “her putter is very precise.”

The three little pretty girls, Jiaxin Yong, Yu Liu, Xiyu Lin, have been the heated topic in the competition. Jiaxin Yong and Yu Liu had experience in Oriental Female Tour; they straightly entered the elite tournament. Xiyu Lin’s achievement also surprised the audience. Finally, Jiaxin Yong won the Award of Best Amateur Player with a ranking of 12. Yu Liu ranked 29 with a steady performance. It is reported that Jiaxin Yong and Xiyu Lin will attend the France Evian Teenager Masters Golf Cup on July 18th and 19th. This elite tournament played the role of warming up for them before France.

These teenager players are not to be ignored, for their marvelous achievements and adept skills. However, being young and short results in serving balls in a short distance. The 6399 yard in Shanghai Oriental Field is still too long for these young players. Critics say their lack of strength explains their disadvantages. Though these young competitors cannot match the adult professional players, their courage and perseverance make us believe that golf will have a bright future as a sport in China.

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During the recession, more and more golf events have been cancelled because of financial problems with the sponsors.  The $1 million TCL Classic in Hainan Island, sponsored by the Chinese electronics manufacturer, was first to disappear from the schedule in 2008. BMW is also planning to modify the Tomson Shanghai Golf Club venue and will cancel it in 2009. However, HSBC Champions will remain in Shanghai until 2010 after it is elevated to a World Cup of Golf event. This new event gives great chances to Chinese golfers and four Chinese players are likely to tee off alongside world number one Tiger Woods in November. And Omega, despite cutting back its sponsorship this year, continues to back the professional China Tour, while HSBC runs a junior golf programme with the CGA. Please go to Reuters for more information. By the way, we are looking for a press pass for the HSBC Champions. We have tried to connect with HSBC. Please let us know if you can help. Thank you.
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