ASIAN ANGLE
Gary
Player is
Always
Right When Gary Player speaks, it is often best to pay attention and absorb his infinite words of wisdom. As Chung Choo Chiang writes, Player is the biggest supporter for the bright future of male Chinese golfers.
T
he South African golf legend, who has won staggering 165 tournaments in six continents over a span of six decades, regularly imparts his honestto-goodness views on the ever-expanding landscape of professional golf. After decades of trailblazing success, the octogenarian, who turned 82 in November and reportedly still does 1,300 sit-ups a day, is an authority of the game and he made a few folks sit up and take notice during a recent Rolex event at an LPGA tournament. Player made a bold prediction that male Chinese golfers would one day take over and dominate the world golfing order despite the current state of affairs where five American stars - Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler and Brooks Koepka -
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occupy positions in the world’s top-10 ranking. His views may not quite be “breaking news” material, but Player certainly sees things differently from mere golfing mortals. “They’ve got this enhanced desire to do well,” he said about Chinese golfers, which Global Golf Post reported in late November. Player, one of only five men to complete a career Grand Slam, revealed he wasn’t optimistic when then 14-year-old Chinese amateur Guan Tianlang earned his place at the Masters Tournament in 2013 after winning the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship. He even called Augusta National Golf Club to voice his disagreement, only for fear that Guan would be so out of his depth and be put off from the game. As it turned out, the youngster proved doubters including Player wrong by making
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AFP/Getty Images
Gary Player asserts that male Chinese golfers would one day take over and dominate the world golfing order
Zhuang Liu/PGA TOUR China
17-year-old Lin Yuxin became the third Chinese amateur to win the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, following in the footsteps of Guan (2012) and Jin Cheng (2015)
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the weekend cut and emerging as low amateur. Player conceded he “couldn’t have been more wrong about the child.” Throw in Li Haotong’s mesmerising thirdplace finish at The Open Championship in Royal Birkdale last July, following a glorious final-round 63; Player is convinced the Chinese brigade will soon burst through the gates. With Dou Zecheng, who at 20 is two years younger than Li, and Zhang Xinjun earning PGA TOUR cards after taking a journey which began at the PGA TOUR China, the signs are becoming evident that Player could be spot on with his prediction. His views coincided with another Chinese teenager, 17-year-old Lin Yuxin, earning the dream trip to the Masters Tournament this coming spring after he prevailed in the AsianPacific Amateur Championship in Wellington in late October. Lin later explained he was amongst those inspired by countryman Li’s Open exploits. “It’s definitely a motivation for me, and it’s definitely a motivation for every
Chinese player,” said the left-hander, who also earned a starting place at the 2018 Open Championship. This pointed back to Player’s assertion that the Chinese have the “enhanced desire” to succeed. Interestingly, Lin has come onto the scene after enjoying numerous opportunities to grind his teeth on the PGA TOUR China, the very same platform which has propelled Dou and Zhang into the world’s premier golf circuit. Over the past three years, Lin played on the PGA TOUR China, making 11 cuts from 13 starts and finishing as low amateur in seven events throughout 2016 without missing a weekend cut. With the PGA TOUR announcing that it will partner with the China Golf Association (CGA) to stage a full PGA TOUR China schedule in 2018, commissioner Jay Monahan emphasised the importance. “This is significant, really significant, for Chinese golf, because Zecheng and Xinjun are the first two players from China to hold PGA TOUR membership,” Monahan said. “They followed the path from PGA TOUR China to the Web.com Tour, to the PGA TOUR, and they are ideal examples of what you can do when you have immense talent, you dream big and, you play on PGA TOUR China.” The timing of the PGA TOUR China announcement could not have been any better as days later; Lin became the third Chinese amateur to win the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, following in the footsteps of Guan (2012) and Jin Cheng (2015). Monahan believes a strong PGA TOUR China will pave the way for more Chinese talents to break through. “If we can unlock the largest country and the largest market in the world and we can inspire future generations, and hopefully young people are watching these two stars (Dou and Zhang) and other stars as we go forward, we think that's a wonderful thing for the best game on the planet,” he said. “We want to develop more elite Chinese players through PGA TOUR China, and I think you'll see us continue to collaborate on the specifics behind inspiring future generations and developing the game.” With the some of the game’s biggest backers like HSBC collaborating with CGA through its junior programme where players such as Li, now ranked 59th in the world, and Lin have benefited from, Player’s prediction could well become true. Chuah Choo Chiang is the Senior Director, Communications of PGA Tour and based in TPC Kuala Lumpur
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